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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent steps he has taken to help reduce levels of homelessness among children.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Government is committed to getting back on track to ending all forms of homelessness across the country. Our cross-Government homelessness strategy will set out the actions needed across central and local government and the homelessness sector to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping.

The Government is supporting people at risk of and experiencing homelessness and rough sleeping across the country with more than £1 billion funding, a £316 million increase on last year. This includes £84 million new funding announced on 10 October 2025. Councils are able to use this funding to meet the needs of people in their area, and local authority allocations are published on gov.uk.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent steps he has taken to help reduce levels of homelessness among women.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Government is committed to getting back on track to ending all forms of homelessness across the country. Our cross-Government homelessness strategy will set out the actions needed across central and local government and the homelessness sector to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping.

The Government is supporting people at risk of and experiencing homelessness and rough sleeping across the country with more than £1 billion funding, a £316 million increase on last year. This includes £84 million new funding announced on 10 October 2025. Councils are able to use this funding to meet the needs of people in their area, and local authority allocations are published on gov.uk.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she has taken to help increase the number of pupils obtaining Level 4 qualifications in (a) England and (b) Romford constituency.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The government has set an ambition for two-thirds of young people to participate in higher-level study (level 4+) by age 25.

From September 2026, learners will be able to apply for Lifelong Learning Entitlement funding, that will support learners to take on courses and modular learning at levels 4-6, across universities, colleges and independent providers.

The government will also reintroduce targeted, means-tested maintenance grants, which will offer vital financial support to eligible students from low-income households, helping more of these students to access and excel in higher education.

The department is expanding Higher Technical Qualifications (HTQs), which are quality-marked, occupation-focused level 4–5 courses available at universities, further education colleges, and independent providers. They offer flexible study options, such as part-time and distance learning, making them accessible to those with caring responsibilities or in work. 282 HTQs have been approved across 13 occupational routes.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has met with the Government representative of Turks and Caicos to discuss (a) the fatal mass shooting in Turks and Caicos in late July and (b) further domestic security.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

I remain in close contact with the Premier and the Governor of the Turks and Caicos Islands following the abhorrent shooting in July. Together, we are continuing to invest in improving policing and border security to address complex national security threats and protect the people of the Turks and Caicos Islands. I spoke to the Premier and Governor on 22 September to discuss these issues. The UK has provided over £9 million in security support over the past two years, including coastal surveillance systems, police boats, contracted firearms officers and criminal investigators.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to help improve air quality in major cities.

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

The Government has provided £576 million to support local authorities to improve air quality. The Government is supporting 64 local authorities through the NO₂ programme specifically to develop and implement measures to address their Nitrogen Dioxide (NO₂) exceedances in the shortest possible time. For example, between 2019-2023, in the areas of cities that have a Clean Air Zone, NO₂ concentrations have reduced by between 15% and 42% on average.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking to help make (a) military, (b) police and (c) healthcare training in the UK more accessible to members of the Overseas Territories.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Government is committed to strengthening the resilience and capabilities of the Overseas Territories across defence, policing, and healthcare.

In defence, I recently met members of both the Cayman and Bermuda regiments and observed their training. The Ministry of Defence provides tailored training and capacity-building support to the Overseas Territory Defence Regiments and other agencies, including a permanent staff instructor and short-term training teams delivering specialist instruction in areas such as maritime capability and marine engineering.

We are continuing to work to expand access to UK police training for Overseas Territories police services. This ensures that Overseas Territories benefit from the latest policing standards and expertise, including from the College of Policing. We also support the Overseas Territories through a range of specialist agencies, including the NCA.

