Written questions by Griffith.

What the total annual expenditure of her Department was on policy development, administration and oversight relating to the licensing regime under the Licensing Act 2003 in each financial year since 2019-20.

The Home Office does not maintain a separate budget line for activity under the Licensing Act 2003. Relevant costs, including staff time in the policy team and contributions from legal and analytical colleagues are absorbed across wider departmental budgets.Identifying the total annual expenditure for each year since 2019-20 would require a manual review of records across multiple teams and systems. The information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

With reference to the Statistical bulletin - Civil Service Statistics: 2025, updated on 29 October 2025 and the Statistical bulletin - Civil Service Statistics: 2024, updated on 20 August 2024, for what reason the number of policy staff in his Department has increased by 90% in one year.

The Cabinet Office revised the classification of professions in early March 2025. We have been instructed to substitute the International Trade profession with the Policy profession in our reporting. Accordingly, all staff previously classified under the International Trade profession in 2024 have now been reassigned to the Policy profession. The reported percentage increase is attributable to this change.

Whether her department holds data on revenue collected by local authorities from Late Night Levies.

The Home Office publishes information biennially on the amount raised by late night levies in England and Wales in the statistical publication on alcohol licensing. The latest available data is for the year ending 31 March 2024 and can be accessed at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/alcohol-and-late-night-refreshment-licensing-england-and-wales-statisticsData on the amounts raised by late night levies, by licensing authority, in England and Wales for the year ending 31 March 2024, as well as for previous years, can be found in data table 14.

What the value is of the financial support package being negotiated with the Jingye Group in relation to British Steel's operations in Scunthorpe.

We continue to work with Jingye to find a pragmatic and realistic solution for the future of British Steel. Upon the end of Government intervention under the Steel Industry (Special Measures) Act, a compensation scheme will be available to Jingye, which would provide for an independent assessment to determine what amount of compensation, if any, is appropriate.

What methodology will be used to determine the level of compensation available to Jingye following Royal Assent of the Steel Industry (Special Measures) Act 2025.

We continue to work with Jingye to find a pragmatic and realistic solution for the future of British Steel. Upon the end of Government intervention under the Steel Industry (Special Measures) Act, a compensation scheme will be available to Jingye, which would provide for an independent assessment to determine what amount of compensation, if any, is appropriate.

What meetings his Department has had with Jingye on compensation for British Steel.

We continue to work with Jingye to find a pragmatic and realistic solution for the future of British Steel. Upon the end of Government intervention under the Steel Industry (Special Measures) Act, a compensation scheme will be available to Jingye, which would provide for an independent assessment to determine what amount of compensation, if any, is appropriate.

Whether planning permission for the use of the Crowborough Training Camp for asylum accommodation provides for occupation for a minimum period of (a) 12 and (b) 18 months.

This is a temporary arrangement; we intend to return the site to MoD at which point it would cease to be used as asylum accommodation.Making use of existing basic accommodation on MoD sites such as the Crowborough site is just the first step in the government’s work to exit hotels and source more appropriate accommodation to meet our statutory obligations.

Whether Crowborough Training Camp has been assessed as being safe, legal and compliant for use as asylum accommodation.

In accordance with the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999, the Home Office has a statutory obligation to provide destitute asylum seekers with accommodation and subsistence support whilst their application for asylum is being considered.We are committed to ensuring that destitute asylum seekers are housed in safe, secure and suitable accommodation, and that they are treated with dignity while their asylum claim is considered.The site has been assessed as safe, legal and compliant for use as asylum accommodation, and all accommodation must meet contractual standards and be safe, fit for purpose and properly equipped.

With reference to the Written Ministerial Statement of 11 February on the Double Contributions Convention with the Republic of India, HCWS1327, if he will commission an an economic impact assessment on the Double Contributions Convention.

The Office for Budget Responsibility will certify the impact of the Double Contributions Convention in the usual way at a fiscal event, once it has been ratified.

With reference to the Explanatory Memorandum on the Double Contributions Convention with the Republic of India, Command Paper No 1513, how much public funding will be required to meet the obligations for managing the treaty.

The project to implement the Double Contributions Convention, including work required by Article 20 to scope and implement a system of electronic information exchange between the UK and India, is still on-going. A full estimate is therefore not available. The system under development will be a step towards the modernisation of international social security processes in HMRC.

