Siân Berry Portrait

Siân Berry

Green Party - Brighton Pavilion

14,290 (27.3%) majority - 2024 General Election

First elected: 4th July 2024


2 APPG memberships (as of 20 Nov 2024)
Eating Disorders, Humanist
Siân Berry has no previous appointments


Division Voting information

During the current Parliament, Siân Berry has voted in 60 divisions, and never against the majority of their Party.
View All Siân Berry Division Votes

Debates during the 2024 Parliament

Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.

Sparring Partners
Jess Phillips (Labour)
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
(3 debate interactions)
Judith Cummins (Labour)
(3 debate interactions)
Lisa Nandy (Labour)
Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
(3 debate interactions)
View All Sparring Partners
Department Debates
Home Office
(5 debate contributions)
Cabinet Office
(4 debate contributions)
Ministry of Justice
(4 debate contributions)
View All Department Debates
View all Siân Berry's debates

Brighton Pavilion Petitions

e-Petitions are administered by Parliament and allow members of the public to express support for a particular issue.

If an e-petition reaches 10,000 signatures the Government will issue a written response.

If an e-petition reaches 100,000 signatures the petition becomes eligible for a Parliamentary debate (usually Monday 4.30pm in Westminster Hall).

Petitions with highest Brighton Pavilion signature proportion
Petitions with most Brighton Pavilion signatures
Siân Berry has not participated in any petition debates

Latest EDMs signed by Siân Berry

16th December 2024
Siân Berry signed this EDM as a sponsor on Monday 16th December 2024

Prison maintenance insourcing

Tabled by: Kim Johnson (Labour - Liverpool Riverside)
That this House notes with alarm the rising levels of squalor and disrepair in prisons, with the National Audit Office estimating the maintenance backlog has doubled to £1.8 billion in the past four years; further notes with alarm recent reports by the Independent Monitoring Boards highlighting how broken and outdated …
30 signatures
(Most recent: 19 Dec 2024)
Signatures by party:
Labour: 19
Independent: 7
Green Party: 2
Plaid Cymru: 1
Democratic Unionist Party: 1
3rd December 2024
Siân Berry signed this EDM on Tuesday 10th December 2024

Certificate of Common Sponsorship

Tabled by: Neil Duncan-Jordan (Labour - Poole)
That this House believes that migrant health and care workers on Tier 2 visas play an essential role in the delivery of UK health and care services; recognises that current rules tie these workers to a single employer, and that if a worker loses their job they may face financial …
27 signatures
(Most recent: 20 Dec 2024)
Signatures by party:
Labour: 14
Green Party: 4
Independent: 4
Liberal Democrat: 2
Scottish National Party: 2
Ulster Unionist Party: 1
View All Siân Berry's signed Early Day Motions

Commons initiatives

These initiatives were driven by Siân Berry, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.

MPs who are act as Ministers or Shadow Ministers are generally restricted from performing Commons initiatives other than Urgent Questions.


Siân Berry has not been granted any Urgent Questions

Siân Berry has not been granted any Adjournment Debates

1 Bill introduced by Siân Berry


A Bill to provide for the prohibition of the use of professional plant protection products by local authorities and other public authorities for amenity purposes; to require the Secretary of State to publish guidance in connection with that prohibition; and for connected purposes.

Commons - 20%

Last Event - 1st Reading
Monday 21st October 2024
Next Event - 2nd Reading
Friday 25th April 2025
Order Paper number: 3
(Likely to be Debated)

1 Bill co-sponsored by Siân Berry

Microplastic filters (washing machines) Bill 2024-26
Sponsor - Alberto Costa (Con)


Latest 50 Written Questions

(View all written questions)
Written Questions can be tabled by MPs and Lords to request specific information information on the work, policy and activities of a Government Department
30th Jul 2024
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will make an estimate of the percentage change in real terms of the average cost per kilometre to an individual of travelling by (a) private car, (b) bus, (c) train and (d) domestic aeroplane since (i) 1997, (ii) 2010, (iii) 2015, (iv) 2017 and (v) 2019.

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.

A response to the Hon Lady’s Parliamentary Question of 30/07/24 is attached.

Georgia Gould
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
4th Oct 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department has had discussions with (a) L3Harris on and (b) other UK-based companies using the open general export licence for exports for the Joint Strike Fighter F-35 Lightning II since 5 July 2024.

The Export Control Joint Unit (ECJU) has regular discussions with UK exporters on Open General Export Licences (OGELs) including the OGEL: exports in support of Joint Strike Fighter: F-35 Lightning II.

Exporters registered to OGELs have specific reporting obligations. More information on how ECJU works with exporters on OGELs can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/open-general-export-licences-ogels.

