Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, on how many occasions (a) Ministers and (b) special advisers in her Department have met British Refugee Council since July 2024.
Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
All ministerial meetings are declared through the transparency returns.
Asked by: James Wild (Conservative - North West Norfolk)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to improve public transport connections in (a) North West Norfolk constituency and (b) rural areas.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The Government knows that a modern public transport network is vital to providing access to services and keeping communities connected. We have introduced the Bus Services Act 2025 to put power over local bus services back into the hands of local leaders, including in rural areas. In addition, the Government has confirmed over £1 billion for the 2025 to 2026 financial year to support and improve bus services in England outside London. Norfolk County Council has been allocated £15.9 million of this funding, helping to improve bus services and connectivity across the area, including North West Norfolk.
Rail services in North West Norfolk are supported by requirements on train operators to plan services and design timetables to meet both current and future passenger demand, while also ensuring value for money for the taxpayer. The Government commitment to public ownership through Great British Railways will also help to deliver a unified system that focuses on reliable, affordable, high-quality and efficient transport services, whilst also ensuring safety and accessibility. Under public ownership, passenger services can be operated in the interests of passengers, not shareholders.
The Government also intends to publish its Integrated National Transport Strategy. It will focus on creating a transport network that works well for people, including those in rural areas.
Asked by: Baroness Bull (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government why educational psychologists are not required to learn about dyscalculia as part of their training, but they are required to learn about dyslexia.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Educational psychologists play a critical role in the support available to children and young people, including those with special educational needs and disabilities. That is why we are already investing over £21 million to train 400 more educational psychologists over two cohorts, starting their studies in 2024 and 2025. This is in addition to the £10 million currently being invested in the training of over 200 educational psychologists who began their training in September 2023.
The Educational Psychology Funded Training scheme is a three-year doctorate programme delivered by universities on behalf of the department. The courses are approved by the Health and Care Professions Council and accredited by the British Psychological Society, who set programme content requirements. The curriculum includes 'individual differences in Maths difficulties', which we expect would cover conditions such as dyscalculia.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions she has had with her counterpart in Northern Ireland on Asian hornets.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The British Irish Council (BIC) has an Invasive Species Work Sector which shares expertise and learning across the eight BIC administrations and makes decisions on common policies and approaches with respect to Invasive Species. Members include the UK Government and the Northern Ireland Executive. There is a Work Plan for this Work Sector and Asian hornets are one of the five key areas of focus.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with representatives of UK Overseas Territories on progress made on adopting publicly accessible registers of company beneficial ownership.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to my Written Ministerial Statements of 3 July and 22 July which provide an update on progress achieved to date and details of next steps. We have clearly conveyed to our partners in the remaining Overseas Territories the urgency of meeting previously agreed deadlines and expect prompt action. I raised these points directly with the elected leaders of Bermuda and the Cayman Islands on my visit to those Territories last month, and in my recent conversations and correspondence with the Premier of the British Virgin Islands (BVI). Baroness Hodge visited the BVI at my request in September and I recently met with her to discuss her findings. This issue will also be discussed at the upcoming Joint Ministerial Council. The registers should offer streamlined access to a broad range of legitimate users, supporting proactive investigations, deterring the concealment of illicit gains, and promoting maximum transparency.
Asked by: Marie Goldman (Liberal Democrat - Chelmsford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking to support the work of the British Council.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The British Council plays a crucial role supporting the UK’s interests around the world, including helping people to learn English, and promoting British arts, culture and education. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office is providing over £160 million Grant-in-Aid to the Council this year, which underlines our continued support for their important work.Asked by: Louie French (Conservative - Old Bexley and Sidcup)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 13 October 2025 to Question 77715 on Betting: Excise Duties, which stakeholders her Department has engaged with through the consultation process.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government launched a consultation on proposals to simplify the current gambling tax system, which closed on 21 July 2025. Responses are now being analysed and a response to the consultation will be published at Autumn Budget 2025.
As part of the consultation process, the Government engaged with a wide range of stakeholders including, the British Horseracing Authority, the Jockey Club and Betting & Gaming Council as well as gambling businesses and charities.
