Written questions by Stephenson.

Pursuant to the Answer of 10 September 2025 to Question 74254, what steps she will take to ensure that increased production of Sustainable Aviation Fuels delivers high skilled jobs.

The Government is working at pace to deliver greener aviation as a key enabler of Government’s missions to kickstart economic growth and make Britain a clean energy superpower.The UK plays a key role on coordinated international action through ICAO and forging strong bilateral partnerships to scale SAF technologies and markets. We were one of the first countries in the world to introduce a SAF mandate and a wide range of SAF projects are underway across the UK, using different technologies and progressing through various stages of development.We are working to speed up and scale up the production of SAF in the UK through the Advanced Fuels Fund and the Revenue Certainty Mechanism. The Advanced Fuels Fund provides funding to first-of-a-kind commercial and demonstration-scale SAF projects in the UK, helping speed up the development and scale up of new technologies and projects. We are also currently legislating for a Revenue Certainty Mechanism. This will help UK-based SAF projects attract investment and start producing SAF at commercial scale more quickly.The UK’s expertise in petrochemicals, jet fuel, and engineering positions it as a prime location for SAF production and we are confident that our policies can make the UK a world leader in SAF production and use. This will create high-skilled green jobs, attract investment, drive growth, boost fuel security, and open export opportunities. Low-carbon fuel production could support up to 15,000 UK jobs by 2050.

If he will make an estimate of the cost to the public purse of Ministerial pensions in the 2024-25 financial year.

Each government department discloses their ministerial pension benefits in their own Annual Report and Accounts. Pension benefits of Cabinet Office Ministers for 2024-25 is disclosed on page 90 of the Cabinet Office Annual Report and Accounts 2024-25. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/690e1f38896fad804b050fba/36.17_CO_ARA_24-25_00-Book_v17_WEB.pdf

Pursuant to the Answer of 8 July 2025 to Question 64200, when he expects to publish the evaluation results for 2024-25.

Evaluation results for the GREAT Britain & Northern Ireland Campaign have not yet been finalised for financial year 2024/25. We expect initial economic returns generated by the campaign in 2024/25 to have been assessed and validated before the end of the year, and will be published via the GREAT website when appropriate.

Pursuant to the Answer of 8 July 2025 to Question 64583, if his Department will publish the assessment they made to inform the GREAT Campaign’s focus for 2025-26.

Evaluation results for the GREAT Britain & Northern Ireland Campaign have not yet been finalised for financial year 2024/25. We expect initial economic returns generated by the campaign in 2024/25 to have been assessed and validated before the end of the year, and will be published via the GREAT website when appropriate.

Pursuant to the Answer of 12 September 2025 to Question 74693, if she will consider the potential merits of the UK becoming a global leader in SAF production.

The Government is working at pace to deliver greener aviation as a key enabler of Government’s missions to kickstart economic growth and make Britain a clean energy superpower.The UK plays a key role on coordinated international action through ICAO and forging strong bilateral partnerships to scale SAF technologies and markets. We were one of the first countries in the world to introduce a SAF mandate and a wide range of SAF projects are underway across the UK, using different technologies and progressing through various stages of development.We are working to speed up and scale up the production of SAF in the UK through the Advanced Fuels Fund and the Revenue Certainty Mechanism. The Advanced Fuels Fund provides funding to first-of-a-kind commercial and demonstration-scale SAF projects in the UK, helping speed up the development and scale up of new technologies and projects. We are also currently legislating for a Revenue Certainty Mechanism. This will help UK-based SAF projects attract investment and start producing SAF at commercial scale more quickly.The UK’s expertise in petrochemicals, jet fuel, and engineering positions it as a prime location for SAF production and we are confident that our policies can make the UK a world leader in SAF production and use. This will create high-skilled green jobs, attract investment, drive growth, boost fuel security, and open export opportunities. Low-carbon fuel production could support up to 15,000 UK jobs by 2050.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an estimate of the (a) amount and (b) proportion of mechanically dried honey sold as honey in the UK; and what steps he is taking to ensure that honey sold in the UK meets legal compositional standards.

