Written questions by McMurdock.

With reference to his Department’s press release entitled Tough new rules force suppliers to fix faulty smart meters, published on 10 March 2026, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure consumers are aware of their rights when a smart meter is not functioning correctly.

In August 2025, the Department published a consumer guide, outlining rights and expectations, on the government website available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/smart-meters-your-rights-and-expectations/smart-meters-your-rights-and-expectations. The Department works closely with Smart Energy GB, who run the national campaign for smart meters, and consumer organisations such as Citizens Advice to raise awareness of consumer rights in relation to smart metering. Ofgem also publishes consumer guidance on its website.

With reference to her Department’s press release entitled Students given stronger protections against extremism on campus, published on 8 March 2026, whether any additional resources will be allocated to the Office for Students to help monitor universities.

The Office for Students will strengthen its monitoring activity by reprioritising its existing resources.

With reference to her Department’s press release entitled Students given stronger protections against extremism on campus, published on 8 March 2026, how many university students have been referred under the Prevent duty in each year since 2020.

The Home Office publishes overall Prevent referrals by sector but does not break down the ‘Education’ category between schools, colleges, and universities. However, the Office for Students publishes annual Prevent monitoring data for higher education providers here: https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/publications/prevent-monitoring-summary-of-2023-24-accountability-and-data-returns/.This includes formal external Prevent referrals. The most recent reporting period 2023/2024 indicates that universities made 65 Prevent referrals, but it does not indicate how many of the individuals involved were students versus staff.

With reference to his Department’s press release entitled Tough new rules force suppliers to fix faulty smart meters, published on 10 March 2026, what monitoring mechanisms will be in place to verify that faulty smart meters are repaired within 90 days.

Ofgem is responsible for monitoring the compliance of energy suppliers against their licence conditions and to take any compliance or enforcement action, which could include fines.

With reference to his Department’s press release entitled Tough new rules force suppliers to fix faulty smart meters, published on 10 March 2026, what information his Department holds on the number of smart meters connected to 2G and 3G networks.

The Department collects statistics on the total number of smart meters in operation at a GB-wide level which use a range of technologies including 2G and 3G mobile communications. The latest statistics on smart meters in operation across Great Britain are available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/smart-meters-statistics#2025-quarterly-updates.

With reference to her Department’s press release entitled Students given stronger protections against extremism on campus, published on 8 March 2026, whether universities will be required to adopt the Campus Cohesion Charter as a condition of registration with the Office for Students.

The Campus Cohesion Charter will not preclude or discourage any lawful speech or behaviour and the department will work closely with the Office for Students to ensure that is the case. Universities will be strongly encouraged but not compelled to adopt the charter.It will be a student-led product, facilitated by a partnership of the department, the National Union of Students and University of Salford. Other groups and experts will be invited to collaborate as the product evolves.

With reference to her Department’s press release entitled Students given stronger protections against extremism on campus, published on 8 March 2026, what safeguards will be in place to ensure that the Campus Cohesion Charter is not utilised to curtail freedom of speech.

The Campus Cohesion Charter will not preclude or discourage any lawful speech or behaviour and the department will work closely with the Office for Students to ensure that is the case. Universities will be strongly encouraged but not compelled to adopt the charter.It will be a student-led product, facilitated by a partnership of the department, the National Union of Students and University of Salford. Other groups and experts will be invited to collaborate as the product evolves.

With reference to her Department’s press release entitled Students given stronger protections against extremism on campus, published on 8 March 2026, if she will take steps to ensure that the Campus Cohesion Charter does not prevent student societies supporting registered political parties.

The Campus Cohesion Charter will not preclude or discourage any lawful speech or behaviour and the department will work closely with the Office for Students to ensure that is the case. Universities will be strongly encouraged but not compelled to adopt the charter.It will be a student-led product, facilitated by a partnership of the department, the National Union of Students and University of Salford. Other groups and experts will be invited to collaborate as the product evolves.

With reference to her Department’s press release entitled Students given stronger protections against extremism on campus, published on 8 March 2026, what organisations and student groups will be involved in co-designing the proposed Campus Cohesion Charter.

The Campus Cohesion Charter will not preclude or discourage any lawful speech or behaviour and the department will work closely with the Office for Students to ensure that is the case. Universities will be strongly encouraged but not compelled to adopt the charter.It will be a student-led product, facilitated by a partnership of the department, the National Union of Students and University of Salford. Other groups and experts will be invited to collaborate as the product evolves.

With reference to her Department’s press release entitled Asylum handouts and accommodation removed for illegal migrants abusing Britain’s generosity, published on 5 March 2026, what guidance will be issued to accommodation providers and local authorities regarding the removal of asylum accommodation.