Douglas Alexander
Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
4th Oct 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether L3Harris has used the provision under Section 4. part (2) of the open general export licence for exports for the Joint Strike Fighter F-35 Lightning II to export equipment where the end-user is Israel since 2 September 2024.

Usage against Open General Export Licences (OGEL) is only recorded and held on an annual basis, and therefore it is not possible to report on the number of times an OGEL has been used from part way through the year.

The Export Control Joint Unit’s searchable database allows bespoke searches of published data to be conducted. This includes open licence usage broken down by specified year(s), separated by country; licence type; end user type and usage count. This database can be accessed at https://www.exportcontroldb.trade.gov.uk/sdb2/fox/sdb/. Please note that we do not publish open licence usage of specific companies.

Douglas Alexander
Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
4th Oct 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether L3Harris held any of the export licences to Israel suspended on 2 September 2024

L3Harris did not hold any of the Standard Individual Export Licence or Open Individual Export Licences that were suspended on 2 September 2024.

Douglas Alexander
Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
21st Nov 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to help support grassroots music venues.

The Government response to the Culture, Media and Sport Committee's report on grassroots music venues outlines our commitment to working across the live music sector to support grassroots music.

We urge the live music industry to introduce a voluntary ticket levy for stadium and arena shows, to support a sustainable grassroots music sector. I am writing to the major players in the industry to underline the importance of swift progress, and on the need to unblock any remaining barriers to an effective industry-led solution.

Following the Autumn Budget, we are continuing to support Arts Council England’s Supporting Grassroots Music Fund, which provides grants, including to music venues and festivals.

Chris Bryant
Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
18th Nov 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will publish a response to the recommendations of the report by the Press Recognition Panel entitled Press Intrusion and Regulation, published on 28 August 2024.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport does not have policy responsibility for the Press Recognition Panel in order to ensure that there is no Government interference in its independent work.

Stephanie Peacock
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
13th Nov 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will bring forward legislative proposals to protect people affected by (a) discrimination, (b) inaccuracy and (c) intrusion in the press.

The Government currently has no plans to bring forward legislative proposals to regulate the press.

It is vital that the public have access to accurate and trustworthy information from a range of different media, and we are working across Government to consider these issues in the round.

Stephanie Peacock
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
30th Jul 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will publish the (a) revenue and (b) capital funding provided by each government department for youth work in England and Wales in each financial year since2010-11.

The Government recognises the vital role that youth services and activities play in improving the life chances and wellbeing of young people. In England, since 2010, DCMS has directly provided over £1.5 billion to the youth sector - mainly through three large programmes: MyPlace (capital); National Citizen Service (revenue) and the Youth Investment Fund (capital and revenue).

Over the current Spending Review Period, DCMS is investing £500 million of revenue and capital funding in youth services to deliver the National Youth Guarantee. This is in addition to revenue funding provided through DCMS Public Bodies, such as Sport England, Arts Council England and the National Lottery Community Fund, and other government departments. We do not hold the breakdown of youth work funding from other government departments.

As set out in section 507B of the Education Act 1996, Local Authorities have a statutory duty to ‘secure, so far as is reasonably practicable, sufficient provision of educational and recreational leisure-time activities for young people’. Details of all Local Authorities’ annual spending on youth services in England can be found in Section 251 data published on gov.uk.

The devolved administration of Wales is responsible for their own youth services and we do not hold the data requested.


Stephanie Peacock
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
1st Nov 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will issue guidance to schools to make clear every child with epilepsy is entitled to have an Individual Healthcare Plan with (a) information about their epilepsy and (b) any support they need.

Statutory guidance on supporting pupils at school with medical conditions recommends the use of individual healthcare plans as good practice, as they can help schools to support pupils with medical conditions by providing clarity about what needs to be done when and by whom. The school, healthcare professionals and parents should agree, based on evidence, when a healthcare plan would be appropriate.

This statutory guidance is available here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5ce6a72e40f0b620a103bd53/supporting-pupils-at-school-with-medical-conditions.pdf. The department will keep this statutory guidance under review as we take forward our commitment to delivering an inclusive mainstream system.

Catherine McKinnell
Minister of State (Education)
30th Aug 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, for what reason the 2024-25 pay award does not apply to teachers in (a) sixth form and (b) further education colleges; and if she will make it her policy to apply the award to those teachers.

Further education (FE) providers are not in scope of the School Teacher Review Body’s remit. The government neither sets nor makes recommendations about FE teacher pay, and it is instead the responsibility of individual colleges to make awards in line with their own local circumstances.

