Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much her Department has spent on (a) purchasing and (b) installing soundproof meeting pods for its headquarters in London since 17 October 2024; and how much of this relates to meeting pods for the Ministerial private office.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
No further funds have been spent on purchasing or installing soundproof meeting pods beyond that detailed in the Answer of 8 September 2025 to Question 71266.
Asked by: Gareth Snell (Labour (Co-op) - Stoke-on-Trent Central)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what proportion of (a) tableware and (b) crockery used in her Department is made by a British manufacturer.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department has management responsibility for on-site canteens / restaurants at the London headquarters building and at the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) offices in Swansea.
Crockery and tableware at the DfT London headquarters buildings has been sourced over a number of years from various suppliers within the UK, however, full information about the country of manufacture is not available.
The crockery used at the DVLA office is manufactured at a factory in Stoke-on-Trent. The tableware at this site has been in use over several years and it is not possible to get an accurate figure on what was made by a British manufacturer.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 8 September 2025 to Question 71266 on Department for Transport: Buildings, what the make and model of soundproof meeting pods were; and how many were purchased.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Three Kolo Midi soundproof meeting pods were purchased.
Asked by: Lord Patten (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether the number of civil servants working from home for three days a week or more is increasing or decreasing.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Data on Civil Service Headquarters (HQ) occupancy is collected and published quarterly on GOV.UK for all HQ buildings of Whitehall Departments, Office for Scotland, Office for Wales and Northern Ireland Office.
Data for the latest period for which data is available is copied below. No other information on occupancy data or workforce attendance is gathered centrally.
Departments manage their own arrangements for monitoring workforce attendance. Heads of departments have agreed that 60% minimum office attendance for most staff continues to be the best balance of working for the Civil Service.
Monthly Average HQ Building Occupancy (Quarter 1: April to June 2025)
| Departmental HQ | Building | April | May | June |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Cabinet Office | 70 Whitehall | 62% | 92% | 83% |
Department for Business and Trade | Old Admiralty Building | 76% | 79% | 77% |
Department for Culture, Media and Sport | 100 Parliament Street | 69% | 72% | 62% |
Department for Education | Sanctuary Buildings | 65% | 66% | 70% |
Department for Energy Security and Net Zero | 3-8 Whitehall Place/55 Whitehall | 100% | 97% | 100% |
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs | 2 Marsham Street | 74% | 59% | 72% |
Department for Science, Innovation and Technology | 22 Whitehall | 88% | 85% | 92% |
Department for Transport | Great Minster House | 61% | 61% | 61% |
Department for Work and Pensions | Caxton House | 61% | 61% | 62% |
Department of Health and Social Care | 39 Victoria Street | 76% | 81% | 72% |
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office | King Charles Street | 65% | 63% | 65% |
HM Revenue and Customs | 100 Parliament Street | 70% | 68% | 73% |
HM Treasury | 1 Horse Guards | 68% | 69% | 68% |
Home Office | 2 Marsham Street | 72% | 74% | 73% |
Ministry of Defence | MOD Main Building | 82% | 85% | 87% |
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government | 2 Marsham Street | 71% | 72% | 74% |
Ministry of Justice | 102 Petty France | 81% | 75% | 76% |
Northern Ireland Office | 1 HG/Erskine House | 57% | 59% | 59% |
Office of the Secretary of State for Scotland | Dover House | 61% | 55% | 62% |
Office of the Secretary of State for Wales | Gwydyr House | 66% | 59% | 59% |
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much her Department has spent on (a) purchasing and (b) installing soundproof meeting pods for its headquarters in London since 4 July 2024; and how much of this relates to meeting pods for the Ministerial private office.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Since 4 July 2024 the Department has spent £27,083.43 purchasing and £8,229.23 installing soundproof meeting pods. Of those costs £18,055.62 for purchasing and £5,486.15 for installation relate to Ministerial private office.
Asked by: Anna Gelderd (Labour - South East Cornwall)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the (a) travel distances and (b) levels of public transport in (i) site planning and (ii) service design for neighbourhood health centres in rural areas; and what his timeline is for the rollout of those centres.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government aims to establish a Neighbourhood Health Centre in every community by 2035. Neighbourhood Health Centres will provide easier, more convenient access to a full range of healthcare services.
Nationwide coverage will take time, but we will start in the areas of greatest need where healthy life expectancy is lowest, including rural towns and communities with higher deprivation levels, using public capital to update and refurbish existing, under-used buildings.
We expect neighbourhood teams and services to be designed in a way that reflects the specific needs of local populations. While the focus on personalised, coordinated care will be consistent, services will look different in rural communities, coastal towns, and deprived inner cities, to reflect local needs.
On 21 July 2025, I wrote to Members of Parliament highlighting that the Department and NHS England have written to integrated care boards and local authorities to invite applications to participate in the National Neighbourhood Health Implementation Programme, to establish a Neighbourhood Health Centre delivery pipeline.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Supreme Court ruling published on April 16, what plans her Department has to amend its policy on the use of women-only spaces in its buildings by transgender women.
Answered by Mike Kane
The Supreme Court ruling made it clear that the provision of single-sex spaces is on the basis of biological sex. Providers should note and follow the ruling.
It is important that we ensure dignity and respect for all. Trans people should have access to services they need but in keeping with the ruling.
The Equality & Human Rights Commission, as Britain’s Equalities watchdog, is developing updated guidance to support service providers. Ministers will consider the EHRC’s updated draft once they have submitted it following further work in light of this ruling.
The Government is considering the implications of the Court’s judgment, including what this means for Government buildings.
Asked by: Rupert Lowe (Independent - Great Yarmouth)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether their Department plans to amend its policies on access to (a) toilets, (b) changing facilities and (c) other single-sex spaces in (i) Departmental buildings and (ii) other buildings within their Department’s remit following the Supreme Court judgement in the case of For Women Scotland v The Scottish Ministers of 16 April 2025.
Answered by Mike Kane
The Supreme Court ruling made it clear that the provision of single-sex spaces is on the basis of biological sex. Providers should note and follow the ruling.
It is important that we ensure dignity and respect for all. Trans people should have access to services they need but in keeping with the ruling.
The Equality & Human Rights Commission, as Britain’s Equalities watchdog, is developing updated guidance to support service providers. Ministers will consider the EHRC’s updated draft once they have submitted it following further work in light of this ruling.
The Government is considering the implications of the Court’s judgment, including what this means for Government buildings.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to ensure sufficient electric vehicle charging infrastructure for all cars parked off-street in privately owned car parks.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
All new residential and non-residential buildings with off-street parking are required to install chargepoints. Elsewhere, the Government continues to offer grant funding for the purchase and installation of charging infrastructure. This includes flats, rented accommodation, domestic and commercial landlords, workplaces, charities, schools, and public sector organisations.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to ensure sufficient electric vehicle charging infrastructure for all cars parked off-street in privately owned car parks.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
All new residential and non-residential buildings with off-street parking are required to install chargepoints. Elsewhere, the Government continues to offer grant funding for the purchase and installation of charging infrastructure. This includes flats, rented accommodation, domestic and commercial landlords, workplaces, charities, schools, and public sector organisations.