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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of including automatic voter registration for overseas voters in the upcoming Elections Bill.

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

As set out in the July 17 policy paper ‘Restoring trust in our democracy: Our strategy for modern and secure elections’, the Government is committed to introducing a more automated approach to electoral registration over the coming years. Before implementing any changes, we will test a range of automated approaches including more effective use of data and better join-up across public services, with the aim of improving the accuracy and completeness of the register.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 22 October 2025 to Question 82810 on Water Supply: Standards, what further information her Department holds on the reasons for these improvement notices, and what processes take place once such notices are received by central Government.

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

The Drinking Water Inspectorate receives, records, and reports on the number of information notices each year. This information is provided in the Chief Inspector’s annual report on Private Water Supplies in England. Acting on behalf of the Secretary of State, the Chief Inspector of Drinking Water can confirm notices issued under Section 80 of the Water Industry Act 1991 if they are appealed, but no action is taken by Defra or the DWI on notices issued.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 22 October 2025 to Question 82811 on Water Supply: Standards, whether she has assessed the adequacy of issuing non-mandatory guidance for private water supply risk assessments.

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

The Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI) publishes and maintains a suite of risk assessment tools on its website. Risk assessments must meet the requirements of European standard EN 15975-2 entitled "Security of Drinking Water Supply - Guidelines for Risk and Crisis Management – Risk Management" which provides further guidance and if local authorities have any questions on performing risk assessments, they can contact the DWI who provide technical and scientific advice.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 22 October 2025 to Question 82808 on Water Supply: Newton Abbot, what assessment her Department has made of the capacity of Teignbridge District Council to meet its statutory duties for private water supplies, in light of the number of registered supplies and the associated workload for risk assessments and sampling.

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

Local authorities can recover costs incurred from their work on private water supplies from the relevant person for the supply. Defra expects all local authorities to undertake their statutory duties.

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 support people with oil heated homes in Devon.

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

For most oil-heated homes transitioning to clean heat will include installing a heat pump. Grants of £7,500 are available through the Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS). As hydronic heat pumps may not be suitable for every property, BUS supports biomass boilers in rural homes with a £5,000 grants and we will offer £2,500 grants to support air-to-air heat pumps from 2026.

Government has recently published a consultation exploring the role of alternative clean heating solutions. The consultation opened on 18 November and will run for 12 weeks.

Finally, we are undertaking research to collect data on the costs of different approaches to decarbonising the most complex housing archetypes and expect to receive results early next year.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what are the current wait times for mandatory reconsideration claims over PIP decisions in Devon.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

The median time taken for a Mandatory Reconsideration (MR) decision to be reached for Personal Independence Payment (PIP) in Devon is 70 calendar days.

The median time taken is measured from the date an MR is registered to the date an MR decision is reached. The 70 calendar days is for new claims and reassessments made under normal rules between August 2024 and July 2025.

Each PIP claim can have more than one MR registered against it over time. The above includes all MR decisions (excluding withdrawn and cancelled MRs).

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps she is taking to support people suffering with a terminal illness with their energy bills.

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

The affordability crisis is the biggest issue facing this country. That is why I am proud that the recent Autumn Budget acts to take an average £150 of costs off people’s energy bills.

This support comes on top of the £150 off energy bills that we are providing for around 6 million families under the Warm Home Discount this winter, cutting fuel poverty.

The Government has been clear with suppliers that they should do all that they can to support their customers – including vulnerable consumers – who may be struggling with their bills. I would urge any consumers who are struggling to pay their bills to speak to their supplier, local authority, or Citizens Advice who may be able to provide help and support. They can also visit the GOV.UK website, where extra cost-of-living support can be found - www.gov.uk/cost-of-living.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to support people with a terminal illness who are in poverty.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

This Government is committed to providing a financial safety net for those who need it. Support is available through the welfare system to those who are unable to work, are on a low income or have additional costs as a consequence of a long-term health condition or disability but are not eligible to pensioner benefits because of their age.

For those nearing the end of their life, the Government’s priority is to provide people with financial support quickly and compassionately. The main way the Department does this is through the Special Rules for End of Life (SREL) which enable people who are nearing the end of their lives to get faster, easier access to Personal Independence Payment, Employment and Support Allowance, Universal Credit and Attendance Allowance, without needing to attend a medical assessment, serve waiting periods and in most cases, receive the highest rate of benefit.

