Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent steps his Department has taken to improve early diagnosis and treatment for people living with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis in Essex.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government is committed to improving outcomes for people living with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, including those in Essex.

NHS England’s Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) gastroenterology programme is supporting local integrated care boards to reduce unwarranted variation in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) services and to promote earlier diagnosis, proactive disease management, and increased access to IBD specialist nurses. GIRFT recommends measures such as rapid access to specialist review within four weeks, personalised care plans, and expanded endoscopy capacity, which together help shorten diagnostic times and improve treatment pathways for patients.

To strengthen early and accurate diagnosis, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) provides evidence‑based guidance, including on the use of faecal calprotectin testing to differentiate IBD from functional bowel disorders and on ensuring timely referral for specialist assessment. The NICE quality standard for IBD sets out that people with suspected IBD should receive a specialist assessment within four weeks of referral, and local systems, including those in Essex, are expected to take this into account when planning and delivering services.

NHS England has also developed an IBD RightCare scenario, which sets out what high‑quality, joined‑up IBD care should look like across the entire patient pathway, from suspicion of IBD through to diagnosis, treatment, and ongoing management. This tool will support local commissioners and clinicians, including those in Essex, to identify opportunities to streamline referrals, reduce waiting times, and deliver consistent, evidence‑based care.

Together, these initiatives are improving early diagnosis, supporting more personalised and coordinated treatment, and helping to ensure that people with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis in Essex can access high‑quality, timely National Health Service care.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many foreign nationals convicted of sexual offences have been convicted of (a) a further sexual offence and (b) other violent offences after release from custody in the UK in each year since 2020.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

The Ministry of Justice publishes information on convictions and sentencing information for sexual offences in the Outcomes by Offence data tool, that can be downloaded from the Criminal Justice Statistics landing page here: Criminal justice statistics quarterly - GOV.UK.

However, it is not possibly to identify whether the offender was a foreign national. This information may be held in court records but to examine individual court records would incur disproportionate costs.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many foreign nationals who were convicted of sexual offences were given suspended custodial sentences in each year since 2020.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

The Ministry of Justice publishes information on convictions and sentencing information for sexual offences in the Outcomes by Offence data tool, that can be downloaded from the Criminal Justice Statistics landing page here: Criminal justice statistics quarterly - GOV.UK.

However, it is not possibly to identify whether the offender was a foreign national. This information may be held in court records but to examine individual court records would incur disproportionate costs.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many foreign nationals currently serving custodial sentences for sexual offences are held in prisons in England and Wales.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

A breakdown of Foreign National Offenders (FNOs) by offence group is published in the Annual prison population statistics and the most recent publication can be found here: prison-population-2025.ods. Please see Table_1_A_26, which shows the breakdown as of 30 June 2025.

As these statistics are published annually, we are not able to provide a more recent breakdown.

Between 1 November 2024 and 31 October 2025, we removed over 2,700 FNOs under the Early Removal Scheme, that is more than the number removed over the same period in the 2024, and a significant 74% increase compared to the same period in 2023. It will free up much-needed space in our prisons.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many foreign national sex offenders have been convicted in each year since 2020.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

The Ministry of Justice publishes information on convictions and sentencing information for sexual offences in the Outcomes by Offence data tool, that can be downloaded from the Criminal Justice Statistics landing page here: Criminal justice statistics quarterly - GOV.UK.

However, it is not possibly to identify whether the offender was a foreign national. This information may be held in court records but to examine individual court records would incur disproportionate costs.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to prevent local authorities from reclassifying green belt land as grey belt to meet housing targets.

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

I refer the hon. Member to the answers given to Questions UIN 26507 on 5 February 2025 and UIN 43157 on 7 April 2025.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the amount of available brownfield land to meet local housing needs.

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

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 84470 on 30 October 2025.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether local planning authorities will be required to publish assessments of Green Belt and Grey Belt release as part of their evidence base during plan preparation.

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

The new plan-making system is designed to ensure that local plans are faster to prepare and simpler for end users to access and understand.

The government's approach to Green Belt in England, including the circumstances in which it should be reviewed, is set out in the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF).

It is for local planning authorities to set out policies for Green Belt in their local plans in accordance with national policy in the NPPF. This remains unchanged in the new local plan-making system.

When local planning authorities submit their local plan for examination, they are required to submit any supporting documents that they consider are relevant and necessary to support the examination of their plan. This might include supporting documents that form part of their evidence base.

In order to deliver the homes and growth the country needs, we expect all local planning authorities to make every effort to get up-to-date local plans in place as soon as possible. As a government, we have made a clear commitment to achieving universal local plan coverage. To that end, we have been clear that we intend to drive local plans to adoption as quickly as possible.

The government is committed to taking tough action to ensure local authorities have up-to-date local plans in place. The law provides intervention powers for the government to take action to ensure that plans are progressed. Any decisions taken in relation to intervention in plan-making are considered on a case-by-case basis and take into account local circumstances.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the new local plan-making system on protections for Green Belt land.

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

The new plan-making system is designed to ensure that local plans are faster to prepare and simpler for end users to access and understand.

The government's approach to Green Belt in England, including the circumstances in which it should be reviewed, is set out in the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF).

It is for local planning authorities to set out policies for Green Belt in their local plans in accordance with national policy in the NPPF. This remains unchanged in the new local plan-making system.

When local planning authorities submit their local plan for examination, they are required to submit any supporting documents that they consider are relevant and necessary to support the examination of their plan. This might include supporting documents that form part of their evidence base.

In order to deliver the homes and growth the country needs, we expect all local planning authorities to make every effort to get up-to-date local plans in place as soon as possible. As a government, we have made a clear commitment to achieving universal local plan coverage. To that end, we have been clear that we intend to drive local plans to adoption as quickly as possible.

The government is committed to taking tough action to ensure local authorities have up-to-date local plans in place. The law provides intervention powers for the government to take action to ensure that plans are progressed. Any decisions taken in relation to intervention in plan-making are considered on a case-by-case basis and take into account local circumstances.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether he plans to intervene in local plans that release large amounts of green belt land.

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

The new plan-making system is designed to ensure that local plans are faster to prepare and simpler for end users to access and understand.

The government's approach to Green Belt in England, including the circumstances in which it should be reviewed, is set out in the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF).

It is for local planning authorities to set out policies for Green Belt in their local plans in accordance with national policy in the NPPF. This remains unchanged in the new local plan-making system.

When local planning authorities submit their local plan for examination, they are required to submit any supporting documents that they consider are relevant and necessary to support the examination of their plan. This might include supporting documents that form part of their evidence base.

In order to deliver the homes and growth the country needs, we expect all local planning authorities to make every effort to get up-to-date local plans in place as soon as possible. As a government, we have made a clear commitment to achieving universal local plan coverage. To that end, we have been clear that we intend to drive local plans to adoption as quickly as possible.

The government is committed to taking tough action to ensure local authorities have up-to-date local plans in place. The law provides intervention powers for the government to take action to ensure that plans are progressed. Any decisions taken in relation to intervention in plan-making are considered on a case-by-case basis and take into account local circumstances.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what plans he has to issue additional guidance to ensure local communities have sufficient opportunity to challenge grey belt land designations.

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

I refer the hon. Member to the answers given to Questions UIN 26507 on 5 February 2025 and UIN 43157 on 7 April 2025.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the draft Statutory Instrument, The Public Order Act 2023 (Interference With Use or Operation of Key National Infrastructure) Regulations 2025 on the availability of public information on animal testing.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

Peaceful protest is a cornerstone of our democracy, and we will always defend that right. But, where disruption from protest risks undermining our sovereign capability to prepare and respond to a pandemic, we must take action to protect key infrastructure and supply chains.

The Life Sciences industry is of vital importance to this country. The sector provides crucial research to further medical capabilities in the UK and plays a central role in our pandemic preparedness capabilities. During the Covid-19 pandemic, our national response depended on having the tools and expertise to rapidly develop new vaccines and treatments.

On 11 November, the OLS published a strategy setting out the steps that the Government will take over the next 5 years towards achieving a world where the use of animals in science is eliminated in all but exceptional circumstances. Until that goal can be achieved, the immediate and critical issue remains that the sector is being targeted by protestors who oppose current clinical research methods.

That is why the Government is taking the proportionate step to amend section 7 of the Public Order Act 2023. This change will extend the definition of Key National Infrastructure within the Act to include the Life Sciences sector. The offence within the Act of interference with the use or operation of Key National Infrastructure will apply to the Life Sciences sector in addition to the existing sectors covered under section 7(6) of the Act. In turn, this change will reduce supply chain interference, protect the sector’s ability to operate in the UK, and ultimately support the UK’s pandemic preparedness and national health resilience.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the draft Statutory Instrument, The Public Order Act 2023 (Interference With Use or Operation of Key National Infrastructure) Regulations 2025 on the right to protest against animal testing.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

Peaceful protest is a cornerstone of our democracy, and we will always defend that right. But, where disruption from protest risks undermining our sovereign capability to prepare and respond to a pandemic, we must take action to protect key infrastructure and supply chains.

The Life Sciences industry is of vital importance to this country. The sector provides crucial research to further medical capabilities in the UK and plays a central role in our pandemic preparedness capabilities. During the Covid-19 pandemic, our national response depended on having the tools and expertise to rapidly develop new vaccines and treatments.

On 11 November, the OLS published a strategy setting out the steps that the Government will take over the next 5 years towards achieving a world where the use of animals in science is eliminated in all but exceptional circumstances. Until that goal can be achieved, the immediate and critical issue remains that the sector is being targeted by protestors who oppose current clinical research methods.

That is why the Government is taking the proportionate step to amend section 7 of the Public Order Act 2023. This change will extend the definition of Key National Infrastructure within the Act to include the Life Sciences sector. The offence within the Act of interference with the use or operation of Key National Infrastructure will apply to the Life Sciences sector in addition to the existing sectors covered under section 7(6) of the Act. In turn, this change will reduce supply chain interference, protect the sector’s ability to operate in the UK, and ultimately support the UK’s pandemic preparedness and national health resilience.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of variations in the amount and quality of breaktime provision between schools.

Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

I refer the hon. Member for South Basildon and East Thurrock to the answers of 25 November 2025 and 5 December 2025 to Questions 91834 and 95249.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment her Department has made of the potential implications for her policies of reported levels of misidentification of (a) women, (b) ethnic minorities, and (c) young people by live facial recognition systems.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

Police use of live facial recognition (LFR) is governed by equality, human rights, and data protection laws, and can only be used for a policing purpose where necessary, proportionate, and fair. LFR technology is not automated decision-making; it suggests possible matches not definite ones. Following a possible alert, it is always a specially trained police officer on the ground who decides what action, if any, to take.

Facial recognition algorithms provided by or procured with Home Office funding for police use are required to be independently tested for bias. Independent testing is important because it helps determine the setting in which an algorithm can safely and fairly be used.

The National Physical Laboratory (NPL) has independently tested the LFR algorithm used by the police. At the settings used by South Wales Police, the Metropolitan Police Service, and in the 10 LFR vans rolled out in August 2025, the NPL found that the algorithm had an 89% chance of correctly identifying someone on the watchlist of people wanted by the police or the courts. At worst, the algorithm had a 1 in 6,000 chance of generating a false alert on a watchlist containing 10,000 images. In practice, police have reported that the false alert rate has been far better than this. Importantly, the NPL also found no statistically significant differences in performance based on gender, age, or ethnicity, at the settings used by the police.

The Government is committed to ensuring that facial recognition technology is used proportionately, responsibly, and with strong safeguards in place to protect the public. On 4 December 2025, we therefore launched a public consultation that sets out proposals for a new legal framework and strengthened oversight of facial recognition and other biometric technologies. The Government proposes creating a new oversight body to consolidate and clarify existing regulatory roles, ensuring responsible use of these technologies.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of the rates of false positives generated by live facial recognition systems.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

Police use of live facial recognition (LFR) is governed by equality, human rights, and data protection laws, and can only be used for a policing purpose where necessary, proportionate, and fair. LFR technology is not automated decision-making; it suggests possible matches not definite ones. Following a possible alert, it is always a specially trained police officer on the ground who decides what action, if any, to take.

Facial recognition algorithms provided by or procured with Home Office funding for police use are required to be independently tested for bias. Independent testing is important because it helps determine the setting in which an algorithm can safely and fairly be used.

