Written questions by Dillon.

Communities and Local Government, whether his Department has considered reducing the desired population size for new unitary councils to 300,000 residents.

New unitary councils must be the right size to achieve efficiencies, improve capacity and withstand financial shocks.The 500,000 figure is a guiding principle, not a hard target. We understand the need for flexibility, especially given our ambition to build out devolution and take account of housing growth alongside local government reorganisation.All proposals – whether they are at, above, or below the guided level – should clearly set out the rationale for the proposed approach. Decisions on the most appropriate option for each area will be judgements in the round, having regard to the statutory guidance and the available evidence.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of requiring councils to adopt a cabinet model of governance under proposed legislation.

Requiring all councils in England to operate an executive model of governance will simplify local authority governance arrangements and provide clearer, more easily understood decision-making structures. The vast majority of councils already operate a cabinet model of governance and will not be affected by the requirement.

Communities and Local Government, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of using the Single Transferable Vote system in elections for newly established unitary councils.

Elections for existing unitary councils are held under the First Past the Post system. There are no plans to change the voting system for local council elections in England and elections for newly established unitary councils will also be held under this voting system.

Communities and Local Government, if his Department will take steps with local authorities to end the use of (a) hotels, (b) bed and breakfasts and (c) hostels for homeless (i) single adults and (ii) families.

Homelessness levels are far too high. The Government is looking at the issue carefully and is developing a new cross-Government strategy, working with mayors and councils across the country to get us back on track to ending homelessness. We have already taken the first steps to getting back on track to ending homelessness, including making a £1 billion investment in homelessness and rough sleeping services this year, a £233 million increase on the previous year and the largest-ever cash boost in homelessness prevention services. The 2025 Spending Review protected this level of investment until 2028/29 and provided £100 million additional funding, including from the Transformation Fund, to fund increased homelessness prevention activity. Where homelessness cannot be prevented, any temporary accommodation provided must be suitable for the needs of the household. The Homelessness Code of Guidance for local authorities sets out the factors to be taken into account when determining the suitability of accommodation.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure that new housing developments have sufficient grid capacity to meet net zero requirements.

To ensure there is sufficient grid capacity to meet net zero, the government is delivering a major expansion of electricity networks. We are working with Ofgem and the National Energy System Operator to speed up delivery of new network infrastructure through reforms to planning, support for communities and strategic network design. We are also working with Ofgem to ensure its price control framework supports proactive investment in the local distribution network. This will be informed by Regional Energy Strategic Plans, which will consider local requirements including ensuring timely reinforcement of networks for new housing developments.

What steps her Department is taking to support local bus routes in rural areas in (a) Newbury constituency and (b) other areas.

The government is committed to delivering the better, more reliable bus services that passengers deserve throughout the country, including in rural areas. The government introduced the Bus Services (No. 2) Bill on 17 December as part of our ambitious plan for bus reform. The Bill will put passenger needs, reliable services and local accountability at the heart of the industry by putting the power over local bus services back in the hands of local leaders. The Bill includes a measure on socially necessary services so that local authorities and bus operators have to have regard for alternatives to changing or cancelling services. As part of the Autumn 2024 Budget, the government allocated £955 million to support and improve bus services in 2025/26. This includes £712 million for local authorities, this can be used to expand services and improve reliability, which are currently massive obstacles for too many people.  West Berkshire Council was allocated £1.6 million of this funding. Funding allocated to local authorities to deliver better bus services can be used in whichever way they wish to improve services for passengers, including expanding services and improving reliability. The government reaffirmed its commitment to investing in bus services long-term in this Spending Review. On 11 June, the government confirmed additional funding per year from 2026/27 to maintain and improve bus services, including taking forward franchising pilots and extending the £3 bus fare cap until March 2027.

Innovation and Technology, what steps her Department is taking to improve internet access in rural areas of Newbury constituency.

According to the independent website Thinkbroadband.com, 99% of premises in the Newbury constituency can already access superfast broadband speeds (>=30 Mbps), and 90% can access a gigabit-capable broadband connection.To improve this further, Openreach is delivering a Project Gigabit contract across West Berkshire. Approximately 1,150 homes and businesses in the Newbury constituency are currently set to benefit from this contract, with the vast majority located in rural areas. Additionally, premises in the constituency are expected to be connected by suppliers’ commercial rollout plans.Ofcom also reports that 96% of rural areas in the Newbury constituency have 4G geographic coverage from all four mobile operators, while 5G is available outside 72% of rural premises from at least one operator. Our ambition is for all populated areas, including rural communities, to have higher quality standalone 5G by 2030 and we will work closely with mobile network operators who are delivering this.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the Housing Benefit taper rate on the number of young people living in supported accommodation who are in work.