The fiscal situation that the government has inherited means that it has had to take incredibly difficult decisions about how to allocate scarce resources. However, I can assure you that this government knows the very important contribution of sectors where pay is not currently set by a Pay Review Body, including FE.

My right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer will announce a Budget on 30 October, to be followed by a multi-year spending review in Spring 2025. Decisions about future post-16 funding and capital programmes will be subject to the outcomes of these fiscal events.

The department will continue with plans to invest in FE teachers, as part of the c.£600 million funding across the 2024/25 and 2025/26 financial years that was announced last autumn. This includes extending retention payments of up to £6,000 after tax to eligible early career FE teachers in key subject areas. We will also work with the FE sector to recruit 6,500 additional teachers across schools and colleges to raise standards for children and young people.

Janet Daby
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
30th Aug 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many students took the (a) BTEC Level 3 National Diploma in Business and (b) WJEC Level 3 Applied Diploma in Criminology in (i) Brighton and Hove and (ii) the UK in the 2023-24 academic year; and whether students will be able to enrol on these courses in the 2025-26 academic year.

The full-year participation data for the 2023/24 academic year is expected to be available in November 2024. After this point the department will be in a position to provide additional breakdowns.

Regarding student enrolment for the 2025/26 academic year, on 24 July 2024 the Secretary of State announced that the department is conducting a short, internal review of Post-16 qualifications reform at Level 3 and below. Defunding decisions for 2025 onwards will be confirmed after the short review and we will set out the position before the end of December 2024.

Janet Daby
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
29th Oct 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the impact of emissions of nitrogen dioxide from ships at English ports on the annual mean concentration limits set out in the Air Quality Standards Regulations 2010.

Domestic shipping contributed 11% to total UK nitrogen dioxide (NO2) emissions in 2022. The Air Quality Plan for NO2 addresses the primary cause of exceedances of the concentration limits set by the Air Quality Standards Regulations 2010 (AQSR): emissions from road transport.

The UK has been at the forefront of international action to reduce NO2 emissions from shipping through work at the International Maritime Organization, and from 2021 the UK gained additional protection as additional restrictions on NOx emissions came into force in the North Sea Emission Control Area.

Emma Hardy
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
18th Nov 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what data she holds on the (a) age, (b) gender, (c) disability status and (d) other demographic make-up of users of micromobility services.

The term micromobility can be defined in different ways. For the purposes of this question, we have taken it to refer to rental e-scooters and cycles.

DfT's Transport and Transport Technology Tracker survey is designed to be representative of the wider population of adults aged 16 and over across England. The most recent published data from Wave 11 (data collection - Dec 2023) of the tracker surveyed 3,622 adults.

Rental e-scooters

The survey found that of 244 respondents who said they had used a rental e-scooter at least annually:

  • Age: young people are much more likely to use rental e-scooters at least annually (20% of 16-24s vs 1% of those aged 55 or older)

  • Gender: men are more likely than women to use rental e-scooters at least annually (8% vs. 5%)

  • Disability status: 5% of people with a health condition that reduces their activity use rental e-scooters at least annually (vs. 7% of those that do not have a health condition that reduces their activity)

  • Other demographic make up: ethnic minorities are more than three times as likely to use rental e-scooters at least annually (16% vs 5% of white people)

  • Urban vs rural: urban residents (8%) were more likely than rural residents (3%) to have used a rental e-scooter at least annually.

E-cycles

10% of respondents (355 people) said they have used an e-cycle at least annually. Of these:

  • Age: young people are more likely to use e-cycles at least annually than older people (13% of 16-24s vs 8% of 55-74 year olds).

  • Gender: men are more likely to use e-cycles at least annually than women (12% vs 7%).

  • Other demographic make-up: ethnic minorities are more likely to use e-cycles at least annually compared to white people (16% vs 9%).

Standard Cycles:

36% of respondents (1298 people) said they have used a standard cycle at least annually. Of these:

  • Age: younger age groups are more likely to use a standard cycle at least annually compared to other age groups (47% of 16-24s vs 36% of 55-64 year olds)

  • Gender: men are more likely to use a standard cycle at least annually compared to women (44% vs 27%)

  • Disability status: people without a health condition that reduces their activity are more likely to use a standard cycle at least annually compared to those without (38% vs 29%)

  • Other demographic make-up: ethnic minorities are more likely to use a standard cycle at least annually compared to white people (41% vs 35%).

Simon Lightwood
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
29th Oct 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she plans to take to (a) reduce emissions of harmful air pollutants from ships at ports in England and (b) incorporate the requirements of the environmental principles policy statement into maritime policy.