Asked by: Rupert Lowe (Independent - Great Yarmouth)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has undertaken any formal risk assessments which have concluded that the disclosure of meeting records with NGOs on asylum accommodation policy would endanger the safety of (a) NGO staff and (b) Government officials.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
When engaging with the National Asylum Stakeholder Forum (NASF) and Strategic Engagement Group (SEG), minutes are taken at these meetings. There are no criteria defining ‘constructive dialogue’ with NGOs.
A list of non-governmental organisations who attended NASF and SEG since January 2023 is provided below:
Micro Rainbow
The No Accommodation Network (NACCOM)
British Red Cross
Refugee Action
Asylum Matters
Scottish Refugee Council
Refugee Council
Asylum Support Appeals Project (ASAP)
Freedom from Torture
Rainbow Migration
Helen Bamber Foundation
Migrant Help
Immigration Law Practitioners Network (ILPA)
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
No formal risk assessment has been undertaken. The disclosure of meeting records is handled in the usual way taking into account the wider Home Office risk assessment framework, disclosure and data protection provisions, and, where applicable, Freedom of Information guidance.
The Home Office publishes Freedom of Information (FOI) performance data, including the number of times exemptions under sections 36 and 38 of the FOI Act have been applied. This information is available at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/government-foi-statistics
Establishing whether these exemptions were applied for reasons relating to asylum policy or stakeholder engagement could only be obtained for the purposes of this question at disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Rupert Lowe (Independent - Great Yarmouth)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many freedom of information requests have been refused by her Department under section (a) 36 (b) 38 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 on grounds relating to (i) asylum policy and (ii) stakeholder engagement since January 2023.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
When engaging with the National Asylum Stakeholder Forum (NASF) and Strategic Engagement Group (SEG), minutes are taken at these meetings. There are no criteria defining ‘constructive dialogue’ with NGOs.
A list of non-governmental organisations who attended NASF and SEG since January 2023 is provided below:
Micro Rainbow
The No Accommodation Network (NACCOM)
British Red Cross
Refugee Action
Asylum Matters
Scottish Refugee Council
Refugee Council
Asylum Support Appeals Project (ASAP)
Freedom from Torture
Rainbow Migration
Helen Bamber Foundation
Migrant Help
Immigration Law Practitioners Network (ILPA)
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
No formal risk assessment has been undertaken. The disclosure of meeting records is handled in the usual way taking into account the wider Home Office risk assessment framework, disclosure and data protection provisions, and, where applicable, Freedom of Information guidance.
The Home Office publishes Freedom of Information (FOI) performance data, including the number of times exemptions under sections 36 and 38 of the FOI Act have been applied. This information is available at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/government-foi-statistics
Establishing whether these exemptions were applied for reasons relating to asylum policy or stakeholder engagement could only be obtained for the purposes of this question at disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Rupert Lowe (Independent - Great Yarmouth)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will publish a list of non-governmental organisations who attended meetings of the National Asylum Stakeholder Forum and Strategic Employment Group since January 2023.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
When engaging with the National Asylum Stakeholder Forum (NASF) and Strategic Engagement Group (SEG), minutes are taken at these meetings. There are no criteria defining ‘constructive dialogue’ with NGOs.
A list of non-governmental organisations who attended NASF and SEG since January 2023 is provided below:
Micro Rainbow
The No Accommodation Network (NACCOM)
British Red Cross
Refugee Action
Asylum Matters
Scottish Refugee Council
Refugee Council
Asylum Support Appeals Project (ASAP)
Freedom from Torture
Rainbow Migration
Helen Bamber Foundation
Migrant Help
Immigration Law Practitioners Network (ILPA)
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
No formal risk assessment has been undertaken. The disclosure of meeting records is handled in the usual way taking into account the wider Home Office risk assessment framework, disclosure and data protection provisions, and, where applicable, Freedom of Information guidance.
The Home Office publishes Freedom of Information (FOI) performance data, including the number of times exemptions under sections 36 and 38 of the FOI Act have been applied. This information is available at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/government-foi-statistics
Establishing whether these exemptions were applied for reasons relating to asylum policy or stakeholder engagement could only be obtained for the purposes of this question at disproportionate cost.