Asked by: Will Forster (Liberal Democrat - Woking)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment her department has made of the adequacy of the Government’s sanctions decisions following United Nations Security Council Resolution 2803.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We keep the impact of all UK sanctions designations under constant review.
Asked by: Will Forster (Liberal Democrat - Woking)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate her Department has made of the number and administrative cost of applications for leave to remain per annum that will result from the earned settlement proposals.
Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The public consultation on ‘A Fairer Pathway to Settlement’ ran for 12 weeks and closed on 12 February 2026. We are now reviewing and analysing all responses received. This analysis will help inform the development of the final earned settlement model.
Once the final model has been decided, the Government will communicate the outcome publicly. As with all significant policy changes, the proposals will be subject to both an economic impact assessment and equality impact assessment.
The Home Office publishes the fees charged and the estimated unit cost of processing immigration and nationality applications on Gov.UK. This can be reviewed via the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/visa-fees-transparency-data.
Asked by: Will Forster (Liberal Democrat - Woking)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of its earned settlement proposals on the number of children who will be born in the UK without British citizenship; and the number of such children whose entitlement to British citizenship will require a formal application for their registration.
Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The public consultation on ‘A Fairer Pathway to Settlement’ ran for 12 weeks and closed on 12 February 2026. We are now reviewing and analysing all responses received. This analysis will help inform the development of the final earned settlement model.
Once the final model has been decided, the Government will communicate the outcome publicly. As with all significant policy changes, the proposals will be subject to both an economic impact assessment and equality impact assessment.
Asked by: Will Forster (Liberal Democrat - Woking)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if her Department will make an assessment of the potential impact of Plan Two Student Loans on people’s ability to afford housing.
Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
The Government is committed to improving the affordability of housing, and making the aspiration of home ownership a reality for as many households as possible.
Student loan repayments are taken into account as part of affordability assessments for mortgage applications, but student loans are very different from a mortgage or credit card debt, as repayments are determined by income, not the amount borrowed. For example, a Plan 2 graduate earning £30,000 will repay only around £4 a month in FY2026–27.
The most sustainable long-term method to improve housing affordability and help people into homeownership is to increase the supply of housing. This Government has recommitted to delivering 1.5 million homes over this Parliament.
Asked by: Will Forster (Liberal Democrat - Woking)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many times have schools been rejected for Condition Improvement Funding in Surrey in the last 20 years.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The Condition Improvement Fund (CIF) was established in 2015.
From 2015/16 to 2025/26, 133 CIF-eligible schools and sixth form colleges in Surrey local authority have submitted 991 CIF applications. Of these, 110 schools secured funding for 378 projects.
Further information regarding successful CIF applications, including schools receiving funding, is available for the 2015/16 to 2025/26 rounds and is published on GOV.UK.
Asked by: Will Forster (Liberal Democrat - Woking)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, which schools have received Condition Improvement Funding in Surrey in the last 20 years.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The Condition Improvement Fund (CIF) was established in 2015.
From 2015/16 to 2025/26, 133 CIF-eligible schools and sixth form colleges in Surrey local authority have submitted 991 CIF applications. Of these, 110 schools secured funding for 378 projects.
Further information regarding successful CIF applications, including schools receiving funding, is available for the 2015/16 to 2025/26 rounds and is published on GOV.UK.
Asked by: Will Forster (Liberal Democrat - Woking)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of derelict school buildings on children’s education.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Responsible bodies, such as local authorities, academy trusts, and voluntary aided bodies, have a vital obligation in ensuring the safety and condition of school buildings. The department supports local authorities, academy trusts and other bodies responsible for keeping school buildings safe and operational by providing condition funding, guidance and advice.
Where there is a significant safety issue with a school building, which cannot be managed with local resources, the department provides additional support on a case-by-case basis.
With effective maintenance, most buildings continue to perform long after their intended design life and the department produces the ‘Managing Older Buildings’ guidance for settings to support them in relation to their care and management.
The Good Estate Management for Schools guidance contains a range of information that can help organisations to manage their school estate. The resource contains a range of information including strategic estate management, maintenance and health and safety compliance.
Asked by: Will Forster (Liberal Democrat - Woking)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has taken steps to review public safety at protests.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The right to peaceful protest is a cornerstone of our democracy. The government and the police are committed to upholding the rights to freedom of expression and assembly, and for people to do so in a manner that is safe and in keeping with the law.
As part of this commitment, the Home Office continues to keep its public order legislation under constant review and will consider any further changes as may be necessary.
In keeping legislation under review, the government has previously reaffirmed the commitment to expedited post‑legislative scrutiny of the Public Order Act 2023, which began in May 2025. Separately, in November 2025, the Home Secretary announced an independent review of public order and hate crime legislation, led by Lord Macdonald of River Glaven KC. The Review will assess whether existing police powers remain effective, proportionate and used consistently, including in relation to lawful protest.
Asked by: Will Forster (Liberal Democrat - Woking)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether he plans to amend the Matrimonial Causes Act.
Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
The Government has no plans to amend the Matrimonial Causes Act at this stage.
We are in the process of exploring the issues identified by the Law Commission in its 2024 report on financial remedies, ahead of issuing a consultation by Spring this year.
Asked by: Will Forster (Liberal Democrat - Woking)
Question to the Leader of the House:
To ask the Leader of the House, if he will take steps to review the membership of the Privy Council.
Answered by Alan Campbell - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
There are no current plans to review membership of the Privy Council. Information regarding membership and the arrangements for appointment to the Council is publicly available on the Privy Council Office website.