Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make an estimate of the proportion of Winter Fuel Payments that fed into consumer spending in 2023-24.

Answered by Darren Jones - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

HM Treasury does not hold this information.

It is not possible to attribute changes in consumer spending to any changes to Winter Fuel Payments. It is not possible to disentangle these from other much larger factors that could affect consumption.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of installing noise cameras to tackle excessively noisy vehicles on rural roads in Bedfordshire.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Department for Transport conducted roadside trials of noise camera technology between October 2022 and February 2023, which assessed a range of different road conditions. This trial demonstrated that noise cameras currently have the potential to be used for enforcement to tackle excessive vehicle noise but only when accompanied by human review.

It is ultimately for local authorities and the police to consider what the most appropriate enforcement routes may be for addressing issues with excessive vehicle noise within their area. The use of noise camera technology has already been taken forward by some local authorities.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 28 January 2025 to Written Question 25790 on London Stock Exchange, how many firms were listed on the London Stock Exchange (a) in July 2024 and (b) as of 4 March 2025.

Answered by Emma Reynolds - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

The London Stock Exchange (LSE) releases monthly data on the number of companies listed on its markets and maintains historical data on these listings.

This information is not published by the government and can be accessed at the following address: https://www.londonstockexchange.com/reports?tab=issuers

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the effectiveness of support for the police to tackle breaches of HGV restrictions.

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

Police have a range of powers to direct HGV drivers suspected of breaching restrictions off the road and issue fixed penalty notices for breaches. Enforcement of these powers is an operational matter for local forces.

The police are supported in their HGV enforcement activities by the DVSA who also undertake enforcement activity on HGVs and share information and access to databases.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 4 February 2025 to Written Question 26880 on Mortgages, whether her Department makes an assessment of the potential impact of fiscal policies on mortgage rates as part of their decision making.

Answered by Emma Reynolds - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

The government considers the potential impact of fiscal policy on a range of factors, including the potential impact on interest rates.

The pricing and availability of mortgages is ultimately a commercial decision for lenders, in which the government does not intervene. Changes in offered mortgage rates are broadly driven by changes in financial market expectations for Bank Rate.

Monetary policy, including decisions on Bank Rate, is the responsibility of the independent Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) at the Bank of England. The government remains committed to supporting the MPC to return inflation to target sustainably and does not comment on the conduct or effectiveness of monetary policy.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of providing protected geographic food status for the Bedfordshire Clanger on Bedfordshire.

Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

This would require an application and would be subject to the normal process.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of expanding the number of British pies with protected geographic food status.

Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

This would require an application and would be subject to the normal process.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will consider granting protected geographic status to the Bedfordshire Clanger.

Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

This would require an application and would be subject to the normal process.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department plans to simplify the process of applying for protected geographic food status.

Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

This would require an application and would be subject to the normal process.

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 his Department’s press release entitled Record investment to protect thousands of UK homes and businesses, published 4 February 2025, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the £2.65 billion on the Environment’s Agency estimate of properties better protected between 2021-2027.

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

The figure of £2.4 billion was an initial estimate at the time of the Autumn budget as the department worked through the details of the floods’ settlement following the Spending Review.

Following the outcome of the Spending Review and as part of the Government’s Plan for Change, the Government announced we will invest £2.65 billion in 2024/25 and 2025/26 to improve flood resilience, by building, maintaining and repairing flood defences. This compares to £1.05 billion spent in 2023/24.

As part of the £2.65 billion invested the Government announced an additional £140 million to fill funding gaps on schemes for new flood defences.

The record £2.65 billion will better protect 52,000 properties by March 2026, with maintenance of existing flood defences also being prioritised, ensuring a further 14,500 properties will have their expected level of protection maintained or restored, a total of 66,500 properties will benefit.

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 his Department’s press release entitled Record investment to protect thousands of UK homes and businesses, published 4 February 2025, how much and what proportion of the £2.65 billion is new money.

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

The figure of £2.4 billion was an initial estimate at the time of the Autumn budget as the department worked through the details of the floods’ settlement following the Spending Review.

Following the outcome of the Spending Review and as part of the Government’s Plan for Change, the Government announced we will invest £2.65 billion in 2024/25 and 2025/26 to improve flood resilience, by building, maintaining and repairing flood defences. This compares to £1.05 billion spent in 2023/24.

As part of the £2.65 billion invested the Government announced an additional £140 million to fill funding gaps on schemes for new flood defences.

The record £2.65 billion will better protect 52,000 properties by March 2026, with maintenance of existing flood defences also being prioritised, ensuring a further 14,500 properties will have their expected level of protection maintained or restored, a total of 66,500 properties will benefit.

