Written questions by Simmonds.

How many civil society organisations received Prevent funding in the (a) 2023-24 and (b) 2024-25 financial years; what the cost of that funding was; and what her Department's budget is for Prevent funding for civil society organisations in the 2025-26 financial year.

It is vital that Prevent is well-equipped to counter the threats that we face and the ideologies that underpin them.Prevent provides funding for all local authorities in England, Wales and Scotland to address radicalisation risks through targeted projectsIn the financial year 2023-24, the Home Office provided £26,294,582.59 in Prevent funding. This includes £2,790,047.15 in project delivery funding to a total of 63 Civil Society Organisations under the Prevent programme.In the financial year 2024-25, the Home Office provided £27,769,727.44 in Prevent funding. This includes £2,365,309.72 in project delivery funding to a total of 52 Civil Society Organisations under the Prevent programme.In the financial year April 2025 – March 2026, the Home Office is projected to provide £28,758,000 in Prevent funding. This includes a projected spend of £1,877,378.99 in project delivery funding to a total of 30 Civil Society Organisations under the Prevent programme.This financial year, we have an allocated budget of £2 million for project funding. The anticipated expenditure for this financial year was £1.8 million, based on the funding bids received from local authorities.

How much funding was allocated to Home Office units responsible for delivering (a) the Prevent strategy and (b) counter-extremism communications in the (i) (A) 2023-24 and (B) 2024-25 financial years and (ii) 2025-26 financial year, broken down by unit.

The total Prevent Budget in the 2025/26 financial year is £38,697,583.35 (of which £25,854,619.99 is allocated for Prevent Delivery Unit and £12,942,963.36 for Counter-Radicalisation and Enablers Unit).The total Prevent expenditure in the 2024/25 financial year was £36,139,230.25 (of which £26,427,104.62 was spent on Prevent Delivery Unit and £9,712,125.63 spent on Counter-Radicalisation and Enablers Unit).The total Prevent expenditure in the 2023/24 financial year was £34,564,419.17 (of which £27,451,332.62 was spent on Prevent Delivery Unit and £7,113,086.55 was spent on Counter-Radicalisation and Enablers Unit).There has been no budget allocated, and no expenditure committed for counter-extremism communications for the period requested.

How much funding his Department has provided for brain tumour research in each year since 2018.

Research is crucial in tackling cancer, which is why the Department invests over £1.6 billion each year on research through its research delivery arm, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). Cancer is one of NIHR’s largest areas of spend at over £133 million in 2023/24, reflecting its high priority. These investments are pivotal towards efforts to improve cancer prevention, treatment and outcomes.The following table shows the amount of new funding provided for brain tumour research per financial year:Financial yearTotal Awards Provided2018/2019£1m2019/2020£0.4m2020/2021£3.6m2021/2022£7.3m2022/2023£0.4m2023/2024£0.4m2024/2025£1.6mGrand Total£15.04m

Whether he has considered using brain tumour research funding announced in 2018 to fund an increase in the speed of research into new treatments.

In May 2018 the Government made a commitment to spend £40 million on brain cancer research. Between 2018/19 and 2023/24, the Department, via the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), directly invested £11.8 million in research projects and programmes focused on brain tumours. The NIHR has also invested approximately £37.5 million in research infrastructure to support the delivery of 261 brain tumour research studies and to enable over 11,400 people to participate in potentially life-changing brain tumour research.The Government is working closely with the patient and researcher communities to provide new funding opportunities for novel brain tumour research and is stimulating high-quality research applications through: establishing a national Brain Tumour Research Consortium to bring together researchers from different disciplines to drive scientific advancements in how to prevent, detect, manage, and treat brain tumours; a dedicated funding call for research into wraparound care and rehabilitation for people living with brain tumours; and a partnership with the Tessa Jowell Brain Cancer Mission to fund the next generation of researchers through the Allied Health Professionals Brain Tumour Research Fellowship programme.

Whether he plans to include astrocytoma brain cancer in the (a) National Cancer Plan, (b) Rare Cancers Bill and (c) NHS Cancer Vaccine Launch Pad.

The National Cancer Plan will take into account the needs of all patients with brain tumours. This means we will not be excluding any kinds of brain or spinal cord tumours and astrocytomas will be included as part of our work on brain tumours.The Rare Cancers Bill as currently drafted is relevant to cancers that affect not more than 1 in 2000 people in the United Kingdom. Astrocytoma and low grade gliomas fit this definition and will therefore be relevant to the Bill.The Cancer Vaccine Launch Pad (CVLP) is a platform that will speed up access to clinical trials for cancer vaccines and immunotherapies for patients who have been diagnosed with cancer. The platform is designed to be company and clinical trial agnostic so any company, including those developing vaccines for brain tumours, can contact the CVLP to explore how the platform can support their research.

