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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to ensure adequate resources for the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman to handle caseloads and help resolve issues.

Answered by Jim McMahon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Department maintains a sponsorship relationship with the Ombudsman, through which matters such as finances and casework are regularly discussed. The Ombudsman’s funding is set through the Department’s annual Business Planning processes. The Ombudsman was given a 33% uplift in funding for 2025/26 onwards to account for the increased demand on their complaints service.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an estimate of the average repair costs for potholes in England, and what plans she has to reduce those costs.

Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Industry estimates indicate that the average cost of repairing a pothole is around £80, although costs can vary significantly depending on the size and location of the defect and the repair method used.

The Government is supporting local highway authorities to reduce the long-term costs associated with potholes by encouraging preventative maintenance and asset management best practice. Through its record £7.3 billion investment in local highways maintenance over the next four years, the Government is providing authorities with the certainty to plan ahead and move away from expensive, short-term pothole repairs and instead invest in preventative road surface treatments so that roads can be fixed properly and fewer potholes form in the first place.

The Government is also encouraging this approach through transparency reporting, incentive funding and local road maintenance ratings. To receive their full funding allocation, local highway authorities are required to publish transparency reports setting out information on the condition of their roads, how they maintain their networks and how they are adopting best practice, including in relation to preventative maintenance and asset management. The Department's rating system provides a further incentive for authorities to adopt best practice and supports continuous improvement across the sector.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he has assessed how far back in time it is possible to produce an adjusted poverty estimate of Households Below Average Income (HBAI); and if his Department will commit to going back as far as they can, by a named date.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

The latest Households Below Average Income: for financial years ending 1995 to 2025 release, published in March 2026, used an improved approach that uses linked administrative data in place of survey responses for the major state benefits and tax credits. In this March 2026 release, low-income estimates based on administrative linked data were produced for 2024/25 and the back-series years 2023/24, 2022/23 and 2021/22. In March 2027, administrative data linking will be applied to a further three back-series years: 2020/21, 2019/20 and 2018/19. Administrative linked estimates for Great Britain cannot be produced prior to 2018/19 due to the changes in General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in 2018.

For more information please see both:Family Resources Survey Transformation: integrating administrative data for benefits - GOV.UK and Households Below Average Income (HBAI) statistics - GOV.UK

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when she plans to introduce marine net gain as part of offshore developments.

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

The timing for any future marine net gain scheme will depend on its scope. Our current priority is building the evidence base for marine recovery more broadly, which we are doing through our research and development programme.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether HM Treasury alongside the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport have explored (a) the potential merits of VAT reform for the hospitality sector to match European countries that use a visitor levy and (b) the potential impact of reduced VAT on (i) visitor numbers, domestic and international, (ii) high street spending, (iii) business confidence and (iv) sectoral investment and expansion.

Answered by James Murray - Financial Secretary to the Treasury and Paymaster General

The Government recognises the significant contribution made by hospitality businesses to economic growth and social life in the UK.

VAT is a broad-based tax on consumption, and the 20 per cent standard rate applies to most goods and services. VAT is the UK’s third largest tax, forecast to raise £180 billion in 2025/26.  

HMRC estimates that the cost of changing the 20 per cent Standard Rate of VAT on all accommodation and food and beverage services to the Reduced Rate of 5 per cent would be around £17 billion in 2026-27, rising to £19.5 billion in 2030-31.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department has worked with the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport on commissioning a comprehensive assessment of cumulative taxes on hospitality businesses; and what assessment he has made of the potential impact of a visitor levy on a) entry level jobs, b) summer jobs and c) openings and closures on the high street.

Answered by James Murray - Financial Secretary to the Treasury and Paymaster General

Strategic authorities will decide whether a levy is right for their areas and, if so, consult on specific proposals. This will help them to find an appropriate balance between supporting local economic priorities, ensuring a levy is affordable, and providing stability and certainty for businesses. Levy funds will be used to support local economic growth, including in the visitor economy.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will provide an update on his Department's work to abolish the Work Capability Assessment as outlined in the 'Pathways to Work' Green Paper 2025.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government) (Equalities)

The Pathways to Work Green Paper outlined our plan to end the link between capacity to work and additional financial support and the binary categorisation of claimants as “can or can’t work” by abolishing the Work Capability Assessment (WCA). Instead, any extra financial support for health conditions in Universal Credit will be assessed via a single assessment – the PIP assessment (in England and Wales) – and be based on the impact of disability on daily living, not on capacity to work.

