theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
wrans/answers2025-09-12 conversation_25
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-12)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-12 conversation_25

Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to the UK’s Modern Industrial Strategy, CP 1337, published on 23 June 2025, what progress he has made on developing a new network for Robotics Adoption Hubs. \p Kanishka Narayan: As part of the UK’s Modern Industrial Strategy, HMG committed £40 million to establish a new network of Robotics Adoption Hubs with the expertise, equipment and connections to help accelerate firms to take up robotics. DSIT is currently working to finalise programme design, including through engagement with wider Government and industry with an expected launch in 2026.
wrans/answers2025-09-12 conversation_26
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-12)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-12 conversation_26

Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to the UK’s Modern Industrial Strategy, CP 1337, published on 23 June 2025, what the scope is of the National Quantum Technologies Programme. \p Kanishka Narayan: The UK's Industrial Strategy names quantum as one of six priority frontier technologies in the dedicated digital and technologies sector plan.

The Plan commits to delivering an ambitious next phase of the UK’s National Quantum Technologies Programme to accelerate the development, scaling and adoption of quantum technologies.

Priorities outlined in the plan include:
wrans/answers2025-09-12 conversation_27
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-12)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-12 conversation_27

Liam Conlon:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure that parents and carers understand the new protections for children under the Online Safety Act 2023. \p Kanishka Narayan: The government recognises the vital role parents and carers play in supporting children’s online safety. Under the Online Safety Act (the ‘Act’), as of July, platforms are now required to protect children from harmful content and provide age-appropriate experiences. The government will continue to build on the Act to ensure digital environments are safe for children.

Additionally, Ofcom have released a guide for parents outlining how their new measures can help children to be safer online. This includes tips on what parents can do to protect their children online and links to a range of helpful resources from other organisations.
wrans/answers2025-09-12 conversation_28
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-12)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-12 conversation_28

Bell Ribeiro-Addy:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps her Department is taking to expand the use of virtual hearings for short matters. \p Sarah Sackman: We recognise the importance of utilising technology to improve the efficiency of criminal and civil court proceedings. That is why, in May 2025, HM Courts & Tribunals Service published its Remote Participation Approach, setting out its principles for enabling remote attendance at hearings where appropriate: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/hmcts-remote-participation-approach/hmcts-remote-participation-approach.

Additionally, as part of the second phase of the Independent Review of Criminal Courts, Sir Brian Leveson is reviewing court processes to consider how both new and established technologies could be used to enhance productivity and efficiency in the criminal courts. We expect Sir Brian to finalise his report later this year. Virtual hearings are extensively used in civil courts as well. For example, as part of the Virtual Region initiative judges with spare capacity from outside of the London and Southeast remotely hear cases from London and Southeast helping reduce pressure on judiciary in those regions and enable cases to be determined quicker.
wrans/answers2025-09-12 conversation_29
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-12)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-12 conversation_29

Bell Ribeiro-Addy:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if she will make an assessment of the effectiveness of Trial Blitz style listing schemes in reducing backlogs in other Crown Court centres beyond Greater Manchester. \p Sarah Sackman: Listing is a judicial responsibility. The judiciary deploy measures, including the concentration of judicial and court resources to hear a specific cohort of cases over a defined period, as part of ongoing efforts to maximise throughput. HMCTS officials support the operation of such activity and ensure appropriate and effective coordination across wider criminal justice partner agencies – such interventions, where appropriate, can be effective short-term measures.

Part two of the Independent Review of Criminal Courts will consider how the criminal courts can operate as efficiently as possible. We have asked Sir Brian to consider the end-to-end process, from charge to acquittal. We expect Sir Brian to finalise his report later this year.
wrans/answers2025-09-12 conversation_30
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-12)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-12 conversation_30

Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the UK’s Modern Industrial Strategy, CP 1337, published on 23 June 2025, when she plans to implement the reduction in opportunities to challenge consent decisions. \p Sarah Sackman: The Planning and Infrastructure Bill introduces changes to the way judicial reviews are handled for National Policy Statements and development consent orders relating to nationally significant infrastructure projects. It removes the paper permission stage, meaning applications will go directly to an oral permission hearing in the High Court. In addition, where the High Court decides at that hearing that a case is “totally without merit,” the claimant will not have a right of appeal.

