theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-29)

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Gideon Amos:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what his planned timetable is for the completion of the review of medical entry standards; and what interim (a) guidance and (b) appeal mechanisms are available to applicants to the armed forces with well-managed asthma. \p Louise Sandher-Jones: Defence is committed to a diverse workforce, seeking to ‘select in’ rather than ‘select out’ and is focused on work to review the current policies for Armed Forces recruiting.

An update to Joint Service Publication (JSP) 950 Leaflet 6-7-7, which sets out the medical entry standards for the Armed Forces, was published in August 2024 following an intensive period of review undertaken by clinical experts, Defence personnel staff, and the recruiting agencies.

The updated JSP 950 Leaflet 6-7-7 is now in use and in the case of asthma confirms candidates may now be able to join the Armed Forces providing they meet certain criteria. Defence Medical Services continue to monitor and consider all emerging medical evidence to inform medical entry standards.

There is an executive waiver process where the employing Service may, exceptionally, recruit someone who is below the normal medical entry standards. This may include individuals with unique specialist skills that outweigh any functional limitations they might have.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-29)

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Jim Shannon:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he his taking to encourage more women to become commandos. \p Louise Sandher-Jones: The Royal Navy (RN) is actively working to encourage more women to pursue careers as Commandos. Female Royal Marine/Commando candidates benefit from tailored support, including mentorship from women who have been through the Commando process. Those in the recruitment pipeline are also invited to attend female-specific briefings and webinars.

In addition, the RN offers Commando Force opportunities to women in non-Commando roles, helping to prepare them for future Commando training should they choose to pursue it. As a further demonstration of our commitment to supporting female Commandos, Victoria Pendleton has been appointed as an Honorary Colonel in the Royal Marines.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-29)

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Helen Maguire:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many candidates applying to join the armed forces were turned down on the basis of poor dental health in each of the last 10 years. \p Louise Sandher-Jones: The Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force operate individual recruitment schemes and data on candidates who have been unable to join the Armed Forces for dental reasons is recorded separately for each Service. Data is provided for the period as held in accordance with medical record retention policies.

For the Royal Navy, 17 candidates have been placed ‘Medically On-Hold’ since June 2025. Following dental treatment, six of the 17 candidates have since been assessed as medically fit to join the Royal Navy.

Historic data on candidates to the Royal Navy who have been placed ‘Medically On-Hold’ for dental reasons is not held in the format requested and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

For the British Army, the following table provides the number of candidates who were rejected at medical review for dental reasons:

Total Medical Failures

2019

2020

2021

2022

2023

2024

2025

Dental Only

4

3

1

6

13

7

4

Dental + Other Conditions

0

2

4

3

5

5

2

For the Royal Air Force, the following table provides the number of candidates who were coded for dental failures:

Years (completion date)

Dental fail

2018

1

2019

5

2020

5

2021

5

2022

2

2023

5

2024

21

2025

13

Total

57
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Helen Maguire:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to reduce holdover wait times for trainees. \p Louise Sandher-Jones: Holdover wait times for trainees vary across the single Services and it is not a universal picture; however multiple steps are being taken to reduce wait times across all three Services. Force growth and training have been prioritised, with training pipelines experiencing increased productivity with additional military, civil service and contractor workforce provisioned to deliver optimal sequencing.

The efficiency of the UK Military Flying Training System (UKMFTS) continues to improve, with a consistently reducing number of trainees in holdovers, and the duration of holdovers also reducing significantly.

Holdovers in UKMFTS Aircrew training pipelines are monitored through established tri-Service governance structures, particularly the Aircrew Pipeline Management Group (APMG) and Aircrew Pipeline Steering Group (APSG), both chaired by RAF 22 Group. These forums enable early visibility of emerging constraints and have directly contributed to reductions in both the number and duration of holdovers across UKMFTS.
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Adam Jogee:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has had recent discussions with his counterparts in the African Union on the work of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. \p Louise Sandher-Jones: The Secretary of State for Defence has not recently directly discussed the work of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) with any of his counterparts from other CWGC member nations.

