Written questions by Johnson.

What the budget was for the prison education dynamic purchasing system in each of the last five financial years.

The Prison Education Budget has not been reduced but increased costs mean that many prisons will experience a reduction in core-contract provision.The value of the Prisoner Education Framework contracts between 01 April 2024 and 31 March 2025 was £138 million. We are unable to provide a set contract value for the period 01 October 2025 – 30 September 2026 as this period spans two contract years. Comparisons between individual service budgets year on year are not straightforward due to changes in contract structure and delivery arrangements. Additionally, the overall prison education budget includes a range of services beyond core education and the Prison Education Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS), such as libraries, higher education and further education and Careers, Information, Advice and Guidance (CIAG).The CIAG contract value for financial year 2025-26 is £9.3 million.We have set out the previous five years’ DPS budgets below:Financial Year DPS Budget Notes 2021-22£22.3mThis is a combined total for DPS and CIAG.2022-23£14.1mThese figures represent the total spent by Prison Governors on DPS without CIAG.2023-24£13.9m2024-25£12.7m2025-26£12.0mThis excludes the budget for the national CIAG service launched 01 April 2025.

What the budget is for the prison education dynamic purchasing system in the 2025-26 financial year.

The Prison Education Budget has not been reduced but increased costs mean that many prisons will experience a reduction in core-contract provision.The value of the Prisoner Education Framework contracts between 01 April 2024 and 31 March 2025 was £138 million. We are unable to provide a set contract value for the period 01 October 2025 – 30 September 2026 as this period spans two contract years. Comparisons between individual service budgets year on year are not straightforward due to changes in contract structure and delivery arrangements. Additionally, the overall prison education budget includes a range of services beyond core education and the Prison Education Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS), such as libraries, higher education and further education and Careers, Information, Advice and Guidance (CIAG).The CIAG contract value for financial year 2025-26 is £9.3 million.We have set out the previous five years’ DPS budgets below:Financial Year DPS Budget Notes 2021-22£22.3mThis is a combined total for DPS and CIAG.2022-23£14.1mThese figures represent the total spent by Prison Governors on DPS without CIAG.2023-24£13.9m2024-25£12.7m2025-26£12.0mThis excludes the budget for the national CIAG service launched 01 April 2025.

How many (a) ongoing work items, (b) unallocated cases and queries, (c) cases and queries allocated but not yet in progress and (d) cases and queries in progress but not yet completed were (i) being dealt with and (ii) still to be dealt with by MyCSP on 1 September 2025.

MyCSP, the Civil Service pension scheme administrator, does not record the data in the format requested. It reports to the Cabinet Office on a monthly basis. As at 31 August 2025, 73,725 new work items were received in August. A work item reflects an individual piece of work or task. There are 46,983 outstanding items - 9,950 cases awaiting a response and 37,033 items assigned for work to be completed. The outstanding volumes are in line with what we would expect to see based on the differing clearance targets for certain tasks, such as retirements which can take up to 4 months to process. This is what the Cabinet Office expects to see and monitors on a monthly basis. The Cabinet Office continues to emphasise to MyCSP the importance of meeting contractual performance levels and improving member experience.

Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 18 July 2025 to Question 67736 on Recycling, whether it remains her Department's plan to publish the Circular Economy Strategy for England in the autumn.

This Government is committed to transitioning towards a circular economy where resources are kept in use for longer and waste is designed out. The Government has convened a Circular Economy Taskforce of experts to help develop the first ever Circular Economy Strategy for England, which we plan to publish for consultation in the coming months.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, when she expects detained British national Alaa Abd el-Fattah to be released.

Alaa Abd El-Fattah was released from prison on 23 September 2025, following a Presidential pardon.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will make representations to her Moroccan counterpart on the restrictions on Saharawis’ rights to freedom of (a) expression, (b) association and (c) peaceful assembly.

The UK Government consistently urges all states to uphold international law, and we continue to encourage constructive engagement with the political process regarding Western Sahara. We have supported language in relevant UN Security Council Resolutions that encourages the parties to continue their efforts to enhance the promotion and protection of human rights in Western Sahara, including the freedoms of expression and association. The UK also shares a bilateral Human Rights Dialogue with Morocco, the third session of which is due to take place in London by the end of the year and will cover a range of topics.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will have discussions with her Moroccan counterpart on (a) the coastal development projects that entail large-scale land acquisition, (b) the destruction of private property and (c) the displacement of Saharawi.