The National Physical Laboratory (NPL) has independently tested the LFR algorithm used by the police. At the settings used by South Wales Police, the Metropolitan Police Service, and in the 10 LFR vans rolled out in August 2025, the NPL found that the algorithm had an 89% chance of correctly identifying someone on the watchlist of people wanted by the police or the courts. At worst, the algorithm had a 1 in 6,000 chance of generating a false alert on a watchlist containing 10,000 images. In practice, police have reported that the false alert rate has been far better than this. Importantly, the NPL also found no statistically significant differences in performance based on gender, age, or ethnicity, at the settings used by the police.

The Government is committed to ensuring that facial recognition technology is used proportionately, responsibly, and with strong safeguards in place to protect the public. On 4 December 2025, we therefore launched a public consultation that sets out proposals for a new legal framework and strengthened oversight of facial recognition and other biometric technologies. The Government proposes creating a new oversight body to consolidate and clarify existing regulatory roles, ensuring responsible use of these technologies.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps are being taken to help prevent the misidentification of innocent individuals by live facial recognition systems.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

Police use of live facial recognition (LFR) is governed by equality, human rights, and data protection laws, and can only be used for a policing purpose where necessary, proportionate, and fair. LFR technology is not automated decision-making; it suggests possible matches not definite ones. Following a possible alert, it is always a specially trained police officer on the ground who decides what action, if any, to take.

Facial recognition algorithms provided by or procured with Home Office funding for police use are required to be independently tested for bias. Independent testing is important because it helps determine the setting in which an algorithm can safely and fairly be used.

The National Physical Laboratory (NPL) has independently tested the LFR algorithm used by the police. At the settings used by South Wales Police, the Metropolitan Police Service, and in the 10 LFR vans rolled out in August 2025, the NPL found that the algorithm had an 89% chance of correctly identifying someone on the watchlist of people wanted by the police or the courts. At worst, the algorithm had a 1 in 6,000 chance of generating a false alert on a watchlist containing 10,000 images. In practice, police have reported that the false alert rate has been far better than this. Importantly, the NPL also found no statistically significant differences in performance based on gender, age, or ethnicity, at the settings used by the police.

The Government is committed to ensuring that facial recognition technology is used proportionately, responsibly, and with strong safeguards in place to protect the public. On 4 December 2025, we therefore launched a public consultation that sets out proposals for a new legal framework and strengthened oversight of facial recognition and other biometric technologies. The Government proposes creating a new oversight body to consolidate and clarify existing regulatory roles, ensuring responsible use of these technologies.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how patients can raise concerns about GP practices not providing appropriate access to telephone appointments for a) elderly and b) vulnerable patients.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The GP Contract is clear that patients should always have the option of telephoning or visiting their practice in person, and all online tools must always be provided in addition to, rather than as a replacement for, other channels for accessing a general practice.

If a patient believes their practice is not meeting this requirement, patients can write to the practice manager. If they are not comfortable raising a complaint directly, they can instead raise their concerns with the local National Health Service integrated care board (ICB), with NHS England, or with his/her local Healthwatch, the independent consumer champion for health and social care.

As commissioners of primary care services, ICBs can investigate the situation further and take appropriate actions. Their contract details can be found on the NHS website, at the following link:

https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/find-your-local-integrated-care-board/

Further information about the NHS complaints procedure and Healthwatch can be found, respectively, at the following two links:

www.nhs.uk/using-the-nhs/about-the-nhs/how-to-complain-to-the-nhs

www.healthwatch.co.uk

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that GP practices comply with GP Contract requirements on telephone appointment accessibility for a) elderly and b) vulnerable patients.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

We understand that not all patients can or want to use online services. The GP Contract is clear that patients should always have the option of telephoning or visiting their practice in person, and all online tools must always be provided in addition to, rather than as a replacement for, other channels for accessing a general practice.

Integrated care boards (ICBs), as commissioners of primary care services, are responsible for ensuring general practices are meeting the requirements of their contracts. If necessary, ICBs can issue formal warnings, apply financial sanctions, and terminate contracts if practices are not meeting the needs of their patients.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to Answer of 1 December 2025 to Question 84488 on Health Services: Buildings, when NHS England expects to publish data on the prevalence of corridor care across trusts.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The provision of clinical care in corridors is unacceptable, and we are committed to ending its practice in the National Health Service by the end of this Parliament. Furthermore, our Urgent and Emergency Care Plan for 2025/26 committed to publishing data on the prevalence of corridor care.

NHS England has been working with trusts to put in place new reporting arrangements regarding the use of temporary escalation spaces to drive improvement and data transparency. The data quality is currently being reviewed, and we expect to publish the information shortly.

We will also be introducing new clinical operational standards for the first 72 hours of care, setting clear expectations for timely reviews and specialist input, further supporting our efforts to eliminate corridor care and improve patient experience.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has issued guidance to police forces on issuing contracts for live facial recognition technology.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office has not issued guidance to police forces on issuing contracts for live facial recognition technology. However, the Live Facial Recognition Commercial Framework produced by BlueLight Commercial is available to support police forces making procurement decisions before they issue contracts.

Decisions on the contracting of live facial recognition technology are for individual police forces and other relevant authorities. Procurement decisions by police forces must comply with UK procurement law, including the Public Contracts Regulations 2015, Procurement Act 2023, and relevant Cabinet Office guidance on supply chain risk. They are also expected to follow the Surveillance Camera Code of Practice issued under the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent discussions she has had with the Information Commissioner’s Office on live facial recognition technology and its utilisation by police forces.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office meets regularly with the Information Commissioner’s Office to discuss law enforcement use of facial recognition technology.

We will continue to work closely with them as we consult on a new legal framework for law enforcement use of biometrics, facial recognition and similar technologies.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, on what statutory basis live facial recognition technology is deployed by police forces in England and Wales; and whether her Department plans to introduce primary legislation before any expansion of its use.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

There is an established basis for the police to use live facial recognition technology. When deploying facial recognition technology, police forces must comply with existing legislation including the Human Rights Act 1998, Equality Act 2010, Data Protection Act 2018, Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984, as well as their own published policies. For live facial recognition, police forces must also follow the College of Policing’s Authorised Professional Practice (APP) on Live Facial Recognition. Forces also need to comply with the Surveillance Camera Code of Practice, which is supplemented by published policing policies.

On 4 December the Government launched a consultation on law enforcement use of biometrics, facial recognition and similar technologies. Although there is a legal basis for police use of facial recognition, the current legal framework is complicated, inflexible and difficult to understand, which in turn limits the extent to which facial recognition and similar technologies can be confidently used.

That is why the government is consulting on a new legal framework to inform potential legislation.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans she has to allow for Parliamentary scrutiny of proposals to expand the use of live facial recognition technology.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

There is an established basis for the police to use live facial recognition technology. When deploying facial recognition technology, police forces must comply with existing legislation including the Human Rights Act 1998, Equality Act 2010, Data Protection Act 2018, Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984, as well as their own published policies. For live facial recognition, police forces must also follow the College of Policing’s Authorised Professional Practice (APP) on Live Facial Recognition. Forces also need to comply with the Surveillance Camera Code of Practice, which is supplemented by published policing policies.

On 4 December the Government launched a consultation on law enforcement use of biometrics, facial recognition and similar technologies. Although there is a legal basis for police use of facial recognition, the current legal framework is complicated, inflexible and difficult to understand, which in turn limits the extent to which facial recognition and similar technologies can be confidently used.

That is why the government is consulting on a new legal framework to inform potential legislation.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she plans to prevent the expansion of live facial recognition technology beyond counter-terrorism and serious crime into routine policing, retail monitoring, or crowd surveillance.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

Live facial recognition technology, which involves processing live video footage of people passing a camera, is used in England and Wales to help locate people who are wanted by the police, in public spaces. The College of Policing has produced national guidance in the form of an Authorised Professional Practice (APP), setting out when the police can use live facial recognition and the categories of people they can look for. These include individuals wanted by the police or the courts, suspects, missing or vulnerable people, or those posing a risk of harm to themselves or others. In each case, inclusion on a watchlist must be justified and authorised, and must pass the tests of necessity, proportionality and use for a policing purpose.

On 4 December the Government launched a consultation on establishing a new legal framework which focuses on the use of facial recognition and similar technologies by law enforcement organisations, for a law enforcement purpose.

The consultation seeks views on whether seriousness of harm should be a factor to decide how and when law enforcement organisations can acquire, retain, and use biometrics, facial recognition, and similar technology. The consultation also asks for views on what factors are relevant to consider when assessing ‘seriousness’ of harm and for which purposes should law enforcement organisations be allowed to use these technologies.

The consultation also explains that the new legal framework will apply to law enforcement organisations. This would include all police forces in England and Wales, and national and specialist law enforcement agencies like the British Transport Police and National Crime Agency and for law enforcement activity by other public bodies such as the Environment Agency, HMRC or Border Force.

We are aware that facial recognition and similar technologies are used more broadly across the public and private sectors. For example, we know that nightclubs use it to help identify barred patrons. Where that is the case they must comply with all relevant existing legislation including the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018 and guidance, with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) as the principal regulator.

Through the consultation we will therefore also consider whether public and private sector organisations ought to have due regard to the new legal framework and especially to any best practice established as a result.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she plans to expand the use of live facial recognition technology for non-criminal matters.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

Live facial recognition technology, which involves processing live video footage of people passing a camera, is used in England and Wales to help locate people who are wanted by the police, in public spaces. The College of Policing has produced national guidance in the form of an Authorised Professional Practice (APP), setting out when the police can use live facial recognition and the categories of people they can look for. These include individuals wanted by the police or the courts, suspects, missing or vulnerable people, or those posing a risk of harm to themselves or others. In each case, inclusion on a watchlist must be justified and authorised, and must pass the tests of necessity, proportionality and use for a policing purpose.

On 4 December the Government launched a consultation on establishing a new legal framework which focuses on the use of facial recognition and similar technologies by law enforcement organisations, for a law enforcement purpose.

The consultation seeks views on whether seriousness of harm should be a factor to decide how and when law enforcement organisations can acquire, retain, and use biometrics, facial recognition, and similar technology. The consultation also asks for views on what factors are relevant to consider when assessing ‘seriousness’ of harm and for which purposes should law enforcement organisations be allowed to use these technologies.

The consultation also explains that the new legal framework will apply to law enforcement organisations. This would include all police forces in England and Wales, and national and specialist law enforcement agencies like the British Transport Police and National Crime Agency and for law enforcement activity by other public bodies such as the Environment Agency, HMRC or Border Force.

We are aware that facial recognition and similar technologies are used more broadly across the public and private sectors. For example, we know that nightclubs use it to help identify barred patrons. Where that is the case they must comply with all relevant existing legislation including the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018 and guidance, with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) as the principal regulator.

Through the consultation we will therefore also consider whether public and private sector organisations ought to have due regard to the new legal framework and especially to any best practice established as a result.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust’s Category 2 response times.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government recognises that in recent years ambulance response times have not met the high standards patients should expect.

We are determined to turn things around. Our Urgent and Emergency Care Plan for 2025/26, backed by almost £450 million of capital investment, commits to reducing ambulance response times for Category 2 incidents to 30 minutes on average this year.  We are also tackling unacceptable ambulance handover delays by introducing a maximum 45-minute standard, supporting ambulances to be released more quickly and get back on the road to treat patients.

We have already seen improvements in ambulance response times for the East of England NHS Trust (EEAST). The latest NHS performance figures for EEAST show that Category 2 incidents were responded to in 37 minutes 27 seconds on average, over 14 minutes faster than the same period last year.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of trends in Accident and Emergency attendances at Basildon Hospital relative to the growth of local population.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Basildon Hospital’s accident and emergency department primarily serves residents of South Basildon and East Thurrock, alongside patients from surrounding areas within the trust’s footprint. The combined population of Basildon and Thurrock is currently approximately 363,600 residents. The total number of accident and emergency attendances at Basildon Hospital in October 2025 was 12,475. Please note that this data is provisional, with finalised figures to be published next month. Attendances at Basildon accident and emergency have increased in recent years, broadly in line with population growth and rising demand for urgent care nationally. Accident and emergency attendance data is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/ae-waiting-times-and-activity/ae-attendances-and-emergency-admissions-2025-26/

The Mid and South Essex Integrated Care Board works closely with the Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust to ensure urgent and emergency care services meet the needs of the local population. This includes reviewing recent and projected demand for urgent care services across all accident and emergency and minor injury units in mid and south Essex to support planning to meet future demand.

