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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she has considered including child development in the planning process to encourage outdoor activities.

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

The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) recognises that access to a network of high-quality open spaces and opportunities for sport and physical activity is important for the health and well-being of communities, including children.

The Framework is clear that local planning policies should be based on robust and up-to-date assessments of the need for open space, sport and recreation facilities, and opportunities for new provision, including places for children’s play.

In the revised NPPF published on 12 December 2024 we strengthened the strong protections already in place by adding explicit reference to safeguarding “formal play spaces”. That means that facilities can be lost only where there is clear evidence they are no longer required, where equivalent or better provision is secured in a suitable location, or where development of the site is for alternative sports and recreational provision, the benefits of which clearly outweigh the loss of the current or former use.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, when she plans to publish the outcome of the consultation entitled Strengthening the standards and conduct framework for local authorities in England, which closed on 26 February 2025.

Answered by Jim McMahon - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The government response to the ‘Strengthening the Standards and Conduct Framework for Local Authorities in England’ consultation will be issued in due course. After its release, we will continue to work actively with local government on developing the detailed policies for implementation.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if her Department will take steps with (a) academies and (b) schools to introduce impact statements for large housing developments within their catchment area.

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

The National Planning Policy Framework recognises the importance of ensuring a sufficient choice of early years, school and post-16 places are available to meet the needs of existing and new communities and outlines that local planning authorities should take a proactive, positive, and collaborative approach to meeting this requirement, and to development that will widen choice in education.

The Framework further states that local planning authorities should give great weight to the need to create, expand or alter early years, schools, and post-16 facilities through the preparation of plans and decisions on applications, and work with early years, school and post-16 promoters, delivery partners and statutory bodies to identify and resolve key planning issues before applications are submitted.

In view of these existing provisions, the government has no plans to introduce separate requirements for impact statements for large housing developments.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the (a) safety and (b) accessibility of road networks in rural areas in Mid Leicestershire constituency; and whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of development on road networks between settlements.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Government treats road safety seriously and is committed to reducing the numbers of those killed and injured on our roads. To this end, my Department is developing its Road Safety Strategy and will set out more details in due course.

Local government is the main delivery agent of road safety. The responsibility to implement, fund, deliver, promote and enforce local road safety initiatives remains with the Local Authorities under the 1988 Road Traffic Act. It is for the local council to decide what measures may be appropriate in their local area to “take steps both to reduce and prevent accidents”.

Local authorities are also responsible for the management of local roads, within the rules set by Government, including setting local speed limits where the national limit would not be appropriate. Local highway authorities are bound by the Public Sector Equality Duty and it is for them to ensure they manage their roads in a way that complies with that, including assessing potential impacts of development on road networks in their area.

Local authorities are best placed to decide on delivery of road safety initiatives, because of their knowledge of the roads for which they are responsible. We aid local authorities by providing guidance and initiatives such as our flagship road safety campaign, THINK!

Question

To ask the hon. Member for Warrington North, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, if he will publish a breakdown of the number of Freedom of Information Requests received from (a) individuals and (b) organisations in (i) 2024 and (ii) 2025.

Answered by Charlotte Nichols

The number of Freedom of Information requests received by the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority in 2024 was 167, and as of 8 July 2025, the number received in 2025 is 152. In 2024, ninety requests were received from organisations and forty-four from individuals, with thirty-three requests not possible to determine. In 2025, seventy-five requests have been received from organisations and forty-three from individuals, with thirty-four requests not possible to determine.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the operational effectiveness of his Department's (a) water and (b) wastewater services contracted with third party providers.

Answered by Maria Eagle - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

Project Aquatrine is the collective project name of three Public Private Partnership agreements between strategic water and wastewater suppliers and the Ministry of Defence (MOD).

Project Aquatrine established strategic management of water and sewerage services across the MOD estate. The project has clearly defined objectives and Key Performance Indicators to track progress and ensure accountability.

It has been successful in achieving its objectives of improving water and wastewater services across MOD sites in Great Britain. Key successes include reduced leakage, improved water quality, and increased efficiency.

Question

To ask the hon. Member for Warrington North, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, what estimate she has made of the potential savings to the public purse as a result of the scheme of MP's staffing and business costs in the (a) 2024-25 financial year and (b) 2025-26 financial year to date.

Answered by Charlotte Nichols

The Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA) submits its estimate to for the Speaker's Committee for IPSA to review on an annual basis, along with comparisons to prior years indicated . Significant changes are highlighted for discussion by the Committee and any changes to the scheme of MPs' Staffing and Business costs are subject to consultation. These documents are all a matter of public record.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Defence on the strategic importance of future trade agreements on the African continent.

Answered by Douglas Alexander - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)

DBT works closely with all government departments, including the Ministry of Defence, to consider all aspects of our trading relationships with Africa, and our strategic approach fully aligns with our recently published Trade Strategy and Industrial Strategy.

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 require local referenda for local government reorganisation proposals in Leicestershire.

Answered by Jim McMahon - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

As I stated in my answer to Question UIN 38850 on 20 March 2025, we do not have any plans to require local referenda as part of the local government reorganisation process. Under the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007, Parliament set out the statutory process for establishing unitary councils in two-tier areas. As set out in the invitation letter, areas must demonstrate how the local community has been engaged in developing proposals.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the proposed football regulator on the average price of a premiership football game ticket.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

The impact assessment for the Football Governance Bill estimates that the cost of regulation for all 5 divisions in scope of the regime will be between £103 million and £149 million, over a ten-year period. The Government does not believe that these costs will justify increases in ticket prices as they will be distributed proportionately across clubs over a significant period of time.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions her Department has had with the International Monetary Fund on the borrowing rates being paid by the UK government.

