Asked by: Kim Leadbeater (Labour - Spen Valley)
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 potential impact of the proposed Walshaw Moor windfarm on peatland hydrology and condition; and what steps his Department is taking to ensure that any development proposals mitigate damage to peat soils.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Calderdale Energy Park project is at the pre-application stage of the planning process for Nationally Significant Infrastructure under the 2008 Planning Act, and is expected to be submitted to the Planning Inspectorate by June 2026, after which it will be subject to a full planning enquiry before it comes to the department for decision.
Given the Secretary of State’s quasi-judicial role in taking decisions on nationally-significant energy applications for development consent, it would not be appropriate to comment on matters related to the project, as this could be seen as prejudicing the decision-making process.
Asked by: Kim Leadbeater (Labour - Spen Valley)
Question
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what the expected timetable is for the publication, parliamentary introduction, and enactment of a fully trans-inclusive ban on conversion therapy in England and Wales.
Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
This Government’s position is that conversion practices are abuse. Such practices have no place in society and must be stopped.
We remain committed to bringing forward a full trans-inclusive ban on conversion practices as soon as possible.
Asked by: Kim Leadbeater (Labour - Spen Valley)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will make an assessment of the adequacy of banking safeguards for protecting vulnerable customers, especially the use of gambling blocks and loopholes using open-banking gateways.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Government recognises that harmful gambling can wreck the lives of individuals, families and communities. Working with the Gambling Commission, we are committed to strengthening protections for those at risk through a range of new safer gambling requirements.
The vast majority of banks offer gambling bank blocks, a useful tool to help vulnerable customers control their gambling. We encourage all banks to offer gambling blocks to improve the availability of these tools and support the work of organisations, such as Money Mental Health Lab, to improve the safer gambling tools offered by the financial sector.
Asked by: Kim Leadbeater (Labour - Spen Valley)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether her Department is taking steps to produce guidance from the actuary department on the calculation that must be used to produce a Remedial Service Statement for people under a Pension Sharing Order in order for them to access the McCloud remedy.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government Actuary’s Department has produced the guidance required by regulations to assist public service pension schemes in implementing aspects of the McCloud remedy for members subject to a Pension Sharing Order on divorce or dissolution. This guidance covers pension schemes for the civil service, teachers, NHS, armed forces, police and firefighters. The most recent guidance on this subject was issued on 5 November 2025.
Asked by: Kim Leadbeater (Labour - Spen Valley)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what plans her Department has to update the loneliness strategy in the context of the Jo Cox Commission on Loneliness.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Government is committed to supporting people to have the social connections they need. Our ambition to strengthen social connection is a key part of achieving wider government work to create a healthier society, more connected communities and support young people. My department has been working hard to ensure social connection and loneliness are embedded in all government policy making, including the recently published Pride in Place strategy, the upcoming Men’s Health Strategy and National Youth Strategy.
In addition we are funding a project to develop the Tackling Loneliness Hub, which was set up to provide a forum for people working on loneliness to come together and share insights, research and best practice. My officials are exploring how the Hub can be made more accessible to the full range of people who work on loneliness, from healthcare professionals to volunteers, sports coaches to youth workers, researchers to policy makers.
Asked by: Kim Leadbeater (Labour - Spen Valley)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to help tackle potential barriers to the provision of lighting on (a) walking, (b) wheeling and (c) cycling paths.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
Active Travel England (ATE) recognises that good lighting is essential for enabling safe and inclusive walking, wheeling and cycling, particularly during winter months and after dark.
The Spending Review in June 2025 allocated £616 million for Active Travel England to support local authorities to build and maintain walking and cycling infrastructure from 2026/27 onwards. This comes on top of £222.5 million announced in February 2025 for local authorities over 2024/25-25/26, which can be used by authorities to reduce barriers to the provision of lighting.
In addition, to address potential barriers to providing lighting, ATE Supports local authorities in relation to designing active travel schemes through guidance and our tools ensure that lighting is integrated into street design. Guidance is available such as in LTN 1/20 - Cycle Infrastructure Design (LTN 1/20), Manual for Streets, and Inclusive Mobility. In addition, the ATE Route Check Tool includes metrics for lighting coverage, visibility, and light pollution.
Asked by: Kim Leadbeater (Labour - Spen Valley)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of providing commuted sums for maintenance within active travel capital funding.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
In the Spending Review we announced that we are allocating £616 million for Active Travel England from 2026/27 to 2029/30 to support local authorities to both build and maintain cycling and walking infrastructure. This is in addition to almost £300 million for active travel between 2024/25 and 2025/26, which we announced in February.
It is for local authorities to determine how best to use the funding available to them, including what amount to set aside for maintenance purposes.
Asked by: Kim Leadbeater (Labour - Spen Valley)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of (a) funding for the Canal & River Trust to maintain and improve England’s waterways and (b) the long-term funding arrangements for the Trust.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government is currently providing the Canal and River Trust with a 15-year grant (2012-2027) totalling about £740 million to support maintenance of the canal network infrastructure. When it was set up in 2012, the Government also provided the Trust with a permanent endowment fund now worth around £1 billion that generates a further quarter of its income. A review of the grant funding in 2021-2023 concluded that the Trust is providing value for money and there was a good case for continued grant funding. A further substantial 10-year grant from 2027 of £401 million was confirmed by the Government in August 2024. This further grant reflects the importance of the country’s inland waterways and continues to support the Trust in the long-standing objective of reducing its reliance on public funding while developing alternative funding sources.
Asked by: Kim Leadbeater (Labour - Spen Valley)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what guidance HMRC issues to employees who work in companies entering administration who (a) have not received P45s and (b) are being taxed under emergency codes; and whether her Department plans to take steps to provide more support to employees who have been disadvantaged in insolvency cases.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
HMRC does not issue specific guidance to employees of companies entering administration regarding P45s or emergency tax codes.
Where a company is in administration, the administrator, who is a regulated Insolvency Practitioner, is responsible for issuing relevant documents, such as P45s, to former employees.
A customer may be assigned an emergency tax code if HMRC has not received updated income details following a change in circumstances. Once HMRC receives the correct information, the tax code will be adjusted accordingly. Guidance is available to all customers on emergency codes and how to update a code on Gov.UK.
HMRC undertakes reviews of processes regularly and is open to receiving any specific suggestions for improvements in administrating tax within its responsibilities.
Asked by: Kim Leadbeater (Labour - Spen Valley)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department is considering further sanctions in response to settler violence in the Occupied West Bank.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
In response to the persistent cycle of serious violence undertaken by extremist Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank, the former Foreign Secretary announced three sanctions packages targeting individuals, outposts and organisations. This included, on 10 June, acting alongside Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Norway, to impose UK sanctions on Israeli government ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, in their personal capacity, in response to their repeated incitements of violence against Palestinian communities.
Imposing sanctions is one response among other diplomatic tools, and we will continue to consider a range of approaches to achieve our foreign policy objectives globally. However, it is not appropriate to speculate on future designations as to do so could reduce their impact.