theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-31)

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Andrew Cooper:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has made recent progress on implementing section 42 of the Flood and Water Management Act 2010. \p Emma Hardy: This Government inherited a broken water system. These systemic issues require a proper reset with a reformed water sector in a new partnership with the Government to bring in the investment that is needed. The Government is committed to using legislation to reform the water sector and will continue to do so where necessary.

The Government recognises that current arrangements of sewer adoption need to be reviewed, which is why private sewerage has been included in the terms of reference of the ongoing review of the water sector, chaired by Sir Jon Cunliffe to recommend reforms to reset the water sector regulatory system.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-31)

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Stuart Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help increase agricultural productivity. \p Daniel Zeichner: The Government recognises the importance of innovation in supporting future farming productivity and profitability, to boost Britain’s food security and to improve nature’s recovery.

Defra is continuing to support agricultural productivity through a range of policies. For example, we have already announced the ADOPT Fund which will launch in Spring 2025, enabling farmer-led trials to bridge the gap between new technologies and their real-world application. Legislation to implement the Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Act 2023 will be introduced in Parliament before the end of March. When in force, this will enable farmers to grow crops with higher yields and that are more resistant to drought, pests and diseases. Defra also works closely with the Institute for Agriculture and Horticulture (TIAH), a new professional body for the farming industry established in 2021. TIAH aims to remove the fragmentation that exists within current learning and skills landscape for farming and growing businesses enabling the industry to drive greater uptake of professional skills which will help support improvements in productivity.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-31)

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Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent steps he has taken to monitor levels of perfluoroalkyl substances in tap water. \p Emma Hardy: The Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI) has provided guidance on PFAS to water companies since 2007. In 2021 a guideline value of 0.1 micrograms per litre was adopted for drinking water which, since August 2024 when DWI’s guidance was updated, now applies to a combined PFAS sum for 48 PFAS. These were agreed with the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) to be robust levels with an appropriate margin to ensure our drinking water is safe to drink. There is no evidence of PFAS concentrations above this value in drinking water supplies.

Controlling the sale and marketing of bottled waters do not include any specific requirements relating to PFAS. We will monitor any new or emerging evidence to ensure the regulations remain robust and fit for purpose.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-31)

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Dr Neil Hudson:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent steps he has taken to help improve flood preparedness. \p Emma Hardy: Protecting communities from flooding is a key priority for this Government. To ensure we protect the country from the devastating impacts of flooding, the Government will invest £2.4 billion in 2024/25 and 2025/26 to improve flood resilience, by building, maintaining, and repairing flood defences. The list of projects to receive Government funding will be consented over the coming months in the usual way through Regional Flood and Coastal Committees, with local representation.

The Environment Agency’s recent Flood Action Week encouraged people to prepare by checking their flood risk, signing up for warnings and knowing what to do if a flood happens. The Environment Agency offers a free flood warning service and provides information on alerts, warnings, and river level conditions via ‘check for flooding service’ on gov.uk which has seen over 2.2 million users since Sept 2024.

In addition, the Government’s new Floods Resilience Taskforce sets out a new approach to preparing for flooding by working cross-government and with external stakeholders. The Taskforce first met in September 2024 and discussions included flood preparedness. It plans to meet again in early February 2025.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-31)

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Dame Harriett Baldwin:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the Environment Agency's National Assessment of Flood Risk, published in December 2024, whether he plans to request an 88% increase in the budget for flood defences for the Comprehensive Spending Review. \p Emma Hardy: The Environment Agency’s (EA) National Assessment of Flood risk report is not directly comparable with previous assessments due to improvements in modelling.

Protecting communities around the country from flooding is one of the Secretary of State’s five core priorities. This Government will invest £2.4 billion in 2024/25 and 2025/26 to improve flood resilience by maintaining, repairing and building flood defences.

Longer term funding decisions will be made at the next Spending Review.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-31)

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Cat Eccles:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what her planned timetable is for bringing forward measures to ban trophy hunting. \p Mary Creagh: The Government committed to banning the import of hunting trophies in its Manifesto. We intend to deliver on this and are currently considering the most effective way to do so.
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Luke Myer:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans his Department has to tackle the lack of access to mains running water for residents of Aysdalegate Cottages in Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency; and what steps he plans to take to help ensure those residents have access to a reliable and safe water supply. \p Emma Hardy: Private drinking water supplies are regulated by local authorities, who receive scientific and technical advice from the Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI). To ensure water is safe to drink, local authorities sample and identify water quality risks, can serve notices to correct any issues identified, and have remedial powers if those responsible for the supply do not comply with the notice.

