Written questions by Anderson.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what proportion of funding from the international climate finance funding will be allocated to each recipient country.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer I gave on 17 September to Question 71017.

How her Department allocated the extra money returned to the Government by local authorities from fines for taking children out of school in each of the last three financial years.

Over the past three financial years, the department has not received revenue from penalty notices issued for school absences. This reflects the system’s design. It is not intended to generate profit, and local authorities must not set income targets. All revenue must be ring-fenced for attendance-related purposes.Funds should first cover penalty notice administration and prosecution costs. Any surplus must support attendance initiatives that do not involve issuing penalty notices or prosecutions, in line with the statutory attendance guidance.This revenue must not be absorbed into wider budgets or used for core attendance duties or legal services. It must remain dedicated to attendance functions.While any surplus at year end must be returned to my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, in line with expectation, no surpluses have been returned during the period in question.

What information they hold on the number of workdays that were completed remotely in their Department in (a) 2024 and (b) 2025 to date.

This information is not held centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Media and Sport, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of crime on inbound tourism to the UK.

While DCMS has not made a specific assessment of the impact of crime on inbound tourism, we work closely with the Home Office, police and local partners to ensure that visitors to the UK have a safe and enjoyable experience.Through our Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee, we will place thousands of additional police officers and police community support officers in neighbourhood policing roles. This will provide a more visible and effective service to the public, with each neighbourhood having a named, contactable officer dealing with local issues, including robbery and theft from the person.The Government recognises the serious impact that crime has on public safety, both in terms of the harm caused to victims and the wider implications for tourism.

What information they hold on the number of workdays that were completed remotely in their Department in (a) 2024 and (b) 2025 to date.

The Department does not record remote workdays. Data on office attendance is published on the Civil Service HQ occupancy data - GOV.UK page.

How many delegates the Government plans to take to the COP30 climate change summit.

The size and composition of the UK delegation is still being determined. In keeping with previous years, the UNFCCC is expected to publish a provisional list of registered participants as COP30 begins, with a final list published a few weeks after COP concludes. This will list all UK delegates who attended COP30.

What discussions her Department has had with local transport authorities on the (a) recruitment and (b) retention of bus drivers.

The Department for Transport regularly meets with stakeholders, including local transport authorities, to discuss bus policy issues. Bus services in England are predominantly run on a commercial basis by private operators who are ultimately responsible for effectively managing their workforce and the recruitment of bus drivers. However, the government will continue to work with the bus sector to support them in being able to meet both their current and future labour requirements.

Which delegates the Government plans to take to the COP30 climate change summit.

The size and composition of the UK delegation is still being determined. In keeping with previous years, the UNFCCC is expected to publish a provisional list of registered participants as COP30 begins, with a final list published a few weeks after COP concludes. This will list all UK delegates who attended COP30.

What steps her Department is taking to help tackle ageism in the workplace.

The UK has a strong history of protecting against direct and indirect discrimination. The Equality Act 2010 (The Act) has protections that enable people to challenge age discrimination across a range of fields, including the provision of services, employment and recruitment processes. Where age discrimination cannot be objectively justified and is unlawful, individuals can seek redress in the courts or, where relevant, at an employment tribunal.

Food and Rural Affairs, what plans his Department has to introduce a public awareness campaign on the impact of domestic pesticide usage on wildlife.

All authorised plant protection products have statutory conditions of use that must be followed by all users, and strict, science-based regulation is supplemented with policies to encourage safe and minimal use. In March this year, the government published the UK Pesticides National Action Plan (NAP) 2025, which sets out the actions that all four UK governments will take to reduce the potential harm from pesticide use. Through events such as Bees Needs Week, the government highlights what the public can do to help pollinators – including thinking carefully about whether to use pesticides.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to enforce the ban on glue traps.

