Written questions by Snowden.

What recent assessment he has made of the potential impact of Government support schemes on small business participation in Small Business Saturday.

I congratulate Small Business Britain on another excellent Small Business Saturday, during which the Government launched the new ‘Backing your Business’ campaign to drive uptake of the Business Growth Service and boost awareness of the Small Business Plan. We have been delivering on our promise to back SMEs across Britain. This includes work to tackle late payments and cut the administrative costs of regulation saving SME owners time and money so they can focus on running successful businesses and continue to participate in important campaigns such as Small Business Saturday.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of water infrastructure.

A record £104 billion of investment is planned for the water sector in the next investment cycle. This will provide the water supply and wastewater capacity to secure future water supplies, including nine new reservoirs and several large-scale water transfer schemes.

With reference to the Child Poverty Strategy, published on 5 December 2025, what interim milestones will be used to track progress toward lifting 550,000 children out of poverty by the end of the Parliament.

The Monitoring and Evaluation Framework, published alongside the Strategy, sets out how we will track progress and evaluate success as part of our ongoing commitment to transparency, accountability and continued learning.We will use two complementary headline metrics, relative low income (after housing costs) and deep material poverty, as well as a comprehensive programme of analysis focusing on the drivers of child poverty and the impact of specific interventions.The Monitoring and Evaluation framework set out that a baseline report will be published in Summer 2026, reflecting the further development of plans and updated findings from the latest poverty statistics publications, with annual reporting on progress thereafter.

What steps he is taking to ensure that the digital social care record system is designed and maintained to national security standards.

The Department has not designed a single digital social care record (DSCR) system. Rather, through the Digitising Social Care (DiSC) programme which ended in April 2025, the Government set standards for DSCRs and created a list of solutions that have been assured against those key standards and capabilities. This includes data, cybersecurity, and interoperability standards. There are now 21 assured solutions on the list. In partnership with NHS England, the Department has driven the adoption of DSCRs to 80% of Care Quality Commission registered care providers, benefiting 89% of people who draw on care. Most, but not all, care providers are using assured DSCRs. Building on the work of the DiSC programme, we have set an ambition for all care providers to be fully digitised by the end of this Parliament. A fully digitised care provider is a registered care provider that uses an assured DSCR and meets national data security standards as set out through the Data Security and Protection Toolkit. These standards protect people’s sensitive information and make sure systems can connect safely and securely across health and social care. In January 2025, the Department announced that it is investing in a new national data infrastructure for social care. This will lay the foundations for near real-time visibility of information from adult social care, such as DSCRs, and health care services. Data protection, privacy, and transparency, as well as the ethical use of data, will be central to the design of the infrastructure.

Whether his Department plans to publish yearly progress reports on the implementation of the Single Patient Record.

The Department and NHS England will be monitoring the implementation of the single patient record and will provide regular updates on progress.

How many illegal immigrants have been deported under the Dublin Convention.

The Home Office publishes data on asylum in the ‘Immigration System Statistics Quarterly Release’. Data on the number of individuals transferred out of the UK under the Dublin regulation is published in the Dublin regulation detailed dataset (Dub_D01). Information on how to use the dataset can be found in the ‘Notes’ page of the workbook. The data relates up to the end of 2020, after which the UK was no longer subject to the Dublin regulation.

What recent assessment his Department has made of the economic impact of Small Business Saturday on high streets and local economies.

The Department has not done, and does not plan to do an assessment of the economic impact of Small Business Saturday on high streets and local economies.The Small Business Saturday campaign has done its own analysis; they suggest that Small Business Saturday could deliver a £5 billion boost for the sector. The Department has also launched its Backing Your Business campaign, designed to raise awareness of the support being provided to SMEs within the Small Business Plan, including on high streets and local economies.

Media and Sport, pursuant to the answer of 13 November 2025 to question 90762 on BBC: Royal Charters, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of perceived bias in the programme Question Time on the priorities of the new BBC Royal Charter.

The BBC is editorially and operationally independent from the Government and this is a crucial component of why people trust it. Under its Royal Charter, the BBC has a duty to deliver impartial and accurate news coverage and content, and the Government expects the BBC to uphold these standards.It is then for Ofcom, as the independent regulator, to ensure the BBC is fulfilling its obligations to audiences, including on impartiality and accuracy, as outlined in the Charter.The forthcoming Charter Review will provide an opportunity for the Government to consider a range of issues and to set the BBC up for success long into the future.

What support her Department will provide to smaller charities and volunteer-led organisations to help them comply with the Equality Act 2010 when applying single-sex provisions.

