Written questions by Wild.

What recent assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of regulatory costs on the pub sector.

The Government is committed to easing regulatory burdens for businesses like pubs in the UK, creating the space they need to grow, innovate and thrive. We work closely with the Hospitality Sector Council to improve the productivity and resilience of hospitality businesses by co-creating solutions to the issues impacting business performance.This is why we launched the licensing taskforce last April, a joint effort between Government and Industry with aims to reduce the administrative burdens the UK licensing regime places on our highstreets. The Government invited views to help shape these reforms and the Call for evidence ran for 4 weeks and ended on the 6 November. This attracted a significant number of responses and work is now underway to analyse these.Additionally, to help ease cost pressures on pubs, from April 2026, eligible retail, hospitality, and leisure properties with rateable values below £500,000 will benefit from permanently lower business rates multipliers and alcohol duty has been reduced on qualifying draught products which is approximately 60% of the alcoholic drinks sold in pubs.

What recent assessment has been made of the potential impact of her Department's planned changes to retail, hospitality, and leisure sector multipliers on the pub sector.

The Government is creating a fairer business rates system that protects the high street, supports investment, and is fit for the 21st century.In April 2026, the Government will introduce permanently lower business rates multipliers for retail, hospitality, and leisure (RHL) properties with rateable values below £500,000. This permanent tax cut will ensure that eligible properties, including pubs, benefit from much-needed certainty and support.The final design, including the rates, for the new business rates multipliers will be announced at Budget 2025, so that the Government can factor the revaluation outcomes, as well as the broader economic and fiscal context, into decision-making. When the new multipliers are set, HM Treasury intends to publish analysis of the effects of the new multiplier arrangements.Ahead of the new multipliers being introduced, the Government prevented RHL business rates relief from ending in April 2025, extending it for one year at 40 per cent up to a cash cap of £110,000 per business. Under the previous Government, RHL relief was due to end entirely in April 2025, and so by extending it, the Government has saved the average pub, with a ratable value of £16,800, over £3,300.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of removing the quarry exemption and lower rate of Landfill Tax on revenue from the aggregates sector from (a) Corporation Tax and (b) other taxes.

The government recently consulted on proposals to reform LandfillTax following a call for evidence in 2021 under the previous government, to ensure the regime remains effective in encouraging waste to be diverted away from landfill and to support the government’s circular economy objectives. The consultation closed on 28 July and the government is considering responses and will set out next steps in due course. As part of the consultation, the Government has received a wide range of views from stakeholders, including representatives from the mineral products and aggregates sector.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of removing the quarry exemption and lower rate of Landfill Tax on the number of (a) operating quarries in England and (b) people employed in the aggregates sector in England.

The government recently consulted on proposals to reform LandfillTax following a call for evidence in 2021 under the previous government, to ensure the regime remains effective in encouraging waste to be diverted away from landfill and to support the government’s circular economy objectives. The consultation closed on 28 July and the government is considering responses and will set out next steps in due course. As part of the consultation, the Government has received a wide range of views from stakeholders, including representatives from the mineral products and aggregates sector.

Whether her Department has conducted an impact assessment on the potential impact of removing the quarry exemption for Landfill Tax on the (a) aggregates and (b) mineral products sectors.

The government recently consulted on proposals to reform LandfillTax following a call for evidence in 2021 under the previous government, to ensure the regime remains effective in encouraging waste to be diverted away from landfill and to support the government’s circular economy objectives. The consultation closed on 28 July and the government is considering responses and will set out next steps in due course. As part of the consultation, the Government has received a wide range of views from stakeholders, including representatives from the mineral products and aggregates sector.

What discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs on the potential impact of removing the quarry exemption and lower rate of Landfill Tax on (a) the cost of nature restoration projects at former quarry sites and (b) levels of biodiversity.

The government recently consulted on proposals to reform LandfillTax following a call for evidence in 2021 under the previous government, to ensure the regime remains effective in encouraging waste to be diverted away from landfill and to support the government’s circular economy objectives. The consultation closed on 28 July and the government is considering responses and will set out next steps in due course. As part of the consultation, the Government has received a wide range of views from stakeholders, including representatives from the mineral products and aggregates sector.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of removing the quarry exemption and lower rate of Landfill Tax on the replenishment rate of permitted reserves of (a) crushed rock and (b) sand and gravel.

