Written questions by Lowe.

Communities and Local Government, whether the Government monitors the number of postal or proxy votes issued to non-UK nationals eligible to vote in local elections.

The Department does not hold data on the number of postal or proxy votes issued to foreign nationals eligible to vote in English local elections. The Department also does not hold data on the number of foreign nationals registered to vote in English local elections.Electoral registers and the approval and issuing of postal and proxy votes are managed at a local level by Electoral Registration Officers.

Communities and Local Government, if he will make it his policy for either (a) his Department or (b) the Electoral Commission to centrally collect nationality data for registered electors.

The Department does not hold data on the number of foreign nationals registered to vote in UK local elections. Electoral registers are managed at a local level by Electoral Registration Officers. The Electoral Commission already has access to information about nationality that is held on electoral registers and have published this data in the past, including most recently in 2023. The government has no plans to make any changes to these matters.

Communities and Local Government, whether the Government plans to require the Electoral Commission to collect nationality data already held by EROs in order to improve transparency and electoral integrity.

The Department does not hold data on the number of foreign nationals registered to vote in UK local elections. Electoral registers are managed at a local level by Electoral Registration Officers. The Electoral Commission already has access to information about nationality that is held on electoral registers and have published this data in the past, including most recently in 2023. The government has no plans to make any changes to these matters.

Communities and Local Government, whether nationality data held by EROs is used in any national-security screening or analysis relating to electoral interference risk.

The Department does not hold data on the number of postal or proxy votes issued to foreign nationals eligible to vote in English local elections. The Department also does not hold data on the number of foreign nationals registered to vote in English local elections.Electoral registers and the approval and issuing of postal and proxy votes are managed at a local level by Electoral Registration Officers.

Communities and Local Government, whether the Government has considered standardising the collection of nationality-grouped data at national level to ensure consistent oversight of local-election eligibility across the UK.

The Department does not hold data on the number of foreign nationals registered to vote in UK local elections. Electoral registers are managed at a local level by Electoral Registration Officers. The Electoral Commission already has access to information about nationality that is held on electoral registers and have published this data in the past, including most recently in 2023. The government has no plans to make any changes to these matters.

Communities and Local Government, whether his Department holds aggregated data on the number of foreign nationals registered to vote in UK local elections, broken down by EU citizens, Irish citizens, and qualifying Commonwealth citizens.

The Department does not hold data on the number of foreign nationals registered to vote in UK local elections. Electoral registers are managed at a local level by Electoral Registration Officers. The Electoral Commission already has access to information about nationality that is held on electoral registers and have published this data in the past, including most recently in 2023. The government has no plans to make any changes to these matters.

Communities and Local Government, whether the absence of nationality-grouped oversight forms part of the Government’s election integrity risk assessments, and if so, what assessment has been made of the risks associated with foreign-national elector cohorts.

The Government is committed to upholding and strengthening UK democracy by protecting against foreign interference, improving political transparency, adding tougher checks for donations and closing loopholes by reinforcing electoral legislation against foreign interference. MHCLG election reforms will deliver a robust and proportionate response to known risks protecting the integrity of our system and reinforcing public trust in democracy. MHCLG published an elections strategy in July 2025 detailing this.

Communities and Local Government, whether the Government has conducted any assessment of risks posed by foreign-state or foreign-network mobilisation of postal-voting blocks among overseas nationals eligible to vote in UK local elections.

The Government is committed to upholding and strengthening UK democracy by protecting against foreign interference, improving political transparency, adding tougher checks for donations and closing loopholes by reinforcing electoral legislation against foreign interference. Our election reforms will deliver a robust and proportionate response to known risks, protecting the integrity of our system and reinforcing public trust in democracy. This is set out in our Elections Strategy, published in July. The Joint Election Security and Preparedness unit coordinates work to protect UK elections and referendums, from threats including foreign interference.