The Glue Traps (Offences) Act 2022 bans glue trap use in England in all but the most exceptional, licensable circumstances. It came into force in 2024. Nothing in the law prevents sale of glue traps in England. However, only pest controllers with a licence can legally use them for rodent control. The police enforce against illegal use of glue traps. All wildlife crime police officers in England are able to access the National Wildlife Crime Unit’s (NWCU) DISC Hub which provides updates regarding national wildlife crime issues. Comprehensive briefing on glue traps legislation has been available on this Hub since the Act came into force. If a police officer needs to urgently know the legislation, they have the correct pathway to the information they need and should take the appropriate enforcement action. Natural England meanwhile is the licensing authority for the use of glue traps for rodent control. Its officers will enforce against breaches of licensed use and Natural England is suitably resourced to fulfil this function.

What steps his Department is taking to support post offices.

The Post Office provides critical services that are valued by communities across the UK and the Government is committed to strengthening the network.We are backing that commitment with over £500 million of investment during this Parliament, including this financial year up to £136m to invest in new technology and replace Horizon.Government recently published a Green Paper which seeks to open a dialogue on the Post Office, from the services it provides, how we modernise and strengthen the network, through to how we change the culture at the Post Office. We want to hear from everyone with a stake in the Post Office’s future.

What the cost to the UK taxpayer is for the COP30 climate summit.

The size and composition of the UK delegation is still being determined, along with various logistical elements. Some costs will only be finalised after the summit concludes.

What steps her Department are taking to help tackle ageism in society.

The UK has a strong history of protecting against direct and indirect discrimination. The Equality Act 2010 (The Act) has protections that enable people to challenge age discrimination across a range of fields, including the provision of services, employment and recruitment processes. Where age discrimination cannot be objectively justified and is unlawful, individuals can seek redress in the courts or, where relevant, at an employment tribunal.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure religious freedom in Syria.

The UK has consistently advocated for an inclusive political transition and underlined the importance of protecting the rights of all Syrians, regardless of religious or ethnic background. I travelled to Damascus on 27 August, and reiterated this message to Foreign Minister Al-Shaibani and Justice Minister Al-Waisi.. The Foreign Secretary also discussed this with President al Sharaa and Foreign Minister al Shaibani when he visited Damascus in July. We continue to press the Syrian Government on the need to improve their response to sectarian violence and hold those responsible to account. We welcome the provisions on freedom of expression and freedom of religion and belief in the Constitutional Declaration. We will continue to advocate for the right to freedom of religion or belief for all.

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of increasing the penalties for antisocial drug smoking.

The maximum penalty for possession of a Class A drug is up to seven years in prison, an unlimited fine or both.The maximum penalty for possession of a Class B drug is up to five years in prison, an unlimited fine or both.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an estimate of the cost to the public purse for the use of private jets by his Department since 5 July 2024.

The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office incurred approximately £3,850,000 in ministerial travel costs between July 2024 and the end of March 2025. This figure is inclusive of all commercial, non-scheduled and RAF flights, as well as associated rail and car journeys. The information required to isolate only the cost of private jet usage is not readily available and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost. April 2025 to end June 2025 data will be published in due course via gov.uk, as part of the Quarterly Ministerial Transparency Returns.

If he will ensure the long term future of the postal service.

The government is clear on its commitment to the provision of a comprehensive, reliable and affordable universal postal service that works for customers, workers and businesses.Ofcom has reviewed the future of the universal service obligation (USO) and set out changes to put the USO on a more sustainable footing and to push Royal Mail to improve reliability.

Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to ensure new housing developments have adequate (a) infrastructure and (b) public service provision.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 65505 on 14 July 2025.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he plans to review the suitability of Syria as a recipient of foreign aid.

The humanitarian situation in Syria is dire, with over 16 million people in need of humanitarian assistance and 90 per cent of the population living in poverty. Our funding provides urgent humanitarian aid, as well as support for Syria's longer-term recovery through education and livelihoods. The UK has robust processes in place to ensure our overseas development assistance aid funding reaches those most in need, delivers value for money and protects against aid diversion. A stable Syria is firmly in the UK's interests, reducing the risk of irregular migration, terrorism and other threats to our national security.