Due to its link with the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) assessment, Work Capability Assessment abolition will not take place until after the Timms Review into PIP has reported. We are currently considering how the future system will operate and will provide further information in due course.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of not uprating Local Housing Allowance in-line with inflation at the Autumn 2025 Budget on levels of homelessness among Universal Credit claimants in (a) the South West and (b) Torbay.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government) (Equalities)

The Secretary of State reviewed Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rates, including the shared accommodation rate, at the 2025 Autumn Budget and announced that rates would be maintained at their current levels for 2026/27. A range of factors, including rent levels across Great Britain and the levels of support currently available were considered against the fiscal context and welfare priorities. In line with equality duties, impacts on specific groups were also considered. DWP also continues to work closely with Ministry for Housing Communities and Local Government to make sure interactions with homelessness and temporary accommodation are considered.

Renters receiving housing support who need further help to meet their rent costs can apply for a Crisis and Resilience Fund Housing Payment from local authorities in England.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he was made of the potential impact of the decision not to uprate Local Housing Allowance in the Autumn 2025 Budget on (a) families, (b) older renters, and (c) people with disabilities.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government) (Equalities)

The Secretary of State reviewed Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rates, including the shared accommodation rate, at the 2025 Autumn Budget and announced that rates would be maintained at their current levels for 2026/27. A range of factors, including rent levels across Great Britain and the levels of support currently available were considered against the fiscal context and welfare priorities. In line with equality duties, impacts on specific groups were also considered. DWP also continues to work closely with Ministry for Housing Communities and Local Government to make sure interactions with homelessness and temporary accommodation are considered.

Renters receiving housing support who need further help to meet their rent costs can apply for a Crisis and Resilience Fund Housing Payment from local authorities in England.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the Shared Housing Rate on the ability of under 35s to secure homes.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government) (Equalities)

The Secretary of State reviewed Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rates, including the shared accommodation rate, at the 2025 Autumn Budget and announced that rates would be maintained at their current levels for 2026/27. A range of factors, including rent levels across Great Britain and the levels of support currently available were considered against the fiscal context and welfare priorities. In line with equality duties, impacts on specific groups were also considered. DWP also continues to work closely with Ministry for Housing Communities and Local Government to make sure interactions with homelessness and temporary accommodation are considered.

Renters receiving housing support who need further help to meet their rent costs can apply for a Crisis and Resilience Fund Housing Payment from local authorities in England.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the level of Local Housing Allowance on the use of temporary accommodation in England.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government) (Equalities)

The Secretary of State reviewed Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rates, including the shared accommodation rate, at the 2025 Autumn Budget and announced that rates would be maintained at their current levels for 2026/27. A range of factors, including rent levels across Great Britain and the levels of support currently available were considered against the fiscal context and welfare priorities. In line with equality duties, impacts on specific groups were also considered. DWP also continues to work closely with Ministry for Housing Communities and Local Government to make sure interactions with homelessness and temporary accommodation are considered.

Renters receiving housing support who need further help to meet their rent costs can apply for a Crisis and Resilience Fund Housing Payment from local authorities in England.

Support for hospices

Phoenix Rising charity status

50th anniversary of Torbay Civic Society

Political donations and campaign finance regulation

Support for retired service animals

Accountability and child safeguarding in Surrey County Council

Second Reading of the Mental Capacity (Duty to Assess) Bill

Royal National Lifeboat Institution (No. 2)

40th anniversary of Follifoot Park Disabled Riders Group

Celebrating the great British postie

Battle of Britain Day 2026

Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) rescue operations

Contribution of women to the Bayeux Tapestry

World Suicide Prevention Day 2026

Publication of Legal Advice on Local Government Reorganisation

Found: (Labour; Corby and East Northamptonshire) Mr Peter Bedford (Conservative; Mid Leicestershire) Steve Darling

Found: (Labour; Corby and East Northamptonshire) Mr Peter Bedford (Conservative; Mid Leicestershire) Steve Darling

Found: Steve Darling: Okay. Q41 Chair: The next question is on metrics.

Submit Evidence (by 26 Oct 2026)

15 million working-age people are not saving enough for sufficient retirement income, with low-earners most likely to be among them. But both they and small businesses feel the most pain from contribution increases.