Which elected members of Wealden District Council her Department has met with in relation to the proposed use of Crowborough Training Camp.

The Home Office has met regularly with Wealden Council Leader and Deputy Council Leader in relation to the use of Crowborough Training Camp and joined the Wealden District Council Scrutiny and Performance Committee in November 2025 at which a number of elected members were present.

Whether her Department has received any representations from Wealden District Council on the adaptation of the Crowborough Training Camp for use as asylum accommodation.

We continue to engage with Wealden District Council, property partners and across government to ensure the site and indeed any development, is safe, appropriate and compliant with planning legislation. The Home Office continues to engage regularly with representatives from the local authority, NHS, Police and other local partners – via an Operational Working Group in addition to bi-lateral conversations.

Which (a) statutory and (b) local agencies were required to submit assessments to her Department confirming that local service standards would be met prior to the use of the Crowborough Training Camp as asylum accommodation.

The Home Office has been and continues regular engagement with representatives from the local authority, the NHS, the Police, and local partners, including via Multi Agency Forums.The site is self-contained, and essential services are provided on site to reduce the impact on local services.

When the Chief Secretary to the Treasury plans to respond to the correspondence of 15 January 2026 from the hon. Member for Arundel and South Downs.

The correspondence from the hon. Member is receiving attention, and a response will be issued in due course.

Food and Rural Affairs, how many warning and fixed penalty notices were issued against licensed premises under the Noise Act 1996 by local authorities in England in each of the last five years.

Figures may be available from individual local authorities.

When the Minister of State for Social Security and Disability plans to respond to the correspondence of (a) 19 December and (b) 20 January from the hon. Member for Arundel and South Downs.

A response to your correspondence of 19 December and 20 January was issued on 5 February. I apologise for the delay, and the Department is taking steps to improve the timeliness of its correspondence handling. If the Honourable Member requires any further clarification, we will be happy to assist.

Innovation and Technology, what plans her Department has to support the development of satellite based internet to help improve rural broadband connectivity in West Sussex.

Government is committed to delivering gigabit coverage to 99% of UK premises by 2032 and will continue to consider what it can do to further enable alternatives to fibre connections for premises located in very hard-to-reach areas.The Government also works closely with Ofcom to ensure that spectrum management and licensing arrangements support the deployment of satellite broadband services, including through appropriate authorisation of satellite networks and earth stations.The Government Alpha trials, which ended in March 2025, tested the capability of Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite technology to deliver high-speed, low-latency connectivity in remote locations. The Government also ran a pilot through the Rural Connectivity Accelerator which combined satellite and wireless technologies to support connectivity needs in remote areas.The satellite market is developing at pace, with further entrants and significant changes to terminal equipment, speeds and the cost of service packages. We continue to monitor and support the development of this market.

What is the (a) gross and (b) net revenue raised for her Department from the UK Emissions Trading Scheme in the 2024-25 financial year, broken down by auction receipts, administrative costs, and any revenue recycling and hypothecation.

Receipts from auctioning of UK Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) allowances accrue to the exchequer. The Economic and Fiscal Outlook (November 2025) published by the OBR confirms the ETS outturn for 2024-25. The administrative cost of the UK ETS can be found in the National Audit Office’s report on the UK ETS. The UK does not hypothecate revenue from the UK ETS, which is subject to a floating carbon price which changes frequently. All receipts from the UK ETS accrue to the consolidated fund, and go to funding government priorities, which includes decarbonisation support for ETS participants.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the European Union’s proposed Industrial Accelerator Act on the integration of UK-based manufacturers in European supply chains.

The proposed Industrial Accelerator Act has not yet been published by the European Commission, but we share and understand concerns expressed by industry in this country and within the European Union about the potential impact of an overly restrictive ‘made in Europe’ policy. We continue to engage with our counterparts in the EU and to advocate for the interests of UK manufacturers, many of whose operations are closely integrated with other businesses in the EU.

If he will make an assessment of the potential impact of regulatory divergence from the EU on UK exporters since July 2024, broken down by sector and by firm size.

No, we will not be making such a precise assessment, but the EU is our closest partner and biggest trading market and we are committed to making trade easier by removing unnecessary barriers to trade. To date, many UK regulations continue to align in the main with EU regulations. We are aware that EU divergence is an important issue for many UK exporters to the EU. We continue to monitor potential instances of divergence and undertake assessments on a case-by-case basis.