Greening transport, which includes tackling air pollution, is a key priority for the Secretary of State. The UK has consistently supported ambitious international efforts to limit air pollutant emissions from global shipping at the International Maritime Organization, including adopting the North Sea ECA for SOx emissions in 2005 which was expanded to include NOx emissions in 2021. Since April 2010, the UK has also applied equivalent SOx regulations to inland-water vessels and ships at berth in all ports.

The Department considers the environmental principles policy statement across all policy areas, in line with our legal duty.

Mike Kane
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
4th Oct 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she plans to take to improve (a) step-free and (b) disabled access at railway stations; whether the Access for All funding scheme will continue; and what her planned timeline is to tackle access issues within the rail network.

We are carefully considering the best approach to the Access for All programme. This Government is committed to improving the accessibility of the railway and recognises the social and economic benefits this brings to communities.

Simon Lightwood
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
30th Jul 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when she plans to publish an updated Road Safety Statement; and whether that update will include a Vision Zero approach.

The Government has announced that it intends to publish a new Road Safety Strategy, the first in over a decade. Work is already underway on this and further details will be set out in due course.

Lilian Greenwood
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
30th Jul 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much (a) revenue and (b) capital funding her Department has provided for (i) walking, (ii) cycling, (iii) healthy and safer streets, (iv) disabled access and (v) other ways to support active travel in England in each financial year since 2010-11.

The table below outlines Departmental funding for active travel for the period 2011/12 to 2023/24. It is not possible to disaggregate this into separate amounts for walking, cycling, healthy streets and so forth. Comparable data for 2010/11 is unavailable. The figures do not include funding from wider sources within the Department such as the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlements (CRSTS) or the Levelling Up Fund.

Year

Capital

(£ million)

Revenue

(£ million)

Combined*

(£ million)

2011-12

39

64

54

2012-13

72

59

54

2013-14

131

63

54

2014-15

50

54

54

2015-16

74

57

54

2016-17

43

44

0

2017-18

72

30

0

2018-19

29

36

0

2019-20

3

37

0

2020-21

187

118

0

2021-22

205

74

0

2022-23

200

73

0

2023-24

54

58

0


 *Local Sustainable Transport Fund including wider sustainable transport spend.

Simon Lightwood
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
25th Nov 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many households (a) are eligible and (b) have received Cold Weather Payments in 2024, broken down by week.

(a) Table 1 shows the number of estimated eligible qualifiers across 2024.

Table 1: Number of Estimated Eligible Recipients in England and Wales

Season (1st November-31st March)

Estimated Eligible Recipients (England and Wales)

2023/24

3,921,000

2024/25

4,116,000

Due to the nature of eligibility, we are unable to breakdown to the household level.

(b) Tables 2 and 3 show the breakdown of weekly payments made in 2024- these are from the 2023/24 season running from the 1st November 2023-31st March 2024 and the start of the 2024/25 season 1st-22nd November 2024.

Table 2: Payments made to estimated qualifiers in England and Wales, 2024- from the 2023/24 season.

Week Commencing

Triggers

Estimated Payments Made (England and Wales)

29 December 2023

0

0

5 January 2024

0

0

12 January 2024

3

11,000

19 January 2024

9

362,000

26 January 2024

5

204,000

2 February 2024

0

0

9 February 2024

0

0

16 February 2024

0

0

23 February 2024

0

0

1 March 2024

0

0

8 March 2024

0

0

15 March 2024

0

0

22 March 2024

0

0

29 March 2024

0

0

5 April 2024

0

0

Table 3: Payments made to Estimated Qualifiers in England and Wales so Far- from the 2024/25 season.

Week Commencing

Triggers

Estimated Payments Made (England and Wales)

1 November 2024

0

0

8 November 2024

0

0

15 November 2024

0

0

22 November 2024

3

6000

Please note-

1) Figures are estimated based on the number of individuals eligible at the start of the season. See the methodology document for further details,

and guidance on how to estimate the number of payments and expenditure, here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/cold-weather-payment-estimates-2023-to-2024/background-and-methodology-cold-weather-payment-estimates-2023-to-2024

2) Figures are shown by the week or month the payment was triggered - that is, the day that the recorded/forecasted temperatures for the seven

day period caused payments to be authorised. The recipient should receive the payment within 14 days.

3) All volumes are rounded to the nearest 1,000

4) The figures include claimants meeting the legacy benefit and Universal Credit eligibility criteria for Cold Weather Payments.

Future publications for the 2024-25 Cold Weather Season can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/cold-weather-payment-estimates-2024-to-2025

Emma Reynolds
Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
23rd Oct 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will expand eligibility for Winter Fuel Allowance to older people ineligible for Pension Credit who receive (a) Housing Benefit, (b) Local Housing Allowance, (c) Council Tax Support, (d) any benefits related to having a disability, (e) Attendance Allowance and (f) Carer's Allowance.