What steps his Department is taking with Cancer Research UK to increase levels of future funding for brain tumour research.

The Department continues to engage with a broad range of stakeholders, including Cancer Research UK and other third sector organisations, to identify areas of investment in brain tumour research. The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) is the research arm of the Department. Working with stakeholders from across the research community, in September 2024 the NIHR launched a package of support to stimulate high-quality research applications through: establishing a national Brain Tumour Research Consortium to bring together researchers from different disciplines to drive scientific advancements in how to prevent, detect, manage, and treat brain tumours; a dedicated funding call for research into wraparound care and rehabilitation for people living with brain tumours; and a partnership with the Tessa Jowell Brain Cancer Mission to fund the next generation of researchers through the Allied Health Professionals Brain Tumour Research Fellowship programme.We will continue to explore all opportunities for collaborations with Cancer Research UK and other organisations to increase the amount of high-quality research into this important area.

What assessment he has made of the potential merits of using brain tumour research funding announced in 2018 for supporting (a) new vaccines and (b) novel therapeutics.

In May 2018 the Government made a commitment to spend £40 million on brain cancer research. Between 2018/19 and 2023/24, the Department, via the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), directly invested £11.8 million in research projects and programmes focused on brain tumours. The NIHR has also invested approximately £37.5 million in research infrastructure to support the delivery of 261 brain tumour research studies and to enable over 11,400 people to participate in potentially life-changing brain tumour research.The Government is working closely with the patient and researcher communities to provide new funding opportunities for novel brain tumour research and is stimulating high-quality research applications through: establishing a national Brain Tumour Research Consortium to bring together researchers from different disciplines to drive scientific advancements in how to prevent, detect, manage, and treat brain tumours; a dedicated funding call for research into wraparound care and rehabilitation for people living with brain tumours; and a partnership with the Tessa Jowell Brain Cancer Mission to fund the next generation of researchers through the Allied Health Professionals Brain Tumour Research Fellowship programme.

How much and what percentage of total research expenditure has been spent on research into (a) Giloma, (b) Glioblastoma, (c) Astrocytoma, (d) DIPG and (e) DMG brain tumour types in the last decade.

Research is crucial in tackling cancer, which is why the Department invests over £1.6 billion each year on research through its research delivery arm, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). Cancer is one of NIHR’s largest areas of spend at over £133 million in 2023/24, reflecting its high priority.Between 2018/19 and 2023/24, the NIHR directly invested £11.8 million in research projects focused on brain tumours. These investments are pivotal towards efforts to improve cancer prevention, treatment and outcomes. Data for 2024/25 is not yet available.The following table shows the percentage of research expenditure invested on specific cancer subtypes for the period 2014/15 to 2024/25: TypeAmount% of total NIHR programme spend (£6.1 billion)Glioma£3.1m0.052%Glioblastoma£3.2m0.053%Astrocytoma£0.4m0.007%DIPG--DMG--Total£6.8m 0.112% In addition, the NIHR’s wider investments in research infrastructure, for instance facilities, services, and the research workforce, are estimated to be £37.5 million, supporting the delivery of 261 brain tumour research studies and enabling over 11,400 people to participate in potentially life-changing brain tumour research in the National Health Service.Working with stakeholders from across the research community, in September 2024 NIHR launched a package of support to stimulate high-quality research applications through:i. establishing a national Brain Tumour Research Consortium to bring together researchers from different disciplines to drive scientific advancements in how to prevent, detect, manage and treat brain tumours;ii. a dedicated funding call for research into wraparound care and rehabilitation for people living with brain tumours; andiii. a partnership with the Tessa Jowell Brain Cancer Mission to fund the next generation of researchers through the Allied Health Professionals Brain Tumour Research Fellowship programme.The NIHR funds research in response to proposals received from scientists rather than allocating funding to specific disease areas in advance. The level of research spend in a particular area is driven by factors including scientific potential and the number and scale of successful funding applications. NIHR continues to welcome funding applications for research into any aspect of human health and care, including all cancer types.

What assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of trends in the level of criminal activity linked to candy retail stores.

