Written questions by Stephenson.

If she will publish any assessment that National Highways have made of the flooding of the A421 at Marston Moreteyne in September 2024.

As the Lead Local Flood Authority, Central Bedfordshire Council are producing a Section 19 report to review the flooding that occurred on the A421 in accordance with the Flood and Water Management Act 2010.With publication of the report expected in autumn, National Highways (NH) is awaiting the outcome to make any necessary improvements.In the meantime, given the significance of the issue affecting the A421, National highways are building a new £1.5million pumping station on higher ground to prevent this happening again.

What assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of UK hospitality's press release entitled, One third of hospitality businesses now operating at a loss, published 2 June 2025.

The Government is committed to supporting the hospitality sector. That is why we have launched a licensing taskforce to make recommendations to cut red tape and remove barriers to business growth that exist within the UK’s licensing framework. The industry-led Taskforce has shared its findings with the Government, and we aim to update publicly by the summer. The Government is also creating a fairer business rates system that protects the high street, supports investment, and is fit for the 21st century. From April 2026, the Government intends to introduce permanently lower tax rates for retail, hospitality, and leisure (RHL) properties with rateable values below £500,000. This permanent tax cut will ensure that the hospitality sector benefit from much-needed certainty and support. The rates for these new business rate multipliers will be set at Budget 2025 so that the Government can take into account the upcoming revaluation outcomes as well as the economic and fiscal context. We also recognise that RHL businesses will need support during the interim period for 2025/26, and so we are providing 40 per cent relief to RHL properties up to a cash cap of £110,000 per business. Without any government intervention, RHL relief would have ended entirely in April 2025, creating a cliff-edge for businesses.

Communities and Local Government, whether her Department’s proposed New Towns will be able to demolish areas of existing housing.

The New Towns Taskforce will submit its final report this summer.

With reference to the document entitled Economic appraisal for investing in local highways maintenance, published on 26 September 2024, what progress her Department has made on publishing its response to the recommendations in that report.

The report entitled Economic appraisal for investing in local highways maintenance referenced was commissioned by the Department for Transport and was published on Gov.uk in November 2024. Alongside other research and evidence, it has informed policy development and funding decisions, and a formal response is not required.

What process her Department took to appoint Chiltern Railways as the operator of East-West Rail from Oxford-Milton Keynes.

The Department conducted a review to assess train operating companies’ level of capability and the degree of integration with the first stage of East–West Rail. Chiltern Railways was assessed as providing the best fit and following a negotiation of commercial terms, a Deed of Amendment was signed enacting this in and it is now working on delivering the new, twice-hourly rail service between Oxford and Milton Keynes as early as possible.

How the year-on-year spending associated with the Chagos Islands deal will be funded.

Any financial obligations arising from the UK-Mauritius agreement on the Chagos Archipelago, including departmental budgetary responsibilities, will be managed responsibly within the government’s fiscal framework and reported in annual accounts in the usual way. Obligations within MOD and FCDO budgets have been agreed through the recently published Spending Review. No payments will be made until the treaty is legally binding.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 9 June 2025 to Question 56032 on Housing: Costs, what steps she plans to take to incentivise developers to build at a level that reduces house prices.

The government’s Plan for Change includes a hugely ambitious milestone of building 1.5 million new homes in England in this Parliament. We have already taken decisive action to increase housing supply, including overhauling the planning system and kickstarting a decade of social and affordable housing renewal. In July 2024, the Home Builders Federation and supporting members issued a joint statement making clear that the housebuilding industry was committed to increase delivery of new homes year on year in this parliament. The statement can be found on the Home Builders Federation website here.

If she will make an estimate of the number of Government announcements which were made in the House of Commons prior to a Ministerial announcement in the media since July 2024.

The Ministerial Code is clear, when Parliament is in session the most important announcements of Government policy should be made in the first instance to Parliament. This is an important principle that the government stands by.As of 9th July 2025 there have been 185 oral statements in 165 sitting days – more than one per day and more than in the previous session.While the Government remains committed to making the most important announcements on the floor of the House, we do need to balance this with the time available for both government and backbench business.

Communities and Local Government, if she will publish the New Towns Taskforce recommendations before 23 July 2025.

The New Towns Taskforce will submit its final report this summer.

Communities and Local Government, if she will make an estimate of the amount of capital funding that public sector bodies will spend on (a) building and (b) purchasing houses between July 2024 and July 2029.

Local authority capital expenditure and financing estimates for the current financial year can be found on gov.uk here.At the Spending Review, we announced £39 billion for a successor to the Affordable Homes Programme over 10 years from 2026-27 to 2035-36. Further detail can be found in the Written Ministerial Statement made on 2 July (HCWS771).The government is also providing £950 million capital for the fourth round of the Local Authority Housing Fund - the largest round of the fund to date – to deliver up to 5,000 homes.

If she will take steps to provide provide financial support for communities seeking to bring disused pubs back into use.