The Government intends to commence these provisions as soon as practicable after Royal Assent, once the necessary procedural changes are in place.
wrans/answers2025-09-12 conversation_31
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-12)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-12 conversation_31

Bell Ribeiro-Addy:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of criminal legal aid fees in ensuring sufficient numbers of publicly funded barristers are available to meet demand. \p Sarah Sackman: This Government recognises the vital importance of legal aid and the need to ensure an adequate supply of suitably qualified criminal barristers and solicitors. Since 2022, funding for defence advocates has increased by 17%. In December 2024, we also announced that criminal legal aid solicitors will receive up to £92m more a year, subject to consultation, to help support the sustainability of the criminal legal aid sector. The consultation has now closed, and we will publish the response in due course. This is in addition to our response to the earlier Crime Lower consultation on solicitor fees, confirming an uplift to the lowest police station fees, introducing a new Youth Court fee scheme, and paying for travel in certain circumstances. Together, these changes provided a £24m investment for criminal legal aid providers .This is a significant investment to reflect the valuable and tough work undertaken by advocates criminal legal aid practitioners, helping to make sure that justice is served.

The Ministry of Justice runs a Data Sharing Project with the Law Society, Bar Council, Legal Aid Agency, and Crown Prosecution Service to monitor the criminal legal services provider base. Latest data shows that overall criminal barrister numbers appear to be stabilising. The number of “self-declared full practise barristers”, those whose workload is at least 80% criminal work, was 2,726 in 23/24 compared to 2,424 in 20/21.

Recruitment and retention remain crucial to maintain a sustainable, diverse workforce, and a pipeline through to the judiciary. The Government is committed to working with the Bar leadership through the Criminal Legal Aid Advisory Board to understand the market, priorities and opportunities for reform, to support the sustainability of the barrister profession.
wrans/answers2025-09-12 conversation_33
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-12)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-12 conversation_33

Bell Ribeiro-Addy:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps she is taking to ensure that the Privy Council remains adequately resourced to deal with cases from Commonwealth jurisdictions in a timely manner. \p Sarah Sackman: The Commonwealth countries which continue to use the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (JCPC) as their final court of appeal are Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Brunei, Cook Islands and Niue, Grenada, Jamaica, Kiribati, Mauritius, St Kitts and Nevis, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, and Tuvalu.

The Department has not had discussions with Commonwealth partners on future arrangements for JCPC jurisdiction. The JCPC relies on the continuing consent of independent countries for its jurisdiction in those countries. These independent states, which have a historical connection with the United Kingdom, are free to make a pragmatic judgement on whether they derive benefit from what the JCPC has to offer.

The JCPC is funded from the UK Supreme Court (UKSC) budget. The Lord Chancellor has an obligation under section 50 of the Constitutional Reform Act 2005 to ensure the UKSC is provided with the resources appropriate to carry on its business, but under the Department’s concordat with the UKSC, the court’s chief executive, as accounting officer, negotiates with HM Treasury directly. The court’s bid for funding is shared with the Lord Chancellor, who may comment on it without altering it. The Lord Chancellor then submits it to HM Treasury for consideration.
wrans/answers2025-09-12 conversation_34
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-12)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-12 conversation_34

Bell Ribeiro-Addy:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if her Department will establish an independent body to review and make recommendations on barristers’ fees for publicly funded criminal work. \p Sarah Sackman: This Government recognises that legal aid is a vital part of the justice system. It enables those individuals who need it most to have access to publicly funded legal assistance, in order to uphold their legal rights.

This Government has made a significant investment towards criminal legal aid, as part of which we continue to consider the amount and nature of that funding. In December 2024, we announced that criminal legal aid solicitors will receive up to £92 million more a year, subject to consultation, to help support the sustainability of the criminal legal aid sector. The consultation has now closed, and we will publish the response in due course. This is in addition to our response to the Crime Lower consultation, confirming an uplift to the lowest police station fees, introducing a new Youth Court fee scheme, and paying for travel in certain circumstances. Together, these changes provided a £24 million investment for criminal legal aid providers. Since the Criminal Legal Aid Independent Review (CLAIR), funding for defence advocates has increased by 17%.

