Asked by: Joe Morris (Labour - Hexham)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what support her Department has provided to local authorities to (a) build and (b) maintain sports facilities in (i) Hexham constituency, (ii) Northumberland, (iii) Newcastle, (iv) the North East and (v) England.
Answered by Jim McMahon - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Local Government Finance Settlement for 2025-26 makes available over £69 billion for local government, a 6.8% cash terms increase in councils’ Core Spending Power on 2024-25.
The majority of funding in the Local Government Finance Settlement is unringfenced, recognising that local leaders are best placed to identify local priorities.
DCMS and its ALB provide direct funding to sports facilities. The government is determined to ensure that everyone has access to quality sport and physical activity opportunities. The government provides the majority of support for grassroots sport through Sport England - which annually invests over £250 million in Exchequer and Lottery funding. Additional funding for grassroots sport facilities is also delivered through the Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities Programme, which is providing £98 million across the UK in 2025/26 to support new and upgraded grassroots sport facilities.
In June the Culture Secretary announced another £400 million to transform community sport facilities across the whole of the nation following the Spending Review. We will now work closely with sporting bodies and local leaders to establish what each community needs and then set out further plans.
Asked by: Joe Morris (Labour - Hexham)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on the potential impact of the Government’s clean energy mission on Scotland.
Answered by Kirsty McNeill - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Scotland Office)
The Secretary of State and I are proud proponents of the government’s Clean Energy mission and this government is taking real action - whether that’s providing the £8.5 billion of funding for Aberdeen-based GB Energy, supporting our world leading workforce through the Energy Skills Passport, or providing £200 million towards delivering the Acorn project - crucial in our bid to decarbonise Scotland’s future.
That’s mission delivery in action.
Asked by: Joe Morris (Labour - Hexham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent support he has offered to Bosnia and Herzegovina on the rule of law.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK remains committed to peace, stability and the rule of law in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH). Our embassy in Sarajevo provides support politically and through our programmes to help BiH's domestic institutions deliver their mandates and combat corruption and serious organised crime. In response to actions by Republika Srpska's leadership which undermine the rule of law, we have worked with the High Representative and international partners to bolster domestic institutions against threats to the constitution and independence of the judiciary. I and the Foreign Secretary underlined this commitment to Presidency Members Becirovic and Komsic on 17 June.
I recently convened members of the quint to discuss these issues, and am closely following developments with partners. We look forward to hosting the Berlin Process in the UK later this year, which also provides an opportunity to discuss a range of issues in the Western Balkans with partners.
Asked by: Joe Morris (Labour - Hexham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with the Serbian government on (a) human, (b) civil and (c) political rights in that country.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Foreign Secretary and I underlined the UK's strong support for fundamental rights and the rule of law, and the important role of civil society in Serbia during our respective visits to Belgrade earlier this year. In the context of continuing protests, we continue to stress to the Serbian leadership that, in any society, it is important that the rights to peaceful freedom of expression and assembly are respected. We continue to raise these issues via our Ambassador in Belgrade, and discussions with ministerial counterparts.
Asked by: Joe Morris (Labour - Hexham)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask the Solicitor General, what steps she is taking to increase prosecution rates for violence against women and girls in (a) Hexham constituency, (b) Northumberland, (c) Newcastle, (d) the North East, and (e) England.
Answered by Lucy Rigby - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
Violence against women and girls (VAWG) is a national emergency and through the Safer Streets Mission, this Government has committed to halve VAWG within a decade. A key part will be delivering effective prosecutions.
As Solicitor General, I superintend the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). The CPS is continuing to transform its approach to adult rape prosecution through the implementation of their national operating model, based on robust evidence from Operation Soteria, resulting in substantial increases in referral, charge, and prosecution volumes for adult rape.
The Domestic Abuse Joint Justice Plan, launched with policing in November 2024, has also led to better partnership with policing and modest initial increases in domestic abuse referrals, setting a strong foundation for future improvements.
Work has also begun to deliver the CPS’ VAWG Strategy for 2025-30, ensuring prosecutors have the right skills and tools to prosecute VAWG effectively.
In the Northumbria police force area in 2023-24, the CPS prosecuted 1,840 domestic abuse flagged cases (an increase from 1,631 in 2022-23), 124 rape flagged cases (an increase from 86 in 2022-23), and 389 sexual offences (excluding rape flagged) cases (an increase from 375 in 2022-23).