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 his Department’s press release entitled Record investment to protect thousands of UK homes and businesses, published 4 February 2025, whether the additional funding of £250m funding for flood defences was included in his Departmental budget set at the Autumn Budget 2024.

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

The figure of £2.4 billion was an initial estimate at the time of the Autumn budget as the department worked through the details of the floods’ settlement following the Spending Review.

Following the outcome of the Spending Review and as part of the Government’s Plan for Change, the Government announced we will invest £2.65 billion in 2024/25 and 2025/26 to improve flood resilience, by building, maintaining and repairing flood defences. This compares to £1.05 billion spent in 2023/24.

As part of the £2.65 billion invested the Government announced an additional £140 million to fill funding gaps on schemes for new flood defences.

The record £2.65 billion will better protect 52,000 properties by March 2026, with maintenance of existing flood defences also being prioritised, ensuring a further 14,500 properties will have their expected level of protection maintained or restored, a total of 66,500 properties will benefit.

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 February 2025 to Question 26691 on Unitary Councils, which unitary authorities were contacted on 16 December 2024.

Answered by Jim McMahon - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The neighbouring unitary authorities contacted on 16 December 2024, alongside all councils in two-tier areas, were

Blackburn with Darwen Council, Blackpool Council, Brighton and Hove City Council, Derby City Council, Isle of Wight Council, Leicester City Council, Medway Council, North East Lincolnshire Council, North Lincolnshire Council, Nottingham City Council, Peterborough City Council, Plymouth City Council, Portsmouth City Council, Rutland County Council, Southampton City Council, Southend-on-Sea City Council, Stoke-on-Trent City Council, Thurrock Council,Torbay Council.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential connection between excessively noisy vehicles and dangerous driving.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Department for Transport has not made an assessment of the potential connection between excessively noisy vehicles and dangerous driving.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an assessment of the adequacy of existing enforcement of HGV restrictions.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Department keeps all policies under its remit affecting Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs) under review, such as those on weights and dimensions. Local restrictions, such as access times for HGVs on certain routes, is a matter for the relevant transport authority (for example, National Highways in the case of the Strategic Road Network).

Enforcement is a matter for both the police and the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA). The DVSA target their enforcement using a number of available tools to ensure that we do not place an unnecessary burden on compliant operators in the UK.

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 the press release entitled Record investment to protect thousands of UK homes and businesses, published on 4 February 2025, what the 1,000 flood defence projects are that will receive funding in the next two years.

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

Protecting communities around the country from flooding is one of the Secretary of State’s five core priorities. This Government is investing £2.65 billion in 2024/25 and 2025/26 to improve flood resilience by maintaining, repairing and building flood defences.

The list of projects to receive Government funding in 2025/26 is being consented in the usual way over the coming weeks through Regional Flood and Coastal Committees, with local representation. We expect this to include schemes that address risk from surface water flooding.

A full list of schemes to receive funding in 25/26 will be published in the Spring.

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 the press release entitled Record investment to protect thousands of UK homes and businesses, published on 4 February 2025, whether the 1,000 flood defence projects will include projects aimed at tackling surface water flooding.

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

Protecting communities around the country from flooding is one of the Secretary of State’s five core priorities. This Government is investing £2.65 billion in 2024/25 and 2025/26 to improve flood resilience by maintaining, repairing and building flood defences.

The list of projects to receive Government funding in 2025/26 is being consented in the usual way over the coming weeks through Regional Flood and Coastal Committees, with local representation. We expect this to include schemes that address risk from surface water flooding.

A full list of schemes to receive funding in 25/26 will be published in the Spring.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent discussions she has had with VisitEngland on the progress of the roll out of Local Visitor Economy Partnerships across England.

Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

The government has been working closely with VisitEngland to create a portfolio of nationally supported, strategic and high-performing Local Visitor Economy Partnerships (LVEPs). 38 LVEPs have now been accredited across England, and the new LVEPs work in collaboration locally, regionally and nationally on shared priorities and targets. Their mission is to transform England’s visitor economy landscape through a new and robust structure, and the LVEPs will provide strong local leadership in tourism destinations all over the country.

Found: meeting Members present: Mr Toby Perkins (Chair); Julia Buckley; Anna Gelderd; Martin Rhodes; Blake Stephenson

Found: meeting Members present: Mr Toby Perkins (Chair); Julia Buckley; Anna Gelderd; Martin Rhodes; Blake Stephenson

Found: Withdrawn after debate_NC1 James Wild Mel Stride Gareth Davies Blake Stephenson Mark Garnier .