The Ministry of Justice engages closely with representatives from the legal profession through the Criminal Legal Aid Advisory Board (CLAAB). Its purpose is to provide independent advice on the operation and structure of the existing and future criminal legal aid schemes, and to assess how these schemes can support the overall sustainability, diversity, and efficiency of the system.
wrans/answers2025-09-12 conversation_35
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-12)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-12 conversation_35

Bell Ribeiro-Addy:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if she will review restrictions on the number of sitting days available to retired judges under the age of 75. \p Sarah Sackman: The number of days that a retired judge can sit is governed by HM Treasury’s abatement policy which ensures that pension benefits and ongoing income do not exceed a judge’s pre-retirement income. Abatement applies to pension benefits from the final salary legacy schemes. The newer judicial pension schemes are career-average revalued earnings schemes, and abatement and sitting day limits do not apply to those schemes.
wrans/answers2025-09-12 conversation_36
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-12)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-12 conversation_36

Liz Jarvis:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps her Department is taking to help reduce the time taken to register a power of attorney. \p Sarah Sackman: The Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) aims to register lasting powers of attorney (LPA) within eight weeks, including a legally required four-week notice period for objections.

A backlog that built up during the COVID-19 pandemic was successfully cleared by November 2024. From then until March 2025, OPG consistently met the 40-day registration target.

Due to sustained increases in demand and an isolated and local power outage in March 2025, registration is currently taking slightly longer than the OPG target. OPG is addressing this through recruitment efforts, overtime, and new scanning systems to improve efficiency.

Plans to modernise LPAs will allow LPAs to be fully made and registered online for the first time, with paper option retained. Digitisation will improve accessibility, reduce errors, and shorten processing times.
wrans/answers2025-09-12 conversation_37
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-12)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-12 conversation_37

Rupert Lowe:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate she has made of the cost to the public purse of legal aid support in deportation cases in the last 12 months. \p Sarah Sackman: Expenditure relating to deportation and removal appeals is published as part of the Legal Aid Agency’s Official Statistics as part of its ‘detailed civil data’ collection. Due to the way information is recorded it is not possible to distinguish between costs relating to deportation matters and those relating to removal matters. The total legal aid expenditure for financial year 24/25 relating to deportation and removal matters is £1,007,833, which represents 0.05% of total legal aid expenditure in the same period.

Advice and representation in connection with an appeal against deportation is not within the scope of services funded under Schedule, 1 Part 1 to the Legal Aid Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (LASPO) unless the applicant is claiming asylum. This means many deportation cases would not be funded under legal aid. Where legal aid is available this would be subject to an assessment of the merits of the case and the individual’s financial eligibility for legal aid.
wrans/answers2025-09-12 conversation_38
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-12)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-12 conversation_38

Dr Allison Gardner:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps her Department is taking as part of its role within the Interministerial Group on Homelessness and Rough Sleeping to reduce and prevent homelessness. \p Jake Richards: We are working closely with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) and other Departments through the Inter-Ministerial Group on Homelessness and Rough Sleeping to develop a new long-term cross-government strategy to put us back on track to ending homelessness.

We are continuing to expand our Community Accommodation Service 3 (CAS3) to support more prison leavers at risk of homelessness each year. Our CAS3 service supports prison leavers who are subject to probation supervision, by offering up to 12 weeks of basic transitionary accommodation to provide a stable base on release. This programme has been gradually rolled out nationwide since July 2021 and since then has supported over 23,100 prison leavers who would otherwise have been homeless. We have also employed 50 Strategic Housing Specialists to support prisons in their response to reducing homelessness by working in partnership with probation and Local Authorities to identify suitable accommodation for those released to the area, regardless of the prison they are released from.

We know that a cross-agency and cross-government approach is required to address the challenge of securing long-term accommodation. That is why we are working closely with MHCLG, health partners and other departments at a national and local level, to address barriers to accommodation for prison leavers, drawing on learning from partnership efforts – including the Changing Futures programme – to take a holistic, trauma-informed approach to supporting individuals with multiple unmet needs.
wrans/answers2025-09-12 conversation_39
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-12)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-12 conversation_39

Mr Andrew Snowden:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if she will conduct a review of the quality of rehabilitation of prisoners released from an open prison, in comparison with prisoners released from other penal settings. \p Jake Richards: Prisons of different categories shape their rehabilitation offer to meet the needs of the prisoner cohorts they accommodate.