The Department does not collect data on the amount and proportion of mechanically dried honey sold as honey in the UK. However, we do regularly collect UK honey import trade data. The Government recognises the importance of protecting food standards and has set minimum quality standards for many foods, including honey. All honey on sale, regardless of where it comes from must comply with the Honey Regulations 2015 which set out detailed specifications of its composition, labelling, and quality criteria. These are robust standards which aim to protect honey, ensuring that it meets a set definition and characteristics. Defra works closely with enforcement authorities who are responsible for enforcing our honey laws, the Food Standards Agency’s (FSA) National Food Crime Unit, Food Standards Scotland’s (FSS) Food Crime and Incidents Unit, local and port health authorities, industry and others on investigating any potential fraud issues raised, to ensure honey sold in the UK meets our high standards and maintains a level playing field between honey producers. Enforcement authorities also routinely test honey for compliance with the honey regulations. Defra and the FSA also support a programme of research dedicated to honey authenticity where it is actively working to provide information and guidance to those carrying out monitoring and enforcement checks on honey, to protect consumers and legitimate businesses.

Innovation and Technology, if she will make an estimate of the cost to the public purse of (a) consultations and (b) reviews conducted by her Department since 4 July 2024.

DSIT undertakes a range of reviews, consultations, and wider public engagement to inform effective decision-making and delivery. These costs of these are not separately recorded in a way that would enable us to provide the estimate requested.

Communities and Local Government, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of low-complexity work in higher-risk buildings having to be submitted to the Building Safety Regulator for approval on the levels of application processing backlog.

We recognise there have been significant challenges faced by applicants in getting Building Safety Regulator (BSR) approval for low-complexity and lower-risk work. Category B work, generally including less-complex and lower-risk projects, carries fewer procedural requirements in an application to the BSR. The intention was that these category B applications should be simpler for the applicant to prepare and quicker for the BSR to assess. The department and BSR has been working at pace to address these challenges, and to ensure the new regime is fit for purpose and proportionate for all type of work. We will continue to engage with industry while policy review and development is under way. On average Category B applications have taken 11.5 hours to make a decision per application. In comparison, Category A applications have taken an average of 20 hours per application, and New HRB’s have taken an average of 88.2 hours per application. As of 14 November 2025, there are 12 Category B applications currently progressing through Gateway 2 Assessment. When measured against the total volume of Category B assessments received during this financial year, the average time allocated represents approximately 3.6% of overall working hours.

Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of the impact of the High-Risk Building regime on the Government’s target of achieving 99% gigabit-capable broadband coverage by 2032; and what discussions her Department has had with the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government on this issue.

Building and fire safety, including the Higher-Risk Building regulatory framework, is the responsibility of the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG).The department continues to work closely with MHCLG to assess and mitigate delays experienced by the telecoms sector, including those faced by fixed network operators, as a result of the higher-risk building safety regime.We remain committed to removing barriers to the deployment of digital infrastructure and to delivering 99% gigabit-capable coverage by 2032.

Whether her Department has carried out a value for money analysis of the Electric Car Grant.

Yes, the Department has completed an internal value for money assessment for the Electric Car Grant. Officials will continue to monitor the grant, and assess its value for money, to ensure taxpayers’ money is spent in a cost-effective manner.

Whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of rural roads on self-driving vehicles.

The Automated Vehicles Act 2024 (AV Act) sets out a comprehensive legal framework with safety at its core.The Act introduces a new authorisation process that will test self-driving capability and identify a corporation to be held accountable for vehicles behaviour. Companies applying to authorise their vehicle under the AV Act will have to set out the area in which the vehicle intends to operate, known as the operational design domain (ODD). This could include the area or road type the vehicle intends to operate in, such as motorways or rural roads.During the authorisation process, it must be demonstrated that the vehicle is capable of operating to the safety standard required in all areas of the planned deployment.We recognise the opportunities automated vehicles can bring in providing new freedoms to those who may be unable to drive. For example, through improving transport links in rural and isolated areas.

