Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent discussions he has had with HM Courts and Tribunals Service on reducing the backlog of criminal cases in Lincolnshire.

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

Lincoln Crown Court has continued to reduce outstanding workloads through the creation of a fourth Crown Court room in May 2021, utilising all Crown Court sitting day allocations for this financial year. To mitigate delays in setting trial dates, Lincoln actively identifies cases that are too large to be heard within Lincoln, moving these within the East Midlands in agreement with relevant parties.

The Government inherited a justice system in crisis, with a record and rising open caseload of nearly 80,000 criminal cases waiting to be heard and too many victims waiting years for justice. Investment alone is not enough - that is why this Government asked Sir Brian Leveson to undertake his Independent Review of the Criminal Courts. On 2 December, the Deputy Prime Minister responded to the first part of that review and set out why reform is necessary, alongside investment and modernisation.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make it her policy to reduce rail fares after taking franchises into public ownership.

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

Decisions on fare changes are taken annually and agreed across government. We will always seek to strike a fair balance between passengers and taxpayers as we seek to return the railway to financial sustainability. In November, the Secretary of State confirmed that regulated rail fares will be frozen for one year from March 2026, saving passengers money as we rebuild a railway that Britain can rely on and be proud of.

Looking forward, we are moving away from the outdated, privatisation-era view of rail fares. Instead, GBR will have commercial flexibility to manage its fares revenue in a more agile and efficient manner, allowing it to create a national fares policy which makes more sense to passengers – so that they can more easily understand what fare they should be paying and why. The Secretary of State will retain a role, in order to influence and manage the overall level of fares, balancing the interests of passengers and taxpayers.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps he is taking to increase spending on research and development in (a) Lincolnshire and (b) the East Midlands.

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

DSIT will invest a record £58.5 billion in R&D from 2026/27 to 2029/30, part of the £86 billion announced by the Chancellor—the largest government R&D investment ever.

UKRI investment in Lincolnshire increased by 43% between 2022/23 and 2023/24. Investment in the East Midlands also rose by 19%, reaching £596 million.

Lincolnshire and the East Midlands can bid for up to £20 million through the Local Innovation Partnerships Fund, to grow their high-potential innovation clusters. The fund empowers partnerships across the UK to target local R&D investment and aims to generate at least £1 billion of private co-investment across the programme.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an assessment of the feasibility of the ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars from 2030.

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

The Government has provided crucial certainty to industry by reinstating the 2030 phase-out date for new cars relying solely on internal combustion engines. We’re also investing over £7.5 billion to support drivers and manufacturers to make the switch to zero emission, including the £2 billion Electric Car Grant, to reduce the cost of new electric vehicles (EVs).

The certainty these commitments provide unlocks investment and benefits British consumers. More drivers than ever are choosing electric: November saw another month of increased sales, with EVs accounting for one in four cars sold.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps he is taking to ensure that people in Lincolnshire can access competitive fuel prices through the Fuel Finder scheme.

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

The Motor Fuel Price (Open Data) Regulations 2025 were debated in the House of Commons on 4 November 2025 and the House of Lords on 4 December 2025. The Regulations should be in place from 18 December 2025.

Once launched, our analysis suggests that households who own a car could save an average of around £40 a year.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment has she made of the potential implications for her policies of the availability of crossbows through online purchases.

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

The Government is actively considering the introduction of further controls around crossbows. This follows a call for evidence on strengthening controls on crossbows on public safety grounds, which ran from 14 February to 9 April 2024, and tested ideas for whether there should be some form of licensing regime that would provide further controls on the use, ownership and supply of crossbows including whether sellers should be licensed in some way. We will publish the Government’s response to the call for evidence shortly, which will include what action we intend to take.

Crossbows are age restricted items and it is an offence, under the Crossbows Act 1987, for anyone under the age of 18 to purchase a crossbow or parts of a crossbow. The Government is taking action to strengthen the law on age verification for the online sale and delivery of crossbows through measures currently in the Crime and Policing Bill.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many asylum claims (a) approved and (b) rejected since July 2024 involved face-to-face interviews.