The Government recognises the important role pubs play on our high streets and in community spaces and we want to see them thrive.That is why we have funded a wide range of community assets, including pubs, through the Community Ownership Fund. On 23 December 2024, this Government announced the outcome of Round 4 of the Community Ownership Fund, the largest ever round to date which approved funds for 6 community pub projects.Through The Hospitality Support Scheme, we are working with Pub is the Hub and providing funds to help community pubs adapt to changing local needs, ensuring these vital social hubs continue delivering for their communities.As part of the English Devolution Bill, the Government will legislate to introduce a strong new ‘right to buy’ for valued community assets, such as empty shops, pubs and community spaces. This will empower local people to bring community spaces back into community ownership and end the blight of empty premises on our high streets. More details will be announced in due course.In addition, we will soon be publishing our Small Business Strategy, which will announce further measures to support small businesses in the pub and hospitality sector which will help revitalise high streets.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the business rates system on pub closures.

We are creating a fairer business rates system that protects the high street, supports investment, and is fit for the 21st century. From 2026-27, we intend to introduce permanently lower tax rates for retail, hospitality, and leisure properties with rateable values below £500,000, which will benefit almost all pubs in England. We will confirm the rates for these new multipliers at Budget 2025, taking account of the outcomes of the 2026 revaluation as well as the broader economic and fiscal context. Until these new tax rates are introduced, in 2025-26, RHL businesses will receive a 40 per cent relief on their eligible properties up to a cash cap of £110,000 per business. Under the previous Government, RHL relief was due to end entirely in April 2025. By extending the relief, the Government has saved the average pub, with a ratable value of £16,800, over £3,300.

Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of requiring landlords to update Efficiency Performance Certificates regularly.

The government is reforming Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) to ensure that people, including tenants, have access to even more reliable and accurate information about the properties they are renting. Having a regularly updated EPC provides tenants with up to date information including relative energy bills and thermal comfort of their homes compared to other rental properties. More information, including the consultation stage impact assessment, can be found in the consultation ‘Reforms to the Energy Performance of Buildings regime’ on gov.uk.

How many NHS employees have a level 7 apprenticeship qualification.

The Department does not hold the information requested.

Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 6 June 2025 to Question 55512 on Flood Control: Owner Occupation, if he will direct the Environment Agency to hold a community engagement event on flood risk in Mid Bedfordshire constituency.

Since the flooding across Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire in Autumn last year, the Environment Agency (EA) has hosted community events alongside other partner agencies. These were well received and strengthened local engagement around flood risk. In the Mid Bedfordshire constituency, the risk of flooding is predominantly from surface water or watercourses that are the responsibility of Local Authorities or Internal Drainage Boards, who would be better placed to take a lead role on community engagement around these sources of flooding. The EA is however working closely with all Flood Risk Management Authority partners to ensure communities are prepared and resilient to all sources of flood risk. They will support any community engagement events led by others wherever possible.

What estimate he has made of the level of UK investment generated by the GREAT campaign since 5 July 2024.

I refer the hon. member to the PQ 63750. The campaign uses a comprehensive evaluation framework with timeframes for results tailored to each participating organisation's activities. Evaluation results for the GREAT Britain & Northern Ireland Campaign have not yet been finalised for financial year 2024/25.

Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 6 June 2025 to Question 55512 on Flood Control: Owner Occupation, how much funding (a) his Department and (b) the Environment Agency have allocated for promoting awareness of flood risk in the 2025-26 financial year.

Raising awareness of flood and coastal erosion risk is one of the Environment Agency’s (EA) key priorities and supports actions set out in the National FCERM Strategy. Flood resilience engagement advisors lead the EA’s work with communities at risk of flooding at the local level. Funding for these activities comes from resource allocations. There is no national database tracking the money specifically allocated to these activities as they often form part of a larger project or programme of work. Flood Action Week is the EA’s annual public action week, raising awareness amongst the public of their flood risk, the actions they should take, and the work the EA does to prepare and respond during a flood. Flood Action Week 2025 is planned for October and will focus on raising awareness amongst communities of our flood warning service and what to do when they receive a warning, and about property flood resilience measures.

How many (a) unauthorised and (b) sickness absences there were in the civil service in each of the last five years.

Sickness absence data for the Civil Service is published annually, and is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/sickness-absence. Individual departments are responsible for managing their workforces, including any instances of unauthorised absence. This information is not held centrally by the Cabinet Office.

Food and Rural Affairs, how much his Department spent on the Chilterns National Landscape Boundary Review project.

The total cost of Natural England’s consultancy contracts on the Chilterns National Landscape Boundary Review project is approximately £430,000.00. This cost includes the production of all the technical reports as well as support for some engagement work with stakeholders. The total cost expensed internally by Natural England is detail we do not hold as many different teams and individuals have been involved in the project since its inception.

Communities and Local Government, whether local authorities will be required to provide funding towards infrastructure for New Towns.

The government has tasked the New Towns Taskforce, an independent expert advisory panel chaired by Sir Michael Lyons, with developing recommendations to ministers on suitable locations for new towns, as well as how to fund and deliver them. The Taskforce will submit its final report this summer.