Asked by: Neil O'Brien (Conservative - Harborough, Oadby and Wigston)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, further to the Answer of 1 September 2025 to Question 69372 on Midland Main Line: Electrification, what is her Department's estimate of the cost of completing electrification of the Midland Main Line to Nottingham and Sheffield.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department’s most recent estimate to electrify the Midland Main Line to Nottingham and Sheffield was c. £1.5 billion, however, before the decision to pause the programme was confirmed, work was being undertaken by Network Rail to update their cost estimate.
Since July, Network Rail have been making plans for their current activities in a way that enables work to be subsequently utilised. The design work that will be completed will enable a more robust and up to date cost estimate to be produced, as and when funding becomes available to complete electrification of the route.
Asked by: Neil O'Brien (Conservative - Harborough, Oadby and Wigston)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when his Department plans to publish the report on the adult social care relative needs formula on the Adult Social Care Policy Research Unit Website.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The report on the adult social care relative needs formula was published on the Adult Social Care Policy Research Unit’s website in June 2025.
The Department funds independent research through its research delivery arm, the National Institute of Health and Care Research (NIHR).
The publication of research is led by the research team. The views expressed in the outputs of the research are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the NIHR or the Department.
Asked by: Neil O'Brien (Conservative - Harborough, Oadby and Wigston)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate her Department has made of the reduction in expenditure from the cancelling the electrification of the midland mainline north of Wigston.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The decisions taken in the Spending Review on rail enhancements were about prioritising the schemes that provided the greatest contribution to the government’s missions affordably. Rail enhancements are funded as a portfolio and this portfolio received increased funding from the Spending Review, meaning expenditure is expected to increase overall. The final investment decision on the electrification of the Midland Mainline north of Wigston had not been taken at the time of Spending Review, and it was not prioritised for progression in the period. While further Midland Main Line electrification is no longer expected to be funded over this Spending Review period, it has not been cancelled and will be kept under active review as part of our longer-term pipeline of schemes. This decision has not led to a reduction in expenditure on rail enhancements.
Asked by: Neil O'Brien (Conservative - Harborough, Oadby and Wigston)
Question
To ask the hon. Member for Battersea, representing the Church Commissioners, pursuant to the Answer of 6 July 2025 to Question 63010 on Church of England: Slavery, whether the £5 million to be spent on project Spire in the triennium spending plans 2026-28 remains the Church's forecast.
Answered by Marsha De Cordova
£5 million is not a forecast figure the Church Commissioners recognises in relation to the Spire programme in the triennium spending plans for 2026-28. The Church Commissioners’ triennium spending plan process involves forecasting high-level commitments over a three-year period to provide strategic direction and flexibility, recognising that actual costs and timings may vary across a multi-year programme
As this is a figure the Hon. Member for Harborough, Oadby and Wigston has also mentioned in a prior question (UIN 63009) and during oral questions on 3 July 2025, I wish to clarify the Church Commissioners’ financing in relation to the Spire programme.
In response to historic links to African chattel enslavement, the Church Commissioners has committed £100 million for a new charitable fund, to enable grant funding and further research. As per the answer to question UIN 63010, the Church Commissioners requires Charity Commission authorisation to settle income from its general fund on a new charitable fund to enact this response. Until such regulatory authorisation may be obtained, the Church Commissioners will not deploy any of the £100 million, which therefore remains in its general fund. As mentioned in answer to question UIN 63009, expenditure on this work to date, therefore, has been limited to proportionate research into the Church Commissioners’ source of funds and consideration of its response to that history.
Asked by: Neil O'Brien (Conservative - Harborough, Oadby and Wigston)
Question
To ask the hon. Member for Battersea, representing the Church Commissioners, pursuant to the Answer of 6 July 2025 to Question 63010 on Church of England: Slavery, how much has been spent on this project so far.
