Asked by: Calvin Bailey (Labour - Leyton and Wanstead)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what rank Leyton and Wanstead constituency has in relation to average energy efficiency score for housing; and what steps he is taking to support the roll-out of home energy efficiency measures in areas with the lowest energy efficiency scores for housing.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) is responsible for data relating to Energy Performance Certification including that of the Leyton and Wanstead constituency.
Going forward, the Warm Homes Plan will upgrade up to 5 million homes across the country and as the first step towards, the Government has committed an initial £3.4 billion over the next 3 years towards heat decarbonisation and household energy efficiency. We will partner with combined authorities and local and devolved governments to roll out this plan.
Asked by: Calvin Bailey (Labour - Leyton and Wanstead)
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 merits of establishing loan schemes for homeowners to fund insulation retrofitting, where repayments are collected from the energy bills of the property improved.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Private finance can play a key role in helping us achieve our decarbonisation ambitions. Through the Government’s ambitious Warm Homes Plan, officials are exploring the role of incentives and private finance for households to support homeowners with the upfront costs of energy efficiency improvements and low carbon heating.
Asked by: Calvin Bailey (Labour - Leyton and Wanstead)
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 trends in demand for insulation retrofitting over the last 20 years; and whether he is taking steps to promote greater stability in the market for insulation retrofitting.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The market for insulation for retrofitting homes has been driven largely by government-initiated schemes. The main ones have been the Energy Company Obligation (ECO, 2013-present); the Carbon Emissions Reduction Target (CERT) and the Community Energy Saving Programme (CESP, 2008-2013); and the Energy Efficiency Commitment (EEC, 2002-2008). The number of insulation measures installed over this time can be obtained from https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/household-energy-efficiency-national-statistics.
Going forward the Warm Homes Plan will set out the plans to upgrade up to 5 million homes across the country by accelerating the installation of efficient new technologies. As the first step, the government has committed an initial £3.4 billion over the next 3 years towards heat decarbonisation and household energy efficiency.
Asked by: Calvin Bailey (Labour - Leyton and Wanstead)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of reviewing the effectiveness of legislation relating to joint enterprise.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
Joint enterprise is a complex area of law. It is not set out in statute but has instead evolved through case law.
The Government is aware of concerns about the impact of the joint enterprise doctrine on defendants and their families. We have heard arguments that the law unfairly convicts those who allege not to have played a major role in the crime they are convicted of; that joint enterprise disproportionately impacts certain ethnic groups; and that defendants are unable to appeal against joint enterprise convictions. The Government is equally aware of the views of victims and their families, who generally want all those involved in a crime, particularly where this involves the death of their loved one, to be prosecuted and convicted.
That is why the Government continues to keep the law in this area under review. There are several strands of work ongoing in this area - including a review of the law on criminal appeals, improving data on joint enterprise cases and considering joint enterprise as part of the Law Commission’s review on the law of homicide.
Asked by: Calvin Bailey (Labour - Leyton and Wanstead)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential impact on eligibility for the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy of Afghans of changes of refugee policy in the United States of America; and what discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on the potential impact on other Departmental schemes aiming to provide targeted refuge for Afghans.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
The eligibility criteria of the UK’s Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) is unaffected by changes in the US. This Government is fully committed to delivering on the pledge made by Parliament to those in Afghanistan who are eligible to relocate and resettle, and we continue to welcome eligible Afghans and their families to the UK through our Afghan resettlement schemes.
The Government has recognised the opportunities for improvements to fixing the foundations of a complicated system and as announced in December 2024 Ministers in multiple government departments are engaging and working collaboratively to deliver a single pipeline for Afghan resettlement. This will deliver greater efficiency and better outcomes across Government, as well as improving the outcomes for eligible Afghans.
Over the past 12 months, the UK has welcomed around 90 eligible families each month and we expect this pace to continue. This cannot, however, be an endless process and ultimately, the Government intends to reach a position where the UK Afghan resettlement schemes can be closed. We will update the House on this accordingly.
Asked by: Calvin Bailey (Labour - Leyton and Wanstead)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what proportion of participants in university Officer Training Corps complete the (a) Army Reserve Commissioning Course and (b) Commissioning Course for Regular Officers.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
The information requested is provided below.
Population | FR20 Reserve Officer | Regular Officer |
As a Proportion of Yearly UOTC intake | 6% (440) | 15% (1,180) |
Notes/Caveats:
Asked by: Calvin Bailey (Labour - Leyton and Wanstead)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the his Department's report entitled Reserve Forces Review 2030: Unlocking the reserves’ potential to strengthen a resilient and global Britain, published in May 2021, what targeted programmes exist to support those in (a) higher education and (b) further education to join the Reserves.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
In line with recommendations made by the Haythornthwaite Review and the Pan Defence Skills Framework, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) believes there is value in recognising and accrediting the learning, experience and qualifications achieved by individuals outside of Defence.