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

The information requested is not currently available from published statistics, and the relevant data could only be collated and verified for the purpose of answering this question at disproportionate cost.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many and what proportion of immigrants detained following their arrival in the UK by small boats have been searched for drugs in each of the past five years.

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

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer given to questions 71052, 71053 and 71054 on 4^th September.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many asylum claims (a) approved and (b) rejected since July 2024 involved interviews over video calls.

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

The information requested is not currently available from published statistics, and the relevant data could only be collated and verified for the purpose of answering this question at disproportionate cost.

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 support NHS staff working in South Holland and the Deepings constituency.

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

The health and wellbeing of all National Health Service staff is a top priority. Local employers across the NHS have arrangements in place for supporting staff, including occupational health provision, employee support programmes, and a focus on healthy working environments. At a national level NHS staff have access to the SHOUT helpline for crisis support alongside the Practitioner Health service for more complex mental health and wellbeing support, including trauma and addiction.

As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, we will roll out staff treatment hubs to ensure all staff have access to high quality occupational health support, including for mental health. To further support this ambition, we will work with the Social Partnership Forum to introduce a new set of staff standards for modern employment, covering issues such as access to healthy meals, support to work healthily and flexibly, and tackling violence, racism, and sexual harassment in the workplace.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to increase volunteering opportunities in (a) South Holland and the Deepings constituency and (b) Lincolnshire.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

Volunteering is vital to the fabric of British life and communities throughout the country. That’s why the Government aims to encourage and enable as many people as possible to be involved. This year, we are investing in developing an open data infrastructure for volunteering, which will make it easier for people to find opportunities online and volunteer in their communities.

DCMS is also supporting the launch of The Big Help Out 2026, which aims to encourage organisations to provide meaningful volunteering opportunities and inspire people to make a difference in communities across the country. The campaign will signpost local opportunities, including in Lincolnshire, to encourage new volunteers to get involved in a range of activities. People can register their interest in The Big Help Out 2026 here.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how many firms have been fined for not complying with age verification rules in the Online Safety Act 2023.

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

Ofcom is the independent regulator for online safety and is responsible for enforcing the Online Safety Act 2023.

On 4 December, Ofcom announced its largest online safety fine to date, a penalty of £1 million issued to a pornography provider for failing to have robust age verification checks in place. Further details on enforcement action are available on Ofcom’s website.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will review the (a) age and (b) quality of school buildings in South Holland and the Deepings constituency.

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

I refer the right hon. Member for South Holland and The Deepings to the answer of 31 October 2025 to Question 83935.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many residential buildings have registered with the Building Safety Fund in (a) South Holland and the Deepings constituency and (b) Lincolnshire.

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

No buildings in South Holland and the Deepings constituency registered with the Building Safety Fund. Between 1 and 5 buildings in Lincolnshire registered and have since been transferred to the Cladding Safety Scheme to streamline delivery. To note the department does not hold complete addresses for buildings that did not proceed to a full application.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will widen his internal review of material relating to nuclear test veterans to include information from the Defence and Science Technology Laboratory.

Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

This Government has reset the relationship with nuclear test veterans and the organisations that support them. We remain committed to listening to their concerns and working collaboratively to address them. The Ministry of Defence is looking at what information the Department holds regarding nuclear test veterans' medical records, and the scope of that exercise was set out in the Written Ministerial Statement on 30 June 2025. There are no plans to alter that scope and we will update the House when we are in a position to share findings.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many and what proportion of civil servants in her Department are (a) on temporary contract and (b) consultants.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

Information on the number of staff in HM Treasury that are (a) on temporary contracts and (b) consultants, is published annually through the HM Treasury annual report and accounts at the following web address: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/hm-treasury-annual-report-and-accounts-2024-to-2025 on pages 95 and 103, respectively.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many and what proportion of civil servants in his Department are (a) on temporary contract and (b) consultants.

Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

As at 30 November 2025, 1,020 civil servants are on fixed term contracts, amounting to two percent of Ministry of Defence civil servants. Consultants are not classed as civil servants.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to help support the tourism industry in Lincolnshire.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

DCMS is committed to ensuring that tourism contributes to growth and jobs across all parts of the country particularly in rural areas such as Lincolnshire, home to historic sites such as Lincoln Cathedral and Castle and family attractions including Lincolnshire Wildlife Park.