The government recently consulted on proposals to reform LandfillTax following a call for evidence in 2021 under the previous government, to ensure the regime remains effective in encouraging waste to be diverted away from landfill and to support the government’s circular economy objectives. The consultation closed on 28 July and the government is considering responses and will set out next steps in due course. As part of the consultation, the Government has received a wide range of views from stakeholders, including representatives from the mineral products and aggregates sector.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of removing the quarry exemption and lower rate of Landfill Tax on levels of cost of UK construction materials.

The government recently consulted on proposals to reform LandfillTax following a call for evidence in 2021 under the previous government, to ensure the regime remains effective in encouraging waste to be diverted away from landfill and to support the government’s circular economy objectives. The consultation closed on 28 July and the government is considering responses and will set out next steps in due course. As part of the consultation, the Government has received a wide range of views from stakeholders, including representatives from the mineral products and aggregates sector.

Pursuant to the Answer of 7 July 2025 to Question 61217 on Government Departments: Reviews, how many lines of activity in his department were considered as part of the zero based review.

The 2025 Spending Review included a zero-based review of spending. The Department scrutinised every line of spending to ensure that it is delivering value for money. The review covered resource budgets across the full Department Group, defined as the Department and all its arm’s length bodies.

Pursuant to the Answer of 30 June 2025 to Question 61228 on Government Departments: Reviews, how many lines of activity in his Department were considered as part of the zero based review.

At Spending Review 2025, the government conducted the first zero-based review (ZBR) of department budgets in 18 years, with every line of spending scrutinised to ensure value for money. Through the zero-based review, the Department for Work and Pensions carried out a line by line review of its current budgets. The review involved differing levels of granularity depending on the type and size of expenditure under review. To ensure consistency in approach, cross-government guidance set expectations for the level of granularity each review should consider, recommending that departments review all spending within individual programme expenditure – at a minimum reflecting any lines of spending in excess of £1m per annum. Savings identified through this process will support delivery of the government's commitment for all departments to deliver at least 5% savings and efficiencies by 2028-29.

Pursuant to the Answer of 26 June 2025 to Question 61229 on Cabinet Office: Public Expenditure, how many lines of activity in his Department were considered as part of the zero based review.

At Spending Review 2025, the government conducted the first zero-based review (ZBR) of department budgets in 18 years, with every line of spending scrutinised to ensure value for money.To ensure consistency in approach, cross-government guidance set expectations for the level of granularity each review should consider, recommending that departments review all spending within individual programme expenditure – at a minimum reflecting any lines of spending in excess of £1m per annum.Savings identified through this process will support delivery of the government's commitment for all departments to deliver at least 5% savings and efficiencies by 2028-29.

Innovation and Technology, pursuant to the Answer of 27 June 2025 to Question 61224 on Government Departments: Reviews, how many lines of activity in her Department were considered as part of the zero based review.

At Spending Review 2025, the government conducted the first zero-based review (ZBR) of department budgets in 18 years, with every line of spending scrutinised to ensure value for money.Through the zero-based review, DSIT carried out a line by line review of its current budgets. The review involved differing levels of granularity depending on the type and size of expenditure under review.To ensure consistency in approach, cross-government guidance set expectations for the level of granularity each review should consider, recommending that departments review all spending within individual programme expenditure – at a minimum reflecting any lines of spending in excess of £1m per annum.Savings identified through this process will support delivery of the government's commitment for all departments to deliver at least 5% savings and efficiencies by 2028-29.

Pursuant to the Answer of 5 November 2025 to Question 85902 on Prisoners, for what reason he did not provide an estimate of the number of prisoners detained beyond their release date in 2024-25.

