Written questions by Chowns.

Whether he plans to take steps to help protect tenants from (a) eviction and (b) rent increases following government-funded low-carbon improvement works carried out by landlords.

This government is committed to protecting and improving the rights of tenants through improving the quality of their homes, resulting in reduced energy costs. We have engaged and consulted with landlord and tenant representative groups in developing policy. We set out proposals in the consultation on maximum spend from landlords and the exemptions regime. These changes do not require landlords to increase rents. The new Renters’ Rights Bill will introduce protections for tenants to challenge unreasonable rent increases and stop landlords using large rent increases to force tenants out. Landlords will be able to increase rents to market rates once per year, with tenants able to challenge this at the Tribunal if it is unreasonable.

Whether consumers will be exempt from paying for remediation costs to fix faulty insulation installations under the (a) ECO4 and (b) GBIS schemes if the costs exceed £20,000.

The remediation costs sit with the original installer. We expect remediation for solid wall insulation installed under ECO4 or GBIS to cost between £250 and £6,000 for IWI and £5,000 and £18,000 for EWI. This should be covered by the guarantee should the installer no longer be trading. There have been some instances where costs are greater than £20,000 (complex cases), we are working with the sector to find solutions and for these faulty installations to be fixed. Wider consumer protection reform will ensure that financial protections are clearly accessible and fully protect the consumer.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, for what reason the UK opposed advancing discussions on a new optional protocol on free education at the Intergovernmental Working Group on Free Education in September 2025; and whether she plans to review that decision.

The UK is committed to investing in children and promoting equal access to education. The UK already provides free primary and secondary education and has been supporting partners globally to deliver education for all. We challenged the need for a new optional protocol as free secondary education is already provided for under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. States Parties to these treaties should already be providing free education.We do not believe the resources required to develop a new treaty solely on free pre-primary education are justified when they could otherwise be used to implement existing international obligations.This position is in line with several UN entities, including United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF), the leading actor on child rights with a global presence and understanding of lived realities.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 21 October 2025 to Question 80475 on Israel: Palestine, what response she has received from the Israeli Government in relation to her calls to allow the International Committee of the Red Cross unfettered and immediate access to detention facilities.

Ministers and officials continue to raise this as a priority with our Israeli counterparts, and we will keep the House updated on the progress of these efforts.

What steps she is taking to help support the (a) development and (b) adoption of vehicle to grid technology.

The Government is committed to supporting the rapid development and adoption of Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) technology as it has the potential to reduce the cost of electric vehicle (EV) ownership while supporting the decarbonisation of our energy system. Whilst the technology is still nascent, it is quickly commercialising. The Government is currently providing industry with over £10m innovation funding support through its V2X Innovation Programme (2022-2025). This is in addition to the funding support of over £28m previously provided through its Vehicle-to-Grid innovation programme (2018-2022). The Government and Ofgem outlined collective ambitions and further actions relating to Vehicle-to-Grid technology in the Clean Flexibility Roadmap published in July 2025. These include removing financial barriers, such as the double charging of levies on re-exported electricity, as well as improving grid connection processes and enabling technical interoperability for V2X.

Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of the number of people who have been unable to verify their identity using the Gov.uk One Login service due to mismatches with third-party data; and what steps her Department is taking to ensure that legitimate (a) company directors and (b) Persons of Significant Control are not required to pay private verification providers when Government systems fail to recognise them.

GOV.UK One Login applies high standards for identity verification to prevent fraud and ensure the security of users and government services. GOV.UK One Login must ensure users meet these high standards before accessing a government service to fulfil its role. Services onboarded to GOV.UK One Login are required to provide an alternative route for users unable or unwilling to verify their identity through the service. The alternative route is determined by the individual service. The Companies House alternative route is via Authorised Corporate Service Providers (ACSPS). Companies House do not regulate ACSPs and fees are set at the discretion of individual ACSPs.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether she plans to reform processes for the (a) monitoring and (b) management of (i) ponds, (ii) headwater streams and (iii) other small waters.

The Environment Agency (EA) has in recent years expanded monitoring of headwater streams through its new Small Streams Network, and an increased number of smaller lakes with the Lake Surveillance Network, part of the Natural Capital Ecosystem Assessment Programme. The evidence from this new monitoring will be subject to ongoing data analysis. The EA also undertake occasional operational and investigative monitoring in very small streams in response to pollution, or where they are of particular importance locally. Additionally, the Government will respond to the recommendations published in the final report of the Independent Water Commission through a White Paper and a new water reform bill, bringing forward root and branch reform to secure better outcomes for customers, investors and the environment and restore trust and accountability. Together with the building blocks the Government has already put in place, this will mark the most fundamental reset to our water system in a generation.

