Written questions by Hussain.

What recent progress her Department has made in meeting the targets set out in the Carbon Budget Delivery Plan; and what assessment she has made of the implications of current progress for households in high-poverty areas such as Bradford East.

The government’s Carbon Budget and Growth Delivery Plan set out how the UK will reduce emissions and benefit from lower bills, skilled jobs, warmer homes and cleaner air. We are working across government on a comprehensive Warm Homes Plan, which will be a major step forward to cut energy bills for good. Scaling up new clean energy industries will create opportunities to actively reduce inequalities and create good jobs. We will continue to invest in clean low-cost energy. Our approach to the transition is built on fairness, ensuring everyone reaps the benefits and that no one is left behind.

What discussions she has had with (a) local authorities and (b) police forces in West Yorkshire on the prevalence of illegal or ghost number plates used to evade enforcement cameras.

Cloned and misrepresented plates are a serious problem which cause distress to innocent people and provide cover for criminals.The Home Office and the Department for Transport are working closely with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC), Trading Standards and local authorities to improve the identification and enforcement of number plate crime.

Whether her Department has had recent discussions with West Yorkshire Police on tackling the use of ghost number plates in Bradford and the surrounding area.

Cloned and misrepresented plates are a serious problem which cause distress to innocent people and provide cover for criminals.The Home Office and the Department for Transport are working closely with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC), Trading Standards and local authorities to improve the identification and enforcement of number plate crime.

Whether she plans to review the penalties for driving with a non-compliant or ghost number plate.

Cloned and misrepresented plates are a serious problem which cause distress to innocent people and provide cover for criminals.The Home Office and the Department for Transport are working closely with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), the National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC), Trading Standards and local authorities to improve the identification and enforcement of number plate crime.

What assessment his Department has made of the public health impact of prolonged exposure to damp and mould caused by defective insulation installed under government energy-efficiency schemes.

Everyone deserves to live in a healthy and warm home. Damp and mould can have a serious impact on the health of residents. The audits the Department has commissioned into Solid Wall Insulations on ECO4 and GBIS schemes consider risks to health and safety and where any such risk is identified, we require the installer to make it safe within 24 hours. For government schemes, it is the responsibility of the installer to fix any defective installation and if they cease to trade, then the guarantee for that work can be exercised by the householder.

What mechanisms are in place to hold contractors and installers accountable for poor workmanship on government-backed insulation schemes in cases where the original firms have since ceased trading.

We have been clear that the original installer is responsible for remediating issues with their work and for the costs of doing so. Where an installer ceases to trade or in some cases fails to rectify an issue, TrustMark require a guarantee to have been issued which for SWI will cover up to £20k. We are working with Ofgem, TrustMark, certification bodies, energy suppliers and guarantee providers to encourage businesses to fulfil their responsibilities. Where installers refuse to engage with remediation requests, TrustMark and certification bodies can suspend or remove their certifications. This prevents them being awarded any new work.

Whether his Department has worked with the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government to assess the implications of insulation-related building damage on housing safety and standards.

The Government is committed to ensuring building work is done to the highest levels of quality and safety, be that in new builds, high rise or the home retrofit space such as Energy Company Obligation (ECO4) scheme / Great British Insulation Scheme. The Department is working closely with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and the Building Safety Regulator on reforms to the consumer protection system to improve accountability and support higher-quality installations including addressing the issues identified in the NAO report pertaining to the Energy Company Obligation (ECO4) scheme.

What assessment his Department has made of the disproportionate effect of failed insulation schemes on low-income households targeted by previous government energy-efficiency programmes.

ECO has installed measures in 2.6m households. ECO4 was designed to address deep fuel poverty by addressing the worst properties first. When installed correctly, insulation can help reduce energy costs.DESNZ has acknowledged there have been quality failings with SWI measures installed under the current ECO4 and GBIS schemes. As a result, we have committed to a property level check, followed by remediation of any issues found, for all households fitted with EWI under those schemes.Our Warm Homes Plan will outline the full package of measures proposed to support those on low-income and get people out of fuel-poverty.

How future home energy efficiency programmes are planned to be independently audited to ensure quality assurance and prevent a recurrence of widespread installation failures such as those identified in Fishwick and Chilton.

The Government is reviewing the system of consumer protection and oversight for home retrofit installations, and is committed to creating a simpler, stronger system of standards and oversight that will give consumers confidence. We will look at the entire landscape: from how installers work in people’s homes to where homeowners turn for rapid action and enforcement if things go wrong. More information will be shared in our Warm Homes Plan. The Government is planning to consult on proposals for retrofit system reform early next year.

When his Department was first made aware of systemic failings in (a) the Fishwick project in Preston and (b) other government-backed insulation schemes; and what steps have been taken to investigate and rectify those failures.

Ofgem was first made aware of concerns with insulation issues in Fishwick in 2013 and they engaged with the energy supplier responsible to secure remediation. Since then, National Energy Action (NEA) have led remediation schemes to support residents but we understand that there are still homes needing remediation. DESNZ has been in contact with NEA. ECO4 / GBIS non-compliance issues were alerted to DESNZ in October 2024. Since that date thousands of additional audits have taken place and any issues are being fixed. We have offered an audit to all homes fitted with EWI under these schemes.

