Written questions by Obese-Jecty.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of funding the cost of SEND provision from RDEL allocations on local authorities.

The government has set out its position on page 105 of the budget document, confirming that special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) pressure will be absorbed within the overall government Departmental Expenditure Limits (DEL) budget from the financial year 2028/29 onwards such that we would not expect local authorities to need to fund future special educational needs costs from general funds. The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) have illustrated the impact in the funding required for this, estimated at £6 billion, if these costs were met by diverting mainstream schools funding. However, that is only an indicative example and does not reflect government policy. We have confirmed that SEND pressure will be absorbed within the overall government DEL budget from 2028/29 onwards, not that it will be absorbed within the core schools budget. Furthermore, the £6 billion figure quoted by the OBR is based on current spending trajectories and does not take account of future government decisions on reforms to the SEND system, details of which will be set out in the Schools White Paper in the new year. Budgets from 2028/29 onwards, including the core schools budget, will be confirmed at the 2027 Spending Review.

Pursuant to the answer of 2 December 2025 to question 94926 on Ajax Vehicles: Health and Safety, whether vehicles within the Ajax programme will be available for use prior to the a) conclusion and b) implementation of recommendations of that review.

On 22 November, during a routine training exercise, around 30 soldiers operating in Ajax reported being affected by noise and vibration exposure. As a result, I directed the Army to pause all use of Ajax for training and exercising, while a safety investigation is carried out into the events. Those investigations are ongoing and I will update the House at an appropriate point. I am putting in place a Ministerial led review into the Ajax programme, which will assess how effective the Department has been at implementing the actions of previous reviews, and seeking anything further that is required regarding safety. It will be conducted by experts who are not part of the AJAX programme, including Malcolm Chalmers, to provide a more independent view. It will be overseen by me and report to the Defence Secretary. It will be conducted at pace, but it will not be rushed. We will have the Terms of Reference before Christmas.

Whether the Attorney General has had recent discussions with his Cabinet colleagues on the Tobacco and Vapes Bill’s legal compatibility with the Windsor Framework in relation to Northern Ireland.

The Attorney sits on the Parliamentary Business and Legislation Committee. As part of the process of approving a government Bill for introduction, as set out in the published Guide to Making Legislation, a legal issues memorandum is prepared for this Committee. This will set out all relevant legal issues.Whether the Law Officers have been asked to provide advice outside of the PBL process is covered by the Law Officers' Convention. This Convention provides that whether or not the Law Officers have been asked to provide advice, and the contents of any such advice, is not disclosed outside Government.This protects the Law Officers’ ability as chief legal advisers to the Government to give full and frank legal advice and provides the fullest guarantee that government business will be conducted at all times in light of thorough and candid legal advice.

What assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies on funding SEND provision of the mainstream school spending per pupil on page 122 of the Office for Budget Responsibility’s Economic Financial Outlook.

The government has set out its position on page 105 of the budget document, confirming that special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) pressure will be absorbed within the overall government Departmental Expenditure Limits (DEL) budget from the financial year 2028/29 onwards such that we would not expect local authorities to need to fund future special educational needs costs from general funds. The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) have illustrated the impact in the funding required for this, estimated at £6 billion, if these costs were met by diverting mainstream schools funding. However, that is only an indicative example and does not reflect government policy. We have confirmed that SEND pressure will be absorbed within the overall government DEL budget from 2028/29 onwards, not that it will be absorbed within the core schools budget. Furthermore, the £6 billion figure quoted by the OBR is based on current spending trajectories and does not take account of future government decisions on reforms to the SEND system, details of which will be set out in the Schools White Paper in the new year. Budgets from 2028/29 onwards, including the core schools budget, will be confirmed at the 2027 Spending Review.

What assessment she has made of the feasibility of new terminals for the proposed third runway at Heathrow Airport being built and operated in competition with those run by the airport.

Information about terminals and other airport infrastructure would be provided as part of a development consent order application.

Pursuant to the answer of 1 December 2025 to question 94541 on Ministry of Defence: Asbestos, what the cost was of the 119 awards for mesothelioma.

To provide the cost of the 119 War Pension Scheme awards for mesothelioma or any asbestos-related condition made 1 April 2024 and 31 March 2025 would require a manual review of each case to determine the exact money paid and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.As reported in the War Pensions Scheme Accredited Official Statistic, 96 lump sum awards for mesothelioma were paid out in the 2024-25 financial year at a cost of £13.2 million.The latest WPS Annual Statistics can be found at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/war-pensions-scheme-statistics-2025As there is a delay between a mesothelioma claim being awarded and being paid, those paid out in 2024-25 could have been awarded in either 2023-24 or 2024-25.Since 16 December 2015, veterans diagnosed with service-attributable mesothelioma have had the choice between a one-off, tax-free lump sum of £140,000 or regular, smaller payments in the form of an ongoing disablement pension. Disablement pensioners already in receipt of an ongoing pension on 16 December 2015 were entitled to receive a lump sum payment of £140,000 less any monies already received. Lump sum payments have been made since 11 April 2016. Further details on the policy change can be found on GOV.UK website.

On what date did Project Matcha (a) start and (b) end.

The then Secretary of State for Defence granted approval for Project MATCHA in May 2021. The final programme activity occurred through a Closure Board in November 2024.

Pursuant to the Answer of 28 November 2025 to Question 93242 on Military Alliances: Space, what is included under the banner of space services.

The space services to which the UK assures access to include the following: (1) Intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, (2) Position, navigation and timing, (3) Satellite communications, (4) Missile warning and tracking and (5) Environmental monitoring.Maintaining assured access to these services is crucial as they provide critical support to the UK's joint force, thus enabling and enhancing the UK's military effectiveness.