CPS North East (which covers Hexham, Northumberland and Newcastle) was a pilot area for Operation Soteria and early implementors of the rape national model. They are now a pilot area for the Domestic Abuse Joint Justice Plan proactively encouraging collaborative working to improve the quality and timeliness of decision-making in domestic abuse cases.
The same area has also worked closely with local forces to restructure governance structures to drive up performance, including regular scrutiny panels on domestic abuse and rape cases attended by local Independent Sexual Violence Advisers and Independent Domestic Violence Advisors.
Asked by: Joe Morris (Labour - Hexham)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what his planned timetable is for banning animal snares.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This is a devolved matter, and the information provided therefore relates to England only.
The Government will introduce the most ambitious programme for animal welfare in a generation. As outlined in our manifesto, we will bring an end to the use of snare traps. We are considering the most effective way to deliver this commitment and will be setting out next steps in due course.
Asked by: Joe Morris (Labour - Hexham)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps the Environment Agency is taking to monitor the contribution of septic tanks to sewage pollution in (a) Hexham constituency, (b) the North East, (c) Northumberland, (d) Newcastle and (e) England.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Septic tanks provide safe waste management for properties, often located in isolated rural areas, without access to the mains sewage network. Typically small in volume, discharges from septic tanks are regulated under General Binding Rules established in 2023. The General Binding Rules impose requirements designed to prevent pollution without the need for an environmental permit. Discharges from septic tanks operating under the General Binding Rules must not cause pollution of surface water or groundwater.
The Environment Agency considers the contribution of septic tanks to sewage pollution in England as part of its approach to River Basin Management Plans. When a water body is not achieving good status, the cause is investigated and, where sufficient evidence is available, it is attributed to a sector such as private sewage systems (including septic tanks).
The Environment Agency also receives reports from the public, its partners, and its own staff monitoring the water environment in catchments across the country about pollution caused by discharges from septic tanks. The Environment Agency responds to these reports by assessing the risk posed to the environment. Where necessary the Environment Agency will take further action to ensure that discharges comply with the General Binding Rules.
Asked by: Joe Morris (Labour - Hexham)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the total number of firearms certificate holders is, what the percentage of licensing applications completed within four months is; and how many temporary permits were issued by the firearms licensing department of Northumbria Constabulary, last notified to her department.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)
As at 31 March 2024, there were a total of 643,162 firearms certificates on issue in England and Wales. This was made up of 147,364 firearms certificates and 495,798 shotgun certificates on issue respectively.
The issuing of firearms certificates and the efficiency of police forces is a matter for individual Chief Officers of Police and they are held to account by Police and Crime Commissioners. However, the performance of forces is actively being monitored by the National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for firearms licensing, Deputy Chief Constable David Gardner, and he is developing a new performance framework for firearms licensing teams, which it is intended will be published soon, to provide greater transparency on application turnaround times.
Asked by: Joe Morris (Labour - Hexham)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her Department has had recent discussions with relevant stakeholders on the extension of the Rough Sleeping Initiative in the North East.
Answered by Rushanara Ali - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
For 2025-26, we are consolidating our main rough sleeping and single homelessness focused grants (Rough Sleeping Initiative, which includes Housing First funding, and Accommodation for Ex Offenders) into a single Rough Sleeping Prevention and Recovery Grant. The Rough Sleeping Prevention and Recovery Grant will provide up to £280.75 million in funding across England in 2025/26.
Allocations for the Rough Sleeping Prevention and Recovery Grant 2025/26 can be found here: Rough Sleeping Prevention and Recovery Grant allocations 2025 to 2026 - GOV.UK
Asked by: Joe Morris (Labour - Hexham)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her Department has had recent discussions with relevant stakeholders on the extension of the Rough Sleeping Initiative.
Answered by Rushanara Ali - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
For 2025-26, we are consolidating our main rough sleeping and single homelessness focused grants (Rough Sleeping Initiative, which includes Housing First funding, and Accommodation for Ex Offenders) into a single Rough Sleeping Prevention and Recovery Grant. The Rough Sleeping Prevention and Recovery Grant will provide up to £280.75 million in funding across England in 2025/26.
Allocations for the Rough Sleeping Prevention and Recovery Grant 2025/26 can be found here: Rough Sleeping Prevention and Recovery Grant allocations 2025 to 2026 - GOV.UK