The Secretary of State, as the de-facto Chair of the Commission, is usually represented by the Defence Services Secretary at the quarterly CWGC Commissioners meetings. These are attended by the High Commissioners of each of the CWGC’s member nations, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, India and South Africa. Their presence ensures a consistent link between the Commission and the Governments of its member nations. The next meeting is scheduled to held on 3 December 2025 where key aspects of the Commission’s ongoing and future work will be discussed.
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Helen Maguire:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Strategic Defence Review 2025, if he will set out (a) a timeline and (b) interim milestones for increasing the number of active reserves by 20 per cent. \p Louise Sandher-Jones: This Government is hugely grateful for the contribution made by our Reserve Forces, who provide the UK with the ability to meet the threats we face at home and overseas, in a cost-effective way. The Military Strategic Headquarters, in partnership with the Military Commands, is leading ongoing work to plan the increase in the number of Reserves by 20 per cent, when the financial situation allows. It is too early in the process to set out a defined timeline and associated milestones to achieve this target.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-29)

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Dave Doogan:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the time on wing was for the engines damaged by Palestine Action at Brize Norton. \p Luke Pollard: The time on the wing for the engines that were damaged are - engine (a) 35 months 24 days, since 27 June 2022; engine (b) 15 months 8 days since 12 Mar 2024.
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Ian Roome:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 7 April 2025 to Question 42382 on National Armaments Director: Standards, what steps his Department will take to assess the job performance of the National Armaments Director. \p Luke Pollard: The performance of the National Armaments Director (NAD) will be assessed against a set of objectives. These objectives will be agreed and measured through appropriate Accounting Officer governance. The objectives in line with their accountability to Parliament. They will align with the intent set out in the Strategic Defence Review and Defence Industrial Strategy, and the NAD Group’s organisational performance. The NAD has a specific performance award as part of their total remuneration package which enables an annual award of up to a maximum of 60% of base pay to made based against these objectives.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-29)

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Dave Doogan:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether engines damaged by Palestine Action at Brize Norton were removed from the aircraft following the incident. \p Luke Pollard: The affected engines have been removed following the incident.
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Sarah Pochin:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to support veterans to access (a) housing, (b) healthcare services and (c) employment support in Runcorn and Helsby constituency. \p Louise Sandher-Jones: This Government is fully committed to ensuring that all veterans, including those living in Runcorn and Helsby, have easy access to support in these essential areas, when and where it is needed.

For housing support in England, Op FORTITUDE is the support referral pathway to connect veterans at risk of, or experiencing, homelessness. The Reducing Veteran Homelessness programme funds housing organisations to deliver wraparound care and support services to veterans across the UK.

Veterans can also access specialist mental and physical health support through Op COURAGE and Op RESTORE, which provide a broad range of specialist mental health, physical and wellbeing care services to veterans in England, with similar services available in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

For employment support, the MOD-hosted Career Transition Partnership (CTP) is the initial point of employment support provision for veterans for up to two years before and after leaving military service. Op ASCEND is available two years after discharge and connects veterans and their families with employers and supports them into sustainable careers in strategic sectors.

This Government has also announced VALOUR, a new programme giving veterans across the UK easier access to the essential care and support available to them. VALOUR support centres will facilitate access to multiple services for veterans, and will connect local, regional, and national services. A network of regional field officers will bring together charities, service providers, and local government to improve collaboration and coordination, enabling data-driven policy and service development. VALOUR HQ, within the MOD, will gather data and insight, working with policy and research teams to ensure services are designed to meet local needs.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-29)

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Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether any military officers have been sent to Israel for the purposes of monitoring the ceasefire in Gaza. \p Al Carns: No. A small number of UK planning officers have embedded in the US-led Civil Military Coordination Centre (CMCC), including a 2* deputy commander, to ensure that the UK remains integrated into the US-led planning efforts for Gaza post-conflict stability. This team is not monitoring the ceasefire in Gaza. The UK continues to work with international partners to support the Gaza ceasefire to see where the UK can best contribute to the peace process.
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Suella Braverman:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department has contingency plans in place to respond to mass drone incursions, in the context of drone incursions in Ukraine and Poland. \p Al Carns: The UK is committed to defending every inch of NATO territory, including our contribution of Typhoon jets to defend Polish airspace as part of NATO’s Eastern Sentry. NATO is more united than ever as we continue to work closely to support Ukraine and defend the alliance’s territory. The Defence Secretary recently confirmed that we will be extending our contribution to Eastern Sentry until the end of 2025. Over the past 18 months, the RAF has also conducted routine deployments of Typhoons to both Poland and Romania to protect NATO airspace.

