11 Sept 2025·Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office·Answered
AskedCommonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 8 March 2025 to Question 70574 on Diplomatic Service: Political Impartiality, whether the political restrictions on ambassadors extend to a prohibition on (a) speaking in public in favour of a political party and (b) fundraising for a political party.
ReplyI refer the Hon. Member to the Answer of 8 September 2025 to question 70574.
11 Sept 2025·Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs·Answered
AskedFood and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 8 September 2025 to Question 69834 on Water Charges, whether households can request that the smart element of smart water meters is deinstalled.
ReplySmart water meters provide an increased regularity of data, in comparison to standard meters, which enables water companies to identify leaks in the property and can help incentivise more water efficient behaviours assisting in reducing overall water consumption. If customers are concerned about their bills increasing, many companies offer the option to switch to the lowest tariff if they find that their metered bill is more expensive.
11 Sept 2025·Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office·Answered
AskedCommonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 9 September 2025 to Question 73318 on Diplomatic Service: Political Impartiality, whether any members of his Department or the Diplomatic Service have been given permissioned to attend the Labour Party Conference 2025.
ReplyNo such permissions have been issued within the reporting period.
11 Sept 2025·Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs·Answered
AskedFood and Rural Affairs, To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 8 September 2025 to Question 69834 on Water Charges, whether participation in tariff pilots is optional.
ReplyAll water companies have committed to carrying out a charging trial by 2030. Ofwat has set good practice principles for the charging trials, which all companies must follow. In designing their trials, companies are required to consult with the Consumer Council for Water to ensure that safeguards are in place to protect vulnerable consumers or exclude them from trials where appropriate. This means that customers who may be struggling to pay their water bills are protected whilst the trials are carried out.
11 Sept 2025·Cabinet Office·Answered
AskedHow much the Prime Minister has spent from the annual allowance on the official residence in Downing Street since 4 July 2024.
ReplyAny associated costs would be noted in the next Cabinet Office Annual Report and Accounts in the usual way.
11 Sept 2025·Cabinet Office·Answered
AskedWhich ministers will have an official residence following the reshuffle.
ReplyAllocation of official residences will be confirmed in due course.
11 Sept 2025·Cabinet Office·Answered
AskedWhether Ministers who left government in the reshuffle were spoken to directly by the Prime Minister.
ReplyIt would not be appropriate to comment on private conversations held with Ministers who left the Government.
11 Sept 2025·Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs·Answered
AskedFood and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the (a) ban on controlled heather burning on deep peat and (b) definition of deep peat on the risk of wildfires.
ReplyEvidence shows that burning is damaging to peatlands and can increase their long-term vulnerability to wildfires. The amendments to The Heather and Grass etc. Burning (England) Regulations 2021 significantly increase the area of peatland protected, helping to reduce the impacts of wildfire in the future. The Government’s full response to the public consultation, which includes sections on wildfire and peat depth, can be found here - Summary of responses and government response - GOV.UK.
11 Sept 2025·Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office·Answered
AskedCommonwealth and Development Affairs, whether Benjamin Wegg-Prosser visited the US Embassy in Washington during the tenure of Lord Mandelson.
ReplyIt is a long-standing practice of successive governments not to comment on private meetings.
11 Sept 2025·Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office·Answered
AskedCommonwealth and Development Affairs, what plans she has for the recruitment process for the next permanent US Ambassador.
ReplyThe process for the appointment of our Ambassador to the United States of America will be determined in due course.
10 Sept 2025·Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government·Answered
AskedCommunities and Local Government, if he will amend the online electoral registration form to ask if applicants live at three addresses.
ReplyThere are currently no plans to change the online electoral registration application form, to ask whether applicants live at three addresses.
10 Sept 2025·Cabinet Office·Answered
AskedPursuant to the Answer of 1 September 2025 to Question HL9809 on Business Interests, whether every Minister has now signed a Ministerial waiver to enforce the provisions of the Ministerial Code in relation to their statutory entitlement to severance payments; and whether the former Deputy Prime Minister had signed one before she left Ministerial office.
