Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what recent discussions he has had with his international counterparts on the completion of Costa Rica's accession to the CPTPP.

Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)

I attended a Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) ministerial meeting in Melbourne in November and a more recent virtual meeting, at which we discussed the progress made by Costa Rica to join the agreement. I have also spoken about this with several of my counterparts in bilateral meetings.

The UK looks forward to Costa Rica’s Accession Working Group concluding soon and continuing the expansion of CPTPP.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to the New Approach to Africa framework, published on 9 January 2025, how his Department plans to promote UK-Africa trade interests and protect import sensitive products.

Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)

Our new approach to Africa will place mutual growth at the centre of our relationships with the region. We have strengthened UK-Africa trade by building on the Developing Countries Trading Scheme, which will simplify trading rules, boost African exports, and support growth. We support the African Continental Free Trade Area through a Regional Cumulation Group which allows producers to source inputs from up to 50 countries. Our Economic Partnership Agreements with 15 African countries support development by providing duty-free access and, boosting imports into the UK from these countries, while allowing African partners to protect sensitive products through tariffs and safeguards.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential implications of the registration of birth provisions in the Births and Deaths Registration Act 1953 on the equal treatment of both parents.

Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

No assessment of any potential implications of the registration of birth provisions in the Births and Deaths Registration Act 1953 on the equal treatment of both parents has been made.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, How many (a) mosques and (b) associated Muslim faith community centre have applied for the Protective Security for Mosques Scheme; and how many of them have been (i) accepted and (ii) denied.

Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)

This Government is committed to protecting the right of individuals to freely practise their religion at their chosen place of worship, and to ensuring that our streets and communities remain safe.

That is why up to £39.4 million is available through the Protective Security for Mosques Scheme in 2025/26. This includes additional funding announced by the Prime Minister of £10 million to further strengthen security at mosques and other Muslim community sites. The scheme provides protective security measures (such as security personnel services, CCTV, intruder alarms and secure perimeter fencing) to mosques, Muslim faith schools and associated Muslim faith community centres.

To safeguard the integrity of the scheme and ensure the continued protection of vulnerable sites, the Home Office does not publish the total number of successful applications. Disclosure of this information could inadvertently reveal sensitive details about specific communities and their security needs.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many applications were made to the Places of Worship Protective Security Scheme; how many were successful and whether she will provide a breakdown of applicants by religious group.

Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)

This Government is committed to protecting the right of individuals to freely practise their religion at their chosen place of worship, and to ensuring that our streets and communities remain safe.

This funding is provided for all faiths except the Jewish and Muslim faiths who are funded for their protective security needs through separate schemes. In total, the Government is providing up to £70.9m to protect faith communities in 2025/26.

To safeguard the integrity of the scheme and ensure the continued protection of vulnerable sites, the Home Office does not publish the total number of successful applications, or any breakdown of applicants by religious group. Disclosure of this information could inadvertently reveal sensitive details about specific communities and their security needs.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, What steps her Department is taking to increase awareness of the Protective Security for Mosques Scheme in the context of rising attacks on mosques.

Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)

The Protective Security for Mosques Scheme provides successful applicants with physical protective security measures and/or security guarding, depending on individual needs. For the year 25/26, £39.4m is available for this purpose, including the £10m emergency cash injection announced by the Prime Minister in October 2025.

Information on the scheme is publicly available via GOV.UK and easily accessible online.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what contingency plans her Department has in place should Thames Water enter special administration.

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

The Government will always act in the national interest. While the company is stable, we stand ready for all eventualities – including being ready to apply for a Special Administration Regime if necessary.

A Special Administration order is a well-established mechanism to ensure the company continues to operate and customers continue to receive their water and wastewater services. The bar for entering a Special Administration is understandably high.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of large-scale commercial events held in public parks in London on local communities, biodiversity, and long-term access to green space; and whether he plans to increase protections for such spaces.

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

We have made no central assessment on the impact of large-scale commercial events held in public parks in London. Whilst we recognise that open and green spaces are an essential part of local social infrastructure and must be protected for future generations, we also recognise that responsibility for funding, managing and maintaining urban parks lies mainly with local authorities. The government is committed to supporting Local Authorities in developing best practice to manage parks and green spaces.

