Written questions by Simmonds.

Pursuant to the answer of 22 October 2024, to Question 8751, on Fire and Rescue Services: Police, for what reason her Department won't repeal Section 37 of the Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004.

It is the Government’s priority to ensure the safety of firefighters across the fire and rescue sector. Section 37 of Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004 re-enacts section 32 of the Fire Services Act 1947 and provides that no member of a police force (i.e. a police constable) may be employed as a fire-fighter. If an off-duty police officer were employed by a fire and rescue authority, difficulties might arise at the scene of a fire or other emergency due to confusion over which employer had the primary claim on the officer's services.The Government has no plans to repeal section 37 for the reasons stated above. We work hand-in-hand with police and fire sector partners to ensure the highest levels of service.The Tri- Service Safety Officers in Devon and Cornwall perform a unique role. They are neither police officers or firefighters and their role is to provide early intervention, prevention, and an operational response through collaborative working between Devon and Cornwall Police (DCP), Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service (CFRS), South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SWASFT) and Cornwall Council’s Anti-Social Behaviour Team.

Pursuant to the Answer of 21 January 2025 to Question 23517 on Crime: Westminster Bridge, what role HM Government plays in relation to policing within Whitehall’s Government Secure Zone area.

I refer the Hon Member to my response to PQ 26886, asked on 28 January 2025, on this matter.

Pursuant to the Answer of 9 January 2025 to Question 19680 on High Streets Task Force, what discussions his Department had with retailers on the impact of the reduction in retail, hospitality and leisure business rate relief from April 2025.

Across Government, Ministers and officials meet with a range of retailers to understand the challenges they face. I have met with the Retail Sector Council where I heard members’ views about the impact of the Budget. More recently, I attended a roundtable organised by the British Retail Consortium, attended by CEOs and Senior Executives from leading retailers, with discussion points including the impact of the Budget and Business Rates.More broadly, HMT are conducting engagement on future business rate reform and are open to receiving written evidence from stakeholders on the priority areas, prior to March 2025. This will provide retail businesses of any size the opportunity to share their concerns directly with HMT.

Media and Sport, what information her Department holds on departmental plans to fly flags other than the Union flag in 2025.

The flags other than the Union Flag that will be flown from the DCMS building in London in 2025 will be announced in due course. Currently, in addition to flying the Union Flag throughout the year, the Department flies a flag of Ukraine above the building.

With reference to her Oral Statement of 16 January 2025 on Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse, Official Report, how many civil servants have been assigned to support Baroness Casey's audit; and what staff resources her Department has made available to support inquiries into grooming gangs.

The Home Office is committed to supporting the National Audit and the necessary resources will be made available to Baroness Casey to complete her work. Staffing arrangements, including the involvement of Home Office civil servants, for the Audit will be agreed with Baroness Casey on a flexible basis as the work progresses.

Media and Sport, whether the Government plans to reduce the legal age to (a) buy Lottery tickets and (b) gamble.

The Government has no plans to reduce the legal age to buy lottery tickets or to gamble.

With reference to her Department's news story entitled, Survivors of sexual abuse to be empowered in closed case reviews, published on 16 January 2025, if she will publish the full terms of reference for the review; and whether Baroness Casey of Blackstock (a) will be remunerated and (b) has made a declaration of interest.

The complete terms of reference for the review will be made available on gov.uk. Baroness Casey is leading the review in her role as the Government's lead Non-Executive Director (NED). This is a paid position, and all necessary due diligence has been conducted.

Whether she plans to revise the Airports National Policy Statement, published on 5 June 2018, in the context of the proposed Heathrow Airport expansion.

The Government has invited proposals for a third runway at Heathrow to be brought forward by the summer and is clear that any scheme must be delivered in line with the UK’s legal, climate and environmental obligations. Once proposals have been received, the government will review the Airports National Policy Statement in line with the requirements of the Planning Act 2008.

Whether her Department plans to provide support for the proposed Liverpool to Manchester railway improvement project.

Transport is an essential part of our mission to rebuild Britain, and the Government is committed to improving rail connectivity across the North, including boosting rail connectivity from East to West. As announced in the Autumn 2024 Budget, the Government is maintaining momentum on Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR) by progressing planning, design and development works to support future delivery. Providing better rail connectivity between Liverpool and Manchester is a key part of NPR. The Government is committed to improving the performance of the railways.In addition to NPR, the Government is supporting the development of a multi-billion pound investment programme upgrading the North’s transport network. This work includes the Transpennine Route Upgrade and the Greater Manchester and North West programme, including exploring options between Liverpool and Manchester.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 20 January 2025 to Question 23888 on Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office: Flags, which flags other than the Union and Ukraine flags have been flown by his Department since 5 July 2024; and what was the estimated cost was of flying those flags.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office's flag flying policy is that any additional flags flown on the estate are considered on a case-by-case basis and must have a compelling reason for inclusion in the flag flying schedule. Since 5th July 2024, in addition to the Union and Ukrainian flags, King Charles Street has flown the following flags externally on the roof flag poles: British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Rainbow, International Day of Criminal Justice, Falklands, Tristan da Cunha, Gibraltar, Commonwealth, United Nations, British Indian Ocean Territory, St Andrew's Saltire, Pitcairn Islands, and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands. All of these flags were held in stock and no cost was associated with flying these flags from 5 July 2024.

