Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of a statutory requirement to include people on the housing waiting list in planning consultations for new homes.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Government are exploring new ways to increase and enhance community engagement in the planning process, including by improving access to planning data through its digitisation drawing on provisions in the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act 2023. This will help remove barriers to participation in the planning process, including among those on housing waiting lists.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what discussions she has had with the Competition and Markets Authority on the potential impact of the number of large housebuilders in the construction sector on (a) the role of SMEs and (b) their ability to expand in that sector.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Small and medium sized housebuilders are essential to meeting the government’s housing ambitions and supporting local economies. Our recent consultation on proposed reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework included proposals to support the SME housebuilding sector to grow by strengthening small site policy. The consultation closed on the 24 September and officials in my department are currently analysing responses with a view to publishing a government response before the end of the year.

The Government published its response to the CMA Housebuilding Study on 22 October. Officials spoke to the CMA on a range of issues during their market study.

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 instruct councils to identify sites suitable for fewer than 100 dwellings, in the context of Government steps to increase house building.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Small and medium sized housebuilders are essential to meeting the government’s housing ambitions and supporting local economies. Our recent consultation on proposed reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework included proposals to support the SME housebuilding sector to grow by strengthening small site policy. The consultation closed on the 24 September and officials in my department are currently analysing responses with a view to publishing a government response before the end of the year.

The Government published its response to the CMA Housebuilding Study on 22 October. Officials spoke to the CMA on a range of issues during their market study.

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 introduce a long- term rent settlement to allow housing associations to borrow to acquire social housing under section 106 of the Growth and Infrastructure Act 2013.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

As set out in the Deputy Prime Minister’s Written Ministerial Statement on Monday 28th October (HCWS169), the government will consult on a new 5-year social housing rent settlement to provide the sector with the certainty it needs to invest in new social housing. The intention would be for this to increase with Consumer Price Index inflation figures and an additional 1%. The consultation will also seek views on other potential options to give greater certainty, such as providing a 10-year settlement.

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 make it her policy to emphasise the importance of delivery of affordable housing in her proposals for planning reform.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

I refer the Hon Member to the answer I gave to Question UIN 8302 on 18 October 2024.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of the proportion of official development assistance that is provided to global religious minorities.

Answered by Anneliese Dodds - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK will champion Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) for all abroad. No one should live in fear because of what they do or do not believe in. The official source of data on UK Official Development Assistance (ODA) is Statistics on International Development (SID). In line with the OECD Development Assistance Committee (DAC) ODA reporting rules, ODA data is categorised using sector (or purpose) codes, which classify ODA activities by the sectors they benefit. These sector codes are not sufficiently granular to enable tracking of ODA provided to religious minorities. The FCDO works to ensure that Official Development Assistance (ODA) is allocated to those who are most vulnerable and most in need of this assistance irrespective of race, religion, or ethnicity. This includes minority religious or belief communities, who are assessed by our partners when determining those most in need of protection and assistance.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help improve outcomes for people with brain tumours; and if he will develop a brain tumour strategy to help improve (a) diagnosis, (b) treatments and (c) support from clinical nurse specialists for (i) patients and (ii) families.

Answered by Andrew Gwynne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department, NHS England, and the National Institute for Health Care and Research (NIHR) are taking several steps to help improve outcomes for brain tumour patients.

NHS England has worked with the Tessa Jowell Brain Cancer Mission to designate centres of excellence in the management of brain tumours, with nine centres having achieved this designation. The mission has a workstream on training to expand the brain tumour treatment workforce, with collaboration between National Health Service bodies, royal colleges, and charities.

NHS England is committed to ensuring that all cancer patients are offered Holistic Needs Assessment and Personalised Care and Support Planning, ensuring care is focused on what matters most to each person. As well as this, all patients, including those with secondary cancers, will have access to the right expertise and support, including a Clinical Nurse Specialist or other support worker.

