Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of registers of beneficial ownership in the Overseas Territories on the effective prosecution of fraud and economic crime.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

This Government regards registers of beneficial ownership as key tools for tackling illicit finance, including investigating fraud and economic crime by law enforcement both in the UK and the Overseas Territories (OTs). The UK expects OTs to implement legitimate interest access registers at a minimum, and as soon as possible, in line with the commitments made at the Joint Ministerial Council in 2024. Our ultimate expectation is that the OTs implement fully public registers. I refer the Hon Member to my Written Ministerial Statements of 3 July and 22 July on this subject, and my contribution to the Westminster Hall debate on 5 November. I will provide a further update following the Joint Ministerial Council this month.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 11 November 2025 to Question 88046 on Economic Crime: British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies, if she will make it her policy to collect data on the use of Exchange of Notes Arrangements in investigations.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

While we do not collect specific data on the use of Exchange of Notes Arrangements in investigations, we regularly review the effectiveness and usefulness of these arrangements as part of our ongoing policy considerations, including with law enforcement partners.

We are also mindful of the need to strike the appropriate balance when introducing any new reporting requirements on law enforcement agencies, ensuring that such measures support operational effectiveness without creating unnecessary burdens.

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 effectiveness of rural exception site policy in securing affordable rented housing in perpetuity for local people in rural and coastal towns.

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

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 57293 on 16 June 2025.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has attended meetings with the Secretary of State for Education on the allocation of new dental school places since 1 January 2025.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Ministers regularly engage with ministerial colleagues on a range of issues.

The independent Office for Students (OfS) has statutory responsibility for allocating funding for medical and dental school places. Allocation outcomes are based on guidance issued by the Government, alongside an OfS assessment of provider capability.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of the current statutory thresholds at which a local authority is required to declare an Air Quality Management Area.

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

The Air Quality Objectives set under the Air Quality (England) Regulations 2000 set out the statutory thresholds that determine the need to declare an Air Quality Management Area. These continue to drive local authority action on NO2 and other pollutants. We remain committed to continuous improvement and will keep air quality objectives under review.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate his Department has made of the cost incurred by children and young people from North Norfolk for attending their cancer treatment in the nearest specialist treatment centre in Cambridge; how many of them are not receiving support for their travel costs; and whether he will introduce a Young Cancer Patient Travel Fund to support with these costs.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, when they will set out a timescale for their review of agricultural permitted development rights.

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

Under existing nationally set permitted development rights, farmers are already able to undertake specific development on their farms. Guidance on the rights in question is available on gov.uk here.

The government continues to keep permitted development rights under review.

Sheringham bus shelter

Water scarcity and agricultural reservoirs

Postal workers and Royal Mail staff

Changes to Agricultural Property Relief and Business Property Relief in the Autumn Budget 2025

Tackling van and tool theft

Access to banks

Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Day on 20 November 2025

Exmoor Forest Inn

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Ruth Cadbury (Chair); Steff Aquarone; Dr Scott Arthur; Jacob Collier

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Ruth Cadbury (Chair); Steff Aquarone; Dr Scott Arthur; Jacob Collier

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Ruth Cadbury (Chair); Steff Aquarone; Dr Scott Arthur; Mrs Elsie

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Ruth Cadbury (Chair); Steff Aquarone; Dr Scott Arthur; Mrs Elsie

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Ruth Cadbury (Chair); Steff Aquarone; Dr Scott Arthur; Mrs Elsie

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.