The capacity of Basildon Hospital’s accident and emergency department is subject to ongoing review. Local actions for improvement are in place, including service expansion and regular monitoring to ensure the Department can safely manage attendance levels.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the capacity of Basildon Hospital’s Accident and Emergency department to manage current attendance levels safely.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Basildon Hospital’s accident and emergency department primarily serves residents of South Basildon and East Thurrock, alongside patients from surrounding areas within the trust’s footprint. The combined population of Basildon and Thurrock is currently approximately 363,600 residents. The total number of accident and emergency attendances at Basildon Hospital in October 2025 was 12,475. Please note that this data is provisional, with finalised figures to be published next month. Attendances at Basildon accident and emergency have increased in recent years, broadly in line with population growth and rising demand for urgent care nationally. Accident and emergency attendance data is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/ae-waiting-times-and-activity/ae-attendances-and-emergency-admissions-2025-26/

The Mid and South Essex Integrated Care Board works closely with the Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust to ensure urgent and emergency care services meet the needs of the local population. This includes reviewing recent and projected demand for urgent care services across all accident and emergency and minor injury units in mid and south Essex to support planning to meet future demand.

The capacity of Basildon Hospital’s accident and emergency department is subject to ongoing review. Local actions for improvement are in place, including service expansion and regular monitoring to ensure the Department can safely manage attendance levels.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has plans to expand Basildon Hospital’s Accident and Emergency capacity to meet (a) current and (b) projected demand.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Basildon Hospital’s accident and emergency department primarily serves residents of South Basildon and East Thurrock, alongside patients from surrounding areas within the trust’s footprint. The combined population of Basildon and Thurrock is currently approximately 363,600 residents. The total number of accident and emergency attendances at Basildon Hospital in October 2025 was 12,475. Please note that this data is provisional, with finalised figures to be published next month. Attendances at Basildon accident and emergency have increased in recent years, broadly in line with population growth and rising demand for urgent care nationally. Accident and emergency attendance data is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/ae-waiting-times-and-activity/ae-attendances-and-emergency-admissions-2025-26/

The Mid and South Essex Integrated Care Board works closely with the Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust to ensure urgent and emergency care services meet the needs of the local population. This includes reviewing recent and projected demand for urgent care services across all accident and emergency and minor injury units in mid and south Essex to support planning to meet future demand.

The capacity of Basildon Hospital’s accident and emergency department is subject to ongoing review. Local actions for improvement are in place, including service expansion and regular monitoring to ensure the Department can safely manage attendance levels.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the number of people in the Basildon Hospital catchment area served by its Accident and Emergency department.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Basildon Hospital’s accident and emergency department primarily serves residents of South Basildon and East Thurrock, alongside patients from surrounding areas within the trust’s footprint. The combined population of Basildon and Thurrock is currently approximately 363,600 residents. The total number of accident and emergency attendances at Basildon Hospital in October 2025 was 12,475. Please note that this data is provisional, with finalised figures to be published next month. Attendances at Basildon accident and emergency have increased in recent years, broadly in line with population growth and rising demand for urgent care nationally. Accident and emergency attendance data is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/ae-waiting-times-and-activity/ae-attendances-and-emergency-admissions-2025-26/

The Mid and South Essex Integrated Care Board works closely with the Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust to ensure urgent and emergency care services meet the needs of the local population. This includes reviewing recent and projected demand for urgent care services across all accident and emergency and minor injury units in mid and south Essex to support planning to meet future demand.

The capacity of Basildon Hospital’s accident and emergency department is subject to ongoing review. Local actions for improvement are in place, including service expansion and regular monitoring to ensure the Department can safely manage attendance levels.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the accuracy of trust-level reporting on the use of temporary escalation spaces.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The provision of clinical care in corridors is unacceptable, and we are committed to ending its practice in the National Health Service by the end of this Parliament. Furthermore, our Urgent and Emergency Care Plan for 2025/26 committed to publishing data on the prevalence of corridor care.

NHS England has been working with trusts to put in place new reporting arrangements regarding the use of temporary escalation spaces to drive improvement and data transparency. The data quality is currently being reviewed, and we expect to publish the information shortly.

We will also be introducing new clinical operational standards for the first 72 hours of care, setting clear expectations for timely reviews and specialist input, further supporting our efforts to eliminate corridor care and improve patient experience.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of changes to Employee Car Ownership Schemes on the supply of nearly-new vehicles to the second-hand car market.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

At Budget 2025, the government announced that, to allow more time for the sector to prepare for and adapt to the proposed changes in treatment to Employee Car Ownership Schemes (ECOS), its implementation will be delayed to 6 April 2030, with transitional arrangements until April 2032.

The government has published a tax impact and information note, which can be found here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/changes-to-employee-car-ownership-schemes-for-income-tax/changes-to-employee-car-ownership-schemes-ecos

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department collects data on the proportion of reported potholes attributable to (a) standing water and (b) poor drainage.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Local highway authorities have a duty under Section 41 of the Highways Act 1980 to maintain the highways network in their area. The Act does not set out specific standards of maintenance, as it is for each individual local highway authority to assess which parts of its network need repair and what standards should be applied, based upon their local knowledge and circumstances.

Although the Government does not monitor the frequency of potholes caused by suspected drain related instances, it does encourage authorities to maintain their drainage assets through guidance.

For example, the Pothole Guide (2019), commissioned by the Department for Transport and produced by the Association of Directors of Environment, Economy, Planning and Transport (ADEPT), set out that avoiding water penetration into the road surface is of paramount importance in preventing pothole formation, and that “keeping highway drainage systems working as effectively as possible is therefore a key area of maintenance activity.”

Further guidance on asset management for local highways authorities can be found in the Code of Practice for Well-Managed Highways Infrastructure. This states that “drainage assets should be maintained in good working order to reduce the threat and scale of flooding. Particular attention should be paid to locations known to be prone to problems, so that drainage systems operate close to their designed efficiency.”

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the role of (a) drainage and (b) road foundations in the recurrence of potholes.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Local highway authorities have a duty under Section 41 of the Highways Act 1980 to maintain the highways network in their area. The Act does not set out specific standards of maintenance, as it is for each individual local highway authority to assess which parts of its network need repair and what standards should be applied, based upon their local knowledge and circumstances.

Although the Government does not monitor the frequency of potholes caused by suspected drain related instances, it does encourage authorities to maintain their drainage assets through guidance.

For example, the Pothole Guide (2019), commissioned by the Department for Transport and produced by the Association of Directors of Environment, Economy, Planning and Transport (ADEPT), set out that avoiding water penetration into the road surface is of paramount importance in preventing pothole formation, and that “keeping highway drainage systems working as effectively as possible is therefore a key area of maintenance activity.”

Further guidance on asset management for local highways authorities can be found in the Code of Practice for Well-Managed Highways Infrastructure. This states that “drainage assets should be maintained in good working order to reduce the threat and scale of flooding. Particular attention should be paid to locations known to be prone to problems, so that drainage systems operate close to their designed efficiency.”

Question

To ask the Right hon. Member for Kenilworth and Southam, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, whether campaign spending restrictions will continue to apply to individuals whose candidacy was declared for local elections which have been deferred.

Answered by Jeremy Wright

The earliest the regulated period for local election candidates can begin is the day following the last day for publication of the notice of poll.

For deferred elections, this will be in March of the year the election is deferred to. There are no ongoing campaign spending restrictions on candidates before this date.

Relevant guidance is available on the Electoral Commission’s website.

Question

To ask the Right hon. Member for Kenilworth and Southam, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, what the spending limit will be for the Greater Essex mayoral election in 2028.

Answered by Jeremy Wright

The spending limit for a candidate in a combined authority mayoral election, such as the Greater Essex mayoral election in 2028, is not a fixed sum but depends on the number of constituent councils and registered electors at the time of the election.

The formula for a candidate's spending limit during the regulated period is set out in legislation. Currently, this is:

• £3,040 multiplied by the total number of constituent councils, plus
• 8p for every elector registered to vote in the combined authority area.

The Combined Authority Returning Officer will be able to provide the number of constituent councils and registered electors to calculate the spending limit. Relevant guidance is available on the Electoral Commission’s website.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps his Department plans to take to support people with (a) limited or no smartphone access and (b) no prior valid form of ID through the implementation of the digital ID scheme.

Answered by Josh Simons - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The digital ID scheme will be underpinned with the principle that no one should be left behind. Making this system work for everyone will be a top priority, including those who don't have smartphones, are elderly, or are less digitally confident, so everyone will benefit from simpler, safer access to services.

We recognise that not everyone has the same level of digital access or confidence, and that’s why the scheme will be accompanied by a major government digital inclusion drive.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what estimate his Department has made of the potential impact of the digital ID scheme on number of hours saved through streamlining public interaction with state services.

Answered by Josh Simons - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The scope of the digital ID scheme is still in development. The new scheme will be inclusive, secure and useful. It will give people more control over their data than they have now, and it will help to make public services easier to access.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the capacity of magistrates’ courts to handle additional triable-either-way cases.

Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

The magistrates’ court is an effective and efficient jurisdiction – In the 12 months to September 2025 it disposed of 1,448,163 cases with an average timeliness (offence to case completion) for the most recent quarter of 191 days. The Government will ensure there are sufficient numbers of magistrates and will seek to ensure that there are sufficient magistrates’ court sitting days to meet additional demand placed on the system.

An impact assessment for the criminal court reforms will be published alongside legislation in the usual way. In 2024, triable either way offences in the magistrates’ courts completed more than four times faster than in the Crown Court.

The Government has already made significant additional investment in the criminal justice system – in record sitting days, court buildings and technology, and in legal professionals. We have secured record investment (up to £450 million per year for the courts system over the Spending Review period), and we are investing almost £150 million to modernise the court estate, including magistrates’ courts. Discussions about the allocation for 2025-26 between the Deputy Prime Minister and Lady Chief Justice continue and we will provide more detail in due course. Nevertheless, the Deputy Prime Minister has been clear that sitting days in the Crown Court and magistrates’ courts must continue to rise.

We are also accelerating our programme to recruit more new and diverse magistrates over the coming years and we continue to recruit high levels of legal advisers to ensure courts remain resilient.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of whether sentencing outcomes for immigration-related offences under the Nationality and Borders Act 2022 reflect the seriousness of those offences.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Nationality and Borders Act 2022 introduced new and tougher criminal offences for those attempting to enter the UK illegally. Specifically, it raised the maximum penalty for illegal entry from 6 months to 4 years’ imprisonment, increased the maximum penalty for entering in breach of a deportation order to 5 years and introduced life sentences for those facilitating a breach of immigration law. Individual sentences handed down by the courts are a matter for the judiciary, having regard to the Sentencing Council’s General Guideline.

We will continue to keep these offences under review in light of feedback on their operation and evidence as to their impact.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of increased trials without juries on the number of judicial review applications.

Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

Following reforms to the criminal courts, judicial review of criminal court decisions will be available in the same circumstances as it is currently.

We might expect to see an increase in the number of applications, given we expect to see more cases retained in the magistrates’ courts; however, the permission stage of a judicial review will mean that only those with proper grounds for a judicial review will progress.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of speeding up local plan adoption on annual housing supply in each of the next five years.

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

My Department has made no such assessment as we do not forecast or project housing delivery for individual local planning authorities.

We expect the new plan-making system to have a positive impact on housing supply by helping ensure there is a more sustainable pipeline of land for development.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans she has to monitor the time taken by schools to respond to formal complaints.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education has acknowledged the concerns being raised about parental complaints, including the increasing number of complaints being received by schools and the impact it is having on both parents and carers and school leaders, and has been clear that we need to make the system more robust and respectful with a focus on finding resolutions quickly and in the best interest of children.

The department is working closely with the Improving Education Together group to improve the complaints system, including by exploring how we reset the relationship between schools and parents and carers so that issues can be resolved informally, reduce unnecessary duplication, and clarify roles and responsibilities so that complaints that schools cannot resolve are dealt with in a timely manner by the right body.

We expect to provide more detail on how we will improve the school’s complaints system in the Schools White Paper.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the answer to Questions 99609, 99610, and 99611 on Local Government: Essex, whether financial support will be provided to (a) Thurrock, (b) Essex and its lower authorities and (c) Southend councils to compensate them for preparations made for the 2026 mayoral elections.

Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

I spoke to leaders in Greater Essex following the announcement of funding and next steps for the devolution agreements that are being developed through the Devolution Priority Programme. The Department has continued to engage closely with them since the announcement, jointly discussing the benefits devolution will bring to these areas.

As the Government confirmed to Parliament on 4 December, we remain committed to the long-term funding offer to all DPP areas, providing £1 million mayoral capacity funding for all areas for financial year 25/26, and a minimum of £3 million over the following three financial years, subject to the establishment of the Mayoral Strategic Authorities. Government will also provide each area with a proportion of their investment funds to ensure they can start delivering on key local priorities and deliver the benefits of devolution on the ground, ahead of the mayors taking office.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the answer to Question 99612 on Local Government: Essex, if he will publish the minutes of any meetings held discussing the interim voting arrangements of the combined authority for Greater Essex.

Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

I spoke to leaders in Greater Essex following the announcement of funding and next steps for the devolution agreements that are being developed through the Devolution Priority Programme. The Department has continued to engage closely with them since the announcement, jointly discussing the benefits devolution will bring to these areas.

As the Government confirmed to Parliament on 4 December, we remain committed to the long-term funding offer to all DPP areas, providing £1 million mayoral capacity funding for all areas for financial year 25/26, and a minimum of £3 million over the following three financial years, subject to the establishment of the Mayoral Strategic Authorities. Government will also provide each area with a proportion of their investment funds to ensure they can start delivering on key local priorities and deliver the benefits of devolution on the ground, ahead of the mayors taking office.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the answer to Question 99603 on Local Government: Essex, what discussions he had Cabinet colleagues prior to informing councils that multiple mayoral elections would not proceed in 2026.

Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

I spoke to leaders in Greater Essex following the announcement of funding and next steps for the devolution agreements that are being developed through the Devolution Priority Programme. The Department has continued to engage closely with them since the announcement, jointly discussing the benefits devolution will bring to these areas.

As the Government confirmed to Parliament on 4 December, we remain committed to the long-term funding offer to all DPP areas, providing £1 million mayoral capacity funding for all areas for financial year 25/26, and a minimum of £3 million over the following three financial years, subject to the establishment of the Mayoral Strategic Authorities. Government will also provide each area with a proportion of their investment funds to ensure they can start delivering on key local priorities and deliver the benefits of devolution on the ground, ahead of the mayors taking office.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the answer to Question 99604 on Local Government: Essex, if he will publish the minutes of any meetings held with councils whose mayoral elections are not proceeding in 2026.

Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

I spoke to leaders in Greater Essex following the announcement of funding and next steps for the devolution agreements that are being developed through the Devolution Priority Programme. The Department has continued to engage closely with them since the announcement, jointly discussing the benefits devolution will bring to these areas.

As the Government confirmed to Parliament on 4 December, we remain committed to the long-term funding offer to all DPP areas, providing £1 million mayoral capacity funding for all areas for financial year 25/26, and a minimum of £3 million over the following three financial years, subject to the establishment of the Mayoral Strategic Authorities. Government will also provide each area with a proportion of their investment funds to ensure they can start delivering on key local priorities and deliver the benefits of devolution on the ground, ahead of the mayors taking office.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the answer to Question 99603 on Local Government: Essex, if he will publish any meeting minutes for meetings held regarding the decision to delay multiple mayoral elections.

Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

I spoke to leaders in Greater Essex following the announcement of funding and next steps for the devolution agreements that are being developed through the Devolution Priority Programme. The Department has continued to engage closely with them since the announcement, jointly discussing the benefits devolution will bring to these areas.

As the Government confirmed to Parliament on 4 December, we remain committed to the long-term funding offer to all DPP areas, providing £1 million mayoral capacity funding for all areas for financial year 25/26, and a minimum of £3 million over the following three financial years, subject to the establishment of the Mayoral Strategic Authorities. Government will also provide each area with a proportion of their investment funds to ensure they can start delivering on key local priorities and deliver the benefits of devolution on the ground, ahead of the mayors taking office.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Business and Trade on ensuring consistent security standards across private delivery operators during periods of rapid temporary recruitment.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Postal Services Act 2011 designates Ofcom as the independent regulator for the postal sector, with the powers to impose and enforce regulatory requirements on postal operators. In its review of postal regulation in 2022, Ofcom committed to ongoing monitoring of operators’ performance and keep under review the need for additional regulation to protect consumers.

The Government currently has no plans to seek change to the statutory requirements, and it remains that matters relating to employment checks for delivery employees are for individual companies to consider. This is outside the remit of the Home Office.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the adequacy of the regulatory framework for delivery operators, excluding Royal Mail, relating to a) employee vetting and b) security during peak trading periods.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Postal Services Act 2011 designates Ofcom as the independent regulator for the postal sector, with the powers to impose and enforce regulatory requirements on postal operators. In its review of postal regulation in 2022, Ofcom committed to ongoing monitoring of operators’ performance and keep under review the need for additional regulation to protect consumers.

The Government currently has no plans to seek change to the statutory requirements, and it remains that matters relating to employment checks for delivery employees are for individual companies to consider. This is outside the remit of the Home Office.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has conducted a cost-benefit analysis on the fiscal implications of utilising live facial recognition systems; and how this compares to traditional policing methods.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office does not hold data on the number of convictions made following the police’s use of live facial recognition (LFR) technology.  Where police forces are using live facial recognition technology, the number of arrests made following each deployment are published on their respective websites.

Facial recognition technology is a powerful and effective tool for policing, helping them locate wanted offenders, including those missing for years, and monitor individuals subject to court-imposed conditions, such as registered sex offenders.

The use of LFR is increasing and delivering excellent results. Between January 2024 and September 2025, the Met Police reported over 1,300 arrests for offences including, rape, domestic abuse, knife crime, GBH and robbery, following live facial recognition deployments. They also arrested more than 100 registered sex offenders found in breach of their conditions.

Police forces have assessed LFR to be cost-effective due to the ability to identify suspects at a speed that wouldn’t be possible by the vast majority of officers working without its assistance. The Met have found LFR to be three times more effective than existing tactics in identifying individuals they needed to speak to and the government believes that this technology is making a real difference in keeping communities safe.

The Home Office is also funding a national evaluation to understand the impact of facial recognition on police and crime outcomes, and its relationship to public trust and confidence.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many convictions were secured as a result of utilising live facial recognition in the last 12 months.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office does not hold data on the number of convictions made following the police’s use of live facial recognition (LFR) technology.  Where police forces are using live facial recognition technology, the number of arrests made following each deployment are published on their respective websites.

Facial recognition technology is a powerful and effective tool for policing, helping them locate wanted offenders, including those missing for years, and monitor individuals subject to court-imposed conditions, such as registered sex offenders.

The use of LFR is increasing and delivering excellent results. Between January 2024 and September 2025, the Met Police reported over 1,300 arrests for offences including, rape, domestic abuse, knife crime, GBH and robbery, following live facial recognition deployments. They also arrested more than 100 registered sex offenders found in breach of their conditions.

Police forces have assessed LFR to be cost-effective due to the ability to identify suspects at a speed that wouldn’t be possible by the vast majority of officers working without its assistance. The Met have found LFR to be three times more effective than existing tactics in identifying individuals they needed to speak to and the government believes that this technology is making a real difference in keeping communities safe.

The Home Office is also funding a national evaluation to understand the impact of facial recognition on police and crime outcomes, and its relationship to public trust and confidence.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent analysis her Department has conducted on the potential benefits of utilising live facial recognition systems.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office does not hold data on the number of convictions made following the police’s use of live facial recognition (LFR) technology.  Where police forces are using live facial recognition technology, the number of arrests made following each deployment are published on their respective websites.

Facial recognition technology is a powerful and effective tool for policing, helping them locate wanted offenders, including those missing for years, and monitor individuals subject to court-imposed conditions, such as registered sex offenders.

The use of LFR is increasing and delivering excellent results. Between January 2024 and September 2025, the Met Police reported over 1,300 arrests for offences including, rape, domestic abuse, knife crime, GBH and robbery, following live facial recognition deployments. They also arrested more than 100 registered sex offenders found in breach of their conditions.

Police forces have assessed LFR to be cost-effective due to the ability to identify suspects at a speed that wouldn’t be possible by the vast majority of officers working without its assistance. The Met have found LFR to be three times more effective than existing tactics in identifying individuals they needed to speak to and the government believes that this technology is making a real difference in keeping communities safe.

The Home Office is also funding a national evaluation to understand the impact of facial recognition on police and crime outcomes, and its relationship to public trust and confidence.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people were scanned by live facial recognition systems in (a) England and (b) Essex in the last 12 months; and what proportion of those people were not suspected of any crime.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office does not hold data on the number of people scanned following the police’s use of facial recognition technology.

Where police forces are using live facial recognition technology (LFR), the number of arrests made following each deployment are published on their respective websites. For example, the data for Essex Police’s deployments are here Live facial recognition | Essex Police

and the Metropolitan Police has published a Live Facial Recognition Annual Report.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of food labelling requirements.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The UK maintains high standards on the information that is provided on food labels so that consumers can have confidence in the food that they buy. All food sold on the UK market must comply with food labelling rules, which include the requirement for specific information to be presented in a specific way.

In June 2025, Defra published the summary of responses and government response to the fairer food labelling consultation, which was undertaken last year under the previous government. The response is available on GOV.UK.

Defra is committed to engaging with stakeholders on improving transparency and ensuring consumer trust in labelling.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether reporting requirements are in place for police forces to notify her Department of their utilisation of live facial recognition technology.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

There are no mandatory reporting requirements for police forces to notify the Home Office when they deploy live facial recognition (LFR) technology. However, transparency is an important safeguard, and the College of Policing’s national guidance requires forces to give public notice of LFR deployments, making use of their website and social media.

In addition, forces must ensure that clear signage is displayed in areas where LFR is in operation, so the public is aware they are entering a facial recognition area. These measures help maintain public trust and compliance with legal obligations.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment she has made of the potential impact of live facial recognition surveillance on the rights to privacy, freedom of assembly, and freedom of expression.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

Passport photographs are not being enrolled into biometric databases accessible for live facial recognition searches. However, His Majesty’s Passport Office (HMPO) may conduct retrospective facial recognition searches against the passport database, on behalf of police forces, in relation to serious cases e.g. sexual offences, violent offences, serious and organised crime, or those that are of a national security interest. Guidance on this practice, and an Equality Impact Assessment has been published on the GOV.UK site.

When deploying facial recognition technology, police forces must comply with existing legislation including the Human Rights Act 1998, Equality Act 2010, Data Protection Act 2018, Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984, as well as their own published policies. For live facial recognition, police forces must also follow the College of Policing’s Authorised Professional Practice (APP) on Live Facial Recognition. Forces also need to comply with the Surveillance Camera Code of Practice, which is supplemented by published policing policies.

On 4 December the Government launched a consultation on law enforcement use of biometrics, facial recognition and similar technologies. We are consulting on a new legal framework to create consistent, durable rules and appropriate safeguards for biometrics and facial recognition. This framework will aim to strike the right balance between public protection and privacy.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether passport photographs are being enrolled into biometric databases accessible for live facial recognition searches; and what assessment she has made of the privacy implications of this policy.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

Passport photographs are not being enrolled into biometric databases accessible for live facial recognition searches. However, His Majesty’s Passport Office (HMPO) may conduct retrospective facial recognition searches against the passport database, on behalf of police forces, in relation to serious cases e.g. sexual offences, violent offences, serious and organised crime, or those that are of a national security interest. Guidance on this practice, and an Equality Impact Assessment has been published on the GOV.UK site.

When deploying facial recognition technology, police forces must comply with existing legislation including the Human Rights Act 1998, Equality Act 2010, Data Protection Act 2018, Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984, as well as their own published policies. For live facial recognition, police forces must also follow the College of Policing’s Authorised Professional Practice (APP) on Live Facial Recognition. Forces also need to comply with the Surveillance Camera Code of Practice, which is supplemented by published policing policies.

On 4 December the Government launched a consultation on law enforcement use of biometrics, facial recognition and similar technologies. We are consulting on a new legal framework to create consistent, durable rules and appropriate safeguards for biometrics and facial recognition. This framework will aim to strike the right balance between public protection and privacy.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the potential disparity in treatment between members of private sector defined benefit pension schemes and members of the Pension Protection Fund and Financial Assistance Scheme following the introduction of indexation for pre-1997 service.

Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government has brought forward legislation to introduce increases on compensation payments from the Pension Protection Fund and Financial Assistance Scheme that relate to pensions built up before 6 April 1997. These will be CPI-linked (capped at 2.5%) and apply prospectively (i.e. to payments going forward). This will only apply for members whose former schemes provided for these increases and will therefore create greater equality between private sector defined benefit pension schemes who provide pre-97 indexation and members of the Pension Protection Fund and Financial Assistance Scheme who had this feature in their original pension.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the objectives were of the UK–France Nuclear Steering Group held in Paris on 10 December 2025.

Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)

The UK-France Nuclear Steering Group was established to strengthen and provide political direction to UK-France nuclear cooperation and coordinate work across nuclear policy, capabilities and operations.

The UK-France Nuclear Steering Group met in Paris on 10 December to confirm progress made since the UK-France Summit in July and to set further direction for the programme of work to strengthen bilateral nuclear cooperation and enhance coordination of UK and French independent nuclear deterrents.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what information her Department holds on the number of visa applicants whose applications were denied due to criminal records relating to sex offences since 2020.

Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

We take the issue of preventing foreign criminals entering the UK extremely seriously, and we continue to strengthen our borders so that we can prevent crime and protect the public, delivering on this Government’s commitment to tackle foreign criminality. For example, those required to obtain a visa to enter the UK are checked against a range of police, security and immigration databases for details of any UK or overseas criminal record. All applicants are required to provide details of their criminal history. Where it is found that they failed to declare relevant offences/convictions, their application will be refused and they will be subject to a ten-year ban from applying to enter the UK.

We do not hold information on the specific offences relating to refused applications.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what checks are carried out during visa applications to identify previous sexual offence convictions overseas.

Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

We take the issue of preventing foreign criminals entering the UK extremely seriously, and we continue to strengthen our borders so that we can prevent crime and protect the public, delivering on this Government’s commitment to tackle foreign criminality. For example, those required to obtain a visa to enter the UK are checked against a range of police, security and immigration databases for details of any UK or overseas criminal record. All applicants are required to provide details of their criminal history. Where it is found that they failed to declare relevant offences/convictions, their application will be refused and they will be subject to a ten-year ban from applying to enter the UK.

We do not hold information on the specific offences relating to refused applications.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what guidance her Department has issued to local authorities on when resurfacing should be prioritised over pothole filling.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Local highway authorities have a duty under Section 41 of the Highways Act 1980 to maintain the public highway network in their area. The Act does not set out specific standards for maintenance, as it is for each individual local highway authority to assess which parts of its network need repair and what standards should be applied, based upon their local knowledge and circumstances.

The Department does not gather information from local highway authorities about the causes or recurrence of individual potholes. There are occasions where potholes need to be repaired quickly for safety reasons, but the Department encourages local authorities to focus on long-term preventative maintenance, which is more cost-effective than the reactive patching of potholes.

This is a core aspect of the Code of Practice for Well-managed highways infrastructure, which states that “when determining the balance between preventative and reactive maintenance, authorities should adopt the principle that prevention is better than cure”. This is available online, at: https://www.ciht.org.uk/ukrlg-home/code-of-practice/.

The Government is also encouraging local highways authorities to take a long-term preventative approach by making some of their funding conditional on meeting certain best practiced criteria. To qualify for their full share of this financial year's £500m uplift in highways maintenance funding, local authorities had to publish transparency reports and set out how they comply with best practice, for example in relation to the extent to which they prioritise preventative maintenance. In this context, the Department for Transport wrote to all local highway authorities in England in December to inform them whether they would be receiving their full funding uplift, and emphasised the importance of following the guidance set out in the Code of Practice with regard to preventative maintenance.

The findings from the transparency reports will enable the department to identify where extra support may be needed to ensure compliance with best practice. The department will set out more detail on the further support and training it will make available to local authorities in due course.

Finally, regarding analysis of the effectiveness of preventative maintenance approaches, in November 2024 the Department for Transport published an Economic Appraisal of Investing in Local Highway maintenance. The analysis found that proactive maintenance can be more cost effective. In contrast, reactive maintenance was shown to be less cost-effective and associated with higher long-term expenditure. This report can be accessed at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/economic-appraisal-for-investing-in-local-highways-maintenance

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the comparative effectiveness of filling potholes and preventative maintenance measures in the long-term.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Local highway authorities have a duty under Section 41 of the Highways Act 1980 to maintain the public highway network in their area. The Act does not set out specific standards for maintenance, as it is for each individual local highway authority to assess which parts of its network need repair and what standards should be applied, based upon their local knowledge and circumstances.

The Department does not gather information from local highway authorities about the causes or recurrence of individual potholes. There are occasions where potholes need to be repaired quickly for safety reasons, but the Department encourages local authorities to focus on long-term preventative maintenance, which is more cost-effective than the reactive patching of potholes.

This is a core aspect of the Code of Practice for Well-managed highways infrastructure, which states that “when determining the balance between preventative and reactive maintenance, authorities should adopt the principle that prevention is better than cure”. This is available online, at: https://www.ciht.org.uk/ukrlg-home/code-of-practice/.

The Government is also encouraging local highways authorities to take a long-term preventative approach by making some of their funding conditional on meeting certain best practiced criteria. To qualify for their full share of this financial year's £500m uplift in highways maintenance funding, local authorities had to publish transparency reports and set out how they comply with best practice, for example in relation to the extent to which they prioritise preventative maintenance. In this context, the Department for Transport wrote to all local highway authorities in England in December to inform them whether they would be receiving their full funding uplift, and emphasised the importance of following the guidance set out in the Code of Practice with regard to preventative maintenance.

The findings from the transparency reports will enable the department to identify where extra support may be needed to ensure compliance with best practice. The department will set out more detail on the further support and training it will make available to local authorities in due course.

Finally, regarding analysis of the effectiveness of preventative maintenance approaches, in November 2024 the Department for Transport published an Economic Appraisal of Investing in Local Highway maintenance. The analysis found that proactive maintenance can be more cost effective. In contrast, reactive maintenance was shown to be less cost-effective and associated with higher long-term expenditure. This report can be accessed at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/economic-appraisal-for-investing-in-local-highways-maintenance

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the prevalence of recurring potholes on the local road network.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Local highway authorities have a duty under Section 41 of the Highways Act 1980 to maintain the public highway network in their area. The Act does not set out specific standards for maintenance, as it is for each individual local highway authority to assess which parts of its network need repair and what standards should be applied, based upon their local knowledge and circumstances.

The Department does not gather information from local highway authorities about the causes or recurrence of individual potholes. There are occasions where potholes need to be repaired quickly for safety reasons, but the Department encourages local authorities to focus on long-term preventative maintenance, which is more cost-effective than the reactive patching of potholes.

This is a core aspect of the Code of Practice for Well-managed highways infrastructure, which states that “when determining the balance between preventative and reactive maintenance, authorities should adopt the principle that prevention is better than cure”. This is available online, at: https://www.ciht.org.uk/ukrlg-home/code-of-practice/.

The Government is also encouraging local highways authorities to take a long-term preventative approach by making some of their funding conditional on meeting certain best practiced criteria. To qualify for their full share of this financial year's £500m uplift in highways maintenance funding, local authorities had to publish transparency reports and set out how they comply with best practice, for example in relation to the extent to which they prioritise preventative maintenance. In this context, the Department for Transport wrote to all local highway authorities in England in December to inform them whether they would be receiving their full funding uplift, and emphasised the importance of following the guidance set out in the Code of Practice with regard to preventative maintenance.

The findings from the transparency reports will enable the department to identify where extra support may be needed to ensure compliance with best practice. The department will set out more detail on the further support and training it will make available to local authorities in due course.

Finally, regarding analysis of the effectiveness of preventative maintenance approaches, in November 2024 the Department for Transport published an Economic Appraisal of Investing in Local Highway maintenance. The analysis found that proactive maintenance can be more cost effective. In contrast, reactive maintenance was shown to be less cost-effective and associated with higher long-term expenditure. This report can be accessed at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/economic-appraisal-for-investing-in-local-highways-maintenance

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of foreign national sex offenders were subject to deportation orders in each year since 2020.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

The information you have requested is not available from published statistics.

Work is currently underway to improve the quality of information held by the department on foreign national offenders (FNOs). Further information on this work can be found at: Statistics on foreign national offenders and the immigration system - GOV.UK.

We are committed to delivering justice for victims and safer streets for our communities. Foreign nationals who commit serious crimes will face the full force of the law and be deported at the earliest opportunity.

Between 1 November 2024 and 31 October 2025 this government has returned over 5,400 FNOs, a 12 per cent increase on the previous twelve months and we will continue to crack down on any foreign nationals who come to this country and break our laws.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps is she taking to ensure that local road maintenance practices reflect changes in (a) vehicle weight and (b) usage patterns.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Government recognises that heavier vehicles can accelerate road surface wear. While we have not undertaken a specific assessment of this effect, we are actively considering the implications of introducing zero-emission heavy goods vehicles, including the potential for additional road wear.

The increasing weight of all road vehicles, both electric vehicles (EVs) and their petrol and diesel counterparts, is one of many factors affecting the condition of our roads. While EVs tend to be heavier than their equivalent petrol or diesel counterpart, on average all passenger cars have been increasing in weight for many years. This trend has been driven by consumer choice and improving safety features for passengers. It is the much heavier commercial vehicles, rather than passenger vehicles, that cause the most wear and tear to road surfaces and other highway structures.

More broadly, there are many reasons why loadings on local roads may change, such as commercial development increasing traffic and the number of heavier vehicles on a road. Because of this, guidance for local authorities already highlights the need for maintenance plans to account for changes in circumstances. The main guidance for local highway authorities on asset management is the Code of Practice for Well-Managed Highways Infrastructure, published by the UK Roads Leadership Group and funded by the Department for Transport. The guidance sets out a national framework for how local highway authorities should manage their networks using a risk-based, evidence-led approach, taking account of current and expected highways usage.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the implications of electric vehicle uptake for long-term road maintenance costs.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Government recognises that heavier vehicles can accelerate road surface wear. While we have not undertaken a specific assessment of this effect, we are actively considering the implications of introducing zero-emission heavy goods vehicles, including the potential for additional road wear.

The increasing weight of all road vehicles, both electric vehicles (EVs) and their petrol and diesel counterparts, is one of many factors affecting the condition of our roads. While EVs tend to be heavier than their equivalent petrol or diesel counterpart, on average all passenger cars have been increasing in weight for many years. This trend has been driven by consumer choice and improving safety features for passengers. It is the much heavier commercial vehicles, rather than passenger vehicles, that cause the most wear and tear to road surfaces and other highway structures.

More broadly, there are many reasons why loadings on local roads may change, such as commercial development increasing traffic and the number of heavier vehicles on a road. Because of this, guidance for local authorities already highlights the need for maintenance plans to account for changes in circumstances. The main guidance for local highway authorities on asset management is the Code of Practice for Well-Managed Highways Infrastructure, published by the UK Roads Leadership Group and funded by the Department for Transport. The guidance sets out a national framework for how local highway authorities should manage their networks using a risk-based, evidence-led approach, taking account of current and expected highways usage.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the weight of electric vehicles on the condition of the local road network.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Government recognises that heavier vehicles can accelerate road surface wear. While we have not undertaken a specific assessment of this effect, we are actively considering the implications of introducing zero-emission heavy goods vehicles, including the potential for additional road wear.

The increasing weight of all road vehicles, both electric vehicles (EVs) and their petrol and diesel counterparts, is one of many factors affecting the condition of our roads. While EVs tend to be heavier than their equivalent petrol or diesel counterpart, on average all passenger cars have been increasing in weight for many years. This trend has been driven by consumer choice and improving safety features for passengers. It is the much heavier commercial vehicles, rather than passenger vehicles, that cause the most wear and tear to road surfaces and other highway structures.

More broadly, there are many reasons why loadings on local roads may change, such as commercial development increasing traffic and the number of heavier vehicles on a road. Because of this, guidance for local authorities already highlights the need for maintenance plans to account for changes in circumstances. The main guidance for local highway authorities on asset management is the Code of Practice for Well-Managed Highways Infrastructure, published by the UK Roads Leadership Group and funded by the Department for Transport. The guidance sets out a national framework for how local highway authorities should manage their networks using a risk-based, evidence-led approach, taking account of current and expected highways usage.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the backlog in local road maintenance.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Government takes the condition of local roads very seriously and is committed to maintaining and renewing the local highway network, which is why the Government has announced a record of £7.3 billion investment for local highway maintenance over the next four years, bringing annual funding to over £2 billion annually by 2029/30. This investment to improve the condition of our roads will make journeys faster and smoother but also protects drivers from paying hundreds of pounds in costly repairs following pothole-related breakdowns. This builds on nearly £1.6 billion in capital funding that has been provided for local highways maintenance in England for the financial year 2025/26, a £500 million increase compared to the previous financial year. Funding allocations for individual local authorities can be found on gov.uk.