The Government is committed to ensuring high street businesses such as candy retail stores are not exploited by criminals conducting illicit activity such as money laundering or tax evasion.The Government’s approach to tackling money laundering is set out in the Economic Crime Plan 2 which includes action to disrupt cash-based money laundering and strengthen system wide coordination. The Government, working in partnership with law enforcement and other agencies, is closely monitoring the level of illicit activity in the high street and actively considering whether further systemic interventions are needed to tackle this threat.Operationally, in March 2025, the National Economic Crime Centre in the National Crime Agency, coordinated a three-week crackdown against barbershops and other cash intensive businesses involving 19 different police forces and Regional Organised Crime Units, as well as national agencies including HMRC, Trading Standards and Home Office Immigration Enforcement. In total, 380 premises were visited across the three-week operation, with officers securing freezing orders over bank accounts totalling more than £1m, executing 84 warrants and arrested 35 individuals. Officers also seized more than £40,000 in cash, 200,000 cigarettes, 7,000 packs of tobacco, over 8,000 illegal vapes and two vehicles.This is the first phase of targeted action against criminals and organised crime groups who use high-street businesses to launder criminal monies.

Pursuant to the answer of 15 July 2025, to Question 65280, on Asylum: Housing, if she will place the requested information from Question 65280 in the Library of the House in light of the hyperlinks on ContractFinder giving "URL No Longer Exists" errors.

The award notices Asylum Accommodation and Support Contracts are already published and available on Contracts Finder as follows:Wales AASC - Asylum Accommodation & Support Services Contract Wales - Contracts Finder(opens in a new tab)South AASC - Asylum Accommodation & Support Services Contract South - Contracts Finder(opens in a new tab)North West AASC - Asylum Accommodation & Support Services Contract NW - Contracts Finder(opens in a new tab)Midlands & Eastern England AASC - Asylum Accommodation & Support Services Contract MEE - Contracts Finder(opens in a new tab)North East Yorks & Humber AASC - Asylum Accommodation & Support Services Contract NEYH - Contracts Finder(opens in a new tab)Scotland AASC - Asylum Accommodation & Support Services Contract Scotland - Contracts Finder(opens in a new tab)Northern Ireland AASC - Asylum Accommodation & Support Services Contract NI - Contracts Finder(opens in a new tab)Due to changes in Contract management software Schedules are temporarily unavailable. This will be corrected shortly.

If she will list the name of each contractor who currently provides asylum hotels and accommodation to her Department.

The asylum accommodation estate is provided by Serco, Mears, Clearsprings Ready Homes and CTM. The latest published Immigration Statistics detail the number of supported asylum seekers accommodated in each local authority area. These statistics can be found at Immigration system statistics data tables - GOV.UK.

, how many asylum hotels are in operation in each local authority area.

The asylum accommodation estate is provided by Serco, Mears, Clearsprings Ready Homes and CTM. The latest published Immigration Statistics detail the number of supported asylum seekers accommodated in each local authority area. These statistics can be found at Immigration system statistics data tables - GOV.UK.

Communities and Local Government, how much funding is provided to councils with high numbers of people granted refugee status; and whether the Fair Funding 2.0 proposals would affect this level of funding.

The government has been listening closely to the views expressed by the public, local authorities and other stakeholder bodies on the proposals set out in the Fair Funding Review 2.0 consultation.No final decisions on the outcome of the review have yet been taken. However, the government’s proposals will target central government grant funding to where it is needed the most. The vast majority of councils with social care responsibilities will see their Core Spending Power increase in real terms over the multi-year Settlement. For those councils who would see their funding fall as a result of these changes, our intention is to protect the vast majority of these councils’ income through a funding floor.We will publish further information in the government’s consultation response in Autumn, followed by the provisional Local Government Finance Settlement later this year.

Which individual local authorities have received funding from her Department under the Prevent scheme in 2024-25; and what the (a) mechanism and (b) timing is by which the funding will be distributed in 2025-26.

The Following local authorities received funding under the Prevent Programme in 2024-25: Priority Areas FY24/25 (Alphabetical order)1Birmingham2Blackburn with Darwen3Bradford4Brent5Bristol6Calderdale7Cardiff8Croydon9Derby10Ealing11Enfield12Hackney13Haringey14Kent15Kirklees16Lambeth17Leeds18Leicester19Liverpool20Luton21Manchester22Newcastle upon Tyne23Newham24Nottingham25Redbridge26Sandwell27Sheffield28Tower Hamlets29Waltham Forest30Westminster Each year the Home Office conducts an annual prioritisation exercise led by the Home Office’s Homeland Security Analysis and Insight (HSAI) team to understand which Local Authorities are facing the highest threat of radicalisation. The model incorporates both quantitative and qualitative elements.The prioritisation exercise is carried out in the autumn and funding is granted from 1 April for the following financial year. The exercise for the financial year 2025/26 took place in the Autumn of 2024 and funding was released via grants from 1 April 2025.