DCMS works with VisitBritain and VisitEngland to champion visits to the British countryside to a worldwide audience with the aim of ensuring that the economic benefits of tourism are felt by all regions and nations.

The Government is committed to supporting the sector through the forthcoming Visitor Economy Growth Plan, which will set out a long term plan to increase visitor flows across the UK, boost value, and deliver sustainable growth.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure that all pupils are able to purse vocational education pathways in Lincolnshire.

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

The Post-16 Education and Skills White Paper, published on 20 October, set out our vision for a world-leading skills system which breaks down barriers to opportunity, meets student and employers’ needs, widens access to high quality education and training, supports innovation, research, and development and improves people’s lives.

It sets out our plans to introduce V Levels, which will sit alongside A levels and T Levels, and will become the pathway for vocational qualifications at level 3 for 16 to 19 year olds, sitting alongside the academic and technical pathways. We will also introduce two clear post-16 pathways at level 2 for further study and for occupations. We have launched a consultation on these measures, which will close on 12 January 2026. Full details are accessible at: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/post-16-level-3-and-below-pathways.

Skills England has also been established to ensure we have the highly trained workforce needed to deliver the national, regional and local skills needs of the next decade.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many and what proportion of civil servants in her Department are (a) on temporary contract and (b) consultants.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

Information on the number of civil servants employed on temporary contracts is published quarterly by the Office for National Statistics as part of the quarterly Public Sector Employment statistics. Information can be accessed for September 2025 at the following web address:

https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/publicsectorpersonnel/bulletins/publicsectoremployment/september2025.

Departmental expenditure on consultancy is published within the Annual Report and Accounts. The latest report for Financial Year 2024/25 can be found at the following web address:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fcdo-annual-report-and-accounts-2024-to-2025.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many schools in (a) South Holland and the Deepings constituency and (b) Lincolnshire are able to offer swimming lessons to pupils.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

It is a requirement of the PE national curriculum that schools must provide swimming and water safety lessons to pupils in either key stage 1 or 2. Whilst academies are not required to follow the national curriculum, they must provide a broad and balanced curriculum. The department is processing information gathered on swimming and water safety through the Digital Expenditure Reporting Return and will publish a summary of quality assured data in the new year.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how many and what proportion of civil servants in her Department are (a) on temporary contract and (b) consultants.

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

Information on the number of civil servants employed on temporary contracts is published quarterly by the Office for National Statistics as part of the quarterly Public Sector Employment statistics. Information can be accessed for September 2025 at the following web address:

https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/publicsectorpersonnel/bulletins/publicsectoremployment/september2025

Departmental expenditure on consultancy is published within the Annual Report and Accounts. The latest report for FY 2024/25 can be found at the following web address:

DSIT annual report and accounts 2024 to 2025 - GOV.UK

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to (a) reduce and (b) prevent equipment theft in (1) South Holland and the Deepings constituency and (2) Lincolnshire.

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

Equipment theft can have devastating consequences for countryside communities and the agricultural sector.

That is why we are committed to the implementation of the Equipment Theft (Prevention) Act 2023 and fully support its intentions to prevent the theft and re-sale of All-Terrain Vehicles, quad bikes and GPS systems. We will introduce the necessary secondary legislation when parliamentary time allows.

The Crime and Policing Bill will introduce a new power for the police to enter and search premises to which items have been electronically tracked by GPS or other means, where the items are reasonably believed to have been stolen and are on those premises, and where it has not been reasonably practicable to obtain a warrant from a court. This will provide a valuable tool for police in tackling stolen equipment and machinery.

This financial year the Home Office has provided the first Government funding since 2023 for the National Rural Crime Unit (£365,000). The National Rural Crime Unit provides police forces with specialist operational support in their response to rural crime, such as the theft of farming or construction equipment. They also help police across the UK tackle organised theft and disrupt organised crime groups.

We have also worked closely with the National Police Chiefs’ Council to deliver their updated Rural and Wildlife Crime Strategy for 2025-2028. The strategy highlights how policing can assist in the prevention of crime in rural areas including equipment theft.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of civil servants in his Department are (a) on temporary contract and (b) consultants.

