Every parliamentary written question tabled by David Simmonds this session, with the full answer and department. See how every department answers, or back to the MP page.
Showing 501–520 of 874 · this parliament
Pursuant to the Answer of 24 June 2025 to Question 60081 on Asylum: Housing, what her policy for housing asylum seekers in hostels which have been converted from hotels via change of use is.
The Home Office continues to work with a range of stakeholders to fulfil its legal obligations, whilst delivering on this Government’s commitment to reduce the overall cost of asylum accommodation, including ending the use of hotels by the end of this Parliament.
Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Written Statement of 12 June 2025 on Local Government Best Value, HCWS697, what discussions her Department has had with hon. Members from Croydon on the best value intervention in that area since 4 July 2024.
I hold regular meetings with honourable members in accordance with my Ministerial responsibilities.
Pursuant to the Answer of 23 June 2025 to Question 59362 on Asylum: Housing, whether local authorities have a veto on the use of specific properties for asylum accommodation.
I refer the Hon Member to the answer I gave on 23 June to Question 59362.
Pursuant to the Answer of 30 May to Question 52625 on Travellers: Caravan Sites, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of unauthorised traveller encampments on operational policing, in the context of the High Court judgement of May 2024.
The judgment is being reviewed in detail. Engagement has taken place with the National Police Chiefs’ Council.
Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Written Statement of 12 June 2025 on Local Government Best Value, HCWS697, what discussions her Department has had with (a) councillors and (b) political assistants from Croydon on the best value intervention in that area since 4 July 2024.
All details of ministerial meetings with external bodies are published on gov.uk.
How much funding her Department plans to provide to local authorities to (a) house and (b) build housing for (i) asylum seekers and (ii) refugees in each financial year to 2029‑30.
The Home Office publishes information on asylum expenditure in the Home Office Annual Report and Accounts at Home Office annual reports and accounts - GOV.UK.
Pursuant to the Answer of 23 June 2025 to Question 59362 on Asylum: Housing, if she will place a copy of the template Asylum Accommodation Service Contracts in the Library.
The 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 South AASC - Asylum Accommodation & Support Services Contract South - Contracts Finder North West AASC - Asylum Accommodation & Support Services Contract NW - Contracts Finder Midlands & Eastern England AASC - Asylum Accommodation & Support Services Contract MEE - Contracts Finder North East Yorks & Humber AASC - Asylum Accommodation & Support Services Contract NEYH - Contracts Finder Scotland AASC - Asylum Accommodation & Support Services Contract Scotland - Contracts Finder Northern Ireland AASC - Asylum Accommodation & Support Services Contract NI - Contracts Finder
Whether her plans to remove asylum seekers from hotel accommodation extends to (a) hostels and (b) other types of communal accommodation.
The Home Office continues to work with a range of stakeholders to fulfil its legal obligations, whilst delivering on this Government’s commitment to reduce the overall cost of asylum accommodation, including ending the use of hotels by the end of this Parliament.
How many and what proportion of small boat arrivals were (a) children, (b) babies and (c) women in the most recent period for which data is available.
The Home Office publishes statistics on detected irregular arrivals to the UK in the ‘Immigration System Statistics Quarterly Release’. Data on small boat arrivals by age group and sex is published in table Irr_D01 of the ‘Irregular migration to the UK detailed datasets’, with the latest data up to the end of March 2025.
Communities and Local Government, whether the new affordable housing programme will include (a) bringing empty homes back into use, (b) the acquisition of existing built properties and (c) traveller pitches.
I refer the hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 2 July (HCWS771).
Communities and Local Government, whether her Department has issued recent guidance to local authorities on public right of access to privately-owned public spaces that are owned by (a) private companies and (b) local authorities through a private company.
My Department has not issued guidance in relation to this matter.
Whether the national cancer plan will consider (a) astrocytoma and (b) other types of brain tumours.
The National Cancer Plan is to be published this year and will include further details on how outcomes will be improved for all cancer patients, including those with astrocytoma and other brain tumours.The plan will include further details on speeding up diagnosis and treatment and ensuring patients have access to the latest treatments and technology, ultimately driving up this country’s cancer survival rates.
What assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of levels of funding for the (a) Medical Research Council and (b) National Institute for Health and Care Research.
Funding levels for health and care research have recently been set as part of the 2025 Spending Review. The Department will receive £9.8 billion for research and development over the period of 2025/26 to 2029/30. This funding will support research and development through the National Institute for Health and Care Research, Genomics England, and the Office for Life Sciences, and will support global health research through Official Development Assistance. This funding will ensure that research can provide the evidence needed to support the delivery of the 10-Year Plan and wider Government missions. Funding for the Medical Research Council is determined by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology.
What discussions he has had with (a) the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency and (b) the National institute for Health and Care Excellence on access to innovative treatment for patients with brain tumours.