To secure a reliable and sufficient supply, legislation allows a water company to charge for the cost of making a new connection. As the independent economic regulator, Ofwat ensures companies are acting responsibly and transparently in the services they provide and set charges that reflect the cost of undertaking the work.

The DWI regularly publishes research on private water supplies, which helps local authorities to conduct risk assessments and to fulfil their regulatory responsibilities. Defra also works closely with DWI to ensure the provision of safe, clean drinking water.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-31)

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Ann Davies:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent steps his Department has taken to support farm-to-fork initiatives on publicly-owned land. \p Daniel Zeichner: The Government recently announced a series of reforms for delivering on the Government’s New Deal for Farmers including backing British produce by monitoring food currently bought in the public sector and where it is bought from this will make it easier for British farmers to win a share of the £5 billion spent each year on public sector catering contracts.

The Government also announced how it would boost profitability through fair competition across the supply chain. New rules for the pig sector will come this spring, ensuring contracts clearly set out expectations and changes can only be made if agreed by all parties. Similar regulations for eggs and fresh produce sectors will follow with the Government ready to intervene with other sectors if needed.
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Liam Conlon:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of increasing the accountability of water company executives in the Water (Special Measures) Bill [HL]. \p Emma Hardy: For too long, water companies have discharged unacceptable levels of sewage into our rivers, lakes and seas. This Government is determined to ensure that executives have the right incentives to turn the performance of water companies around and agree that it is absolutely necessary to increase the accountability of water companies for wrongdoing.

That is why the Water (Special Measures) Bill will provide the most significant increase in enforcement powers for the regulators in a decade, giving them the teeth they need to take tougher action against water companies and their executives.

This Bill will ensure companies are held accountable by ensuring that imprisonment will always be available to the courts as a sentencing option where investigations by the environmental regulators have been obstructed. It will also enable automatic and severe fines for wrongdoing, making it possible for the regulators to take swift action against minor to moderate offences where currently a lengthy investigation is required.

The Bill will introduce a statutory duty for all water companies in England and Wales to publish annual Pollution Incident Reduction Plans, and associated Implementation Reports. Chief Executives will be required to approve both the plan and the report and will be personally liable for their publication.

We are also providing Ofwat with the powers to stop the payment of executive bonuses where companies breach specified standards relating to criminal liability, financial, environmental or consumer matters. Furthermore, under the new powers, Ofwat will test to ensure directors and executives meet clear standards of fitness and propriety before being appointed.
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Peter Fortune:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment with the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology of the adequacy of the accessibility of the consultation entitled Environmental Assessment Levels for the amine-based carbon capture process, published on 17 January 2025. \p Emma Hardy: The Environment Agency launched the consultation ‘Environmental Assessment Levels for the amine-based carbon capture process’ on 17 January 2025. The consultation is presented on Gov.uk, with a direct link to the consultation on the Citizen Space website: Environmental Assessment Levels for the amine-based carbon capture process - GOV.UK

As per the Government’s Publishing Accessible Documents guidance, the consultation document is published in HTML format on Citizen Space, to make it easier to read and to find. The digital survey for users to respond to the consultation is also hosted on an accessible platform. The consultation document is alternatively also available as a PDF on GOV.UK. As stated on the website, users of assistive technology (such as screen readers) can request a copy of the consultation in a more accessible format by emailing xxx@xxx.xx.

Users who have queries on the consultation can also contact xxx@xxx.xx.
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Rachel Gilmour:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 28 October 2024 to Question 10798 on African Swine Fever and to the Answer of 19 December 2024 to Question 19080 on Foot and Mouth Disease, what recent assessment his Department has made of the risk of a domestic (a) African swine fever and (b) foot and mouth disease outbreak. \p Daniel Zeichner: Whilst we have never had an outbreak of African Swine Fever (ASF) in the UK, it remains a key priority in terms of exotic notifiable disease preparedness. The overall risk of an incursion is currently assessed to be medium, and we continue to prepare for a possible outbreak. To safeguard the UK’s pork and pig industries, Defra, Devolved Governments, together with the pig industry and veterinary bodies have been working together to raise awareness of the risks of the introduction of ASF to the UK. Defra announced further controls in September 2024, restricting the movement of pork and pork products into Great Britain.