Answered by Emma Reynolds - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government does not comment on specific financial market movements. Financial market movements including gilt yields are determined by a wide range of international and domestic factors. Demand for UK debt remains strong, and we continue to monitor developments.

As part of ongoing engagement with many different stakeholders relevant to the conduct of economic and fiscal policy, the Government engages regularly and constructively with the IMF, and values their independent advice.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he expects the revised NHS dental contract to be implemented.

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

We are committed to reforming the dental contract, but we need to take the time to get this right. There are no perfect payment models and careful consideration needs to be given to any potential changes to the complex dental system so that we deliver genuine improvements for patients and the profession. The Government’s ambition is to deliver fundamental contract reform before the end of this Parliament.

As a first step to reforming the dental contract, we are consulting on a package of changes to improve access to, and the quality of, National Health Service dentistry which will deliver better care for the diverse oral health needs of people across England. The consultation is accessible at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/nhs-dentistry-contract-quality-and-payment-reforms

The consultation was launched on 8 July and will close on 19 August.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Employment Rights Bill on youth unemployment.

Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The Employment Rights Bill Impact Assessments were published on October 21 and can be found here. This analysis shows that the Bill is expected to benefit younger workers, typically disproportionately represented in low paid, low quality and insecure jobs.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions she has had with the Transport Department on switching road tax to be on a per mile basis.

Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

Treasury Ministers have regular discussions with other government departments on a range of matters.

Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) applies to vehicles used or kept on public roads, which does not vary by miles driven. However, fuel duty applies to the petrol or diesel used by motorists driving internal combustion engine vehicles; the greater the miles driven, the more fuel duty incurred.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department holds information on the number of dogs that have been transported from the UK to China for use as meat.

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

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer given on 18 June 2025 to Question 61081

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what was the total cost to the public purse of quasi-autonomous non governmental organisations sponsored by her Department for (a) the financial years (i) 2023/24 and (ii) 2024/25 and (b) April 2025 to date.

Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

The Ministry of Justice currently has seven Non-Departmental Public Bodies which have a vital role in the process of national government but are not part of a government department. Their combined expenditure was £303,943 million in the 2023/24 financial year, £318,032 million in 2024/25, and £56.130 million from April – June 2025.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will have discussions with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the potential merits of reforming Employment Allowance rules to ensure that NHS dental practices are adequately encouraged to provide predominantly NHS care.

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

HM Treasury has provided funding to cover the additional cost of employer National Insurance contributions for public sector employers only. This is based on the Office for National Statistics definition of public sector organisations and does not include independent primary care contractors such as dentists.

We recognise this is disappointing, but we have had to take necessary decisions to fix the foundations in the public finances. The National Health Service in England invests approximately £4 billion on dentistry every year, of which £3 billion is spent on primary care dentistry. NHS planning guidance is now published and sets out funding available to integrated care boards for 2025/2026.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of eligibility requirements for Employment Allowance relief on decisions by dental practices to maintain their NHS commitments.

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

HM Treasury has provided funding to cover the additional cost of employer National Insurance contributions for public sector employers only. This is based on the Office for National Statistics definition of public sector organisations and does not include independent primary care contractors such as dentists.

We recognise this is disappointing, but we have had to take necessary decisions to fix the foundations in the public finances. The National Health Service in England invests approximately £4 billion on dentistry every year, of which £3 billion is spent on primary care dentistry. NHS planning guidance is now published and sets out funding available to integrated care boards for 2025/2026.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made an estimate of the number of NHS dental practices expected to reduce their NHS activity below 50% in order to qualify for Employment Allowance relief.

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

HM Treasury has provided funding to cover the additional cost of employer National Insurance contributions for public sector employers only. This is based on the Office for National Statistics definition of public sector organisations and does not include independent primary care contractors such as dentists.

We recognise this is disappointing, but we have had to take necessary decisions to fix the foundations in the public finances. The National Health Service in England invests approximately £4 billion on dentistry every year, of which £3 billion is spent on primary care dentistry. NHS planning guidance is now published and sets out funding available to integrated care boards for 2025/2026.

35th anniversary of the murder of Ian Gow MP

Consequences of the Equality Act 2010

Historic County Flags Day 2025

Found: Oldham East and Saddleworth) (Chair) Johanna Baxter (Labour; Paisley and Renfrewshire South) Mr Peter Bedford

Found: Oldham East and Saddleworth) (Chair) Johanna Baxter (Labour; Paisley and Renfrewshire South) Mr Peter Bedford

Found: Oldham East and Saddleworth) (Chair) Johanna Baxter (Labour; Paisley and Renfrewshire South) Mr Peter Bedford

Found: Oldham East and Saddleworth) (Chair) Johanna Baxter (Labour; Paisley and Renfrewshire South) Mr Peter Bedford

Found: Peter Bedford (Conservative MP for Mid Leicestershire) said the bill had “received far more scrutiny

Found: Peter Bedford (Conservative MP for Mid Leicestershire) said the bill had “received far more scrutiny

Found: Not called_51 Helen Whately Danny Kruger Mr Peter Bedford .

Found: Negatived on division_NC1 Mr Louie French Liz Jarvis Mr Peter Bedford Stuart Andrew Saqib Bhatti

Submit Evidence (by 29 Sep 2025)

With the disability employment gap persistently at nearly 30%, the Government has announced it will spend an additional £2.2 billion on employment support over the next four years.

Millions of children and parents are served by the Child Maintenance Service. But is it working as effectively as it could be so that the best interests of the child are being met?