Written questions by Baker.

Communities and Local Government, how many Help to Buy homeowners are waiting for a decision on a loan redemption application in (a) Aldershot constituency and (b) Hampshire.

Homes England do not hold information on redemptions initiated and redemptions concluded by constituency or local authority. In the last three months to November, for Help to Buy and associated legacy schemes, an average of 2320 redemptions per month were initiated and an average of 2288 concluded. Please note that these numbers are not directly comparable.In order to be able to redeem a Help to Buy loan, several steps need to be completed by the customer, their surveyor, their solicitor and by the Help to Buy Mortgage Administrator. Timescales are therefore dependent on each of the parties. Redemptions may also be initiated by customers who subsequently decide not to proceed.

Communities and Local Government, how many high street businesses in (a) England and (b) Aldershot constituency closed in each of the last five years; and whether she plans to make changes to the business rates system.

Whilst there is no strict definition for a high street business, the Office for National Statistics publishes business demographic information on an annual basis. The latest release was published on 18 November: Business demography, UK - Office for National Statistics.At Budget 2024, the government published ‘Transforming Business Rates,’ this sets out the government’s first steps to reform the business rates system.As part of this reform plan, the government has announced that it intends to introduce permanently lower tax rates for high street retail, hospitality, and leisure properties, with rateable values below £500,000, from 2026-27, and has introduced primary legislation to deliver on this commitment.

Communities and Local Government, if she will make an estimate of the average increase in private rents in Aldershot constituency in the last 12 months; and what assessment she has made of the potential impact of those increases on people in that constituency.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) publishes data on the average increase in rent. Private rents across the UK increased by 9.1% in the 12 months to November 2024 (provisional estimate), up from 8.7% in the 12 months to October 2024.While there is no data available on Aldershot specifically, Aldershot is located in Rushmoor. The ONS found that the average monthly rent in Rushmoor was £1,257 in November 2024, an annual increase of 6.9% from £1,176 in November 2023.The government recognises that paying rent is likely to be a tenant’s biggest monthly expense. The Renters’ Rights Bill will empower private rented sector tenants to challenge unreasonable within-tenancy rent increases.

What steps she is taking to provide financial support to people on lower incomes in Aldershot constituency.

We are committed to tackling poverty. We know that good work can significantly reduce the chances of people falling into poverty so this will be the foundation of our approach. Backed by £240 million investment, the Get Britain Working White Paper launched on 26 November will target and tackle economic inactivity and unemployment and join up employment, health and skills support to meet the needs of local communities. Alongside this, we are committed to reviewing Universal Credit to make sure it is doing the job we want it to do. We have begun this work with the announcement of the Fair Repayment Rate in the Budget and will continue to work with stakeholders closely as the review progresses. We will regularly update Parliament on progress. We are taking the first steps to tackle poverty through our commitments to triple investment in breakfast clubs to over £30 million and increase the National Living Wage to £12.21 an hour from April 2025 to boost the pay of 3 million workers. Furthermore, our plan to Make Work Pay aims to create opportunities for all by tackling low pay, poor working conditions and job security. To further support struggling families, £1 billion, including Barnett impact, will be invested to extend the Household Support Fund in England by a full year until 31 March 2026, on top of the six months already announced, and to maintain Discretionary Housing Payments in England and Wales.

Communities and Local Government, whether she has made an estimate of the number of unoccupied dwellings in (a) Hampshire and (b) Aldershot constituency.

According to the latest published statistics, excluding second homes, there are 719,470 vacant dwellings in England. 265,061 of these dwellings are classed as Long-Term Empty Homes, meaning they have been empty for more than 6 months. These statistics are published annually and can be found on gov.uk here. They include a breakdown of vacant dwellings by local authority district. We do not hold records on vacant homes on a constituency basis.

How many people paying National Insurance contributions in Aldershot constituency were earning under £25,000 in the 2022-23 financial year.

This information on taxpayer numbers is not available at levels lower than Government Office Regions. In 2022-23 there are projected to be 1.59m individuals paying individual National Insurance Contributions (Class 1, 2 or 4) with total income under £25,000 in the South East, which includes the Parliamentary Constituency of Aldershot. These estimates are based on the 2021-22 Survey of Personal Incomes, projected using economic assumptions consistent with the Office for Budget Responsibility’s March 2024 Economic and Fiscal Outlook.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment her Department has made of the potential implications for her policies of trends in the prevalence of damp and mould in social housing in (a) Aldershot constituency and (b) Hampshire.

