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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of the accuracy of financial viability assessments used in the planning process.

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

The government is committed to strengthening the system of developer contributions to ensure new developments provide necessary affordable homes and infrastructure. As part of this commitment, we are reviewing Planning Practice Guidance (PPG) on viability, and expect to provide a further update by the end of spring.

It is already the case, as set out in the viability PPG, that any viability assessment should be prepared with professional integrity by a suitably qualified practitioner and be presented in accordance with the guidance. The inputs and findings of any viability assessment should be set out in a way that aids clear interpretation and interrogation by decision makers.

Reports and findings should clearly state what assumptions have been made about costs and values (including gross development value, benchmark land value including the landowner premium, developer’s return and costs).

Any viability assessment should be prepared on the basis that it will be made publicly available other than in exceptional circumstances.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of the report by the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee entitled The Government’s vision for farming, HC 906, published on 16 May 2025.

Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Secretary of State and Minister Zeichner met the Committee recently and had the chance to discuss this Government’s approach to farming policy at that time. The Secretary of State’s oral evidence sessions sets out the Ministerial his assessment.

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 the White Paper entitled Restoring control over the immigration system on British National (Overseas) visa holders.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

The British National Overseas route reflects the UK’s historic and moral commitment to the people of Hong Kong who chose to retain their ties to the UK by taking up British National Overseas status.

We continue to uphold these commitments by supporting British National Overseas status holders to come to the UK through the British National Overseas route.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of the level of specialist nursery and early years places for children with special educational needs and disabilities; and whether she plans to increase the number of core SEND units.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The department aims to set every child up to have the best start in life, and this includes delivering access to high quality early education and childcare for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Local authorities have a duty to secure sufficient childcare, including for children with SEND. They are expected to report annually to elected council members on how they are meeting this duty and make their report available and accessible to parents.

The department continues to monitor sufficiency through regular contact with local authorities. Where local authorities report sufficiency challenges, we discuss what action is being taken to address those issues and, where needed, support them through our childcare sufficiency support contract.

The department has published allocations for £740 million high needs capital funding in the 2025/26 financial year to support children and young people with SEND or who require alternative provision. Local authorities are free to choose to spend this across the 0-25 age range and it is ultimately up to local authorities to determine how to best prioritise their funding. Guidance published alongside the allocations encourages local authorities to use the funding to set up resourced provisions or special educational needs units in mainstream schools.

Local authorities can meet the costs of children aged five and under with high needs in different ways from their high needs budget. This may include providing SEND support directly as a central service for young children with high needs and/or resources for early years providers to enable them to make the required provision.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of enabling early years settings to accept voluntary financial contributions from parents to (a) support and (b) enrich learning.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

It is the department’s ambition that all families have access to high quality, affordable and flexible early education and care, giving every child the best start in life and delivering on our Plan for Change.

As the early years entitlements are expanded, it is vitally important they remain accessible and affordable for families. Paragraph A1.41 of the statutory guidance for local authorities says that they must take all steps available to ensure the entitlements are available free of charge to parents and that providers do not charge for certain types of services. This includes top up fees, materials, such as crafts, crayons and paper, business running costs, registration fees and non-refundable deposits as a condition of taking up an entitlements place, general charges and any additional fees not specifically listed and itemised as chargeable extras at A1.33. If a parent wishes to make a voluntary contribution then they can do so, provided they are not being charged for these sorts of services or items and that it is wholly voluntary.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether she has made a comparative assessment of the potential benefits of outsourcing services and providing services in-house.

Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

The Government is committed to ensuring professional Facility Management services across its prison and probation estate. A 2023 assessment conducted in partnership with the Cabinet Office determined that an insourced solution was not the preferred option for future prison and probation maintenance services. Financial analysis determined that an outsourced option would be more cost effective and deliver the best value for money. A programme of work has been initiated that will put in place new contracts for the provision of maintenance services for prisons and probation. These are being competitively tendered. However, this approach is kept under constant review to ensure we get the best value for taxpayers’ money.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the practical driving test backlog on the (a) availability and (b) scheduling of theory test appointments.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Theory test availability is monitored by both the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency and the external service providers. Candidates wait on average no more than 28 calendar days from booking to their theory test appointment date, as per the contractual performance measures.