The Department is committed to ensuring that all patients, including those with brain tumours, have access to cutting-edge clinical trials and innovative, lifesaving treatments. As such, officials meet regularly with the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) to cover a range of related issues.The Department is working with delivery partners and key stakeholders, including the MHRA, to fast-track clinical trials to drive global investment into life sciences, improve health outcomes, and accelerate the development of future medicines and therapies, including for brain tumours.The MHRA is engaging with public, academic, industry, and patient stakeholder groups to see how the agency can encourage research and product licencing in this underserved area. The MHRA remains focused on enabling safe access to innovative treatment as rapidly as possible.The Government supports the Rare Cancers Bill and its ambitions to incentivise clinical trials and access to innovative treatments for rare cancers, including brain tumours. As such, the Department has worked closely with the MHRA during the passage of this bill.NICE makes recommendations on whether new medicines should be routinely funded by the National Health Service based on an assessment of clinical and cost effectiveness. NICE aims, wherever possible, to issue guidance on new medicines close to the time of licensing, and the NHS in England is required to fund NICE recommended medicines. NICE is currently developing technology appraisal guidance for relevant brain cancer therapies.
What assessment he has made of the adequacy of the amount of funding available for research into (a) low grade glioma and (b) astrocytoma.
Research is crucial in tackling cancer, which is why the Department invests over £1.6 billion per year in health research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The NIHR spent £133 million on cancer research in 2023/24, reflecting its high priority.Whilst no assessment has been made of the adequacy of the funding available for research into low grade glioma and astrocytoma specifically, between 2018/19 and 2023/24, the NIHR directly invested £11.8 million into research projects focused on brain tumours. 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.In September 2024, the NIHR announced new research funding opportunities for brain tumour research spanning both adult and paediatric populations. This includes a national NIHR Brain Tumour Research Consortium, to ensure the most promising research opportunities are made available to adult and child patients, and a new funding call to generate high quality evidence in brain tumour care, support, and rehabilitation.The NIHR also supported the development of Dabrafenib with trametinib, a combined treatment for low grade glioma in children and young people, which is now recommended in guidance by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.The NIHR continues to welcome funding applications for research into any aspect of human health and care, including brain tumours. These applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money, and scientific quality.Welcoming applications on brain tumours to all NIHR programmes enables maximum flexibility in terms of the amount of research funding a particular area can be awarded, and the type of research which can be funded.
What steps his Department is taking to help increase levels of life expectancy for people with (a) low grade glioma and (b) astrocytoma.
The National Cancer Plan is to be published this year and will include further details on how outcomes will be improved for all cancer patients, including those with astrocytoma and other brain tumours.The plan will include further details on speeding up diagnosis and treatment, ensuring patients have access to the latest treatments and technology, and ultimately driving up this country’s cancer survival rates.The Government recognises the significant impact of rare cancers, such as glioma brain tumours, on patients and on their families and carers, and has invested in new lifesaving and life-improving research, supporting those diagnosed and living with brain tumours, and increasing life expectancy. The Government fully supports Scott Arthur’s Private Members’ Bill on rare cancers. The bill will facilitate clinical trials in England by ensuring researchers can easily contact eligible patients.
Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answers of 10 and 17 June 2025 to Questions 54888 and 57271 on Planning Permission, and Chinese Embassy: Planning Permission, if the designated Planning Minister will make it their policy to issue a direction under section 321 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 to facilitate closed hearing planning representations during the their consideration of the Planning Inspectorate's report.
An independent Inspector held a public inquiry between 11 and 28 February which heard a range of evidence for and against the proposals in question. The Inspector’s Report is now before the Department for consideration. Ministers are able to issue a direction under section 321 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 on an application where required. There is no section 321 direction in force and no requests have been received in respect of this case.
Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Letter to Chief Planning Officers of 24 May 2007, entitled Sensitive Information in applications for planning Permission and Listed Building Consent, whether information relating to the planning application for a Chinese Embassy at the former site of the Royal Mint was separately from the main planning register using the procedure set out in paragraphs 3 and 10 of that letter by the (a) London Borough of Tower Hamlets and (b) Planning Inspectorate.
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 58055 on 16 June 2025.
Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Spending Review 2025, published on 11 June 2025, CP 1336, whether the £39 billion for a new 10‑year Affordable Homes Programme is (a) in cash terms and (b) takes into account inflation.
As under the existing Affordable Homes Programme, registered providers will need to bid for the grant funding announced at the Spending Review. The government will confirm further details, including the timing and process for bids to the new fund, in due course.
Communities and Local Government, with reference to the core spending power budget line in table B.2 of HM Treasury's document entitled, Spending Review 2025, published on 12 June 2025, what is the estimated total revenue from council tax in each year from 2024-25 to 2028-29 in England.
Projected overall local government Core Spending Power within Resource Departmental Expenditure Limits is set out at table B.2 of the Spending Review document. This includes estimated funding from council tax. However, this remains subject to final decisions on the referendum principles set by government with the approval of the House of Commons, and the council tax levels set by individual authorities. Referendum principles will be set out as part of the Local Government Finance Settlement in the usual way.