In healthcare, the Department of Health and Social Care is working with NHS England and Overseas Territory Chief Medical Officers to facilitate Managed Education Partnerships between NHS Trusts and the Overseas Territories. These partnerships offer access to e-learning resources and opportunities to observe in NHS hospitals. The UK Health Security Agency's Overseas Territories Public Health Programme also provide training, certification, and a range of Continuous Professional Development opportunities in health and public health. Additionally, the Royal College of Nursing, in partnership with the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), provides structured support in mental health and quality improvement to nurses in Anguilla, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, and Saint Helena.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she plans to meet with the Government representative of Gibraltar to ensure a future of self-determination.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

I recently had the honour of representing the UK Government at the National Day celebrations in Gibraltar and was able to deliver a letter to the Chief Minister of Gibraltar from the Prime Minister in which he was clear about the UK Government's steadfast commitment to UK sovereignty of Gibraltar, our enduring support for the "double lock", and the principle of self-determination which is central to the UK's enduring relationship with Gibraltar.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she plans to meet with the Government representatives of (a) Bermuda and (b) St Helena to strengthen dialogue between her Department and the governments of these respective territories.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

I met the Premier and the Governor of Bermuda and other representatives during my visit to Bermuda in September. I look forward to welcoming the elected leaders and representatives of the Overseas Territories to the Joint Ministerial Council in London in November, including representatives of the new Government of St Helena formed following their general election last month. My officials and I continue to work in close partnership with the Governments of Bermuda and St Helena, as with all the Overseas Territories.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to help reduce infant mortality rates at Queen’s Hospital in Romford.

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

Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust has taken a number of steps to improve their maternity services and help reduce infant mortality rates. This includes:

- implementing pre-term screening for pre-eclampsia;

- recruiting 164 more midwives since 2021, with seven more due to join soon, reducing the vacancy rate to 3.64% compared to 16% in January 2023;

- investing in additional clinical posts, including the recruitment of 12 additional obstetrics and gynaecology consultants since 2022, with two more joining soon, and increasing resident doctor numbers;

- introducing bilingual volunteers to support women throughout pregnancy, including attending appointments with them, and during labour;

- offering enhanced ‘continuity of carer’ in areas where health inequalities have been identified;

- increasing triage space and staffing to speed up initial assessment and creating a new discharge lounge to improve flow through the unit;

- increasing obstetric theatre capacity and staffing; and

- launching a new diabetes pre-conception clinic this year for women who are trying to conceive, and a new hybrid closed-loop insulin pump service for type 1 diabetics who are pregnant or trying to conceive.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to take steps to promote the (a) recruitment and (b) retention of UK medical graduates over international applicants.

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

British doctors who obtained their medical degree abroad need to meet the requirements of the General Medical Council, the independent regulator of the medical profession, to practise medicine in the United Kingdom. These doctors are then able to apply for jobs in the National Health Service on the same basis as UK medical graduates.

As set out in our 10-Year Health Plan, published on 3 July, we will work across the Government to prioritise UK medical graduates for foundation training, and to prioritise UK medical graduates and other doctors who have worked in the NHS for a significant period for specialty training. We will set out further details in due course.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to help tackle health tourism.

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

In relation to United Kingdom nationals travelling abroad for treatment, the Department has recently updated guidance that advises anyone considering a procedure abroad to carefully research the treatment in question, the qualifications of their clinician, and the regulations that apply in any specific country.

We also recently launched a communications campaign, in collaboration with TikTok, to encourage people to review the Government’s travel advice alongside relevant guidance from the National Health Service and other relevant professional bodies. By taking such steps before treatment, patients make are able to make more informed decisions about treatments abroad, to help protect themselves and the NHS from any potential negative consequences of medical tourism.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department plans to take steps to make it easier for people in the British Overseas Territories to enter army officer training in the UK.

Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

British Overseas Territory Citizens (BOTC) are already eligible to apply to join the British Army and there are no restrictions on the numbers who can serve as Officers or Other Ranks. However, a UK (Great Britain and Northern Ireland) footprint is an integral part of the national security vetting process for joining the Armed Forces, and clearance levels vary depending on the rank and role applied for. Where an applicant, regardless of nationality, has not resided in the UK continuously for the required period prior to their application, additional checks may be needed.

For BOTC, the lack of UK residency can be managed through a residency waiver, which would include additional documentation being provided by individuals. Each case will be risk-assessed on a case-by-case basis, and successful BOTC applicants would be eligible for clearance but for a shorter period of time in the first instance. Once the individual is in the Armed Forces, they will build up a UK footprint which will then allow the necessary checks to take place should their clearance need to be extended, or they wish to be considered for further roles where a higher clearance level is required.