The Department is committed to ensure that eligible claimants at the end of life have their claims processed as quickly as possible. Latest figures show that In Great Britain, new claims to PIP under the Special Rules are being cleared in 3 working days on average.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what plans the Department has to provide transitional protection for rural local authorities expected to experience the largest funding reductions under the proposed local government reorganisation.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

As set out the local government finance policy statement and response to the Fair Funding Review 2.0 on Thursday 20 November, we will support local authorities, including those undergoing reorganisation or in rural areas, to manage their updated funding positions through a package of transitional arrangements.

As a result of these changes, we expect the vast majority of local authorities with social care responsibilities will see their Core Spending Power increase in real terms over the multi-year Settlement, and most other authorities will see their income increase in cash terms.

Areas undergoing reorganisation will continue to benefit from this package of transitional support following reorganisation. We will not recalculate transitional support allocated to reorganised councils following reorganisation, which will further benefit these councils. Considering the efficiencies that are possible through reorganisation, we expect that areas will be able to meet any further one-off costs associated with reorganisation over time from existing budgets.

We will publish multi-year local authority allocations, including funding for transition and year-on-year Core Spending Power changes, at the provisional Local Government Finance Settlement later this month.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether the Government intends to ensure that no local authority sees a cash reduction in its core spending power as a result of upcoming funding changes during local government reorganisation.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

As set out the local government finance policy statement and response to the Fair Funding Review 2.0 on Thursday 20 November, we will support local authorities, including those undergoing reorganisation or in rural areas, to manage their updated funding positions through a package of transitional arrangements.

As a result of these changes, we expect the vast majority of local authorities with social care responsibilities will see their Core Spending Power increase in real terms over the multi-year Settlement, and most other authorities will see their income increase in cash terms.

Areas undergoing reorganisation will continue to benefit from this package of transitional support following reorganisation. We will not recalculate transitional support allocated to reorganised councils following reorganisation, which will further benefit these councils. Considering the efficiencies that are possible through reorganisation, we expect that areas will be able to meet any further one-off costs associated with reorganisation over time from existing budgets.

We will publish multi-year local authority allocations, including funding for transition and year-on-year Core Spending Power changes, at the provisional Local Government Finance Settlement later this month.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to consult with (a) service users and (b) providers when changing (a) hours and (b) hourly rates for Access to Work grants after an application.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

We have interpreted service users as Access to Work (AtW) customers and providers as support workers, third parties, and stakeholders who deliver support to AtW customers.

AtW provides tailored support to help disabled people overcome workplace barriers that go beyond an employer’s reasonable adjustments. Awards are based on an assessment of the customer’s individual needs.

When hours or hourly rates are changed the AtW case manager consults directly with the customer to explain the reasons for the change. As the customer is the recipient of the grant, the case manager does not consult with providers such as support workers or organisations delivering services. It is for the customer to liaise with their chosen provider regarding any changes.

If a customer is dissatisfied with a change to their hours or hourly rates, they may request that their award is reviewed by a different AtW case manager.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what processes his Department has in place for people to escalate complaints where no response has been received after the standard timeframe for people contacting Access to Work during application and when finalising the details of a grant.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

Customers who are unhappy with the service they receive from Access to Work, including delays or lack of response, can raise a complaint directly with the team handling their case.

If the issue is not resolved, the complaint can be escalated through the Department’s formal complaints process. This includes:

Stage 1: Contacting the business area or team directly to resolve the concern.

Stage 2: Asking for the complaint to be referred to the DWP Complaints Team for review, who will aim to resolve it within 15 working days.

Stage 3: If still dissatisfied, customers can escalate their complaint to the Independent Case Examiner (ICE) within six months of the final response.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to help tackle modern slavery in Devon.

Answered by Jess Phillips - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The UK is committed to ensuring victims can access the necessary support to assist in their recovery from their experiences of exploitation or trafficking.

Adult victim support is provided on a national basis, across England and Wales. The Modern Slavery Victim Care Contract provides specialist support to adult victims of exploitation and trafficking who have been identified through the National Referral Mechanism (NRM).

The MSVCC provides safe accommodation where necessary, financial support and a support worker to help victims access other support services such as the NHS and legal aid.

With regards to support for child victims, local authorities are responsible for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all children in their area.

The Government-funded Independent Child Trafficking Guardianship (ICTG) service provides advocacy and support to child victims of exploitation and trafficking who have been referred to the NRM. In September 2025, we launched an invitation-to-tender for the national contract which will expand the service to provide national coverage in England and Wales, including Devon. The tender process is now underway.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to support victims of modern slavery in Devon.

Answered by Jess Phillips - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The UK is committed to ensuring victims can access the necessary support to assist in their recovery from their experiences of exploitation or trafficking.

