Written questions by Hussain.

Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of sport-based diversionary activity in preventing anti-social behaviour among young people.

Sport can be a uniquely powerful tool to engage at-risk young people.The Government, through its arm’s-length body for grassroots sport, Sport England, invests in community-level sport and physical activity projects across the country. This includes investing in organisations like StreetGames, whose "doorstop approach” to sport has been evaluated as effective in reducing youth crime and anti-social behaviour, alongside improving health and boosting educational attainment and employability.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much aid has been allocated to programmes supporting Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh in each of the last five financial years.

We remain concerned by the challenges faced by Rohingya refugees and committed to improving their situation in Bangladesh. In September, the Foreign Secretary announced £27 million in new funding for these efforts, bringing the UK's total support to £447 million. This includes assistance to help refugees access to essential services. In December, the UK also announced joint funding with Saudi Arabia and Qatar of £6.96 million to support the response to the Rohingya crisis.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what proportion of humanitarian assistance for Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh is allocated to education programmes.

We remain concerned by the challenges faced by Rohingya refugees and committed to improving their situation in Bangladesh. In September, the Foreign Secretary announced £27 million in new funding for these efforts, bringing the UK's total support to £447 million. This includes assistance to help refugees access to essential services. In December, the UK also announced joint funding with Saudi Arabia and Qatar of £6.96 million to support the response to the Rohingya crisis.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of expanding local renewable energy generation in Bradford and West Yorkshire.

This Government is hugely ambitious about the role that community energy will play in achieving our mission to make Britain a clean energy superpower. On 10 February 2026, we announced the Local Power Plan: a joint DESNZ-Great British Energy (GBE) publication setting out the UK’s largest ever public investment in community energy, up to £1 billion. GBE has funded rooftop solar for around 250 schools and 260 NHS sites. This is cutting bills for schools and hospitals, releasing money for frontline services. This includes Feversham Primary Academy in Bradford. GBE has also funded over £16 million to the Mayoral Renewables Fund, supporting solar on fire stations, leisure centres, police headquarters and schools across England. This includes Bradford Pool and Sports Centre in Bradford East. The Great British Energy Community Fund, a £5 million grant programme delivered by the five Local Net Zero Hubs, has supported projects in West Yorkshire. This includes the Sustainable Arts Centre in Leeds.

What the estimated total Universal Credit expenditure is for 16 to 21 year olds who are receiving the UC health element, including the standard allowance and other elements, and for all ages receiving the health element, for each financial year since 2019/20.

The specific information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

Of the UC WCA decisions that resulted in an LCWRA outcome for 16–21 year-olds where at least one mental and behavioural disorder (F00–F99) was recorded, how many also had at least one condition recorded in any of the other ICD groups, excluding the no information available group.

The information is not readily available and to prepare the data would incur a disproportionate cost.

What the estimated expenditure on the health element of Universal Credit is for 16 to 21 year olds, not including the standard allowance and other elements, and for all ages receiving the health element, for each financial year since 2019/20.

The specific information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

What targets her Department has set for reducing rail journey times between (a) Bradford and Leeds and (b) Bradford and Manchester; and how those targets align with the objectives of the Railways Bill.

Northern Powerhouse Rail will seek to create a turn up and go railway for passengers from Bradford to travel to cities across the growth corridor, including improving connections to Leeds and Manchester. The government is learning the lessons from HS2 by taking sufficient time to explore and develop options, and so building certainty in costs, outputs and benefits, before confirming decisions on details such as journey times. We will work closely with local leaders to do that.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the Bradford Interchange operating as a terminus on the operation of the railway; and what options are being considered to help reduce network delays arising from reversing services.

The government is already working with Bradford Metropolitan Borough Council on station options, including consideration of the Bradford Interchange site, and has provided funding for business case development. We expect to take decisions on that by summer 2026.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of improved rail connectivity in Bradford on the economy, including its potential contribution to productivity, employment and housing delivery in West Yorkshire.

Bradford will be put at the heart of our plans for Northern Powerhouse Rail. Our investment in NPR will provide a catalyst for a major regeneration of Bradford’s Southern Gateway, which is planned to contribute thousands of new homes and commercial development. We will work closely with local leaders to help realise these plans.

