Asked by: Gareth Snell (Labour (Co-op) - Stoke-on-Trent Central)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to identify young people at risk of homelessness and provide them with appropriate support.
Answered by Rushanara Ali - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Homelessness levels are far too high and this can have a devastating impact on those affected, including young people. We will look at these issues carefully and will consider youth homelessness as we develop our long-term, cross-government strategy working with Mayors and councils across the country, to get us back on track to ending homelessness.
As announced at the Budget in October, funding for homelessness services is increasing next year by £233 million compared to this year (2024/25). This brings total spend to nearly £1 billion in 2025/26.
The £200 million Single Homelessness Accommodation Programme (SHAP) is delivering up to 2,000 homes and accompanying support services for people with long or cyclical histories of sleeping rough. Of these, up to 650 homes will be specifically for young people sleeping rough or at risk of sleeping rough, alongside accompanying support services.
Local authorities are expected to have regard to the homelessness code of guidance when exercising their functions relating to people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness, which includes young people.
Asked by: Gareth Snell (Labour (Co-op) - Stoke-on-Trent Central)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many Magistrates Courts were (a) partially and (b) fully closed between 1 May 2010 and 1 July 2024, broken down by region.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The table below shows the number of Magistrates’ Courts that were permanently closed between 1 May 2010 and 1 July 2024, broken down by region. The figures do not include integrations, where workload remained in the local area by transferring to a building in close proximity, or courts that are temporarily closed.
Region | Magistrates’ Courts closed |
London | 19 |
Midlands | 30 |
North East | 19 |
North West | 22 |
South East | 32 |
South West | 22 |
Wales | 21 |
There are multiple situations that can require a court to be closed to the public for a temporary period of time. Reasons include, but are not limited to, severe weather disruption, building issues and disrepair, loss of utilities, and in response to security concerns.
HMCTS does not hold central data covering all temporary closures.
Asked by: Gareth Snell (Labour (Co-op) - Stoke-on-Trent Central)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many Crown Courts were (a) partially and (b) fully closed between 1 May 2010 and 1 July 2024, broken down by region.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The table below shows the number of Crown Courts that were permanently closed between 1 May 2010 and 1 July 2024, broken down by region. The figures do not include integrations, where workload remained in the local area by transferring to a building in close proximity, or courts that are temporarily closed.
Region | Crown Courts closed |
London | 1 |
Midlands | 0 |
North East | 0 |
North West | 1 |
South East | 2 |
South West | 2 |
Wales | 2 |
There are multiple situations that can require a court to be closed to the public for a temporary period of time. Reasons include, but are not limited to, severe weather disruption, building issues and disrepair, loss of utilities, and in response to security concerns.
HMCTS does not hold central data covering all temporary closures.
Asked by: Gareth Snell (Labour (Co-op) - Stoke-on-Trent Central)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of using (a) anti-drone technologies and (b) Radio Frequency Effector technology in prisons.
Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
His Majesty’s Prison & Probation Service (HMPPS) is working hard to deter, detect and disrupt the use of drones delivering contraband into prisons.
The Air Traffic Management and Unmanned Aircraft Act 2021 authorises the use of counter-drone technology and enables the police to stop and search anyone suspected of committing drone-related offences.
HMPPS uses a variety of countermeasures and intelligence tools to stop drones delivering contraband such as drugs, mobile phones and weapons. Owing to operational sensitives, we are not able to discuss in detail the tactics used by HMPPS to disrupt drones, as that would aid serious and organised criminals.
Asked by: Gareth Snell (Labour (Co-op) - Stoke-on-Trent Central)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the document entitled The number of prison places built and closed (2010-2024), published on 25 October 2024, if she will publish the number of prison places lost as a result of (a) prison closures, (b) dilapidation and (c) other changes to capacity between 1 May 2010 and 30 April 2024, broken down by region.
Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
As set out in the quoted document in October 2024, the previous Government only managed to increase prison capacity by c.500 places between May 2010 and April 2024. A regional breakdown of the number of prison places removed during this period has been provided as an Excel document alongside this response. The ‘other’ category in the table includes all other changes to operational capacity such as places temporarily out of use for maintenance.
Last year, this Government announced plans to build 14,000 places by 2031 as part of our 10-year Prison Capacity Strategy. We have already started the 700-place expansion at HMP Highpoint in Suffolk earlier this month, and a new houseblock providing nearly 460 places at HMP Rye Hill in Northamptonshire recently received its first prisoners. We are also opening HMP Millsike in the coming weeks, which will hold nearly 1,500 prisoners.