How many prosecutions for fly-tipping were brought in Great Yarmouth in the last 12 months; and what assessment he has made of whether current penalties are a sufficient deterrent.

Fly-tipping is a serious crime which blights communities and the environment and dealing with it imposes significant costs on both taxpayers and businesses. Anyone caught fly-tipping may be prosecuted and faces potentially serious punishment.The Ministry of Justice publishes data on prosecutions relating to fly tipping in the Outcomes by Offences data tool, which can be downloaded from the Criminal Justice Statistics landing page here: Criminal Justice Statistics.Relevant offences can be filtered by using the offence filter and selecting 91.1 Offences related to fly-tipping - Triable either way.Data is not published separately for Great Yarmouth, however, there have been no prosecutions for this offence at Great Yarmouth magistrates court in year ending June 2025.Sentencing in individual cases is a matter for the courts. Parliament has provided the courts with a broad range of sentencing powers to deal effectively and appropriately with offenders, including discharges, fines, community sentences, suspended sentences and custodial sentences.The maximum penalty for fly-tipping is 5 years custody. When deciding what sentence to impose, courts must consider the circumstances of the case, including the culpability of the offender, the harm they caused or intended to cause, and any aggravating and mitigating factors. The courts also have a statutory duty to follow any relevant sentencing guidelines, developed by the Sentencing Council for England and Wales.The Government keeps the sentencing framework under ongoing review to ensure that it remains fit for purpose.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department will review the impact of waste disposal charges on the level of illegal dumping in Great Yarmouth.

The Department has no plans to review the impact of waste disposal charges on the level of illegal dumping in Great Yarmouth. Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRCs) play an important role in helping people to dispose of their waste responsibly. Local authorities have responsibility for the operation and management of HWRCs in their area. It is their duty to provide services for residents within their local area to dispose of or recycle their waste responsibly. Local authorities are also responsible for tackling fly-tipping in their areas. They have a range of fly-tipping enforcement powers at their disposal, which we encourage them to make good use of. Powers include fixed penalty notices of up to £1000, seizing and crushing of vehicles and prosecution action.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of recent trends in the level of fly-tipping incidents in Great Yarmouth; and whether additional enforcement funding will be provided.

No assessment of recent trends in the level of fly-tipping incidents in Great Yarmouth has been made. Local authorities are however required to report fly-tipping incidents and enforcement actions to Defra, which we publish annually here. This excludes the majority of private-land and large scale incidents. Great Yarmouth reported the following number of incidents in the last five years: 2019-20 = 14912020-21 = 21462021-22 = 18692022-23 = 11712023-24 = 1153 We are not considering additional funding specifically for fly-tipping enforcement. However, the Spending Review 2025 provides over £5 billion of new grant funding over the next three years for local services that communities rely on. This includes £3.4 billion of new grant funding which will be delivered through the Local Government Finance Settlement within financial years 2026-27 to 2028-29.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of street cleaning, litter collection and maintenance in Great Yarmouth’s town centre and seafront.

No assessment has been made of the adequacy of street cleaning, litter collection and maintenance in Great Yarmouth’s town centre and seafront. Local councils are responsible for keeping their streets clear of litter and refuse. The role of central Government is to enable and support local action. In the Pride in Place Strategy this Government has committed to bringing forward statutory enforcement guidance on both littering and fly-tipping, modernising the code of practice that outlines the cleaning standards expected of local authorities, and refreshing best practice guidance on the powers available to local authorities to force land and building owners to clean up their premises. We are also targeting some of the more commonly littered items to reduce the presence of these on our streets. The sale of single-use vapes was banned from 1 June 2025 and a Deposit Return Scheme will go live in England, Northern Ireland, and Scotland in October 2027. Plastic drinks bottles and metal drinks containers make up 55% of litter volume. The Deposit Return Scheme will cover plastic and metal drinks containers (like bottles and cans), and the goal is to reduce litter and help keep our streets, rivers, and oceans clean.

