Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what recent discussions he has had with mobile phone providers on inflation-linked price increases in fixed-term mobile phone contracts.

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

I have not had any such recent discussions but the Government works closely with Ofcom, the independent regulator of telecommunications, to ensure telecom contracts remain fair and transparent, ensuring significant clauses, such as in-contract price increases, are clear at the time of purchase.

Following a review Ofcom banned inflation-linked price rises, since January 2025 providers have been required to inform customers upfront of any in-contract price rises in pounds and pence included in their contract.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what information her Department holds on the number of (a) reports and (b) complaints there have been relating to (i) abandoned roadworks equipment and (ii) degraded signage on the (A) A3, (B) A31 and (C) A331 in each of the last three years.

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

Removal of roadworks equipment comes under Section 74 of the New Roads and Street Works Act. The Act enables local highway authorities to charge utility companies for delays in completing roadworks on public highways, and since 2001 regulations have been in place which allow local highway authorities to impose charges on statutory undertakers. Every job has an end date and if works or barriers are still on site past this end date, daily charges can be imposed. These charges start at £250 a day, and on the busiest roads go up to £10,000 a day.

The Department does not hold any information on the number of reports or complaints of abandoned roadworks equipment, only local highway authorities have that information.

The A3, A31 and A331 form part of the Strategic Road Network. As such, National Highways is responsible for installing, maintaining, cleaning, and repairing signage on these roads. Damaged and incorrect road signage on any of these roads can be reported to National Highways at the following link: https://report.nationalhighways.co.uk/

National Highways maintains records of reports and complaints submitted via its online platform, including issues relating to road signage and other highway assets on the Strategic Road Network. The Department does not hold disaggregated data, but National Highways may be able to provide the number of reports concerning abandoned or incorrect equipment on the A3, A31 and A331 upon request.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what guidance her Department has provided to local highway authorities on the timely removal of (a) cones, (b) sandbags, (c) signage and (d) other abandoned roadworks equipment.

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

Removal of roadworks equipment comes under Section 74 of the New Roads and Street Works Act. The Act enables local highway authorities to charge utility companies for delays in completing roadworks on public highways, and since 2001 regulations have been in place which allow local highway authorities to impose charges on statutory undertakers. Every job has an end date and if works or barriers are still on site past this end date, daily charges can be imposed. These charges start at £250 a day, and on the busiest roads go up to £10,000 a day.

The Department does not hold any information on the number of reports or complaints of abandoned roadworks equipment, only local highway authorities have that information.

The A3, A31 and A331 form part of the Strategic Road Network. As such, National Highways is responsible for installing, maintaining, cleaning, and repairing signage on these roads. Damaged and incorrect road signage on any of these roads can be reported to National Highways at the following link: https://report.nationalhighways.co.uk/

National Highways maintains records of reports and complaints submitted via its online platform, including issues relating to road signage and other highway assets on the Strategic Road Network. The Department does not hold disaggregated data, but National Highways may be able to provide the number of reports concerning abandoned or incorrect equipment on the A3, A31 and A331 upon request.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of her policies on levels of inflation.

Answered by Emma Reynolds - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

The independent Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) assessed the impact of Government policies on the level of inflation. While noting they expect inflation to remain close to the 2 per cent target throughout the forecast period, the OBR forecast a temporary rise in inflation, driven by gas and electricity prices and the direct effect of policies announced in the Budget. They conclude that, on average, just under half of the higher inflation in 2025 and 2026 is due to the impact of policies in Autumn Budget 2024.

In March 2025 the OBR assessed that they expected the policies in the forecast to provide a very small boost to CPI inflation, increasing the price level by less than 0.1 per cent by the end of the forecast.

The Bank of England has the responsibility of controlling inflation, and the Government fully supports them as they take action to sustainably return inflation to the 2% target.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the Tokyo District Court’s dissolution order against the Unification Church; and what steps he is taking to help protect (a) religious freedom and (b) minority rights.

Answered by Catherine West - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

This is a matter that is subject to ongoing court proceedings. It is therefore reserved for the Government of Japan and institutions of Japan. The UK has always been clear that the right to adopt a religion or belief, practise it without hindrance, and to share it with others are all key freedoms that everyone should have. As the Minister for the Indo-Pacific, I will continue to champion the UK's long-standing policy to defend freedom of religion or belief for all and promote respect between different religious and non-religious communities internationally.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to support people stranded in Tel Aviv.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The safety and security of British nationals is our top priority. Since the beginning of this crisis, when Israeli airspace closed, we deployed specialist teams to the Egyptian and Jordanian borders to support British nationals wishing to leave Israel by land and facilitate their onward travel. When Israeli airspace opened on 24 June we worked at pace to ensure those who wanted to leave Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories could do so, with six evacuation flights leaving Israel.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps he is taking to support residents of rural 1950s properties to use alternative fuels to heat their homes; and if he will take steps to reduce the VAT rate on fuel for those unable to install heat pumps.

Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

For most off-grid properties, transitioning to clean heat will involve installing a heat pump as these are cost-effective, proven technologies. The Government expect sustainable biomass to be prioritised where there are limited alternatives for decarbonisation. Renewable liquid heating fuels are also much more expensive to use than other heating solutions.

Before taking decisions on whether to support the use of renewable liquid fuels in heating, the Government would require stronger evidence on their affordability for consumers, and the availability of sustainable feedstock.

The tax treatment of renewable liquid fuels is a matter for Treasury.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions he is having with his Scottish Government on the timeline for its 31 December 2025 landfill ban; and whether he has received any formal request from the Scottish Government to delay that ban.

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

Defra regularly engages with colleagues in the Devolved Governments on resources and waste policy. However, resources and waste policy is a devolved matter and the decision to ban biodegradable waste to landfill in Scotland is a matter for Scottish Government. I have sent a letter to my Scottish Government counterpart and look forward to engaging with her on this issue.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she plans to review the eligibility rules for Carer’s Allowance for claimants receiving the State Pension.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

Although there is no upper age limit to claiming Carer’s Allowance, it cannot normally be paid with the State Pension. It has been a long-held feature of the GB benefit system, under successive Governments, that where someone is entitled to two benefits for the same contingency, then whilst there may be entitlement to both benefits, only one will be paid to avoid duplication for the same need. Although entitlement to State Pension and Carer’s Allowance arise in different circumstances they are nevertheless designed for the same contingency – as an income replacement. Carer’s Allowance replaces income where the carer has given up the opportunity of full-time employment in order to care for a severely disabled person and is unable to undertake full time employment due to their caring responsibilities, while State Pension replaces income in retirement. For this reason, social security rules operate to prevent them being paid together, to avoid duplicate provision for the same need.

However, if a carer’s State Pension is less than Carer's Allowance, State Pension is paid and topped up with Carer's Allowance to the basic weekly rate of Carer's Allowance which is currently £83.30.

Where Carer’s Allowance cannot be paid, the person will keep underlying entitlement to the benefit. This gives access to the additional amount for carers in Pension Credit of £46.40 a week and potentially other means-tested support. Around 100,000 people are receiving the Carer Premium with their Pension Credit. And even if a pensioner’s income is above the limit for Pension Credit, they may still be able to receive Housing Benefit.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will commission a review into the (a) management arrangements and (b) maintenance outcomes on non-trunk A roads that cross multiple local authority areas.

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

It is the responsibility of local highway authorities to maintain the highways network in their area, as per section 41 of the Highways Act 1980.

However, the Government is determined to end the pothole plague on our roads, which is the result of a decade of under-investment by the previous Government. We have provided an extra £500 million for councils this year to allow them to make an immediate start on this.

To qualify for their share of the £500m funding uplift, local highway authorities will have to publish a report in plain English on their websites by the end of June, detailing the condition of their local roads, how much they are spending on maintaining them, and how well they are adhering to best practice.

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 considered public ownership as a potential outcome under the special administration regime in circumstances where a regulated water company is found to be in material breach of its statutory obligations.

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

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of financial requirements for standing in mayoral elections on the (a) accessibility and (b) diversity of candidates.

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

The Government has not made such an assessment. Under electoral law, candidates are required to pay a deposit in certain elections, reflecting the scale of the role, including budget responsibility, role as chair of the Combined Authority or Combined County Authority, and the ability to raise a levy; as well as the size of the electorate and electoral area. This has been set at £5,000 for Mayoral candidates for Combined Authorities and Combined County Authorities which was deemed proportionate and fair by Parliament when the relevant legislation was made. A deposit is returned if a candidate receives more than 5% of the valid votes cast.

Found: Q14 Gregory Stafford: I am going to ask some questions around the waiting for assessment period.

Found: Q14 Gregory Stafford: I am going to ask some questions around the waiting for assessment period.

Found: Dr Beccy Cooper; Jen Craft; Josh Fenton-Glynn; Andrew George; Alex McIntyre; Joe Robertson; Gregory Stafford

Found: Davies Shivani Raja Lee Anderson Neil O'Brien Lewis Cocking Joe Robertson Rebecca Smith Gregory Stafford

Found: Davies Shivani Raja Lee Anderson Neil O'Brien Lewis Cocking Joe Robertson Rebecca Smith Gregory Stafford

Found: Alice Macdonald Sir Andrew Mitchell Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi Dawn Butler Daniel Francis Gregory Stafford

Found: Not called_NC87 Danny Kruger Kit Malthouse Sir Iain Duncan Smith James Wild Greg Smith Gregory Stafford

Submit Evidence (by 7 Aug 2025)

The Committee is undertaking an inquiry into the role of physical activity in improving the health and wellbeing of our older population.