Asked by: Rupert Lowe (Restore Britain - Great Yarmouth)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many individuals evacuated under Operation Pitting and granted indefinite leave to remain have voluntarily returned to Afghanistan; and whether such travel negates a continuing need for protection in the UK.
Answered by Jo White - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The Home Office publishes Afghan Operational data, including information on arrivals and grants of indefinite leave to remain under the Afghan schemes. This publication is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/afghan-resettlement-programme-operational-data.
Data on the number of individuals evacuated under Operation Pitting and subsequently granted indefinite leave to remain who have voluntarily returned to Afghanistan are not included in and are not available at this time
Travel to Afghanistan does not automatically negate an individual's eligibility for, or benefit from, an Afghan Resettlement Scheme.
Afghan Resettlement Schemes do not prohibit individuals who have been granted settlement in the UK from travelling to Afghanistan. As with other holders of ILR, settled status will normally lapse automatically if an individual remains outside the UK for a continuous period of two years or more.
Asked by: Rupert Lowe (Restore Britain - Great Yarmouth)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what oversight and accountability arrangements are in place to regulate the content of relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) in schools.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
Relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) is subject to statutory guidance, which schools must have regard to when developing and delivering their curriculum. Governing bodies, academy trusts and school proprietors are responsible for ensuring that RSHE is taught in accordance with legal requirements and the statutory guidance, including consultation with parents. Ofsted inspects schools’ safeguarding arrangements and wider personal development, which includes evaluating whether pupils receive a comprehensive and age-appropriate RSHE curriculum.
All schools must have an up-to-date written policy for relationships education or, where they teach sex education, for relationships and sex education (RSE). Statutory RSHE guidance requires schools to consult parents on their RSHE policy and provide examples of the resources they plan to use. The department is clear that parents should be able to view curriculum materials on request, and schools should not enter into arrangements that prevent them from sharing RSHE resources with parents.
Asked by: Rupert Lowe (Restore Britain - Great Yarmouth)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether schools are required to make relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) teaching materials available for parental scrutiny.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
Relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) is subject to statutory guidance, which schools must have regard to when developing and delivering their curriculum. Governing bodies, academy trusts and school proprietors are responsible for ensuring that RSHE is taught in accordance with legal requirements and the statutory guidance, including consultation with parents. Ofsted inspects schools’ safeguarding arrangements and wider personal development, which includes evaluating whether pupils receive a comprehensive and age-appropriate RSHE curriculum.
All schools must have an up-to-date written policy for relationships education or, where they teach sex education, for relationships and sex education (RSE). Statutory RSHE guidance requires schools to consult parents on their RSHE policy and provide examples of the resources they plan to use. The department is clear that parents should be able to view curriculum materials on request, and schools should not enter into arrangements that prevent them from sharing RSHE resources with parents.
Asked by: Rupert Lowe (Restore Britain - Great Yarmouth)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what procedures exist for investigating complaints concerning the content of relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) taught in schools.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
All schools are required to have a school complaints procedure. Concerns about the content of relationships, sex and health education taught in a school should, in the first instance, be raised with the school through its complaints process. If a complainant has concerns about the way the school has handled their complaint, they may raise the matter with the department to consider whether the school has followed its published complaints procedure and complied with relevant legal and statutory requirements.
Asked by: Rupert Lowe (Restore Britain - Great Yarmouth)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what role Ofsted plays, if any, in assessing schools' compliance with statutory guidance on relationships, sex and health education (RSHE).
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
This is a matter for His Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Sir Martyn Oliver. I have asked him to write to the hon. Member for Great Yarmouth directly and a copy of his reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
Asked by: Rupert Lowe (Restore Britain - Great Yarmouth)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what mechanisms exist to provide an independent review of decisions by the Student Loans Company to recover alleged outstanding loan balances arising from administrative errors by public bodies; and whether she has assessed the adequacy of those mechanisms in cases where borrowers were previously informed that their accounts had been settled.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
In instances where the Student Loan Company’s (SLC) internal appeals and complaints process has been exhausted, borrowers may appeal to the Independent Assessors (IA). IAs are appointed by ministers to review any appeals and complaints made against the SLC and their independence from the SLC provides assurance that the process to consider complaints and appeals is sufficiently rigorous.
In cases where an outstanding balance is identified after a borrower believes they have settled their account in full, regulations provide the SLC with the ability to restart repayments where appropriate. Any action taken will be subject to the circumstances of the individual case and relevant policy considerations.
Asked by: Rupert Lowe (Restore Britain - Great Yarmouth)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, which groups are eligible to receive free Radar keys for accessible toilets through government-funded or government-supported schemes; and whether the Government plans to extend eligibility for free Radar keys to any additional groups.
Answered by Samantha Dixon
I refer the hon. Member to the answers given to Questions UIN 16248 on 20 January 2025 and UIN 72112 on 8 October 2025. The sale or use of RADAR keys is not a government backed scheme. Use of RADAR keys is not an expectation of Part M of the Building Regulations. The functional requirement in Part M of the Building Regulations is for new building works to make reasonable provision for people to access and use a building and its facilities.
