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.
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.
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·Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs·Answered
AskedFood and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 10 July 2025 to Question 64767 on Waster Charges: Social Tariff, what recent estimate Ofwat has made of the (a) average cost to households of the cross-subsidy for social tariffs and (b) potential impact of proposed changes to social tariffs on the average cost to households in each year between 2025 and 2030.
ReplyAt PR24 Ofwat challenged companies to address customer concerns about the affordability of water bills in the 2025-2030 period and asked them to set out the measures that they would take and how they would fund these measures.
9 Sept 2025·Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs·Answered
AskedFood and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 10 July 2025 to Question 64768 on Water: Prices, what estimate Ofwat has made of the average increase in water bills for homes with gardens affected by seasonal water metering.
ReplyOfwat has not conducted a specific bill impact assessment for homes with gardens for companies trialling this method of charging. South West Water estimated that 55% of household customers would save on its seasonal saver tariff and 95% of customers would save on its summer peak tariff; South West Water has designed the trial to be revenue neutral within the trial groups. Anglian Water has estimated that 2 out of every 3 customers would be no worse off or marginally better off under its seasonal tariffs, compared with its standard charge.
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.
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.
4 Sept 2025·Home Office·Answered
AskedWhether she plans to amend the (a) funding and (b) qualifying spending for Party Political Conference Security Grants.
ReplyThe Party Political Conference Security Grants funding arrangements were outlined in 2016 by the Home Office for the party in power and the main opposition party. These principles have been adhered to since and the Home Office has regular engagement with parties about security planning for party conferences.The UK government’s security system is rigorous and proportionate. It is our long-standing policy not to provide detailed information on those arrangements, including disclosure of costs, as doing so could compromise their integrity and affect future security operations.
4 Sept 2025·Home Office·Answered
AskedHow much was given to the Labour Party for Party Political Conference Security Grant in each year since 2019.
ReplyThe Party Political Conference Security Grants funding arrangements were outlined in 2016 by the Home Office for the party in power and the main opposition party. These principles have been adhered to since and the Home Office has regular engagement with parties about security planning for party conferences.The UK government’s security system is rigorous and proportionate. It is our long-standing policy not to provide detailed information on those arrangements, including disclosure of costs, as doing so could compromise their integrity and affect future security operations.
4 Sept 2025·Treasury·Answered
AskedWhat guidance HMRC has issued on claiming private residence capital gains tax exemption.
ReplyHMRC has published information on capital gains tax private residence relief in their self-assessment helpsheets HS283 “Private Residence Relief” and HS281 “Capital Gains Tax, civil partners and spouses”; and their capital gains manual at page CG64200 onwards. These are available on the GOV.UK website. Relief is available in most cases without a claim needing to be made.
4 Sept 2025·Treasury·Answered
AskedHow many uncovered auctions there have been for Government gilts since 4 July 2024.
ReplyFrom 4 July 2024 to the date of this response, there have been no uncovered auctions for gilts. The results of all gilt auctions are published on the UK Debt Management Office website.
4 Sept 2025·Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government·Answered
AskedCommunities and Local Government, whether new unitary councils will be elected (a) all-out and (b) by thirds.
ReplyOur expectation is to provide for whole council elections, consistent with the approach taken in previous unitarisations where new councils were established under the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007.
4 Sept 2025·Cabinet Office·Answered
AskedPursuant to the Answer of 4 June 2025 to Question 53898 on Senior Civil Servants: Pay, whether that list will be published in 2025.
ReplyThe ‘high earner’ list will be published after departments and their partner organisations have implemented the 2025/26 senior pay award and they have fully quality assured the personal data being published about individuals. Departments also publish salary information for all their Senior Civil Service (SCS) roles in quarterly organograms on data.gov.uk and for all SCS operating at Board level in their Annual Accounts.
3 Sept 2025·Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government·Answered
AskedCommunities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 6 June 2025 to Question 58020 on Chinese Embassy: Planning Permission and further to the correspondence from the MHCLG Planning Casework Unit to DP9 of 6 August 2025, for what reason the unredacted drawings were not requested from the applicant until 6 August 2025.
ReplyThe Planning Inspector's Report was received by the Department on 10 June. Following careful analysis of the report, the Secretary of State referred back to parties on a number of matters, including the redacted drawings, on 6 August.
3 Sept 2025·Department of Health and Social Care·Answered
AskedIf he will publish the terms and conditions for non-executive board member appointments agreed to by Alan Milburn.
ReplyWe will not be publishing personal appointment letters, which include terms and conditions of appointment, sent to Departmental non-executive board members. The terms and conditions are in line with those for other public appointments made by the Department and include the need to abide by Cabinet Office’s Code of Conduct for Board Members of Public Bodies.The role of board members, their salary, time commitment and political activity are all already in the public domain.
3 Sept 2025·Cabinet Office·Answered
AskedWith reference to his Department's press release entitled Internship Scheme To Get More Working Class Students Into Civil Service, published on 1 August 2025, whether children of asylum seekers that (a) are permitted to work and (b) have a parent that is also an asylum seeker would be classified as working class for these purposes.
ReplyAs we set out in August, we will be opening our Fast Stream Summer Internship Programme exclusively for undergraduates from lower socio-economic backgrounds for 2026. We will determine eligibility based on parental occupation at age 14 in line with guidance from the Social Mobility Commission and the Office for National Statistics definition. Regardless of whether or not a person is eligible under the social mobility criteria all applicants must meet the Civil Service Nationality rules (CSNR). Under this, asylum seekers are not permitted to work unless they have been waiting for a decision on their claim for 12 months or more and the delay is through no fault of their own. If granted permission to work, they are able to take up employment in jobs included on the Shortage Occupation List (replaced by the Immigration Salary List in April 2024). We do not consider roles offered on the Fast Stream Summer Internship Programme to be included on the ‘Immigration Salary List’.
3 Sept 2025·Cabinet Office·Answered
AskedPursuant to the Answer of 28 July 2025 to Question 57266 on Domestic Visits: Doncaster, which events the special advisers who travelled with the Prime Minister to Doncaster took part in on 10 April 2025.
ReplyI refer the Hon Member to my answer of 28 July 2025, Official Report, PQ 57266.
2 Sept 2025·Treasury·Answered
AskedPursuant to the Answer of 9 July 2025 to Question 64049 on Alcoholic Drinks, what those international conventions are.
ReplyI refer the honourable member to the answer given on 23 July to PQ UIN 68763. Thirteen of the twenty largest sovereign green bond issuers to date, including the UK, explicitly exclude the financing of alcohol-related spending in their green bond frameworks. Another issues Sharia-compliant green bonds. Five of the remaining six make no mention of alcohol in their frameworks, and France places partial restrictions on alcohol production. The UK’s approach is thus in line with international norms.
2 Sept 2025·Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office·Answered
AskedCommonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department responded to the correspondence from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government of 6 August 2025 on the proposed Chinese Embassy.
ReplyOn 20 August, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and the Home Office submitted written representations to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government in response to its correspondence of 6 August.