Winter Fuel Payments will continue to be paid to pensioner households with someone receiving Pension Credit or certain other income-related benefits: Universal Credit, income-related Employment and Support Allowance, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance, Income Support, Child Tax Credit and Working Tax Credit. They will continue to be worth £200 for eligible households, or £300 for eligible households with someone aged 80 and over.  This means that the Winter Fuel Payment will be better targeted to low-income pensioners who need it most. The Government has no plans to change the eligibility conditions.

The Government wants those eligible for Pension Credit but not currently claiming it to receive the benefits they are entitled to, including their Winter Fuel Payment. As part of this, we have started a new drive to increase take-up of Pension Credit. We know there are low-income pensioners who are not claiming Pension Credit, and we urge those people to apply.

We will shortly be directly contacting approximately 120,000 pensioners who are in receipt of Housing Benefit and who may be eligible for, but not currently claiming, Pension Credit. We will be inviting these pensioners to claim Pension Credit ahead of 21st December so that they may also be entitled to this year’s Winter Fuel Payment.

Emma Reynolds
Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
23rd Oct 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 16 October 2024 to Question 7923 on Housing Benefit: Young People, if she will make an estimate of the cost to the public purse of adjusting the housing benefit taper for people in supported accommodation; and with which stakeholders he plans to consider the interaction between Universal Credit and Housing Benefit for people residing in supported housing and temporary accommodation.

As you are aware, there is a challenge presented by the interaction between Universal Credit and Housing Benefit for those residing in supported housing and temporary accommodation. We are considering options to improve work incentives for residents of supported housing and temporary accommodation, while taking into account the views of stakeholders.

We have engaged with a range of stakeholders including Centrepoint, St Mungo’s, BHT Sussex, the Cardinal Hume Centre, Your Place and Homeless Link about this issue and plan to continue conversations with these and other organisations in the future about this issue.

Stephen Timms
Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
6th Sep 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make an equalities impact assessment of the decision to means-test the Winter Fuel Payment.

The Regulations will come into force on 16 September, the first day of the Winter Fuel Payment qualifying week.

In making her decision on Winter Fuel Payment eligibility, the Secretary of State had regard to the equality analysis in line with the Public Sector Equality Duty requirements.

Emma Reynolds
Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
6th Sep 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she has made an assessment of the potential (a) impact of non-take up of Pension Credit by eligible people on their ability to meet fuel costs this winter and (b) merits of providing an automatic Pension Credit assessment for people who reach State Pension age with an opt-out option for people who (i) know they do not qualify and (ii) choose not to claim.

The Government is determined to protect the poorest pensioners and target support to those in greatest need. Winter Fuel Payments will continue to be paid to pensioner households with someone receiving Pension Credit or certain other income-related benefits. They will continue to be worth £200 for eligible households, or £300 for eligible households with someone aged over 80.

We want those eligible for Pension Credit but not currently claiming it to receive the benefits they are entitled to, including the Winter Fuel Payment. That’s why we have launched a nationwide campaign, joining forces with key partners and stakeholders to encourage pensioners to check their eligibility and make a claim. Our campaign is also aimed at those who can influence, encourage and support their older family members and friends to apply.

Although it is not possible to automatically assess everyone reaching State Pension age for Pension Credit, we will be directly contacting approximately 120,000 pensioner households currently receiving Housing Benefit and who we have identified – based on the data we have – may be eligible for, but not currently claiming, Pension Credit.

Emma Reynolds
Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
25th Nov 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what funding he will provide for drug and alcohol treatment through (a) the Public Health grant and (b) other funding steams beyond March 2025; and if he will continue funding for the Supplementary Substance Misuse Treatment and Recovery grant.

The Government supports investment in drug and alcohol treatment and recovery services to ensure that those people with a substance use need get the appropriate help and support. In addition to the Public Health Grant, the Department has allocated local authorities a further £267 million in 2024/25 to improve the quality and capacity of drug and alcohol treatment and recovery. This is alongside the £105 million made available by the Department of Health and Social Care, the Department for Work and Pensions, and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to improve employment and housing support.

My Rt. Hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced updates to the fiscal framework, and earlier this year launched the Spending Review, which has now settled 2025/26 departmental budgets. She has also made clear that the Government will conclude a multi-year Spending Review in spring 2025. In future, we anticipate that Spending Reviews will be set every two years to cover a three-year period, including a one-year overlap with the previous Spending Review, helping build in greater certainty and stability over public finances.

