Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, pursuant to the Answer of 28 October 2025 to Question 80709 on Churches: Aerials, what estimate she has made of the average change in rents paid to (a) churches, (b) local authorities, (c) other public authorities and (d) private landowners for hosting telecommunications masts since the amendment of the Electronic Communications Code under the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Act 2022.

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

Measures included in the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Act 2022 will extend the statutory valuation framework contained in the Electronic Communications Code to certain cases regulated by the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954 and the Business Tenancies (Northern Ireland) Order 1996. These measures have not yet come into force and therefore no assessment has been made of their impact on rents.

Following the 2017 reforms to the Electronic Communications Code, government representatives engaged regularly with stakeholders about their impact. The changes made by the 2022 Act were consulted on and received Parliamentary scrutiny during passage of the Act.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate her Department has made of the the amount of smoke pollution caused by wildfires in the UK in (a) 2024 and (b) in 2025; and if she will make a statement.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The estimates for emissions from wildfires in 2024 will be published in February 2026, and the estimates for 2025 will be published in February 2027.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when she plans to publish the draft statutory Code of Practice governing retail market conduct under Great British Railways; whether she plans to consult on that Code of Practice; and whether that Code will be in place ahead of the commencement of Great British Railways’ retail functions.

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

The future rail retail industry code of practice will set out clear requirements for how Great British Railways (GBR) interacts with all market participants. It will be owned and managed by the ORR, and GBR’s licence will require compliance with it. The Railways Bill enables the Secretary of State to introduce the licence condition that will underpin the code of practice and give it force.

The government has confirmed that there will be full consultation on the production of the code of practice. Further detail on that consultation will be set out in due course. The Code of Practice will come into force in alignment with GBR's beginning to retail and taking on responsibility for wider retail industry management functions.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what her estimate is of the a) initial set-up and b) ongoing costs associated with Great British Railways’ future retail capability via website and app.

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

The government has set out plans for GBR to retail online, bringing together the 14 rail operator websites and apps. This will reduce fragmentation, deliver savings through removing duplication, and provide a more coherent passenger offer.

The costs and savings associated with GBR's website and app will be continually assessed as this work progresses, with a view to delivering for passengers and taxpayers alike.

Found: Chair); Steff Aquarone; Dr Scott Arthur; Jacob Collier; Olly Glover; Alex Mayer; Baggy Shanker; Rebecca Smith

Found: Chair); Steff Aquarone; Dr Scott Arthur; Jacob Collier; Olly Glover; Alex Mayer; Baggy Shanker; Rebecca Smith

Found: Jones Danny Kruger Lord Lisvane Baroness McIntosh of Hudnall Dr Al Pinkerton Lord Shinkwin Rebecca Smith

Found: Jones Danny Kruger Lord Lisvane Baroness McIntosh of Hudnall Dr Al Pinkerton Lord Shinkwin Rebecca Smith

Found: Jones Danny Kruger Lord Lisvane Baroness McIntosh of Hudnall Dr Al Pinkerton Lord Shinkwin Rebecca Smith

Found: system supports wider economic growth. 1.2 Opposition debate The Shadow Pensions Minister, Rebecca Smith

Submit Evidence (by 30 Jan 2026)

The Transport Committee is examining how effectively the transition to electric vehicles (EVs) is progressing, considering the range of factors that are influencing uptake. This includes the effectiveness of existing financial incentives (such as the Electric Car Grant) the potential effect of the recently announced Electric Vehicle Excise Duty (eVED), and the role of second-hand markets in shaping demand. The inquiry will also consider the rollout of charging infrastructure across the country including the equity of availability in urban and rural areas, the availability of grid connections and wider factors influencing consumer confidence.