The risk of incursion of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) to Great Britain was increased to medium following the confirmation of disease in Germany on the 10 January 2025. The Government has taken decisive and rapid action to protect the UK by suspending the commercial import of susceptible animals from Germany and restricting personal imports of animal products from across the EU. The UK has robust contingency plans in place to manage the risk of this disease as set out in the Foot and Mouth Disease Control Strategy for Great Britain supported by the Contingency plan for exotic notifiable diseases of animals in England.
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James Cartlidge:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has made an estimate of the number of farms affected by changes to (a) Inheritance Tax, (b) Agricultural Property Relief and (c) Business Property Relief in South Suffolk constituency. \p Daniel Zeichner: Assessing the impact of the new Inheritance Tax policy, which comes into force from 6 April 2026, relies on a number of factors such as ownership structure and debt levels. Without such information, which the Government does not hold at that level, area level assessments cannot be made.

Around 500 claims for Agricultural Property Relief will be affected. Our figures are based on the latest available information from HMRC on actual claims for Agricultural Property Relief, which show that 73% of claims are expected to be unaffected by the changes: Summary of reforms to agricultural property relief and business property relief - GOV.UK

This Government is aware that each farm is different, and so we encourage farmers to speak to their tax advisors and agents to understand how these changes may impact their specific situation and how to plan for the future.

As an outcome of the recent Spending Review, we have committed £5 billion in the agricultural budget over the next two years – the biggest ever budget for sustainable food production and nature recovery in this country’s history. This enables us to keep momentum on the path to a more resilient and sustainable farming sector.
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Fabian Hamilton:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what progress has been made on plans to ban the import of hunting trophies. \p Mary Creagh: The Government committed to banning the import of hunting trophies in its Manifesto. We intend to deliver on this and are currently considering the most effective way to do so.
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Yasmin Qureshi:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will publish a timetable for a public consultation on the use of (a) cages for laying hens and (b) farrowing crates for pigs. \p Daniel Zeichner: We remain firmly committed to maintaining and improving animal welfare and want to work closely with the farming sector to deliver high standards.

The use of cages and other closed confinement systems for farmed animals is an issue which we are currently considering very carefully.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-31)

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Ruth Cadbury:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the proposals within the consultation entitled Copyright and Artificial Intelligence, published on 17 December 2024, on visual artists. \p Chris Bryant: The government’s consultation on Copyright and AI, launched 17 December and closing 25 February, was published alongside an accompanying options assessment. The consultation seeks to gather further evidence on the potential impact on the creative industries of any change to the copyright regime in the context of AI training.

Following the consultation, if legislative changes are needed, a full economic impact assessment will be undertaken.
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Cat Smith:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will take steps to ensure there is a minimum level of provision for youth services. \p Stephanie Peacock: Local Authorities have a statutory duty to secure, so far as is reasonably practicable, sufficient provision of educational and recreational leisure-time activities for young people in their area. We will be launching the Local Youth Transformation pilot this year, which will support local authorities to build back capacity in the youth space and improve local youth offers.

This government has also committed to co-producing a new National Youth Strategy. As part of the Strategy, we will be consulting closely with young people and the youth sector. The Strategy will be published this summer.
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James MacCleary:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of gambling advertising on (a) mental health, (b) wider public health, (c) family relationships and (d) financial wellbeing; and whether she plans to introduce restrictions on gambling advertising. \p Stephanie Peacock: There are a range of robust rules in place to ensure that gambling adverts, wherever they appear, are socially responsible and do not exacerbate harm.

The Gambling Commission is further strengthening protections on marketing to improve customer control over the marketing they receive and the tightening rules on the design of incentives such as free bets.