Now that the Autumn Budget has been completed, the Department is working to be able to announce future funding allocations for drug and alcohol treatment and recovery systems. We will communicate with the sector about this as soon as we are able to, as we recognise the importance of this information in maintaining delivery and planning for 2025/26.

Andrew Gwynne
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
10th Sep 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has had recent discussions with (a) the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation and (b) other experts on the potential merits of offering the Covid-19 booster vaccine to frontline healthcare workers over 65 years old.

As with all United Kingdom vaccination programmes, the decision on which groups are eligible for a particular part of the programme is only made following careful consideration of the groups most at risk of illness, severe illness, or death, as a consequence of infection. The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) advised that COVID-19 vaccination should be offered to the following individuals in autumn 2024:

- adults aged 65 years old and over;

- residents in a care home for older adults; and

- persons aged six months to 64 years old in a clinical risk group, as defined in the COVID-19 chapter of the Green Book.

My Rt hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care accepted the JCVI’s advice for COVID-19 vaccination in autumn 2024, and so COVID-19 vaccination will be offered to all adults aged 65 years old and over in the upcoming campaign.

Andrew Gwynne
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
18th Jul 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure communities have equal access to pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) across different (a) risk, (b) demographic and (c) geographic groups.

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a priority for the Government, and we will commission a new plan to end new HIV transmissions within England by 2030. As part of our work in developing a new plan, we will explore options for ensuring equity and equal access to pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for all communities, including those across different risk, demographic, and geographic groups. We will also explore opportunities to deliver PrEP in settings outside of sexual health services, to improve access and equity, including considering online PrEP provision and PrEP in pharmacies.

Andrew Gwynne
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
18th Jul 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of making pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) available (a) in pharmacies and (b) from an online service.

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a priority for the Government, and we will commission a new plan to end new HIV transmissions within England by 2030. As part of our work in developing a new plan, we will explore options for ensuring equity and equal access to pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for all communities, including those across different risk, demographic, and geographic groups. We will also explore opportunities to deliver PrEP in settings outside of sexual health services, to improve access and equity, including considering online PrEP provision and PrEP in pharmacies.

Andrew Gwynne
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
11th Nov 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the Answer of 19 September 2024 to Question HL704 on Afghanistan: Chevening Scholarships Programme, when a final decision will be taken on the Afghanistan Chevening programme for academic year 2025-26.

The Chevening Scholarship Programme opened for applications from Afghans on Thursday 14 November 2024.

Hamish Falconer
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
4th Oct 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to UNICEF's State of Palestine Nutrition Cluster Dashboard, updated 29 September 2024, whether he has had discussions with his Israeli counterpart on steps to increase access to (a) medical treatment and (b) food for children in Gaza.

The people of Gaza face a humanitarian catastrophe. The whole population faces the risk of famine. As set out in the Foreign Secretary's statement on 2 September, Israel could and must do more to ensure that humanitarian aid reaches civilians in Gaza. The Prime Minister reaffirmed the need for greater aid access in his statement to the UN General Assembly on 26 September. The Foreign Secretary also continues to press Israeli leaders to ensure aid can flow freely into and within Gaza.

Through our support for UK-Med, (including a further £5.5 million announced on 14 July) we are helping to run field hospitals in Gaza. We are also supporting other agencies such as United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund and World Food Programme to provide health and nutrition surveillance and interventions.

Hamish Falconer
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
13th Nov 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 22 October 2024 to Question 8868 on Mistreatment of Detainees at Brook House Immigration Removal Centre Inquiry, whether she plans to publish a response to each of the recommendations of the Brook House Inquiry report; and whether she has taken steps relating to the use of force against people in immigration detention pending her response to recommendations 14, 15, 16 and 17 of that report.

The abuse that took place at Brook House Immigration Removal Centre (IRC) in 2017 was unacceptable.

Whilst there are no plans to publish a response to each recommendation raised by the inquiry, positive progress continues to be made against the 30 accepted recommendations. The Government will continue to reflect and act on Inquiry recommendations.

Specifically on recommendations 14-17, on the use of force in IRCs, the Home Office communicated to all IRC and contracted service provider staff in December 2023 and May 2024, that techniques involving handcuffing behind backs whilst seated is not permitted. A new Detention Services Order in relation to use of force is being developed specifically for the immigration detention estate and will be published in Spring 2025.

Angela Eagle
Minister of State (Home Office)
5th Sep 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to (a) monitor and (b) maintain standards of police conduct.

Policing is subject to a highly regulated police complaints and disciplinary system, which includes oversight responsibilities for both local policing bodies and the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC). The Government has committed to strengthening standards on police vetting and misconduct

This year, His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) commenced its new police integrity inspection programme for forces within England and Wales. This programme assesses forces’ effectiveness on professional standards, vetting and counter corruption arrangements

The Government also publishes data annually as part its police misconduct statistical series, covering conduct matters, misconduct proceedings and appeals to the Police Appeals Tribunal.

