Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
Question
To ask the Right hon. Member for Kenilworth and Southam, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, whether the Electoral Commission has provided guidance on requirements for candidates for election to report cryptocurrency donations in their Representation of the People Act returns.
Answered by Jeremy Wright
The Electoral Commission’s guidance states that candidates must report all monetary and non-monetary donations they accept or return as impermissible, including donations in crypto assets. The Commission will shortly publish updated guidance for parties and candidates on the reporting and valuation of donations in crypto assets.
Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
Question
To ask the Right hon. Member for Kenilworth and Southam, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, whether the Electoral Commission would request information on the type of cryptocurrency used to make political donations when such donations are reported to the Commission.
Answered by Jeremy Wright
In line with guidance issued by HMRC and the Financial Conduct Authority, donations in crypto assets are treated as non-monetary donations. Recipients are required to identify the nature of non-monetary donations. For crypto assets, this means identifying the type and amount of crypto asset. This will be underlined in the forthcoming update to the Commission’s guidance.
Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
Question
To ask the Right hon. Member for Kenilworth and Southam, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, Pursuant to the answer of 10 December 2025, to Question 97532, on Local Government: Elections, when the Electoral Commission was informed by the Government of the decision to cancel the 2026 mayoral elections.
Answered by Jeremy Wright
The Commission was first made aware of the UK Government’s proposals on the same day as the publication of the Secretary of State’s written ministerial statement on 4 December 2025.
Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
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 draft revised National Planning Policy Framework, published on 16 December 2025, what guidance his Department intends to provide to local planning authorities on how to consider (a) retrospective planning applications and (b) planning enforcement appeals by travellers on (i) Green Belt land and (ii) open countryside.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government will consider whether any new guidance is required following consideration of responses received to the consultation process. The consultation can be found on gov.uk here and will remain open for responses until 10 March 2026.
Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the answer of 13 October 2025 to Question 77563,on Palantir, why the visit to the offices of Palantir Technologies in Washington with Lord Mandelson on 27 February 2025 was out of scope of the Prime Minister's transparency return of the publication Rt Hon Sir Keir Starmer KCB KC MP meetings, January to March 2025.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
I refer the Hon Member to the answer of 13 October 2025, Official Report, PQ 77563.
Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she plans to consult political parties on the methodology for the allocation of Conference Security Grant for 2026.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office will be conducting an internal review of departmental funding for Party Political Conferences, including allocations from the Conference Security Grant, to ensure public funds are used effectively. The Home Office will consult relevant stakeholders on these arrangements.
The UK government’s security system is rigorous and proportionate. It is our long-standing policy not to provide detailed information on those arrangements, including disclosure of costs, as doing so could compromise their integrity and affect future security operations.
Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make it her policy to allow a reduction in the Indefinite Leave to Remain qualifying period for Meat Hygiene Inspectors who are qualified veterinary surgeons from overseas but unable to register as Official Veterinarians due to Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons accreditation requirements.
Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The earned settlement model, proposed in A Fairer Pathway to Settlement, will raise the standard qualifying period for settlement from five years to ten years.
We are proposing a series of tests that will measure a person’s contribution to this country and either reduce or increase the amount of time to settlement. This will include work undertaken by the individual. This earned settlement model and the tests which measure contribution are currently subject to a public consultation, running until 12 February 2026.
The consultation also seeks views on whether there should be transitional arrangements for those already on a pathway to settlement.
Details of the earned settlement scheme, including any transitional arrangements for those already in the UK, will be finalised following that consultation.
Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate her Department has made of the potential impact of visa renewal costs and salary thresholds for migrant Meat Hygiene Inspectors under the proposed earned settlement model on food price inflation.
Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The earned settlement model, proposed in A Fairer Pathway to Settlement, will raise the standard qualifying period for settlement from five years to ten years.
We are proposing a series of tests that will measure a person’s contribution to this country and either reduce or increase the amount of time to settlement. This will include work undertaken by the individual. This earned settlement model and the tests which measure contribution are currently subject to a public consultation, running until 12 February 2026.
The consultation also seeks views on whether there should be transitional arrangements for those already on a pathway to settlement.
Details of the earned settlement scheme, including any transitional arrangements for those already in the UK, will be finalised following that consultation.
Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department plans to introduce transitional arrangements to exempt existing Skilled Worker visa holders in (a) meat hygiene inspector roles and (b) other skilled roles from the retrospective application of the extended Indefinite Leave to Remain qualifying periods.
Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The earned settlement model, proposed in A Fairer Pathway to Settlement, will raise the standard qualifying period for settlement from five years to ten years.
We are proposing a series of tests that will measure a person’s contribution to this country and either reduce or increase the amount of time to settlement. This will include work undertaken by the individual. This earned settlement model and the tests which measure contribution are currently subject to a public consultation, running until 12 February 2026.
The consultation also seeks views on whether there should be transitional arrangements for those already on a pathway to settlement.
Details of the earned settlement scheme, including any transitional arrangements for those already in the UK, will be finalised following that consultation.
Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the proposed 15-year qualifying period for Indefinite Leave to Remain under the earned settlement model on the retention of migrant meat hygiene inspectors currently employed on Skilled Worker visas.
Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The earned settlement model, proposed in A Fairer Pathway to Settlement, will raise the standard qualifying period for settlement from five years to ten years.
We are proposing a series of tests that will measure a person’s contribution to this country and either reduce or increase the amount of time to settlement. This will include work undertaken by the individual. This earned settlement model and the tests which measure contribution are currently subject to a public consultation, running until 12 February 2026.
The consultation also seeks views on whether there should be transitional arrangements for those already on a pathway to settlement.
Details of the earned settlement scheme, including any transitional arrangements for those already in the UK, will be finalised following that consultation.