In the UK, RAF fighter jets at RAF Coningsby and RAF Lossiemouth are held at continuous high readiness 24/7, 365 days a year, to protect UK sovereign airspace. They routinely launch to intercept unidentified aircraft flying in the UK’s area of interest as part of NATO’s air policing mission.
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James Cartlidge:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has had discussions with (a) NATO allies and (b) his European counterparts on plans to develop a defence space shield to protect British (a) military and (b) communication satellites. \p Al Carns: The UK works closely with its NATO and European Allies to improve collective understanding of evolving threats, integrate space more effectively into defence operations, and pursue interoperability and resilience across our space assets and space-based services.

In addition to working with partners, the UK continues to invest in its national capabilities, including through the work of UK Space Command and the development of advanced satellite technologies. These efforts are aimed at enhancing Space Domain Awareness strengthening the resilience of critical space assets, and ensuring the UK can respond effectively to emerging threats in the space domain.

Working nationally and with Allies and partners, the UK remains committed to maintaining the security and operational integrity of British satellites, as part of a broader strategy to safeguard and ensure we can deter and, if necessary, protect our interests in space.
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James Cartlidge:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 2 October 2025 to Question 64587 on Defence Growth Board, on which dates the Defence Growth Board has met since 3 April 2025; and who attended. \p Luke Pollard: The Defence Growth Board met on 30 July 2025. It was attended by the Secretary of State for Defence, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Secretary of State for Business, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) Permanent Secretary, the MOD interim National Armaments Director and other senior officials from Departments.
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Dr Andrew Murrison:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his Answer of 17 October 2025 to Question 77029 on Israel: Military Aid, following the ceasefire in Gaza, when he will review his decision on Israeli defence personnel attendance on UK courses. \p Al Carns: The Ministry of Defence decided to pause future Israeli participation on UK training and education courses until the situation in Gaza and the West Bank had been satisfactorily addressed We will keep this decision under review.
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Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to improve systems for delivering oxygen to battlefield trauma casualties without making use of pressurised cylinders; and what estimate he has made of when this will be available for frontline use. \p Louise Sandher-Jones: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) deploys oxygen concentrators under certain circumstances to deliver oxygen without pressurised cylinders.

The Defence Investment Plan will set out any further funding available to support the wider roll out of oxygen concentrators to deliver oxygen to battlefield trauma casualties.
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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much and what proportion of his Department's expenditure was with UK-based businesses in the latest period for which data is available. \p Luke Pollard: In 2024-25, The Ministry of Defence global expenditure with industry (including direct payments to industry, foreign governments and via Foreign Military Sales with the US) was £38 billion. Of this, £32 billion (84%) was for work taking place in the UK.
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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much and what proportion of his Department's expenditure was with small and medium sized enterprises in the latest period for which data is available. \p Luke Pollard: The information is published annually. The most recent data can be accessed via the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/mod-regional-expenditure-statistics-with-industry-202425/mod-regional-expenditure-with-industry-202425#mod-expenditure-with-small-and-medium-sized-enterprises

The latest publicly available figures were released in September 2025 and cover the 2024-25 financial year period. 4% (£1.2 billion) of MOD direct expenditure with UK industry was with Small and Medium-sized Enterprises in 2024-25.
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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent progress he has made in establishing the Defence Energy and Capability Resilience Centre of Excellence. \p Luke Pollard: The Defence Energy and Capability Resilience Centre of Excellence (DECX) will be established from the start of the next financial year.
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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 76 of the Defence Industrial Strategy: Making Defence an Engine for Growth, published on 8 September 2025, CP 1388, what recent progress he has made in establishing the Defence Supply Chain Capability Programme. \p Luke Pollard: The Defence Supply Chain Capability Programme (DSCCP) is a review of Defence supply chain capabilities that will deliver a step-change improvement in how Defence understands, designs and manages the MOD’s industrial ecosystem to deliver benefits throughout the end-to-end supply chain.

