Asked by: Joshua Reynolds (Liberal Democrat - Maidenhead)
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 proportion of residential planning permissions granted in England in each of the last five years that have not resulted in development commencing within two years of permission being granted.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 122315 on 1 April 2026.
Asked by: Joshua Reynolds (Liberal Democrat - Maidenhead)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what proportion of UK critical mineral imports in each of the last three years originated from a single country of origin for each listed mineral; and what assessment he has made of the risk of critical mineral supply being concentrated in a single country.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Please see table below, derived from HMRC’s Import data by preference bulk dataset, using trade codes as published in the technical annex of the UK’s Critical Minerals Strategy.
The Strategy recognises that supply chains are increasingly concentrated and sets out a clear ambition to diversify supply, including ensuring that no more than 60% of any critical mineral is sourced from a single country. This will be achieved by strengthening domestic production and recycling, building international partnerships to diversify supply, and leveraging finance and innovation to support more resilient global supply chains.
Single largest country of origin for UK imports of critical and growth minerals, by proportion of the total mass imported, 2023-2025.
Mineral | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | |||
Aluminium | Germany | 18% | Germany | 16% | Germany | 16% |
Antimony | France | 46% | France | 48% | France | 48% |
Beryllium | Russia | 89% | China | 39% | United States | 100% |
Bismuth | China | 88% | China | 64% | China | 43% |
Borates | Turkey | 72% | Turkey | 67% | Turkey | 64% |
Chromium | South Africa | 39% | South Africa | 56% | South Africa | 39% |
Cobalt | Canada | 18% | China | 39% | China | 48% |
Copper | Belgium | 20% | Belgium | 15% | Germany | 17% |
Gallium | China | 70% | United States | 36% | United States | 35% |
Germanium | China | 46% | China | 85% | Belgium | 34% |
Graphite | China | 60% | China | 59% | China | 69% |
Hafnium | China | 35% | China | 42% | United States | 44% |
Helium | Canada | 30% | China | 38% | China | 38% |
Indium | Canada | 32% | Taiwan | 45% | Taiwan | 40% |
Iridium & Ruthenium | South Africa | 35% | South Africa | 35% | South Africa | 34% |
Iron | Brazil | 14% | Sweden | 12% | Sweden | 19% |
Lithium | Chile | 75% | Chile | 87% | Chile | 68% |
Magnesite | China | 31% | China | 33% | China | 31% |
Magnesium | Germany | 33% | Germany | 41% | China | 40% |
Manganese | Norway | 44% | Norway | 35% | Norway | 42% |
Nickel | Indonesia | 41% | Indonesia | 49% | Indonesia | 54% |
Niobium | Brazil | 54% | Brazil | 66% | Brazil | 55% |
Phosphates | Israel | 35% | Israel | 29% | Israel | 28% |
Platinum | Germany | 57% | Germany | 39% | Germany | 40% |
Rare Earth Elements | China | 70% | China | 72% | China | 47% |
Rhenium | Ireland | 41% | Germany | 40% | France | 74% |
Rhodium | South Africa | 62% | South Africa | 48% | South Africa | 58% |
Silicon | Brazil | 27% | China | 19% | China | 27% |
Sodium | China | 41% | China | 32% | China | 37% |
Tantalum | China | 37% | China | 61% | China | 63% |
Tellurium | Italy | 21% | Italy | 30% | Belgium | 49% |
Tin | China | 25% | China | 37% | China | 42% |
Titanium | Australia | 35% | Australia | 31% | South Africa | 32% |
Tungsten | China | 32% | China | 30% | China | 49% |
Uranium | United States | 90% | Belgium | 56% | Netherlands | 98% |
Vanadium | Germany | 50% | Germany | 55% | Germany | 44% |
Zinc | Norway | 31% | United States | 28% | Norway | 37% |
Asked by: Joshua Reynolds (Liberal Democrat - Maidenhead)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of incorporating renewable energy generation forecasts into publicly available weather broadcasts.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
No assessment has been made. In any case, this would require the careful consideration of the Met Office.
Asked by: Joshua Reynolds (Liberal Democrat - Maidenhead)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has had discussions with Cabinet colleagues on the potential merits of introducing public awareness campaigns to issue seasonal water safety warnings aimed at preventing drowning incidents in rivers and waterways.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
Responsibilities for water safety sit with various government departments and agencies including the Department for the Environment and Rural Affairs and the Health and Safety Executive, which has produced the Prevention of drowning document (link(opens in a new tab)). In addition, The Maritime and Coastguard Agency is responsible for enforcing the safety of boats used in navigation, including people on them, and the safety of the crew. Together with the Department for Transport they produced the Maritime Safety Action Plan (link(opens in a new tab)).