In open prisons, the intention is for carefully risk-assessed prisoners to participate in activities in the community under Release on Temporary Licence. Suitable, risk assessed prisoners may be allowed out during the day to work, attend college, attend an interview or re-establish links with their family. This helps them develop responsibility and gain valuable skills.

Before moving to the open estate, prisoners will have spent time in prisons of other categories, so it is not straightforward to compare the quality of rehabilitation and attribute outcomes (for example education achievement, employment after release or reoffending rates) to the services in any one prison.
wrans/answers2025-09-12 conversation_40
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-12)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-12 conversation_40

Mr Andrew Snowden:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of the Independent Sentencing Review on the population of open prisons. \p Jake Richards: A formal assessment has not yet been made. This will form part of the operational implementation planning over the coming months.
wrans/answers2025-09-12 conversation_41
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-12)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-12 conversation_41

Mr Andrew Snowden:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what meetings her Department has had with (a) prison officers, (b) prison officers' unions and (c) other representative bodies of prison staff to discuss assaults in open prisons in the last 12 months. \p Jake Richards: We have maintained regular and structured engagement with staff and their recognised trade union representatives on this matter. All prison governors in the open estate routinely hold local staff engagement forums, providing frontline officers with the opportunity to raise concerns or share feedback. His Majesty’s Prison & Probation Service (HMPPS) ensures that the safety statistics, which are published, reviewed, and discussed quarterly with recognised trade unions, including the POA. These meetings form part of HMPPS’s formal engagement and allow unions to raise concerns on safety matters.

There are also more frequent open-estate trade union stocktakes to provide additional engagement opportunities on this issue, and other matters of concern to members.

HMPPS headquarters officials meet every two weeks with governors of open prisons, and convene quarterly forums specifically focused on open prison operations, where safety is a standing agenda item. These engagements reflect our continuing commitment to transparency, collaboration, and continuous improvement in custodial safety.
wrans/answers2025-09-12 conversation_42
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-12)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-12 conversation_42

Mr Andrew Snowden:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the average length of time spent by prisoners in open prisons was in the last (a) 12 months, (b) three years and (c) five years. \p Jake Richards: Prisoners may be accommodated in more than one open prison during the course of a sentence. The data that would need to be collated to calculate the average length of time in open conditions is not held centrally and could not be obtained without incurring disproportionate cost.
wrans/answers2025-09-12 conversation_43
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-12)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-12 conversation_43

Mr Andrew Snowden:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of automatically transferring prisoners in open prisons who fail drugs tests to Category C prisons. \p Jake Richards: Prisoners held in open conditions can be re-categorised to higher security conditions at any time if their risk increases, if there is a material change in circumstances that impacts security risk, or information (including existing information not considered before) is identified that indicates that the prisoner cannot safely be managed in the current security conditions. The purpose of categorisation is to ensure that those sentenced to custody are assigned the lowest security category appropriate to managing their risk.
wrans/answers2025-09-12 conversation_44
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-12)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-12 conversation_44

Mr Andrew Snowden:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what proportion of prisoners failed drugs tests upon arrival in the last 12 months. \p Jake Richards: The information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Data on the total number of random mandatory drug tests carried out is published as part of the HMPPS Annual Digest. The most recently released version confirms that in the 12 months to March 2025, there were 53,341 random mandatory drug tests, however, the data is currently not sufficient to robustly estimate the percentage positive. The Digest can be accessed via the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/hmpps-annual-digest-april-2024-to-march-2025.

Statistics regarding needs, rather than use, are included in the 'Identified offender needs, custody and community, 31 October 2024'. This shows the level of drug misuse need amongst the prison population. It can be accessed via the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/identified-offender-needs-custody-and-community-31-october-2024/identified-needs-of-offenders-custody-and-community-31-october-2024.

We conduct targeted drug testing in custody to help keep people safe and identify individuals who may benefit from a treatment referral, or inform disciplinary action.