The UK is committed to the promotion and protection of human rights worldwide, including in Morocco, and consistently urges all states to uphold international law and international human rights standards. In this context, the UK encourages Morocco to ensure that all projects are implemented in a way that respects the rights of local communities. Regarding activities by UK companies operating, or considering operating, overseas, the UK promotes responsible corporate behaviour. This includes respect for the human rights of the people involved in or affected by their operations.

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of increasing the level of taxation paid by the gambling industry.

The government committed in its manifesto to reducing gambling-related harms, but addressing harm is not the primary purpose of the gambling duty system. Nevertheless, we will remain mindful of any potential impact on problem gamblers in the event we make any change to gambling taxes following the recently closed consultation.

With reference to the report from the Child Poverty Action Group entitled 'Two-child limit statistics briefing', published on 10 July 2025, what steps she is taking to lift children out of poverty.

Tackling child poverty is at the heart of the Government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity and improve the life chances of every child. The Child Poverty Taskforce is progressing work to publish the Child Poverty Strategy in autumn that will deliver fully funded measures to tackle the structural and root causes of child poverty. The Taskforce will continue to explore all available levers to drive forward short and long-term action across government to reduce child poverty. The Strategy will tackle overall child poverty as well as going beyond that to focus on children in deepest poverty lacking essentials, and what is needed to give every child the best start in life. As a significant downpayment ahead of Strategy publication, we have already taken substantive action across major drivers of child poverty through Spending Review 2025. This includes an expansion of Free School Meals that will lift 100,000 children out of poverty by the end of the parliament. We are also establishing a long-term Crisis and Resilience Fund supported by £1 billion a year (including Barnett impact), investing in local family support services, and extending the £3 bus fare cap. We also announced the biggest boost to social and affordable housing investment in a generation and £13.2 billion including Barnett impact across the Parliament for the Warm Homes Plan. We’ve also committed to rolling out Best Start Family Hubs in every local authority by April 2026 and creating up to 1,000 hubs across the country by the end of 2028. Backed by £500m funding, this vital support will relieve pressure on parents and give half a million more children the very best start in life. And last month, we confirmed funding of £600m for the Holiday Activities and Food programme for the next three years, ensuring that children and young people can continue to benefit from enriching experiences and nutritious meals during the school holidays. These commitments come on top of the existing action we have taken which includes expanding free breakfast clubs, capping the number of branded school uniform items children are expected to wear, increasing the national minimum wage for those on the lowest incomes and supporting 700,000 of the poorest families by introducing a Fair Repayment Rate on Universal Credit deductions.

How much his Department has spent with Straight Flight Nevada Commercial Leasing LLC since October 2023.

The Ministry of Defence has been conducting unarmed surveillance flights over Gaza for the sole purpose of locating hostages. The UK controls what information is passed on to Israeli authorities and only information relating to hostage rescue will be passed to the relevant authority, and only when we believe it will be used in accordance with International Humanitarian Law. I cannot comment on these matters further for reasons of operational security.

If she will make an assessment of the potential impact of abolishing the two-child benefit cap on children in poverty.

This government is committed to tackling child poverty and the Child Poverty Taskforce is developing an ambitious Child Poverty Strategy which we will publish in the autumn. We are considering all available levers, including considering social security reforms, to give every child the best start in life as part of our strategy.The causes of child poverty are wide-ranging and deep-rooted, and so it is right that the Taskforce carefully considers and assesses the available levers as it develops this Strategy. In the meantime, we are pressing ahead with action. As a significant downpayment ahead of strategy publication, we have already taken substantive action across major drivers of child poverty through the Spending Review 2025. This includes an expansion of Free School Meals that will lift 100,000 children out of poverty by the end of the parliament, establishing a long-term Crisis and Resilience Fund supported by £1bn a year including Barnett impact, investing in local family support services, and extending the £3 bus fare cap. Last month, we confirmed funding of £600m for the Holiday Activities and Food programme for the next three years, ensuring that children and young people can continue to benefit from enriching experiences and nutritious meals during the school holidays.

Whether his Department holds contracts with Straight Flight Nevada Commercial Leasing LLC.

As the hon. Member will recall from the previous answer. I cannot comment on these matters for reasons of operational security.

Whether his Department holds contracts with Straight Flight Nevada Commercial Leasing LLC.

I cannot comment on these matters for reasons of operational security.

What is the cost of using RAF (a) personnel and (b) equipment to prepare Straight Flight Nevada Commercial Leasing LLC for surveillance flights over Gaza, for each month from October 2023.

The Ministry of Defence has been conducting unarmed surveillance flights over Gaza for the sole purpose of locating hostages.While I am unable to disclose these costs for reasons of operational security and as a matter of policy, Defence operational spend in relation to the Israel-Gaza conflict for 2023/24 has been published in its Annual Reports and Accounts for that financial year online. The Department's accounts for 2024-25 will be published in due course.

