Written questions by Lowe.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his Department’s policies of the Environment Agency’s 2024 Event Duration Monitoring dataset, published in March 2025.

For too long, water companies have discharged unacceptable levels of sewage into our rivers, lakes and seas. The Environment Agency published its annual Event Duration Monitoring (EDM) data on 27 March 2025, which set out details of storm overflow spills in 2024. The regulators are assessing this data and will not let companies get away with illegal activity; where breaches are found, they will not hesitate to hold companies to account. Since 1 January 2025, water companies are required to publish data related to discharges from all storm overflows within one hour of the discharge beginning. The Water (Special Measures) Act 2025 introduces a duty for water companies to publish data related to discharges from all emergency overflows within one hour of the discharge beginning. This will match the pre-existing duty for storm overflows. The Independent Water Commission, led by Sir Jon Cunliffe, will make recommendations to shape further action to transform how our water system works and clean up our waterways for good. A public Call for Evidence closed on 23 April, with all interested parties invited to share their views. The review's final recommendations will be published and shared with the UK and Welsh Governments this summer. This forms the next stage in the Government’s approach to ensuring we have a sufficiently robust and stable regulatory framework to attract the investment needed to clean up our waterways, speed up infrastructure delivery to support house building and restore public confidence in the sector. Looking forward, the government is also committed to taking a systematic approach to improving drainage and wastewater systems. This means looking at the bigger picture – how these systems affect the environment, local communities, and other key priorities like flood prevention, economic growth, and urban development. By doing this, we can make sure policies and services work better together to deliver real benefits for people and nature.

What (a) religious and (b) cultural holidays are observed by their Department.

As a UK Civil Service department, the Cabinet Office only formally observes the government-set bank holidays.

What (a) religious and (b) cultural holidays are observed by their Department.

The Department is in line with the Civil Service approach in offering employees eight public bank holidays plus one privilege day each year, pro-rated for part-time workers. Of these, Good Friday, Easter Monday and Christmas Day are deemed religious holidays.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment (a) of the potential merits of cancelling all foreign aid to Pakistan and (b) with the Secretary of State for the Home Department of the potential merits of using that funding for a national inquiry into grooming gangs.

The UK has transitioned from a traditional aid relationship with Pakistan to a mutually beneficial partnership which underpins UK national interests, including working with Pakistan to tackle irregular migration, terrorism and organised crime. Some of the technical assistance we provide through UK Official Development Assistance is integral to these efforts. The Home Secretary has commissioned a National Audit on Group-Based Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse.

Food and Rural Affairs, what (a) religious and (b) cultural holidays are observed by their Department.

The UK Civil Service only formally observes the Government-set bank holidays.

How many people have more than one active appeal within the immigration tribunal system.

The information requested is not held centrally. However, it should be noted that the case management powers of the Tribunal permit the joining together of appeals brought by an individual. The Tribunal will normally identify and link cases together to ensure effective use of time and final resolution of all matters, in one hearing.

How many immigration tribunal cases have been adjourned more than once in the last year; and for what reasons.

The information requested is not held centrally.

What is the average waiting time for an immigration appeal to be heard.

General information on average waiting times for an immigration appeal in the First-tier Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber) is published at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/tribunals-statistics-quarterly-october-to-december-2024/tribunal-statistics-quarterly-october-to-december-2024.

What estimate her Department has made of the proportion of tribunal appeals that are submitted by people with previous failed asylum or deportation claims.

The First-tier Tribunal Immigration and Asylum Chamber hears all appeals made against refusal decisions made by the Home Office on the basis of the application made to them. An asylum seeker or human rights claimant who has already appealed cannot appeal again unless they make further submissions which have not previously been considered and amount to a ‘fresh claim’.The Tribunal does not collate data on historic failed claims that do not form the basis of the appeal before it. Accordingly, the information requested is not centrally held.

What the average length of time taken is to conclude appeals brought by migrants who have entered the UK illegally against deportation orders.