To drive down demand for drugs and support recovery, there are also 85 prisons with Incentivised Substance Free Living Units. These provide a dedicated, supportive environment for any prisoner who wants to live drug-free in prison. To bring together this rehabilitative and security focused approach to tackling drug use, 54 Drug Strategy Leads in key prisons are working to ensure that local drug strategies are effectively implemented.
wrans/answers2025-09-12 conversation_45
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-12)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-12 conversation_45

Mr Andrew Snowden:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if she will require the mapping platform what3words to limit access to the prison estate. \p Jake Richards: To protect the public, prisons must hold prisoners securely to prevent further crime, maintain order and provide an environment conducive to reform.

The Department is committed to taking every possible measure to strengthen prison security.

Whilst we cannot share our full range of countermeasures, our approach is continually evolving, and includes working closely across Government, with law enforcement, and also the private sector to identify and mitigate emerging threats. This includes mitigating any threats from geocoding services.

For example, in this 2025-26 financial year we are investing over £40 million in physical security across 34 prisons. This includes circa £10 million on anti-drone measures such as secure windows and robust netting at 15 prisons.
wrans/answers2025-09-12 conversation_46
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-12)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-12 conversation_46

Amanda Martin:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 13 June to Question 57910 on Legal Aid Scheme, how much the Legal Aid Agency paid in fees to Duncan Lewis LLP in (a) 2021-22, (b) 2022-23, (c) 2023-24, and (d) 2024-25 related to immigration and asylum cases. \p Sarah Sackman: The requested information can be found in the table below. Information filterable by financial year, legal aid provider, and type of legal aid can be viewed on the Provider explorer dashboard of the Legal aid provider completions and starts statistics data visualisation tool.

Financial Year

Immigration and Asylum Closed Case Expenditure – Duncan Lewis

2021-2022

£8,201,255

2022-2023

£7,980,147

2023-2024

£8,108,969

2024-2025

£6,052,515

Duncan Lewis is the largest Legal Aid provider in the UK, currently operating across 29 offices.

Legal aid is only available in respect of immigration cases which are within the scope of legal aid as set out under Schedule 1, Part 1 of the Legal Aid and Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 and is subject to both financial eligibility and merits tests.
wrans/answers2025-09-12 conversation_47
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-12)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-12 conversation_47

Jim Shannon:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps she is taking to help tackle sexual abuse in prisons. \p Jake Richards: His Majesty’s Prison & Probation Service (HMPPS) takes sexual harm in prisons very seriously. This year we have created specialist roles to address sexual harm across HMPPS, and we are developing a system-wide approach to prevent all forms of sexual harm in prisons as we implement Jennifer Rademaker’s review of HMPPS Professional Standards.
wrans/answers2025-09-12 conversation_48
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-12)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-12 conversation_48

Sir Oliver Dowden:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to help reduce cases of antisemitism. \p Miatta Fahnbulleh: Antisemitism has absolutely no place in our society. Tackling antisemitism in all its forms is a top priority for this Government. We are working closely with HMG’s Independent Adviser on Antisemitism on the most effective methods to tackle antisemitism and advocate for British Jewish communities.

The Community Security Trust will receive funding of £18 million per year through the Jewish Community Protective Security Grant until 2027/28.

An Antisemitism Working Group has been established to provide advice to the government on antisemitism. It is looking at how the UK Government should engage Jewish communities around international, national and local events affecting British Jews, and how antisemitism can be effectively tackled.
wrans/answers2025-09-12 conversation_49
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-12)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-12 conversation_49

Terry Jermy:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps their Department is taking to implement the guidance entitled The government’s approach to rural proofing 2025, published on 15 May 2025. \p Miatta Fahnbulleh: The government has made a commitment that all policy decision-making should be rural proofed. Rural proofing ensures that rural areas are not overlooked and that the intended outcomes are deliverable in rural areas.

Defra leads on rural proofing, but individual departments are responsible for ensuring that their policy decision-making is rural proofed.

Rural proofing is important because rural communities are an important part of the economy. Rural areas are home to around one-fifth of England’s population and half a million registered businesses.

Policy outcomes in rural areas can be affected by economies of scale, distance, sparsity and demography. That is why it is important that government policies consider how they can be delivered in rural areas. Rural proofing ensures that these areas receive fair and equitable policy outcomes.

