Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, with reference to the Office for Equality and Opportunity's press release entitled Time to end class squeamishness: first government unit to improve life chances for working class, published on 9 September 2026, what proportion of the resources transferred to the Class Unit will be (a) new funding and (b) transferred from existing programmes or organisations.
Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
Officials are currently taking forward the implementation of the creation of a new Class Unit and closure of Social Mobility Commission to ensure a smooth, staged transition. All changes will be carried out with appropriate consultation and full support for affected staff. Changes will be handled in line with relevant policies, and in consultation with Trade Unions.
This Government is committed to ensuring that everyone, no matter their background, can thrive. One of the Class Unit’s early priorities will be the socio-economic duty. We are currently working towards commencement, which includes drafting statutory guidance that will clarify how the duty can be applied effectively. Further announcements about the new unit’s role and responsibilities will be shared in due course.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, with reference to the Office for Equality and Opportunity's press release entitled Time to end class squeamishness: first government unit to improve life chances for working class, published on 9 September 2026, if she will set out the specific outcomes the new Class Unit is expected to achieve during its first three years of operation.
Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
Officials are currently taking forward the implementation of the creation of a new Class Unit and closure of Social Mobility Commission to ensure a smooth, staged transition. All changes will be carried out with appropriate consultation and full support for affected staff. Changes will be handled in line with relevant policies, and in consultation with Trade Unions.
This Government is committed to ensuring that everyone, no matter their background, can thrive. One of the Class Unit’s early priorities will be the socio-economic duty. We are currently working towards commencement, which includes drafting statutory guidance that will clarify how the duty can be applied effectively. Further announcements about the new unit’s role and responsibilities will be shared in due course.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, with reference to the Office for Equality and Opportunity's press release entitled Time to end class squeamishness: first government unit to improve life chances for working class, published on 9 September 2026, what the cost to the public purse will be of establishing and operating the Class Unit in each of the next five years.
Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
Officials are currently taking forward the implementation of the creation of a new Class Unit and closure of Social Mobility Commission to ensure a smooth, staged transition. All changes will be carried out with appropriate consultation and full support for affected staff. Changes will be handled in line with relevant policies, and in consultation with Trade Unions.
This Government is committed to ensuring that everyone, no matter their background, can thrive. One of the Class Unit’s early priorities will be the socio-economic duty. We are currently working towards commencement, which includes drafting statutory guidance that will clarify how the duty can be applied effectively. Further announcements about the new unit’s role and responsibilities will be shared in due course.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, with reference to the Office for Equality and Opportunity's press release entitled Time to end class squeamishness: first government unit to improve life chances for working class, published on 9 September 2026, how many staff are expected to work in the Class Unit once it is fully operational.
Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
Officials are currently taking forward the implementation of the creation of a new Class Unit and closure of Social Mobility Commission to ensure a smooth, staged transition. All changes will be carried out with appropriate consultation and full support for affected staff. Changes will be handled in line with relevant policies, and in consultation with Trade Unions.
This Government is committed to ensuring that everyone, no matter their background, can thrive. One of the Class Unit’s early priorities will be the socio-economic duty. We are currently working towards commencement, which includes drafting statutory guidance that will clarify how the duty can be applied effectively. Further announcements about the new unit’s role and responsibilities will be shared in due course.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, with reference to the Office for Equality and Opportunity's press release entitled Time to end class squeamishness: first government unit to improve life chances for working class, published on 9 September 2026, what metrics will be used to assess the effectiveness of the Class Unit.
Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
Officials are currently taking forward the implementation of the creation of a new Class Unit and closure of Social Mobility Commission to ensure a smooth, staged transition. All changes will be carried out with appropriate consultation and full support for affected staff. Changes will be handled in line with relevant policies, and in consultation with Trade Unions.
This Government is committed to ensuring that everyone, no matter their background, can thrive. One of the Class Unit’s early priorities will be the socio-economic duty. We are currently working towards commencement, which includes drafting statutory guidance that will clarify how the duty can be applied effectively. Further announcements about the new unit’s role and responsibilities will be shared in due course.