Further to this, in September 2024, the NIHR announced new research funding opportunities for brain cancer research, spanning both adult and paediatric populations. This includes a national NIHR Brain Tumour Research Consortium, to ensure the most promising research opportunities are made available to adult and child patients, and a new funding call to generate high quality evidence in brain tumour care, support, and rehabilitation.

As part of our 10-Year Health Plan to radically reform our broken NHS, we will fight cancer on all fronts, from prevention, to diagnosis, treatment, and research.

We will get the NHS diagnosing cancer, including brain tumours, on time, diagnosing it earlier, and treating it faster, so more patients survive this horrible set of diseases, and we will improve patients’ experience across the system. To do this, we will address the challenges in diagnostic waiting times, providing the number of computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and other tests that are needed to reduce cancer waits.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she is taking steps to reform the disability benefits system for people living with multiple sclerosis.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

This government is committed to breaking down the barriers to opportunity for disabled people and people with health conditions, including people with multiple sclerosis, improving our employment and health support offer and tackling rising levels of economic inactivity.

We will be considering our own approach to social security in due course and welcome the opportunity to work in partnership with disabled people and the people that represent them to address some of the most challenging issues under this new government.

More disabled people and people with health conditions will be supported to enter and stay in work, by devolving more power to local areas so they can shape a joined-up work, health, and skills offer that suits the needs of the people they serve.

These plans to reform the system are central to our missions of kickstarting economic growth and breaking down barriers to opportunity.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what additional steps he plans to take to support households to move toward using (a) solar power and (b) renewable energy.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Government will work with the private sector to radically increase the deployment of onshore wind, solar and offshore wind by 2030. Changes to permitted development rights rules will mean more homeowners and businesses will be able to install solar panels on their roofs without going through the planning system. The Government is working to support household renewables through community benefits, energy efficiency schemes and the Smart Export Guarantee.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of rejoining the Erasmus+ programme.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.

Following their meeting in Brussels on 2 October, the President of the European Commission and my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister have agreed to strengthen the relationship between the EU and UK, putting it on a more solid, stable footing. The government will now work with the EU to identify areas where it can strengthen co-operation for mutual benefit, such as the economy, energy, security and resilience.

The government recognises and supports the benefits of collaborating with its international partners on education. The department is working with the higher education sector to ensure our world leading universities continue to attract outstanding students from around the world and support our economy. However, we have no plans for rejoining the Erasmus+ Programme.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will publish the amount of overseas aid allocated to each recipient country for the most recent financial year available.

Answered by Anneliese Dodds - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

Annex A of the FCDO's Annual Report and Accounts 2023-2024 sets out the FCDO's Official Development Assistance (ODA) programming outturn for financial year 2023-24, including by country.

Ministers are currently reviewing the FCDO's ODA budget and will publish planned ODA allocations for 2024-25 in due course.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Windsor Framework (Non-Commercial Movement of Pet Animals) Regulations 2024 on freedom of movement for people travelling with pets between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Northern Ireland Pet Travel Scheme will significantly reduce the burdens associated with the original Northern Ireland Protocol, and provides a stable and long-term footing for pet travel for those travelling with their pets within the United Kingdom.

Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what steps his Department is taking to tackle violence against women in Northern Ireland; and what plans he has to ensure the swift and effective implementation of the Strategy for Ending Violence Against Women and Girls.

Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland

The UK Government welcomes the launch of the Strategic Framework to End Violence against Women and Girls by The Northern Ireland Executive. This Government is seeking to tackle violence against women and girls across the United Kingdom and will support the NI Executive to implement and deliver this strategic framework fully.

100th anniversary of J. Wright & Son butchers in Donaghadee

Ann Veitch, 20 years’ service as a foster carer

Release of Emily Damari

Retail movement scheme regulations

Exiting the European Union

Found: Goldman James MacCleary Andrew George Mr Joshua Reynolds Charlotte Cane Steff Aquarone Alex

Found: Goldman James MacCleary Andrew George Mr Joshua Reynolds Charlotte Cane Steff Aquarone Alex