Our department takes its obligation to rural proofing seriously and is focussed on building good homes, creating strong communities, and ensuring the proceeds of growth can be felt across every part of the country. Local leadership is at the heart of this, which is why we are giving local leaders more tools to deliver for their areas and targeting funding where it is needed most.
wrans/answers2025-09-12 conversation_50
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-12)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-12 conversation_50

Sir James Cleverly:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority's Annual Report 2024–25, published on 11 August 2025, for what reason no evaluation was completed for the Grenfell site and programme. \p Miatta Fahnbulleh: The government is committed to supporting the community affected by the Grenfell Tower tragedy for the long term.

The programme is extremely sensitive and involves direct working with bereaved families, survivors, and residents in the immediate community. It includes carefully taking down the Grenfell Tower, and design and delivery of a community-led Grenfell Tower Memorial.

Given this context, the Department has agreed with the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority that a formal, departmental led evaluation of outcomes would not be appropriate.

The Programme has regular assurance reviews from the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority, with suppliers reporting monthly against agreed performance indicators and progress monitored through appropriate governance channels.

There is an ongoing offer to the Grenfell community to engage and hear views to shape the programme.
wrans/answers2025-09-12 conversation_51
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-12)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-12 conversation_51

David Simmonds:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what progress the Social Cohesion Taskforce has made on its objectives in the last 12 months. \p Miatta Fahnbulleh: The Social Cohesion Taskforce is a civil service team considering how to tackle divisions in our society and build common ground. Ministers will update on progress of the Taskforce in due course.
wrans/answers2025-09-12 conversation_52
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-12)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-12 conversation_52

Sir James Cleverly:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 28 July 2025 to Question 69054 on Community Cohesion and Resilience Programme: Finance, for what policy reason the funding for the Community Cohesion and Resilience Programme was discontinued. \p Miatta Fahnbulleh: The Community Cohesion and Resilience Programme was a 2024/25 funding stream, ending as scheduled in March 2025, after providing £3.6m of funding to build stronger, more integrated communities and reduce harmful division in 44 places.

The UK Government continues to work closely with community groups, charities, and public sector partners to strengthen communities. This includes our recent announcement at Spending Review, that we are investing in up to 350 deprived communities across the UK, to fund interventions including community cohesion, regeneration and improving the public realm. Future funding for communities will be announced in due course, to ensure places receive the support and resources they need to thrive.
wrans/answers2025-09-12 conversation_53
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-12)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-12 conversation_53

Sir James Cleverly:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what information her Department holds on the number of meetings between the Working Group on Anti-Muslim Hatred/Islamophobia Definition and (a) external organisations and (b) other individuals since 28 February 2025. \p Miatta Fahnbulleh: The independent Working Group on Anti-Muslim-Hatred/Islamophobia has undertaken extensive engagement with stakeholders from a wide range of perspectives to ensure its proposed definition accounts for the variety of backgrounds and experiences across the United Kingdom. This work has been supported by a small secretariat function based within the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.

As set out in the published Terms of Reference for the Working Group, the independent advice provided to government by the Working Group will be private.
wrans/answers2025-09-12 conversation_54
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-12)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-12 conversation_54

Adrian Ramsay:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to delay any local elections as a result of the new local government structures proposed in the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill. \p Miatta Fahnbulleh: No.
wrans/answers2025-09-12 conversation_55
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-12)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-12 conversation_55

James McMurdock:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will consider the potential merits of requiring the provision of publicly accessible bleed control kits as part of local authority regeneration plans. \p Miatta Fahnbulleh: The department has no plans to require local authorities to provide publicly accessible bleed control kits. The department believes local councils are best placed to make decisions about the priorities for local community safety.
wrans/answers2025-09-12 conversation_56
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-12)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-12 conversation_56

James Naish:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she has had discussions with the Secretary of State for Justice on the potential impact of auditing car park operator records where recurring disputes over charges have been identified on County Court caseloads. \p Miatta Fahnbulleh: The Government is aware of the high volumes of small claims from the parking industry and is determined to drive up standards in the parking sector. The Parking (Code of Practice) Act 2019 places a duty on the Government to prepare a code of practice containing guidance about the operation and management of private parking. Alongside the new Code, my department is also developing a Certification Scheme which will set out rules for auditing private parking operator compliance with the Code; this will include audits of notices of parking charges including those that progress to the County Court.