The information requested is not held centrally. Data on the arrival status of people who go on to appeal Home Office decisions is recorded by the Home Office not the First tier Tribunal.General information on the average clearance time for an immigration appeal in the First-tier Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber) (IAC) is published at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/tribunals-statistics-quarterly-october-to-december-2024/tribunal-statistics-quarterly-october-to-december-2024.

What percentage of immigration appeals have been pending for more than 12 months.

The percentage of open appeals pending before the First-tier Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber) for more than 12 months, as at 31 December 2024 can be found in the table below:No. of cases pending more than 12 monthsOverall Open Caseload% of Overall Open Caseload14,55474,96919% This government inherited a broken justice system with record and rising court backlogs. The Lord Chancellor recently announced that for 2025-26, the Ministry of Justice will provide a total budget of £2,538 million. For the Immigration and Asylum Chamber this will mean funding to support 14,400 sitting days. We expect to be able to increase this substantially with additional funding from the Home Office, taking it to near maximum capacity and helping to speed up asylum claims. This builds on the Government’s work to restore order to the immigration system so that every part – border security, case processing, appeals and returns – operates efficiently.

What is the current backlog of outstanding cases before the First-tier Tribunal Immigration and Asylum Chamber.

The number of appeals in the First-tier Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber) that have not been determined and remain outstanding, as at December 2024, is 75,000.Published statistics can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/tribunals-statistics-quarterly-october-to-december-2024/tribunal-statistics-quarterly-october-to-december-2024.This Government inherited a broken justice system with record and rising court backlogs. The Lord Chancellor recently announced that for 2025-26, the Ministry of Justice will provide a total budget of £2,538 million. For the Immigration and Asylum Chamber this will mean funding to support 14,400 sitting days. We expect to be able to increase this substantially with additional funding from the Home Office, taking it to near maximum capacity and helping to speed up asylum claims. This builds on the Government’s work to restore order to the immigration system so that every part – border security, case processing, appeals and returns – operates efficiently.

If she will take steps to prevent (a) repeat and (b) last-minute appeals from delaying the removal of (i) failed asylum seekers and (ii) illegal entrants.

Any person, including an asylum seeker and or an illegal entrant, who does not have the right to remain in the United Kingdom and has already appealed a decision cannot appeal again against that decision unless they make further submissions which have not previously been considered and, taken together with the previously considered material, create a realistic prospect of success at appeal. Where this test is not met, the further submissions are rejected and this decision cannot be appealed.

What proportion of people who have entered the UK illegally lodge multiple appeals against their deportation; and what the average number of appeals is per person.

The information requested is not centrally held and could only be collected and verified for the purpose of answering this question at disproportionate cost.

How many foreign nationals have absconded while awaiting deportation after lodging legal appeals in each of the last five years.

The information requested is not centrally held and could only be collected and verified for the purpose of answering this question at disproportionate cost.

What estimate she has made of the cost to the public purse of the immigration appeal backlog including (a) housing, (b) legal aid and (c) public services for people awaiting outcomes.

Obtaining the specific information requested would involve collating and verifying information from multiple systems managed by multiple teams across several Government departments and public authorities and, therefore, could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

How many cases involving (a) failed asylum seekers and (b) people who have overstayed have reached the (i) Court of Appeal and (ii) Supreme Court since 2020.

The information requested is not currently available from published statistics, and the relevant data could only be collated and verified for the purpose of answering this question at disproportionate cost.

How many recipients of legal aid in immigration cases have been convicted of criminal offences.

The requested information is not centrally held.

How many court hours have been spent on immigration-related cases involving people with no legal right to remain in the UK in the last 12 months.

The information requested is not held centrally by HMCTS. The Home Office collect and categorise data on the numbers of people with no legal right to remain in the UK.

What the estimated annual cost is of operating the immigration tribunal system, by (a) legal aid, (b) judges and (c) administrative support.

The final budgets relating to the work of the Immigration and Asylum Chamber (IAC) tribunals in the 2024/25 financial year were:£54.2 million for legal aid;£53.5 million for the costs of the judiciary;£31.4 million for staffing and other administrative costs.