There are a number of targeted programmes allowing those in higher and further education to experience the Armed Forces and potential careers in the Regular or Reserve Forces, including University Royal Navy Units (URNU), University Officer Training Corps and University Air Squadron students. As an example, since 2015 the Royal Naval Reserve (RNR) has been running a condensed fast-track Phase 1 training programme in the summer months to deliberately align with longer student vacations. Since 2021 the programme has been extended to officer cadets of the URNU, with seamless transfer to the RNR as an option for successful trainees.
There are currently no specific funding options to incentivise higher or further education students to join the Maritime Reserves or Royal Air Force Reserves. Students wishing to join the Army Reserves as Officers can apply for a financial bounty for £1,200, paid in two stages, the first payment on enlistment and the second on completion of their training. The Army also has four support schemes available for students in sixth form and higher and further education, ranging from Army Scholarships worth £3,000 per candidate to a Defence STEM Undergraduate Sponsorship whereby Candidates have their tuition fees paid and receive £5,000 per annum for three university years.
Asked by: Calvin Bailey (Labour - Leyton and Wanstead)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of taking steps to increase recognition and accreditation of relevant civilian courses to facilitate recruitment of university students into the Reserves.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
In line with recommendations made by the Haythornthwaite Review and the Pan Defence Skills Framework, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) believes there is value in recognising and accrediting the learning, experience and qualifications achieved by individuals outside of Defence.
There are a number of targeted programmes allowing those in higher and further education to experience the Armed Forces and potential careers in the Regular or Reserve Forces, including University Royal Navy Units (URNU), University Officer Training Corps and University Air Squadron students. As an example, since 2015 the Royal Naval Reserve (RNR) has been running a condensed fast-track Phase 1 training programme in the summer months to deliberately align with longer student vacations. Since 2021 the programme has been extended to officer cadets of the URNU, with seamless transfer to the RNR as an option for successful trainees.
There are currently no specific funding options to incentivise higher or further education students to join the Maritime Reserves or Royal Air Force Reserves. Students wishing to join the Army Reserves as Officers can apply for a financial bounty for £1,200, paid in two stages, the first payment on enlistment and the second on completion of their training. The Army also has four support schemes available for students in sixth form and higher and further education, ranging from Army Scholarships worth £3,000 per candidate to a Defence STEM Undergraduate Sponsorship whereby Candidates have their tuition fees paid and receive £5,000 per annum for three university years.
Asked by: Calvin Bailey (Labour - Leyton and Wanstead)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what funding options are available to students in (a) higher education and (b) further education who commit to joining the Reserves.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
In line with recommendations made by the Haythornthwaite Review and the Pan Defence Skills Framework, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) believes there is value in recognising and accrediting the learning, experience and qualifications achieved by individuals outside of Defence.
There are a number of targeted programmes allowing those in higher and further education to experience the Armed Forces and potential careers in the Regular or Reserve Forces, including University Royal Navy Units (URNU), University Officer Training Corps and University Air Squadron students. As an example, since 2015 the Royal Naval Reserve (RNR) has been running a condensed fast-track Phase 1 training programme in the summer months to deliberately align with longer student vacations. Since 2021 the programme has been extended to officer cadets of the URNU, with seamless transfer to the RNR as an option for successful trainees.
There are currently no specific funding options to incentivise higher or further education students to join the Maritime Reserves or Royal Air Force Reserves. Students wishing to join the Army Reserves as Officers can apply for a financial bounty for £1,200, paid in two stages, the first payment on enlistment and the second on completion of their training. The Army also has four support schemes available for students in sixth form and higher and further education, ranging from Army Scholarships worth £3,000 per candidate to a Defence STEM Undergraduate Sponsorship whereby Candidates have their tuition fees paid and receive £5,000 per annum for three university years.
Asked by: Calvin Bailey (Labour - Leyton and Wanstead)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with refence to the Council of Reserve Forces and Cadets’ Associations' Annual Statutory Report 2024, published on 17 December 2024, what steps he has taken to ensure training courses are adapted to take account of the needs of reservists.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
We are very grateful for the work of the External Scrutiny Team in producing their Council of Reserve Forces’ and Cadets’ Associations Annual Statutory Report 2024.
All Ministry of Defence (MOD) training courses are delivered in accordance with Defence Systems Approach to Training, including for Reservists; this is a formal iterative process to continually improve course delivery, integrate learning technologies and formally record student feedback, resulting in improved changes to Course Programmes.
Many Defence courses now offer a modular approach to completion via the Defence Learning Environment which tracks and accurately records student progress. This has provided significant flexibility, allowing Reservists to complete courses in a way that fits around their employment needs and family commitments.
Adaptations include tailoring to deliver training locally at weekends or in blocks of time that are accessible, allowing Reservists to balance their civilian and military commitments effectively.