Asked by: Andrew Ranger (Labour - Wrexham)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has made an assessment of the adequacy of a five-day response window for community consultation on proposals for large-scale asylum accommodation; and whether guidance will be revised to ensure adequate time is provided for local residents and stakeholders to respond.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office remain committed to ensuring that any impact on local communities is kept to a minimum. Consultation with local authority officials forms a vital part of procurement of asylum accommodation. The Home Office and its accommodation providers operate a robust consultation process, which not only ensures that local authorities are aware of all ongoing procurement activity of Dispersed Accommodation in their respective areas but also allows them to share local expertise and intelligence at the earliest opportunity to inform procurement. However, to protect the safety and security of those being housed in Dispersal Accommodation (DA), we do not consult with local residents or publish details of DA address in the public domain.
Our accommodation providers ensure that consultation with local authorities is carried out in accordance with the requirements and standards set out in the Asylum Accommodation and Support Contracts. We work closely with statutory partners throughout the process to ensure effective coordination and oversight.
Asked by: Andrew Ranger (Labour - Wrexham)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what oversight her Department has of consultation processes undertaken by private asylum accommodation providers when proposing new accommodation sites; and what minimum standards are required to ensure engagement with local communities.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office remain committed to ensuring that any impact on local communities is kept to a minimum. Consultation with local authority officials forms a vital part of procurement of asylum accommodation. The Home Office and its accommodation providers operate a robust consultation process, which not only ensures that local authorities are aware of all ongoing procurement activity of Dispersed Accommodation in their respective areas but also allows them to share local expertise and intelligence at the earliest opportunity to inform procurement. However, to protect the safety and security of those being housed in Dispersal Accommodation (DA), we do not consult with local residents or publish details of DA address in the public domain.
Our accommodation providers ensure that consultation with local authorities is carried out in accordance with the requirements and standards set out in the Asylum Accommodation and Support Contracts. We work closely with statutory partners throughout the process to ensure effective coordination and oversight.
Asked by: Andrew Ranger (Labour - Wrexham)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment has been made of the (a) value for money and (b) adequacy of the performance of contracts held by private asylum accommodation providers under the asylum accommodation programme; and how her Department plans to ensure accountability for the use of public funds under these contracts.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
Over the past year, the Home Office has significantly strengthened its approach to assuring Key Performance Indicator (KPI) data and applying service credits where providers fail to meet contractual obligations. Our inspection and assurance regime is risk-based and proportionate to contract value, combining scheduled and unannounced visits.
As a result of reforms to its contract management capability, the Department has recovered £74 million in the current financial year through profit-share repayments and service credits. We will continue to strengthen transparency and oversight and enhance our MI platforms to optimise assurance and inspection activity.
Asked by: Andrew Ranger (Labour - Wrexham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that people aged over 70 who lose their driving licence as a result of medical or eyesight requirements, and who do not hold a valid passport, are able to access an alternative form of official identification that is accepted by banks and other essential services as proof of identity.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The Government recognises that many people use a driving licence as evidence of identity and that some organisations and businesses accept the photocard driving licence as such. However, the statutory purpose of a driving licence is to convey the licence holder’s entitlement to drive and it is not intended to act as a proof of identity.
All individuals who hold or apply for a driving licence must meet the minimum health standards required for safe driving. Those who do not meet the medical standards cannot hold or be issued with a driving licence only for identification purposes.
For those who no longer require a driving licence or those who not qualify, Local Authorities offer a Voter Authority Certificate as another form of photo identity. Although this is a paper document it can be used as photographic proof of identification. Further information can be found at www.gov.uk/apply-for-photo-id-voter-authority-certificate.
Asked by: Andrew Ranger (Labour - Wrexham)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to support young people into employment, education or training.
Answered by Pat McFadden - Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
The government is investing £820m to help young people earn or learn through the Youth Guarantee. This includes a Jobs Guarantee where eligible 18–21-year-olds, who have been on Universal Credit and looking for work for 18 months, will be guaranteed six-months paid work. We are also investing £725m for the Growth and Skills Levy will help support apprenticeships for young people, alongside reforms that will simplify the apprenticeship system.
