Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many meetings have her (a) Ministers and (b) civil servants attended relating to the Crowborough Training Camp and the accommodation of asylum seekers that were facilitated by the leadership of Wealden District Council since October 2025.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office has engaged extensively with Wealden District Council in relation to the use of Crowborough Training Camp. This has included meetings attended by senior civil servants, as well as attendance at a meeting of the Wealden District Council Scrutiny and Performance Committee in November 2025.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has received any written representations or invitations to meet from Councillor Ian Tysh (Maresfield, Planning and Environment Portfolio) of Wealden District Council relating to the accommodation of asylum seekers at the Crowborough Training Camp.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office has met regularly with Wealden District Council and has not received written representations or invitations to meet from Councillor Ian Tysh.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has received any written representations or invitations to meet from Councillor Gareth Owen-Williams (Crowborough Jarvis Brook) of Wealden District Council relating to the accommodation of asylum seekers at the Crowborough Training Camp.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office has met regularly with Wealden District Council and has not received written representations or invitations to meet from Councillor Gareth Owen-Williams.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has facilitated visits to the Crowborough Training Camp for Councillor Rachel Millward and Councillor James Partridge, the Leaders of Wealden District Council; and on what date any such visit took place.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

Yes, the Home Office facilitated a visit on 9 February 2026.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether any Ministers from her Department have visited the Crowborough Training Camp since October 2025.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

No, ministers have not yet visited the Crowborough site.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the press release entitled Prime Minister announces seven new stations and major rail funding commitment, of 17 February 2026, how much her Department is contributing to the rail infrastructure projects in Wales by financial year.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The 2025 Spending Review allocated £302 million from the Rail Network Enhancements Pipeline (RNEP) for rail enhancement investment in Wales, directly overseen by the Department for Transport. This forms part of the overall £445 million set aside for rail improvements in Wales as part of the Spending Review and Infrastructure Strategy.

The £302m RNEP funding will be distributed over financial years 2026/27 to 2029/30, with annual budgets currently being finalised in collaboration with the rail industry in Wales. Further UK Government funding allocations will be confirmed at future Spending Reviews.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the press release entitled Prime Minister announces seven new stations and major rail funding commitment, of 17 February 2026, what funding source is being used; and whether those funds are from existing Department for Transport allocations.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Prime Minister has made a generational UK Government commitment to modernise Welsh rail. Following the 2025 Spending Review, this work is already underway supported by the following funding sources:

• DfT Rail Network Enhancements Pipeline
• The Levelling Up Fund
• The Cardiff Capital Region City Deal
• The North Wales Growth Deal
• Welsh Government Transport Budgets
• Private-sector funding contributions

Further UK Government funding allocations will be confirmed at future Spending Reviews, leveraging further contributions from local partners and private sector investment, to deliver all the projects outlined in Transport for Wales’ vision for rail across Wales and the Borders as quickly as possible.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the press release entitled Prime Minister announces seven new stations and major rail funding commitment, of 17 February 2026, whether that announcement forms part of the transport funding from the Spending Review.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

At least £445 million has been set aside for rail improvements in Wales as part of the 2025 Spending Review and Infrastructure Strategy.

This investment marks the beginning of a long-term UK Government commitment, announced by the Prime Minister, to modernise Welsh railways.

The Prime Minister has pledged that the UK Government will collaborate with the Welsh Government to deliver all the projects outlined in Transport for Wales’ vision for rail across Wales and the Borders as quickly as possible.

Further UK Government funding allocations beyond the £445m already announced, will be confirmed at future Spending Reviews.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the press release entitled Prime Minister announces seven new stations and major rail funding commitment, of 17 February 2026, whether additional funding has been set aside in the fiscal framework for ongoing maintenance of the new stations.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The business cases currently being developed for the new stations will determine anticipated ongoing maintenance costs, which will be funded according to standard industry practices upon their commissioning and entry into service.

Question to the Wales Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, with reference to the press release entitled Prime Minister announces seven new stations and major rail funding commitment, of 17 February 2026, what the source of the funding is for the construction of the new railway stations; and what proportion is being provided by (a) the UK Government, (b) the Welsh Government, (c) Transport for Wales and (d) other bodies.

Answered by Jo Stevens - Secretary of State for Wales

Transport for Wales published the Wales Rail Board’s vision for rail enhancements on 18 February. Transport for Wales estimates that the total cost of schemes under consideration to be up to £14 billion, and the UK Government has endorsed this vision. This joint plan with the Welsh Government establishes a framework for a comprehensive pipeline of enhancements and confirms the UK Government and Welsh Government will work in partnership to deliver these schemes as quickly as possible. This is a generational commitment to modernise Welsh rail and further UK Government funding allocations will be confirmed at future Spending Reviews.

This commitment began at the Spending Review in June 2025, when the Chancellor announced that the UK Government will allocate at least £445 million to rail enhancements in Wales, the vast majority of which will be spent during this Spending Review period. This will mean new stations, more and faster trains on the key lines across North and South Wales, including five of the Burns Stations - connecting people with the new, well-paid jobs we are creating across Wales. This includes £48 million for the Welsh Government to deliver upgrades on the Core Valley Lines.

With regard to Cardiff Parkway, the UK Government has agreed an approach with the Welsh Government and private investors to take the project forward, with additional UK Government funding made available to deliver the station. The exact funding contribution from each partner and timeline for the station’s delivery will depend on subsequent development work.

UK and Welsh Government have worked with the North Wales Growth Deal, Ambition North Wales, who have agreed to co-fund the improvements to the main line arrangements into the Padeswood cement works freight facility. This will provide a seamless movement for freight trains off the main line and into the cement works rather than the time-consuming current movements. This funding will enable UK Government to use its existing funding agreed at the Spending Review to take forward further schemes on this line, including an additional station to service Deeside Industrial Park, and safety, capacity and line speed improvements at Buckley.