With reference to her Department's press release entitled Multi-billion-pound drive to transform rail and growth across Yorkshire and North East, published on 14 January 2026, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of the business case for a new train station in Bradford city centre; and what timetable has been set for (a) completion of the business case, (b) funding approval and (c) commencement of construction of the train station.

As part of the first phase of Northern Powerhouse Rail, we will press forward with the work already in hand with Bradford Metropolitan District Council on a business case for a new Bradford station. We expect to reach decisions on the station by Summer 2026 and have made funding available to then move forward into detailed design. The government is learning the lessons from HS2, taking sufficient time to explore and develop options, building certainty in costs, outputs and benefits, before confirming decisions on details such as construction timelines. We will work closely with local leaders to do that.

What assessment has been made of the effectiveness of options to implement a direct rail link between Bradford and Huddersfield; and whether funding has been provided for the development of that link.

We will be assessing options for Bradford-Manchester connections as part of the work done for the Northern Powerhouse Rail Programme on the Bradford station business case.

How Great British Railways plans to work with the West Yorkshire Combined Authority on rail funding in Bradford; and what statutory role local transport authorities will have in shaping service patterns affecting the city.

Great British Railways will work closely with the West Yorkshire Combined Authority, including on matters relating to rail funding in Bradford, through the statutory roles established in the Railways Bill and through a future partnership arrangement with GBR. GBR will be required to consult Mayoral Strategic Authorities where decisions on passenger services or rail infrastructure could have a significant impact on their areas. GBR will also have regard to their Local Transport Plans to ensure that local priorities – including how rail services interface with wider local transport networks – are fully considered.

Whether Bradford will be included in the core network of Northern Powerhouse Rail; and when a final decision on route options affecting Bradford will be announced.

Bradford will be put at the heart of our plans for Northern Powerhouse Rail. The first phase of NPR, upgrades to lines East of the Pennines for delivery in the 2030s, will be focusing on electrification and upgrades that include the Leeds-Bradford corridor. We will also press forward with the work already in hand with Bradford Metropolitan District Council on a business case for Bradford station. We expect to reach decisions on the station by Summer 2026 and have made funding available to then move forward into detailed design. The third phase of NPR will improve cross-Pennine connections, and the Government sees Bradford-Manchester as a key part of this overall programme. Further details will be announced in the future, once these have been worked through with local leaders.

How the expected delivery timescale for a new Bradford railway station compares with other major rail schemes in the North of England; and what steps are being taken to ensure those schemes are implementing quickly.

As part of the first phase of Northern Powerhouse Rail, we will press forward with the work already in hand with Bradford Metropolitan District Council on a business case for a new Bradford station. We expect to reach decisions on the station by Summer 2026 and have made funding available to then move forward into detailed design. The government is learning the lessons from HS2, taking sufficient time to explore and develop options, building certainty in costs, outputs and benefits, before confirming decisions on details such as construction timelines. We will work closely with local leaders to do that.

What funding has been allocated to the Bradford Rail Programme; and what further funding is planned to support (a) engineering and (b) design work during the Spending Review period.

The Government has allocated £1.1bn funding for Northern Powerhouse Rail in this SR period. This is the first funding allocation within the overall £45bn lifetime cap for the programme. This funding will drive forward development work for the programme including taking forward the design for a new station in Bradford, subject to the business case process, with decisions expected in Summer 2026.

Communities and Local Government, when he expects the remaining provisions of the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 relating to the regulation of service charges to be brought into force; and what steps his Department is taking to ensure leaseholders are protected from excessive or unreasonable service charges in the interim.