The Ministry of Justice is taking robust action to prevent release inaccuracies. Releases inaccuracy has been increasing for several years and are another symptom of the prison system crisis inherited by this Government.On 11 November, the Deputy Prime Minister announced a five-point action plan setting out initial steps which includes strengthening release checks across prisons and an independent inquiry will report its recommendations to prevent further inaccuracies.A joint protocol between HMPPS and NPCC is in place, to ensure effective and timely communication between partner agencies when an individual is released in error to rearrest them as quickly as possible.The Government is determined to fix release inaccuracies and ensure the public is properly protected.The data requested comes from internal management information and is therefore not fully Quality Assured and does not meet the standard required for public consumption.

Pursuant to the Answer of 27 June 2025 to Question 61226 on Department for Energy Security and Net Zero: Public Expenditure, how many lines of activity in his Department were considered as part of the zero based review.

The Zero Based Review covered all of RDEL spending which encompassed 75 lines of activity.

Pursuant to the Answer of 27 June 2025 to Question 61227 on Department for Business and Trade: Public Expenditure, how many lines of activity in his Department were considered as part of the zero based review.

At Spending Review 2025, the government conducted the first zero-based review (ZBR) of department budgets in 18 years, with every line of spending scrutinised to ensure value for money.Through the zero-based review, the Department for Business and Trade carried out a line-by-line review of its current budgets. The review involved differing levels of granularity depending on the type and size of expenditure under review.To ensure consistency in approach, cross-government guidance set expectations for the level of granularity each review should consider, recommending that departments review all spending within individual programme expenditure - at a minimum reflecting any lines of spending in excess of £1m per annum.Savings identified through this process will support delivery of the government's commitment for all departments to deliver at least 5% savings and efficiencies by 2028-29.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 2 July 2025 to Question 61221 on Government Departments: Reviews, how many lines of activity in her Department were considered as part of the zero based review.

To ensure consistency in approach, cross-government guidance set expectations for the level of granularity each zero based review should consider, recommending that departments review all spending within individual programme expenditure - at a minimum reflecting any lines of spending in excess of £1 million per annum.

Pursuant to the Answer of 26 June 2025 to Question 61220 on Ministry of Defence: Public Expenditure, how many lines of activity in his Department were considered as part of the zero based review.

At Spending Review 2025, the Government conducted the first zero-based review (ZBR) of department budgets in 18 years, with every line of spending scrutinised to ensure value for money.

Pursuant to the Answer of 5 November 2025 to Question 85901 on Prisoners' Release, for what reason he did not state how many of the 262 prisoners released in error in 2024-25 were returned to custody.

The Ministry of Justice is taking robust action to prevent release inaccuracies. Releases inaccuracy has been increasing for several years and are another symptom of the prison system crisis inherited by this Government.On 11 November, the Deputy Prime Minister announced a five-point action plan setting out initial steps which includes strengthening release checks across prisons and an independent inquiry will report its recommendations to prevent further inaccuracies.A joint protocol between HMPPS and NPCC is in place, to ensure effective and timely communication between partner agencies when an individual is released in error to rearrest them as quickly as possible.The Government is determined to fix release inaccuracies and ensure the public is properly protected.The data requested comes from internal management information and is therefore not fully Quality Assured and does not meet the standard required for public consumption.

Pursuant to the Answer of 17 June 2025 to Question 59412 on Government Departments: Reviews, how many lines of activity in her Department were considered as part of the zero based review.

As with all departments, HM Treasury undertook a line-by-line review of all activity within the Department.

Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 27 June 2025 to Question 61223 on Government Departments: Reviews, how many lines of activity in her Department were considered as part of the zero based review.

At Spending Review 2025, the government conducted the first zero-based review (ZBR) of department budgets in 18 years, with every line of spending scrutinised to ensure value for money.Through the zero-based review, DCMS carried out a line by line review of its current budgets. The review involved differing levels of granularity depending on the type and size of expenditure under review.To ensure consistency in approach, cross-government guidance set expectations for the level of granularity each review should consider, recommending that departments review all spending within individual programme expenditure – at a minimum reflecting any lines of spending in excess of £1m per annum.Savings identified through this process will support delivery of the government’s commitment for all departments to deliver at least 5% savings and efficiencies by 2028-29.