What steps he is taking to ensure that patients in Great Yarmouth receive equal access to NHS services.

As part of the 10-Year Health Plan we are focusing the role of integrated care boards (ICBs) on strategic commissioning to improve population health. NHS England has published the Strategic Commissioning Framework which supports the development of care models that are better matched to local needs, improved access to appropriate services, and a stronger focus on population health and reducing inequalities. As outlined in our 10-Year Health Plan, neighbourhood health plans will be created, including for the Norfolk and Waveney ICB, which covers Great Yarmouth.

Communities and Local Government, whether additional support will be given to coastal councils like Great Yarmouth facing above-average costs for waste and public space maintenance.

The government recognises the significant pressures that councils are facing. This is why, alongside the additional £3.4 billion of grant funding announced at the Spending Review, the government is delivering fair funding reforms to ensure money goes to the places that need it most.On 17 December, the government published the provisional Local Government Finance Settlement, the first multi-year Settlement in a decade. The provisional 2026-27 Settlement will make available almost £78 billion in Core Spending Power for local authorities in England, a 5.7% cash-terms increase compared to 2025-26. By the end of the multi-year period, we will have provided a 15.1% cash-terms increase, worth over £11 billion, compared to 2025-26.The government is absolutely committed to tackling the issues that matter to rural and coastal communities. Our updated assessment of need will more effectively capture variations in demand for services within a local authority. We will continue to apply Area Cost Adjustments to account for the different costs faced in delivering services, including in coastal areas.

How much (i) James Paget University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and (ii) Norfolk and Waveney Community Health and Care NHS Trust spent on external consultants in each of the last three financial years.

The following table shows the amount spent by James Paget University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Norfolk and Waveney Community Health and Care NHS Trust for the last three financial years: 2022/232023/242024/25James Paget University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust£360,455£181,287£154,043Norfolk and Waveney Community Health and Care NHS Trust£45,467£1,684£19,752 The information is published in their annual report and accounts on their websites, where further detail is available.

What assessment he has made of the impact of staff parking charges on recruitment and morale at James Paget Hospital.

No assessment has been made of the impact of staff parking charges on recruitment and morale at James Paget Hospital.The health and wellbeing of National Health Service staff is a top priority, and all NHS organisations have a responsibility to create supportive working environments for staff, ensuring they have the conditions they need to thrive.As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, we will work with the Social Partnership Forum to introduce a new set of staff standards for modern employment, covering issues such as access to healthy meals, support to work healthily and flexibly, and tackling violence, racism, and sexual harassment in the workplace.All NHS hospitals in England are expected to follow the published NHS Car Parking Guidance. The guidance makes clear that where hospital car parking charges exist, they should be reasonable for the area.In addition, free hospital car parking is already in place for ‘in-need’ groups, and this includes NHS staff working overnight.

Whether he plans to provide additional funding to (i) James Paget Hospital and (ii) Northgate Hospital to help support (a) local residents and (b) its seasonal tourist population.

Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for commissioning and funding the care delivered by healthcare providers, including the James Paget University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and the Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust. The amount of funding received by each provider is based on the NHS Payment Scheme, which is a set of rules, prices, and guidance that determine how the providers of National Health Service funded healthcare are paid for the services they deliver.NHS England is responsible for determining the allocation of financial resources to ICBs. The process of setting funding allocations is informed by the Advisory Committee on Resource Allocation, an independent committee that provides advice to NHS England on setting the target formula which impacts how allocations are distributed over time according to factors such as demography, morbidity, deprivation, and the unavoidable cost of providing services in different areas.NHS England produces a technical guide to allocation formulae, with the 2025/26 edition available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/PRN01601-technical-guide-to-allocation-formulae-and-convergence-for-2025-to-2026-revenue-allocations.pdfThe edition covering 2026/27 to 2028/29 allocations will be published in due course.The NHS also has an operational pressures escalation levels (OPEL) framework which provides a standardised approach to support an effective, integrated, and coordinated response to acute trust operational pressures. This includes actions locally, regionally, and nationally that support the depressurising of services and ensure patient safety. Further information about the OPEL framework is published by NHS England, and is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/integrated-opel-framework-2024-to-2026/#escalation-and-actions-in-response-to-operational-risks-and-pressures

Whether his Department has direct oversight of financial efficiencies at the James Paget Trust.

