Asked by: Joe Robertson (Conservative - Isle of Wight East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 19 January 2026 to Question 105434 on Retail Trade: Business Rates, how many retail businesses will be impacted by transitional relief measures.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government publishes data on the number of properties receiving business rates relief. This data can be found at the following link:
Asked by: Joe Robertson (Conservative - Isle of Wight East)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether the reference in the answer of 14 January 2026 to question 103614 to “all other cases” in which common law perpetuity rules apply is intended to include commercial land instruments, including commercial options, rights of pre-emption, and easements; and, if so, which perpetuity regime the Department considers applicable to such instruments.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The reference in the Government’s response to Question 103614 “in all other cases, only the common law rules apply” refers to all instruments not captured by the regimes established by the Perpetuities and Accumulations Act 2009, the Perpetuities and Accumulations Act 1964 and the Law of Property Act 1925.
As set out in the answer to Question 103614 this is a complex and technical area of law, and there will be a lot of fact specific issues in each case. Individuals should seek independent legal advice on what regime applies to their circumstances.
Asked by: Joe Robertson (Conservative - Isle of Wight East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether publicly funded works on the Lower Thames Crossing will commence after a Full Business Case has been produced and approved.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Publicly funded construction enabling works have already commenced north and south of the River Thames. These include ground works to create haul roads, construction of site compounds, utility works, ecological and archaeological works and extensive pre-construction surveys are ongoing. The project continues to progress through the required assurance and governance processes and the full business case will follow ahead of private sector investment.
Asked by: Joe Robertson (Conservative - Isle of Wight East)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate her Department has made of the total capital and operational cost of transitioning its vehicle fleet to 100% Zero Tailpipe Emissions by 31 December 2027; and what assessment has been made of the difference in cost compared with retaining and maintaining a petrol and diesel fleet over the same timeframe.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The estimated cost to transition 309 vans from diesel to electric to achieve 100% Zero Tailpipe Emissions (under 3.5 tonnes) by 31 December 2027 is £10.1 million compared with a diesel equivalent of £12.2 million. These costs are based on “whole life costs” of five years and include electric maintenance costs forecast at 60% less than comparable diesel.
Defra also operates a fleet of 4x4s (1,132 vehicles). The department applied to the Department for Transport for an exemption from the requirements of the Government Fleet Commitment, with the productive engagement with Office for Zero Emission Vehicles. This was granted on 28 May 2025.
Asked by: Joe Robertson (Conservative - Isle of Wight East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 19 January 2026 to Question 105434 on Retail Trade: Business Rates, what proportion of ratepayers expected to see no bill increases in business rates are from the retail sector.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
Data on the change in the rateable value of non-domestic properties as a result of the 2026 revaluation, including for the retail sector, can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/national-non-domestic-rates-collected-by-councils-in-england-forecast-2025-to-2026
Bills will be issued in due course by local councils.
Asked by: Joe Robertson (Conservative - Isle of Wight East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the cost was of the DfT Operator Group Parliamentary Reception on 19 January 2026; and what proportion of that cost was met by the public purse by funding source.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The cost for the Department for Transport Operator Group’s (DFTO) parliamentary reception on 19 January 2026 was £5,470.87, with those costs met by DFTO.
The event was held to provide parliamentarians and parliamentary staff with an opportunity to engage with publicly-owned train operators and to hear about the improvements that are being made. It continued functions of the same kind previously carried out by private sector operators for the same reasons and similarly represented a good use of modest public expenditure.
It also provided a forum for Members of Parliament to discuss matters of interest to their constituents and to discuss progress being made under the Railway Passenger Services (Public Ownership) Act 2024 as well as wider industry developments.
Asked by: Joe Robertson (Conservative - Isle of Wight East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the backlog maintenance costs for GP surgeries and other primary care premises in England.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
There is no separate assessment of general practice (GP) premises as part of the Care Quality Commission’s (CQC) assessments of practices. The CQC’s Premises Regulations, primarily Regulation 15, mandate that care locations must be clean, suitable, secure, and properly maintained, ensuring safety for users. As of 15 January 2026, in England there are 5,520 GP surgeries rated as Good, 256 rated as Requires Improvement, and 20 rated as Inadequate. five locations have yet to be rated.
The Government recognises the importance of strategic, value for money investments in capital projects, such as new facilities, significant upgrades, or other targeted capital investments.
In May, we announced schemes which will benefit from the £102 million Primary Care Utilisation and Modernisation Fund to deliver upgrades to more than a thousand GP surgeries across England this financial year. These schemes will create additional clinical space within existing building footprints to enable practices to see more patients, boost productivity, and improve patient care.