Asked by: Nick Timothy (Conservative - West Suffolk)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether Axel Rudakubana has assaulted any (a) staff and (b) patients at Broadmoor Hospital; how long he is expected to be held there; and for what reason he was moved there from HMP Belmarsh.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
We do not comment on the management of prisoners transferred into secure hospitals from custody, including on allegations about their actions. Such matters fall to the detaining hospital to address either through their own security procedures or where appropriate with their local police force.
Section 47 of the Mental Health Act 1983 (the 1983 Act) provides for the transfer of prisoners from custody to secure psychiatric hospitals to receive treatment under the 1983 Act. Such transfers require clear clinical evidence provided by at least two registered medical practitioners, ordinarily consultant-level psychiatrists, who are recognised by the Secretary of State as having special experience in the diagnosis or treatment of mental disorders.
When deciding to transfer a prisoner to hospital, the Secretary of State will closely scrutinise the medical evidence to assess whether the criteria for a transfer under section 47 of the 1983 Act are met.
At the point a prisoner, who has been transferred to hospital, no longer meets the criteria for detention under the 1983 Act, they will return to prison to continue serving their custodial sentence.
A transfer under section 47 of the 1983 Act has no effect on the sentence a prisoner will serve. In Axel Rudakubana’s case, only the Parole Board can direct his release, and the Board will not consider that until the expiry of his 52-year tariff in 2076.
Asked by: Gregory Stafford (Conservative - Farnham and Bordon)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what funding schemes are available to local authorities for solar panel installations.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Local authorities can support solar panel installations through several government schemes.
The Warm Homes: Local Grant is delivered through local authorities to low-income households in their areas, while local authorities that are social landlords can access the Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund for eligible social homes. An additional £100 million for that Fund will support delivery of up to 57,000 solar installations across Wave 3. A total of £4.4 billion has been made available for grant schemes for low-income households up to 2030.
Great British Energy (GBE) supports public sector decarbonisation, and the GBE Solar programme is investing £255 million to fund around 250 schools, around 260 NHS sites, and around 15 military sites to install solar panels across the country.
Great British Energy has launched the biggest public investment into community energy in UK history, £30m of backing as a first downpayment on up to £1bn, to help local places cut bills, grow wealth and act on climate.
Mayoral Strategic Authorities can also support renewable energy projects through Great British Energy’s £10 million Mayoral Renewables Fund, while eligible authorities receive devolved funding for home retrofit and public sector buildings through Integrated Settlements. Over 150 renewable projects have now switched-on for public buildings in England’s Mayoral Combined Authorities, with more to follow – which together could see up to £50 million in total energy bill savings reinvested in local services
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of changes to farm support payments on farm businesses in West Dorset constituency.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Supporting British farmers and boosting the nation’s food security are key priorities for the government. As set out in the Farming Roadmap, food security and restoring nature are not competing aims. They are, over the long term, inseparable. The most resilient farms are profitable precisely because they work with the environment, which is why Government is backing a shift towards lower input, more sustainable farming systems.
There are now 4,165 live SFI agreements and 658 live CS agreements within the West Dorset constituency. This uptake by farm businesses and land managers in the constituency is supporting them to build nature‑friendly farming systems that can sustain or enhance production while strengthening resilience and reducing input dependency.
Asked by: Louie French (Conservative - Old Bexley and Sidcup)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many Government (a) announcements, (b) initiatives and (c) funding decisions have been delayed beyond their initial deadline since 4 July 2024.
Answered by Mark Ferguson - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The Government does not centrally record or hold timelines for all individual departmental announcements, initiatives, and funding decisions, including delays. Departments are responsible for tracking delivery with oversight and support from the centre of Government on the priorities that matter most to the public.
Asked by: Imran Hussain (Labour - Bradford East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of reports that India’s National Investigation Agency is continuing to seek the death penalty in the case of Yasin Malik.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
It is not for the UK to comment on an independent judicial process in another country. We encourage all states to ensure that their domestic laws adhere to international standards for free and fair trials and the treatment of detainees respects international obligations. The UK Government opposes the death penalty in all circumstances and in every country as a matter of principle.