Written questions by Naish.

Communities and Local Government, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a (a) single mandatory redress and (b) ombudsman scheme for freeholders on private estates who want to challenge management charges.

The government remains committed to protecting residential freeholders on private and mixed-tenure housing estates from unfair charges. We will consult this year on implementing the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act's consumer protection provisions for the up to 1.75 million homes that are subject to these charges, and bring these measures into force as quickly as possible thereafter. 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 of such charges at the First-tier Tribunal (in England), and to go to the tribunal to appoint a substitute manager. The government is also determined to end the injustice of 'fleecehold' entirely and we will consult this year on legislative and policy options to reduce the prevalence of private estate management arrangements, which are the root cause of the problems experienced by many residential freeholders. Managing agents play a key role in the maintenance of freehold estates. On 4 July, the government published a consultation on strengthening leaseholder protections over charges and services. It can be found on gov.uk here. The consultation includes proposals to strengthen the regulation of managing agents.

On what date he last met with Baroness Casey to discuss her Commission on adult social care.

My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, engages with Baroness Louise Casey regularly on a number of issues, including adult social care.The commission is independent, and Baroness Casey has the autonomy to define her own engagement plans, including with ministers, based on what she believes is most appropriate for the commission’s work.

Communities and Local Government, if she will make it her policy to introduce a prescribed annual statement for estate management charges that itemises (a) contractor costs, (b) management fees and (c) procurement overheads.

The government remains committed to protecting residential freeholders on private and mixed-tenure housing estates from unfair charges. We will consult this year on implementing the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act's consumer protection provisions for the up to 1.75 million homes that are subject to these charges, and bring these measures into force as quickly as possible thereafter. 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 of such charges at the First-tier Tribunal (in England), and to go to the tribunal to appoint a substitute manager. The government is also determined to end the injustice of 'fleecehold' entirely and we will consult this year on legislative and policy options to reduce the prevalence of private estate management arrangements, which are the root cause of the problems experienced by many residential freeholders. Managing agents play a key role in the maintenance of freehold estates. On 4 July, the government published a consultation on strengthening leaseholder protections over charges and services. It can be found on gov.uk here. The consultation includes proposals to strengthen the regulation of managing agents.

Communities and Local Government, whetehr he plans to take steps to mandate the disclosure of contracts between managing agents and maintenance contractors to residents.

The government remains committed to protecting residential freeholders on private and mixed-tenure housing estates from unfair charges. We will consult this year on implementing the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act's consumer protection provisions for the up to 1.75 million homes that are subject to these charges, and bring these measures into force as quickly as possible thereafter. 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 of such charges at the First-tier Tribunal (in England), and to go to the tribunal to appoint a substitute manager. The government is also determined to end the injustice of 'fleecehold' entirely and we will consult this year on legislative and policy options to reduce the prevalence of private estate management arrangements, which are the root cause of the problems experienced by many residential freeholders. Managing agents play a key role in the maintenance of freehold estates. On 4 July, the government published a consultation on strengthening leaseholder protections over charges and services. It can be found on gov.uk here. The consultation includes proposals to strengthen the regulation of managing agents.

Communities and Local Government, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of bringing forward legislative proposals to introduce a statutory code of practice for private estate management in relation to (a) levels of transparency, (b) approaches to tendering and (c) service standards.

The government remains committed to protecting residential freeholders on private and mixed-tenure housing estates from unfair charges. We will consult this year on implementing the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act's consumer protection provisions for the up to 1.75 million homes that are subject to these charges, and bring these measures into force as quickly as possible thereafter. 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 of such charges at the First-tier Tribunal (in England), and to go to the tribunal to appoint a substitute manager. The government is also determined to end the injustice of 'fleecehold' entirely and we will consult this year on legislative and policy options to reduce the prevalence of private estate management arrangements, which are the root cause of the problems experienced by many residential freeholders. Managing agents play a key role in the maintenance of freehold estates. On 4 July, the government published a consultation on strengthening leaseholder protections over charges and services. It can be found on gov.uk here. The consultation includes proposals to strengthen the regulation of managing agents.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what information his Department holds on the number of children expected to be impacted by planned reductions to Official Development Assistance spending on nutrition programmes in 2025-26.

Our 2025/26 Official Development Assistance (ODA) programme allocations reflect the first step as we begin to pivot to a lower ODA budget. An Equalities Impact Assessment (EIA) - which considers impacts on women and girls and wider equalities - was an essential part of how the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) made these decisions. Final 2025/26 ODA programme allocations were published in the FCDO Annual Report & Accounts on 22 July alongside the EIA. As confirmed by the EIA, the allocations process for 2025/26 has protected against disproportionate impacts on women and girls and people living with disabilities.The UK remains committed to tackling gender inequality around the world and we are placing women and girls at the heart of our international work.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department plans to publish annual reports on the outcomes of ODA spending on (a) gender equality initiatives and (b) whether the (i) principal and (ii) significant objectives of that spending has been achieved.

