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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will take steps to ensure that public bodies sponsored by his Department will be free to fulfil their duties based on evidence and scientific fact.

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

Several of Defra’s public bodies are Public Sector Research Establishments and form an integral part of the Defra group science system. They share, as part of their remit, a role in providing quality scientific evidence and expert advice to Government in their respective disciplines.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how much public funding has been granted to provide subsidies to holiday homes which have applied for small business rate relief in each year since 2012, broken down by local authority area.

Answered by Jim McMahon - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The department does not hold data on the amount of small business rates relief that has been granted to businesses that operate as holiday homes.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what NHS services he plans to commission through private providers in the next 12 months.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Services are commissioned either by integrated care boards or by NHS England. Commissioners have always worked with private providers to deliver primary and secondary services for the National Health Service, and make decisions based on the specifics of their areas and populations.

This government is committed to driving down waiting times for patients and will use all levers, including spare capacity in the system whether that is in independent or NHS providers, to ensure patients are treated faster. Our first step will be the delivery of 40,000 more appointments per week, and we will support the system to deliver these in the most productive and cost-efficient way.

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 an assessment of the potential impact of the use of (a) rural exceptions planning policies and permissions and (b) S106 agreements on the successful delivery of (i) secure and (ii) affordable homes which meet a registered or demonstrable need.

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

Our manifesto committed to increasing the supply of affordable, including social rented, housing. It is up to local planning authorities to identify and evidence their affordable housing need at the plan-making stage. The Government publishes affordable housing statistics annually. In 2022/23, 30,048 affordable homes (completions) were delivered in England through section 106 (nil grant) agreements, which is 47% of the total affordable homes delivered, compared to 44% in the previous year.

Local authorities that receive developer contributions are required to publish Infrastructure Funding Statements annually. These report on what the authority has received and spent through developer contributions, including section 106 agreements. This provides transparency for communities and allows for scrutiny on how councils have chosen to spend funding.

The National Planning Policy Framework states that planning policies and decisions should be responsive to local circumstances in rural areas. This includes supporting housing developments that reflect local needs and going further with opportunities to bring forward small sites for affordable housing in rural areas, such as through rural exception sites. These sites should help meet the local housing needs of rural communities, enabling local people, those with a family connection or those with an employment connection, to live locally and help sustain thriving places.

We are working at pace on various revisions to the NPPF and will launch a public consultation on a new draft Framework, including those aspects that relate to rural housing.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will have discussions with (a) her Greek counterpart and (b) the Board of the British Museum on the potential merits of returning the portion of the Parthenon sculptures which are held by the Museum to Athens.

Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

Decisions relating to the care and management of the museum's collections, including loaning objects from their collection, are a matter for the Trustees of the British Museum, in accordance with the British Museum Act 1963. The British Museum is operationally independent of the Government.

We are aware that the Chair of the Trustees, George Osborne, has had talks with Greek Ministers on the issue, seeking a constructive partnership. We value the work that the British Museum does internationally, and welcome the success of their partnerships, such as the recent collaboration between the British Museum, the V&A, and the Manhyia Palace Museum in Ghana.

With regards to the legal title for the Parthenon Sculptures, the removal of the sculptures was lawful and well-documented. They were transferred to the British Museum in 1816 and have been the legal property of the British Museum, not the UK Government, since then.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will review the Government's justification to legal title for the Parthenon Sculptures held by the British Museum.

Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

Decisions relating to the care and management of the museum's collections, including loaning objects from their collection, are a matter for the Trustees of the British Museum, in accordance with the British Museum Act 1963. The British Museum is operationally independent of the Government.

We are aware that the Chair of the Trustees, George Osborne, has had talks with Greek Ministers on the issue, seeking a constructive partnership. We value the work that the British Museum does internationally, and welcome the success of their partnerships, such as the recent collaboration between the British Museum, the V&A, and the Manhyia Palace Museum in Ghana.

With regards to the legal title for the Parthenon Sculptures, the removal of the sculptures was lawful and well-documented. They were transferred to the British Museum in 1816 and have been the legal property of the British Museum, not the UK Government, since then.

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 invite representatives of (a) Cornwall and (b) the Isles of Scilly to the Council of the Nations and Regions.

Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Council of Nations and Regions will bring together the Prime Minister, the First Ministers of Scotland and Wales, the First and deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland, and the Mayors of Combined Authorities. On 16 July 2024 the Deputy Prime Minister wrote to all areas that do not have a devolution deal to invite them to come forward with a proposal. New Mayors established through this process would be eligible to sit on the Council of Nations and Regions. The Government is committed to working productively with local government in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, including as part of regular, sustained engagement with councils across England.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many (a) raw sewage and (b) other polluting discharges into (i) rivers and (ii) coastal waters were recorded by (A) the Environment Agency, (B) public and citizen science organisations and (C) South West Water in the area served by South West Water in each of the last five years.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

There were 3,466 incidents into a waterbody in the Devon, Cornwall and Isles of Scilly (DCS) area over the last 5 years, of which 929 were related to untreated sewage:

Of these incidents, the following number of substantiated incidents were attributed to South West Water (SWW):

The EA’s area boundaries do not align exactly with water company catchments. This will mean that a small number of incidents will not be included in this analysis.

The use of “other polluting discharges” the EA have taken to mean all other types of pollution incidents into water.

Finally, the EA have included pollution incidents to all types of waterbodies including coastal waters and rivers.

For Part B and C of this question, we do not hold that information, the respective organisations would be best placed to answer.

I would also refer the hon. Member to the Written Statement made by the Secretary of State on 18 July: Written statements - Written questions, answers and statements - UK Parliament.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of establishing mandatory safe registered nurse staffing levels in all forms of hospital settings.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Ensuring adequate staffing levels is the responsibility of National Health Service Trusts and commissioners, supported by national guidelines. The Government will prioritise patient safety to ensure that the NHS treats people with the high quality and safe care that they deserve.

We are committed to training the staff we need to get patients seen on time. The Government will make sure the NHS has the staff it needs to be there for everyone when they need it.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much was provided to the Council of the Isles of Scilly for post-16 education for students in each of the last five years for which records are available; and how much was (a) unspent and (b) returned.

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

The Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) allocates a boarding and accommodation allowance to the Isles of Scilly. This is a contribution of funding towards boarding, accommodation and travel costs for students who are permanent residents on the Isles of Scilly and who are eligible for 16 to 19 education. This is a special arrangement to support students with their full-time education on the mainland of England.

The funding values and unspent/returns funds are shown in the table below:

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will take steps to ensure that post 16 year old pupils who live on the Isles of Scilly have equality of affordable opportunity to state sector study as their mainland counterparts.

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

The government is committed to providing high quality education to all young people, regardless of their background or where they live. The department understands the unique challenges students and families from the Isles of Scilly face in accessing study programmes on the mainland due to there being no post-16 education available on the Isles.

The department will provide funding to the Council to cover their predicted number of post-16 students in 2024/25 to meet the students’ travel and accommodation needs.

The government will keep all of its student financial support programmes under review, including considering what more can be done to support post-16 students from the Isles of Scilly, as part of the next Spending Review.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many students are required by geographic circumstances to board at night to receive post-16 education by local authority area.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

Information on the reason pupils board overnight at school is not held centrally by the department.

Information on the number of pupils who board is published in the ‘Schools, pupils and their characteristics’ publication, which is available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-pupils-and-their-characteristics.

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 an estimate of the cost to the public purse of (a) small business rate relief since 2012, (b) Restart Grants in 2021 and (c) the Recovery Loan Scheme and (d) Covid Grants to eligible properties that are classified as Holiday Lets in the Non-Domestic Rating List in 2021 and 2022 for holiday home owners per local authority area.

Answered by Jim McMahon - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Department does not hold data on the amount of small business rates relief that has been granted to businesses that operate as holiday lets.

The Department for Business and Trade leads on Restart Grants, the Recovery Loan Scheme and Covid Grants.

Britain’s first black police officer, John Kent

Gaza

Fire Brigades Union

Radiotherapy

Tax on private jets

Recognition of the state of Palestine

South Devon gymnast at the Paris Olympics 2024

NHS staff car parking charges

Olympic Games 2024 legacy

Consumer water bills

UK arms exports to Israel

200th anniversary of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution

Cumbria coal mine court appeal

International Criminal Court, Gaza and the Rule of Law

Durham Miners' Gala 2024

Child poverty and the two-child benefit cap

Flooding in Bangladesh

10th anniversary of the Yazidi genocide

Welsh athletes at the Paris Olympic Games 2024

Found: (left HRA 31 August 2019) • Graham Clarke NED (6/6) • Richard Cooper NED (6/6) • Professor Andrew

Found: (left HRA 31 August 2019) • Graham Clarke NED (6/6) • Richard Cooper NED (6/6) • Professor Andrew

Found: Terence Stephenson Chair (6/6) • Graham Clarke NED (6/6) • Richard Cooper NED (6/6) • Professor Andrew

Found: Terence Stephenson Chair (6/6) • Graham Clarke NED (6/6) • Richard Cooper NED (6/6) • Professor Andrew

Found: Respondent - and - JOHN VARLEY Interested Party Representation : For the App licant s: Andrew