Written questions by Wild.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 30 June 2025 to Question 61222 on Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government: 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 Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government 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 25 June 2025 to Question 61225 on Department for Transport: Public Expenditure, 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.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 27 June 2025 to Question 61219 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, the Home Office 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 27 June 2025 to Question 61218 on Government Departments: Reviews, how many lines of activity in her Department were considered as part of the zero based review.

At the 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 ZBR, the department 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 £1 million 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.

With reference to his oral answer on 21 October 2025, Official Report, col 789, what proportion of the increase in NHS budget was provided to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital King's Lynn Trust.

All National Health Service organisations will benefit from the record funding growth agreed for the NHS this year. Revenue funding is provided to integrated care boards (ICBs) and is informed by a calculation of what would constitute a ‘fair share’ for that system. NHS trusts and foundation trusts are not directly funded in the same way. They finance their spending through income generated from the provision of healthcare services, paid via contracts agreed with their commissioning ICBs. Whilst national funding growth is defined by Spending Review settlements, the level of funding in individual trusts is not set by the Government and income levels are dependent on the level of healthcare activity they undertake for their local communities.

How much solar power generating capacity is (a) operational, (b) under construction and (c) awaiting a planning decision.

As of the end of September 2025, there is 20.0GW of solar generating capacity in the UK. Deployment statistics are published monthly, here: Solar photovoltaics deployment - GOV.UK. According to the July edition of the Renewable Energy Planning Database, there is 2.4GW of solar capacity under construction and 12.0GW of solar awaiting the result of either an application for planning permission or a planning appeal. These figures exclude installations smaller than 150kW. The REPD is available here: Renewable Energy Planning Database: quarterly extract - GOV.UK.

If he will make an assessment of the potential merits of adding energy nationally significant infrastructure projects to the renewable energy planning database.

Energy nationally significant infrastructure projects are already included in the Renewable Energy Planning Database, which can be seen by filtering by planning authority for The Planning Inspectorate.https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/renewable-energy-planning-database-monthly-extract

What his planned timetable is for the expansion of the Pathfinder pilot.

The Pathfinder programme is currently operating in six Designated Family Judge areas across England and Wales. Three further court areas - the Black Country and Shropshire, Worcestershire and Herefordshire and in Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire - will start the model on 11 November.Courts in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight will start the model in January next year.Further expansion of the model will be considered during the allocations process which follows the latest Spending Review, and we are unable to pre-empt the outcome of this.

Whether his Department has made a recent assessment of the the potential benefits of accelerating the expansion of the Pathfinder pilot.

The Pathfinder model is currently operating in six Designated Family Judge areas across England and Wales. Three further court areas - the Black Country and Shropshire, Worcestershire and Herefordshire, and Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire - will start the model on 11 November. Courts in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight will start the model in January next year.This Government is delivering a package of reform to ensure that children and victims of domestic abuse continue to be safeguarded and supported in family court proceedings, Pathfinder is central to this. Monitoring metrics are positive and the feedback from operational teams and external stakeholders has identified a range of benefits. A process evaluation and initial financial analysis of the pilot was published in March 2025. Research participants involved in the evaluation reported that the Child Impact Report adopted in the pilots improved child engagement and the model provided better support for victims of domestic abuse. Management information from the two initial pilot court areas showed cases in the model were resolved 11 weeks quicker and the open caseload reduced by 50%.Further expansion of the model will be considered during the allocations process which follows the latest Spending Review, and we are unable to pre-empt the outcome of this.

What assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of the handling of child custody cases through non-court processes.

The Ministry of Justice continues to develop its understanding of how non-court processes support families to resolve post-separation issues, such as child arrangements.Evidence from the Family Mediation Voucher Scheme suggests that these approaches can help families reach agreement without needing to go to court. Analysis of the first 7,200 cases completed under the scheme shows that 69% of participants reached a whole or partial agreement and did not need to go to court to resolve their issues. Since its launch, the scheme has supported over 49,000 families, and the Government has committed to continue funding it until at least March 2026.The Government believes that helping parents reach agreement outside of court, including through mediation, reduces conflict and benefits children’s wellbeing, and continues to assess these approaches.

Whether his Department has recently made an assessment of the adequacy of the approach to child maintenance for parents without custody arrangements.

The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) operates on the principle that both parents have financial responsibility for their child, including their food and clothing, as well as contributing towards the associated costs of running the home that the child lives in. Issues relating to access and contact are managed by family courts. Reductions can be made for the extra cost of care where it is shared by the paying parent. The paying parent must have overnight care of any qualifying children for at least 52 nights a year, equivalent of 1 night per week. The amount payable is reduced by a maximum of fifty per cent within bands based on the number of nights overnight care is provided over a 12-month period. The bands are used to give greater stability to maintenance payments and as a result there is greater reliability of payments, which contributes towards the welfare of the children in the case. If evidence shows that both parties are providing equal day-to-day care of a qualifying child, in addition to sharing overnight care, there is no requirement for either parent to pay child maintenance.

Whether his Department has made a recent assessment of the adequacy of the approach to custody decisions in cases where a parent breaches a court order.

The Department has not made a recent assessment of the effectiveness of child arrangements orders or of the approach to cases where a parent breaches a court order. However, the Government is committed to long-term reform of the family courts, working with our partners across the family justice system to deliver better outcomes for families. This includes making progress on implementing the recommendations from 2020’s Assessing Risk of Harm to Children and Parents in Private Law Children Cases, known as the Harm Panel report.Child arrangement orders give clarity to parties on where their child will live and if and when they will spend time with each of the parties. If a person has failed to comply with a Child Arrangements Order, the court has a range of powers it may exercise. This could include referring the parties to a Planning Together for Children programme or recommending they undertake a form of non-court dispute resolution, such as mediation. The court may make a more defined child arrangements order, which could involve a reconsideration of the child’s living or contact arrangements. Depending on the circumstances, the court also has the power to make an enforcement or suspended enforcement order, or to issue a fine or commit an individual to prison for being in contempt of court for breaching the terms of an order.

