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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what his Department's timetable is for publishing the Fens 2100+ plan.

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

The Environment Agency is leading the Fens 2100+ programme, working with farmers, land managers, water companies, internal drainage boards and other partners to develop a long-term plan for managing future flood risk in the Fens.

It aims to publish its Case for Change document in autumn 2025. This is in line its measure in the Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management Strategy for England (2020) and will set out a strategic case for continued and enhanced investment in flood risk management to ensure we have a vibrant and sustainable future Fens.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 1 April 2025 to Question 41232 on Internal Drainage Boards: Cambridgeshire, from where is capital funding sourced to (a) repair and (b) replace pumping infrastructure.

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

Internal Drainage Boards (IDBs) are Risk Management Authorities. Expenses are primarily funded by local beneficiaries through drainage rates, special levies on authorities, and contributions from the Environment Agency.

Each IDB sets an annual budget for planned work and future investments, governed by Section 36 of the Land Drainage Act 1991. In addition, IDBs are eligible to bid for and receive allocations of FCRM Grant in Aid (GiA) funding for capital projects.

The Environment Agency administer the allocation of Government GiA funding. There are more projects than funding available, therefore schemes are prioritised in accordance with government policy.

IDBs have also been able to bid into the £91 million IDB Fund during 2024/25 for delivery by March 2026, which is funded by Defra.

IDBs can also apply for loans via the Public Works Loan Board operated by the UK Debt Management Office.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the Ofsted ratings are of each establishment providing care and welfare of armed forces initial training.

Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)

The Ofsted ratings for each of the Armed Forces Apprenticeship programmes are as follows:

Royal Navy – OUTSTANDING, inspected 8 March 2018 (next inspection is due before the end of July 2025)

British Army – GOOD, inspected 25 October 2023

Royal Air Force – GOOD, inspected 9 July 2024

The Ofsted ratings for each of the Armed Forces Initial Training establishments in the 2023-24 Academic Year are as follows:

HMS Raleigh, Cornwall – GOOD

RAF Shawbury, Shropshire – GOOD

Aerial Erector School, RAF Digby, Lincolnshire – OUTSTANDING

Commando Training Centre Royal Marines, Devon – GOOD

Defence Medical Academy, Staffordshire – REQUIRES IMPROVEMENT

11 Royal School of Signals Regiment, Dorset – GOOD

HMNB Clyde, Argyll, Scotland – GOOD

University Officer Training Corps, nationwide – GOOD

Defence School of Policing and Guarding, Hampshire – GOOD

Army Foundation College (Harrogate), North Yorkshire – OUTSTANDING

Defence Animal Training Centre, Leicestershire – OUTSTANDING

Britannia Royal Naval College, Devon – GOOD

All reports are publicly available via Ofsted on the gov.uk website: https://reports.ofsted.gov.uk/

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the Ofsted ratings are of each armed forces apprenticeship programme.

Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)

The Ofsted ratings for each of the Armed Forces Apprenticeship programmes are as follows:

Royal Navy – OUTSTANDING, inspected 8 March 2018 (next inspection is due before the end of July 2025)

British Army – GOOD, inspected 25 October 2023

Royal Air Force – GOOD, inspected 9 July 2024

The Ofsted ratings for each of the Armed Forces Initial Training establishments in the 2023-24 Academic Year are as follows:

HMS Raleigh, Cornwall – GOOD

RAF Shawbury, Shropshire – GOOD

Aerial Erector School, RAF Digby, Lincolnshire – OUTSTANDING

Commando Training Centre Royal Marines, Devon – GOOD

Defence Medical Academy, Staffordshire – REQUIRES IMPROVEMENT

11 Royal School of Signals Regiment, Dorset – GOOD

HMNB Clyde, Argyll, Scotland – GOOD

University Officer Training Corps, nationwide – GOOD

Defence School of Policing and Guarding, Hampshire – GOOD

Army Foundation College (Harrogate), North Yorkshire – OUTSTANDING

Defence Animal Training Centre, Leicestershire – OUTSTANDING

Britannia Royal Naval College, Devon – GOOD

All reports are publicly available via Ofsted on the gov.uk website: https://reports.ofsted.gov.uk/

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he has taken to replenish stocks of artillery ammunition following donation to Ukraine.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 4 April 2025 to Question 42022.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 3 April 2025 to Question 41608 on Civil Service: Redundancy, which Departments will contribute additional funding for employee exit schemes; and how much each Department plans to contribute.

Answered by Darren Jones - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

Departments will bid for funding from a central pot in order to run exit schemes, and therefore the exact details of which Departments will benefit from this and how much each will therefore contribute are not yet known.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to her oral statement on Spring Statement of 26 March 2025, Official Report, Column 952, what the evidential basis is that households will be on average more than £500 a year better off under this Government; and if she will publish the comparison of RHDI for each financial year of this parliament.

Answered by Darren Jones - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

The Office for Budget Responsibility’s (OBR) March 2025 forecast is for people to be on average over £500 a year better off, relative to the March 2024 forecast. This refers to Real Household Disposable Income (RHDI) per person, a commonly used measure of living standards.