However, as the Gambling Minister set out in her speech at the GambleAware conference on 4 December, the government recognises that more needs to be done to improve protections. The industry now has a clear task to further raise standards to ensure that levels of gambling advertising does not exacerbate harm, and this work will be monitored closely.
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Cat Smith:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to support youth work as a profession by providing (a) financial support for students and (b) fieldwork placements. \p Stephanie Peacock: DCMS works with the National Youth Agency (NYA) to fund bursaries for individuals to obtain youth work qualifications. Since 2019, £4 million of funding has been provided to the NYA via the Youth Worker Bursary Fund, allowing over 2,500 individuals from underrepresented groups to gain a qualification.

We have committed to co-producing a new National Youth Strategy, which is an opportunity to look afresh at the support, recruitment and retention of youth workers. The Strategy will be published this summer.
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Mr Gregory Campbell:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what changes she plans to make to the support her Department offers for cultural activities involving children and young people by the end of this Parliament. \p Stephanie Peacock: This government recognises the importance of access to cultural activities for children and young people. In summer, we will publish an ambitious new National Youth Strategy, co-produced with young people and the sector.

In 2025/26, DCMS Programmes will create thousands of opportunities for young people to access enriching activities, including in the culture sector. In addition, 79% of Arts Council England’s National Portfolio Organisations are delivering activity for children and young people

DCMS also supports the Department for Education’s expert-led, independent Curriculum and Assessment Review, launched in July last year, which seeks to deliver a broader curriculum so that children and young people do not miss out on subjects such as music, the arts and drama.
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Blake Stephenson:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will make an estimate of the contribution of inbound tourism to the public purse. \p Chris Bryant: Inbound tourism makes a significant contribution to the public purse. According to the latest available data from VisitBritain and the International Passenger Survey (IPS), inbound visitors spent a record £31.1bn during 2023; supporting jobs and businesses across the UK, and contributing to tax revenues through VAT, Air Passenger Duty, and other sources.

DCMS continues to work closely with HM Treasury and the tourism sector to maximise the economic benefits of inbound tourism, including through VisitBritain’s international marketing campaigns and initiatives to enhance the visitor experience. These efforts play a vital role in driving economic growth, supporting public finances, and ensuring the UK remains a top global destination.
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Brian Leishman:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether Israeli Major General Oded Basyuk and his delegation were granted special mission diplomatic immunity for the visit. \p Catherine West: Government officials from any country can apply for and be granted special mission certificates as part of official visits to the UK. As set out in a Written Ministerial Statement by the former Foreign Secretary dated 4 March 2013, a special mission is a temporary mission, representing a State, which is sent by one State to another with the consent of the latter, in order to carry out official engagements on behalf of the sending State. The FCDO gave consent for special mission status for the visit to the UK on 21-22 January of Major General Oded Bassiuk, Head of the Operations Directorate J3 of the Israel Defense Forces, and delegation, to attend meetings with the Ministry of Defence as part of the concerted UK effort to reduce the risk of escalation in the Middle East and to achieve a peaceful resolution in Gaza and Lebanon.
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Rupert Lowe:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will list all meetings (a) Ministers and (b) senior officials in his Department have had on the transfer of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius. \p Stephen Doughty: Negotiations with Mauritius on sovereignty of BIOT / the Chagos Archipelago began in November 2022. Since then, there have been 13 rounds of negotiations, including two rounds under the current UK Government. The Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary met the then Mauritian Prime Minister in London on 23 July, and negotiating rounds led to political agreement between the Prime Minister and then Mauritian Prime Minister on 3 October. The then Prime Minister's Special Envoy for BIOT negotiations, Jonathan Powell, and PM Ramgoolam met on 25 November. I and the Attorney General met with the Mauritian Attorney General on 16 January. This engagement has been supplemented by numerous official level meetings, and joint statements from the UK and Mauritian governments were issued on 20 December and 13 January.
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Blake Stephenson:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had discussions with President Trump about the future of the British Indian Ocean Territory. \p Stephen Doughty: The Foreign Secretary last spoke to President Trump in September, when they had a private dinner in New York with the Prime Minister. We do not disclose the details of private conversations. Regarding the future of Diego Garcia, it is right that the new US Administration has time to consider the detail of the Treaty in full and we will continue to engage closely.
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Wendy Morton:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what estimate he has made of the number of British nationals resident in areas of California affected by wildfires. \p Stephen Doughty: Firstly, I extend my sincere condolences to all those affected by the wildfires. We encourage British nationals in Los Angeles and the surrounding areas to follow the guidance of the local authorities for the latest advice and continue to check FCDO travel advice for information. The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) does not hold information on the numbers of British Nationals affected by the wildfires as the UK Government does not require British nationals to register with the nearest British Embassy or High Commission when overseas. The FCDO stands ready to provide consular support to British nationals abroad 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
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Richard Foord:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department is taking steps to help uphold the constitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the context of the All-Serbian Assembly. \p Stephen Doughty: The UK is committed to upholding the constitutional framework, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), as set out in the Dayton Agreement. We have underlined with Serbian and BiH leaders concerns about the 'All Serb Assembly'. I raised the importance of maintaining peace and stability in BiH on my visit to Serbia with senior government figures this week, alongside the Prime Minister's Special Envoy for the Western Balkans, Lord Peach. We consistently encourage Western Balkan leaders to strengthen regional stability and adhere to their commitments on good neighbourly relations, including those made at 2018's Berlin Process Summit.
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Alicia Kearns:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the Government considers joint committees between the legislatures of the Republic of Serbia and Republika Srpska as being compatible with the Dayton Agreement. \p Stephen Doughty: The UK remains committed to the Dayton Peace Agreement. I raised the importance of maintaining peace and stability in BiH on my visit to Serbia with senior government figures this week, alongside the Prime Minister's Special Envoy for the Western Balkans, Lord Peach.