The DSCCP was established as a programme in September 2024, following a period of discovery and design it is now in year two of delivery. It is delivering a suite of end-to-end supply chain capabilities, covering; risk modelling, supplier management, supply chain architecture, resilience policy, and scenario planning.
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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 72 of the Defence Industrial Strategy: Making Defence an Engine for Growth, published on 8 September 2025, CP 1388, when he plans to launch a Regulatory Solutions Hub. \p Luke Pollard: The Regulatory Solutions Hub is expected to be launched in 2026.
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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 72 of the Defence Industrial Strategy: Making Defence an Engine for Growth, published on 8 September 2025, CP 1388, what recent progress he has made in piloting the provision of a high fidelity virtual test range. \p Luke Pollard: As set out in the Defence Industrial Strategy, our Test and Evaluation Transformation programme is piloting the provision of a high-fidelity virtual test range, focused on the evaluation of UK equipment in the most demanding operational environments. This project will pave the way for the UK Defence enterprise to rapidly test, innovate and integrate systems against the most demanding operational use-cases.

Since publication of the Defence Industrial Strategy, the project’s technical approach has been tested through the largest and most ambitious multinational trial ever undertaken on a virtual range of this type. This successfully validated the technical direction of the project and work is underway to establish the facilities needed to expand access to the pilot by the summer of 2026.
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Ian Byrne:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking to (a) divest public funds from fossil fuels and (b) support community-owned renewable energy initiatives. \p Michael Shanks: As part of our mission to make Britain a clean energy superpower, we are delivering the largest public investment in clean energy and nature recovery in UK history which will cut bills, provide energy security, create jobs, and boost growth. At COP29, The UK joined the Coalition on Phasing out Fossil Fuel Incentives, including Subsidies which further demonstrates our continued engagement on inefficient fossil fuel subsidy reform. At the same time, we are ensuring the North Sea transition sets a global benchmark for a just and prosperous energy future.

Since its establishment, Great British Energy has invested over £280 million into local and community energy with the UK government.

Great British Energy announced that £5 million will be allocated to the Great British Energy Community Fund in 2025/26, a grant funding scheme to support community energy groups to generate their own clean power projects.

On 21 May, we published a working paper on community benefits and shared ownership of low carbon energy infrastructure. The working paper sought evidence on current shared ownership practices in the UK and whether introducing a legal requirement to offer shared ownership using powers in Section 38 Part 6 of the Infrastructure Act 2015 is appropriate. We are currently reviewing responses.
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Jenny Riddell-Carpenter:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure that lower wholesale costs of renewable generation are reflected in consumer electricity bills; and whether he plans to review (a) the application of green levies on electricity compared with gas and (b) the market arrangements under which the price of electricity is linked to the cost of gas generation. \p Michael Shanks: Delivering lower bills and a secure energy supply for families and businesses is at the heart of the Government’s sprint towards homegrown, clean energy.

The quicker we transition to homegrown clean power, the quicker we can build a system that will bring bills down for good.

Any decisions regarding green levies will be informed by robust research and analysis of the distribution of levies on energy bills. We will ensure we keep fairness and affordability at the forefront of our minds throughout this process.

The ever-increasing participation of renewables in the wholesale market also means that over time, cheaper electricity produced by renewable technologies will determine the price more often, because we will not need gas to meet demand as frequently.
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Ian Byrne:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the revised Carbon Budget Delivery Plan on the international commitment to cut carbon emissions by over two-thirds by 2030. \p Katie White: We are delivering an updated plan that sets out the policy package out to the end of Carbon Budget 6 in 2037 for all sectors of the economy. This will outline the policies and proposals needed to deliver Carbon Budgets 4-6 and our international commitments on a pathway to net zero.
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Navendu Mishra:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of the Octopus Energy partnership with Ming Yang on national security. \p Michael Shanks: We cannot comment on individual investment cases, but investment into the energy sector is subject to the highest levels of national security scrutiny, and we will continue to work closely with industry to build secure supply chains and ensure the UK remains one of the most attractive investment destinations in the world.
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Sir John Hayes:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what measures his Department has in place to run critical services in the event of a major internet outage. \p Michael Shanks: The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero has established a Business Continuity Management System (BCMS) that is designed to ensure the continuity of departmental critical services in the event of a major disruption. Our BCMS aligns with industry best practice and is subject to regular review and testing.
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Ian Byrne:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of the Belém Action Mechanism. \p Katie White: We are committed to working with all Parties to secure outcomes across the COP30 negotiations, including on just transitions, which are a critical opportunity to ensure that workers and communities benefit from the economic transition to net zero. Ahead of COP30 we are considering a range of proposals, including those related to just transitions.
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Perran Moon:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking to formalise alternative routes to smart export guarantee eligibility for renewable energy installations that are not certified under the microgeneration certification scheme. \p Michael Shanks: The Smart Export Guarantee eligibility criteria are set out in legislation. This requires that an installation and installer are certified through the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) or a scheme accredited as equivalent. There are no plans to review this requirement.