DfT collects and collates information on the condition of roads from local authorities in England annually. This information is published as official statistics. The latest release of these statistics was in December 2024, which covered data for the financial year ending March 2024. These statistics showed that in the financial year ending March 2024:

• Local ‘A’ roads: 4% should have been considered for maintenance, and 27% may require maintenance soon.
• ‘B’ and ‘C’ roads: 7% should have been considered for maintenance, and 31% may require maintenance soon.
• Unclassified roads: 17% should have been considered for maintenance.

The statistics can be found online, at: www.gov.uk/government/statistics/road-conditions-in-england-to-march-2024

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the overall condition of the local road network in England.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Government takes the condition of local roads very seriously and is committed to maintaining and renewing the local highway network, which is why the Government has announced a record of £7.3 billion investment for local highway maintenance over the next four years, bringing annual funding to over £2 billion annually by 2029/30. This investment to improve the condition of our roads will make journeys faster and smoother but also protects drivers from paying hundreds of pounds in costly repairs following pothole-related breakdowns. This builds on nearly £1.6 billion in capital funding that has been provided for local highways maintenance in England for the financial year 2025/26, a £500 million increase compared to the previous financial year. Funding allocations for individual local authorities can be found on gov.uk.

DfT collects and collates information on the condition of roads from local authorities in England annually. This information is published as official statistics. The latest release of these statistics was in December 2024, which covered data for the financial year ending March 2024. These statistics showed that in the financial year ending March 2024:

• Local ‘A’ roads: 4% should have been considered for maintenance, and 27% may require maintenance soon.
• ‘B’ and ‘C’ roads: 7% should have been considered for maintenance, and 31% may require maintenance soon.
• Unclassified roads: 17% should have been considered for maintenance.

The statistics can be found online, at: www.gov.uk/government/statistics/road-conditions-in-england-to-march-2024

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of whether temporary pothole repairs represent value for money where defects repeatedly appear.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Local highway authorities have a duty under Section 41 of the Highways Act 1980 to maintain the public highway network in their area. The Act does not set out specific standards for maintenance, as it is for each individual local highway authority to assess which parts of its network need repair and what standards should be applied, based upon their local knowledge and circumstances.

The Department does not gather information from local highway authorities about the causes or recurrence of individual potholes. There are occasions where potholes need to be repaired quickly for safety reasons, but the Department encourages local authorities to focus on long-term preventative maintenance, which is more cost-effective than the reactive patching of potholes.

This is a core aspect of the Code of Practice for Well-managed highways infrastructure, which states that “when determining the balance between preventative and reactive maintenance, authorities should adopt the principle that prevention is better than cure”. This is available online, at: https://www.ciht.org.uk/ukrlg-home/code-of-practice/.

The Government is also encouraging local highways authorities to take a long-term preventative approach by making some of their funding conditional on meeting certain best practiced criteria. To qualify for their full share of this financial year's £500m uplift in highways maintenance funding, local authorities had to publish transparency reports and set out how they comply with best practice, for example in relation to the extent to which they prioritise preventative maintenance. In this context, the Department for Transport wrote to all local highway authorities in England in December to inform them whether they would be receiving their full funding uplift, and emphasised the importance of following the guidance set out in the Code of Practice with regard to preventative maintenance.

The findings from the transparency reports will enable the department to identify where extra support may be needed to ensure compliance with best practice. The department will set out more detail on the further support and training it will make available to local authorities in due course.

Finally, regarding analysis of the effectiveness of preventative maintenance approaches, in November 2024 the Department for Transport published an Economic Appraisal of Investing in Local Highway maintenance. The analysis found that proactive maintenance can be more cost effective. In contrast, reactive maintenance was shown to be less cost-effective and associated with higher long-term expenditure. This report can be accessed at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/economic-appraisal-for-investing-in-local-highways-maintenance

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what data she collects on the frequency with which the same potholes are repaired multiple times within a year.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Local highway authorities have a duty under Section 41 of the Highways Act 1980 to maintain the public highway network in their area. The Act does not set out specific standards for maintenance, as it is for each individual local highway authority to assess which parts of its network need repair and what standards should be applied, based upon their local knowledge and circumstances.

The Department does not gather information from local highway authorities about the causes or recurrence of individual potholes. There are occasions where potholes need to be repaired quickly for safety reasons, but the Department encourages local authorities to focus on long-term preventative maintenance, which is more cost-effective than the reactive patching of potholes.

This is a core aspect of the Code of Practice for Well-managed highways infrastructure, which states that “when determining the balance between preventative and reactive maintenance, authorities should adopt the principle that prevention is better than cure”. This is available online, at: https://www.ciht.org.uk/ukrlg-home/code-of-practice/.

The Government is also encouraging local highways authorities to take a long-term preventative approach by making some of their funding conditional on meeting certain best practiced criteria. To qualify for their full share of this financial year's £500m uplift in highways maintenance funding, local authorities had to publish transparency reports and set out how they comply with best practice, for example in relation to the extent to which they prioritise preventative maintenance. In this context, the Department for Transport wrote to all local highway authorities in England in December to inform them whether they would be receiving their full funding uplift, and emphasised the importance of following the guidance set out in the Code of Practice with regard to preventative maintenance.

The findings from the transparency reports will enable the department to identify where extra support may be needed to ensure compliance with best practice. The department will set out more detail on the further support and training it will make available to local authorities in due course.

Finally, regarding analysis of the effectiveness of preventative maintenance approaches, in November 2024 the Department for Transport published an Economic Appraisal of Investing in Local Highway maintenance. The analysis found that proactive maintenance can be more cost effective. In contrast, reactive maintenance was shown to be less cost-effective and associated with higher long-term expenditure. This report can be accessed at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/economic-appraisal-for-investing-in-local-highways-maintenance

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what guidance her Department has issued to local authorities on preventing the recurrence of potholes in the same locations.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Local highway authorities have a duty under Section 41 of the Highways Act 1980 to maintain the public highway network in their area. The Act does not set out specific standards for maintenance, as it is for each individual local highway authority to assess which parts of its network need repair and what standards should be applied, based upon their local knowledge and circumstances.

The Department does not gather information from local highway authorities about the causes or recurrence of individual potholes. There are occasions where potholes need to be repaired quickly for safety reasons, but the Department encourages local authorities to focus on long-term preventative maintenance, which is more cost-effective than the reactive patching of potholes.

This is a core aspect of the Code of Practice for Well-managed highways infrastructure, which states that “when determining the balance between preventative and reactive maintenance, authorities should adopt the principle that prevention is better than cure”. This is available online, at: https://www.ciht.org.uk/ukrlg-home/code-of-practice/.

The Government is also encouraging local highways authorities to take a long-term preventative approach by making some of their funding conditional on meeting certain best practiced criteria. To qualify for their full share of this financial year's £500m uplift in highways maintenance funding, local authorities had to publish transparency reports and set out how they comply with best practice, for example in relation to the extent to which they prioritise preventative maintenance. In this context, the Department for Transport wrote to all local highway authorities in England in December to inform them whether they would be receiving their full funding uplift, and emphasised the importance of following the guidance set out in the Code of Practice with regard to preventative maintenance.

The findings from the transparency reports will enable the department to identify where extra support may be needed to ensure compliance with best practice. The department will set out more detail on the further support and training it will make available to local authorities in due course.

Finally, regarding analysis of the effectiveness of preventative maintenance approaches, in November 2024 the Department for Transport published an Economic Appraisal of Investing in Local Highway maintenance. The analysis found that proactive maintenance can be more cost effective. In contrast, reactive maintenance was shown to be less cost-effective and associated with higher long-term expenditure. This report can be accessed at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/economic-appraisal-for-investing-in-local-highways-maintenance

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the relationship between vehicle weight and the formation or deepening of potholes.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Government recognises that heavier vehicles can accelerate road surface wear. While we have not undertaken a specific assessment of this effect, we are actively considering the implications of introducing zero-emission heavy goods vehicles, including the potential for additional road wear.

The increasing weight of all road vehicles, both electric vehicles (EVs) and their petrol and diesel counterparts, is one of many factors affecting the condition of our roads. While EVs tend to be heavier than their equivalent petrol or diesel counterpart, on average all passenger cars have been increasing in weight for many years. This trend has been driven by consumer choice and improving safety features for passengers. It is the much heavier commercial vehicles, rather than passenger vehicles, that cause the most wear and tear to road surfaces and other highway structures.

More broadly, there are many reasons why loadings on local roads may change, such as commercial development increasing traffic and the number of heavier vehicles on a road. Because of this, guidance for local authorities already highlights the need for maintenance plans to account for changes in circumstances. The main guidance for local highway authorities on asset management is the Code of Practice for Well-Managed Highways Infrastructure, published by the UK Roads Leadership Group and funded by the Department for Transport. The guidance sets out a national framework for how local highway authorities should manage their networks using a risk-based, evidence-led approach, taking account of current and expected highways usage.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of whether (a) electric vehicles, (b) buses and (c) lorries accelerate road surface deterioration.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Government recognises that heavier vehicles can accelerate road surface wear. While we have not undertaken a specific assessment of this effect, we are actively considering the implications of introducing zero-emission heavy goods vehicles, including the potential for additional road wear.

The increasing weight of all road vehicles, both electric vehicles (EVs) and their petrol and diesel counterparts, is one of many factors affecting the condition of our roads. While EVs tend to be heavier than their equivalent petrol or diesel counterpart, on average all passenger cars have been increasing in weight for many years. This trend has been driven by consumer choice and improving safety features for passengers. It is the much heavier commercial vehicles, rather than passenger vehicles, that cause the most wear and tear to road surfaces and other highway structures.

More broadly, there are many reasons why loadings on local roads may change, such as commercial development increasing traffic and the number of heavier vehicles on a road. Because of this, guidance for local authorities already highlights the need for maintenance plans to account for changes in circumstances. The main guidance for local highway authorities on asset management is the Code of Practice for Well-Managed Highways Infrastructure, published by the UK Roads Leadership Group and funded by the Department for Transport. The guidance sets out a national framework for how local highway authorities should manage their networks using a risk-based, evidence-led approach, taking account of current and expected highways usage.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of accessibility requirements for Changing Places toilets in private sector developments.

Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Through our £30.5 million Changing Places Toilet programme, we have supported the installation of 483 new disabled toilet facilities across 220 local authority areas in England. This targeted investment helped address gaps where provision was limited or non-existent.

Although this programme closed on 31 March 2025, changes to building regulations made in January 2021 require Changing Places facilities in new public buildings (or those undergoing major redevelopment) that fall above a certain size threshold. This aims to significantly increase the availability of these vital facilities over time and makes accessibility a mainstream consideration in how we plan and build our public spaces.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the planned imposition of customs duties on low value imports from March 2029 on the logistics industry.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

Following an estimated tripling of low value import volumes between 2021 and 2024, with the rapid rise in cross-border e-commerce, the Chancellor has reviewed the existing customs arrangements for low value imports to determine whether they are fit for purpose. The rapid growth in low value imports is hurting our high streets and retailers. The government is taking action to address the difference in treatment between low value imports and goods shipped by high street retailers, and ensure these goods are adequately controlled.

At Budget 2025, the government announced that it is removing the customs duty relief on goods imported into the UK worth up to £135, making them subject to customs duty, and consulting on a new set of customs arrangements for these goods. The consultation covers the design and implementation of the new low value import customs arrangements, including what data could be collected, how customs duty should be applied, and whether to apply an additional fee to fund administration activity.

