Written questions by Cleverly.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 28 July 2025 to Question 69054 on Community Cohesion and Resilience Programme: Finance, for what policy reason the funding for the Community Cohesion and Resilience Programme was discontinued.

The Community Cohesion and Resilience Programme was a 2024/25 funding stream, ending as scheduled in March 2025, after providing £3.6m of funding to build stronger, more integrated communities and reduce harmful division in 44 places. The UK Government continues to work closely with community groups, charities, and public sector partners to strengthen communities. This includes our recent announcement at Spending Review, that we are investing in up to 350 deprived communities across the UK, to fund interventions including community cohesion, regeneration and improving the public realm. Future funding for communities will be announced in due course, to ensure places receive the support and resources they need to thrive.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority's Annual Report 2024–25, published on 11 August 2025, for what reason no evaluation was completed for the Grenfell site and programme.

The government is committed to supporting the community affected by the Grenfell Tower tragedy for the long term.The programme is extremely sensitive and involves direct working with bereaved families, survivors, and residents in the immediate community. It includes carefully taking down the Grenfell Tower, and design and delivery of a community-led Grenfell Tower Memorial.Given this context, the Department has agreed with the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority that a formal, departmental led evaluation of outcomes would not be appropriate.The Programme has regular assurance reviews from the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority, with suppliers reporting monthly against agreed performance indicators and progress monitored through appropriate governance channels. There is an ongoing offer to the Grenfell community to engage and hear views to shape the programme.

Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to amend (a) planning policy and (b) permitted development rights in relation to asylum accommodation.

This government is committed to ending the use of asylum hotels by the end of this Parliament, but we are clear this must be done in a controlled and orderly manner.We continue to keep our approach, including in respect of planning and permitted development rights, under review.

Communities and Local Government, what consideration she has made of introducing a council tax referendum threshold for town and parish councils with precepts above £100 on Band D.

To date, no referendum principles have been set for town and parish councils. Referendum principles are determined annually and the Government will set out its proposals for 2026-27 later in the year. In doing this the Government will take into account the levels previously set by town and parish councils.

Communities and Local Government, whether her Department has (a) commissioned or (b) procured third-party providers to (i) assess, (ii) index or (iii) identify (A) extremism and (B) disinformation.

The Government takes the threat of extremism very seriously and will continue to work with partners to tackle extremism in all its forms. The Government is also alarmed by the unprecedented rate at which threats to information integrity are growing. My department has not specifically commissioned or procured third party-providers on the matter in question. We fund the National Community Tensions Team which send the department regular reports on hate crime and community tensions. Additionally, the Government’s Independent Antisemitism Adviser, Lord Mann sent the department reports on hate crime and community tensions. DSIT and MHCLG have supported the Local Government Association to deliver training aimed at supporting frontline local authority practitioners to respond to acute information incidents.

Whether he has made an estimate of the average number of businesses that have ceased trading on each day since July 2024.

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. A response to the Rt. Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 16th July is attached.

Whether she plans to retain existing restrictions on the number of asylum seekers housed at the former RAF Wethersfield site.

Any updates on the future use of the Wethersfield site will be announced in the normal way, and representatives of the local community, including the Rt Hon Gentleman, will also be informed of any such updates.

Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 4 July to Question 63580 on Public Houses: Recycling, if he will hold discussions with pubs on the potential impact of the Extended Producer Responsibility scheme on glass waste in their businesses in Braintree constituency.

The Government has worked closely with industry throughout development of Extended Producer Responsibility for Packaging (pEPR). In October 2024, the Government published an updated assessment of the impact of introducing the pEPR scheme on packaging producers as a whole. This impact assessment did not split the assessment by sector or specific constituencies and there are no plans for Braintree-specific engagement.

Whether she plans to inform (a) Parliament and (b) the local community prior to any changes to the agreed cap on the number of asylum seekers at the Wethersfield site.

Any updates on the future use of the Wethersfield site will be announced in the normal way, and representatives of the local community, including the Rt Hon Gentleman, will also be informed of any such updates.

Whether she plans to propose an extension to the commissioning date of the Asylum Reception Centre at the former RAF Wethersfield.

Any updates on the future use of the Wethersfield site will be announced in the normal way, and representatives of the local community, including the Rt Hon Gentleman, will also be informed of any such updates.

Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the statement by the British Beer and Pub Association entitled Chaotic new rules that will lead to pubs paying twice for recycling at a cost of £60 million a year - equivalent to 5,000 jobs, published on 11 March 2025, if he will (a) pause the rollout of the Extended Producer Responsibility scheme and (b) make amendments to the scheme to avoid double-counting glass waste.