We welcome inclusive regional cooperation, economic integration and inter-connectivity initiatives which raise living standards across the Western Balkans. But it is vital that any such initiatives and related structures do not privilege individual groups or violate the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina, of which we remain steadfast in our support. We will work with domestic authorities, our international partners, and the High Representative to act against any attempts to undermine the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
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Barry Gardiner:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 17 December 2024 to Question 18874 on Leasehold: Ground Rent, in what order respondents ranked the five policy options outlined in the consultation. \p Matthew Pennycook: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer to Question UIN 18874 on 17 December 2024.
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Shockat Adam:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to reinstate the Community Housing Fund. \p Matthew Pennycook: As part of the development of our Long Term Housing Strategy, we are considering how the government may further support the growth of the community-led housing sector.
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Wendy Morton:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what criteria local authorities are expected to apply when identifying land categorised as grey belt. \p Matthew Pennycook: The definition of grey belt, for the purposes of plan-making and decision-making, is provided in the glossary of the revised National Planning Policy Framework, published on 12 December 2024.

The Framework also makes clear that before concluding that exceptional circumstances exist to justify changes to Green Belt boundaries, the relevant authority should be able to demonstrate that it has examined fully all other reasonable options for meeting its identified need for development.

Where it is necessary to release Green Belt land for development, plans should give priority to previously developed land, then consider grey belt land that has not been previously developed, and then other Green Belt locations. Guidance to assist authorities in assessing their Green Belt and identifying grey belt will be published in the coming weeks.

The amount of development that occurs in any given Green Belt will depend on local circumstances and it is for local planning authorities to assess whether Green Belt land should be released. However, the Framework makes clear that, where grey belt land is identified, it should be brought forward for development only where this is sustainable. New ‘golden rules’ will be applied to ensure that development benefits communities and nature.
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Mike Amesbury:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023 in tackling instances of damp in social housing stock. \p Matthew Pennycook: All homes should be safe, decent, and warm. The government is committed to introducing Awaab’s Law to the social rented sector as soon as possible. Awaab’s Law forms part of the Social Housing Regulation Act and will set new time limits for social landlords to fix dangerous hazards, including damp and mold. Once regulations are in force, all social landlords will have to comply with the requirements of Awaab’s Law. If they do not, residents will be able to hold their social landlords to account by taking legal action through the courts or seeking redress through the Housing Ombudsman Service.

All registered providers of social housing are also required to deliver the outcomes of the regulatory standards set by the independent Regulator of Social Housing. Under the Safety and Quality Standard, landlords must take all reasonable steps to ensure the health and safety of tenants in their homes and provide an effective and timely repairs service for the homes for which they are responsible. As part of the new consumer regime facilitated by the Social Housing (Regulation) Act, the Regulator has begun carrying out regular inspections of large landlords to seek evidence they are delivering the outcomes of the standards.
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Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 15 January 2025 to Question 22336 on Faith Matters and Tell MAMA: Finance, what her Department's timetable is for confirming funding for (a) monitoring and (b) supporting victims of Islamophobia in the 2025-26 financial year; and whether she plans to put that contract out to tender. \p Alex Norris: The government recognises the discrimination and intolerance faced by British Muslims and will not tolerate Islamophobia of any form. Making sure that British Muslims are not only safe, but also feel safe, is one of our top priorities.