The British Army recruitment page sets out the eligibility criteria, including for those not resident in the UK that will require more checks.

Anguilla, Bermuda, British Indian Overseas Territory, British Antartic Territory, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, Montserrat, Pitcairn Islands, St Helena, Ascension & Tristan De Cunha, the Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri, Dhekelia and Episkopi in Cyprus and the Turks and Caicos Islands.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department plans to create a memorial to the British Liberation Task Force 135 that freed the Channel Islands in 1945.

Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) deeply values the contribution of Liberation Task Force 135 in ending the occupation of the Channel Islands. While there are currently no plans to create a dedicated memorial, it remains longstanding Government policy that the MOD does not typically establish or fund memorials. These are usually supported through private donations and public subscription, and placed with the agreement of the relevant local authority.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much funding her Department has allocated for advertising public schemes for recycling water.

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

We continue to work closely with regulators to support progress in this area to reduce water demand.

Ofwat are on track to launch the Water Efficiency Campaign (WEC) in spring 2026 and continue to engage closely with Defra, the Welsh Government, NRW, the Environment Agency, and water companies on the campaign’s governance, structure, and strategy.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent steps she has taken through the tax system to support small to medium-sized enterprises in the hospitality industry.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government recognises the vital role that small and medium-sized enterprises in the hospitality sector play in supporting the UK’s economy and high streets.

At the Autumn Budget, a range of measures were announced to support these businesses. The Employment Allowance was more than doubled to £10,500, meaning that over half of businesses with National Insurance liabilities will either gain or see no change this year.

The business rates small business multiplier has been frozen for 2025-26, protecting SMEs from inflationary increases in business rates. Retail, hospitality and leisure business rates relief has also been extended for one year at 40 per cent, up to a cash cap of £110,000 per business.

In addition, the Small Profits Rate of Corporation Tax and marginal relief have been maintained at their current rates and thresholds. The £1 million Annual Investment Allowance has also been retained to support investment in plant and machinery.

Duty on qualifying draught products has been reduced, supporting pubs and small brewers. Over a third of properties pay no business rates due to Small Business Rate Relief, with thousands more benefiting from tapered relief.

The Government keeps all areas of the tax system under review and changes to the tax system are made at fiscal events, in line with usual practice.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if she will bring forward legislative proposals for a mandatory 14-day cooling off period for telecom contracts.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The existing Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013 provide a requirement for a 14-day cooling off period, subject to some exclusions, and this applies to telecoms contracts. Generally, if a consumer enters a contract with a trader, at a distance (for example, online or over the phone) or off the trader’s premises, the trader must provide the consumer a 14-day cooling off period after the contract is entered. During this period, the consumer can cancel the contract without needing to provide a reason.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent steps she has taken to prevent people that illegally enter the UK from being able to work.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Government is leading a UK-wide crackdown on illegal working as part of a whole system approach to tackle illegal migration from every angle.

The Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill introduces tough new laws to clamp down on illegal working.  This means that for the very first time, right to work checks will be extended to cover businesses hiring gig economy and zero-hours workers in sectors like construction, food delivery, beauty salons, courier services and warehousing.

Home Office Immigration Enforcement teams are intensifying operational activity across the UK to stop businesses hiring people to work illegally.  Since this government came into power, there have been 10,031 illegal working visits to premises and 7,130 arrests have been made, an increase of 48% and 51% compared to the year before (5 July 2023 to 28 June 2024).  In that time, 2,105 civil penalty notices have been issued.

Alongside the Department for Business and Trade, the Home Office is working closely with the major food delivery platforms, including Deliveroo, Uber Eats and Just Eat, to ensure they understand their responsibilities in using riders who have the right to work in the UK.

Last month the Home Office commenced data sharing with leading food delivery firms. The agreement enables the Home Office to share sensitive location data of the locations of asylum hotels with the firms helping the companies detect and suspend accounts suspected of illegal working, particularly where delivery riders may be sharing accounts with individuals who do not have the legal right to work in the UK.