What is the the cost of the RAF's surveillance flights over Gaza, for each month from October 2023 .

The Ministry of Defence has been conducting unarmed surveillance flights over Gaza for the sole purpose of locating hostages.While I am unable to disclose these costs for reasons of operational security and as a matter of policy, Defence operational spend in relation to the Israel-Gaza conflict for 2023/24 has been published in its Annual Reports and Accounts for that financial year online. The Department's accounts for 2024-25 will be published in due course.

What information his Department holds on the (a) number and (b) type of (i) heat pump and (ii) boiler unit sold by each obligated boiler manufacturer, in the context of the Clean Heat Market Mechanisms; and what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of publishing these figures on a regular basis.

The Department will receive independently verified annual gas and oil boiler sales data from scheme participants after the completion of each scheme year via the scheme’s administrator, the Environment Agency. Further detail on these reporting processes can be found in the published scheme guidance. It also has access to heat pump installations data from the Microgeneration Certification Scheme and publishes statistics on Government-supported installations at https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/heat-pump-deployment-statistics. The Department is considering the options to publish some Clean Heat Market Mechanism scheme data, for example aggregated annual verified sales and installation data, but needs to assess commercial sensitivities in doing so.

Whether the remit of the child poverty taskforce includes examining the potential impact of the two-child benefit cap.

This government is committed to tackling child poverty and the Child Poverty Taskforce is developing an ambitious Child Poverty Strategy which we will publish in the autumn. We are considering all available levers, including considering social security reforms, to give every child the best start in life as part of our strategy.The causes of child poverty are wide-ranging and deep-rooted, and so it is right that the Taskforce carefully considers and assesses the available levers as it develops this Strategy. In the meantime, we are pressing ahead with action. As a significant downpayment ahead of strategy publication, we have already taken substantive action across major drivers of child poverty through the Spending Review 2025. This includes an expansion of Free School Meals that will lift 100,000 children out of poverty by the end of the parliament, establishing a long-term Crisis and Resilience Fund supported by £1bn a year including Barnett impact, investing in local family support services, and extending the £3 bus fare cap. Last month, we confirmed funding of £600m for the Holiday Activities and Food programme for the next three years, ensuring that children and young people can continue to benefit from enriching experiences and nutritious meals during the school holidays.

What recent assessment she has made of the potential impact of the two-child benefit cap on levels of child poverty.

This government is committed to tackling child poverty and the Child Poverty Taskforce is developing an ambitious Child Poverty Strategy which we will publish in the autumn. We are considering all available levers, including considering social security reforms, to give every child the best start in life as part of our strategy.The causes of child poverty are wide-ranging and deep-rooted, and so it is right that the Taskforce carefully considers and assesses the available levers as it develops this Strategy. In the meantime, we are pressing ahead with action. As a significant downpayment ahead of strategy publication, we have already taken substantive action across major drivers of child poverty through the Spending Review 2025. This includes an expansion of Free School Meals that will lift 100,000 children out of poverty by the end of the parliament, establishing a long-term Crisis and Resilience Fund supported by £1bn a year including Barnett impact, investing in local family support services, and extending the £3 bus fare cap. Last month, we confirmed funding of £600m for the Holiday Activities and Food programme for the next three years, ensuring that children and young people can continue to benefit from enriching experiences and nutritious meals during the school holidays.

Food and Rural Affairs, what recent progress his Department has made in establishing a national social tariff for water consumers.

The Independent Water Commission made a recommendation to consult on a National Social Tariff, which Government is taking into consideration and will provide a response to later this year in a White Paper. Water companies have more than doubled the number of customers that will receive help with their bills through existing social tariffs – from 4% to 9% - and the Government expects industry to keep the current support schemes under review to ensure that vulnerable customers across the country are supported.

If she will make it her policy to include the PCS trade union in the co-production process for the Timms review of the Personal Independence Payment assessment.

The Terms of Reference for this review were announced in a Written Ministerial Statement from the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on Monday 30 June, and you can find them here – Welfare Reform - Hansard - UK Parliament. They will be updated shortly. We are committed to co-producing the review with disabled people, the organisations that represent them, clinicians, experts, Members of Parliament and other stakeholders, to ensure that a wide range of views and voices are heard. We will engage widely over the summer to design the process for the work of the review and consider how it can best be co-produced to ensure that expertise from a range of different perspectives is drawn upon. We are currently planning what engagement will look like and will share more information in due course.