Capacity in the theory test centre network is managed using demand forecasting, and ongoing monitoring of tests booked into the 210 test centres in the network across Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment the Department has made of the effectiveness of the household waste electrical and electronic equipment collection scheme.

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

The January 2025 Post Implementation Review (PIR) of the WEEE regulations assess a range of measures aimed to drive up the levels of separately collected WEEE for re-use and recycling.

We are considering further measures to deliver a Circular Economy, including across electricals, as part of the circular economy strategy.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the public’s awareness of electrical goods recycling options; and what steps he plans to take to improve public awareness of those options.

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

The Waste Electronics and Electrical Equipment regulations make producers responsible for the electrical products they place on the market when they become waste. Within that framework producers fund a not-for-profit industry body Material Focus through the WEEE Compliance Fee. Part of the funds are used for consumer awareness campaigns highlighting the importance of properly disposing of their electrical waste.

A Material Focus communications campaign has helped lead to 30 million more small electrical items being recycled in 2024 compared to 2022.

We are considering further measures to deliver a Circular Economy, including across electricals, as part of the circular economy strategy.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking with the Secretary of State for Business and Trade to incentivise manufacturers to design electrical products with longer lifespans to support (a) sustainability and (b) the circular economy.

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

This Government is committed to transitioning towards a circular economy. We have convened the Circular Economy Taskforce, composed of experts from industry, academia, and civil society, to help develop a Circular Economy Strategy for England. The Strategy will be accompanied by a series of roadmaps detailing the interventions that the Government and others will make on a sector-by-sector basis, including a roadmap for electricals and electronic equipment.

While led by Defra, development of the strategy is a cross-government effort based on close collaboration between departments, including the Department for Business and Trade. Therefore, the strategy will reflect the needs and insights of industry leaders, trade associations, and other key stakeholders within the sector while improving lives up and down the country, growing our economy, and protecting our environment for generations to come.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to increase protections for Hong Kongers facing transnational oppression in the UK.

Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Home Office)

While we do not comment on specific threats or targets, I can assure the Hon Member that the safety and security of Hong Kongers in the UK remains of the upmost importance.

The UK will always stand up for the rights of the people of Hong Kong. On Christmas Eve, the Foreign Secretary strongly condemned the Hong Kong police’s targeting of individuals for exercising their right to freedom of expression. FCDO officials have raised concerns directly with the Chinese and Hong Kong authorities. This year, the Foreign Secretary and Minister West met with individuals affected by the latest round of arrest warrants and bounties placed on them by the Hong Kong Police Force.

The UK Government has developed a range of support and security assistance mechanisms to protect individuals and communities that are at risk of transnational repression. This assistance is based on threat and varied in its scope and approach, but can include tailored protective advice, cybersecurity measures, and access to broader public resources. In addition, I announced in March that training and guidance on state threats activity is now being offered by Counter Terrorism Policing to all 45 territorial police forces across the UK. This will enhance the ability of front-line police officers and staff in the identification of state-directed crimes and the actions that can be taken to escalate and mitigate this activity.

Guidance can be found on GOV.UK providing those who believe themselves to be at risk of TNR with practical advice for their safety both physically and online. If individuals think they are a victim of state directed activity, they should report this to police via the established mechanisms - 101, 999, or at a local police station.

40th anniversary of Surrey Research Park

Surrey Search and Rescue

Role of relationship education in preventing violence against women and girls

Fracking moratorium and onshore fossil fuel exploration

Use of swift bricks

20th anniversary of Midsomer Norton and Radstock Dial-a-Ride

Reform of NHS dentistry services

Carers Week 2025

Chinese Embassy

Impact of EU 90/180 day rule on UK citizens

Unpaid Care Dashboard

Access to Electric Vehicle charging for social housing residents

Diabetes Week 2025

Support for farmers

South Western Railway and zero waste to landfill

UK-US Trade Deal and animal welfare and farming

New blood cancer drug

Better Business Day campaign and the Company Directors (Duties) Bill

Harmful chemicals in period products

Community Energy Pathways and the King’s Award for Sustainable Enterprise

Gaza (No. 2)

Farmers, growers and the supermarket supply chain

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Sir Lindsay Hoyle (Chair); Mr Clive Betts; Zöe Franklin; Leigh Ingham

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Sir Lindsay Hoyle (Chair); Mr Clive Betts; Zöe Franklin; Leigh Ingham

