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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of (a) climate change and (b) extreme weather events that accompany it on the adequacy of Fire and Rescue Service budgets.

Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The 2025/26 Local Government Finance Settlement, published on 3 February by the Ministry of Housing, Communities, and Local Government, sets out funding allocations for all local authorities, including Fire and Rescue Authorities. Standalone Fire and Rescue Authorities will see an increase in core spending power of £65.5m in 2025/26. Including the National Insurance Contribution Grant, this is an increase of 3.6 per cent in cash terms compared to 2024/25. Decisions on how their resources are best deployed to meet their core functions are a matter for each Fire and Rescue Authority.

Local authorities in England, including Combined Fire Authorities, can apply for financial support through the Bellwin Scheme for their immediate eligible response costs in respect of emergencies and disasters in their area including for severe weather events.

Link to the Bellwin guidance:

Bellwin scheme of emergency financial assistance to local authorities: guidance notes for claims - GOV.UK

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of airfields evicting gliding clubs on the extra-curricular opportunities for young people.

Answered by Mike Kane - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The aviation sector, including Gliding, offers many unique opportunities and experiences for young people, supporting their development and helping to provide pathways to exciting new careers.

We continue to work with industry, associations and other partners to encourage young people to explore what the sector has to offer.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to increase precept flexibility to devolve spending decisions closer to Police and Fire and Rescue services.

Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

As of 1 April 2025, Ministerial responsibility for Fire transferred from the Home Office to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG). Home Office retains Ministerial responsibility for policing.

Council tax levels are a local decision. Local authorities and their local elected representatives will consider the appropriate level, taking into account the views of the local community.

Council tax referendum thresholds are determined annually and are subject to the approval of the House of Commons alongside the Local Government Finance Settlement.

For 2025/26, the referendum limit for standalone Fire and Rescue Authorities in England was set at £5 on a band D bill.

For 2025/26, the referendum limit for police precept was set at £14 for English Police and Crime Commissioners. Council tax policy is devolved in Wales, and therefore, Welsh Police and Crime Commissioners are not bound by referendum limits.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to recommendation 12 of the First Report of the Energy Security and Net Zero Committee of Session 2022-23 on Preparing for the winter, HC 1720, published on 23 September 2023, whether he plans to implement the proposed changes to standing energy charges.

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

We know that too much of the burden of the bill is placed on standing charges. We are committed to lowering the cost of standing charges and have worked constructively with the regulator, Ofgem, on this issue.

On 20 February, Ofgem launched a consultation ‘Introducing a zero standing charge energy price cap variant’ - https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/consultation/introducing-zero-standing-charge-energy-price-cap-variant.

The consultation seeks views on the introduction of an option - within the price cap – for a tariff that does not have a standing charge, providing households with more choice over how they pay for their energy.

It also explores different ways a zero standing charge tariff could work, with options on a single unit rate, as well as block tariff options where the unit rates go up or down once a certain amount of energy is consumed.

The consultation closed on 20 March and we stand ready to continue work with Ofgem on this matter.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that vehicle manufacturers rectify security issues with cars to prevent theft; and what discussions her Department has had with vehicle manufacturers on preventing car theft.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

This Government is determined to drive down vehicle crime and we are working with the automotive industry and police – taking a national approach - to ensure our response is as strong as it can be, including working closely with the National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for vehicle crime.

Through the Crime and Policing Bill, we have introduced measures to ban electronic devices used to steal vehicles, empowering the police and courts to target the criminals using, manufacturing and supplying them. This will support the changes manufacturers continue to make to prevent thefts.

We also provided £250,000 funding in financial year 24/25 to help support enforcement work at the ports to prevent stolen vehicles and vehicle parts being shipped abroad.

Via the National Vehicle Crime Reduction Partnership and the police-led National Vehicle Crime Working Group, we are focusing on prevention and deterrence of theft of and from vehicles. This includes training police officers on the methods used to steal vehicles, encouraging vehicle owners to secure their vehicles, and working with industry to address vulnerabilities in vehicles.