Diana Johnson
Minister of State (Home Office)
30th Aug 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she plans to appoint a new anti-corruption champion.

The government is considering a range of appointments following the election. When there are appointments to announce, this will be done in the usual way.

Dan Jarvis
Minister of State (Home Office)
30th Aug 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make it her policy to repeal the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022

Certain sections of the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 are currently being reviewed by the Government in line with commitments made in Parliament when the Act was passed. In addition, the entirety of the Act will be subject to post-legislative parliamentary scrutiny. This usually occurs between 3 and 5 years after Royal Assent.

Diana Johnson
Minister of State (Home Office)
30th Aug 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of prosecution under Section 2 of the Terrorism Act 2006 of (a) social media platforms and (b) their owners for facilitating (i) the dissemination of terrorist materials and (ii) incitements to terrorism by far right groups.

Section 2 of the Terrorism Act 2006 contains offences relating to the sale and other dissemination of books and other publications, including material on the internet by an individual, that encourage people to engage in terrorism, or provide information that could be useful to terrorists. Section 3 of the Terrorism Act 2006 also provides a power for a constable to, in certain circumstances, give a notice to a person that a statement, article or record is unlawfully terrorism-related.

It is a matter for the police to consider whether to open a criminal investigation into an offence. It is then for the Crown Prosecution Service to make a charging decision. Both the Police and the Crown Prosecution Service are independent of Government.

Dan Jarvis
Minister of State (Home Office)
3rd Dec 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the (a) name, (b) purpose, (c) expected in-service date and (d) forecasted cost to the public purse is for all infrastructure projects within the Clyde Infrastructure programme.

As part of the Government's Major Project Portfolio, details on the Clyde Infrastructure programme are routinely released as part of this Government's annual transparency return to Parliament.

Maria Eagle
Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
3rd Dec 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether there are any planned infrastructure projects at (a) HMNB Clyde and (b) RNAD Coulport that do not fall within the Clyde Infrastructure Programme.

Several infrastructure projects at His Majesty’s Naval Base Clyde do not fall within the Clyde Infrastructure Programme, for instance routine base maintenance and Programme EUSTON, the delivery of resilient out of water engineering capability.

Maria Eagle
Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
3rd Dec 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the operating costs were for (a) HMNB Clyde and (b) RNAD Coulport for the most recent financial year.

I am unable to release this information due to operational sensitivities.

Maria Eagle
Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
27th Nov 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment of the potential implications for her Department's policies of the report by the New Economics Foundation entitled Building Hope: how land reforms will help deliver the homes we need, published on 20 November 2024.

The government have made clear its intention to reform the compulsory purchase order process and land compensation rules to enable more effective land assembly that will speed-up and lower the costs of the delivery of housing and critical infrastructure in the public interest. We will work with a wide range of experts and organisations to develop our policy in this area and will consider reports such as this one as part of that work.

Matthew Pennycook
Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
13th Nov 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the oral contribution of 4 September 2024 by the Prime Minister, Official Report, column 326, if she will take steps to require housing associations to publish fire risk assessments for their properties.

The Building Safety Act 2022 and associated regulations set out requirements for information that must be provided to residents in Higher-Risk Buildings - buildings which contain at least two residential units and are at least 18 metres in height, or have at least seven stories. Whilst not published, the Principal Accountable Person for these buildings must provide information to residents that will enable them to understand the safety of their building, including information on what they can do to make the building safer. This information includes the residents engagement plan, a summary of the safety case report, and a summary of the fire risk assessment for the building.

The government has also committed to introducing new access to information requirements for housing associations so tenants can access the information they need about the management of their homes, including on matters relating to safety, to hold their landlords to account. Further details on the requirements will be set out in due course.

Alex Norris
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
12th Nov 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, when she plans to answer Question 2677 on Right to Buy Scheme tabled by the hon. Member for Brighton Pavilion on 30 July 2024.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer to Question UIN 2677 on 13 November 2024.

Matthew Pennycook
Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
12th Nov 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, when she plans to reply to Question 2676 on Council Housing: Finance tabled by the hon. Member for Brighton Pavilion on 30 July 2024.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer to Question UIN 2676 on 13 November 2024.

Matthew Pennycook
Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
22nd Oct 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment of the potential implications for her Department's policies of the report by The Community Land Trust Network entitled Community Housing Fund Delivery Review, published 19th September 2024.