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Dame Caroline Dinenage (Chair); Mr Bayo Alaba; Zöe Franklin; Damian

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Dame Caroline Dinenage (Chair); Mr Bayo Alaba; Zöe Franklin; Damian

Found: Blackman (Scottish National Party; Aberdeen North) Samantha Dixon (Labour; Chester North and Neston) Zöe Franklin

Found: Blackman (Scottish National Party; Aberdeen North) Samantha Dixon (Labour; Chester North and Neston) Zöe Franklin

Found: Harriett Baldwin Gill Furniss Neil Coyle Daisy Cooper Juliet Campbell Kate Osamor Valerie Vaz Zöe Franklin

Found: McDonnell Paula Barker Debbie Abrahams Anna Sabine Alice Macdonald Leigh Ingham Cameron Thomas Zöe Franklin

Found: _11 Dr Danny Chambers Zöe Franklin .

Found: Moran Tom Morrison Mr Will Forster Clive Jones Martin Wrigley Caroline Voaden Ben Maguire Zöe Franklin

Found: Moran Tom Morrison Mr Will Forster Clive Jones Martin Wrigley Caroline Voaden Ben Maguire Zöe Franklin

Found: Harriett Baldwin Gill Furniss Neil Coyle Daisy Cooper Juliet Campbell Kate Osamor Valerie Vaz Zöe Franklin

Found: McDonnell Paula Barker Debbie Abrahams Anna Sabine Alice Macdonald Leigh Ingham Cameron Thomas Zöe Franklin

Found: _51 Zöe Franklin Dr Danny Chambers .

Found: Not called_2 Dr Danny Chambers Zöe Franklin .

Found: Gordon Ben Maguire Freddie van Mierlo Sarah Green Liz Jarvis Daisy Cooper Helen Morgan Zöe Franklin

Found: Gordon Ben Maguire Freddie van Mierlo Sarah Green Liz Jarvis Daisy Cooper Helen Morgan Zöe Franklin

Found: Harriett Baldwin Gill Furniss Neil Coyle Daisy Cooper Juliet Campbell Kate Osamor Valerie Vaz Zöe Franklin

Found: McDonnell Paula Barker Debbie Abrahams Anna Sabine Alice Macdonald Leigh Ingham Cameron Thomas Zöe Franklin

Found: _2 Dr Danny Chambers Zöe Franklin .

Found: Gordon Ben Maguire Freddie van Mierlo Sarah Green Liz Jarvis Daisy Cooper Helen Morgan Zöe Franklin

Found: Harriett Baldwin Gill Furniss Neil Coyle Daisy Cooper Juliet Campbell Kate Osamor Valerie Vaz Zöe Franklin

Found: McDonnell Paula Barker Debbie Abrahams Anna Sabine Alice Macdonald Leigh Ingham Cameron Thomas Zöe Franklin

Found: _2 Dr Danny Chambers Zöe Franklin .

Found: _12 Gideon Amos Olly Glover Vikki Slade Andrew George Pippa Heylings Zöe Franklin .

Found: McDonnell Paula Barker Debbie Abrahams Anna Sabine Alice Macdonald Leigh Ingham Cameron Thomas Zöe Franklin

Found: _2 Dr Danny Chambers Zöe Franklin .

Found: ”” Development which is likely to affect operations of fire and rescue services (zh) _NC29 Zöe Franklin

Found: McDonnell Paula Barker Debbie Abrahams Anna Sabine Alice Macdonald Leigh Ingham Cameron Thomas Zöe Franklin

Found: _2 Dr Danny Chambers Zöe Franklin .

Found: ”” Development which is likely to affect operations of fire and rescue services (zh) _NC29 Zöe Franklin

Found: McDonnell Paula Barker Debbie Abrahams Anna Sabine Alice Macdonald Leigh Ingham Cameron Thomas Zöe Franklin

Found: _2 Dr Danny Chambers Zöe Franklin .

Faith and Society APPG
Wednesday 11th June 2025

Found: Valerie Skottowe, Welwyn Hatfield Jamie Hooper, Westmorland and Furness Andrew Yates, Cornwall Zöe Franklin

A fan-led review of live music has been launched by MPs, with the aim of improving the sustainability of grassroots live and electronic music to safeguard the success of the wider UK music industry.