While such certification is required to access the SEG, suppliers may choose to and, in many cases, do offer export tariffs outside the SEG arrangements.
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Navendu Mishra:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking to reduce reliance on Chinese-made components in UK energy infrastructure. \p Michael Shanks: The Department is committed to working closely across Government and industry stakeholders to take forward the actions needed to develop supply chains that are resilient, sustainable, innovative and secure. The Government takes the security and resilience of UK energy infrastructure extremely seriously with the UK being one of the most reliable and safest energy systems, and one of the most attractive investment destinations in the world. We take a consistent, long-term and strategic approach to managing relations with China and will co-operate where we can, compete where we need to, and challenge where we must.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-29)

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Mike Wood:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether the Climate Change Committee is subject to (a) the Civil Service Code and (b) guidance from the (i) Cabinet Office and (ii) Government Communication Service on political impartiality. \p Katie White: As an independent, statutory body, the Climate Change Committee (CCC) is not subject to the Civil Service Code. Board Members are expected to adhere to the Cabinet Office's code of conduct for Board Members of public bodies, as well as other central guidance around conduct. Staff are subject to the CCC's own code of conduct. There is a long-standing principle that public bodies must be politically impartial, and all public bodies must comply with the rules on lobbying, attendance at party conference, advertising, marketing and PR.
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Jenny Riddell-Carpenter:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking to ensure effective coordination between energy infrastructure projects. \p Michael Shanks: The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero is taking a more strategic approach to energy infrastructure. Through the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, we are ensuring National Policy Statements remain up to date and streamlining decision-making, while maintaining fairness and transparency. We are consulting on new guidance to strengthen community engagement. All large projects must address cumulative impacts as part of the Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project regime, with Local Impact Reports from authorities. The National Energy System Operator is developing the Strategic Spatial Energy Plan (2026) and Centralised Strategic Network Plan (2027) to ensure holistic, coordinated planning across Great Britain.
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Jenny Riddell-Carpenter:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his Department is taking steps to reduce the price disparity between electricity and gas. \p Michael Shanks: I refer my hon Friend to the answer given to my hon Friend the Member for Stroud (Dr Simon Opher) on 20th October to question UIN (14374).
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Jess Asato:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking to support the growth of the biomethane sector. \p Michael Shanks: Biomethane can play an important role in reducing our reliance on imported fossil fuels, boosting our energy security and helping us accelerate to net zero.

The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) is working with The National Energy System Operator (NESO) on biomethane’s role in clean power and net zero.

DESNZ expects to publish a consultation on a holistic future policy framework for biomethane in financial year 2025-26, to follow the current Green Gas Support Scheme, which closes to new applications in March 2028.
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Jim Shannon:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what funding his Department will provide to the devolved administrations to help support the cost of meeting energy bills during the winter of 2025-26. \p Martin McCluskey: Energy policy is a transferred matter in Northern Ireland, falling within the legislative competence of the Northern Ireland Assembly and the responsibility of the Northern Ireland Executive.

Accordingly, help in supporting the cost of meeting energy bills during the winter of 2025-26 is a matter for the relevant Northern Ireland Executive Ministers.