We acknowledge there is a challenge arising from the interaction between Universal Credit and Housing Benefit, particularly for young people living in supported and temporary accommodation, including the different income tapers used by each benefit. We are considering options to improve work incentives for residents of supported housing and temporary accommodation, while taking into account the views of stakeholders. As funding is required to allow a change, any future decisions will take account of the current fiscal context. It remains the department’s priority to ensure that those who can work are supported to enter the labour market and to sustain employment.

What steps her Department is taking to review the financial support available to kinship carers.

There is a duty on children’s services to arrange special guardianship support services in the local areas. Under section 14F of the Children Act 1989, “each local authority must make arrangements for the provision within their area of special guardianship support services, which includes financial support.”The department is going further to increase the level of support offered to kinship carers through the trial of a new kinship allowance to support with the costs of raising a child.At the Autumn Budget 2024, the government announced £40 million to pilot a new Kinship Allowance in some local authorities in England, to support up to 5,000 eligible children in kinship care.As this is a pilot scheme, the allowance will not be universal at this stage. It is important that robust evidence underpins any future national rollout to ensure the best outcomes for children and families and value for money for the taxpayer.

What assessment her Department has made of the number of kinship carers who will not be eligible for the new Kinship Allowance Pilot.

There is a duty on children’s services to arrange special guardianship support services in the local areas. Under section 14F of the Children Act 1989, “each local authority must make arrangements for the provision within their area of special guardianship support services, which includes financial support.”The department is going further to increase the level of support offered to kinship carers through the trial of a new kinship allowance to support with the costs of raising a child.At the Autumn Budget 2024, the government announced £40 million to pilot a new Kinship Allowance in some local authorities in England, to support up to 5,000 eligible children in kinship care.As this is a pilot scheme, the allowance will not be universal at this stage. It is important that robust evidence underpins any future national rollout to ensure the best outcomes for children and families and value for money for the taxpayer.

Communities and Local Government, what recent assessment he has made of the potential impact of (a) trends in the number of firefighters and (b) levels of funding for fire and rescue services on public safety.

On 3 February, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government published the 2025/26 Local Government Finance Settlement (LGFS) which sets out funding allocations for all local authorities, including Fire and Rescue Authorities. These allocations, which include the National Insurance Contribution Grant, will see standalone fire and rescue authorities receiving an increase in core spending power of £69.1 million in 2025/26. This is an increase of 3.6 per cent in cash terms compared to 2024/25. In addition to settlement funding, the Government has provided Fire and Rescue Authorities with several grants intended for specific purposes, such as the Fire Pensions Grant and Protection Uplift Grant Decisions on how their resources are best deployed to meet their core functions are a matter for each Fire and Rescue Authority. FRSs employed 30,769 full-time equivalent (FTE) firefighters on 31 March 2024. This is virtually unchanged compared with the previous year (30,723).

What steps his Department is taking to ensure that young people living in supported accommodation are not financially disadvantaged when increasing their working hours.

We acknowledge there is a challenge arising from the interaction between Universal Credit and Housing Benefit, particularly for young people living in supported and temporary accommodation, including the different income tapers used by each benefit. We are considering options to improve work incentives for residents of supported housing and temporary accommodation, while taking into account the views of stakeholders. As funding is required to allow a change, any future decisions will take account of the current fiscal context. It remains the department’s priority to ensure that those who can work are supported to enter the labour market and to sustain employment.

Communities and Local Government, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of Approved Document M on Access to and Use of Buildings under the Building Regulations 2010, last updated on 1 October 2024, in meeting the needs of (a) disabled and (b) older residents.

The Building Safety Act 2022 requires the Building Safety Regulator to keep the safety and standard of buildings under review; Building Regulations or Approved Documents, including Approved Document M can then be updated as needed. Housing is one of this Government’s top priorities; everyone deserves to live in a decent home that is suitable for them and meets their needs. The revised National Planning Policy Framework, published on 12 December 2024, requires local planning authorities to assess the size, type and tenure of housing needed for different groups in the community, including those of older and disabled people, and to reflect this in planning policies. Where an identified need exists, plans are expected to help bring forward an adequate supply of accessible housing. The government will shortly set out its policies on accessible new build housing, reinforcing our commitment to ensuring everyone has access to a safe, suitable home.