Asked by: Joshua Reynolds (Liberal Democrat - Maidenhead)
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 the effectiveness of the role of (a) local advice services and (b) voluntary organisations in supporting vulnerable households with energy bills; and what steps he is taking to ensure those services are adequately funded.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
We understand that local advice services and the voluntary sector play an important role in supporting vulnerable households with their energy costs and the Government is working with local authorities, charities and frontline services to make every contact count through more holistic advice and integrated referrals.
The statutory organisations helping the vulnerable with energy bills consult annually on their work programme including the support provided by the Extra Help Unit for those facing disconnection. The Government annually approves a levy that recovers the costs of the statutory advice and advocacy organisations such as Citizens Advice and the EHU which play a vital role in supporting vulnerable energy consumers.
We have made no assessment of the effectiveness of Local Citizens Advice offices, but they have access to information provided to the national organisations. These offices are independently run charities funded through a mix of local authority commissioning, charitable income, and central government support, with councils playing a key role in funding local advice provision.
Asked by: Joshua Reynolds (Liberal Democrat - Maidenhead)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what estimate his Department has made of the number of jobs Great British Energy will create; and what steps he is taking to ensure those jobs are distributed across the regions and nations of the UK.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Great British Energy (GBE) is recruiting permanent roles now; the majority will be based in Aberdeen, with a smaller number in Edinburgh, reflecting the strength of the talent pool in both locations.
GBE will create hundreds of jobs in Aberdeen in the next five years. Its far greater impact will come from their activities, which will support thousands of good jobs right across the UK, including in skills and locations historically dependent on oil and gas.
Asked by: Joshua Reynolds (Liberal Democrat - Maidenhead)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department has had discussions with social media companies regarding the promotion of public water safety awareness campaigns.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
While the Department for Culture, Media and Sport has not held specific discussions with social media companies on this matter, the Government takes public water safety extremely seriously. Water safety is a cross-government priority, with lead responsibilities sitting with departments including the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the Health and Safety Executive. These departments and their partner agencies routinely utilise social media platforms to amplify vital water safety awareness campaigns and ensure these messages reach the public.
Asked by: Joshua Reynolds (Liberal Democrat - Maidenhead)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department keeps a formal record or minutes of the monthly financial monitoring meetings held between his Department, UK Government Investments and Post Office Limited to review funding requests relating to the franchising of formerly Directly Managed Branches.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Department funds Post Office Limited’s (POL) Strategic Transformation Plan (STP), including activities to franchise former Directly Managed Branches.
Funding approvals are based on monthly requests from POL, detailing actual and forecast spend across all STP activity. These are analysed internally and informed by discussions at monthly financial monitoring meetings with POL. Outcomes from these discussions are reflected in advice to release funding.
Formal records or separate minutes are not kept for discussions specifically relating to the franchising of formerly Directly Managed Branches.
Asked by: Joshua Reynolds (Liberal Democrat - Maidenhead)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the implications of the Equality and Human Rights Commission's updated draft Code of Practice for transgender participation in grassroots and community sport.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
We have always been clear that, when it comes to women's sport, biology matters. We will continue to support sports to develop policies that protect fairness and safety, particularly when it is not possible to balance those factors with inclusion.
By laying EHRC’s updated statutory Code of Practice before Parliament, we hope to provide essential legal clarity for sports providers, National Governing Bodies, and participants across the country.
We will continue to engage closely with our arm’s length bodies, Sport England and UK Sport, and the wider sporting sector as Parliament considers the Code.
Asked by: Joshua Reynolds (Liberal Democrat - Maidenhead)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of availability of respite care for unpaid carers of people living with dementia; and what steps he is taking to improve access to those services.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government recognises the vital role that unpaid carers play in supporting people living with dementia and is committed to ensuring that carers can access appropriate support, including respite services.
Responsibility for commissioning respite services rests with local authorities based on the needs of their local populations. Through the Better Care Fund, integrated care boards and local authorities are encouraged to work together to identify and support unpaid carers, including through the provision of respite and short-break services where appropriate.
The 2026/27 Better Care Fund framework specifically highlights the need for local areas to consider how pooled funding can support carers' assessments and respite provision, with further information available at the following link:
On dementia specifically, we will deliver the first ever Modern Service Framework for Frailty and Dementia, to improve support for people living with dementia and their carers. We are committed to an interim product in September this year and will aim to publish the full framework by the end of this calendar year as recommended by Baroness Casey. People with lived experience, carers, and families will be central to the development of the modern service framework.
The Department is also preparing a cross-Government action plan for unpaid carers, to improve how unpaid carers are recognised, how support is offered, and how they can be helped to reach their full potential and live fulfilling lives.