Finally, the Government has announced the introduction of digital ID this parliament. It is clear that offering access to the UK labour market is part of the approach taken by unscrupulous criminals to profit from facilitating illegal migration. Providing a single system to prove a right to work, will simplify the process and drive-up compliance.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what her Department’s policy is on housing of asylum seekers in houses of multiple occupancy.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

The government is committed to reducing reliance on hotels by expanding the overall supply of dispersal and temporary accommodation, including through the private sector. Local authorities are consulted on all dispersed accommodation before it is procured, including for HMOs. This is a necessary step to meet our legal obligations while being cognisant of local pressures.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to help tackle (a) untaxed and (b) abandoned vehicles on public roads.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) operates a comprehensive package of measures to tackle untaxed vehicles. These range from the use of automatic number plate recognition cameras, the wheelclamping and the removal and impounding of untaxed vehicles and court prosecutions. The DVLA works closely with the police and local authorities to address untaxed vehicles at local levels and to share intelligence to target untaxed vehicles.

The latest information available, published in December 2023, showed that 98.7 per cent of vehicles across the UK were correctly licensed, an evasion rate of just 1.3%. More information is available at Vehicle excise duty evasion statistics: 2023 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

The removal of abandoned vehicles is the responsibility of the relevant local authority. The police also have the powers to remove immediately any vehicle that is causing an obstruction, is likely to cause danger or is broken down or abandoned without lawful authority.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she has taken to reduce the number of asylum seekers living in houses of multiple occupancy.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

We’re taking decisive action to reduce the asylum backlog, close hotels, and return control of sites to local areas. Our strategy is focused on restoring order and fairness to the system while protecting public safety. The Immigration White Paper sets our measures to reduce inflow to the asylum system, ultimately reducing reliance on accommodation.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether he plans to increase the number of prison officers recruited from overseas.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

His Majesty’s Prisons and Probation Service (HMPPS) does not actively recruit foreign nationals from overseas.

HMPPS publishes vacancies across formal UK advertising boards and welcomes applications from people wishing to work in prisons in England and Wales. The hiring process is the same for both UK and non-UK nationals. Selection is on the basis of fair and open competition, in accordance with the legal requirement set out in the Civil Service Recruitment Principles.

The Civil Service Nationality Rules (CSNRs) govern eligibility for employment in the Civil Service on the grounds of nationality. All applicants applying to work in the Department must meet the CSNRs and other eligibility criterion published in job adverts.

The Department will continue to comply with UK Immigration Rules applied in the UK and Civil Service.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions she has held with the Governor of St Helena on his signification of the Saint Helena Civil Litigation (Costs) Ordinance 2025.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

This legislation is currently subject to an ongoing judicial review. The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office does not comment on ongoing legal proceedings. The role of the Governor of St Helena in relation to legislation is set out in the St Helena Constitution.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to work with relevant authorities to reduce fare evasion on public transport.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

There are expectations for the rail industry to take forward initiatives and reduce fare evasion. The effectiveness of the measures employed by Train Operating Companies are evaluated by the Department for Transport through a range of surveys. British Transport Police is committed to working closely alongside the railway industry to tackle fare evasion and regularly support with high visibility patrols at known hotspot locations.

Additionally, the Government’s Bus Services (No.2) Bill also provides Local Transport Authorities with the power to create byelaws and deploy officers who can deal with anti-social behaviour and fare evasion on the bus network. Officers will have the power to issue fines, ask people to leave the vehicle, bus station or shelter and, if necessary, to remove them if they refuse to do so.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to help increase the (a) recruitment and (b) retention of prison officers.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

We know that sufficient and skilled frontline staffing is fundamental to delivering safe, secure, and rehabilitative prisons. We remain committed to ensuring prisons are sufficiently resourced and that we retain and build levels of experience.

Substantive recruitment efforts will continue at all prisons where vacancies exist or are projected, with targeted interventions applied to those prisons with the most need. We closely monitor staffing levels across the estate and look to provide short-term support where needed.  All prison expansion projects, whether new prisons or smaller builds, are factored into our staffing forecasts to ensure we recruit on time and build up the experience needed to continue to deliver safe and secure regimes.