The East of England Regional Team has detailed and regular engagement with the James Paget University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust to discuss both their financial position and, more specifically, the delivery of their financial efficiencies. The monthly financial position and progress in delivering efficiencies is a key aspect of the monthly System Financial Review meetings with the trust’s Chief Finance Officer, alongside the integrated care board and other trusts within the local system.As of October 2025, the James Paget University Hospitals Trust is on track to deliver against its agreed efficiency target.

What assessment he has made of the level of ambulance handover delays at James Paget Hospital in each of the past three years.

NHS England publishes monthly data on ambulance handovers, including at the James Paget University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust over the past three years. This information is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/ambulance-quality-indicators/ambulance-management-informationIn addition, weekly handover data split by day is also published as part of national winter reporting. This information is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/uec-sitrepWe are working closely with the trust and system partners to deliver ongoing, evidence-based improvement to ambulance handovers. Key actions include the Release and Respond Programme since December 2024, which targets long delays and supports rapid handovers, new protocols for managing hospital capacity and safe patient flow, enhanced discharge planning and long length-of-stay reviews, Same Day Emergency Care investment enabling same-day assessment and treatment, and enhanced geriatrician support for early assessment and frailty management.These initiatives are already delivering positive results with the average handover time reducing by 27 minutes in November 2025 compared to November 2024. Furthermore, current four-hour performance for November stands at 73.4%, up 10.3% from last November.

What steps he is taking to ensure that coastal hospitals such as the James Paget receive adequate NHS capital and revenue funding.

We remain committed to delivering all schemes within the New Hospital Programme, including James Paget, which will continue through the Spending Review 2025. The programme is funded for five-year waves of investment, averaging around £3 billion a year from 2030.Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for commissioning and funding the care delivered by healthcare providers, including the James Paget University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. The amount of funding received by each provider is based on the NHS Payment Scheme, which is a set of rules, prices, and guidance that determine how the providers of National Health Service-funded healthcare are paid for the services they deliver.NHS England is responsible for determining the allocation of financial resources to ICBs. The process of setting funding allocations is informed by the Advisory Committee on Resource Allocation, an independent committee that provides advice to NHS England on setting the target formula which impacts how allocations are distributed over time according to factors such as demography, morbidity, deprivation, and the unavoidable cost of providing services in different areas. There are a range of adjustments made in the core ICB allocations formula that account for the fact that the cost of providing health care may vary between rural and urban areas.ICB allocations for 2025/26 were published on 30 January 2025 and allocations for 2026/27 to 2027/28 were published on 17 November. These are available at the following links respectively:https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/allocation-of-resources-2025-26/https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/allocation-of-resources-2026-27-to-2027-28/The Norfolk and Waveney ICB, which currently covers the James Paget University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, received an uplift to its recurrent core services allocation of 3.85% in 2025/26.Following announced mergers due to take effect from 1 April 2026, a new NHS Norfolk and Suffolk ICB will cover James Paget University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust from 2026/27. The new ICB will see its recurrent core services allocation uplifted by 3.05% in 2026/27 and 3.29% in 2027/28.Budget 2025 confirmed a rise in the Department’s capital budgets to £15.2 billion by the end of the Spending Review period. This includes over £4 billion in operational capital in 2025/26, with a further £16.9 billion to be allocated to ICBs and providers over the following four years. James Paget University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has been allocated £46.8 million in operational funding for the period 2026/27 to 2029/30.