In recent weeks, the Security Minister and I have each met vehicle manufacturers to discuss these issues. Officials also regularly engage and work with industry to discuss workable solutions to help prevent vehicle theft.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she plans to take to ensure that Essex Police's share of national funding from the police funding formula adequately reflects the level of policing it provides nationally.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

In 2025-26, overall funding for policing will total up to £19.6 billion in 2025-26, an increase of up to £1.2 billion when compared to the 2024-25 police settlement. Essex Police will receive up to £434.1 million in funding in 2025-26, an increase of up to £27.9 million when compared to the 2024-25 police settlement, equating to a 6.9% cash increase.

The 2025-26 police settlement ensures that every local policing body in England and Wales will receive the same percentage increase in their Core Grant, offering funding certainty for forces in setting a balanced budget.

Funding for policing in future years beyond 2025-26 will be set out in phase 2 of the Spending Review.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of reporting materials by weight in the Extended Producer Responsibility scheme on incentives for producers to use (a) soft plastics and (b) other lighter but less recyclable materials over (i) paper, (ii) glass and (iii) other more sustainable but heavier alternatives.

Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Defra and PackUK have engaged extensively with waste management experts and the packaging industry across all materials, to ensure that the modelling of local authority costs underpinning the pEPR scheme fairly reflects the on-the-ground reality of waste management operations. As a result, even though packaging weight is generally a key driver of waste management costs in the model, estimated packaging volume, rather than packaging weight, is used to calculate kerbside dry recycling collections costs, to best reflect practical limitations with waste collection systems. This is especially important for heavier materials, which would otherwise incur higher base fees under a modelling of costs solely based on weight. The introduction of base fees from 2025 is designed to incentivise a reduction in the weight of packaging placed on the market in the UK.

Defra and PackUK also engaged extensively across the waste and packaging sectors to agree modulation rates that will be introduce from 2026 to incentivise the use of most recyclable materials by reducing their fees when compared to unrecyclable alternatives.

PackUK will continue monitor the impact of these financial incentives, to ensure they deliver the intended outcomes.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, when she will publish proposals on improving the affordability of ground rents.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The government remains firmly committed to its manifesto commitment to tackle unregulated and unaffordable ground rents, and we will deliver this in legislation.

Police officers

Gaza (No. 2)

Found: Barros-Curtis Markus Campbell-Savours Sir Christopher Chope Sarah Coombes Kirith Entwistle Marie Goldman

Found: (50.0%) Kirith Entwistle (Labour, Bolton North East) (added 9 Sep 2024) 11 of 16 (68.8%) Marie Goldman

Found: Dix Jonathan Frost (Strategic Estates) (for Items 6 and 7) Paul Duffree Andy Helliwell (Lords) Marie Goldman

Found: 10.00 am Meeting in the Speaker’s Study Present: The Speaker, in the Chair Steve Barclay Marie Goldman

Found: Programme Board Sub Board Officials Lord Vaux of Harrowden (Chair) Fehintola Akinlose (Lords) Marie Goldman

Found: George Martin Wrigley Dr Roz Savage Zöe Franklin Victoria Collins Alex Brewer John Milne Marie Goldman

Found: George Martin Wrigley Dr Roz Savage Zöe Franklin Victoria Collins Alex Brewer John Milne Marie Goldman

Found: Morrison Ian Roome Vikki Slade Calum Miller Carla Denyer Mr Angus MacDonald Liz Jarvis Marie Goldman

Found: George Martin Wrigley Dr Roz Savage Zöe Franklin Victoria Collins Alex Brewer John Milne Marie Goldman

Found: George Martin Wrigley Dr Roz Savage Zöe Franklin Victoria Collins Alex Brewer John Milne Marie Goldman

Found: Morrison Ian Roome Vikki Slade Calum Miller Carla Denyer Mr Angus MacDonald Liz Jarvis Marie Goldman

Found: Brown-Fuller Sarah Olney Rebecca Paul Adam Jogee Daniel Francis Dr Allison Gardner Dr Ben Spencer Marie Goldman

Found: Brown-Fuller Sarah Olney Rebecca Paul Adam Jogee Daniel Francis Dr Allison Gardner Dr Ben Spencer Marie Goldman

Found: Brown-Fuller Sarah Olney Rebecca Paul Adam Jogee Daniel Francis Dr Allison Gardner Dr Ben Spencer Marie Goldman