To help increase retention, HMPPS has a retention strategy in place which is linked to wider activities around employee experience, employee lifecycle and staff engagement at work. Alongside the strategy a retention toolkit has been introduced which identifies local, regional and national interventions against the drivers of attrition, which are utilised by establishments to ensure that they are embedding individual Retention Plans.

As part of our efforts to grow our new generation of leaders, and transform HMPPS into a world class organisation, we launched the Future Prison Leaders Programme on 4 April 2025. This competitive programme is recruiting around 30 talented individuals from diverse backgrounds, including successful graduates, and offers a clear career pathway to a senior leadership position in prisons.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will make it her policy to make 12 July 2027 a public holiday to mark the 1100th anniversary of the unification of England under King Athelstan.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The current pattern of bank and public holidays is well established and the Government has no plans to create a one-off bank holiday to mark the 1100^th anniversary of the unification of England under King Athelstan.

While an additional bank holiday may benefit some communities and sectors, the cost to the economy is considerable. The latest analysis estimates the cost to the UK economy for a one-off bank holiday to be around £2 billion.

The National Lottery Heritage Fund has recently funded two projects that explore Athelstan and his history in Kingston and Malmesbury.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she has taken to improve literacy rates in (a) England and (b) Romford constituency.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

High and rising school standards, with excellent foundations in reading, writing and mathematics, are at the heart of the government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity and give every child the best start in life.

The English Hubs programme supports the teaching of phonics, early language development and reading for pleasure. Romford is served by New Vision English Hub.

In the 2025/26 financial year, the government has committed £27.7 million to support and drive high and rising standards in reading. This funding will deliver a range of support for schools, including new training for primary schools, delivered through the English Hubs programme, to help children progress from the early stages of phonics through to reading fluently by the time they leave primary school, and new support and training for secondary schools to support reading at key stage 3.

The department also published a writing framework in July, which will support schools in delivering high quality writing provision across England.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent steps he has taken to support Christian communities in (a) urban and (b) rural areas in England.

Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

This Government’s commitment to valuing the contribution which Christians make to society is evident through our engagement with a wide range of churches at national, regional and local levels. MHCLG funds several cohesion initiatives which directly support religiously diverse communities across England, including the Near Neighbours programme which is a delivery arm of the Church of England’s Church Urban Fund. Urban and rural Christian communities may also be the beneficiaries of other programmes across government, including the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme which provides VAT relief for repairs to our historic places of worship, including churches, which are central to both our local and national life.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to help improve the provision of mental health services in the London Borough of Havering.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The 10-Year Health Plan sets out ambitious plans to boost mental health support across the country. This includes transforming mental health services into 24/7 neighbourhood mental health centres, improving access to Mental Health Support Teams, expanding talking therapies and giving patients better access to 24/7 support directly through the National Health Service App.

Nationally, the Government is investing an extra £688 million this year to transform mental health services.

We are also delivering on our commitment to recruit an additional 8,500 mental health workers for children and adults by the end of this Parliament. We are more than halfway towards this target, which will help to ease pressure on busy mental health services.

Responsibility for commissioning of mental health services sits with integrated care boards (ICBs). It is the role of local ICBs to consider what mental health services are needed for their populations and include the perspectives of healthcare professionals, patient advocacy groups and local authorities.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many reviews of regulators' decisions have been requested under Regulation 48 of The Building (Higher-Risk Buildings Procedures) (England) Regulations 2023; and how many of these reviews have resulted in the decision being (a) upheld and (b) varied.

Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

As of 17 October 2025, the Building Safety Regulator has reviewed ten decisions. Out of these, four decisions have been overturned and six have been upheld. 20 reviews are currently in progress, and two further reviews have been requested.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 4 September 2025 to Question 71829 on Hospitals: Construction, how many dedicated teams there are for special types of building control applications; what type of building control applications each team deals with; and how many staff are in each team.

Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

As of 16^th October 2025, a total of 69 members of staff were working on building control within the Building Safety Regulator (BSR), including heads of unit. Excluding heads of unit, the total number of staff is 64 (principal regulatory leads, regulatory leads, case officer managers and case officers) who all work directly on applications.

The BSR has seven teams currently working on new builds, external remediation, internal remediation and refurbishment. These teams are made up of approximately ten full-time equivalent members of staff per team, including principal regulatory leads, regulatory leads, case officer managers and case officers.

Building control approval application data is published monthly, with the most recent publication on 16^th October 2025. Building Safety Regulator building control approval application data October 2025 - GOV.UK.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 4 September 2025 to Question 70345 on Buildings: Safety, what his Department's timetable is for publishing the building control approval application data (Apr – Jun 2025).

Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

As of 16^th October 2025, a total of 69 members of staff were working on building control within the Building Safety Regulator (BSR), including heads of unit. Excluding heads of unit, the total number of staff is 64 (principal regulatory leads, regulatory leads, case officer managers and case officers) who all work directly on applications.

The BSR has seven teams currently working on new builds, external remediation, internal remediation and refurbishment. These teams are made up of approximately ten full-time equivalent members of staff per team, including principal regulatory leads, regulatory leads, case officer managers and case officers.

Building control approval application data is published monthly, with the most recent publication on 16^th October 2025. Building Safety Regulator building control approval application data October 2025 - GOV.UK.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many Building Safety Regulator staff work on building control applications.

Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

As of 16^th October 2025, a total of 69 members of staff were working on building control within the Building Safety Regulator (BSR), including heads of unit. Excluding heads of unit, the total number of staff is 64 (principal regulatory leads, regulatory leads, case officer managers and case officers) who all work directly on applications.

The BSR has seven teams currently working on new builds, external remediation, internal remediation and refurbishment. These teams are made up of approximately ten full-time equivalent members of staff per team, including principal regulatory leads, regulatory leads, case officer managers and case officers.

Building control approval application data is published monthly, with the most recent publication on 16^th October 2025. Building Safety Regulator building control approval application data October 2025 - GOV.UK.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of reports of (a) the killing of 15 Christians in the village of Marera, Mozambique on 1 August 2025 and (b) other recent attacks on Christians in Mozambique; and what discussions she has had with the Government of Mozambique on promoting religious freedom in that country.

Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK is aware of a series of attacks by Islamic State Mozambique on civilians and security forces in the Chiure area in July and August of this year. The UK regularly engages with authorities and religious leaders as well as peacebuilding and humanitarian agencies both in the capital, Maputo, and Northern Mozambique (Cabo Delgado and Nampula), to address the problems of violence and instability. We also support programmes that support peacebuilding and resilience to violent extremism in the region. Ongoing challenges for religious communities remain, as Christian and Muslim places of worship continue to be affected. We are working multilaterally and bilaterally to defend Freedom of Religion or Belief around the world.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent steps she has taken to improve numeracy rates in (a) England and (b) Romford constituency.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

To drive standards in mathematics, the department funds the Maths Hubs programme, supported by the National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics. Local Maths Hubs provide school-to-school support focused on mathematics subject knowledge and pedagogy training for teachers in primary and secondary schools.

The Romford constituency is served by the London North East Maths Hub. As of August 2024, Maths Hubs have worked with 85.5% of open primary schools (14,321) and 88.3% of open secondary schools (3,015) across the country since 2015/16.

Death of Wayne Broadhurst

Christian founders of The Entertainer

Support for pubs

National Memorial for armed forces veterans who lost their lives in Northern Ireland

Poppy Appeal in Northern Ireland

Loan Charge and settlement terms offered to large companies and individuals

Attendance of the Attorney General at the Bar of the House on the Chinese espionage case

35 years of Macmillan Cancer Support’s Coffee Morning

Blood Cancer Awareness Month

Agriculture

Condition of hospitals

Parkrun’s 21st anniversary

National inquiry into group-based child sexual exploitation and abuse

Dame Patricia Routledge

Celebrating Edinburgh Zoo's Wee Waddle

Edinburgh Zoo's win at the 2025 Central and East Scotland Thistle Awards