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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate his Department has made of the number of residential properties built after 1 January 2009 in designated flood risk areas that are ineligible for support under the Flood Re scheme in (a) the UK and (b) Taunton and Wellington constituency.

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

Flood Re does not apply to homes built after 2009, as that would be inconsistent with current planning policy. Planning policy is clear that inappropriate development in floodplains should be avoided. Where development is necessary in a flood risk area, it should be made flood resistant, resilient and safe for their lifetime, without increasing flood risk elsewhere.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of including unused pension funds within the inheritance tax framework on (a) bereaved families and (b) incentives for retirement saving.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

Most unused pension funds and death benefits payable from a pension will form part of a person's estate for inheritance tax purposes from 6 April 2027. This removes distortions resulting from changes that have been made to pensions tax policy over the last decade, which have led to pensions being openly used and marketed as a tax planning vehicle to transfer wealth, rather than as a way to fund retirement. These reforms also remove inconsistencies in the inheritance tax treatment of different types of pensions.

The Government will continue to incentivise pension savings for their intended purpose of funding retirement, with ongoing tax reliefs on both contributions into pensions and on the growth of funds held within a pension scheme. Pensions continue to benefit from very significant tax benefits. It is therefore crucial to ensure that tax reliefs on pensions are being used for their intended purpose – to encourage saving for retirement and later life – rather than for passing on wealth free of inheritance tax.

Estates will continue to benefit from the normal nil-rate bands, reliefs, and exemptions available. For example, the nil-rate bands mean an estate can pass on up to £1 million with no inheritance tax liability and the general rules mean any transfers, including the payment of death benefits, to a spouse or civil partner are fully exempt from inheritance tax. More than 90 per cent of UK estates will continue to have no inheritance tax liability in 2029-30 following these changes and the reforms will only affect a minority of those with inheritable pension wealth.

A tax information and impact note was published on 21 July 2025 and sets this out. It is available at www.gov.uk/government/publications/reforming-inheritance-tax-unused-pension-funds-and-death-benefits/inheritance-tax-on-unused-pension-funds-and-death-benefits.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the gross annual income threshold for exemption from Office of the Public Guardian deputyship fees remaining unchanged for several years on people with incomes close to that threshold.

Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

The Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) is in the early stages of reviewing criteria for exemption and remission of fees, including in relation to the gross annual income threshold for a 50% remission of fees. Any proposed changes to current processes will require an SI amendment to the Public Guardian (Fees, etc.) Regulations 2007.

The regulations currently allow for a 100% exemption of fees in relation to the supervision of deputyships, if the protected person is in receipt of one of a number of qualifying benefits, including Employment Support Allowance. This exemption applies regardless of the protected person’s income.

If the protected person is not in receipt of one of the qualifying benefits, they may nonetheless qualify for a 50% remission of fees if their annual income does not exceed £12,000. Furthermore, if the deputy can provide evidence that paying a fee would result in undue hardship for the protected person, then the Public Guardian can exceptionally reduce or remit the fee.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that the Review of Religious Education (a) considers a (i) broad and (ii) balanced range of (A) academic, (B) educational and (C) community perspectives and (b) is not disproportionately influenced by submissions from any single lobby.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The government has established an independent Curriculum and Assessment review, chaired by Becky Francis CBE. The Review aims to ensure a rich, broad, inclusive and innovative curriculum that readies young people for life and work. The Review is being informed by evidence, data, and in close consultation with education professionals and other experts, parents, children and young people, employers, universities and trade unions. This includes over 7,000 responses to the public call for evidence and a range of research and polling.

The Review Group published its interim report in March 2025, which is available here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6821d69eced319d02c9060e3/Curriculum_and_Assessment_Review_interim_report.pdf.

The Group will publish its final report with recommendations, including recommendations for religious education, this autumn.​

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the gross annual income threshold for exemption from Office of the Public Guardian deputyship fees remaining unchanged for several years on low-income people whose primary income is from Employment and Support Allowance.

Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

The Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) is in the early stages of reviewing criteria for exemption and remission of fees, including in relation to the gross annual income threshold for a 50% remission of fees. Any proposed changes to current processes will require an SI amendment to the Public Guardian (Fees, etc.) Regulations 2007.

The regulations currently allow for a 100% exemption of fees in relation to the supervision of deputyships if the protected person is in receipt of one of a number of qualifying benefits including Employment Support Allowance.

This exemption applies regardless of the protected person’s income.

If the protected person is not in receipt of one of the qualifying benefits, they may nonetheless qualify for a 50% remission of fees if their annual income does not exceed £12,000.

The OPG does not collect data on the reasons for granting exemptions. The OPG does not have data on the number of persons in receipt of Employment and Support Allowance who may have ceased to qualify for exemption. Applications for an exemption are assessed on a case-by-case basis.

