Greg Smith

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.

A response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 11th September is attached.

The government recognises the need to upgrade and reinforce the grid at pace to achieve clean power by 2030.

Ministers and officials engage regularly with Transmission Owners, including National Grid Electricity Transmission, as part of the normal policymaking process. This includes but is not limited to discussing network infrastructure.

The Department does not routinely publish correspondence that it receives and sends as part of the normal course of business.

The Shared Rural Network has already delivered substantial improvements to outdoor 4G mobile coverage across the UK.

I’m pleased to report to the House that 4G coverage across the UK now stands at 94.9% which is an increase from 91% in March 2020 when the Shared Rural Network was agreed.

This indicates the programme will deliver the overarching 95% coverage target ahead of its December 2025 target, enabling rural businesses and communities to thrive.

The Charity Commission for England and Wales ('the Commission') has a statutory function to identify and investigate misconduct and mismanagement in charities, and we are confident that it has the expertise to do so effectively. The Commission assesses concerns in accordance with its published regulatory and risk framework, and has a wide range of powers to investigate and remedy the abuse of charities. Any evidence that a registered charity is engaged in misconduct or mismanagement should be referred to the Commission.

The Commission has open regulatory compliance cases into both the Abrar Islamic Foundation and the Dar Alhekma Trust, and will determine if there is a need to take action. As a civil regulator, the Commission is not a prosecuting authority and any allegations of criminal conduct should be referred to the Police.

The Charity Commission has been clear that the promotion of extremist views in charities is unacceptable, and that it will respond robustly where there proves to have been wrongdoing.

The Government is committed to implementing its obligations under the Windsor Framework in good faith, including commitments on the use of 'Not for EU labels', as well as taking all steps necessary to protect the UK internal market. As per guidance published on GOV.UK, from 1 October 2024 milk and dairy products moving under the Northern Ireland Retail Movement Scheme will need to be individually labelled.

The previous Government held a consultation on extending the ‘not for EU’ labelling requirements across Great Britain earlier this year and this, as well as further discussion with business, will inform our future approach.

The UK has a highly resilient food supply chain, which has coped well in responding to unprecedented challenges. Defra maintains a collaborative relationship with industry which allows us to effectively respond to disruption. This includes a Food Resilience Industry Forum, which can be stood-up at short notice should the need arise.

The government knows that Britain needs a modern transport network to help kickstart economic growth. Good local bus services are an essential part of prosperous and sustainable communities, and the government is committed to working at pace with local transport authorities, bus operators and passengers to ensure that our vital bus services truly reflect the needs of the local communities.

As announced in the King’s Speech, the government will introduce the Better Buses Bill to put the power over local bus services back in the hands of local leaders right across England, to ensure networks can meet the needs to the communities who rely on them, including in Buckinghamshire. We also plan to empower local transport authorities through reforming bus funding. By giving local leaders more control and flexibility over bus funding they can plan ahead to deliver their local transport priorities.

The allocation of general road safety funding does not take into account population density as a funding requirement unless specified. The majority of our funding for road safety improvements is based on collision data, including killed and seriously injured statistics as well as road length. Targeted road safety improvements are devolved to the local authorities.

The government is committed to maintaining and renewing the local road network, and to enabling local highway authorities to fix up to a million more potholes a year. The previous government made a number of funding commitments, the affordability of each of which is being examined closely as part of the Spending Review.

The safety of everyone travelling on our roads is the Government’s priority, which is why we are committed to delivering a new Road Safety Strategy, the first in over a decade. We will set out next steps on smart motorways in due course.

Yes. The government is in the process of commissioning independent research to better understand the root causes of headlamp glare and help identify potential countermeasures.

We are working in lockstep with our allies to deescalate tensions and urge all parties to refrain from perpetuating the current destructive cycle of retaliatory violence. All sides must show restraint and work to prevent escalation. The Prime Minister spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu on 20 August. The Foreign Secretary spoke with Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Aragchi on 23 August, and with Lebanese Prime Minister Mikati and Israeli Minister of Strategic Affairs Dermer on 25 August. The Foreign Secretary has also had calls with other key partners including Egypt, Jordan and the UAE to press these messages. The Government will continue to support Israel's security and to urge Israel and Lebanon to engage with the US-led discussions to resolve their disagreements diplomatically and reach a political settlement.

There is no planned review of the proposed closure of RAF Halton. Defence continues to work towards the planned closure of RAF Halton, which forms part of a major investment project in RAF Cranwell to enhance the initial Air training capability.