Answered by Marsha De Cordova
From 2019 to the end of the financial year 31 December 2024 inclusive, the Church Commissioners' expenditure in connection with Project Spire was approximately £1 million. This is related to commissioning research and developing our formal response
The Church Commissioners' spending in this period relates to forensic accountancy, risk management, consultation, engagement events, communications, governance and ancillary matters. This figure does not include any estimate of internal staff time, as it is not possible to separate this from the general administration of the Church Commissioner's Secretariat and would incur a disproportionate cost to the organisation.
Asked by: Neil O'Brien (Conservative - Harborough, Oadby and Wigston)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much she plans to spend on the Best Start for Life programme in the (a) 2026-27, (b) 2027-28 and (c) 2028-29 financial years.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The department has allocated close to £1.5 billion over the next three financial years on improving family services and early years education. This funding includes both programme and capital funding, and is separate from the additional funding being provided for early years entitlements.
Asked by: Neil O'Brien (Conservative - Harborough, Oadby and Wigston)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 18 December 2024 to Question 19002 on Ministry of Defence: Temporary Accommodation, how many Afghans are being accommodated on the defence estate.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
As of 18 July 2025, there are currently 972 eligible Afghans in transitional accommodation on the Defence Estate under the Afghan Resettlement Programme (ARP). Use of the Defence Estate will be gradually reduced over the coming months, with a view to ceasing its use as transitional accommodation for Afghan families by the end of 2025.
Asked by: Neil O'Brien (Conservative - Harborough, Oadby and Wigston)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people were claiming Universal Credit who were (a) in employment and (b) not in employment and whose immigration status was (i) Common Travel Area - UK, Ireland, Right of Abode, (ii) EU Settlement Scheme, (iii) humanitarian, (iv) refugee, (v) indefinite leave to remain, not EU Settlement Scheme, (vii) limited leave to remain, not EU Settlement Scheme, including family reunion, (viii) other and (ix) no immigration status recorded on digital systems in each local authority in each month since June 2024.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Department recently published new Universal Credit - Immigration Status and Nationality statistics. Further breakdowns of these statistics are not currently available.
Asked by: Neil O'Brien (Conservative - Harborough, Oadby and Wigston)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his oral statement of 15 July 2025 on Afghanistan, Official Report, column 149-152, whether the £5.5 to 6 billion lifetime cost of the Afghan resettlement schemes includes further family members coming to the UK.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
Yes, the lifetime cost quoted of the Afghan resettlement schemes includes family members coming to the UK.
Projected costs are based on per person costs used for planning purposes, and estimated numbers of future arrivals. The estimate is based on costs incurred including: relocation and transitional accommodation costs; Local Authority tariffs and the Local Authority Housing Fund; legal fees; and staffing costs (e.g. case workers). The cost estimates also factor in assumptions on numbers of outstanding ARAP applications expected to be made eligible, family sizes and length of stay in transitional accommodation.
HM Treasury included the cost of all Afghan resettlement schemes in the spending audit in July 2024. HMT has fully funded all future costs of resettlement schemes as part of the Spending Review in June.
Asked by: Neil O'Brien (Conservative - Harborough, Oadby and Wigston)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will publish the assumptions used to generate the figure of a 5.5 to 6 billion lifetime cost of the Afghan re-settlement schemes.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
Yes, the lifetime cost quoted of the Afghan resettlement schemes includes family members coming to the UK.
Projected costs are based on per person costs used for planning purposes, and estimated numbers of future arrivals. The estimate is based on costs incurred including: relocation and transitional accommodation costs; Local Authority tariffs and the Local Authority Housing Fund; legal fees; and staffing costs (e.g. case workers). The cost estimates also factor in assumptions on numbers of outstanding ARAP applications expected to be made eligible, family sizes and length of stay in transitional accommodation.
HM Treasury included the cost of all Afghan resettlement schemes in the spending audit in July 2024. HMT has fully funded all future costs of resettlement schemes as part of the Spending Review in June.