The Government is developing a new framework for asylum support, including replacing the statutory duty to support with a discretionary power and making compliance with conditions, including not working illegally, a requirement of support. These measures, announced on 5 March, are intended to reduce misuse of support, not to make people homeless or deny support to those who genuinely need it and have no alternative means of supporting themselves. Policies are still being developed, and we have not made final estimates of the number of people who may lose asylum support or accommodation, the savings to the public purse, or the full impact on local authority homelessness services. However, an impact assessment will be published in due course and the Home Office continues to engage with MHCLG and other stakeholders to understand and mitigate any potential homelessness impacts. Asylum support will be targeted at those who are genuinely destitute and actively engaging with the asylum system. Decisions to withdraw support will be made on a case‑by‑case basis, with mitigating circumstances and vulnerabilities, including the needs of families with children, carefully considered. Individuals will be notified through established decision‑making processes, and clear guidance will be issued ahead of any changes. Where it comes to light that a claim for support has been made fraudulently, action will be taken to recover the support that has been paid.

With reference to her Department’s press release entitled Asylum handouts and accommodation removed for illegal migrants abusing Britain’s generosity, published on 5 March 2026, what process will be used to notify people when asylum support and accommodation are withdrawn.

The Government is developing a new framework for asylum support, including replacing the statutory duty to support with a discretionary power and making compliance with conditions, including not working illegally, a requirement of support. These measures, announced on 5 March, are intended to reduce misuse of support, not to make people homeless or deny support to those who genuinely need it and have no alternative means of supporting themselves. Policies are still being developed, and we have not made final estimates of the number of people who may lose asylum support or accommodation, the savings to the public purse, or the full impact on local authority homelessness services. However, an impact assessment will be published in due course and the Home Office continues to engage with MHCLG and other stakeholders to understand and mitigate any potential homelessness impacts. Asylum support will be targeted at those who are genuinely destitute and actively engaging with the asylum system. Decisions to withdraw support will be made on a case‑by‑case basis, with mitigating circumstances and vulnerabilities, including the needs of families with children, carefully considered. Individuals will be notified through established decision‑making processes, and clear guidance will be issued ahead of any changes. Where it comes to light that a claim for support has been made fraudulently, action will be taken to recover the support that has been paid.

With reference to her Department’s press release entitled Asylum handouts and accommodation removed for illegal migrants abusing Britain’s generosity, published on 5 March 2026, whether asylum seekers deemed to be capable of supporting themselves financially will be expected to contribute towards any of their prior accommodation costs, backdated to when they were deemed to have become financially capable.

The Government is developing a new framework for asylum support, including replacing the statutory duty to support with a discretionary power and making compliance with conditions, including not working illegally, a requirement of support. These measures, announced on 5 March, are intended to reduce misuse of support, not to make people homeless or deny support to those who genuinely need it and have no alternative means of supporting themselves. Policies are still being developed, and we have not made final estimates of the number of people who may lose asylum support or accommodation, the savings to the public purse, or the full impact on local authority homelessness services. However, an impact assessment will be published in due course and the Home Office continues to engage with MHCLG and other stakeholders to understand and mitigate any potential homelessness impacts. Asylum support will be targeted at those who are genuinely destitute and actively engaging with the asylum system. Decisions to withdraw support will be made on a case‑by‑case basis, with mitigating circumstances and vulnerabilities, including the needs of families with children, carefully considered. Individuals will be notified through established decision‑making processes, and clear guidance will be issued ahead of any changes. Where it comes to light that a claim for support has been made fraudulently, action will be taken to recover the support that has been paid.

With reference to her Department’s press release entitled Asylum handouts and accommodation removed for illegal migrants abusing Britain’s generosity, published on 5 March 2026, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the policy on local authority homelessness services; and what protections will be in place to ensure those local authorities are not expected to provide additional support due to this policy.

The Government is developing a new framework for asylum support, including replacing the statutory duty to support with a discretionary power and making compliance with conditions, including not working illegally, a requirement of support. These measures, announced on 5 March, are intended to reduce misuse of support, not to make people homeless or deny support to those who genuinely need it and have no alternative means of supporting themselves. Policies are still being developed, and we have not made final estimates of the number of people who may lose asylum support or accommodation, the savings to the public purse, or the full impact on local authority homelessness services. However, an impact assessment will be published in due course and the Home Office continues to engage with MHCLG and other stakeholders to understand and mitigate any potential homelessness impacts. Asylum support will be targeted at those who are genuinely destitute and actively engaging with the asylum system. Decisions to withdraw support will be made on a case‑by‑case basis, with mitigating circumstances and vulnerabilities, including the needs of families with children, carefully considered. Individuals will be notified through established decision‑making processes, and clear guidance will be issued ahead of any changes. Where it comes to light that a claim for support has been made fraudulently, action will be taken to recover the support that has been paid.

