Asked by: Rachel Blake (Labour (Co-op) - Cities of London and Westminster)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of her proposals to devolve licensing powers on residential communities in London's West End; and what steps she is taking to ensure that her plans for a devolved licensing framework recognises (a) the needs of residents in the West End and (b) the West End's contribution to culture, heritage, hospitality and the night-time economy.
Answered by Jim McMahon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
No assessment has been made of the potential impact of these proposals on residential communities in the West End. The Government recognises the importance of protecting the quality of life of West End residents alongside supporting the area’s important contribution to culture, heritage, hospitality, and the night-time economy. The law retains safeguards to protect residents’ interests: local authorities will remain the default decision-makers, with the Mayor’s call-in power applying only where the statutory conditions are met. The four statutory licensing objectives remain unchanged and paramount within the licensing framework.
The Secretary of State is required to review the operation and effect of the Regulations and publish a report within two years of commencement.
Asked by: Rachel Blake (Labour (Co-op) - Cities of London and Westminster)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment she has made of potential impact of the Terrorism Act 2000 on the activity of the Muslim Brotherhood; and whether she has reviewed with Cabinet colleagues that organisation's activity in the UK and overseas.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government does not routinely comment on individual groups or the detail of security and intelligence assessments. The Home Office keeps threats to the UK and its interests overseas under continuous review, working closely with other government departments, as well as with the police and intelligence agencies.
This Government will not tolerate the spread of high-harm extremist ideologies that can lead to community division and to radicalisation into terrorism. Home Office officials continually seek to build and refresh their knowledge of extremism, reflecting the constantly evolving landscape. This includes disrupting the activities of those who seek to radicalise others but operate, often intentionally, below legal thresholds.
Asked by: Rachel Blake (Labour (Co-op) - Cities of London and Westminster)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to reduce the cost of temporary accommodation to local authorities.
Answered by Florence Eshalomi - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
We are providing over £4 billion in funding for homelessness and rough sleeping services from 2026/27 to 2028/29, including nearly £1 billion over the multi-year settlement for temporary accommodation funding.
The Value for Money Review of homelessness will assess the underlying cost-effectiveness of cross government spend that helps to prevent and relieve all forms of homelessness, and will make actionable recommendations that improve efficiency, accountability, outcomes, and reduce financial pressures on councils. The review will also explore accommodation delivery models, including novel and innovative approaches to temporary accommodation and the supported housing sector. The findings will inform decisions for future policy development.
For further details please see the published Terms of Reference available here.
Asked by: Rachel Blake (Labour (Co-op) - Cities of London and Westminster)
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department plans to retain heritage as a distinct National Lottery good cause and maintain its existing share of National Lottery good cause funding; and whether her Department has assessed the potential impact of changes to that allocation on listed places of worship and the communities they serve.
Answered by Vicky Foxcroft - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)
The Government recognises the vital role that National Lottery funding plays for heritage, including listed places of worship, and we are committed to continuing to support the existing sectors funded by Good Causes.
The recent Call for Evidence into Lottery Good Cause funding, which closed on 23 September, sought views on how future funding shares should be allocated. Officials are now considering all responses before coming forward with next steps in due course.
Asked by: Rachel Blake (Labour (Co-op) - Cities of London and Westminster)
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether she plans to retain heritage as a distinct National Lottery good cause and maintain its existing share of National Lottery good cause funding; and whether Department has assessed the potential impact of any changes to that allocation on listed places of worship and the communities they serve.
Answered by Vicky Foxcroft - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)
The Government recognises the vital role that National Lottery funding plays for heritage, including listed places of worship, and we are committed to continuing to support the existing sectors funded by Good Causes.
The recent Call for Evidence into Lottery Good Cause funding, which closed on 23 September, sought views on how future funding shares should be allocated. Officials are now considering all responses before coming forward with next steps in due course.
Asked by: Rachel Blake (Labour (Co-op) - Cities of London and Westminster)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to tackle threats and actions by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in the UK against the national interest; and what assessment she has made of the potential impact of IRGC-related activities on the level of safety and security of Iranian diaspora communities in Cities of London and Westminster constituency.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Home Office) (Security) (Jointly with the Cabinet Office)
We are acting decisively to disrupt threats posed by Iran here in the UK. The Government has introduced a comprehensive set of measures aimed at countering Iranian threats, including sanctioning the IRGC in its entirety and more than 550 Iranian individuals and entities. We have also placed Iran, including the IRGC, on the enhanced tier of the Foreign Influence Registration Scheme.