The EHRC has revised its Code of Practice for Services, Public Functions and Associations following the consultation and submitted it to the Minister for Women and Equalities. The Code will provide guidance to duty bearers, including single-sex service providers, which would cover charities and volunteer-led organisations, on how to comply with their legal obligations under the Equality Act 2010. The Government is considering the updated draft Code and, if the decision is taken to approve it, the Code will be laid before Parliament for a 40 day period.

What assessment her Department has made of the number of polygamous marriages recognised for limited purposes under UK immigration or family law in the latest period for which data is available.

All marriages conducted within the UK must be monogamous under the Marriage Act 1949 and related legislation.In some countries, polygamous or polyandrous marriages are permitted under the law of the country in which the marriage took place. Under the UK’s Immigration Rules only one spouse from a polygamous marriage can be granted entry or permission to stay in the UK as a partner. Additional spouses are not eligible for partner routes.No official data is collected on the number of polygamous marriages among applicants.

With reference to her Department's press release entitled Better buses, more services: £3 billion boost for millions of passengers, published on 5 December 2025, what guidance is being issued to councils on balancing investment between fare reductions, new routes, zero-emission buses and improvements to bus stops.

On 5 December, the Government confirmed investment of over £3 billion for the rest of the spending review period to support local leaders and bus operators across the country to improve bus services for millions of passengers. This includes multi-year allocations for local authorities under the Local Authority Bus Grant (LABG) totalling nearly £700 million per year, ending the short-term approach to bus funding and giving councils the certainty they need to plan ahead. Local authorities will have the flexibility to use this funding to meet local needs, whether that be reducing fares, introducing new routes, investing in zero-emission buses or improving bus stops and stations.LABG allocations have been calculated using a fair and transparent approach that considers population size, levels of deprivation, the extent of existing bus services and rurality. Further details on the funding formula have been published on GOV.UK at: Local Authority Bus Grant allocations - GOV.UK.

Food and Rural Affairs, what the total reservoir storage capacity in England (a) is in 2025 and (b) was in (i) 2020 and (ii) 2015.

The total capacity of reservoirs for all purposes in England, as per the public register of large raised reservoirs of over 25,000m3, which is managed by the Environment Agency.

With reference to her Department's press release entitled Better buses, more services: £3 billion boost for millions of passengers, published on 5 December 2025, what criteria were used to determine the Local Authority Bus Grant (LABG) allocations published alongside the £3 billion investment.

On 5 December, the Government confirmed investment of over £3 billion for the rest of the spending review period to support local leaders and bus operators across the country to improve bus services for millions of passengers. This includes multi-year allocations for local authorities under the Local Authority Bus Grant (LABG) totalling nearly £700 million per year, ending the short-term approach to bus funding and giving councils the certainty they need to plan ahead. Local authorities will have the flexibility to use this funding to meet local needs, whether that be reducing fares, introducing new routes, investing in zero-emission buses or improving bus stops and stations.LABG allocations have been calculated using a fair and transparent approach that considers population size, levels of deprivation, the extent of existing bus services and rurality. Further details on the funding formula have been published on GOV.UK at: Local Authority Bus Grant allocations - GOV.UK.

How many benefit claims in the last five years have involved individuals presenting as part of a polygamous household; and what the outcomes of those claims were.

Polygamous households are not recognised in Universal Credit. In claims where the claimant identifies as polygamous, the first spousal couple (the two partners who have been married longest) in the relationship could form a claim as a couple. However, all extant members of the relationship living in the household would need to make separate claims. Benefits such as Income Support, Jobseeker's Allowance, Employment and Support Allowance and Housing Benefit do recognise a small number of polygamous marriages which took place in a jurisdiction where polygamy is permitted. This number is very small and declining. Since the Immigration Act 1988, it has not been possible for people polygamously married overseas to bring second wives to the UK through the spouse visa route. As such, statistics are not held regarding numbers of claimants presenting as part of a polygamous household and would be disproportionate in cost to produce.

Whether the Crown Prosecution Service has issued any recent guidance on the prosecution of offences related to illegal polygamous marriages conducted within the UK.

Bigamy is an offence contrary to section.57 of the Offences Against the Person Act 1861 and is prosecuted as such. The CPS has not issued and has no plans to issue specific guidance.

Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to ensure the end of unlawful placements of families in Bed and Breakfast accommodation beyond six weeks.

