Written questions by Snowden.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of a property tax on landlords on the availability of rental properties in the private sector.

The Government does not comment on speculation about tax changes. All tax policy is kept under review and tax decisions will be made at the Budget, in the usual way. The Government recognises that the private rented sector plays an important role in the UK housing market. Boosting the supply of housing is essential in making rent more affordable, which is why we have committed to building 1.5 million homes over the course of this Parliament.

Communities and Local Government, whether his Department has conducted any assessments on the implications of replacing council tax with a property-based tax payable by property owners rather than occupiers.

The government remains committed to keeping all taxes and elements of the local government finance system under review. The government will continue to monitor the effectiveness of the system and consider options for reform where there is clear evidence that change would deliver better outcomes for residents and councils alike. The Chancellor makes tax policy decisions at fiscal events.

Pursuant to the Answer of 15 September 2025 to Question 75718 on Mobile Scooters, what steps she is taking to ensure public awareness of that consultation.

Ensuring everyone has the opportunity to shape the powered mobility device review is a priority for us, to make sure regulations are designed with and for disabled people. The consultation will be published on gov.uk in the usual way and it will comply with our accessibility standards to ensure everyone can access it. We will work with a wide range of stakeholders, including those representing disabled people, once that consultation is published to ensure it reaches everyone who would like to contribute.

Communities and Local Government, whether he plans to introduce rent controls in Lancashire.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 56269 on 10 June 2025.

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of making student nurses eligible for the 30 hours of free childcare.

It is our ambition that all families have access to high-quality, affordable and flexible early education and care, giving every child the best start in life and delivering on our Plan for Change.Students who work in addition to their studies and earn the equivalent of at least 16 hours a week at National Minimum Wage (this is equivalent to £195 per week/£10,158 per year in 2025/2026), and under £100,000 adjusted net income per year, may be eligible for this offer. If they are unable to meet this threshold, they will remain eligible for the universal 15 hours of free early education, which is available to all 3 and 4-year-olds, regardless of family circumstances.The government recognises the value of parents continuing in education and provides a range of support for students in further or higher education to support them with childcare. Support available to full-time students with dependent children includes the Childcare Grant and Parents’ Learning Allowance. Entitlement to these grants is based on a student’s household income. Healthcare students may also be entitled to the NHS Learning Support Fund.Further information on the childcare offers available to parents can be found at: https://www.beststartinlife.gov.uk/.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of police workforce shortages on response times to emergency calls.

The Government’s Safer Streets Mission sets a clear expectation for policing to deliver safer communities and improved public confidence. We are committed to giving forces the resources they need to keep the public safe.The 2025-26 final police funding settlement provides up to £19.6 billion for the policing system in England and Wales. Total funding to police forces will be up to £17.6 billion, an increase of up to £1.2 billion compared to the 2024-25 police funding settlement – a significant increase, and more than the increase last year. This equates to a 7.1% cash increase, and 4.6% real terms increase in funding.This includes fully covering the costs for the 2024/25 pay award, the increase in the employer national insurance contributions, £376.8 million for officer maintenance and an additional £200 million to kickstart the first phase of 13,000 additional police officers, PCSOs and special constables into neighbourhood policing roles.It is for Chief Constables and directly elected PCCs, and Mayors with PCC functions to make operational decisions based on their local knowledge and experience. This includes how best to allocate all the resources at their disposal to provide responses to emergency calls alongside all the other services and support they provide to communities.

Pursuant to the Answer of 10 July 2025 to Question 66726 on Childcare: Eligibility, if her Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of changing the eligibility criteria to take account of the unpaid nature of student nursing.