ReplyThe reforms to ministerial severance payments, including the use of waivers, will take effect from 13 October.
10 Sept 2025·Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government·Answered
AskedCommunities and Local Government, whether his Department plans to introduce higher council tax premiums on periodically occupied homes.
ReplySince April this year, councils in England have had the discretionary power to charge a council tax premium of up to 100% on dwellings occupied periodically (often referred to as second homes premium). The premium is not a mandatory requirement. It is for individual councils to decide whether to implement the premium, and if so, at what level up to the maximum 100%. The government will continue to keep this policy under review.
10 Sept 2025·Cabinet Office·Answered
AskedWhether President Trump was offered the opportunity to address Parliament during his state visit.
ReplyThis is a matter for Parliament. The House of Commons was in recess during the state visit of President Trump.
10 Sept 2025·Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government·Answered
AskedCommunities and Local Government, whether his Department has a definition of a second home.
ReplyThere is not a single statutory definition of a second home. For data collection purposes, the English Housing Survey defines a second home as a property that is primarily used as a holiday home (either by the owner or let to others) or a property occupied by the owner while working away from home. For the purposes of council tax, a second home is considered a dwelling which is no one’s sole or main residence but is substantially furnished and occupied periodically.
10 Sept 2025·Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office·Answered
AskedCommonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 11 June 2025 to Question 57228 on Diplomatic Service: Public Appointments, whether the British Ambassador to the United States' Developed Vetting was undertaken by (a) the Cabinet Office, (b) United Kingdom Security Vetting, (c) his Department and (d) an independent body.
ReplyAll national security vetting is delivered by United Kingdom Security Vetting (UKSV).
10 Sept 2025·Cabinet Office·Answered
AskedWhether the Prime Minister has had recent discussions with the British Ambassador to the United States on his relationship with Jeffery Epstein.
ReplyIn light of additional information in emails written by Lord Mandelson, the Prime Minister asked the Foreign Secretary to withdraw him as Ambassador to the United States.
9 Sept 2025·Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission·Answered
AskedRepresenting the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, what guidance the Electoral Commission has issued on whether an elector can vote in three different localities.
ReplyThe Electoral Commission's guidance for Electoral Registration Officer's (EROs) sets out that someone may be eligible to register and to vote at more than one address if the ERO finds they meet the residency requirements, alongside the other usual registration conditions.For local, Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) and mayoral elections, some voters may be entitled to vote in more than one area, provided the addresses are in different council, PCC or mayoral areas. This only applies to voters who have permanent residence in more than one location, for example students and those with multiple homes. In each case, voters may be able to demonsrate the extent to which the address is their permanent address. It is an offence for someone to cast more than one vote on their own behalf in a UK Parliamentary general election or referendum.
9 Sept 2025·Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government·Answered
AskedCommunities and Local Government, with reference to the written statement of 9 July 2025 on Local Government Best Value, HCWS796, what remuneration has been provided to the Ministerial envoys.
ReplyThe fees for Ministerial Envoys at Warrington Borough Council are in line with the standard fees set by the department and covered by the Council, with full details provided in the appointment letters on gov.uk.
9 Sept 2025·Department of Health and Social Care·Answered
AskedPursuant to the Answer of 29 August 2025 to Question 68411 on Electronic Cigarettes: Bus Stops, for what reason he has considered banning vaping inside pubs.
ReplyWhilst vapes are less harmful than smoking and can be an effective quit aid for adult smokers, they are not harm-free and the long-term health impacts of vaping are unknown. Vapes release an aerosol that exposes people to nicotine and potential toxicants, and it is important that we act to protect people from these potential health harms.Many businesses and enclosed public places, including pubs, already have voluntary schemes in place to prohibit vape usage inside their premises.We plan to consult on making most indoor settings, that are subject to existing smoke-free legislation, vape-free. We will provide stakeholders with notice of when consultation processes are due to happen.