We recognise that we need to support households struggling with bills whilst we transition to clean power by 2030. On 19 June we announced that we are expanding the Warm Home Discount to around an additional 2.7 million households in England, Wales and Scotland. This means that from this winter, around 6 million low-income households will receive the £150 support to help with their energy bills.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-29)

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Paulette Hamilton:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to help ensure that new buildings include (a) insulation, (b) green roofs, (c) passive cooling and (d) other climate-related features through his Department's (i) planning policies and (ii) building regulations. \p Samantha Dixon: Through the Building Regulations, the Department sets minimum performance standards for new homes and buildings. In 2021, these standards were strengthened to ensure new homes and buildings are highly energy-efficient, with high-quality insulation and effective ventilation. These changes came into force in June 2022. A new overheating requirement was also introduced, requiring residential buildings to be designed to mitigate overheating, with passive cooling encouraged. We intend to introduce further changes to the Building Regulations through the Future Homes and Buildings Standards in the next few months. These new standards will ensure new homes and buildings are extremely energy-efficient and use low-carbon heating, such as heat pumps.

The National Planning Policy Framework makes clear that the planning system should take full account of all climate impacts and help to shape places in a way that minimises vulnerability and improves resilience to the effects of climate change through suitable adaptation measures, including through incorporating green infrastructure and sustainable drainage systems. It is also clear that opportunities to improve biodiversity in and around developments should be integrated as part of their design. The National Design Guide and National Model Design Code highlight the importance of conserving natural resources and measures that support energy efficiency and integrating green infrastructure into development incorporating features such as green roofs.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-29)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-29 conversation_215

Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 11 September 2025 to Question 70571 on Elections: Campaigns, whether the new imprint requirements will apply outside candidate-specific regulated election periods. \p Samantha Dixon: Imprint requirements play an important role in upholding trust in our democratic process by ensuring voters can see clearly who is behind printed and digital campaigning material.

The period for which the print and digital imprint rules apply will remain the same. As digital campaigning is not confined to election periods, the UK-wide digital imprint regime, for the most part, applies all-year round. Whereas the print regime applies during regulated periods for candidates.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-29)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-29 conversation_216

Sir James Cleverly:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to his Department's policy paper entitled Restoring trust in our democracy: Our strategy for modern and secure elections, published on 17 July 2025, whether he received representations from the Co-operative Party prior to the publication of that document. \p Samantha Dixon: The Government has worked closely with its partners in local and devolved government, with the electoral sector, with education providers and civil society, and with citizens themselves in the development of the strategy for modern and secure elections. We will continue to engage with a range of stakeholders, including with political parties and sector representative organisations such as the Association of Electoral Administrators, to ensure these changes are delivered successfully.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-29)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-29 conversation_217

Sir James Cleverly:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 13 October 2025 to Question 77556 on Electoral Register, what user research he has commissioned; and from which organisations. \p Samantha Dixon: Pursuant to Answer of 13 October 2025 to UIN 77556, the Government continues to explore a range of options to improve electoral registration, with user research playing an important role in ensuring services are effective, inclusive, and meet the needs of the public.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-29)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-29 conversation_218

Sir James Cleverly:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of early voting pilots on turnout. \p Samantha Dixon: This Government is committed to improving participation in our democracy. To support this goal, as the world continues to evolve around us, we must continue to ensure our democratic processes keep pace with technology and the way in which people live their lives.

The purpose of these pilots is to explore how to modernise the way polling stations operate by making voting more efficient, more convenient, and better aligned with the expectations of today’s electors.

The impacts of the pilot will be measured and evaluated by the Ministry for Housing Communities and Local Government and the Electoral Commission. The findings will be carefully considered and may inform future decisions on the delivery of elections.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-29)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-29 conversation_219

Munira Wilson:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of access of leaseholders to information about fire safety. \p Samantha Dixon: Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, there is a requirement on responsible persons (those responsible for fire safety such as a building owner, landlord or managing agent) to undertake and record a fire risk assessment for their premises. Article 21A also makes clear that the responsible person must communicate the risks identified in the fire risk assessment to residents (including whenever this is updated). They are not required to share the whole assessment as there is an expectation that they summarise the risks given the potentially technical nature of the assessment.

Fire and rescue services are not in a position to compel responsible persons to share the whole fire risk assessment and the Government does not hold data on enforcement or breaches of Article 21A. If the risks highlighted in the assessment are not being shared with residents they should request this from their responsible person, and if they continue to not receive this information then they could report this to their fire and rescue service.