Asked by: Rupert Lowe (Restore Britain - Great Yarmouth)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how many applications were (a) received, (b) approved and (c) paid for the Business Recovery Grant in each financial year since 2023-24; and what the value of grants paid was in each year.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade) (Jointly with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Business Recovery Grants following Storm Babet and Storm Henk were administered by eligible Local Authorities who hold the full application data for their areas.
Local Authorities were reimbursed by DBT for eligible expenditure as detailed below:
FY 24-25:
Storm Babet
Number of grants reimbursed by DBT as eligible | 509 |
Total value reimbursed by DBT | £1,269,200.00 |
Number of LAs reimbursed | 39 |
Storm Henk
Number of grants reimbursed by DBT as eligible | 328 |
Total value reimbursed by DBT | £823,500.00 |
Number of LAs reimbursed | 40 |
Asked by: Rupert Lowe (Restore Britain - Great Yarmouth)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of local authority enforcement action against vehicles parked in contravention of parking restrictions during periods of high attendance at places of worship; and whether he will take steps to strengthen enforcement.
Answered by Nesil Caliskan
The department has made no assessment of the enforcement practices of local authorities at places of worship. Under the Traffic Management Act 2004, Local authorities are empowered to manage parking and enforcement arrangements in their local areas.
Asked by: Rupert Lowe (Restore Britain - Great Yarmouth)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many households received council tax relief under the Flood Recovery Framework in each financial year since 2023-24, broken down by local authority area; and what the total value of council tax relief awarded was in each year.
Answered by Samantha Dixon
Since 2023-24, the Flood Recovery Framework has been activated twice: first in October 2023 following Storm Babet, and again in January 2024 following Storm Henk. Under each activation, flood-impacted households were eligible to claim council tax relief for up to two financial years, ending on 31 March 2025.
The number of council tax relief awards, and the value of those awards, by eligible local authority area is set out in the table below.
Storms Babet and Henk: Council Tax Discount Awards | ||||||
Local Authority | 2023-24 | 2024-25 | Total awards | Total value of awards | ||
No. of awards | Value of awards | No. of awards | Value of awards | |||
Amber Valley | 56 | £28,407.20 | 44 | £34,988.24 | 100 | £63,395.44 |
Ashfield | 68 | £37,482.43 | 23 | £20,939.48 | 91 | £58,421.91 |
Babergh | 34 | £23,039.39 | 7 | £13,593.73 | 41 | £36,633.12 |
Bassetlaw | 182 | £95,142.98 | 182 | £95,142.98 | ||
Blaby | 63 | £32,254.71 | 74 | £14,317.17 | 137 | £46,571.88 |
Bolsover | 51 | £26,799.74 | 19 | £16,758.94 | 70 | £43,558.68 |
Breckland | 73 | £44,935.05 | 34 | £30,190.23 | 107 | £75,125.28 |
Broadland | 1 | £642.95 | 1 | £642.95 | ||
Bromsgrove | 18 | £9,894.54 | 18 | £9,894.54 | ||
Broxtowe | 245 | £153,377.66 | 131 | £114,746.71 | 376 | £268,124.37 |
Cannock Chase | 1 | £201.93 | 1 | £201.93 | ||
Charnwood | 178 | £61,667.36 | 176 | £26,950.34 | 354 | £88,617.70 |
Cheshire West & Chester | 7 | £5,026.37 | 7 | £5,026.37 | ||
Chesterfield | 298 | £116,361.69 | 298 | £116,361.69 | ||
Derby City | 3 | £2,300.05 | 3 | £2,300.05 | ||
Derbyshire Dales | 64 | £35,250.90 | 14 | £17,787.31 | 78 | £53,038.21 |
East Lindsey | 231 | £103,771.36 | 125 | £41,005.75 | 356 | £144,777.11 |