Pursuant to the Answer of 22 January 2025 to Question 24505 on Asylum: housing, in what types of accommodation asylum seekers will now be housed.

I refer the Hon Member to the Answer he received on 22 January 2025 to UIN 24505.

Pursuant to the Answer of 22 January 2025 to Question 24505 on Asylum: housing, what the estimated spending is on accommodation for asylum seekers in 2025.

I refer the Hon Member to the Answer he received on 22 January 2025 to UIN 24505.

What his planned timetable is for the delivery of the £300 reduction to household energy bills.

The Government believes that our mission to deliver clean power by 2030 is the best way to break our dependence on global fossil fuel markets and protect billpayers permanently. The creation of Great British Energy will help us to harness clean energy and have less reliance on volatile international energy markets and help in our commitment to make Britain a clean energy superpower by 2030. This, combined with our Warm Homes Plan to upgrade millions of homes to make them warmer and cheaper to run is how we will drive down energy bills and make cold homes a thing of the past.

Whether he has received representations from health professionals have they received on shrinking the default size of the pint glass in licensed premises.

The Government has no plans to restrict the size of a pint of beer served in pubs. Under our Health Mission, the Government is committed to prioritising preventative public health measures to support people to live longer, healthier lives. The Department will continue to work across Government to better understand how we can best reduce alcohol-related harms, including reviewing the latest evidence.In October 2024, the Department received correspondence from a Cambridge University research team sharing the findings of a research study looking at the impact of pint sizes on alcohol consumption. As part of our commitment to evidenced based policy making, we will consider the findings in the round, alongside other similar studies.

With reference to the Written Ministerial Statement of 28 October 2024, HCWS168, on Contracts for Difference (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2024, what requirements there will be for the floating offshore wind infrastructure to be manufactured in the United Kingdom.

Local content requirements are not permitted within the UK’s international trade agreements, however, the Government does offer incentives to invest in supply chains: the Clean Industry Bonus (CIB) as part of the Contracts for Difference (CfD) scheme will reward fixed and floating offshore wind developers who choose to invest in the UK’s poorest communities, or in cleaner manufacturing facilities. The initial budget for CIBs is £27m per GW of capacity that applies for the bonus in Allocation Round 7. An amount within the CIB budget will be reserved for investments in the floating offshore wind supply chain.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions his Department has had with the Chinese Government on the granting of planning permission for the proposed new Chinese Embassy in London; and on what dates these discussions took place.

The planning application has been called in by the Secretary of State for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and she will make this decision independent from the rest of Government corresponding to her quasi-judicial role. Officials at the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office speak regularly with the Chinese Government about a range of issues.

Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 21 January 2025 to Question 23346 on Property Development: Air Pollution, for what reason a Regulatory Impact Assessment is not required for that guidance.

Applicants are advised to consider the interim planning guidance as part of their planning application, but the interim guidance is not statutory. Therefore, it is not a regulatory provision and as such a Regulatory Impact Assessment is not currently required.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions the Government had with the Chinese Government in 2020 on the works to the Chinese Consulate in Belfast in breach of planning controls in a conservation area; and what subsequent assessment has been made of the implications of the Chinese Government ignoring planning restrictions in relation to the proposed new Chinese Embassy in London.

An appointed independent Planning Inspector will hold a public inquiry into the proposal for the new Chinese Embassy in London, after which the Secretary of State for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government will make a decision on planning grounds in her quasi-judicial role.

Pursuant to the Answer of 30 August 2024 to Question 1331 on Energy Performance Certificates Housing, whether this will include banning the (a) sale and (b) purchase of privately occupied dwellings which do not meet minimum energy performance certificate requirements.

The Government’s position on supporting owner occupiers remains as was set out in the Answer to Question 1331. The Government has since published separate proposals to raise minimum energy efficiency standards for privately rented homes in England and Wales by 2030. Proposals in this consultation do not restrict the selling or purchase of private properties. Our position on owner occupied homes remains unchanged from our Answer to Question 1331.

Pursuant to the written statement of 30 January 2025, HCWS407, on Police Funding Settlement 2025-26, what estimate he has made of the (a) increase in council tax receipts in monetary terms, (b) absolute level and (c) increase in the average Band D council tax police precept on which the increase in funding is assumed.

Forces will be able to raise up to £329.8 million in funding from council tax precept, based on current forecasts and assuming all PCCs maximise their precept flexibility of £14 for a Band D property.Precept levels are a decision that must be taken by each locally elected PCC.