Asked by: Alberto Costa (Conservative - South Leicestershire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he has taken to offer farmers badger vaccination in 2025 to tackle bTB in wildlife populations.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Badger vaccination is proven to significantly reduce the risk of infection and spread of disease within badger populations. The Government is committed to strengthening the evidence on how badger vaccination reduces TB in cattle. We know this is crucial for giving the wider farming industry confidence that participating in badger vaccination will have a positive effect on their cattle.
We are working with a range of organisations to continue the rollout of badger vaccination in England. This includes large-scale vaccination delivery by Animal and Plant Health (APHA) field teams, and an industry delivered vaccination approach in East Sussex. This work is demonstrating that large scale vaccination of badgers is practical, including in previously culled areas.
As part of the announcement of the start of work on a comprehensive new bovine TB strategy, the Government also outlined several actions it is taking immediately to underpin the policy with robust science and further increase badger vaccination at pace. This is available at the link below and includes:
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-to-end-badger-cull-with-new-tb-eradication-strategy.
Asked by: Alberto Costa (Conservative - South Leicestershire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that British nationals who are the victims of violent attacks are adequately supported by the British Embassy in Portugal; and whether his Department plans to issue travel advice on the risk of violence towards British nationals by private security personnel.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) and the UK's embassies, high commissions and consulates provide consular support to British nationals abroad. We are contactable 24/7, 365 days a year, around the world. In Portugal, we have staff based in Lisbon and Portimao who provide consular assistance to British nationals who require it, including victims of crime. FCDO travel advice reflects our latest assessment of risks to British nationals, including from crime.
Asked by: Alberto Costa (Conservative - South Leicestershire)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions she has had with Ofcom on the regulation of televised advertisements depicting (a) violent imagery, (b) knifes and (c) other weapons during family viewing hours; and what steps she is taking to ensure such content does not undermine public messaging around knife crime prevention.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Although we have not had specific such conversations with Ofcom, we take the issue seriously. The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) co-regulates broadcast advertising under contract with Ofcom and its sister organisation, the Broadcast Committee of Advertising Practice, sets the advertising codes. The Code requires that advertisements do not cause serious offence or harm, particularly to children under the age of 18, distress the audience without justifiable reason, or condone or encourage violence, crime, disorder or anti-social behaviour. Adverts for offensive weapons are considered unacceptable, and violent material must not be advertised in or adjacent to programmes targeted particularly at audiences below the age of 18. All broadcast advertising is required to be pre-approved through the Clearcast system before it is aired.
Asked by: Alberto Costa (Conservative - South Leicestershire)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will take steps to ensure that armed forces veterans are given priority status on local authority housing registers.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Local authorities are responsible for designing and managing their own housing allocations policies to meet local need within the framework of legislation under which certain categories of people must be given priority.
By law, local authorities must give ‘additional preference’ (high priority) to veterans where they fall within one or more of the ‘reasonable preference’ (priority) categories and have urgent housing needs. Social housing allocations guidance can be found on gov.uk here.
In addition, we have made changes to social housing allocations regulations to exempt all veterans from local connection and residency tests, where these apply, to facilitate their access to social housing. The regulations came into force on 18 December 2024.
Asked by: Alberto Costa (Conservative - South Leicestershire)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of trends in the level of homelessness among armed forces veterans; and what steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help prevent veterans from becoming homeless after leaving the military.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
This is a Government that will always stand up for those who serve our country. I am working across Government to ensure veterans across the UK have access to the support they need on housing, as well as health, employment and other areas.
In November 2024 the Prime Minister announced an additional £3.5 million for the cross-UK Reducing Veterans Homelessness Programme, including Op FORTITUDE. This is in addition to the reforms which mean that veterans are now exempt from local connection and residency tests when applying for social housing in England.
This Government has removed local connection requirements for veterans applying for social housing, ensuring that those who have served our nation can access housing where they choose to.
We are taking a cross-Government approach to tackling homelessness more broadly, developing a strategy alongside Mayors and Councils across the country, to put Britain back on track to ending homelessness. I attend the regular meetings chaired by the Deputy Prime Minister to represent veterans in the formulation of this strategy.
Finally, the Defence Housing Strategy will turbocharge the development of surplus military land, supporting the delivery of affordable homes for families across Britain as part of the government’s Plan for Change.