We are grateful for all the work that Tell MAMA has provided for the last decade. We are assessing future funding and will update in due course.
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Mike Amesbury:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to her Department's policy paper entitled, Joint plan to accelerate developer-led remediation and improve resident experience, last updated 13 January 2025, whether Avant Homes has been asked to sign the developer remediation contract. \p Alex Norris: Yes. Viva Midco Limited, parent company of Avant Homes, was invited to and signed the developer remediation contract.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-31)

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Mike Amesbury:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to paragraph 3 of her Department's Joint plan to accelerate developer-led remediation and improve resident experience, published on 02 December 2024, what steps her Department plans to take to review the accuracy of previous assessments where a fire engineer has been suspended by a professional fire engineering body. \p Alex Norris: I refer the hon. Member to the answer to Question UIN 21355 on 10 January 2025.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-31)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-01-31 conversation_60

Mike Amesbury:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of introducing a default housing first model in the Government's long-term housing plan. \p Rushanara Ali: MHCLG funded pilots to test, at scale, if this type of intervention can be successful in supporting our most entrenched rough sleepers in the English context. The evaluation of the pilots was published in October 2024 here: Housing First Pilot: national evaluation reports - GOV.UK.

The Deputy Prime Minister is leading cross-government work to develop a strategy to deliver the long-term solutions we need to get us back on track to ending all forms of homelessness. Work to develop the strategy also includes working with representatives from across the homelessness and rough sleeping sector, local and combined authorities and wider experts to assess what is working well nationally and locally and where improvements are needed.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-31)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-01-31 conversation_61

Josh Babarinde:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of raising the temperature threshold requirement for triggering the Severe Weather Emergency Protocol. \p Rushanara Ali: The Severe Weather Emergency Provision (SWEP) is a voluntary protocol which can be triggered for any adverse weather condition that poses a risk to people who are homeless or rough sleeping. In such circumstances, the local authority will work closely with local partners to provide emergency accommodation.

Extreme cold weather conditions can cause serious health problems or even death for those who are exposed overnight or for long periods of time. Historically, SWEP was triggered when the temperature forecast was zero degrees or below for three days. It is now best practice to take a common-sense approach; where the temperature forecast approaches zero, the impact of rain, snow and wind chill are considered, and the ‘feels like’ temperature is checked, along with conditions underfoot (e.g., ice).

Guidance on SWEP is published by Homeless Link and is available here: https://homeless.org.uk/knowledge-hub/guidance-on-cold-weather-provision-swep-and-heatwaves/
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-31)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-01-31 conversation_62

Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 13 January 2025 to Question 21612 on Vagrancy Act 1824, whether the Act’s provisions will remain in place until replaced. \p Rushanara Ali: Further to the answer of 13 January 2024 to Question UIN 21612, the Vagrancy Act 1824 remains in force. We are carefully considering the Vagrancy Act in developing our new cross-government homelessness strategy.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-31)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-01-31 conversation_63

Natasha Irons:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to help reduce the use of short-term accommodation for homeless families. \p Rushanara Ali: Homelessness levels are far too high. This can have a devastating impact on those affected.

We must address this and deliver long term solutions. The Deputy Prime Minister is leading cross-government work to deliver the long-term solutions we need to get us back on track to ending all forms of homelessness. This includes chairing a dedicated Inter-Ministerial Group, bringing together ministers from across government to develop a long-term strategy.

We are already taking the first steps to get back on track to ending homelessness. As announced at the Budget, funding for homelessness services has been increased by £233 million compared to last year (2024/25). This increased spending will help to prevent rises in the number of families in temporary accommodation and help to prevent rough sleeping. This brings total Homelessness spend to nearly £1 billion in 25/26, a record level of funding.

The £1.2 billion Local Authority Housing Fund will provide capital funding directly to English councils and is expected to provide up to 7,000 homes by 2026. It will create a lasting asset for UK nationals by building a sustainable stock of affordable housing for local communities.