The government recognises that these proposals will require changes and is inviting stakeholders, including the logistics industry, to provide input on how the new arrangements can be implemented to ensure changes are delivered as smoothly as possible, ensure goods are appropriately controlled, and address the tariff treatment between online retailers who ship directly to the UK and high street retailers who import goods in bulk.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she plans to require food labels to state the method of slaughter used for meat products, including pre-stunning.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Flyde, Mr Andrew Snowden, on 17 December 2025 to PQ UIN 99375.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate she has made of the cost of cyber attacks on UK-based businesses in the last 12 months.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

An increasingly hostile cyber threat poses a risk to the UK economy and public finances. According to the Office for National Statistics, the decline in the manufacture of motor vehicles, observed in the wake of the cyber attack on Jaguar Land Rover, reduced September’s GDP by 0.17%. In the 2022 Fiscal Risks and Sustainability report, the Office for Budget Responsibility estimated that a cyber-attack on critical national infrastructure could temporarily increase borrowing by around £30 billion – equivalent to 1.1% of GDP.

Cyber-attacks have significant costs for UK businesses. Recent KPMG modelling for the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology suggests the average cost of a significant cyber-attack for an individual business in the UK is around £194,729. KPMG estimate this could represent a total yearly cost to businesses in the UK of £14.7 billion, representing 0.5% of the UK’s annual GDP.

The government is committed to strengthening cyber security across the UK. The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) provides a range of tools, guidance and support to businesses to improve their cyber security. At last year's Spending Review, the government increased the Single Intelligence Account's budget by £1 billion over the SR period, which funds the critical cybersecurity work conducted by NCSC.

The UK’s cyber resilience relies on all businesses playing their part. The Chancellor of the Exchequer; Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology; Secretary of State for Business and Trade; Minister for Security; CEO of the National Cyber Security Centre and Director General of the National Crime Agency wrote to chief executives and chairs of FTSE 350 companies in October 2025 year asking them to make cyber security a top priority.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent estimate her Department has made of the cost of cyber attacks to the economy.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

An increasingly hostile cyber threat poses a risk to the UK economy and public finances. According to the Office for National Statistics, the decline in the manufacture of motor vehicles, observed in the wake of the cyber attack on Jaguar Land Rover, reduced September’s GDP by 0.17%. In the 2022 Fiscal Risks and Sustainability report, the Office for Budget Responsibility estimated that a cyber-attack on critical national infrastructure could temporarily increase borrowing by around £30 billion – equivalent to 1.1% of GDP.

Cyber-attacks have significant costs for UK businesses. Recent KPMG modelling for the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology suggests the average cost of a significant cyber-attack for an individual business in the UK is around £194,729. KPMG estimate this could represent a total yearly cost to businesses in the UK of £14.7 billion, representing 0.5% of the UK’s annual GDP.

The government is committed to strengthening cyber security across the UK. The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) provides a range of tools, guidance and support to businesses to improve their cyber security. At last year's Spending Review, the government increased the Single Intelligence Account's budget by £1 billion over the SR period, which funds the critical cybersecurity work conducted by NCSC.

The UK’s cyber resilience relies on all businesses playing their part. The Chancellor of the Exchequer; Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology; Secretary of State for Business and Trade; Minister for Security; CEO of the National Cyber Security Centre and Director General of the National Crime Agency wrote to chief executives and chairs of FTSE 350 companies in October 2025 year asking them to make cyber security a top priority.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what representations the Government made to the European Commission at the Citizens’ Rights Specialised Committee meeting on 18 December 2025 regarding the protection of UK nationals’ rights in the EU.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

Information on matters discussed at the Specialised Committee on Citizens’ Rights is available here: Citizens’ Rights Specialised Committee meeting, 18 December 2025: joint statement - GOV.UK. The UK and the EU are committed to working cooperatively to ensure full and faithful implementation of the citizens’ rights part of the Withdrawal Agreement.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what guidance his Department has issued on the use of targeted advertising on platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, and Reddit for Government communications campaigns.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

The Government uses a range of channels to reach and engage the public. Any use of these platforms is assessed against the high standards for digital safety set out in the Government Communication Service (GCS) SAFE framework.

To ensure all government communications are clear, accurate and authoritative, GCS has established general guidance at https://www.communications.gov.uk/guidance/. This includes the Generative AI Policy (https://www.communications.gov.uk/publications/gcs-generative-ai-policy/) and the Framework for Ethical Innovation in Government Communications (https://www.communications.gov.uk/publications/gcs-framework-for-ethical-innovation/) .

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to her speech at the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 18 December 2025, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the joint migration plan with Greece on levels of illegal migration via Greece to the UK in the next five years.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK works closely with the Greek Government on a large number of issues, as set out in the Foreign Secretary's remarks in Athens on 18 December, including our close trading relationship, our cooperation on migration issues, and our partnerships within NATO and the United Nations Security Council. Further details of our work in all areas will be set out in the usual way in due course.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to her speech at the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 18 December 2025, if she will set out the overall objectives of the joint migration plan with Greece.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK works closely with the Greek Government on a large number of issues, as set out in the Foreign Secretary's remarks in Athens on 18 December, including our close trading relationship, our cooperation on migration issues, and our partnerships within NATO and the United Nations Security Council. Further details of our work in all areas will be set out in the usual way in due course.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to her speech at the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 18 December 2025, what estimate she has made of the potential impact of the North Africa Migration and Development Programme on levels of illegal migration to the UK in the next five years.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK works closely with the Greek Government on a large number of issues, as set out in the Foreign Secretary's remarks in Athens on 18 December, including our close trading relationship, our cooperation on migration issues, and our partnerships within NATO and the United Nations Security Council. Further details of our work in all areas will be set out in the usual way in due course.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to her speech at the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 18 December 2025, what steps she will take to safeguard the North Africa Migration and Development Programme from possible corruption.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK works closely with the Greek Government on a large number of issues, as set out in the Foreign Secretary's remarks in Athens on 18 December, including our close trading relationship, our cooperation on migration issues, and our partnerships within NATO and the United Nations Security Council. Further details of our work in all areas will be set out in the usual way in due course.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to her speech at the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 18 December 2025, how the £1.5 million for the North Africa Migration and Development Programme will be allocated.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK works closely with the Greek Government on a large number of issues, as set out in the Foreign Secretary's remarks in Athens on 18 December, including our close trading relationship, our cooperation on migration issues, and our partnerships within NATO and the United Nations Security Council. Further details of our work in all areas will be set out in the usual way in due course.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of the effectiveness of her Department's existing upstream migration prevention work in North Africa.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK works closely with the Greek Government on a large number of issues, as set out in the Foreign Secretary's remarks in Athens on 18 December, including our close trading relationship, our cooperation on migration issues, and our partnerships within NATO and the United Nations Security Council. Further details of our work in all areas will be set out in the usual way in due course.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that the use of digital and AI‑driven communications provides clear, accurate and authoritative information to the public.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

The Government uses a range of channels to reach and engage the public. Any use of these platforms is assessed against the high standards for digital safety set out in the Government Communication Service (GCS) SAFE framework.

To ensure all government communications are clear, accurate and authoritative, GCS has established general guidance at https://www.communications.gov.uk/guidance/. This includes the Generative AI Policy (https://www.communications.gov.uk/publications/gcs-generative-ai-policy/) and the Framework for Ethical Innovation in Government Communications (https://www.communications.gov.uk/publications/gcs-framework-for-ethical-innovation/) .

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to increase trade and economic cooperation with Greece.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK works closely with the Greek Government on a large number of issues, as set out in the Foreign Secretary's remarks in Athens on 18 December, including our close trading relationship, our cooperation on migration issues, and our partnerships within NATO and the United Nations Security Council. Further details of our work in all areas will be set out in the usual way in due course.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what data he collects on employment retention for claimants supported by Jobcentre Plus.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

I refer the Hon. member to the answer given to Parliamentary Question 99406.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what information her Department holds on the number of British citizens born (a) in the UK and (b) abroad who have been deported after their citizenship was revoked in each of the last 5 years.

Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The British Nationality Act 1981 provides the Secretary of State with the power to deprive an individual of their British citizenship where:

• The Secretary of State is satisfied that it would be conducive to the public good;

• The person acquired citizenship as a result of fraud, false representations or concealment of a material fact

The Government considers that deprivation on ‘conducive grounds’ is an appropriate response to activities such as those involving:

• National security, including espionage and acts of terrorism directed at this country or an allied power;

• Unacceptable behaviour of the kind mentioned in the then Home Secretary’s statement of 24 August 2005 (‘glorification’ of terrorism etc);

• War crimes; and

• Serious organised crime.

The Home Office publishes data relating to those deprived of British Citizenship on ‘conducive to the public good’ grounds. These are published in the Government Transparency Report: Disruptive and Investigatory Powers. Reports have been published up to 2024.

The figures from the previous five years of individuals who have been deprived of their British citizenship for this reason, are below:

In the interest of safeguarding national security, we do not break down these figures into sub-categories.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department plans to review the British citizenship of dual nationals convicted of previously expressing violent, racist or xenophobic sentiments.

Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The British Nationality Act 1981 provides the Secretary of State with the power to deprive an individual of their British citizenship where:

• The Secretary of State is satisfied that it would be conducive to the public good;

• The person acquired citizenship as a result of fraud, false representations or concealment of a material fact

The Government considers that deprivation on ‘conducive grounds’ is an appropriate response to activities such as those involving:

• National security, including espionage and acts of terrorism directed at this country or an allied power;

• Unacceptable behaviour of the kind mentioned in the then Home Secretary’s statement of 24 August 2005 (‘glorification’ of terrorism etc);

• War crimes; and

• Serious organised crime.

The Home Office publishes data relating to those deprived of British Citizenship on ‘conducive to the public good’ grounds. These are published in the Government Transparency Report: Disruptive and Investigatory Powers. Reports have been published up to 2024.

The figures from the previous five years of individuals who have been deprived of their British citizenship for this reason, are below:

In the interest of safeguarding national security, we do not break down these figures into sub-categories.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 2 December 2025 to Question 94070, when the independent investigation will be published.

Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

An independent investigation has been launched to tackle the persistently high numbers of young people out of work, education and training.

Led by former Health Secretary Alan Milburn, the review will examine why increasing numbers of young people are falling out of work or education before their careers have begun.

The review will be taken forward in two distinct phases: a discovery phase; and a solution phase.

The discovery phase will conclude by Spring 2026, at which point the Author is expected to produce, and submit to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, an interim review.

The review will then continue into the solution phase, with the Chair providing a full and final review by Summer 2026.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 3 December 2025 to Question 94814, what his timetable is for deciding whether the NHS Health Accelerator model will be expanded beyond the three currently funded Integrated Care Boards.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The 2025 Spending Review was published on 11 June 2025 by HM Treasury and sets out departmental budgets for day‑to‑day spending until 2028/29, and until 2029/30 for capital investment. The 2025 Spending Review is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/spending-review-2025-document

The Department has a financial planning exercise to allocate budgets within those financial years underway. Spending plans will be set out in the Main Supply Estimates when published in due course by HM Treasury.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the total lifetime cost is of Private Finance Initiative contracts relating to school and college buildings in (a) Essex, and (b) the UK.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.

The department directly manages the PF2 contracts for the Priority Schools Building Programme (PSBP) projects that were entered into by the Secretary of State for Education. All other schools’ PFI contracts were entered into by the relevant contracting counterparty, which is the relevant local authority.

The cost information requested on PFI projects in Essex and England is published annually by HMT at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pfi-and-pf2-projects-2024-summary-data.

Please note that, with the exception of the department’s PF2 projects, all information on PFI contracts is collated from local authorities and the department is unable to guarantee the accuracy of this information. Further details are available from the local authorities.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans she has to fund infrastructure to support the logistics industry.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

This Government is taking signification action on infrastructure used by logistics.

National support for the road haulage industry includes joint investment with industry in lorry parking and driver welfare facilities of up to £35.7 million. This is in addition to up to £30 million joint investment by National Highways and industry to improve lorry parking on the strategic road network (SRN). The Government is also investing £25 billion in the SRN over the next 5 years.

At Autumn Budget 2025, the Government committed a further £891 million to complete the publicly funded works for the Lower Thames Crossing, to enable the private sector to take forward construction and long-term operation. The most significant road building scheme in a generation, this will relieve congestion at the Dartford Crossing, improve connectivity across the UK and to major ports, improving resilience and reliability for freight.

To support decarbonisation, the Government has invested up to £120 million in the Zero Emission HGV and Infrastructure Demonstrator, alongside up to £30 million in the Depot Charging Scheme. The Plug‑in Truck Grant also helps reduce the upfront cost of zero‑emission HGVs.

The recent Spending Review saw average annual funding increase for the Rail Network Enhancements Pipeline over the next four years which will support rail freight growth.