Asked by: Andrew Ranger (Labour - Wrexham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department plans to simplify the process by which disabled motorists in receipt of Personal Independence Payment are able to (a) apply for and (b) receive a vehicle tax reduction; and whether the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency plans to introduce an online system enabling eligible disabled drivers to (i) claim the 50 per cent vehicle tax discount and (ii) pay by direct debit.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Customers who receive the enhanced rate mobility component of the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and whose vehicles are already licensed in the disabled taxation class can renew their vehicle excise duty (VED) exemption online.
Those customers who receive the standard rate mobility component of PIP which entitles them to a 50 per cent reduction in the rate of VED payable, must send their application to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA).
Facilitating online applications by disabled customers to claim reduced rates of VED requires the electronic exchange of data held by the Department for Work and Pensions with the DVLA. Officials are considering how to improve the ability for customers in receipt of PIP to transact with the DVLA.
Asked by: Andrew Ranger (Labour - Wrexham)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the areas expected to be at risk of major flooding by 2050; and whether her Department plans to introduce measures to restrict future (a) residential, (b) infrastructure and (c) transport development in those areas.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
In January 2025, the Environment Agency published the updated National Flood Risk Assessment. With climate change, it is estimated that the number of properties in areas at risk of flooding from rivers and the sea will increase from 2.4 million to around 3.1 million between 2036 and 2069.
The National Planning Policy Framework is clear that inappropriate development in areas at risk of flooding should be avoided by directing development away from areas at highest risk.
Where development (be it residential, infrastructure of transport) is necessary, and where there are no suitable sites available in areas with a lower risk of flooding, local planning authorities and developers should ensure development is safe for its users for the development’s lifetime, will not increase flood risk overall and will provide wider sustainability benefits.
Asked by: Andrew Ranger (Labour - Wrexham)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to ensure that every young person has access to sporting facilities.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Government is committed to ensuring that everyone, including children and young people, should have access to, and benefit from, quality sport and physical activity opportunities.
Sports facilities provide important community hubs for people of all ages to be active and connect people to the places in which they live. On 19 June 2025, the Culture Secretary announced that following the Spending Review, at least £400 million is going to be invested into new and upgraded grassroots sport facilities in communities right across the UK, supporting the Government's Plan for Change. We are now working closely with sporting bodies and local leaders to establish what each community needs, including for children and young people, and will then set out further plans.
Asked by: Andrew Ranger (Labour - Wrexham)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the Government is considering proposals to replace Vehicle Excise Duty with a pay-per-mile road pricing system.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government has no plans to abolish Vehicle Excise Duty (VED). VED applies to vehicles used or kept on public roads, which does not vary by miles driven. However, fuel duty applies to the petrol or diesel used by motorists driving internal combustion engine vehicles; the greater the miles driven, the more fuel duty incurred.
Asked by: Andrew Ranger (Labour - Wrexham)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to protect vulnerable individuals from the potential harms caused by frequent charity advertising.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Government is clear that it is never acceptable to use undue pressure in order to solicit a donation and that the public should be treated with respect at all times.
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) is responsible for regulating advertising in the UK across traditional forms of media (print, radio, TV) and online and is independent of the Government. The Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP) and Broadcast Committee of Advertising Practice (BCAP), sister organisations to the ASA, are responsible for codifying the standards for advertising to the marketing industry as part of their Broadcast Advertising Code (BCAP Code) and UK Non-Broadcast Advertising Code (CAP Code).
The CAP and BCAP Codes contain specific rules specifying that advertising must not cause serious or widespread harm or offence. In addition, the BCAP Code has a dedicated section on charities, with rules intended to prevent the abuse of people’s charitable impulses. Charities must comply with all relevant sections of the Codes when advertising. A complaint can be made to the ASA if someone believes an advert breaks these rules.
The public can also make a complaint to the charity and to the Fundraising Regulator if they believe a charity has made misleading or excessive requests for donations.