NHS England is responsible for funding allocations to integrated care boards (ICBs). This process is independent of the Government, and NHS England takes advice on the underlying formula from the independent Advisory Committee on Resource Allocation (ACRA). The most recent allocations take into account an ACRA-recommended change specifically focused on rurality.
ICBs are responsible for commissioning, which includes planning, securing, and monitoring, GP services within their health systems through delegated responsibility from NHS England. The NHS has a statutory duty to ensure there are sufficient medical services, including general practices, in each local area. It should take account of population growth and demographic changes.
Asked by: Joe Robertson (Conservative - Isle of Wight East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the additional costs of maintaining and developing primary care estates in island, rural, and coastal communities.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
There is no separate assessment of general practice (GP) premises as part of the Care Quality Commission’s (CQC) assessments of practices. The CQC’s Premises Regulations, primarily Regulation 15, mandate that care locations must be clean, suitable, secure, and properly maintained, ensuring safety for users. As of 15 January 2026, in England there are 5,520 GP surgeries rated as Good, 256 rated as Requires Improvement, and 20 rated as Inadequate. five locations have yet to be rated.
The Government recognises the importance of strategic, value for money investments in capital projects, such as new facilities, significant upgrades, or other targeted capital investments.
In May, we announced schemes which will benefit from the £102 million Primary Care Utilisation and Modernisation Fund to deliver upgrades to more than a thousand GP surgeries across England this financial year. These schemes will create additional clinical space within existing building footprints to enable practices to see more patients, boost productivity, and improve patient care.
NHS England is responsible for funding allocations to integrated care boards (ICBs). This process is independent of the Government, and NHS England takes advice on the underlying formula from the independent Advisory Committee on Resource Allocation (ACRA). The most recent allocations take into account an ACRA-recommended change specifically focused on rurality.
ICBs are responsible for commissioning, which includes planning, securing, and monitoring, GP services within their health systems through delegated responsibility from NHS England. The NHS has a statutory duty to ensure there are sufficient medical services, including general practices, in each local area. It should take account of population growth and demographic changes.
Asked by: Joe Robertson (Conservative - Isle of Wight East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent discussions he has had with local authorities about the funding of hospice services, including those providing end-of-life care for dementia patients.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department has not had any recent discussions with local authorities about the funding of hospice services.
Palliative care services are included in the list of services an integrated care board (ICB) must commission. To support ICBs in this duty, NHS England has published statutory guidance and service specifications. The statutory guidance states that ICBs must work to ensure that there is sufficient provision of care services to meet the needs of their local populations, which can include hospice services available within the ICB catchment.
Local authorities don't have direct responsibility for end of life care. However, statutory guidance encourages local authorities to prioritise integration activity in areas where there is evidence that effective integration of services materially improves people’s wellbeing, for example, end of life care.
As the majority of hospices are independent charitable organisations, neither the Government nor NHS England collect data on their financial accounts. As such, we do not hold data on the proportion of the total income that hospices receive that is provided by central Government.
In December 2024, we announced a £100 million capital funding boost for adult and children’s hospices in England. We are pleased to say that this capital funding has just been increased by a further £25 million.
The Government will consider contracting and commissioning as part of developing the forthcoming Palliative Care and End of Life Care Modern Service Framework for England. We recognise that there is currently a mix of contracting models in the hospice sector. By supporting ICBs to commission more strategically, we can move away from grant and block contract models. In the long term, this will aid sustainability and help hospices’ ability to plan ahead.
Asked by: Joe Robertson (Conservative - Isle of Wight East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what proportion of hospice funding for dementia end-of-life care is provided by central government and local authorities; and whether he plans to increase statutory funding for hospices.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department has not had any recent discussions with local authorities about the funding of hospice services.
Palliative care services are included in the list of services an integrated care board (ICB) must commission. To support ICBs in this duty, NHS England has published statutory guidance and service specifications. The statutory guidance states that ICBs must work to ensure that there is sufficient provision of care services to meet the needs of their local populations, which can include hospice services available within the ICB catchment.
Local authorities don't have direct responsibility for end of life care. However, statutory guidance encourages local authorities to prioritise integration activity in areas where there is evidence that effective integration of services materially improves people’s wellbeing, for example, end of life care.
As the majority of hospices are independent charitable organisations, neither the Government nor NHS England collect data on their financial accounts. As such, we do not hold data on the proportion of the total income that hospices receive that is provided by central Government.
In December 2024, we announced a £100 million capital funding boost for adult and children’s hospices in England. We are pleased to say that this capital funding has just been increased by a further £25 million.
The Government will consider contracting and commissioning as part of developing the forthcoming Palliative Care and End of Life Care Modern Service Framework for England. We recognise that there is currently a mix of contracting models in the hospice sector. By supporting ICBs to commission more strategically, we can move away from grant and block contract models. In the long term, this will aid sustainability and help hospices’ ability to plan ahead.