As we transition to spending 0.3 per cent of Gross National Income (GNI) on Official Development Assistance (ODA), the Government is reviewing existing commitments. Detailed decisions on how the ODA budget will be used from 2026/27 to 2028/29 will be informed by impact assessments, ahead of publishing multi-year allocations.Data on ODA spend is available in the Statistics on International Development publications, which are available for 2023 and provisionally for 2024. Data is available broken down by sector for the 2023 publication, including social sector spending on health and education, and humanitarian aid. Further information and annual reviews on specific programmes, including those with a specific focus on equalities, can be found on GOV.UK's Development Tracker.The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office remains steadfast in its commitment to promoting gender equality around the world, and is taking steps to strengthen the integration of gender equality across the Department's work.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of reductions in ODA on levels of funding for programmes with gender equality objectives.

Our 2025/26 Official Development Assistance (ODA) programme allocations reflect the first step as we begin to pivot to a lower ODA budget. An Equalities Impact Assessment (EIA) - which considers impacts on women and girls and wider equalities - was an essential part of how the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) made these decisions. Final 2025/26 ODA programme allocations were published in the FCDO Annual Report & Accounts on 22 July alongside the EIA. As confirmed by the EIA, the allocations process for 2025/26 has protected against disproportionate impacts on women and girls and people living with disabilities.The UK remains committed to tackling gender inequality around the world and we are placing women and girls at the heart of our international work.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department has specified (a) targets and (b) benchmarks for gender equality spending from the ODA budget as a (i) principal and (ii) significant objective.

As we transition to spending 0.3 per cent of Gross National Income (GNI) on Official Development Assistance (ODA), the Government is reviewing existing commitments. Detailed decisions on how the ODA budget will be used from 2026/27 to 2028/29 will be informed by impact assessments, ahead of publishing multi-year allocations.Data on ODA spend is available in the Statistics on International Development publications, which are available for 2023 and provisionally for 2024. Data is available broken down by sector for the 2023 publication, including social sector spending on health and education, and humanitarian aid. Further information and annual reviews on specific programmes, including those with a specific focus on equalities, can be found on GOV.UK's Development Tracker.The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office remains steadfast in its commitment to promoting gender equality around the world, and is taking steps to strengthen the integration of gender equality across the Department's work.

Whether she will publish quarterly breakdowns of eVisa issues by (a) category, (b) access failure, (c) incorrect data, (d) share-code errors and (e) outcomes.

We are committed to ensuring that the transition to eVisas is as smooth as possible for all status holders. The Home Office has a robust support model in place to facilitate this transition. There is no plan to change the UKVI Account Terms & Conditions. We already operate a process of ex gratia payments where the Home Office is found to be at fault, and this will not change with the introduction of eVisas. Our online immigration status services are designed to be highly resilient, with rigorous testing and concurrent services in place to ensure efficiency. We consistently monitor our online services to resolve any issues as quickly as possible. Where technical issues do arise, there are fallback provisions in place to enable status to be confirmed through alternative means such as the Home Office’s dedicated UK Visas and Immigration Resolution Centre which can assist users who are experiencing technical issues and where necessary, enable a person’s status to be verified through alternative means. On sharecode reliability, we have not identified problems with the share code mechanism itself. The system is designed to invalidate codes in the following circumstances:Expiry after 90 days – Share codes are time-limited to prevent indefinite access to personal immigration data.Status updates – If a user’s immigration status changes after a share code is generated, the code is invalidated to ensure that the migrant has had a chance to review and share the most current status.On carrier eVisa verifications, if someone’s carrier, for example, airline, rail company or other transport provider, is unable to check a person’s permission to travel to the UK, the carrier may contact the UK Border Force Carrier Support Hub for advice, 24/7. This service is for carriers only.We do not collect data on how many times people have been refused airline boarding and UK entry as a result of eVisa issues. This data would rely on either a customer or airline notifying the Home Office and therefore could not be classed as a reliable data source Information requested regarding the breakdown of reported eVisa issues is not available from published statistics. The relevant data could only be collated and verified for the purpose of answering this question at disproportionate cost.We have carefully considered possible options for offline backup versions of eVisas. Information on a printed document would not allow demonstration of real-time immigration status, and therefore is not a secure method of sharing and proving immigration status in a way that gives confidence to the user and the checker.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what plans he has to help (a) advance gender equality and (b) protect women’s and girls’ rights through multilateral negotiations.