This statistic is based on publicly available OBR forecast data. Specifically, the difference in RHDI per person between the March 2025 forecast and the March 2024 forecast for each financial year over 2024/25 to 2028/29. To make consistent comparisons, both forecasts are adjusted for inflation using the consumer expenditure deflator to convert to 2022 prices. The average difference in RHDI per person across the five years is over £500.

The two relevant OBR forecasts are available at the links below.

The OBR’s March 2024 forecast data is available here: Economic and fiscal outlook – March 2024 - Office for Budget Responsibility

The OBR’s March 2025 forecast data is available here: https://obr.uk/efo/economic-and-fiscal-outlook-march-2025/

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 2 April 2025 to Question 41117 on Public Order, where the additional costs of policing last year’s disorder were funded from.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

Details of any additional funding provided to police forces outside their allocated budgets are routinely published in the Home Office’s Annual Report and Accounts.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 25 March 2025 to Question 4159 on Military Aircraft: Procurement, what assessment he has made of the options available for a replacement fast jet trainer.

Answered by Maria Eagle - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The Royal Air Force continuously researches and assesses options for the sustainment, enhancement and development of hardware and systems to maintain competitive advantage within the flying training system.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 2 April 2025 to Question 41117 on Public Order, what the additional costs were of policing last year’s disorder.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

Details of any additional funding provided to police forces outside their allocated budgets are routinely published in the Home Office’s Annual Report and Accounts.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many partnerships with Great British Energy are currently in place; and what the total value is of those partnerships.

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

Great British Energy (GBE) has partnerships with The Crown Estate, the Scottish Government, and the National Wealth Fund. GBE is also developing partnerships with the Welsh Government and Northern Ireland Executive.

We have not quantified the total value of these partnerships, but these partnerships are important to support GBE’s early delivery and to ensure that it is working in alignment with the wider clean energy institutional landscape.

GBE is also working closely with the Department for Education and the Department for Health and Social Care to deliver solar panels for schools and hospitals in FY2025/26, as announced on 21 March.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what the evidential basis is for the solar Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project threshold of 100Mw.

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

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 28 March to Question UIN 39647. The Government set out the evidence for increasing the Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project threshold for solar to 100MW in its response to the consultation on the proposed reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework and other changes to the planning system which can be found here. The Impact Assessment for this provision, which was rated green by the RPC, was published here.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what her planned timeline is for the deportation of all remaining Foreign National Offenders in scope for removal.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)

Of the total returns since 5 July 2024, 3,594 were of FNOs. This is an increase of 16% compared to 3,101 FNO returns in the same period 12 months prior (FNO returns include both enforced and voluntary returns).

We are committed to delivering justice for victims and safer streets for our communities. Foreign nationals who commit crime should be in no doubt that the law will be enforced and, where appropriate, we will pursue their deportation.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, for what reasons the new theatre block at Hinchingbrooke Hospital will not open until spring 2026.

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

External building work for the new theatre block at Hinchingbrooke Hospital was completed last year. However, there has been a delay in the facility opening to patients due to some additional work that is required on the ventilation.

The Department remains committed to working alongside our NHS England colleagues to complete this additional work and open this important new facility.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what is the (a) percentage and (b) real terms change in funding for patient services at Hinchingbrooke Hospital in the 2025/26 financial year.

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

As a multi-site trust, the North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust (NWAFT) receives funding for patient services on a trust wide basis, rather than a site basis, given the integrated nature of its services and pathways. This funding supports patient services across its three acute sites, specifically Peterborough City Hospital, Hinchingbrooke Hospital, and Stamford and Rutland Hospital, as well as a range community sites across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough where the trust also provides services.

In line with the national planning timetable, the trust remains in discussion with commissioners outside of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough to finalise the contracts for 2025/26, and therefore the funding reflects the assumptions in the trust’s 2025/26 Annual Plan.

The 2025/26 Annual Plan reflects the national financial assumptions of 4.2% cost base inflation, less a 2.0% efficiency requirement and 0.5% convergence adjustment. In addition, the available funding for additional elective activity has reduced in 2025/26. Overall, for the NWAFT, this results in a 0.9% increase in funding for 2025/26, which represents a 3.2% reduction in real terms, 1.2% net of the 2.0% standard efficiency ask.

In making funding decisions, the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Integrated Care Board seeks to ensure funding is aligned to the National Health Service’s three strategic shifts and the services offered under a new model of care.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of categorising the Tour de France as a Category A sporting event.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

The Government recognises the importance of ensuring access to sporting events, including the Tour de France (both men’s and women’s Tours), so that they can be enjoyed by a wide audience. However, this must also be balanced with the ability of sports national governing bodies, including British Cycling, to generate essential broadcast revenue to invest in their sports at all levels.

The Government believes that the current list of events works well and that it strikes an appropriate balance between access to sporting events and allowing sports to maximise broadcasting revenue.