Asked by: Gareth Snell (Labour (Co-op) - Stoke-on-Trent Central)
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 has commissioned research into the potential impact of mandatory food waste reporting on (a) access to healthy foods, (b) sustainability targets, (c) expenditure by businesses and (d) access to healthier food distribution organisations.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The consultation stage Impact Assessment considered the potential impacts of mandatory food waste reporting on large food businesses. Furthermore, when businesses reduce their food waste, we expect to see progress towards sustainability targets and increases in surplus food redistribution, but these has not been quantified, and these benefits are indirect because they are not realised from measurement and reporting alone, they require action to be taken. No assessment has been made of the potential of reporting to increase access to healthy foods.
Asked by: Gareth Snell (Labour (Co-op) - Stoke-on-Trent Central)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of removing VAT from the energy bills of ceramic manufacturers.
Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
VAT input tax on energy bills wholly and exclusively related to business activity can be reclaimed by VAT registered businesses.
The Government provides a range of support for business energy bills. The British Industry Supercharger includes a series of targeted measures to bring energy costs for key industries in line with other major economies. The Energy Intensive Industries Compensation Scheme provides businesses with relief for the costs of the UK Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) and Carbon Price Support mechanism in their electricity bills. Finally, the Industrial Energy Transformation Fund supports businesses with high energy use to cut their bills and reduce carbon emissions and is available over the period to 2027.
Asked by: Gareth Snell (Labour (Co-op) - Stoke-on-Trent Central)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking to prioritise financial support for the energy costs of ceramic manufacturers.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government believes that our mission to deliver clean power by 2030 is the best way to break our dependence on global fossil fuel markets and protect billpayers permanently. The creation of Great British Energy will help us to harness clean energy with less reliance on volatile international energy markets and help in our commitment to make Britain a clean energy superpower by 2030.
Companies in the ceramics sector are eligible to apply to the British Industry Supercharger scheme, which has provided energy bill support to hundreds of firms in energy intensive sectors. Financial relief to support energy intensive industries with electricity costs is worth £470 million per year through a mixture of spending and bill discounts.
I understand that Minister Jones is due to meet with representatives of the ceramics sector later this month to discuss challenges faced by manufacturers, including high energy costs. Government is committed to continuing to listen and engage with the sector.
Asked by: Gareth Snell (Labour (Co-op) - Stoke-on-Trent Central)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, pursuant to the Answer of 13 March 2025 to Question 36729 on UK Emissions Trading Scheme: Ceramics, whether he has made a sectoral assessment of the potential merits of exempting ceramics from the UK Emissions Trading Scheme.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The UK Emissions Trading Scheme, whose coverage includes energy intensive industries such as those in the ceramics sector, allows installations who meet certain criteria to apply to be exempted from the main scheme by obtaining ‘small emitter’ classification.
Over half of sites in the ceramics sector are already exempted from the UK ETS via achieving Small Emitter status. The UK Emissions Trading Scheme as an essential part of our approach to cutting emissions and driving green investment. UK ETS participants, including those in the ceramics sector, are provided with free allocations, to incentivise emissions reduction and protect energy intensive, trade exposed industries from the risk of carbon leakage. We have guaranteed current free allocation levels until 2027 and are currently reviewing how we calculate free allocations to better support sectors most at risk of carbon leakage.
We will always work in the best interest of industry.
Asked by: Gareth Snell (Labour (Co-op) - Stoke-on-Trent Central)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will introduce an energy price cap for (a) the ceramics industry and (b) other energy intensive industries.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government has no plans to introduce a non-domestic price cap. Businesses have different needs to households. Non-domestic demand varies in scale, flexibility and seasonality. From high demand from large industrial users to intermittent demand from some microbusinesses. Accordingly, there are a range of suppliers and energy products that are available to efficiently meet these needs.
However, the Government is committed to championing businesses and improving non-domestic consumer protections. Since December 2024 Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) with fewer than 50 employees can now access free support to resolve issues with their energy supplier through the Energy Ombudsman. This means that 99% of British businesses can now access this service with outcomes ranging up to £20,000 in financial awards. Last year, the Government also launched a consultation on introducing regulation of Third-Party Intermediaries (TPIs), such as energy brokers. This is aimed at enhancing consumer protections, particularly for non-domestic consumers.
The consultation has now closed, and a Government response will follow in due course once all feedback has been reviewed.