East Staffordshire | 41 | £24,018.91 | 3 | £101.14 | 44 | £24,120.05 |
East Suffolk | 286 | £188,897.57 | 101 | £102,289.50 | 387 | £291,187.07 |
Elmbridge | 5 | £2,898.24 | 5 | £124.98 | 10 | £3,023.22 |
Erewash | 265 | £122,023.79 | 76 | £59,755.98 | 341 | £181,779.77 |
Gedling | 63 | £38,093.66 | 63 | £38,093.66 | ||
Gloucester | 46 | £14,339.45 |
|
| 46 | £14,339.45 |
Guildford | 38 | £19,588.76 | 2 | £1,445.64 | 40 | £21,034.40 |
Harborough | 29 | £16,042.56 | 27 | £12,185.54 | 56 | £28,228.10 |
Herefordshire | 31 | £19,149.15 | 31 | £314.12 | 62 | £19,463.27 |
High Peak | 13 | £7,313.20 |
|
| 13 | £7,313.20 |
Isle of Wight | 205 | £112,074.72 | 96 | £53,816.03 | 301 | £165,890.75 |
Kings Lynn & West Norfolk | 6 | £2,114.41 |
|
| 6 | £2,114.41 |
Leicester | 85 | £27,839.91 | 9 | £3,058.45 | 94 | £30,898.36 |
Lichfield | 7 | £3,784.32 | 7 | £54.23 | 14 | £3,838.55 |
Lincoln City | 15 | £7,190.22 | 9 | £6,001.71 | 24 | £13,191.93 |
Malvern Hills | 16 | £10,601.48 | 8 | £19,580.59 | 24 | £30,182.07 |
Mansfield | 8 | £4,489.09 | 7 | £5,322.52 | 15 | £9,811.61 |
Melton | 19 | £9,816.82 |
|
| 19 | £9,816.82 |
Mid Suffolk | 335 | £199,881.75 | 70 | £89,416.63 | 405 | £289,298.38 |
Newark & Sherwood | 431 | £297,414.51 | 273 | £223,248.06 | 704 | £520,662.57 |
North East Derbyshire | 122 | £69,700.05 | 66 | £42,645.17 | 188 | £112,345.22 |
North Kesteven | 127 | £80,613.05 |
|
| 127 | £80,613.05 |
North Norfolk | 2 | £1,284.73 |
|
| 2 | £1,284.73 |
North Warwickshire | 8 | £3,809.61 |
|
| 8 | £3,809.61 |
NW Leicestershire | 54 | £20,004.59 | 36 | £3,045.75 | 75 | £23,050.34 |
Nuneaton & Bedworth | 6 | £3,502.99 |
|
| 6 | £3,502.99 |
Oadby & Wigton |
| 2 | £731.14 | 2 | £731.14 | |
Oxford City | 3 | £1,674.14 |
|
| 3 | £1,674.14 |
Redditch | 1 | £407.91 |
|
| 1 | £407.91 |
Reigate & Banstead | 1 | £948.22 |
|
| 1 | £948.22 |
Rotherham | 203 | £103,253.65 | 142 | £95,038.98 | 345 | £198,292.63 |
Runnymede | 17 | £12,401.05 |
|
| 17 | £12,401.05 |
Rushcliffe | 98 | £49,796.55 | 87 | £10,705.10 | 185 | £60,501.65 |
Shropshire | 95 | £48,521.22 | 27 | £10,632.74 | 122 | £59,153.96 |
Somerset | 86 | £46,504.67 |
|
| 86 | £46,504.67 |
South Derbyshire | 12 | £5,987.57 | 6 | £1,333.86 | 18 | £7,321.43 |
South Kesteven | 53 | £29,449.12 | 129 | £128,698.70 | 182 | £158,147.82 |
South Norfolk | 12 | £6,599.80 | 2 | £344.94 | 14 | £6,944.74 |
South Oxfordshire | 34 | £23,290.82 | 14 | £29,161.08 | 48 | £52,451.90 |
South Staffordshire | 3 | £1,611.00 |
|
| 3 | £1,611.00 |
Spelthorne | 46 | £22,567.59 |
|
| 46 | £22,567.59 |
Stafford | 32 | £10,403.00 |
|
| 32 | £10,403.00 |
Staffordshire Moorlands | 5 | £1,828.76 |
|
| 5 | £1,828.76 |
Stratford-on-Avon | 38 | £17,316.44 | 4 | £1,791.34 | 42 | £19,107.78 |
Telford & Wrekin | 35 | £11,789.94 |
|
| 35 | £11,789.94 |
Tewkesbury | 184 | £78,754.84 |
|
| 184 | £78,754.84 |
Tower Hamlets | 18 | £5,744.49 |
|
| 18 | £5,744.49 |
Vale of White Horse | 34 | £19,347.29 | 17 | £32,453.34 | 51 | £51,800.63 |
Warwick | 8 | £6,228.36 |
|
| 8 | £6,228.36 |
Waverley | 4 | £2,185.71 | 1 | £562.04 | 5 | £2,747.75 |
West Berkshire | 45 | £28,039.08 | 47 | £13,104.10 | 92 | £41,143.18 |
West Lindsey | 82 | £59,847.32 | 82 | £59,847.32 | ||
West Oxfordshire | 2 | £1,427.17 |
|
| 2 | £1,427.17 |
West Suffolk | 27 | £17,176.00 | 7 | £8,059.21 | 34 | £25,235.21 |
Wiltshire | 87 | £39,154.00 |
|
| 87 | £39,154.00 |
Windsor & Maidenhead | 21 | £18,943.57 |
|
| 21 | £18,943.57 |
Wychavon | 2 | £2,717.89 | 2 | £3,252.98 | 4 | £5,970.87 |
Wyre Forest | 35 | £15,498.00 |
|
| 35 | £15,498.00 |
TOTALS | 5,077 | £2,712,611.70 | 2,042 | £1,349,400.68 | 7,104 | £4,062,012.51 |