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

Information on the number of civil servants employed on temporary contracts is published quarterly by the Office for National Statistics as part of the quarterly Public Sector Employment statistics. Information can be accessed for September 2025 at the following web address:

https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/publicsectorpersonnel/bulletins/publicsectoremployment/september2025

Departmental expenditure on consultancy is published within the Annual Report and Accounts. The latest report for FY 2024/25 can be found at the following web address:

DWP annual report and accounts 2024 to 2025 - GOV.UK

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how many full time equivalent staff in his Department have been employed for the purpose of making social media content in each of the past three years.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

Due to the difficulty of disaggregating the number of staff who are employed to produce social media content from staff who are employed to work on broader digital communications, it is not possible to report exact figures in response to this question.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment his Department has made of recent trends in levels of (a) petrol and (b) diesel prices in Lincolnshire.

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

Fuel price trends are monitored nationally and published in the Department’s weekly statistics on GOV.UK. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) oversee market transparency and compliance and publish quarterly and yearly reports on GOV.UK.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the phasing out of telephone landlines on residents in (a) South Holland and the Deepings constituency and (b) Lincolnshire.

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

Landlines are not being phased out. The technology underpinning landline telephones is being modernised from the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) to Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP). VoIP enables clearer and better-quality phone calls, improved flexibility, and cost savings. Fibre cables are more resilient and less prone to damage during severe weather events.

However, the Government is committed to ensuring that any risks arising from the industry-led migration are mitigated for people across the UK, including in South Holland and the Deepings constituency and Lincolnshire. In November 2024, the Government secured additional safeguards from the telecoms industry via the non-voluntary migrations checklist, including battery back-ups, and free engineering visits if needed.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how many full time equivalent staff in her Department have been employed for the purpose of making social media content in each year since 2023.

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

Due to the difficulty of disaggregating the number of staff who are employed to produce social media content from staff who are employed to work on broader digital communications, it is not possible to report exact figures in response to this question.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many full time equivalent staff in his Department have been employed for the purpose of making social media content in each of the past three years.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

In 2023 there were 4.6 full time equivalent staff.

In 2024 there were 9.3.

In 2025 there were 9.3.

The number is lower for 2023 as the department was new and still recruiting.

While these staff members have social media content creation as part of their role, they deliver a range of services beyond this - from branding for new agencies to training videos for staff. Having the resource to do this work in-house is cheaper than outsourcing to agencies with taxpayer funds.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many full time equivalent staff in his Department have been employed for the purpose of making social media content in each of the past three years.

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

Due to the difficulty of disaggregating the number of staff who are employed to produce social media content from staff who are employed to work on broader digital communications, it is not possible to report exact figures in response to this question.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many and what proportion of civil servants are (a) on temporary contract and (b) consultants in his Department.

Answered by Anna Turley - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)

Information on the number of civil servants employed on temporary contracts is published quarterly by the Office for National Statistics as part of the quarterly Public Sector Employment statistics. Information can be accessed for September 2025 at the following web address:

Public sector employment, UK: September 2025

Departmental expenditure on consultancy is published within the Annual Report and Accounts. The latest report for FY 2024/25 can be found at the following web address:

Cabinet Office annual report and accounts 2024 to 2025 - GOV.UK

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many full-time equivalent staff in his Department have been employed for the purpose of making social media content in each of the past three years.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

Due to the difficulty of disaggregating the number of staff who are employed to produce social media content from staff who are employed to work on a broader digital communications, it is not possible to report exact figures in response to this question.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many and what proportion of civil servants in his Department are (a) on temporary contract and (b) consultants.

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

The Department engages temporary workers and consultants where there is a business requirement that means it will be more beneficial to do so in order to provide the necessary expertise or a short-term resourcing solution where permanent capability is not required.

As of 30 November 2025, (a) 143 civil servants in the Department were employed on temporary contracts - approximately 4% of the Department’s full-time equivalent (FTE) workforce.

Information on the number of off-payroll engagements, including (b) consultants engaged by the Department, is published as part of the Department’s Workforce Management Information, which is available here.

Found: Letter dated 25/11/2025 from Sir Martyn Oliver, His Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Ofsted to John Hayes MP