Whether the scope of his Department’s review of Responsible Business Conduct will include (a) environmental harms in UK company supply chains in their own right, (b) environmental and human rights harms in the UK and (c) input from impacted communities.

The responsible business conduct review is a neutral, objective appraisal of policy. It will consider the effectiveness of the UK’s current regime and alternative measures to support responsible business practices across UK and global supply chains, including human rights and environmental considerations. As part of the review the UK Government is harnessing the insights and expertise of businesses, investors, trade unions, academia, civil society and our international trading partners. The Office for Responsible Business Conduct will continue to engage regularly with stakeholders, including those with lived experience.

When his Department will publish the (a) terms of reference and (b) timeline of the review of responsible business conduct; and whether there will be a public consultation on the review.

In the Trade Strategy, the Government launched a review into the UK’s approach to responsible business conduct, focused on tackling human rights and labour abuses and environmental harms in global supply chains. The Government is progressing the review at pace while ensuring that we harness the insight of a range of stakeholders, including businesses, investors, trade unions, academia, civil society, affected communities, and our international trading partners. We will continue to provide regular updates as we progress the review.

Food and Rural Affairs, for what reason the publication of a joint intelligence committee report into the destabilising impact of the climate and nature crises on national security has been delayed.

Defra routinely conducts and updates assessments on a range of threats. HMG publishes assessments in the National Risk Register and Chronic Risks Analysis, including on biodiversity loss and its interactions with ecosystems, on GOV.UK

If she will make it her policy to instruct the Bank of England to publish a strategy detailing how it will support the UK’s (a) climate and nature goals and (b) green energy mission.

The Government is committed to integrating climate and nature into economic and financial decision making. The remits for the Financial Policy Committee, Prudential Regulation Committee and Monetary Policy Committee all set out the government’s economic strategy, which includes accelerating the transition to a climate resilient, nature positive and net zero economy. Climate-related considerations are therefore embedded across the Bank of England’s work, including in relation to its statutory objectives for price and financial stability. The Bank published its Climate Transition Plan in June 2023, and it also publishes annual climate-related financial disclosures. These annual reports set out the climate risks to which the Bank is exposed, the emissions associated with the Bank’s own financial and physical operations and the Bank’s work on climate change.

Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 3 April 2025 to Question 33250, what progress her Department has made on joint cross-border research on the River Wye.

Cleaning up the River Wye remains a government priority.Officials in Defra and the Welsh Government continue to collaborate to roll out the £1 million cross-border River Wye research announced earlier this year. Local stakeholders including local farmers, environmental groups, and citizen scientists, will play a crucial role in gathering evidence and shaping the research. Officials will shortly update stakeholders on next steps and will attend the local Nutrient Management Board in Herefordshire. A research workshop will also shortly take place, where stakeholders can continue to shape research plans and help us gather actionable evidence to tackle pollution in this iconic catchment.

With reference to the correspondence entitled Monetary Policy Remit, published on 15 November 2024, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the Monetary Policy Committee’s progress in (a) delivering long-term growth and (b) accelerating the transition to a (i) climate resilient, (ii) nature positive and (ii) net zero economy.

Monetary policy is the responsibility of the independent Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of the Bank of England, so the government does not comment on the conduct or effectiveness of monetary policy. The MPC’s primary objective is to achieve price stability. Subject to that, its secondary objective is to support the economic policy of the government, which is “to restore broad-based and resilient growth built on strong and secure foundations”. As the Chancellor said in a letter to the Governor on 18 September 2025, low and stable inflation is essential for long-term economic growth and sustained increases in living standards. Delivering on the climate and nature is one part of the government’s broader economic strategy and it is up to the MPC to judge how it sets monetary policy in line with its remit. Consistent with its remit, the MPC sets monetary policy in a way that helps to sustain growth and employment. The MPC has the government’s full support as it acts to return inflation to the 2% target sustainably.

What assessment she has made of the potential merits of introducing a best price guarantee for rail passengers.

