Asked by: Abtisam Mohamed (Labour - Sheffield Central)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of university-based (a) research and (b) development activities on levels of UK (i) productivity and (ii) economic growth.
Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
Evidence shows that every £1 of public R&D investment leverages around £2 of business R&D investment [1] and generates approximately £7 of net economic benefits in the long term [2].
Universities play a central role in the UK’s R&D ecosystem, receiving around half of the Government’s R&D funding [3]. Their impact is wide-ranging, from advancing scientific knowledge to commercialising innovation. For example, university spin-outs and start-ups – just one channel through which universities contribute to the economy - attracted £20.6 billion in investment between 2014 and 2022 [4].
[1] The relationship between public and private R&D funding | Oxford Economics
[2] ‘Evidence on the balance and effectiveness of research and innovation spending’, written evidence submitted by UK Research and Innovation to the Science and Technology Select Committee, published November 2018
[3] UK gross domestic expenditure on research and development
[4] Intellectual property, start-ups and spin-outs | HESA
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 4 September 2025 to Question 74064 on Undocumented Migrants: English Channel, what is the end date of the pilot.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
As set out in Article 22 (1) of the UK-France treaty, the end date of the pilot is 11 June 2026. Both the UK and France have committed to continually review and improve the process and effectiveness of the pilot, pending decisions on the long-term future of the arrangements after June 2026.
Further information on the UK-France treaty can be found at the following link:
Asked by: Lord Murray of Blidworth (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many small boats which have been used to facilitate illegal entry to the UK have been seized since 4 July 2024.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
Since 4 July 2024, Border Force has seized a total of 871 small boats used to make dangerous and unnecessary crossings of the Channel.
Asked by: Lord Murray of Blidworth (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many engines for small boats which have been used to facilitate illegal entry to the UK have been seized since 4 July 2024.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
Since 4 July 2024, Border Force has seized a total of 794 engines for small boats used to make dangerous and unnecessary crossings of the Channel.
Asked by: Lord Murray of Blidworth (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many engines for small boats intended for use by those seeking to enter the UK illegally have been seized since 4 July 2024.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
Since 4 July 2024, Border Force has seized a total of 871 small boats used to make dangerous and unnecessary crossings of the Channel.
Asked by: Lord Murray of Blidworth (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many small boats intended for use by those seeking to enter the UK illegally have been seized since 4 July 2024.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
Since 4 July 2024, Border Force has seized a total of 871 small boats used to make dangerous and unnecessary crossings of the Channel.
Asked by: Baroness Altmann (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact that (1) regulatory risk aversion, and (2) the encouragement of pension fund buyouts and the accompanying sales of holdings of UK Government bonds once buyout is completed, have had on the availability and cost of start-up and scale-up capital in the UK.
Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
The government keeps the availability and cost of start-up and scale-up capital under close review. The government is taking action to ensure that UK businesses can access the capital they need to grow, and that the financial system supports innovation and economic growth.
The Chancellor’s remit letters put the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority firmly at the heart of the Growth Mission, challenging them to go further to support growth and competitiveness. The letters made clear that there is an opportunity for more responsible and informed risk taking across the economy, and the government will support the regulators to enable this, including by facilitating innovation across the financial services sector.
Similarly, following a request in the Chancellor’s November 2024 remit letter to the Bank of England’s Financial Policy Committee, the BoE is working with HM Treasury and other authorities to assess how the financial system can better support sustainable economic growth, including by improving access to finance for high-potential small and medium-sized enterprises and for long-term investment.
The British Business Bank plays a key role in supporting start-ups and scale-ups, working with over 200 delivery partners (including banks and venture capital firms) to channel funding to SMEs that might otherwise struggle to access finance. Following the June Spending Review, the Bank’s financial capacity has increased to £25.6 billion, including the new £4 billion Industrial Strategy Growth Capital initiative, which will help address the scale-up financing gap for priority sectors.
The government is also working with private sector investors to enable more institutional investment into productive UK assets. This includes initiatives like the Pensions Investment Review and the Mansion House Accord. The British Business Bank is also supporting this effort through programmes such as the British Growth Partnership. Together, these actions will help address funding gaps in the market, including the availability and cost of start-up and scale-up capital.
Asked by: Mike Wood (Conservative - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 25 June 2025 to Question 62086 on King Charles III: Artworks, whether (a) the BBC and (b) Channel 4 took up the offer from the Cabinet Office of a free portrait of the King to place in their offices.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
As eligible public institutions, both the BBC and Channel 4 placed orders for Official Portraits of His Majesty The King while the Government scheme was operational, for the purposes of display in their buildings.
Asked by: Lewis Cocking (Conservative - Broxbourne)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 9 June 2025 to Question 54430 on Undocumented Migrants: English Channel, how many people arriving in small boats have been found to have (a) convictions, (b) pending prosecutions and (c) wanted or missing reports since 4 July 2024.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Home Office conducts mandatory identity and security checks on all small boat arrivals.
In line with the Refugee Convention, we will deny the benefits of protection status to those who commit particularly serious crimes and are a danger to the community or those who are a threat to national security.
Anyone convicted of a particularly serious crime resulting in a custodial sentence of 12 months or more, and are considered a danger to the UK, will be denied asylum and will be considered for removal from the UK. Those refused protection status who cannot be removed will be subject to regular review until they can be removed at the earliest opportunity.
Asked by: Michael Wheeler (Labour - Worsley and Eccles)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment her Department has made of the potential contribution of grassroots sports clubs to providing (a) training, (b) experience and (c) other employment related skills as part of the Youth Guarantee Scheme.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Sports, arts and culture play a vital role in our society and economy. They create hundreds of thousands of jobs, drive economic growth, and bring joy to millions. That is why we formed our initial Youth Guarantee partnerships with the Premier League, Channel 4, and the Royal Shakespeare Company.
Across the country, many national and local organisations already do inspiring work with disadvantaged young people – helping them to build skills, grow in confidence, and access meaningful experiences, qualifications, and employment. DWP already works with organisations such as the English Football League, Rugby Football League, CoachCore and SportsWorks.
We are now exploring opportunities to expand initial Youth Guarantee partnerships by bringing additional organisations from the sports, arts, and culture sectors into national partnerships. For example, in the North West there is a network of grassroots sports organisations that we refer young people to for holistic support through the platform of sport.
In the North West they have found that referring to organisations such as Street League gives our young people access to mentoring, career advice, daily sport and fitness activities, and the opportunity to acquire recognised sports qualifications to pursue careers in the industry.
We continue to build relationships with grassroots and league clubs across the country to expand our network of options. Following insight with young people, we continue to work with organisations to identify gaps in their existing offers and how we can tailor programmes to better suit their needs.
These partnerships will connect young people across the country and offer a wide range of development opportunities – such as apprenticeships, work experience, training courses, and employability programmes. By engaging young people in a shared effort to enter and progress in the workforce, we aim to set them on a path to long-term success.