My department is updating planning and regulatory processes for ports, including the National Policy Statement for Ports. The Government is working with the National Wealth Fund, which has committed at least £5.8 billion of its capital to five sectors, including ports.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many Private Finance Initiative contracts include index‑linked payment mechanisms; and what the estimated additional cost has been as a result of inflation over the last five years.

Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

The Government’s preferred financing model for any type of infrastructure project is the one that offers the best value for money. Proposals are appraised on a case-by-case basis using the Green Book.

Public sector contracting authorities directly manage Private Finance Initiative (PFI) contracts and are responsible for monitoring and managing their respective contracts to ensure value for money.

Since 2020, the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority (NISTA), formerly Infrastructure and Projects Authority, has provided advice and training directly to contracting authorities to support them in navigating issues relating to PFI projects (operational and expiry-related).

PFI payments are made by “unitary charge”, which are not broken down by underlying cost drivers. Therefore, the proportion of payments that are (a) capital repayment, (b) interest and (c) service charges is not readily available, nor is data on costs which have arisen because of inflation and indexing.

Data on PFI and PF2 projects can be found at the following weblink: PFI and PF2 projects: 2024 Summary Data - GOV.UK

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department will publish the new assessment of the financial impact of estate management charges on homeowners, and when this assessment is expected to be completed.

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

I refer the hon. Members to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 18 December 2025 (HCWS1210).

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, when the requirement for estate managers to produce an annual report containing financial and non‑financial information will come into force.

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

I refer the hon. Members to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 18 December 2025 (HCWS1210).

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department plans to improve data collection on the operation, costs, and performance of private estate management companies.

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

I refer the hon. Members to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 18 December 2025 (HCWS1210).

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what plans the Government has to strengthen dispute resolution mechanisms for homeowners challenging estate management charges.

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

I refer the hon. Members to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 18 December 2025 (HCWS1210).

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what criteria he will use to determine when substitute managers may be appointed in cases of serious failure by estate management companies.

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

I refer the hon. Members to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 18 December 2025 (HCWS1210).

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department is taking steps to reduce private estate management arrangements on new housing developments.

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

I refer the hon. Members to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 18 December 2025 (HCWS1210).

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether the Government plans to make it mandatory for local authorities to adopt certain shared facilities on new housing estates.

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

I refer the hon. Members to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 18 December 2025 (HCWS1210).

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether the Government plans to make resident‑controlled management the default model for new freehold estates.

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

I refer the hon. Members to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 18 December 2025 (HCWS1210).

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department has made an estimate of the number of homeowners in South Basildon and East Thurrock constituency at risk of (a) losing access to homes and (b) having a lease imposed due to unpaid estate rent charges.

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

I refer the hon. Members to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 18 December 2025 (HCWS1210).

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, when he plans to introduce standardised information requirements for estate management charges.

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

I refer the hon. Members to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 18 December 2025 (HCWS1210).

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when she plans to bring forward legislative proposals to end puppy farming.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Government is committed to ending puppy farming and the low welfare breeding of dogs. As part of the Animal Welfare Strategy, the Government has committed to launch a consultation on dog breeding reform.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to his Department's press release entitled Housing Sec pledges to 'go further than ever before' to hit 1.5 million homes, published on 16 December 2025, whether his reforms will support council house construction in (a) Thurrock and (b) Basildon.

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

The government is taking action to support all local authorities, including those in Thurrock and Basildon, to increase their levels of council housing construction.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when she plans to launch the consultation on banning the use of electric shock collars.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Government is concerned about the possible welfare implications of the use of electric shock collars.

As set out in the Animal Welfare Strategy, we will consult on whether to ban the use of electric shock collars later in this Parliament.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether her Department has reviewed opportunities to (a) renegotiate, (b) buy out and (c) reduce the long‑term cost of Private Finance Initiative contracts.

Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

The Government’s preferred financing model for any type of infrastructure project is the one that offers the best value for money. Proposals are appraised on a case-by-case basis using the Green Book.

Public sector contracting authorities directly manage Private Finance Initiative (PFI) contracts and are responsible for monitoring and managing their respective contracts to ensure value for money.

Since 2020, the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority (NISTA), formerly Infrastructure and Projects Authority, has provided advice and training directly to contracting authorities to support them in navigating issues relating to PFI projects (operational and expiry-related).

PFI payments are made by “unitary charge”, which are not broken down by underlying cost drivers. Therefore, the proportion of payments that are (a) capital repayment, (b) interest and (c) service charges is not readily available, nor is data on costs which have arisen because of inflation and indexing.

Data on PFI and PF2 projects can be found at the following weblink: PFI and PF2 projects: 2024 Summary Data - GOV.UK

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps her Department is taking to monitor the financial resilience and tax arrangements of companies holding Private Finance Initiative contracts.

Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

The Government’s preferred financing model for any type of infrastructure project is the one that offers the best value for money. Proposals are appraised on a case-by-case basis using the Green Book.

Public sector contracting authorities directly manage Private Finance Initiative (PFI) contracts and are responsible for monitoring and managing their respective contracts to ensure value for money.

Since 2020, the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority (NISTA), formerly Infrastructure and Projects Authority, has provided advice and training directly to contracting authorities to support them in navigating issues relating to PFI projects (operational and expiry-related).

PFI payments are made by “unitary charge”, which are not broken down by underlying cost drivers. Therefore, the proportion of payments that are (a) capital repayment, (b) interest and (c) service charges is not readily available, nor is data on costs which have arisen because of inflation and indexing.

Data on PFI and PF2 projects can be found at the following weblink: PFI and PF2 projects: 2024 Summary Data - GOV.UK

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what proportion of payments under Private Finance Initiative contracts in the last financial year related to (a) capital repayment, (b) interest and (c) service charges.

Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

The Government’s preferred financing model for any type of infrastructure project is the one that offers the best value for money. Proposals are appraised on a case-by-case basis using the Green Book.

Public sector contracting authorities directly manage Private Finance Initiative (PFI) contracts and are responsible for monitoring and managing their respective contracts to ensure value for money.

Since 2020, the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority (NISTA), formerly Infrastructure and Projects Authority, has provided advice and training directly to contracting authorities to support them in navigating issues relating to PFI projects (operational and expiry-related).

PFI payments are made by “unitary charge”, which are not broken down by underlying cost drivers. Therefore, the proportion of payments that are (a) capital repayment, (b) interest and (c) service charges is not readily available, nor is data on costs which have arisen because of inflation and indexing.

Data on PFI and PF2 projects can be found at the following weblink: PFI and PF2 projects: 2024 Summary Data - GOV.UK

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment her Department has made of the value for money of Private Finance Initiative and PF2 contracts.

Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

The Government’s preferred financing model for any type of infrastructure project is the one that offers the best value for money. Proposals are appraised on a case-by-case basis using the Green Book.

Public sector contracting authorities directly manage Private Finance Initiative (PFI) contracts and are responsible for monitoring and managing their respective contracts to ensure value for money.

Since 2020, the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority (NISTA), formerly Infrastructure and Projects Authority, has provided advice and training directly to contracting authorities to support them in navigating issues relating to PFI projects (operational and expiry-related).

PFI payments are made by “unitary charge”, which are not broken down by underlying cost drivers. Therefore, the proportion of payments that are (a) capital repayment, (b) interest and (c) service charges is not readily available, nor is data on costs which have arisen because of inflation and indexing.

Data on PFI and PF2 projects can be found at the following weblink: PFI and PF2 projects: 2024 Summary Data - GOV.UK

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department has taken to increase awareness of tenants living in unsafe or unsuitable accommodation of their rights under Rent Repayment Orders.

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

My Department will publish guidance for tenants on how to use Rent Repayment Orders in due course.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the annual cost to the public purse was of active Private Finance Initiative contracts in the most recent financial year for which data is available.

Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

The Government’s preferred financing model for any type of infrastructure project is the one that offers the best value for money. Proposals are appraised on a case-by-case basis using the Green Book.

Public sector contracting authorities directly manage Private Finance Initiative (PFI) contracts and are responsible for monitoring and managing their respective contracts to ensure value for money.

Since 2020, the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority (NISTA), formerly Infrastructure and Projects Authority, has provided advice and training directly to contracting authorities to support them in navigating issues relating to PFI projects (operational and expiry-related).

PFI payments are made by “unitary charge”, which are not broken down by underlying cost drivers. Therefore, the proportion of payments that are (a) capital repayment, (b) interest and (c) service charges is not readily available, nor is data on costs which have arisen because of inflation and indexing.

Data on PFI and PF2 projects can be found at the following weblink: PFI and PF2 projects: 2024 Summary Data - GOV.UK

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much has been paid in unitary charges under Private Finance Initiative contracts in each of the last ten financial years.

Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

The Government’s preferred financing model for any type of infrastructure project is the one that offers the best value for money. Proposals are appraised on a case-by-case basis using the Green Book.

Public sector contracting authorities directly manage Private Finance Initiative (PFI) contracts and are responsible for monitoring and managing their respective contracts to ensure value for money.

Since 2020, the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority (NISTA), formerly Infrastructure and Projects Authority, has provided advice and training directly to contracting authorities to support them in navigating issues relating to PFI projects (operational and expiry-related).

PFI payments are made by “unitary charge”, which are not broken down by underlying cost drivers. Therefore, the proportion of payments that are (a) capital repayment, (b) interest and (c) service charges is not readily available, nor is data on costs which have arisen because of inflation and indexing.

Data on PFI and PF2 projects can be found at the following weblink: PFI and PF2 projects: 2024 Summary Data - GOV.UK

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the projected cost is of Private Finance Initiative and PF2 contracts over their remaining lifetimes.

Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

The Government’s preferred financing model for any type of infrastructure project is the one that offers the best value for money. Proposals are appraised on a case-by-case basis using the Green Book.

Public sector contracting authorities directly manage Private Finance Initiative (PFI) contracts and are responsible for monitoring and managing their respective contracts to ensure value for money.

Since 2020, the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority (NISTA), formerly Infrastructure and Projects Authority, has provided advice and training directly to contracting authorities to support them in navigating issues relating to PFI projects (operational and expiry-related).

PFI payments are made by “unitary charge”, which are not broken down by underlying cost drivers. Therefore, the proportion of payments that are (a) capital repayment, (b) interest and (c) service charges is not readily available, nor is data on costs which have arisen because of inflation and indexing.

Data on PFI and PF2 projects can be found at the following weblink: PFI and PF2 projects: 2024 Summary Data - GOV.UK

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the energy efficiency of electric heavy goods vehicles.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Zero Emission HGV Infrastructure Demonstrator programme will report on the impacts of weather, terrain, driver behaviour, and payload on efficiency and range of electric HGVs. Over 150 vehicles are now operational in UK fleets with a further 150 due to enter service by March 2026. A trial of 20 electric HGVs in public sector fleets ran between April 2022 and September 2023 and information including total miles travelled, energy consumption, and vehicle range were published and are available online at http://bett.cenex.co.uk.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how many cyber-attacks he estimates have been conducted against One Login in the past three years.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Government does not routinely comment on operational security matters.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Health and Safety Executive's correspondence entitled Potential risks from transfer slabs in buildings, published on 19 December 2025, when he expects the independent research commissioned by the Building Safety Regulator to be completed and published.

Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Building Safety Regulator (BSR) is working with industry experts and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to better understand the extent of the risk, and how the risk can be identified and managed proportionately in existing buildings.

BSR is currently working with sector partners to establish what further guidance is needed to help building owners manage this risk. We will be providing further advice to building owners on this.

BSR commissioned independent research in late 2024 relating to transfer slabs. This research is ongoing, and we will publish the outcomes of this research in due course. We will provide further updates via regular BSR bulletins and BSR campaign websites.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether additional resources will be provided to police forces to enforce tougher penalties for livestock worrying.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Department will continue to engage with the police to ensure that they are fully prepared to enforce the new powers introduced by the Dogs (Protection of Livestock) (Amendment) Act 2025.

The measures will come into effect on 18 March 2026. We will also work closely with the police to monitor how enforcement operates in practice after the measures have come into force.

Less Survivable Cancers Taskforce research funding

Less Survivable Cancers Awareness Week

Safe sleep standards in early years settings

Naloxone

Incident in Switzerland

Bank holiday for celebrations if England win the 2026 FIFA World Cup

Seventy years of The Duke of Edinburgh's Award

Missing Evri deliveries

Business rates revaluation