What guidance her Department has issued to local authorities on (a) transparency and local scrutiny on how Prevent funding is spent and (b) which organisations receive it.

In 2023, the Home Office updated its assurance process to help ensure that local authorities are delivering their statutory Prevent duty in line with the Prevent duty guidance. This includes assurance of local authorities that receive Prevent funding due to being assessed as having high levels of terrorism threat and risk.The ‘Prevent duty toolkit for local authorities’ outlines eight benchmarks that Prevent delivery is measured against and includes suggested examples of good and best practice.The Home Office works with all local authority Prevent Leads in England, Wales and Scotland to complete a Prevent assurance exercise each year against 7 of the Prevent duty benchmarks. An assurance of the eighth benchmark, Channel, is subject to a separate process (the Channel Annual Assurance Statement).This exercise provides local Prevent Partnerships and the Home Office with assurances that the Prevent duty is being met in proportion to the threat and risk in each area. It also helps to understand where there are gaps in Prevent delivery, to identify and share good practice, and to improve performance and standards.Prevent also funds Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) to deliver projects in communities. CSOs in receipt of Prevent funding are required to demonstrate that outcomes they have delivered contribute to Prevent’s overall aim: to stop people becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism.As a requirement of Prevent funding, every CSO must adhere to best practice principles for programme design, delivery and monitoring and evaluation. All project providers are subject to random project delivery observation from the Home Office, and comprehensive due diligence is completed for all CSOs that receive Prevent funding.The groups we work with are vital partners in protecting society from the dangers of radicalisation, and providing support to people who are being radicalised.

Pursuant to the Answer of 8 July 2025 to Question HL8772 on Chinese Embassy: Planning Permission, through what mechanism her Department had access to the unredacted drawings.

It would not be appropriate to comment in detail on issues of national security, but as set out in the written representations by the Home Secretary and the Foreign Secretary to the Planning Inspectorate, we have carefully considered the breadth of national security risks associated with China's planning application.A final decision has yet to be made. The Secretary of State for Housing, Communities, and Local Government in his independent, quasi-judicial role will make the final decision in due course.

Communities and Local Government, which local billing authorities have set a second homes premium on council tax in 2025-26.

The Department will publish data on the number of second homes liable for a council tax premium in November as part of the annual council taxbase statistics.

Pursuant to the Answer of 23 June 2025 to Question 59362 on Asylum: Housing, whether local authorities have a right of objection to the housing of asylum seekers in (a) hostels, (b) hotels, (c) HMOs and (d) private rented sector accommodation in their locality.

An important part of our procurement process allows for local authorities across the UK to feed in local intelligence before our providers commit to accommodation. They have the opportunity to respond to consultation requests from our providers regarding either individual properties or specific postcode areas.We are committed to working closely with communities and stakeholders to ensure 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 asylum accommodation estate is provided by Serco, Mears, Clearsprings Ready Homes and CTM.The latest published Immigration Statistics detail the number of supported asylum seekers accommodated in each local authority area. These statistics can be found at Immigration system statistics data tables - GOV.UK.

Communities and Local Government, whether she has had recent discussions with combined authority mayors on provisions in the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill on restrictions on being Members of Parliament.

My department has engaged with Mayors and the local government sector ahead of publication of the English Devolution White Paper, where this policy was introduced.The post of mayor is a significant role at the forefront of delivering change and demands the full attention of any post holder. That is why the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill will prohibit individuals from holding the office of Member of Parliament (or being a member of the devolved legislatures in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland) and mayor simultaneously. This is already the case for Mayors who hold Police and Crime Commissioner responsibilities.

Communities and Local Government, whether councils will receive compensatory payments for increases in employer National Insurance contributions in (a) 2026-27 and (b) 2027-28.

The government provided an additional £515 million for local government in 2025-26 to manage the impact of changes to employer National Insurance Contributions. The recent Spending Review provides over £5 billion of new grant funding over the next three years for local services that communities rely on. This includes £3.4 billion of new grant funding through the Local Government Finance Settlement within financial years 2026-27 to 2028-29.The government will bring forward its proposals for 2026-27, 2027-28 and 2028-29 through the provisional Local Government Finance Settlement later this year.