We do not intend to pause the rollout. The Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging and Packaging Waste) Regulations 2024 came into effect on 1 January 2025, PackUK, the Scheme Administrator has been appointed, and producers have started to accrue scheme costs from the 1 April 2025.Since Autumn 2024, the Government has been working with stakeholders, including representatives of the hospitality sector, to consider potential amendments to the definition of household packaging. At a roundtable with industry chaired by Minister Creagh on 10 June it was agreed to establish an industry led group to develop approaches to remove dual use packaging that is unlikely to end up in household waste stream from obligation. This work is now underway.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, 1961, what discussions he has had with his Chinese counterparts on ensuring authorisation for UK contractors to access the British Embassy in Beijing to undertake repair and maintenance work.

UK contractors routinely visit our overseas missions around the world, including in China, to carry out maintenance and repairs. We have not had cause to raise this with the Chinese authorities.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the Extended Producer Responsibility scheme on pubs.

The Government has worked closely with industry, including the brewing and hospitality sectors, throughout development of Extended Producer Responsibility for Packaging (pEPR). In October 2024, the Government published an updated assessment of the impact of introducing the pEPR scheme on packaging producers as a whole. This impact assessment did not split the assessment by sector.

When her Department plans to close the Asylum Reception Centre at the former RAF Wethersfield site; and what steps she is taking to ensure that the decommissioning is within the timescale outlined in the Special Development Order.

Any updates on the future use of the site will be announced in the normal way.

How many NHS cancer trusts are (a) delivering radiotherapy contouring planning manually and (b) using AI auto contouring for radiotherapy.

NHS England undertook a baseline assessment of artificially intelligent (AI) auto-contouring systems in summer 2024 which indicated that, at that time, 39 trusts had some AI arrangements in place.The use of AI auto contouring technology to plan for treatments is not always suitable, useful, or available for all areas of the body, therefore, the actual percentage of cases where AI technology was used is not known.

What steps his Department is taking to reduce waiting times for cancer treatment, in the context of the withdrawal of funding for AI auto-contouring technology.

We will improve National Health Service cancer waiting time performance, so patients are diagnosed and treated faster. We will also improve cancer survival rates by diagnosing cancers at an earlier stage.We will build on recent successes, including the roll out of the Lung Screening programme, to diagnose cancer earlier and boost survival rates.Furthermore, the recently announced National Cancer Plan will set out key goals and actions to improve on cancer waiting time performance and survival rates.The Department supports the NHS in reviewing opportunities to utilise artificial intelligence to transform performance, bring down waiting times, and improve survival rates.

What steps his Department plans to take to improve cancer survival rates, in the context of the withdrawal of funding for AI auto-contouring.

We will improve National Health Service cancer waiting time performance, so patients are diagnosed and treated faster. We will also improve cancer survival rates by diagnosing cancers at an earlier stage.We will build on recent successes, including the roll out of the Lung Screening programme, to diagnose cancer earlier and boost survival rates.Furthermore, the recently announced National Cancer Plan will set out key goals and actions to improve on cancer waiting time performance and survival rates.The Department supports the NHS in reviewing opportunities to utilise artificial intelligence to transform performance, bring down waiting times, and improve survival rates.

What plans his Department has for future funding of AI auto-contouring technology.

Any future spending commitments beyond 2025/26 will be determined through the next phase of the Spending Review process, which will conclude in June.The Department continuously supports the National Health Service in reviewing opportunities to utilise artificial intelligence (AI) to transform diagnostic performance, bring down waiting times, and supporting staff with their workload.Furthermore, the Department is carrying out work to assess the barriers of effective adoption and improve the way AI tools are deployed across the NHS through a number of initiatives, including the NHS AI Lab’s Ethics Initiative, which invests in research and practical interventions that could strengthen the ethical adoption of AI within health and care and addresses risks and concerns over their use.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the withdrawal of funding for AI auto-contouring technology on patient care.

We are committed to transforming diagnostic services and will support the National Health Service to increase capacity to meet the demand for diagnostic services through investment in new capacity, including artificial intelligence where it is beneficial to do so.As the Department focuses on shifting from analogue to digital, we will continue to review opportunities to utilise artificial intelligence to speed up diagnostic performance, bring down waiting times, and ultimately improve patient care and outcomes.Furthermore, any future spending commitments beyond 2025/26 will be determined through the next phase of the Spending Review process, which will conclude in June.

What steps his Department is taking to help mitigate the loss of the AI auto-contouring technology tool for cancer treatment planning.

We are committed to transforming diagnostic services and will support the National Health Service to increase capacity to meet the demand for diagnostic services through investment in new capacity, including artificial intelligence where it is beneficial to do so.As the Department focuses on shifting from analogue to digital, we will continue to review opportunities to utilise artificial intelligence to speed up diagnostic performance, bring down waiting times, and ultimately improve patient care and outcomes.Furthermore, any future spending commitments beyond 2025/26 will be determined through the next phase of the Spending Review process, which will conclude in June.