Adult victim support is provided on a national basis, across England and Wales. The Modern Slavery Victim Care Contract provides specialist support to adult victims of exploitation and trafficking who have been identified through the National Referral Mechanism (NRM).

The MSVCC provides safe accommodation where necessary, financial support and a support worker to help victims access other support services such as the NHS and legal aid.

With regards to support for child victims, local authorities are responsible for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all children in their area.

The Government-funded Independent Child Trafficking Guardianship (ICTG) service provides advocacy and support to child victims of exploitation and trafficking who have been referred to the NRM. In September 2025, we launched an invitation-to-tender for the national contract which will expand the service to provide national coverage in England and Wales, including Devon. The tender process is now underway.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a formal fast-track process for Disabled Facilities Grant applications for people with progressive and terminal conditions such as motor neuron disease.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

I refer the hon Member to the answer given to Question UIN 88803 on 10 November 2025

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 22 October 2025 to Question 82809 on Water Companies: Risk Assessment, what steps she is taking to help ensure compliance by local authorities with statutory reporting duties on private water supply risk assessments; and if she will provide an update on progress made in responding to the recommendations of the 2024 research project: Impact and future of the regulatory model and legislative framework surrounding private water supplies in England and Wales.

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

Reporting duties return rates by local authorities will be raised by officials in the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government through their regular liaison meetings with the Local Government Association.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when she plans to lay before Parliament final regulations and statutory guidance to implement mandatory Biodiversity Net Gain for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects.

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

Biodiversity net gain will apply to nationally significant infrastructure projects from May 2026. The Government consulted on the implementation detail over the summer and will publish a response and other relevant guidance in due course.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make it her policy to increase the corresponding recreational bag limit when commercial bass catch limits are increased.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Annual negotiations between the UK and EU to decide fishing opportunities for 2026 have recently concluded. The outcome for both commercial and recreational seabass opportunities will be made public shortly.

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 patients with overlapping conditions such as Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME), Long Covid, Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) and Hypermobility Spectrum Disorder, Postural Tachycardia Syndrome (PoTS), and Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS).

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department recognises the complex needs of people living with overlapping conditions such as myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), long COVID, Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, hypermobility spectrum disorders, postural tachycardia syndrome, and mast cell activation syndrome. Our approach focuses on improving care coordination and access to appropriate services.

For ME/CFS, we have published a cross-government final delivery plan, which sets out actions to boost research, improve professional education, and enhance support for daily living, including community-based services and better benefit assessments. While the plan is specific to ME/CFS, it acknowledges overlaps with other complex, multi-system disorders and commits to exploring synergies during implementation.

Additionally, the 10-Year Health Plan aims to transform services and outcomes for people living with complex conditions by prioritising integrated, personalised care. The plan focuses on earlier diagnosis and promotes multidisciplinary teams and community-based services to deliver coordinated support closer to home, reducing reliance on hospital care. Digital innovations, including remote monitoring and personalised care planning, will help manage long-term conditions more effectively. The Plan also commits to 95% of people with complex needs to have a personalised care plan by 2027. Personalised care plans will improve support for people with complex needs by ensuring that care is tailored to the individual and coordinated across services.

In addition, research funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research into post-viral syndromes and autonomic disorders will help improve understanding autonomic dysfunction and overlapping conditions, accelerate innovation and deliver evidence-based care for patients with complex, multi-system health needs.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the increase in employers' National Insurance contributions on trends in the level of NHS staff on (a) GP practices, (b) care providers and (c) the health sector in Devon.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

We are investing an extra £1.1 billion in general practice, the biggest cash increase in a decade. That funding has allowed us to recruit an extra 2,500 general practitioners and improve access for patients.

General practices are valued independent contractors who provide over £13 billion worth of NHS services. Every year we consult with the sector both about what services they provide, and the money providers are entitled to in return under their contract, taking into account the cost of delivering services.

This Government is committed to publishing a 10 Year Workforce Plan to set out action to create a workforce ready to deliver the transformed service set out in the 10-Year Health Plan. The 10 Year Workforce Plan will ensure that the National Health Service has the right people in the right places, with the right skills to care for patients, when they need it.

We hugely value the critical role that health care providers play, we are determined to address the issues they face.

Elaine Davis and charities in Devon

Postal workers and Royal Mail staff

Cary Repair Café

Royal Naval Association Torbay

Water bills

McLaren title win for British motorsport

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On 15 July 2025 the Defence Secretary told the House of Commons about a large-scale data breach that had taken place in 2022, when a Ministry of Defence official emailed a spreadsheet to an external contact, unaware that it contained details relating to 18,700 Afghan nationals applying for relocation.