With reference to her Department’s press release entitled Asylum handouts and accommodation removed for illegal migrants abusing Britain’s generosity, published on 5 March 2026, what estimate her Department has made of the number of people who may lose asylum support and accommodation under the new policy.

The Government is developing a new framework for asylum support, including replacing the statutory duty to support with a discretionary power and making compliance with conditions, including not working illegally, a requirement of support. These measures, announced on 5 March, are intended to reduce misuse of support, not to make people homeless or deny support to those who genuinely need it and have no alternative means of supporting themselves. Policies are still being developed, and we have not made final estimates of the number of people who may lose asylum support or accommodation, the savings to the public purse, or the full impact on local authority homelessness services. However, an impact assessment will be published in due course and the Home Office continues to engage with MHCLG and other stakeholders to understand and mitigate any potential homelessness impacts. Asylum support will be targeted at those who are genuinely destitute and actively engaging with the asylum system. Decisions to withdraw support will be made on a case‑by‑case basis, with mitigating circumstances and vulnerabilities, including the needs of families with children, carefully considered. Individuals will be notified through established decision‑making processes, and clear guidance will be issued ahead of any changes. Where it comes to light that a claim for support has been made fraudulently, action will be taken to recover the support that has been paid.

With reference to her Department’s press release entitled Asylum handouts and accommodation removed for illegal migrants abusing Britain’s generosity, published on 5 March 2026, what estimate she has made of the savings to the public purse from removing asylum support and accommodation from individuals deemed to be abusing the asylum system.

The Government is developing a new framework for asylum support, including replacing the statutory duty to support with a discretionary power and making compliance with conditions, including not working illegally, a requirement of support. These measures, announced on 5 March, are intended to reduce misuse of support, not to make people homeless or deny support to those who genuinely need it and have no alternative means of supporting themselves. Policies are still being developed, and we have not made final estimates of the number of people who may lose asylum support or accommodation, the savings to the public purse, or the full impact on local authority homelessness services. However, an impact assessment will be published in due course and the Home Office continues to engage with MHCLG and other stakeholders to understand and mitigate any potential homelessness impacts. Asylum support will be targeted at those who are genuinely destitute and actively engaging with the asylum system. Decisions to withdraw support will be made on a case‑by‑case basis, with mitigating circumstances and vulnerabilities, including the needs of families with children, carefully considered. Individuals will be notified through established decision‑making processes, and clear guidance will be issued ahead of any changes. Where it comes to light that a claim for support has been made fraudulently, action will be taken to recover the support that has been paid.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the average difference in the purchase price of electric vehicles compared with petrol and diesel vehicles on consumers.

The £2 billion Electric Car Grant (ECG) is encouraging more drivers to purchase EVs by reducing upfront costs by up to £3750. Since launch in July 2025, the grant has helped over 75,000 drivers to choose an EV.The grant has been designed to make lower-cost, sustainably manufactured EVs more widely available and only applies to vehicles priced at or below £37,000.Industry intelligence suggests that some EVs on the used market are now similar in price to their petrol and diesel equivalents, with two in five used EVs available for under £20,000.

What assessment she has made of the availability of charging facilities for households without off-street parking.

The Government’s £400 million Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) Fund is expected to deliver over 100,000 further local public charge points for drivers without off-street parking. The Department is also working with local authorities to encourage the use of cross-pavement solutions and in July last year, announced the £25 million EV Pavement Channel Grant. This will ensure that more people without off-street parking can benefit from cheaper and more convenient domestic EV charging. We remain committed to accelerating the roll-out of affordable charging infrastructure so that everyone, no matter where they live or work, can make the transition to an EV. As of March 2025, the Government and industry have supported the installation of 118,321 publicly available charging devices in England and Wales.

With reference her Department’s press release entitled Visa brake imposed on 4 countries after widespread visa abuse, published on 4 March 2026, whether the block will apply to applicants who have been granted a visa but have not yet arrived in the UK.

It is estimated that the brake will reduce the number of asylum claims from migrants arriving in the UK on visas by 1,400 over an 18-month period.The brake does not cancel existing visas, nor does it change the conditions of visas already granted.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to her Department's Eastern Neighbourhood Small Projects Programme, what is the nature and policy objectives of the project in Moldova labelled 'MOL: Stronger Services, Better chances.

The Hon Member can find details of all programmes supported by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) at the Development Tracker website on GOV.UK.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to her Department's Eastern Neighbourhood Small Projects Programme, what the cost is of the project in Moldova entitled MOL: Fighting Fake News - Mis and Dis-Information Training 2026.

The Hon Member can find details of all programmes supported by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) at the Development Tracker website on GOV.UK.