The English Housing Survey includes data on dwelling condition, including damp and mould. It can be found on gov.uk here. In 2022/23 the survey found that 11% of homes in the South East of England did not meet the Decent Homes Standard. Nationwide, 10% of private rented households, 7% of local authority rented households, 4% of households renting from housing associations and 2% of owner occupier households were living with damp and mould.The government is committed to working with social housing providers to ensure that homes are safe, decent, warm, and free from damp and mould. We have committed to bringing forward the regulations necessary to introduce Awaab’s Law in the Social Rented Sector this Autumn. This will set new time limits for social landlords to fix dangerous hazards, including damp and mould. We have also committed to extending Awaab’s Law to the private rented sector.Social rented sector homes must also meet the Decent Homes Standard and all rented homes must be free of serious ‘category 1’ hazards, including damp and mould, as defined by the Housing Health and Safety Rating System. The government has published consolidated guidance on the health impacts of damp and mould.We also intend to consult on and implement a new Decent Homes Standard and Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards early next year.

Communities and Local Government, whether her Department has taken recent steps to increase the construction of (a) social housing and (b) affordable homes in Aldershot constituency.

The government has committed to delivering the biggest increase in social and affordable housebuilding in a generation.On 30 July we announced a number of changes in planning policy designed to support the delivery of affordable homes. We also confirmed a range of new flexibilities for councils and housing associations, both within the Affordable Homes Programme and in relation to how councils can use their Right to Buy receipts, and a further £450 million for councils through the Local Authority Housing Fund enabling councils to grow their housing stock.At the Budget on 30 October, the Chancellor set out details of an immediate one-year cash injection of £500 million to top up the existing Affordable Homes Programme which will deliver up to 5,000 new social and affordable homes. This comes ahead of the multi-year Spending Review next spring, where the Government will set out details of new investment to succeed the 2021-26 Affordable Homes Programme.The Chancellor also confirmed that we will reduce Right to Buy discounts to their pre-2012 regional levels and allow councils to retain 100% of the receipts generated by Right to Buy sales.In addition, the government will consult on a new 5-year social housing rent settlement to provide the sector with the certainty it needs to invest in new social housing.

Whether he plans to increase funding for renewable energy sources in Aldershot constituency.

We've already had £34.8 billion of private investment announced into the UK’s clean energy industries since July.  Significant investment in our energy system is required no matter what, to replace retiring generation capacity and meet increasing demand. This investment is therefore one we cannot afford not to make. Our 2030 mission will ensure this investment is directed at the technologies, places and people that provide the most affordable, secure and prosperous future for the British public.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the supply of adapted housing for (a) adults and (b) children with disabilities in Aldershot constituency.

The English Housing Survey includes data on adaptions within the home at a national level. Data is not held at constituency level.The right housing arrangements are crucial in supporting people to live independently and well. The National Planning Policy Framework outlines that it is for local planning authorities to assess the housing needed for different groups in their area, including disabled people, and reflect this in their local plan.Local housing authorities also have a statutory duty to provide Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) funding for home adaptations to disabled people of all ages and tenures subject to a means test, eligibility criteria and a needs assessment.Government provided funding of £1,312,512 to Rushmoor Borough Council which covers the town of Aldershot for the DFG for 2024 – 2025.

Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to (a) protect and (b) enhance green spaces in Aldershot constituency.

The government is firmly committed to creating better access to parks and green spaces for all sections of society. They are an essential part of local social infrastructure which supports more connected, stronger communities. Two green spaces in the Aldershot constituency, Wellesley Woodlands and Farnborough Business Park, have been recognised for their quality through the MHCLG-owned Green Flag Award. The Green Flag Award scheme sets the national quality standard for parks and green spaces.Furthermore, changes to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) will bolster environmental requirements that are already in place for new developments, including an objective for new residents to be able to access good quality green spaces within a short walk of their homes. Local authorities are mainly responsible for the provision and maintenance of green spaces and they are best placed to identify how to direct their resources. The Autumn Budget announced over £4 billion in additional funding for local government services, £1.3 billion of which will go through the Local Government Finance Settlement.

Communities and Local Government, what estimate she has made of the proportion of houses that have an EPC rating of (a) A, (b) B, (c) C, (d) D and (e) E in Aldershot constituency.

All EPC data is available for download by parliamentary constituency at https://epc.opendatacommunities.org/.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment her Department has made of the potential implications for her policies of trends in the number of people living in overcrowded housing in Aldershot constituency.