We are overhauling the complex fares and ticketing system to make it easier for passengers to trust that they are buying the right ticket and getting the best fare. We are already making positive changes, including through expanding ticketing innovations such as pay as you go which provides a best price promise for most passengers on the day of travel. The move to Great British Railways will also offer passengers a more consistent fares offer across the network.

What assessment she has made of the potential merits of freezing rail fares.

As we reform fares and deliver Great British Railways, we must ensure passengers and taxpayers get a fair deal. Since the pandemic, the amount of taxpayer subsidy provided to the railway industry has increased from under a quarter in 2018/19 to almost half of total income in 2023/24. No decisions have been made on next year’s rail fares, but our aim is that prices balance affordability for both passengers and taxpayers.In addition, it is a number one priority for this Government to get the railways back to a place where people can rely on them, which is why we are putting passengers at the heart of our plans for public ownership and Great British Railways, delivering the services they deserve and driving growth.

If he will take steps to ensure that rape victims are given clear (a) communication and (b) timelines for progressing their cases.

This Government is committed to improving victims and survivors of rape’s experience of the justice system. We recognise that rape cases often take longer to progress through the courts, and that delays can have a profound impact on victims’ wellbeing and confidence in the criminal justice process. To ensure clear communication with victims in the pre-trial period, every Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) area now has at least one dedicated Victim Liaison Officer in its rape and serious sexual offences unit. Pre-trial meetings are offered to all adult victims of these crimes and the CPS have also delivered trauma-informed training to staff as part of their Victim Transformation Programme. We are also committed to tackling the outstanding caseload to improve timeliness - we have already doubled magistrates’ sentencing powers, so that Crown Courts can focus on the most serious cases, and this year we have funded a record-high allocation of 111,250 Crown Court sitting days. We also commissioned Sir Brian Leveson to propose bold and ambitious measures to deliver swifter justice for victims, including for victims of sexual violence, in his Independent Review of Criminal Courts. We will respond to the recommendations in the first part of the Independent Review in due course.

If he will publish (a) plans and (b) a timeframe for reducing the time taken to bring rape cases to court.

This Government is committed to improving victims and survivors of rape’s experience of the justice system. We recognise that rape cases often take longer to progress through the courts, and that delays can have a profound impact on victims’ wellbeing and confidence in the criminal justice process. To ensure clear communication with victims in the pre-trial period, every Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) area now has at least one dedicated Victim Liaison Officer in its rape and serious sexual offences unit. Pre-trial meetings are offered to all adult victims of these crimes and the CPS have also delivered trauma-informed training to staff as part of their Victim Transformation Programme. We are also committed to tackling the outstanding caseload to improve timeliness - we have already doubled magistrates’ sentencing powers, so that Crown Courts can focus on the most serious cases, and this year we have funded a record-high allocation of 111,250 Crown Court sitting days. We also commissioned Sir Brian Leveson to propose bold and ambitious measures to deliver swifter justice for victims, including for victims of sexual violence, in his Independent Review of Criminal Courts. We will respond to the recommendations in the first part of the Independent Review in due course.

If she will make it her policy to prevent rape suspects from leaving the country during an active investigation.

Police have wide discretion to impose bail conditions on rape suspects intended to protect victims and witnesses, prevent offending and to prevent the suspect from failing to appear in court – including by requiring suspects to surrender their passport.Bail conditions must be necessary, reasonable and proportionate, and subject to regular review as the perceived risk posed by the suspect may change over time.The police should, if practicable, always consult the victim regarding the decision to release a suspect on bail and the conditions to impose.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 26 March 2025 to Question 39353 on Housing: Fees and Charges, whether he plans to implement the recommendations in the final report of the Older People’s Housing Taskforce.

As set out in the Written Ministerial Statement I made on 26 November 2024 (HCWS249), the government is giving careful consideration to the recommendations from the Older People’s Housing Taskforce report.

What assessment she has made of the potential merits of capping long-distance rail fares.

Great British Railways (GBR) will be empowered to deliver industry-wide modernisation and reform of the complex and fragmented fares landscape inherited from privatisation. This will enable GBR to simplify the ticketing system and make it easy for passengers to find the right fare, including on long-distance journeys. We are also already driving forward improvements in advance of GBR. For example, we are supporting London North Eastern Railway to deliver its ‘Simpler Fares’ trial, which is testing an easier to understand fares structure and demand-based pricing on parts of its long-distance network. The aim is to improve the passenger experience by reducing crowding, making better use of capacity and making travel more comfortable for passengers.