What the projected cost is of the abolition of NHS England, including staff redundancy packages, consultancy fees, administration and restructuring costs.

The abolition of NHS England will involve some upfront costs associated with organisational change. £1 billion is the estimated overall cost of redundancy exits across the Department, NHS England, and the integrated care boards. In the 2025 Autumn Budget, my Rt. Hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced that HM Treasury would bring forward £860 million of the Department’s SR25 settlement to support with the upfront costs. By reducing unnecessary bureaucracy and duplication, the Government will unlock savings of £1 billion per year by the end of the Parliament, equivalent to the cost of over 115,000 extra hip and knee operations.The Government is committed to ensuring that Parliament and the public are appropriately informed of exit costs, as well as material consultancy, administration, and restructuring costs. Information will be published at the appropriate time, in line with established reporting mechanisms, to ensure transparency and accountability. The Department will continue to provide updates as the reforms progress.

Communities and Local Government, from which local authorities in Cambridgeshire he has received formal submissions for the proposed local government reorganisation.

My Department has received submissions from all councils in the invitation area of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.

Pursuant to the Answer of 27 November 2025 to Question 93240 on Armoured Fighting Vehicles: Procurement, what was the a) start and b) finish date of Project RARDEN.

Project RARDEN is a legacy project that introduced the Rarden cannon into service in the 1970s. On current planning, the Rarden cannon will be removed from service December 2027.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what progress has she made in fulfilling the UK contribution to the Child Nutrition Fund in 2025-26.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 25 November to Questions 91556 and 91557, which sets out the UK's contribution to the Child Nutrition Fund (CNF). In 2025-26, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has so far disbursed £1 million to the CNF.

What does he estimate the total cost of implementing digital ID cards to be across the a) resource departmental expenditure limit and b) capital departmental expenditure limit budgets.

Any costs in this Spending Review period will be met within existing settlements. The Government will run a public consultation in the new year.

With reference to the Prime Minister’s comment that You will see 3,000 neighbourhood police officers on your streets by March in his speech on 1st December 2025, what recent progress has she made in delivering those additional officers.

We have made £200 million available in 2025/26 to support the first steps towards delivering 13,000 more neighbourhood policing personnel across England and Wales by the end of this parliament, including up to 3000 additional neighbourhood officers by the end of March 2026.The Government has committed to publishing neighbourhood policing numbers every six months to align with the official police workforce statistics, with the next update due at the end of January 2026 setting out the numbers in neighbourhood policing roles as at the end of September 2025.

On what date was the Gazelle AH Mk1 helicopter withdrawn from service In Northern Ireland.

The Gazelle AH Mk1 helicopter was withdrawn from service in Northern Ireland on 26 October 2023.

What assessment has she made of the potential impact on airline ticket prices from Heathrow Airport of the need to fund the public consultation process for the proposed third runway.

The Government is committed to delivering a third runway at Heathrow in a cost-effective way. The Civil Aviation Authority have launched a consultation on their working paper of regulatory options in their role as the independent economic regulator for the aviation industry. They propose several criteria for assessing future regulatory models, including how effective these options are in keeping costs for the travelling public low. Aviation operates predominantly in the private sector, with ticket prices determined by many factors including competition between airlines.

What is the projected total cost of a third runway at Heathrow, including the consultation process; and who will be responsible for funding the planning and construction.

The Government has been clear that any expansion at Heathrow must be affordable and firmly in the interests of passengers. The costs of the scheme, should be kept to a minimum and met through private funding, including any associated surface-transport requirements.Whilst we have set out our ambition to move at pace, decisions on construction and operational costs are ultimately a matter for the scheme promoter. Scheme promoters are responsible for any consultation in relation to their DCO application in accordance with Planning Act 2008 requirements.

Communities and Local Government, what estimate he has made of the number of local authorities which may need to issue Section 114s if required to recognise historic DSG deficits on their balance sheets, identified by the Office for Budget Responsibility’s Economic Financial Outlook, November 2025 (page 128).

At Autumn Budget 2025, the Office for Budget Responsibility gave an assessment of Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) deficits which are based on current Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) policy. This government has clarified that we will set out ambitious plans for reform of SEND provision early in the new year and that funding for SEND will be managed within the government’s overall departmental spending limits from 2028-29. Therefore, we do not expect local authorities to need to fund future SEND costs from general funds, once the DSG Statutory Override ends at the end of 2027-28. The government does not speculate on the number of local authorities that will need financial support, but we recognise that local authorities are continuing to face significant pressure from the impact of these deficits on their accounts. We will set out further details on our plans for support with historic and accruing deficits the upcoming Local Government Finance Settlement.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment has he made of the potential impact of the removal of the statutory override on local authority budgets by the end of the 2027-28 financial year.

At Autmn Budget 2025, the government clarified that ambitious Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) reform plans will be set out early in the new year and that funding for SEND will be managed within the government’s overall departmental spending limits from 2028-29. Therefore, we do not expect local authorities to need to fund future SEND costs from general funds, once the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) Statutory Override ends at the end of 2027-28. We recognise that local authorities are continuing to face significant pressure from the impact of historic and accruing DSG deficits on their accounts. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government engages regularly with local authorities and the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy on the impact of the deficits and the extent to which they are expected to grow. We will set out further details on our plans to support local authorities with their historic and accruing deficits through the upcoming Local Government Finance Settlement.

Pursuant to the answer of 27 November 2025 to question 93243 on Defence: Procurement, for what reason was Project Magenta cancelled.

A routine programme review found Project Magenta was no longer viable in terms of cost or time. The review led to an alternate solution that was not available at the time of project approval.