What recent assessment her Department has made of the mental health support needs of kinship carers and the children in their care; and what steps she is taking to improve their access to appropriate services.

All children, including those in kinship care, are entitled to access universal and targeted mental health services, such as NHS Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services and mental health support teams in schools. Children in kinship care who were previously looked-after and are now subject to special guardianship or child arrangement orders may also be eligible for therapeutic support through the adoption and special guardianship support fund, which provides funding for essential services such as counselling, play therapy, and trauma support.In October 2024, updated statutory guidance was published to clarify local authorities’ responsibilities in supporting kinship families, including access to appropriate services to safeguard and promote children’s welfare. Additional steps to support the wellbeing of kinship carers nationally include expanding peer support groups and delivering training for kinship carers.The department continues to monitor feedback from those with direct experience to inform its approach to supporting kinship families.

Whether she plans to introduce tougher questions in driving (a) practical and (b) theory tests on equestrian road safety.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) regularly reviews the questions at the point of test to ensure they remain clear, relevant and effective in assessing candidates’ knowledge.Questions asked during the practical test are designed to focus on the vehicle itself. This ensures that learners can demonstrate they can safely operate and maintain their vehicle in real-world situations.Broader knowledge of road rules, hazard perception and theory is fully assessed in the theory test, which is taken before the practical. Together, the two parts of the driving test are designed to complement each other, ensuring new drivers have both the theoretical understanding and the practical skills needed to drive safely and responsibly.DVSA has recognised the need to promote the recognition of hazards by drivers when sharing the road with horse riders and horse-drawn vehicles. These are well represented within the hazard perception part of the test, a CGI video test which requires candidates to identify developing hazards on the road in good time.Both the multiple choice and hazard perception parts of the theory test are continually being updated and added to, with one of the focuses being on vulnerable road users such as horse riders.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department plans to take steps to hold (a) highway businesses, (b) agriculture businesses and (c) other non-water sector polluters accountable for water pollution.

For the first time, river systems will be managed as a whole to tackle pollution from all sources, ensuring every sector plays its part in cleaning up our waterways. Subject to consultation this autumn, the Government will abolish Ofwat and merge its functions with water functions across the Environment Agency, Natural England and the Drinking Water Inspectorate to form a single new regulator. There will be a regional element to the new regulator to ensure greater local involvement in water planning and allow all sources of pollution to be addressed across the river catchment. Until the single water regulator is fully established, the existing regulators will continue to carry out their functions and enforcement responsibilities in full. The Government will clarify its expectations through a Strategic Policy Statement and ministerial direction, expected to be published later this year.

Whether she has had recent discussions with National Highways on the potential merits of introducing spacing chevrons on the A34.

National Highways has not identified a specific issue with mainline collisions on the A34 that would prompt such an intervention and as such, currently has no plans to install spacing chevrons on the A34.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department plans to bring forward regulations on the fast fashion industry.

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 due course. The Circular Economy Taskforce will initially focus on six sectors that have the greatest potential to grow the economy: textiles; agri-food; built environment; chemicals and plastics; electrical and electronic equipment; and transport. The Taskforce has been extensively engaging with industry leaders, trade associations, and other key stakeholders to ensure that the Strategy reflects the needs and insights of all involved. As we develop the strategy, we will consider the evidence for action right across the economy, and alongside The Circular Economy Taskforce we will assess what interventions may be needed across the textiles sector. The Taskforce will consider evidence across a range of interventions.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure that water bills do not rise in the context of the closure of Ofwat.

The price controls set as part of Price Review 2024 came into effect on 1st April 2025, setting water bill levels for 2025-2030. The abolition of Ofwat and creation of a new water regulator will not affect these. The Government has set out its intention to create a single powerful super-regulator responsible for the entire water sector, with the teeth to enforce the high standards the public rightly demand and to help protect the public from the kind of bill hikes we saw last year. Subject to consultation this autumn, the Government will abolish Ofwat and merge its functions with water functions across the Environment Agency, Natural England and the Drinking Water Inspectorate. Until the single water regulator is fully established, the existing regulators will continue to carry out their functions and enforcement responsibilities in full. The Government will clarify its expectations through a Strategic Policy Statement and ministerial direction, expected to be published later this year.

When her Department plans to publish further information on the extension of the Ukrainian visa scheme.

On 1 September, the Home Secretary announced in parliament that the Ukraine Permission Extension scheme (UPE) would be extended for an additional 24 months to enable those eligible to obtain a further period of permission following their initial permission under UPE. More detail will follow in due course.