The Department does not collect data on overcrowding at a constituency level. The government’s Plan for Change milestone of building 1.5 million new homes in this Parliament will help tackle overcrowding across the country.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the cost of living on the numbers of (a) businesses at risk of insolvency and (b) people in debt in Aldershot constituency; and what fiscal steps she is taking to support those (i) businesses and (ii) people.

The Government recognises the significant impact the cost of living has had on personal finances, and particularly for those struggling with debt. We regularly engage with the Bank of England, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and the Money and Pensions Service (MaPS) to monitor personal finances and debt levels. The Money and Pensions Service conducts an annual survey of people in financial difficulty. The results of their latest survey were published on 29 February 2024. Given cost-of-living pressures, the Government remains committed to helping people that are in problem debt and vulnerable circumstances. For this reason, the Government offers a variety of debt advice services through the Money and Pensions Service to support individuals facing debt issues in England, including both national and community-based debt advice provision. The Government has also put in place several measures to support the households who face the greatest hardships, including the Fair Repayment Rate for debt deductions in Universal Credit, which means approximately 1.2 million families will keep more of their award each month. The Household Support Fund has also been extended to 2025-26, which will help households facing financial crisis by supporting them with the cost of essentials such as food, energy and water. We’ve also increased the National Living Wage to £12.21 per hour, an increase of 6.7% which is worth up to £1,4000 for a full-time worker. With respect to business debt, this is principally a commercial matter. However, the Government is strongly supportive of the work of the British Business Bank as a critical tool to help ensure finance reaches those parts of the economy that otherwise may struggle to obtain the capital they need. This is why at Autumn Budget, to help support the Government’s mission to kickstart economic growth, the Department for Business and Trade’s (DBT) settlement will allow them to invest over £1 billion across 2024–25 and 2025–26 for the BBB to enhance access to finance for small businesses, including over £250 million each year for small business loans programmes, including Start Up Loans and the Growth Guarantee Scheme.

What assessment she has made of the impact of trends in the level of mortgage interest rates on the levels of household disposable income in (a) Aldershot constituency, (b) Hampshire and (c) England.

Average offered interest rates on 2-year and 5-year fixed rate mortgages have fallen from their peak in the Summer of 2023. The pricing and availability of mortgages is a commercial decision for lenders in which the Government does not intervene. Mortgage interest rates are in part driven by Bank Rate, set by the independent Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of the Bank of England. The MPC continues to have the Government’s full support as it takes action to return inflation to target through its independent monetary policy decisions. This government’s missions to deliver growth, restore stability, increase investment and reform the economy will support price stability and drive up prosperity and living standards across the UK. In their October 2024 Economic and Fiscal Outlook, the Office for Budget Responsibility forecast real household disposable income (RHDI) per capita to grow by an annual average of 0.5% over this parliament. This is more than double the pace of RHDI per capita growth observed in the 2019-2024 parliament. RHDI per capita is only reported at a national level, but to ensure growth is felt by everyone we are also monitoring GDP capita on a regional basis.

What the average funding per pupil in mainstream schools was in (a) Aldershot constituency, (b) Hampshire and (c) England in each of the last three years.

The department is able to provide links to the published dedicated schools grant (DSG) tables from the 2022/23 financial year to the 2024/25 financial year. These tables show average per pupil funding amounts, split by primary and secondary phase, for each local authority and at national level.As the DSG is allocated at local authority level, DSG allocations are not available broken down to the level of individual constituencies. The individual allocations that schools within Aldershot constituency receive are determined each year by the local funding formula set by Hampshire local authority.Links to the published DSG tables are listed below:2022/23 financial year DSG: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dedicated-schools-grant-dsg-2022-to-2023.2023/24 financial year DSG: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dedicated-schools-grant-dsg-2023-to-2024.2024/25 financial year DSG: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dedicated-schools-grant-dsg-2024-to-2025.

Food and Rural Affairs, how many and what proportion of farms in Aldershot constituency are part of the Sustainable Farming Incentive.

The Sustainable Farming Incentive has a rolling application window and as of 17 November there are currently no Farm Businesses with a Sustainable Farming Incentive agreement in the Aldershot constituency. * The above is based on the registered address for the business postcode Note: *The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) only holds data for the number of farms that are registered with the RPA and have SFI agreement.

What steps she is taking to help increase the availability of childcare in Aldershot constituency.