The Government is also working with 20 local authorities with the highest levels of B&B use for temporary accommodation through a new programme of Emergency Accommodation Reduction Pilots, backed by £5 million to test innovative approaches and kickstart new initiatives.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-31)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-01-31 conversation_64

Rupert Lowe:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will bring forward legislative proposals to ensure that people entering the UK illegally can never vote in elections. \p Rushanara Ali: Only those foreign nationals who are eligible to vote and who have leave to enter or remain, or who do not require such leave, are entitled to register and vote in elections over which the UK Government and Parliament have responsibility.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-31)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-01-31 conversation_65

Mike Amesbury:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what her planned timetable is for extending the voting franchise to 16 and 17 year olds. \p Rushanara Ali: The Government is committed to delivering on the manifesto commitment to give 16- and 17-year-olds the right to vote in all elections during this Parliament, strengthening our democracy, empowering young people to participate and building an informed and empowered electorate.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-31)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-01-31 conversation_66

Mike Amesbury:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to introduce multi-year Local Government Finance Settlements. \p Jim McMahon: I refer the hon. Member to the answer to Question HL3336 on 20 December 2024.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-31)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-01-31 conversation_67

Charlotte Cane:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the Non-Domestic Rating (Multipliers and Private Schools) Bill on small high-street businesses. \p Jim McMahon: The Bill provides the Treasury with powers to make provision for two new lower multipliers for qualifying retail, hospitality, and leisure properties from 2026/27. The intention of these provisions in the Bill is to rebalance the playing field for high street businesses.

Policies and legislation concerning tax and tax administration fall outside the meaning of regulatory provisions and, therefore, are not required to be accompanied by an Impact Assessment. Nevertheless, when the new multipliers are set at Budget 2025, the Treasury intends to publish analysis of the effects of the new multiplier arrangements.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-31)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-01-31 conversation_68

Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many research reports were (a) commissioned and (b) published by her Department and its predecessors on local government restructuring since 1997; and what the title of each report was. \p Jim McMahon: The Department has not commissioned a research report into local government restructuring and is not aware of such a report being commissioned by its predecessors. However, in October 2006 the Department of Communities and Local Government published a report “Population size and local authority performance”, which commented on the implications of its findings for proposals for reorganisation.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-31)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-01-31 conversation_69

Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 20 January 2025 to Question 23142 on Unitary Councils, if she will publish the (a) numeric population range and (b) area size of a small unitary. \p Jim McMahon: As set out in the English Devolution White Paper, the Government will facilitate a programme of local government reorganisation for two-tier areas, and for unitary councils where there is evidence of failure or where their size or boundaries may be hindering their ability to deliver sustainable and high-quality public services.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-31)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-01-31 conversation_70

Mark Pritchard:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will reinstate the four percent funding floor for Core Spending Power growth for Shropshire. \p Jim McMahon: The current fiscal environment means the government cannot continue the poor value for money 4% Funding Guarantee. The government assesses that it does not use every pound of taxpayers' money most efficiently and that is it targeted on a transparent basis.

However, we will guarantee that no local authority sees a reduction in their Core Spending Power in 2025-26, after taking into account the increase in council tax levels, by applying a funding floor.

This will provide the protections required for authorities to sustain their services between years, whilst recognising that we must begin the process of redirecting as much funding as possible towards the services and places that need it most.

The government is making good on the promise to reform the local government funding system, and is committed to introducing an improved and updated approach to funding local authorities from 2026-27. We are inviting views on our principles and objectives for funding reform through a consultation (18 December – 12 February).
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-31)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-01-31 conversation_71

Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Local Government Association's publication entitled Local government finance policy statement – LGA response. published on 28 November 2024, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her Department's polices of the finding that the planned increase in employer National Insurance contributions could cost the local government sector £1.7 billion in financial year 2025-26. \p Jim McMahon: The government has announced an additional £515 million of support for local government , specifically to manage the impact of changes to employer NICs announced at the Autumn Budget. Final allocations to LAs will be published as part of the final Local Government Finance Settlement.

We recognise the challenges that local authorities are facing as demand increases for critical services.

Taken together, the additional funding announced by the Chancellor at the Autumn Budget and at the 2025-26 provisional Local Government Finance Settlement will provide over £5 billion of new funding for local services over and above local council tax.