Further information can be found on GOV.UK at: Prime Minister announces seven new stations and major rail funding commitment - GOV.UK

Question to the Wales Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, with reference to the press release entitled Prime Minister announces seven new stations and major rail funding commitment, of 17 February 2026, what her planned timeframe is for the expenditure of the funds allocated to the new Welsh rail stations; and by what financial year each tranche of funding will be spent.

Answered by Jo Stevens - Secretary of State for Wales

Transport for Wales published the Wales Rail Board’s vision for rail enhancements on 18 February. Transport for Wales estimates that the total cost of schemes under consideration to be up to £14 billion, and the UK Government has endorsed this vision. This joint plan with the Welsh Government establishes a framework for a comprehensive pipeline of enhancements and confirms the UK Government and Welsh Government will work in partnership to deliver these schemes as quickly as possible. This is a generational commitment to modernise Welsh rail and further UK Government funding allocations will be confirmed at future Spending Reviews.

This commitment began at the Spending Review in June 2025, when the Chancellor announced that the UK Government will allocate at least £445 million to rail enhancements in Wales, the vast majority of which will be spent during this Spending Review period. This will mean new stations, more and faster trains on the key lines across North and South Wales, including five of the Burns Stations, connecting people with the new, well-paid jobs we are creating across Wales. With regard to Cardiff Parkway, the UK Government has agreed an approach with the Welsh Government and private investors to take the project forward, with additional UK Government funding made available to deliver the station. The exact funding contribution from each partner and timeline for the station’s delivery will depend on subsequent development work.

UK and Welsh Government have worked with the North Wales Growth Deal, Ambition North Wales, who have agreed to co-fund the improvements to the main line arrangements into the Padeswood cement works freight facility. This will provide a seamless movement for freight trains off the main line and into the cement works rather than the time-consuming current movements.

This funding will enable UK Government to use its existing funding agreed at the Spending Review to take forward further schemes on this line, including an additional station to service Deeside Industrial Park, and safety, capacity and line speed improvements at Buckley.

Further information can be found on GOV.UK at: Prime Minister announces seven new stations and major rail funding commitment - GOV.UK

Question to the Wales Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, with reference to the press release entitled Prime Minister announces seven new stations and major rail funding commitment, of 17 February 2026, what discussions she has had with the Welsh Government and Transport for Wales on risk and delivery responsibility for the seven new stations.

Answered by Jo Stevens - Secretary of State for Wales

The Wales Rail Board has developed its long-term vision for rail enhancement investment in Wales, which was published last week by Transport for Wales as part of its document titled ‘Today, Tomorrow, Together: A Vision for Wales across Wales and Borders’.

The Wales Rail Board is an intergovernmental board that will oversee the delivery of this pipeline of projects. Its membership includes the Wales Office, Department for Transport, Network Rail, Welsh Government and Transport for Wales.

Further information can be found on GOV.UK at: Prime Minister announces seven new stations and major rail funding commitment - GOV.UK

Question to the Wales Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, with reference to the press release entitled Prime Minister announces seven new stations and major rail funding commitment, of 17 February 2026, whether the funding for new Welsh rail stations will require additional Barnett consequentials for the Welsh Budget.

Answered by Jo Stevens - Secretary of State for Wales

Heavy rail is reserved in Wales, so Barnett consequentials do not apply to its funding.

The UK Government is working in partnership with the Welsh Government and industry stakeholders to fund and deliver improvements to rail in Wales as quickly as possible.

Transport for Wales published the Wales Rail Board’s vision for rail enhancements on 18 February. Transport for Wales estimates that the total cost of schemes under consideration to be up to £14 billion, and the UK Government has endorsed this vision. This joint plan with the Welsh Government establishes a framework for a comprehensive pipeline of enhancements and confirms the UK Government and Welsh Government will work in partnership to deliver these schemes as quickly as possible. This is a generational commitment to modernise Welsh rail and further UK Government funding allocations will be confirmed at future Spending Reviews.

Further information can be found on GOV.UK at: Prime Minister announces seven new stations and major rail funding commitment - GOV.UK

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to her Department's consultation entitled Reforming planning rules to accelerate deployment of digital infrastructure, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of increasing the permitted width upgrades to existing ground-based mobile masts.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The call for evidence, “Reforming planning rules to accelerate deployment of digital infrastructure”, closed on 26 February and was led jointly by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.

The call for evidence sought evidence and information on how targeted reforms to the planning framework, including potentially expanded permitted development rights, could better support the rollout of fixed and mobile digital infrastructure in England.

We are currently reviewing the responses and supporting evidence received through the call for evidence. This includes evidence on proposals relating to ground‑based masts, including taller monopoles, alongside other planning measures aimed at accelerating rollout of digital infrastructure while ensuring sufficient safeguards are in place.

Subject to the evidence, we will determine next steps. This may include consulting on draft measures and—where appropriate—bringing forward legislation in the future.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to ensure local planning authorities have sufficient skills and capacity to process telecommunications planning applications in a timely manner in East Sussex.

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

I refer the hon. Member to the answers given to Questions UIN 95326 and UIN 99031 both on 5 January 2026.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps the Government is taking to help ensure that local planning authorities in West Sussex have sufficient skills and capacity to process telecommunications planning applications swiftly.

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

I refer the hon. Member to the answers given to Questions UIN 95326 and UIN 99031 both on 5 January 2026.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to ensure local planning authorities have sufficient skills and capacity to process telecommunications planning applications swiftly.

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

I refer the hon. Member to the answers given to Questions UIN 95326 and UIN 99031 both on 5 January 2026.

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