We are consulting on changes to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), including policies on areas of high biodiversity value, and a new requirement for local plans to set standards for green infrastructure drawing on the Natural England’s Green Infrastructure Framework. The consultation on changes to the NPPF will remain open for responses until 10th March 2026.

On protections for these spaces, last year we announced our intention to review existing protections for public recreational green spaces. We will seek to examine and understand the fragmented and outdated nature of current legislative protections, assess how these protections complement those in the planning system, and consider the lack of central records on protected land.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what protections are available for heat network consumers in respect of back-billing; and whether he plans to introduce or require limits equivalent to the 12-month back-billing protections that apply to domestic gas and electricity customers in cases where the failure to bill is attributable to the supplier.

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

Under the newly established heat network market framework, Ofgem Authorisation conditions limit back-billing to 12 months if no accurate bill or statement of account was previously provided.

Where heat charges are ‘bundled’ into leasehold or social housing charges, the Landlord and Tenant Act (1985), takes precedence. Under these rules, landlords have 18 months to notify or demand service charge payments, once costs have been incurred.

Ofgem have issued guidance, setting out their expectation that all heat network suppliers should adhere to the 12 month back-billing limit.

Heat networks consumers can get help and advice from Citizens Advice and Consumer Scotland. In addition, the Energy Ombudsman provides Alternative Dispute Resolution for heat network consumers.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his polices of heat network operators issuing retrospective bills covering multiple years where no prior invoices or statements were provided.

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

Under the newly established heat network market framework, Ofgem Authorisation conditions limit back-billing to 12 months if no accurate bill or statement of account was previously provided.

Where heat charges are ‘bundled’ into leasehold or social housing charges, the Landlord and Tenant Act (1985), which caps back-billing at 18 months, takes precedence.

We are working closely with the Ministry of Housing, Communities to explore unbundling individual consumption of heat from service charges so that the 12-month back billing rules apply to all heat network consumers.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, How many (a) synagogues, (b) Jewish educational establishments and (c) community organisations have applied to the Jewish Community Protective Security Grant; and how many of them have been (i) accepted and (ii) denied.

Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)

To support Jewish communities in the UK, the Community Security Trust (CST) has been allocated £28 million in 2025/26 through the Jewish Community Protective Security (JCPS) Grant. This includes £10 million in additional emergency funding announced by the Prime Minister on 16 October following the terrorist attack at Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue. This funding enables the CST to deploy enhanced security personnel and physical security measures such as CCTV, alarms and floodlighting-across synagogues, Jewish educational establishments and other community sites.

The Home Office does not publish a breakdown of recipient sites by category, nor does it publish data on applications or their outcomes. The scheme is delivered operationally by CST, and funding allocations are based on assessed security need rather than an application-based model.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to Ofwat’s correspondence to the Business and Trade Committee of 8 September 2025, what assessment her Department has made of Ofwat's conclusion that the Class A creditor consortium (the London & Valley Water consortium) does not fit the definition of the ultimate controller of Thames Water.

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

The classification of Ultimate Controller is a matter for Ofwat as the independent economic regulator. We are reassured that Ofwat have reviewed the matter and will continue to keep the position of Thames Water’s Ultimate Controllers under review.

Payment of employment tribunal awards

New United Nations Convention on the Protection of Journalists and Media Professionals

Driver-only trains on East West Rail

Report on conditions and treatment at Harmondsworth Immigration Removal Centre

British couple detained in Iran

King's Guard's ceremonial bearskin caps

Statement of Changes in Immigration Rules (No. 2)

Trade union de-recognition at GB Railfreight

Industrial relations at Carlisle Support Services

Football ticket prices (No. 2)

Use of catapults against wildlife

Escalation of conflict with Iran

Rosebank oil field

Dual nationals and new UK entry documentation requirements

Surveillance and political intimidation of journalists

Funding for fire and rescue services

Relationship between Jeffrey Epstein and Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor

Government response to Israel’s West Bank annexation plan

NHS access to medical cannabis for children with drug-resistant epilepsy

Essentials Guarantee

Found: Prinsley (Labour; Bury St Edmunds and Stowmarket) Joani Reid (Labour; East Kilbride and Strathaven) Bell Ribeiro-Addy