Communities and Local Government, what proportion of residential development projects had a main developer which was classified as an SME in each of the last five years.

This information is not recorded by my Department.

If he will make an estimate of the cost to the public purse of (a) consultations and (b) reviews conducted by his Department since 4 July 2024.

The information requested is not centrally held in an easily accessible form as there are no expenditure categories that just cover consultations or reviews.Due to this any response could only be collated and verified for the purposes of answering this question at disproportionate cost.

With reference to the press release entitled Cutting-edge rail ticket technology to be trialled across the Midlands and North, published on 1 September 2025, how she plans to measure the success of that trial.

An independent evaluation of the Digital Pay-As-You-Go trials, including the one on East Midlands Railway between Leicester, Derby and Nottingham, has been commissioned. The trial is currently expected to end in 2027, and we intend to publish the findings in due course.

With reference to the press release entitled Cutting-edge rail ticket technology to be trialled across the Midlands and North, published on 1 September 2025, for what reason East Midlands Rail and Northern were selected for that trial.

The routes in the East Midlands and Yorkshire operated by East Midlands Railway and Northern were selected as being areas of the rail network that do not have existing or planned Pay-As-You-Go schemes and with large enough passenger numbers to give statistically significant results, a significant commuter demographic, and where existing fares structures supported trial delivery.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether she has made a recent assessment of the effectiveness of the enforcement of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991.

Defra is continuing to engage closely with the Police, local authorities, and rescue and rehoming organisations to monitor the impacts of the XL Bully dog ban. We are also working with the police, local authorities and animal welfare groups to explore measures to reduce dog attacks and promote responsible dog ownership across all breeds of dog. We have reconvened the Responsible Dog Ownership taskforce and look forward to receiving their findings and recommendations in due course.

Communities and Local Government, if he will make an estimate of the proportion of planning applications that have been rejected in each of the past five years in England.

The proportions of planning applications that have been rejected in each of the past five years in England and in London can be derived from the data available in the PS2 time series section of the interactive planning application statistics dashboard, available here. They can also be derived from the detailed data held in PS2 open data file on gov.uk here. My Department does not hold the information on political control needed to provide the requested breakdown of figures by controlling political party in each of the last five years.

Communities and Local Government, what information his Department holds on the number of houses that have been rejected for planning permission in Greater London since 4 July 2024.

The proportions of planning applications that have been rejected in each of the past five years in England and in London can be derived from the data available in the PS2 time series section of the interactive planning application statistics dashboard, available here. They can also be derived from the detailed data held in PS2 open data file on gov.uk here. My Department does not hold the information on political control needed to provide the requested breakdown of figures by controlling political party in each of the last five years.

Pursuant to the Answer of 8 September 2025 to Question 73473 on Health Services: Apprentices, if he will make an estimate of the cost to the public purse of funding the provision of those Level 7 apprenticeships in each of the next five years.

Funding for the continuation of Level 7 apprenticeships in five professions has been agreed by NHS England and the Department for courses starting from 1 January 2026 up to 31 March 2029. Funding can be used by employers to cover education costs which would previously have been funded through the apprenticeship levy.Final expenditure is subject to the number of actual apprenticeship starts in each year. However, total funding will be capped annually, aligned to 2023/24 start numbers.

Communities and Local Government, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of providing statutory funding for tackling flooding to fire and rescue services in England.

Protecting communities from flooding is a key priority for this Government. Fire and Rescue Authorities already have duties under the Civil Contingencies Act 2004 to prepare for emergencies, including major flooding. However, we recognise the interest in creating a statutory duty for flood rescue and officials are working with DEFRA, as lead government department for flooding, to consider the wider implications of this. MHCLG supports Fire and Rescue Authorities in responding to flood incidents by providing national resilience High Volume Pump (HVP) capabilities. These are available to be used by Fire & Rescue Services across the country during major flood incidents. Additionally, DEFRA hold the Flood Rescue National Asset Register, a list of teams or assets that voluntarily join the register and maintain availability for national deployment in England.