What estimate his Department has made of the number of homes affected by defective insulation installed under government schemes between 2013 and 2021; and if he will commission a national audit of all such properties.

Data has not been collected regarding the specific number of houses affected by non-compliance, however failure rates from audits of individual measures has been collected for some schemes of which a summary is included in the NAO report. For SWI installed under ECO4 and GBIS we have calculated the number of homes affected. We acknowledge that issues have emerged in other schemes, however this is not on the scale seen with EWI issues under ECO4 / GBIS. We have recent published results from audits on our housing association and local authority based schemes on gov.uk.

What financial or practical support is available to homeowners whose properties have been damaged by poorly installed insulation under government schemes; and whether he plans to establish a dedicated compensation or remediation fund for such properties.

The cost of remediation sits with the original installer. For every measure installed under TrustMark schemes, a guarantee is required to be in place. If the installer is no longer trading, then the guarantee policy will kick in up to the cap for that policy. For SWI the cap is £20k. In rare cases where the costs exceed the cap, the Department will continue to facilitate solutions with organisations across the sector. As part of our reforms, we will be improving protections for consumers, ensuring, in the rare cases they are needed, financial protection products fully protect consumers and it’s clear how consumers get the help they need.

If he will publish (a) the 2019 government-commissioned report into the Fishwick external wall insulation scheme and (b) any other reports identifying widespread failure in similar government-backed schemes.

We are aware of unresolved issues with external wall insulation in Fishwick under the Community Energy Savings Programme (a supplier obligation based scheme)The Department will continue to update the House on energy efficiency schemes, including the publication of relevant analysis.

What plans he has to increase the powers of (a) local authorities and (b) the police to (i) enforce firework regulations and (ii) respond to public complaints.

No recent assessment has been made of the adequacy of current legislation governing the sale and use of fireworks in England and Wales including the purchase from registered sellers during specific dates. Enforcement powers exist for local authorities to take action when fireworks are unsafe, sold illegally or misused. Local authorities and the police also have powers to tackle anti-social behaviour caused by the misuse of fireworks. It is for local areas to decide how best to deploy these powers, based on their circumstances.

What steps he is taking to encourage the use of (a) quieter (i) fireworks and (ii) drone shows and (b) other low-impact alternatives at public events.

The Government have launched a public campaign on fireworks safety for this year’s fireworks season which encourages the use of low noise fireworks. The campaign also features new guidance for those running community fireworks events which recommends the use of low-noise fireworks to reduce the impact on communities, as well as social media materials that emphasise the risks from the misuse of fireworks. The campaign materials are being shared widely to increase their impact.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of high-decibel fireworks on animal welfare; and what assessment she has made of the potential merits of introducing a maximum noise limit for fireworks sold to the public.

No specific assessment has been made of the potential impact of high-decibel fireworks on animal welfare or the merits of reducing the permissible noise limits of fireworks used for public and private functions. However, the Government is continuing to engage with businesses, consumer groups and charities, including animal welfare stakeholders, to gather evidence on the issues with and impacts of fireworks to inform any future action.

What assessment he has made of the potential merits of banning unlicensed traders from selling fireworks to the public during specific festive periods.

No recent assessment has been made of the adequacy of current legislation governing the sale and use of fireworks in England and Wales including the purchase from registered sellers during specific dates. Enforcement powers exist for local authorities to take action when fireworks are unsafe, sold illegally or misused. Local authorities and the police also have powers to tackle anti-social behaviour caused by the misuse of fireworks. It is for local areas to decide how best to deploy these powers, based on their circumstances.

What recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of current legislation governing the (a) sale and (b) use of fireworks in England and Wales.

No recent assessment has been made of the adequacy of current legislation governing the sale and use of fireworks in England and Wales including the purchase from registered sellers during specific dates. Enforcement powers exist for local authorities to take action when fireworks are unsafe, sold illegally or misused. Local authorities and the police also have powers to tackle anti-social behaviour caused by the misuse of fireworks. It is for local areas to decide how best to deploy these powers, based on their circumstances.

What assessment his Department has been made of the potential impact of fireworks on people with (a) PTSD, (b) autism, and (c) sensory processing conditions; and if he will set out the steps his Department is taking on this matter.

We recognise that fireworks can cause distress for some people, including those with post-traumatic stress disorder, autism, and sensory processing conditions. Information and advice is available at the following two links: https://combatstress.org.uk/tips-for-coping-during-fireworks https://www.autism.org.uk/what-we-do/news/our-top-tips-use-your-senses-for-an-autism-friendl Further general advice related mental health can be found at the following three links: https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/ https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/mental-health-services/where-to-get-urgent-help-for-mental-health/ https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/talking-therapies-medicine-treatments/talking-therapies-and-counselling/nhs-talking-therapies/

How much funding his Department plans to provide to children’s hospices after the 2025-26 financial year.

We want a society where every child receives high-quality, compassionate care from diagnosis through to the end of life.We are supporting the hospice sector with a £100 million capital funding boost for eligible adult and children’s hospices in England to ensure they have the best physical environment for care.  We are also providing £26 million of revenue funding to support children and young people’s hospices for 2025/26. This is a continuation of the funding which until recently was known as the children and young people’s hospice grant.In 2024/25 and 2025/26, this funding was administered via ICBs in line with National Health Service devolution. We cannot yet confirm what the funding for 2026/27 will be, or how it will be administered.