It is our ambition that all families have access to high-quality, affordable and flexible early education and care, giving every child the best start in life and delivering on our Plan for Change.Students who work in addition to their studies and earn the equivalent of at least 16 hours a week at National Minimum Wage (this is equivalent to £195 per week/£10,158 per year in 2025/2026), and under £100,000 adjusted net income per year, may be eligible for this offer. If they are unable to meet this threshold, they will remain eligible for the universal 15 hours of free early education, which is available to all 3 and 4-year-olds, regardless of family circumstances.The government recognises the value of parents continuing in education and provides a range of support for students in further or higher education to support them with childcare. Support available to full-time students with dependent children includes the Childcare Grant and Parents’ Learning Allowance. Entitlement to these grants is based on a student’s household income. Healthcare students may also be entitled to the NHS Learning Support Fund.Further information on the childcare offers available to parents can be found at: https://www.beststartinlife.gov.uk/.

Pursuant to the Answer of 3 Sep 2025 to Question 73585 on Asylum: Housing, what steps her Department is taking to ensure there is no conflict of interest when allocating contracts for asylum accommodation.

All commercial contracts are subject to normal government procurement rules.

If she will set out the level of childcare support his Department provides for (a) student nurses and (b) other essential vocational trainees; and what plans she has to increase that level of support.

It is our ambition that all families have access to high-quality, affordable and flexible early education and care, giving every child the best start in life and delivering on our Plan for Change.Students who work in addition to their studies and earn the equivalent of at least 16 hours a week at National Minimum Wage (this is equivalent to £195 per week/£10,158 per year in 2025/2026), and under £100,000 adjusted net income per year, may be eligible for this offer. If they are unable to meet this threshold, they will remain eligible for the universal 15 hours of free early education, which is available to all 3 and 4-year-olds, regardless of family circumstances.The government recognises the value of parents continuing in education and provides a range of support for students in further or higher education to support them with childcare. Support available to full-time students with dependent children includes the Childcare Grant and Parents’ Learning Allowance. Entitlement to these grants is based on a student’s household income. Healthcare students may also be entitled to the NHS Learning Support Fund.Further information on the childcare offers available to parents can be found at: https://www.beststartinlife.gov.uk/.

Pursuant to the Answer of 3 September 2025 to Question 73585 on Asylum: Housing, what her policy is on the administration of asylum accommodation contracts relating to people who both oversee contracts and are licence holders for houses in multiple occupation used for asylum accommodation.

All commercial contracts are subject to normal government procurement rules.

Pursuant to the Answer of 3 Sep 2025 to Question 73585 on Asylum: Housing, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that Government procurement rules are adhered to in the issuing of contracts to provide asylum accommodation; and what steps he is taking to ensure that perceived breaches can be reported.

All commercial contracts are subject to normal government procurement rules.

Communities and Local Government, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of removing local authority discretion to waive the Council Tax premium on second homes in cases where the second property is used for essential non-luxury purposes on homeowners.

Decisions on whether to apply council tax premiums are a matter for individual councils. Where a council chooses to implement a premium, they have the discretionary power to set their own local exceptions to premiums, or provide discounts where they consider this appropriate. The government has no plans to restrict or remove these powers.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure childcare policy supports the recruitment and retention of student nurses as part of the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan, updated on 22 April 2024.

The Department for Education provides the primary funding support package for English domiciled students in higher education through the student loans system. Eligible students can also apply for the Childcare Grant and Parents’ Learning Allowance.The Department of Health and Social Care provides eligible healthcare students, including student nurses, with supplementary, non-repayable support via the NHS Learning Support Fund (LSF). This includes a £5,000 training grant for all students eligible for the LSF and a further £2,000 per academic year for those students with childcare responsibility. These funding arrangements are reviewed annually ahead of the start of each academic year.We will publish a 10 Year Workforce Plan (10YWP) to create a workforce ready to deliver a transformed service. This 10YWP will ensure the National Health Service has the right people in the right places, with the right skills to care for patients, when they need it.

Pursuant to the Answer of 3 Sep 2025 to Question 73585 on Asylum: Housing, what mechanisms exist for members of the public to report perceived conflicts of interest in the allocation of contracts to provide asylum accommodation.

All commercial contracts are subject to normal government procurement rules.

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of establishing a cross-departmental taskforce to review the adequacy of childcare provision for (a) student nurses and (b) other parents in full-time healthcare education.