In guidance we publish on these requirements, titled Check your fire safety responsibilities under Section 156 of the Building Safety Act 2022, we advise that those responsible for fire safety communicate this information alongside the instructions to residents on what to do in the event of a fire which they are required to provide on an annual basis. This advice is repeated in the statutory guidance on fire safety in blocks of flats which we aim to publish in the first half of 2026.

There is a regulatory power under Article 21A (4) allowing the Government to mandate the frequency of this information. We will continue to monitor the effectiveness of the legislation to identify if such a mandate is necessary.

In addition, on 4 July 2025, the government published a consultation on strengthening leaseholder protections over charges and services which can be found on gov.uk here. This included proposals to give leaseholders the right to access specific information relating to the condition of their building, including on fire safety. The consultation closed on 26 September 2025, and we are analysing responses.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-29)

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Sir James Cleverly:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department has had meetings with Henham Strategy since 4 July 2024. \p Samantha Dixon: Details of ministers’ and senior officials’ meetings are published on gov.uk on a quarterly basis. No meetings with Henham Strategy have taken place since 4 July 2024.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-29)

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Sir James Cleverly:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of changing council tax into an annual property tax based on the capital value of the home. \p Alison McGovern: The Chancellor makes tax policy decisions at fiscal events. The government remains committed to keeping all taxes and elements of the local government finance system under review. The government will continue to monitor the effectiveness of the system and consider where there is clear evidence that change would deliver better outcomes for residents and councils alike.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-29)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-29 conversation_222

Peter Lamb:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will take steps to consider the potential merits of a statutory code of conduct for local government councillors. \p Alison McGovern: I refer the hon Member to the answer given to Question UIN 78274 on 20 October 2025. The government consulted on reforms to the local government standards regime earlier this year and the response will be issued in due course.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-29)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-29 conversation_223

Catherine McKinnell:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will reform the current council tax system to reduce localised disparities in property valuations. \p Alison McGovern: The valuation of all properties in England is carried out by the Valuation Office Agency (VOA), who undertake this role independently of ministers. The Chancellor makes tax policy decisions at fiscal events. The Government remains committed to keeping all taxes and elements of the local government finance system under review. The Government will continue to monitor the effectiveness of the system and consider where there is clear evidence that change would deliver better outcomes for residents and councils alike.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-29)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-29 conversation_224

Sir James Cleverly:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what the annual cost will be of the draft Local Government Pension Scheme (Fair Deal) Regulations 2026. \p Alison McGovern: Some one-off costs to service providers and authorities are expected, relating to bringing a small number of workers providing local services under outsourced contracts into the Local Government Pension Scheme who are not currently members. These costs are expected to be offset over time by savings for service providers and authorities from improved risk-sharing arrangements, increased competition in the market, and simpler administration and actuarial funding arrangements.

We will consider information on costs provided in response to the consultation launched on 13 October 2025.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-29)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-29 conversation_225

Sir James Cleverly:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her Department has issued guidance to local authorities on the access of journalists to council proceedings. \p Alison McGovern: Transparency and openness should be fundamental to everything councils do. Under the Local Government Act 1972, all local authority meetings must be open to the public, including journalists, except in limited, defined circumstances.

The most recent guidance remains the 2014 ‘Open and accountable local government: plain English guide’ that was designed to support members of the public, including journalists, accessing, recording, or reporting on local authority meetings and obtaining meeting documents.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-29)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-29 conversation_226

Helen Morgan:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to ensure (a) transparency and (b) accountability at parish council level. \p Alison McGovern: Under the Accounts and Audit Regulations 2015, parish councils are required to complete and publish an Annual Governance and Accountability Return (AGAR) to support transparency in council spending and enable the local electorate to hold them to account. To strengthen public confidence in parish council finances, the government committed to reviewing the AGAR process in its response to the Local Audit Strategy consultation published in April 2025.

In addition, parish councils with an annual turnover under £25,000 are subject to the Transparency Code for Smaller Authorities, which requires the publication of key financial and governance data to promote accountability. Councils with a gross income or expenditure over £200,000 must comply with the Local Government Transparency Code, which includes broader requirements for publishing information on spending, assets, organisational structure, and decision-making. These measures ensure that local residents can easily access information about how public money is used.