The private parking industry is currently self-regulating and whilst the Secretary of State has not had discussions with the Justice Secretary on this issue, my officials have had meetings with their counterparts at the Ministry of Justice and are working together to develop a Justice Impact Test to assess the impact of introducing the Code and the Certification Scheme on the justice system.
wrans/answers2025-09-12 conversation_57
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-12)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-12 conversation_57

Andrew Gwynne:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she has taken to help reduce (a) wealth and (b) productivity inequalities in England. \p Miatta Fahnbulleh: We are committed to reducing wealth and productivity inequalities across England. We are investing in local economic growth, regenerating high streets, supporting communities, and improving transport and cultural infrastructure.

We are giving local leaders the tools they need to deliver growth, boost productivity, and raise living standards in their areas by devolving power and money from central government. This includes strong new powers over housing, planning, transport, energy, employment support and a stronger role in joining up public services locally, backed up with integrated and consolidated funding.

Additionally, our reforms to housing and planning aim to increase affordable housing supply and home ownership, supporting social mobility and job creation.
wrans/answers2025-09-12 conversation_58
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-12)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-12 conversation_58

David Simmonds:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how much funding was allocated to English for Speakers of Other Languages in 2024-25; what is the budget for 2025-26; and what proportion in each case was allocated as grants to local authorities. \p Miatta Fahnbulleh: The below answer refers to funding made by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government only. The provisions described are in addition to what other departments may offer.

Councils receive a tariff of £5,900 per Homes for Ukraine arrival in their area to support guests to rebuild their lives and fully integrate into communities. Councils can use this funding flexibly which could include supporting guests to access English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) provision. However the department does not collect the full breakdown of expenditure per council on ESOL provision. Homes for Ukraine funding allocations are published on gov.uk here.

The department provided £11.5 million of funding for English language courses and employment support for up to 12,500 Ukrainians across the UK through the ‘STEP Ukraine’ programme. We are about to launch a follow-up ‘STEP’ programme of £4.2m (excl. VAT) for English language courses and employment support for Ukrainians and Hong Kong British Nationals. The aim is for the programme to reach 4,000 participants.

In the summer of 2025, the department has also allocated £3 million in grant funding to Strategic Migration Partnerships (SMPs) in England to strengthen the capacity of ESOL teachers and expand community-based English language support for eligible Afghans, Ukrainians, and Hong Kong BN(O)s until March 2026. This builds on the £1 million SMP ESOL capacity grant delivered in 2023–24, which trained over 350 teachers and supported more than 2,500 resettled learners

The Hong Kong British National (Overseas) Welcome Programme, which is in its fifth year of funding, provides demand led funding to councils in England which can be accessed to cover the costs of English language courses. In 2024-25, the department allocated £4.5m to councils. Continued funding is available in 2025-26.
wrans/answers2025-09-12 conversation_59
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-12)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-12 conversation_59

Blake Stephenson:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her proposals for English devolution could require the further re-organisation of (a) NHS Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes Integrated Care Board and (b) other integrated care boards. \p Miatta Fahnbulleh: The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), alongside NHS England, continue to work closely on any proposals to reorganise integrated care boards (ICBs). In areas where Strategic Authorities are known, DHSC, alongside the MHCLG and NHS England, will proceed with integrated care board (ICB) reorganisation to ensure coterminous boundaries wherever feasibly possible.
wrans/answers2025-09-12 conversation_60
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-12)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-12 conversation_60

Dr Luke Evans:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many allotment sites have been sold by local authorities with permission from her Department since July 2024. \p Miatta Fahnbulleh: Provision of allotments is managed by Local Government. The Department does not currently hold data on the total number of allotments within England or by local authority. Since 4 July 2024, the Secretary of State for Housing Communities and Local Government has issued 10 approvals for the disposal of allotments under the Allotments Act 1925.

