Asked by: Ben Coleman (Labour - Chelsea and Fulham)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, when the statutory space and room standards in the Housing Act 1985 were last formally reviewed; and whether any review is underway.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government has no current plans to review or amend the overcrowding provisions as set out in Part X of the Housing Act 1985.
Crowding and space are assessed under the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) and enforced under Part 1 of the Housing Act 2004.
The government has committed to bring forward new regulations to bring the conclusions of the HHSRS review into force. The HHSRS is the cornerstone of housing standards, and the forthcoming regulations will make it more efficient and accessible for experts to use, and easier to understand for landlords and tenants.
Asked by: Ben Coleman (Labour - Chelsea and Fulham)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether he has made an assessment of the adequacy of the statutory overcrowding standards set out in the Housing Act 1985.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government has no current plans to review or amend the overcrowding provisions as set out in Part X of the Housing Act 1985.
Crowding and space are assessed under the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) and enforced under Part 1 of the Housing Act 2004.
The government has committed to bring forward new regulations to bring the conclusions of the HHSRS review into force. The HHSRS is the cornerstone of housing standards, and the forthcoming regulations will make it more efficient and accessible for experts to use, and easier to understand for landlords and tenants.
Asked by: Ben Coleman (Labour - Chelsea and Fulham)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether he plans to review the statutory overcrowding provisions in the Housing Act 1985.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government has no current plans to review or amend the overcrowding provisions as set out in Part X of the Housing Act 1985.
Crowding and space are assessed under the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) and enforced under Part 1 of the Housing Act 2004.
The government has committed to bring forward new regulations to bring the conclusions of the HHSRS review into force. The HHSRS is the cornerstone of housing standards, and the forthcoming regulations will make it more efficient and accessible for experts to use, and easier to understand for landlords and tenants.
Asked by: Ben Coleman (Labour - Chelsea and Fulham)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if her Department will introduce supplementary grants for students from disadvantaged backgrounds, as other associated countries provide.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The government are committed to supporting the aspiration of every person who meets the requirements and wants to go to university.
The government currently provides three mean-tested dependants’ grants that low-income students with childcare and/or caring responsibilities can apply for in addition to the regular package of maintenance and tuition fee loans. These are intended to reflect the greater costs that recipients face when going to university, providing a level playing field for students who face additional barriers to study.
From 2028/29, we will also reintroduce maintenance grants to support full-time students from low-income households studying courses aligned with the government’s missions and Industrial Strategy. The grants will provide disadvantaged full-time students with up to £1,000 extra per year, on top of existing maintenance loans, increasing cash for students without increasing their debt.
Asked by: Ben Coleman (Labour - Chelsea and Fulham)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps the Department will take to ensure the Erasmus+ programme reaches less advantaged young people who are in further education or apprenticeships.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
This iteration of Erasmus+ has a strong focus on inclusion, with diversity and inclusion set as a core priority. The UK’s association will support this commitment, continuing the ambition set by the Turing Scheme to prioritise mobilities involving participants from disadvantaged backgrounds.
The EU allocates dedicated budgets to support ‘people with fewer opportunities’ to take part in mobility activities, including those facing financial, social or health-related barriers. Grant rates are set out in the Erasmus+ Programme Guide for each year of the programme.
The department is working closely with all relevant sectors to maximise take up, particularly among disadvantaged groups. A UK National Agency will be appointed to administer the programme, with a dedicated website and guidance issued well-ahead of the 2027 funding call. Alongside this, there will also be a broad range of sector outreach activities to increase awareness and engagement, such as webinars and targeted communications to eligible organisations.
Asked by: Ben Coleman (Labour - Chelsea and Fulham)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what specific mechanisms within Erasmus+ will be used to prioritise learners from disadvantaged backgrounds in a manner similar to the Turing Scheme.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
This iteration of Erasmus+ has a strong focus on inclusion, with diversity and inclusion set as a core priority. The UK’s association will support this commitment, continuing the ambition set by the Turing Scheme to prioritise mobilities involving participants from disadvantaged backgrounds.
The EU allocates dedicated budgets to support ‘people with fewer opportunities’ to take part in mobility activities, including those facing financial, social or health-related barriers. Grant rates are set out in the Erasmus+ Programme Guide for each year of the programme.
The department is working closely with all relevant sectors to maximise take up, particularly among disadvantaged groups. A UK National Agency will be appointed to administer the programme, with a dedicated website and guidance issued well-ahead of the 2027 funding call. Alongside this, there will also be a broad range of sector outreach activities to increase awareness and engagement, such as webinars and targeted communications to eligible organisations.
Asked by: Ben Coleman (Labour - Chelsea and Fulham)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether grant levels for students from low-income households under Erasmus+ will be comparable to those of the Turing Scheme.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
This iteration of Erasmus+ has a strong focus on inclusion, with diversity and inclusion set as a core priority. The UK’s association will support this commitment, continuing the ambition set by the Turing Scheme to prioritise mobilities involving participants from disadvantaged backgrounds.
The EU allocates dedicated budgets to support ‘people with fewer opportunities’ to take part in mobility activities, including those facing financial, social or health-related barriers. Grant rates are set out in the Erasmus+ Programme Guide for each year of the programme.
The department is working closely with all relevant sectors to maximise take up, particularly among disadvantaged groups. A UK National Agency will be appointed to administer the programme, with a dedicated website and guidance issued well-ahead of the 2027 funding call. Alongside this, there will also be a broad range of sector outreach activities to increase awareness and engagement, such as webinars and targeted communications to eligible organisations.
Asked by: Ben Coleman (Labour - Chelsea and Fulham)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to encourage and support applications from apprentices to Erasmus+.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
We will work closely with institutions and our young people to maximise take-up, particularly among disadvantaged groups.
A UK National Agency will be appointed to administer the programme, with a dedicated website and guidance issued well ahead of the 2027 funding call which opens in November 2026.
On 17 December 2025, the department published on GOV.UK a page providing information about the Erasmus+ programme and the available opportunities.
There will also be a broad range of sector outreach activities to increase awareness and engagement, such as webinars and targeted communications to eligible organisations.
Asked by: Ben Coleman (Labour - Chelsea and Fulham)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to help (a) raise awareness of and (b) promote the opportunities offered by Erasmus+ among eligiblestudenrts and institutions.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
We will work closely with institutions and our young people to maximise take-up, particularly among disadvantaged groups.
A UK National Agency will be appointed to administer the programme, with a dedicated website and guidance issued well ahead of the 2027 funding call which opens in November 2026.
On 17 December 2025, the department published on GOV.UK a page providing information about the Erasmus+ programme and the available opportunities.
There will also be a broad range of sector outreach activities to increase awareness and engagement, such as webinars and targeted communications to eligible organisations.
Asked by: Ben Coleman (Labour - Chelsea and Fulham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when his Department will notify children’s hospices of allocations from the £80 million in funding announced on 16 October 2025.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Children and young people’s hospices and integrated care boards will be informed of their children and young people’s hospice grant allocations for 2026/27 imminently. Communication regarding future allocations, for 2027/28 and 2028/29, will be sent once the 2026/27 process is complete.