The government recognise that community-led housing delivers a wide range of benefits including building affordable homes, increasing community participation and strengthening the co-operative economy. I recently met with the Chief Executive of the Community Land Trust Network and other stakeholders to discuss how the government can best support the growth of community-led housing. This will include drawing on research and experience across the sector, including the Community Housing Fund Delivery Review.

Matthew Pennycook
Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
22nd Oct 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will set out her timetable to bring forward regulations relating to Schedule 3 of the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 to allow Community Land Trusts to obtain community housing certificates to exempt homes from leasehold enfranchisement.

The government intends to act quickly to provide homeowners with greater rights, powers, and protections over their homes by implementing the provisions of the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024. These include specified exemptions for community-led housing from the ban on new leasehold houses and freehold acquisition. This will be provided the community-led housing provider obtains a certificate from the relevant Tribunal.

The implementation of the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 will require an extensive programme of secondary legislation and we will set out the details in due course.

With regard to new leasehold flats, the government is committed to banning their sale and making commonhold the default tenure and we intend to consult on the best way to achieve this.

Matthew Pennycook
Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
22nd Oct 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will take legislative steps to support the continued provision of leasehold flats and houses by (a) Community Land Trusts and (b) other community-led providers.

The government intends to act quickly to provide homeowners with greater rights, powers, and protections over their homes by implementing the provisions of the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024. These include specified exemptions for community-led housing from the ban on new leasehold houses and freehold acquisition. This will be provided the community-led housing provider obtains a certificate from the relevant Tribunal.

The implementation of the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 will require an extensive programme of secondary legislation and we will set out the details in due course.

With regard to new leasehold flats, the government is committed to banning their sale and making commonhold the default tenure and we intend to consult on the best way to achieve this.

Matthew Pennycook
Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
30th Jul 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of providing councils with grants to buy homes from the market to convert the tenure of these homes to council housing.

The Government will support councils and housing associations to build their capacity and make a greater contribution to affordable housing supply. As a first step, we have given councils the ability to combine Right to Buy receipts with section 106 contributions and removed the caps on the percentage of replacements delivered as acquisitions and the percentage cost of a replacement home that can be funded using Right to Buy receipts. These flexibilities will be in place for an initial 24 months, subject to review. We encourage councils to make the best use of these flexibilities and to achieve a good balance between acquisitions and new builds. We have also confirmed the third round of the Local Authority Housing Fund will be going ahead, with £450 million to councils to acquire and deliver homes for families at risk of homelessness.

Matthew Pennycook
Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
30th Jul 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government , if she will make an estimate of the real-terms value of the total of discounts claimed under Right to Buy in each local authority in England and Wales in each year since 1989.

The total amount of Right to Buy discounts per local authority from 2011-12 onwards is available in Section B of the Local Authority Housing Statistics (LAHS) available here Local authority housing data - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk), with the latest data included in the LAHS open data Local Authority Housing Statistics open data - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

Discounts data prior to 2011-12 are not available by local authority. At England level, the average discount from 1998-99 is available in live table 682 Live tables on social housing sales - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Figures are not available for earlier periods.

Matthew Pennycook
Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
30th Jul 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the Right to Buy and associated discounts on the value for money of grant spending on new council housing through the Affordable Housing Programme.

Local authorities can bid for grant funding through the Affordable Homes Programme (AHP) to support delivery of affordable homes. If a home built using AHP grant is sold via the Right to Buy, then the local authority must either recycle the relevant grant or return it to Homes England or the Greater London Authority so that it can be used for another permitted purpose, including the delivery of new homes. These requirements ensure that grant issued through the AHP is used efficiently and in a way that secures value for money. As such, we have not made a specific assessment as outlined in the question.

The Government is undertaking a rapid review of the increased Right to Buy discounts introduced in 2012 and will bring forward more detail and secondary legislation this Autumn. We will also review the Right to Buy more widely, including looking at eligibility criteria and protections for new homes and will bring forward a consultation in the Autumn.

Matthew Pennycook
Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
30th Jul 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the value for money of grant spending on new council housing through the Affordable Housing Programme.

The Affordable Homes Programme (AHP) receives bids from housing associations and local authorities. Our delivery partners, the GLA and Homes England, assess the viability of these against criteria set out in the internal programme evaluation. The National Audit Office conducted a value for money assessment for the AHP 21-26 and published this in on their website in September 2022.

Matthew Pennycook
Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
30th Jul 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will make an estimate of the amount held by each (a) council and (b) other planning authority in unspent Section 106 and developer contributions towards affordable housing..

Local planning authorities are required to publish an infrastructure funding statement annually on their websites. These should include information on the amount of unspent developer contributions they hold at the end of each reporting year and the amount spent during the year, including on affordable housing.

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