Regarding the allotment disposal application for Ravenscroft Allotments, this information is not in the public domain at present so will not be shared at this time. The consent granted by the Secretary of State for the disposal of the allotment is available and in the public domain, I have arranged for a copy of this to be placed in the Library of the House.
wrans/answers2025-09-12 conversation_61
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-12)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-12 conversation_61

Blake Stephenson:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 3 February 2025 to Question 26699 on Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority, whether she plans to bring forward legislative proposals to allow Ministers to change the boundaries of existing strategic authorities. \p Miatta Fahnbulleh: The English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill, introduced to the House of Commons on 10 July 2025, amends provisions in the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009 and the Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023 concerning the establishment and expansion of combined authorities (CAs) and combined county authorities (CCAs), respectively.

These provisions allow for existing CAs or CCAs to be changed through ‘locally-led’, ‘Secretary of State-led’ and ‘Secretary of State-directed’ routes.

The locally-led and Secretary of State-led routes will require local consent. However, where no relevant, viable proposals have been submitted, the Secretary of State may decide to direct the addition of a local government area to an existing CA or CCA.

The Government believes that devolution should be locally-led wherever possible and will work with local leaders to agree proposals that have broad support.
wrans/answers2025-09-12 conversation_62
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-12)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-12 conversation_62

Lizzi Collinge:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of (a) reopening or (b) replacing the Community Ownership Fund to support communities seeking to take local assets into community ownership. \p Miatta Fahnbulleh: Although the Community Ownership Fund is now closed, this Government remains committed to the communities’ sector and to community empowerment.

Through the English Devolution Bill, we will introduce a new Community Right to Buy to help local people to acquire valued community spaces, such as pubs, if they come up for sale. These powers will help to keep these assets in the hands of the community, bringing more spaces back into use and rejuvenating local high streets across the country.

We have no current plans to replace the Community Ownership Fund. However, at Spending Review 2025, the Chancellor announced that up to 350 of the most deprived places will receive support from government. That includes the 75 places named in the Plan for Neighbourhoods in March 2025. Further information will be published in due course.
wrans/answers2025-09-12 conversation_63
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-12)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-12 conversation_63

Sir James Cleverly:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 28 July 2025 to Question 65978 on Islamophobia, whether the True Vision reporting portal will use the Government's definition of Islamophobia. \p Miatta Fahnbulleh: The Government has established the independent working group to advise government on a definition of Anti-Muslim Hatred/Islamophobia, and how to best understand, quantify and define prejudice, discrimination, and hate crime targeted against Muslims or anyone who is perceived to be Muslim.

The advice the group produces will be private initially and once government has had time to review the advice it will consider the next steps.
wrans/answers2025-09-12 conversation_64
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-12)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-12 conversation_64

Sir James Cleverly:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will make it her policy to issue updated guidance to public bodies not to translate into foreign languages for domestic audiences. \p Miatta Fahnbulleh: I refer the Rt hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 31875 on 10 March 2025.
wrans/answers2025-09-12 conversation_65
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-12)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-12 conversation_65

Rachael Maskell:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment her Department has made of the potential risks of the unauthorised placing of flags on lampposts; and whether she has issued guidance to local authorities on (a) their removal and (b) how to de-escalate community tensions. \p Miatta Fahnbulleh: The Government supports the flying of flags across the country. Flags should be an embodiment of bringing our country and our communities together. Guidance exists, such as ‘Flying flags: a plain English guide” - as set out in the Town and Country Planning (Control of Advertisements) Regulations 2007 (as amended in 2012 and 2021) – which outlines the regulations related to the flying of flags in England.
wrans/answers2025-09-12 conversation_66
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-12)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-12 conversation_66

Sir James Cleverly:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Answer of 5 August 2025 to Question HL9813 on Combatting Hate against Muslims Fund, whether she plans to spend the remaining £350,000 of the fund in the 2025-26 financial year; and whether there will be a competitive process to allocate the funding. \p Miatta Fahnbulleh: The Government is committed to bridging divisions between communities and challenging hatred, and will announce other measures to support this in due course.
wrans/answers2025-09-12 conversation_67
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-12)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-12 conversation_67

Rachael Maskell:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will make it her policy to publish a community safety strategy. \p Miatta Fahnbulleh: The Government’s Safer Streets Mission led by the Home and Plan for Change commitments set out a whole-system approach to reduce serious harm and restore public confidence in policing and the criminal justice system. Central to this is our ambitions to strengthen neighbourhood policing; tackling anti-social behaviour and making town centres safer and more secure; and halving violence against women and girls and knife crime within a decade.