Giving children the best start in life is key to the government’s Opportunity Mission. Good parenting and high-quality early education provide the foundation for children to achieve and thrive. This government is determined to ensure that parents have access to high-quality, affordable and flexible early education and childcare.The department is rolling out more government-funded childcare entitlements to help millions of families, working hand in hand with the early years sector to build a system that works for them, parents and above all, children. This includes delivering 3,000 new and expanded school-based nurseries to make high-quality childcare accessible and available. As a first step, primary schools can now apply for up to £150,000 of £15 million capital funding for nursery places to open from September 2025. High-quality, school-based nursery provision is popular with parents, especially families with multiple children. It can help schools upgrade spare space whilst also providing early support to children and families, supporting their transition into primary school. School-based nursery settings have proportionally higher qualified staff and see lower staff turnover, providing more consistency of care for children. Proportionally, school-based nurseries also look after more children with special educational needs and disabilities and offer a higher proportion of places in the most deprived areas.In the 2024/2025 financial year, early years providers are set to benefit from over £2 billion extra investment compared to last year, to support the rollout of 30 hours of government-funded early education from next September, rising in 2027/28 to over £4.1 billion. As announced in the Autumn Budget 2024, the department expects to provide over £8 billion for the early years entitlements in 2025/2026, which is around a 30% increase compared to 2024/25, as we continue to deliver the expansion to eligible working parents of children aged from nine months. Departmental hourly funding rates for Hampshire have been confirmed at, for 3 to 4-year-olds: £5.98 for 2-year-olds: £8.32 and for under 2s: £11:30.The planned September 2025 childcare rollout of 30 funded hours per week will go ahead, but there will be challenges including providers securing enough staff and places to meet demand, with the capacity needed varying across the country. The department is supporting the sector to attract talented staff and childminders to join the workforce by creating conditions for improved recruitment. The department is urging the public to ‘do something BIG’ and start a career working with small children through our national recruitment campaign. Our dedicated website also helps people find out more about gaining qualifications and search for existing job vacancies.Skills Bootcamps for the early years are available and lead to an accelerated apprenticeship, and we are funding Early Years Initial Teacher Training as a route for new and existing staff to gain Early Years Teacher Status. To support childminders to join and stay in the profession, the department has implemented new flexibilities to work with more people and spend more time working from non-domestic premises.The department is working closely with local areas and the early years sector to do everything we can to ensure there are enough places and the sector has the workforce it needs to provide those places and to bridge local gaps ahead of September 2025.

How many degree apprenticeships were (a) advertised and (b) completed in (i) Aldershot constituency, (ii) Hampshire and (iii) London in each of the last five years.

The table below provides details of degree level apprenticeship (level 6 and 7) vacancies in Aldershot constituency, Hampshire and London that were advertised on the Find an Apprenticeship (FAA) service on GOV.UK in each of the last five years.The department encourages employers to advertise on FAA to maximise engagement with their vacancies and to ensure that they are accessible to all potential apprentices. However, not all choose to use the service. Employers may choose to recruit apprentices through their own channels, for example via their own websites, which the department does not monitor. The figures below therefore do not represent the total number of degree level apprenticeship vacancies advertised.Academic yearAldershotHampshireLondon2019/202001109902020/2021203401,1302021/2022202903,0602022/2023301302,7402023/2024403102,450 To noteNumbers are rounded to nearest 10.Geography is based on the postcode associated with the vacancy location.The data source is the Apprenticeship Service (AS).In 2023 the Recruit an Apprentice (RAA) service was changed to ensure that every vacancy was led by an employer to improve the service to users by giving confidence a real job existed. Previously colleges and training providers often posted vacancies before an employer had been identified leading to delays in some apprentices starting their training or leaving the programme before they started. The table below provides details of degree level (level 6 and 7) apprenticeships that have been achieved in Aldershot constituency, Hampshire and London in each of the last five years, as published in the apprenticeships statistics publication.Academic yearAldershotHampshireLondon2019/20low704502020/21202101,1602021/22203601,7902022/23405502,8902023/24608303,880 To noteThese figures are rounded to the nearest 10.‘Low’ indicates a value of fewer than 5.The source is the Individualised Learner Record.Geography is based on the learner home postcode.

Food and Rural Affairs, how many and what proportion of farms in Aldershot constituency are part of Countryside Stewardship scheme.

As of the 17 November there are no Farm Businesses with a current Countryside Stewardship scheme agreement in the Aldershot constituency. The above is based on the registered address for the business postcode. Note: The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) only holds data for the number of farms that are registered with the RPA and have Countryside Stewardship Agreement.