Whether his Department has made a recent assessment of the effectiveness of Child Arrangements Orders.

The Department has not made a recent assessment of the effectiveness of child arrangements orders or of the approach to cases where a parent breaches a court order. However, the Government is committed to long-term reform of the family courts, working with our partners across the family justice system to deliver better outcomes for families. This includes making progress on implementing the recommendations from 2020’s Assessing Risk of Harm to Children and Parents in Private Law Children Cases, known as the Harm Panel report.Child arrangement orders give clarity to parties on where their child will live and if and when they will spend time with each of the parties. If a person has failed to comply with a Child Arrangements Order, the court has a range of powers it may exercise. This could include referring the parties to a Planning Together for Children programme or recommending they undertake a form of non-court dispute resolution, such as mediation. The court may make a more defined child arrangements order, which could involve a reconsideration of the child’s living or contact arrangements. Depending on the circumstances, the court also has the power to make an enforcement or suspended enforcement order, or to issue a fine or commit an individual to prison for being in contempt of court for breaching the terms of an order.

What steps her Department is taking to improve public transport connections in (a) North West Norfolk constituency and (b) rural areas.

The Government knows that a modern public transport network is vital to providing access to services and keeping communities connected. We have introduced the Bus Services Act 2025 to put power over local bus services back into the hands of local leaders, including in rural areas. In addition, the Government has confirmed over £1 billion for the 2025 to 2026 financial year to support and improve bus services in England outside London. Norfolk County Council has been allocated £15.9 million of this funding, helping to improve bus services and connectivity across the area, including North West Norfolk. Rail services in North West Norfolk are supported by requirements on train operators to plan services and design timetables to meet both current and future passenger demand, while also ensuring value for money for the taxpayer. The Government commitment to public ownership through Great British Railways will also help to deliver a unified system that focuses on reliable, affordable, high-quality and efficient transport services, whilst also ensuring safety and accessibility. Under public ownership, passenger services can be operated in the interests of passengers, not shareholders. The Government also intends to publish its Integrated National Transport Strategy. It will focus on creating a transport network that works well for people, including those in rural areas.

Whether she plans to house asylum seekers in North West Norfolk constituency.

The priority is to ensure that the procurement of secure, safe and sustainable dispersed accommodation is carried out in a fair and equitable manner so that the Home Office continues to meet its statutory obligations while also carefully considering the impact on local areas.The Home Office operates a Full Dispersal model which works to ensure that asylum accommodation is equitably and fairly spread out across the country. Dispersed accommodation offers accommodation that delivers better value for money for the taxpayer and helps the Home Office work towards the fair and equitable spread of accommodation. The Home Office continues to work with local government to allocate asylum seekers based on a range of evidence, including the availability of housing, pressure on services and community cohesion.

Pursuant to the Answer of 27 October 2025 to Question 82981 on PE and sport premium grant funding, what alternative funding streams her Department provides that are available to primary schools for capital expenditure on sports equipment.

Schools, including primary schools, are allocated devolved formula capital (DFC) to spend on capital projects and capital purchases that meet their own priorities.Further information and DFC allocations for the 2025/26 financial year are published here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/school-capital-funding.

What estimate he has made of the number of prisoners detained beyond their release date in 2024-25.

Release inaccuracy is yet another symptom of the prison system crisis inherited by this Government. While the overwhelming majority of offenders are released correctly, we are clamping down on those errors that do occur, and this includes unlawful detentions. As the Deputy Prime Minister set out to the House, immediate measures have been introduced to strengthen release checks across prisons – making them the strongest release checks to ever be in place and an independent inquiry will report its recommendations to prevent further inaccuracies.

With reference to his Department's webpage entitled Prisons data, Additional data, how many of the 262 prisoners released in error in 2024-5 were returned to custody.

Releases in error have been increasing for several years and are another symptom of the prison system crisis inherited by this Government.While the overwhelming majority of offenders are released correctly, we are clamping down on those releases in error that do occur – including through improved staff training and establishing a new specialist unit. 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.We have gripped this chaos – by building more prison places, ending the last Government’s early release scheme, being transparent with the public, immediately making changes to sentences to ease pressure on the system and now, taking landmark reforms through our Sentencing Bill to make sure that prisons never run out of places again.Annual totals for releases in error are published each July in the HMPPS Annual Digest, available via Prison and Probation Performance Statistics - GOV.UK, and provide data up to March 2025.

What steps have been taken at HMP Garth to help prevent drones bringing drugs into the prison.

His Majesty's Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) is working hard to deter, detect and disrupt the use of drones that deliver contraband into prisons.Owing to operational sensitives, we are not able to discuss the measures used by HMP Garth to disrupt drones, as that would aid serious and organised criminals. However, HMPPS uses a multi-faceted approach to tackle this threat which includes a variety of physical security countermeasures, intelligence led operations and legislation. As part of this work, we conduct drone vulnerability assessments to understand and mitigate risk and we are investing £40 million in new security measures to clamp down on the contraband that fuels violence behind bars, including £10 million on anti-drone measures such as exterior netting and reinforced windows.HMPPS is also working with UK and global partners to understand the tactics used abroad and identify opportunities to strengthen our response to illicit drone activity.

When he plans to provide an answer to Question 82727 on National Security Adviser: China, tabled on 16 October 2025.

A response has been issued here.