Our National Plan to End Homelessness sets out how the Government will end the use of B&B accommodation for families except in emergencies by the end of this parliament. Our Plan sets out that every council will now be required to publish by Autumn next year, and regularly update, their action plan. These must include local targets that improve performance against each of the metrics relating to homelessness and rough sleeping in the Outcomes Framework for local government and set out council-level progress to end the unlawful use of B&B accommodation for families. We are investing £950 million through the Local Authority Housing Fund to increase the supply of good quality temporary accommodation and to support resettlement. We will also deliver an Emergency Accommodation Reduction Programme with £30 million funding to tackle a wider range of poor practice – including B&B and unsuitable out-of-area placements.

What steps the Government is taking with the NHS to end the practice of discharging mothers with newborn babies into B&Bs or other unsuitable accommodation.

The Government is working closely with the National Health Service to end the practice of mothers with newborns being discharged to bed and breakfasts or other forms of unsuitable shared housing.Our new Child Poverty Strategy was published 5 December 2025 and will end the unlawful placement of families in bed and breakfasts beyond the six-week limit. To support this, the Government is investing £8 million in Emergency Accommodation Reduction Pilots in 20 local authorities that have the highest use of bed and breakfasts for homeless families and is continuing the programme for the next three years.We will work with local authorities, supported by robust NHS pathways, to make sure safe and appropriate alternatives are available and used. This includes identifying issues as early as possible to help ensure that the housing a new mother and their newborn will be discharged to meets their needs.We are also working across the Government to support children in temporary accommodation. This includes introducing a clinical code for children in temporary accommodation, ensuring these families are proactively contacted by health services and ending the practice of discharging newborn babies into a bed and breakfast or other unsuitable shared accommodation.

What steps her Department is taking to ensure that schools educate pupils about the Holocaust in a way that counters misinformation and denial; and what assessment she has made of the adequacy of curriculum guidance on that subject.

The Holocaust is the only historic event which is compulsory within the current national curriculum for history at key stage 3. The government has made a commitment that the Holocaust will remain a compulsory topic in the reformed national curriculum, which will also be required teaching in academy schools when it is implemented.The government funds a set of programmes to support Holocaust teaching that provide high quality, rigorous education about the Holocaust and tackle misinformation, denial and distortion.The department funds teachers’ professional development in this subject through University College London’s Centre for Holocaust Education, and the Holocaust Educational Trust’s Lessons from Auschwitz project gives students aged 16 to 18 the opportunity to visit Auschwitz-Birkenau.In addition, the Supporting Holocaust Survivor Testimony in Teaching programme will support schools in using recorded Holocaust survivor testimony in their teaching. The programme will include resources on use of new technological innovations in this area to help teacher and student digital literacy, critical engagement with AI tools and recognition of AI-generated misinformation.Schools can also access wider resources available to tackle Holocaust distortion, including through the Oak National Academy.

What recent assessment she has made of the effectiveness of legislation in tackling expressions of Holocaust denial that constitute threatening, abusive and insulting behaviour under the Public Order Act 1986.

Antisemitism has absolutely no place in our society, and the Government is committed to tackling it in all its forms.The Home Secretary launched an independent review of public order and hate crime legislation on 5 October. This review will assess whether police powers remain fit for purpose, are used consistently, and strike the right balance between protecting the public and safeguarding the right to lawful protest.Under the Public Order Act 1986, expressions of Holocaust denial may constitute an offence where they meet the legal thresholds for threatening or abusive conduct under Section 5, or intentional harassment, alarm or distress under Section 4A.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of issuing guidance to retailers on reducing the cost of infant formula for low-income families on that cost.

The Government, working with the devolved administrations of Wales, Northern Ireland, and Scotland, has set out a strong package of measures on 3 December 2025 in the four-nations’ Government response to the Competition and Markets Authority’s market study on competition in the infant formula market. This will give parents and carers the confidence to choose lower priced infant formula products, encourage manufacturers and retailers to compete more on price, and remove unnecessary barriers to making infant formula more affordable.As part of this work, we will update guidance to retailers making clear when store loyalty card points, coupons, or gift vouchers may be used as payment for infant formula, in lieu of cash.We anticipate that the guidance will remove an unnecessary barrier to supporting families with the cost of infant formula, as well as enabling retailers to confidently offer the use of these cash alternatives in compliance with the infant formula regulations.Modelling by the Competition and Market’s Authority estimated that switching from the most expensive to the cheapest infant formula products on the market could save families up to £540 in a baby’s first year. Our package of measures is aimed at supporting parents to make informed choices, including understanding that all infant formula products meet the same nutritional standards and are sufficient for a growing baby’s needs, regardless of the price or brand.