The government has already made significant progress when it comes to commencing provisions in the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024: On 24 July 2024, we brought into force provisions relating to rentcharge arrears, building safety legal costs and the work of professional insolvency practitioners.On 31 October 2024, we brought into force further building safety measures.On 31 January 2025, we commenced provisions to remove the two-year qualifying rule in relation to enfranchisement and lease extensions.On 3 March 2025, the right to manage provisions (expanding access, reforming its costs, and voting rights) came into force. The government recognises the considerable financial strain that rising service charges place on leaseholders and tenants. The level of service charge that leaseholders pay depends on many factors, including the terms of a lease and the age and condition of a building. By law, variable service charges must be reasonable. Overcharging through service charges is completely unacceptable. Should leaseholders wish to contest the reasonableness of their service charges they may make an application to the appropriate tribunal. On 4 July 2025, the government published a consultation, jointly with the Welsh Government, on strengthening leaseholder protections over charges and services. The consultation included proposals to increase transparency over service charges and enhance access to redress through the relevant provisions in the Act. It also proposed new reforms the section 20 ‘major works’ procedure. The consultation can be found on gov.uk here. It closed on 26 September 2025, and we are analysing responses with a view to bringing the relevant measures into force as quickly as possible. On 18 December 2025, the government launched a consultation on proposals to implement the Act’s new consumer protections for homeowners living on freehold estates. These include ensuring that homeowners who pay an estate management charge have better access to information they need to understand what they are paying for, the right to challenge the reasonableness at the First-tier Tribunal (in England), and to go to the tribunal to appoint a substitute manager. The consultation can be found on gov.uk here and will remain open for responses until 12 March 2026. We will look to bring these measures into force as quickly as possible thereafter. The Act also sets the method for calculating the price of a statutory lease extension or freehold acquisition, known as the valuation process. It removes the requirement for marriage value to be paid, caps the treatment of ground rents in the valuation calculation at 0.1% of the freehold value, and allows government to prescribe the rates used to calculate the enfranchisement premium. Valuation rates used to calculate the enfranchisement premium will be set by the Secretary of State in secondary legislation. We will consult on valuation rates and commence the relevant provisions as soon as possible. As per my Written Ministerial Statement of 21 November 2024 (HCWS244), primary legislation will be required to rectify a small number of specific flaws in the 2024 Act before the Act’s enfranchisement provisions are commenced.

What steps she is taking with mayoral combined authorities to deliver large-scale transport infrastructure.

Eligible Mayoral Combined Authorities are in receipt of £5.7 billion of funding through the City Regions Sustainable Transport Settlements (CRSTS) programme, running for a five-year period from April 2022 to March 2027. This devolved funding affords Mayors the ability to develop and implement large scale transport interventions that most benefit their areas.Following the Summer Spending Review, £15.6 billion of devolved funding was confirmed to provide Transport for City Regions (TCR) settlements for the nine eligible Mayoral Strategic Authorities (MSAs) from the period April 2027 to March 2032.

Whether her Department has imposed new conditions on the release of funding for the West Yorkshire mass transit scheme following the government review.

The Government fully supports the Mayor of West Yorkshire’s ambition to deliver Mass Transit in the region, boosting connectivity and unlocking growth and opportunity for the people of West Yorkshire. That is why we have allocated funding for the project as part of West Yorkshire’s £2.1 billion Transport for City Regions funding between 2027 and 2032. I am pleased to confirm that Lord Hendy, Minister of State for Rail, will be working alongside the Mayor to support her in delivering the programme.WYCA plan to submit their first business case for approval to the Government in 2026 As the body responsible for developing and delivering the project, it is for West Yorkshire Combined Authority to undertake any assessment of impacts on communities as the plans for mass transit develop.

What assessment she has made of the cost to the public purse of delaying the West Yorkshire mass transit scheme.

The Government fully supports the Mayor of West Yorkshire’s ambition to deliver Mass Transit in the region, boosting connectivity and unlocking growth and opportunity for the people of West Yorkshire. That is why we have allocated funding for the project as part of West Yorkshire’s £2.1 billion Transport for City Regions funding between 2027 and 2032. I am pleased to confirm that Lord Hendy, Minister of State for Rail, will be working alongside the Mayor to support her in delivering the programme.WYCA plan to submit their first business case for approval to the Government in 2026 As the body responsible for developing and delivering the project, it is for West Yorkshire Combined Authority to undertake any assessment of impacts on communities as the plans for mass transit develop.