It is our ambition that all families have access to high-quality, affordable and flexible early education and care, giving every child the best start in life and delivering on our Plan for Change.Where student parents are not eligible for 30 hours funded childcare, they will remain eligible for the universal 15 hours of free early education, which is available to all 3 and 4-year-olds, regardless of family circumstances.The government recognises the value of parents continuing in education and provides a range of options for students in higher education to support them with childcare. Support available to full-time students with dependent children includes the Childcare Grant and Parents’ Learning Allowance. Entitlement to these grants is based on a student’s household income.Healthcare students may also be entitled to the NHS Learning Support Fund. Information on eligibility and how to apply is available here: https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/nhs-learning-support-fund-lsf.Further information on the childcare offers available to parents can be accessed here: https://www.beststartinlife.gov.uk/.

Pursuant to the Answer of 10 July 2025 to Question 66726, what recent estimate she has made of the number of student nurses in England who are ineligible for the 30 hours of funded childcare due to their status as students rather than workers.

It is our ambition that all families have access to high-quality, affordable and flexible early education and care, giving every child the best start in life and delivering on our Plan for Change. We are delivering more support to working families than ever before, with the rollout of 30 hours government-funded childcare.The department does not hold data on the number of student nurses in England who are ineligible for the 30 hours funded childcare.Further information on the childcare offers available to parents is available here: https://www.beststartinlife.gov.uk/.

Communities and Local Government, what steps he plans to take with local authorities to encourage social cohesion at a neighbourhood level in Lancashire.

The government has recently announced the Pride in Place programme, which will support up to 244 of Great Britain’s most in-need neighbourhoods with up to £20 million each over the next decade. Our long-term investment is designed not only to address deprivation, but also to rebuild social capital and strengthen community ties in these areas, with a portion of funding expected to support cohesion-related projects. In Lancashire, funding is being provided to Accrington, Burnley, Darwen, Rawtenstall, Nelson, Shadsworth & Intack in Blackburn, Fleetwood, Little Layton & Little Carleton in Blackpool, Ribbleton in Preston, Morecambe West End, and Skelmersdale South East. The Pride in Place programme will target long-term investment to the communities that need it most, but some areas also need more immediate support to tackle local priorities. The Pride in Place Impact Fund will provide £150 million to up to 100 places, with each place receiving £1.5 million over two years to improve the places and spaces valued by local people. In Lancashire, the following local authorities have each been allocated £1.5 million from the Price in Place Impact Fund: Blackburn with Darwen, Blackpool, Burnley, Hyndburn, Pendle and Preston. Furthermore, MHCLG is co-ordinating cross-Government efforts to develop a longer-term, more strategic approach to social cohesion - working in partnership with local government, communities and local stakeholders to rebuild, renew and address the deep-seated issues.

Food and Rural Affairs, how applications for emergency authorisation of banned neonicotinoids will be assessed under the new guidance; and whether an independent scientific advisory committee will be involved in the decision-making process.

The new guidance applies to emergency authorisation applications for all pesticides, not just neonicotinoids. When considering applications, the possible adverse effects of the pesticide are weighed against the potential benefits of its use. Applicants must provide clear evidence on the benefits of pesticide use and the potential risks to people, animals and the environment if authorisation is granted. The guidance states that the decision-maker may seek independent advice on scientific aspects of applications for emergency authorisation. A key source of advice is the UK Expert Committee on Pesticides, which provides independent scientific advice on the regulation of pesticides.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether the updated guidance for emergency authorisations of pesticides will apply retrospectively to applications submitted in 2024.

The updated guidance for emergency authorisations of pesticides was published on 11 September 2025. It does not apply retrospectively to applications submitted prior to that date, including any submitted in 2024.

What proportion of the increase in illegal working arrests involved people who had originally entered the UK on work visas.

The government takes illegal working very seriously, and we are determined to clamp down on the employment of individuals with no right to work in the UK.The specific information requested is not readily available from published statistics and could only be obtained for the purpose of answering this question at disproportionate cost.