The table below shows the number of supervision fee exemptions and remissions in place over the past five financial years. Protected persons may be eligible for an extended award whereby an application for an exemption or remission of fees remains in place for up to three years. The volume of applications has remained relatively stable over the period. The figure reported for the 2025/26 financial year reflects data collected to date.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people in receipt of Employment and Support Allowance have (a) qualified for and (b) ceased to qualify for exemption from Office of the Public Guardian deputyship fees in each of the last five years.

Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

The Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) is in the early stages of reviewing criteria for exemption and remission of fees, including in relation to the gross annual income threshold for a 50% remission of fees. Any proposed changes to current processes will require an SI amendment to the Public Guardian (Fees, etc.) Regulations 2007.

The regulations currently allow for a 100% exemption of fees in relation to the supervision of deputyships if the protected person is in receipt of one of a number of qualifying benefits including Employment Support Allowance.

This exemption applies regardless of the protected person’s income.

If the protected person is not in receipt of one of the qualifying benefits, they may nonetheless qualify for a 50% remission of fees if their annual income does not exceed £12,000.

The OPG does not collect data on the reasons for granting exemptions. The OPG does not have data on the number of persons in receipt of Employment and Support Allowance who may have ceased to qualify for exemption. Applications for an exemption are assessed on a case-by-case basis.

The table below shows the number of supervision fee exemptions and remissions in place over the past five financial years. Protected persons may be eligible for an extended award whereby an application for an exemption or remission of fees remains in place for up to three years. The volume of applications has remained relatively stable over the period. The figure reported for the 2025/26 financial year reflects data collected to date.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people were exempt from Office of the Public Guardian deputyship fees in each of the last five years.

Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

The Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) is in the early stages of reviewing criteria for exemption and remission of fees, including in relation to the gross annual income threshold for a 50% remission of fees. Any proposed changes to current processes will require an SI amendment to the Public Guardian (Fees, etc.) Regulations 2007.

The regulations currently allow for a 100% exemption of fees in relation to the supervision of deputyships if the protected person is in receipt of one of a number of qualifying benefits including Employment Support Allowance.

This exemption applies regardless of the protected person’s income.

If the protected person is not in receipt of one of the qualifying benefits, they may nonetheless qualify for a 50% remission of fees if their annual income does not exceed £12,000.

The OPG does not collect data on the reasons for granting exemptions. The OPG does not have data on the number of persons in receipt of Employment and Support Allowance who may have ceased to qualify for exemption. Applications for an exemption are assessed on a case-by-case basis.

The table below shows the number of supervision fee exemptions and remissions in place over the past five financial years. Protected persons may be eligible for an extended award whereby an application for an exemption or remission of fees remains in place for up to three years. The volume of applications has remained relatively stable over the period. The figure reported for the 2025/26 financial year reflects data collected to date.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether any respondents to the consultation on the Competence and Conduct Standard for Social Housing, updated on 30 September 2025, raised concerns about the reliance on continuous assessment in housing qualifications; and whether any respondents expressed concern about the absence of formal examinations as a means of assessing critical thinking and competence in key areas such as housing law and repairs.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

This government carefully considered responses to the consultation led by the previous government in respect of the Competence and Conduct Standard and has now published its response which can be found on gov.uk here.

A small number of respondents raised concerns about assessment methods for qualifications and very few respondents raised concerns about artificial intelligence.

The government has not set prescriptive requirements on methods of assessment, and it will be for awarding organisations to determine how learning is assessed. We also expect awarding organisations to have policies in place to mitigate the risks posed by the use of artificial intelligence.

As set out in the final policy statement, qualifications must be equivalent to or higher than an Ofqual regulated level 4 qualification for senior housing managers and a level 5 qualification or foundation degree for senior housing executives. Ofqual ensures that regulated qualifications are robust and valid through the General Conditions of Recognition – the rules for all the qualifications and organisations Ofqual regulates which can be found on gov.uk here. All regulated awarding organisations have a legal obligation to comply with these rules on an ongoing basis.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether any respondents to the consultation on the Competence and Conduct Standard for Social Housing, updated on 30 September 2025, raised concerns about the potential implications of (a) artificial intelligence and (b) generative AI on the (i) integrity, (ii) assessment and (iii) delivery of housing qualifications; and what assessment his Department has made of any such concerns.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

This government carefully considered responses to the consultation led by the previous government in respect of the Competence and Conduct Standard and has now published its response which can be found on gov.uk here.

A small number of respondents raised concerns about assessment methods for qualifications and very few respondents raised concerns about artificial intelligence.

The government has not set prescriptive requirements on methods of assessment, and it will be for awarding organisations to determine how learning is assessed. We also expect awarding organisations to have policies in place to mitigate the risks posed by the use of artificial intelligence.

As set out in the final policy statement, qualifications must be equivalent to or higher than an Ofqual regulated level 4 qualification for senior housing managers and a level 5 qualification or foundation degree for senior housing executives. Ofqual ensures that regulated qualifications are robust and valid through the General Conditions of Recognition – the rules for all the qualifications and organisations Ofqual regulates which can be found on gov.uk here. All regulated awarding organisations have a legal obligation to comply with these rules on an ongoing basis.

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