The IRGC was designated as a security threat under the National Security (State Threats) Act 2026, equipping the police and security and intelligence agencies with more powers to disrupt and prosecute those supporting them or working on their behalf. In addition, new training for front police officers and staff has been rolled out to increase their understanding of foreign state threats, which will improve law enforcement’s ability to detect and investigate incidents which may be state directed.
The Home Office works closely with other government departments as well as relevant agencies and law enforcement to protect those identified as being at risk. The National Protective Security Authority and Counter Terrorism Policing continue to provide protective security advice and support to individuals and organisations threatened by the Iranian regime and its criminal proxies.
The Government does not routinely comment on the detail of operational matters or specific threats. We have long said that the state threats posed by Iran are persistent and unacceptable. Any attempt by a foreign state to intimidate, harass or harm individuals in the UK, including Iranian diaspora communities will be thoroughly investigated. We take these threats incredibly seriously, and our first priority is protecting British interests and lives. Anyone who thinks they might be a victim should report incidents or suspicious activity to the Police via 101, a local police station, or 999 in emergencies.
Asked by: Rachel Blake (Labour (Co-op) - Cities of London and Westminster)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what progress she has made on implementing the new pet passports scheme.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
As announced at the UK-EU Leaders' Summit on 19 May 2025, the UK and EU have agreed to work towards a common Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Area, which will mean taking pets on holiday into the EU will be easier and cheaper. Instead of getting an Animal Health Certificate (AHC) each time they travel, pet owners will be able to get a multiuse pet passport valid for travel to the EU. Until an agreement with the EU is reached, owners will still need an AHC for their dog, cat or ferret(s) if they are travelling from GB (England, Wales and Scotland) to an EU country.
Discussions on the SPS agreement are progressing and this Government has committed, with the EU, to conclude negotiations before the next UK-EU Summit. Whilst these negotiations are ongoing, Defra is unable to provide detailed updates on the talks.
Asked by: Rachel Blake (Labour (Co-op) - Cities of London and Westminster)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what consideration her Department has made of the potential merits of increasing the number of modern foreign languages offered at GCSE level.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
Decisions about which languages to offer at GCSE in England are taken by four independent awarding organisations: AQA, OCR, Pearson Edexcel and WJEC. These organisations have the freedom to create GCSEs based on subject content set by the department.
Asked by: Rachel Blake (Labour (Co-op) - Cities of London and Westminster)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make it his policy to work with UKHSA to issue specific guidance for (a) health professionals and (b) the public regarding the health risks to pregnant people during periods of extreme heat.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department and the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) recognise that there are risks to pregnant women caused by exposure to extreme high temperatures which are set out in the Adverse Weather and Health Plan Equity Review and Impact Assessment 2024. This includes an assessment on stillbirth, pre-term birth, and maternal health complications.
UKHSA provides a weather-health alerting system for England, which alerts the public, including specific vulnerable groups such as pregnant women, and public sector organisations to prepare for impacts of adverse weather, including high temperatures. Risks to health are communicated via heat-health alerts.
There are no plans at this time to update National Health Service antenatal and maternity guidance or to publish specific guidance for healthcare professionals and the public regarding this topic.
Asked by: Rachel Blake (Labour (Co-op) - Cities of London and Westminster)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment (a) his Department and (b) UK Health Security Agency has made of the risks of exposure to high ambient temperatures during pregnancy including (i) stillbirth, (ii) preterm birth and (iii) maternal health complications.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department and the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) recognise that there are risks to pregnant women caused by exposure to extreme high temperatures which are set out in the Adverse Weather and Health Plan Equity Review and Impact Assessment 2024. This includes an assessment on stillbirth, pre-term birth, and maternal health complications.
UKHSA provides a weather-health alerting system for England, which alerts the public, including specific vulnerable groups such as pregnant women, and public sector organisations to prepare for impacts of adverse weather, including high temperatures. Risks to health are communicated via heat-health alerts.
There are no plans at this time to update National Health Service antenatal and maternity guidance or to publish specific guidance for healthcare professionals and the public regarding this topic.