Asked by: Shivani Raja (Conservative - Leicester East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that those who exploit immigration marriage fraud to gain entry to the UK are (a) identified and (b) removed from the country.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government takes abuse of the spouse and partner immigration routes very seriously and is clear that family migration must be based on a genuine and subsisting marriage or relationship.
The marriage referral and investigation scheme, introduced across the UK under the Immigration Act 2014, requires that all proposed marriages and civil partnerships where one or both parties could gain an immigration advantage from it are referred to the Home Office. Under this scheme, where we have reasonable grounds to suspect a sham relationship, the marriage notice period will be extended to allow for further investigation, and for enforcement or casework action to be taken where appropriate.
The Home Office focuses its efforts on disrupting facilitators as well as prosecuting individuals involved in sham marriages and civil partnerships and will consider refusal or cancellation of permission to stay, or removal, following any determination that a relationship is a sham.
Part 9 of the Immigration Rules provides specific grounds for the refusal or cancellation of permission to enter or stay on the basis of any involvement in a sham marriage or sham civil partnership, providing a more robust and consistent framework against which immigration applications are assessed, and reflecting the seriousness of this type of abuse.
Where appropriate and proportionate, enforcement and removal action will be taken. The removal pathways following a sham marriage determination include administrative removal under Section 10 (of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999) and deportation on public policy or conducive grounds.
Asked by: Shivani Raja (Conservative - Leicester East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if her Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of increasing student maintenance loans in line with Consumer Price Index inflation.
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The government recognises the impact that the cost of living crisis has had on students. That is why the government is increasing the maximum maintenance loans for living costs for the 2025/26 academic year by 3.1%, in line with the forecast rate of inflation, to ensure that more support is targeted at students from the lowest income families.
The 3.1% increase is based on the Retail Prices Index inflation forecast for the first quarter of 2026, as published by the Office for Budget Responsibility at Budget. Using the corresponding consumer price inflation forecast for the first quarter of 2026 would have resulted in maintenance loans being increased by only 2.5% for the 2025/26 academic year.
Asked by: Shivani Raja (Conservative - Leicester East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of a phased approach to stamp duty increases for those in pre-agreed property transactions.
Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The increase of the Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) Higher Rates for Additional Dwellings (HRAD) by two percentage points at the Autumn Budget 2024, will impact transactions on or after 31 October 2024.
The rate increase will not apply to transactions where contracts have been exchanged prior to 31 October but have not yet completed. This means that those who have already committed to a purchase, by exchanging contracts, won’t pay more tax than they were expecting to pay when they agreed to buy the property.
The timing of implementation of tax increases is a balanced judgement which requires a comprehensive evaluation of a variety of factors including, but not limited to, complexity, fairness, and simplicity for the taxpayer. The Government keeps all taxes under review as part of the usual tax policy making process and welcomes representations to help inform future decisions on tax policy.
Asked by: Shivani Raja (Conservative - Leicester East)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to work with local authorities to enforce noise curfews during fireworks.
Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Existing legislation already controls the sale, availability, and use of fireworks. For example, there is an 11pm curfew in place for the use of fireworks, with later exceptions only for the traditional firework periods. Using fireworks outside the curfew hours is a criminal offence, enforced by the police, and can lead to imprisonment and a substantial fine. Local authorities are also responsible for investigating any noise or nuisance issues brought to their attention under the Environmental Protection Act.
It is for local areas to decide how best to deploy these powers, based on their specific circumstances.
Asked by: Shivani Raja (Conservative - Leicester East)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the press notice entitled Thousands of new homes to be built as government unlocks brownfield sites, published on 15 October 2024, which local authorities will receive funding to prepare brownfield land for housing.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The third and final round of the Brownfield Land Release Fund 2 allocated £68 million to 54 councils. We will publish the full list of those authorities who received awards on gov.uk in due course.
Asked by: Shivani Raja (Conservative - Leicester East)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made on the potential impact of reductions in funding for sports on (a) access to physical activity for children and young people and (b) public health.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Government’s new mission-led objectives puts health and children and young people at the heart of our priorities. The Government aims to provide opportunities for all children to access high-quality sport and physical activity, especially those who are less likely to be active. We must capitalise on the important role that being active can have in preventing, and helping to treat and manage, a wide range of health conditions.
The Government is acting to support more people to get active wherever they live through the delivery of £123 million UK-wide through the Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities Programme in 2024/25. Further spending decisions will be made at the Spending Review later this month.
Asked by: Shivani Raja (Conservative - Leicester East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on the levels of funding for grassroots sports.
Answered by Darren Jones - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
Government funding is being considered in the usual way as part of the Spending Review. The outcome of this review will be communicated in due course.
Asked by: Shivani Raja (Conservative - Leicester East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure that the current level of funding for sports programmes in schools is protected.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
This government is committed to breaking down barriers to opportunity to enable every child to achieve and thrive, including through expanding access to sport and physical activity. This will support our cross-government missions and help to raise the healthiest and happiest generation of children ever.
Funding beyond 31 March 2025 is subject to the next government Spending Review taking place this autumn. The outcome of the review will be communicated in due course.
Asked by: Shivani Raja (Conservative - Leicester East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department is taking steps to support University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust in the context of that Trust declaring a critical incident on 9 October 2024 and standing down that critical incident on 10 October 2024; and whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of the review of the New Hospital Programme on support for that Trust.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government recognises the pressures that the National Health Service is facing, as made clear in the recent independent report undertaken by Lord Darzi. The report, published on 12 September 2024, will inform the Government’s 10-Year Health Plan to reform the health service and ensure the NHS is fit for the future.
The NHS’s operational pressures escalation levels (OPEL) framework provides a standardised approach to support an effective, integrated, and coordinated response to acute trust operational pressures. This includes the actions locally, regionally, and nationally that support the depressurising of services, and ensure patient safety. Further information about the OPEL framework is published by NHS England, and is available at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/PRN00551-OPEL-Framework-2023.24-V2.0.pdf
The new hospital scheme for this trust is included in a review of the New Hospital Programme. This review will ensure the scheme is put on a sustainable footing, including a realistic timetable for delivery, and clarity on the funding required.
Asked by: Shivani Raja (Conservative - Leicester East)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of levels of funding for (a) women's cricket and (b) grassroots cricket infrastructure.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Government is committed to supporting every aspect of women’s sport and ensuring all women and girls, no matter their background, have access to high quality sport.
The Government provides the majority of support for grassroots sport through Sport England, which annually invests over £250 million in Exchequer and Lottery funding.
This includes long term investment to the England and Wales Cricket Board, the National Governing Body for cricket, which receives up to £11.6 million for five years to invest in community cricket initiatives that will benefit everyone, including disabled people, women and girls and older people. Sport England’s This Girl Can campaign has also inspired millions of women and girls to get active, including through cricket.