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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department includes purpose-built student accommodation in it's counting of affordable housing.

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

The definition of affordable housing used in statistical publications is the one included in Annex 2 of the National Planning Policy Framework.

Any student accommodation that falls within that definition will be included, but it is not separately identified in the data collected for the Department’s affordable housing supply statistics.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much of the savings to the public purse made through changes to large programme Uplift funding for the International Baccalaureate diploma will be allocated to each pupil undertaking (a) maths and (b) high-value A-Level programmes.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The department has made significant investments into 16 to 19 education funding. The base rate of funding per student has increased to £5,105 in academic year 2025/26 up over 5% on last year. But we must make this funding work hard, tilting it towards key priorities. That is why we have announced that we will focus the Large Programme Uplift (LPU) funding, which is on top of the base rate, on large programmes which include mathematics, further mathematics and other high value A levels. These programmes will retain the LPU funding. Funding saved from the LPU will be used to help to ensure there are enough suitable places in post-16 education for every young person that wants one.

We will set out the full 16 to 19 funding priorities for academic year 2026/27 in due course. Institutions receiving 16 to19 funding will retain the freedom to decide what programmes of study to offer, including the International Baccalaureate.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when she expects the (a) economic and (b) environmental analysis of Heathrow Airport expansion to (i) commence and (ii) be completed.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

On 22 October, the Secretary of State for Transport launched a review of the Airports National Policy Statement (ANPS), which provides the primary basis for decision-making on whether to grant development consent for a new northwest runway at Heathrow. As part of the review, the Department for Transport will develop analysis on the economic and environmental impacts of expansion at Heathrow, and the outputs will be published alongside any amends to the ANPS for consultation by summer 2026. Any promoter will then need to prepare and submit a development consent order, including their own analysis, for expansion for consideration by the Planning Inspectorate and the Secretary of State for Transport.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of creating a national strategy for palliative and end of life care.

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

The Department and NHS England are currently looking at how to improve the access, quality, and sustainability of all-age palliative care and end of life care in line with the 10-Year Health Plan.

We are supporting the hospice sector with a £100 million capital funding boost for eligible adult and children’s hospices in England to ensure they have the best physical environment for care.

We are also providing £26 million in revenue funding to support children and young people’s hospices for 2025/26.  I am pleased to confirm the continuation of circa £26 million, adjusted for inflation, for the next three financial years, 2026/27 to 2028/29 inclusive, to be distributed again via ICBs. This amounts to approximately £80 million over the next three years.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions she has had with the Mayor of London on public consultation on police station front counter closures.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

A key part of this Government’s Safer Streets Mission is restoring neighbourhood policing and rebuilding trust and confidence in policing.

This is why, under this government, we will ensure 3,000 more neighbourhood officers will be on the beat by April 2026.

The Metropolitan Police will receive up to £3.8 billion in 2025-26, a £262 million increase in funding through the settlement.

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