Through these measures, the Government is ensuring that homes will be there for heroes.
Asked by: Alberto Costa (Conservative - South Leicestershire)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to bring forward proposals to (a) support and (b) incentivise the resale of retirement or sheltered housing units.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 40972 on 1 April 2025.
Asked by: Alberto Costa (Conservative - South Leicestershire)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her Department plans to introduce a statutory exemption from the long-term empty homes council tax premium for properties that have been inherited and are being marketed for sale.
Answered by Jim McMahon - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
When a property has been left empty following the death of its owner or occupant, it is exempt from council tax for as long as it remains unoccupied and until probate is granted. Following a grant of probate (or the signing of letters of administration), a further six months exemption is possible, so long as the property remains unoccupied and has not been sold or transferred to someone else.
Furthermore, the government has regulated to introduce an exception, to council tax premiums, for up to 12 months following a grant of probate. A further 12-month exception is available for dwellings actively marketed for sale or let. Exceptions to premiums may apply concurrently where the dwelling qualifies for both.
The government does not collect data on the number of properties which are empty due to probate. However, we do collect data on the number of dwellings which are exempt from council tax due to the death of the occupant. As of the latest available data, 132,883 dwellings were receiving this exemption.
Asked by: Alberto Costa (Conservative - South Leicestershire)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her Department monitors the number of households charged the council tax premium on long-term empty homes following (a) bereavement and (b) inheritance.
Answered by Jim McMahon - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
When a property has been left empty following the death of its owner or occupant, it is exempt from council tax for as long as it remains unoccupied and until probate is granted. Following a grant of probate (or the signing of letters of administration), a further six months exemption is possible, so long as the property remains unoccupied and has not been sold or transferred to someone else.
Furthermore, the government has regulated to introduce an exception, to council tax premiums, for up to 12 months following a grant of probate. A further 12-month exception is available for dwellings actively marketed for sale or let. Exceptions to premiums may apply concurrently where the dwelling qualifies for both.
The government does not collect data on the number of properties which are empty due to probate. However, we do collect data on the number of dwellings which are exempt from council tax due to the death of the occupant. As of the latest available data, 132,883 dwellings were receiving this exemption.
Asked by: Alberto Costa (Conservative - South Leicestershire)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate she has made of the number of private prosecution cases brought by the RSPCA being heard in the Crown Court and the Magistrates Court since the introduction of the Animal Welfare Act 2006.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
Based on extracted management information data, the RSPCA has initiated 15,070 prosecutions since the Animal Welfare Act 2006 came into force in April 2007. This figure is taken as of September 2024 in line with published statistics.
There have been 198 Crown Court receipts of prosecutions initiated by the RSPCA since the Animal Welfare Sentencing Act 2021 came into force in June 2021.
As the CPS has the power to take over any private prosecution, it is not possible to identify any such cases from the figures provided, and therefore these figures may include prosecutions taken over by the CPS.
This Government recognises that greater transparency is needed in relation to private prosecutions, in order to improve confidence in the criminal justice system. This is why we have launched a public consultation on options to improve the oversight, regulation, and transparency of private prosecutors in the criminal justice system, which closes on 08 May. The consultation seeks respondents’ views on improvements to the available data on private prosecutors and the prosecutions they bring.
Asked by: Alberto Costa (Conservative - South Leicestershire)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate she has made of the number of private prosecution cases brought by the RSPCA being heard in the Crown Court since the introduction of the Animal Welfare Sentencing Act 2021.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
Based on extracted management information data, the RSPCA has initiated 15,070 prosecutions since the Animal Welfare Act 2006 came into force in April 2007. This figure is taken as of September 2024 in line with published statistics.
There have been 198 Crown Court receipts of prosecutions initiated by the RSPCA since the Animal Welfare Sentencing Act 2021 came into force in June 2021.
As the CPS has the power to take over any private prosecution, it is not possible to identify any such cases from the figures provided, and therefore these figures may include prosecutions taken over by the CPS.
This Government recognises that greater transparency is needed in relation to private prosecutions, in order to improve confidence in the criminal justice system. This is why we have launched a public consultation on options to improve the oversight, regulation, and transparency of private prosecutors in the criminal justice system, which closes on 08 May. The consultation seeks respondents’ views on improvements to the available data on private prosecutors and the prosecutions they bring.