I refer my Hon Friend to the answer I gave him on 9 September to Question 71594.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment the Department has made of the potential merits of funding more programmes that support gender equality as their main objective.

The UK remains steadfast in its commitment to promoting gender equality around the world, and stands in solidarity with women's rights organisations who are on the frontline of that fight. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) recognises that advancing gender equality and breaking down the barriers faced by women and girls is essential to development and to delivering the missions of this government overseas.The FCDO is taking steps to strengthen the integration of gender equality across the Department's work. This will ensure we maximise the impacts for women, girls, and marginalised groups across all our spend and through our diplomatic levers, including by driving innovation to generate sustainable funding flows for women's rights.

Whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of reviewing the UK Visas and Immigration account terms and conditions in relation to liability for losses arising from inability to access an eVisa.

We are committed to ensuring that the transition to eVisas is as smooth as possible for all status holders. The Home Office has a robust support model in place to facilitate this transition. There is no plan to change the UKVI Account Terms & Conditions. We already operate a process of ex gratia payments where the Home Office is found to be at fault, and this will not change with the introduction of eVisas. Our online immigration status services are designed to be highly resilient, with rigorous testing and concurrent services in place to ensure efficiency. We consistently monitor our online services to resolve any issues as quickly as possible. Where technical issues do arise, there are fallback provisions in place to enable status to be confirmed through alternative means such as the Home Office’s dedicated UK Visas and Immigration Resolution Centre which can assist users who are experiencing technical issues and where necessary, enable a person’s status to be verified through alternative means. On sharecode reliability, we have not identified problems with the share code mechanism itself. The system is designed to invalidate codes in the following circumstances:Expiry after 90 days – Share codes are time-limited to prevent indefinite access to personal immigration data.Status updates – If a user’s immigration status changes after a share code is generated, the code is invalidated to ensure that the migrant has had a chance to review and share the most current status.On carrier eVisa verifications, if someone’s carrier, for example, airline, rail company or other transport provider, is unable to check a person’s permission to travel to the UK, the carrier may contact the UK Border Force Carrier Support Hub for advice, 24/7. This service is for carriers only.We do not collect data on how many times people have been refused airline boarding and UK entry as a result of eVisa issues. This data would rely on either a customer or airline notifying the Home Office and therefore could not be classed as a reliable data source Information requested regarding the breakdown of reported eVisa issues is not available from published statistics. The relevant data could only be collated and verified for the purpose of answering this question at disproportionate cost.We have carefully considered possible options for offline backup versions of eVisas. Information on a printed document would not allow demonstration of real-time immigration status, and therefore is not a secure method of sharing and proving immigration status in a way that gives confidence to the user and the checker.

What steps she is taking to improve the reliability of eVisa share codes.

We are committed to ensuring that the transition to eVisas is as smooth as possible for all status holders. The Home Office has a robust support model in place to facilitate this transition. There is no plan to change the UKVI Account Terms & Conditions. We already operate a process of ex gratia payments where the Home Office is found to be at fault, and this will not change with the introduction of eVisas. Our online immigration status services are designed to be highly resilient, with rigorous testing and concurrent services in place to ensure efficiency. We consistently monitor our online services to resolve any issues as quickly as possible. Where technical issues do arise, there are fallback provisions in place to enable status to be confirmed through alternative means such as the Home Office’s dedicated UK Visas and Immigration Resolution Centre which can assist users who are experiencing technical issues and where necessary, enable a person’s status to be verified through alternative means. On sharecode reliability, we have not identified problems with the share code mechanism itself. The system is designed to invalidate codes in the following circumstances:Expiry after 90 days – Share codes are time-limited to prevent indefinite access to personal immigration data.Status updates – If a user’s immigration status changes after a share code is generated, the code is invalidated to ensure that the migrant has had a chance to review and share the most current status.On carrier eVisa verifications, if someone’s carrier, for example, airline, rail company or other transport provider, is unable to check a person’s permission to travel to the UK, the carrier may contact the UK Border Force Carrier Support Hub for advice, 24/7. This service is for carriers only.We do not collect data on how many times people have been refused airline boarding and UK entry as a result of eVisa issues. This data would rely on either a customer or airline notifying the Home Office and therefore could not be classed as a reliable data source Information requested regarding the breakdown of reported eVisa issues is not available from published statistics. The relevant data could only be collated and verified for the purpose of answering this question at disproportionate cost.We have carefully considered possible options for offline backup versions of eVisas. Information on a printed document would not allow demonstration of real-time immigration status, and therefore is not a secure method of sharing and proving immigration status in a way that gives confidence to the user and the checker.

Whether she has considered the merits of introducing an offline backup for e-visas.

We are committed to ensuring that the transition to eVisas is as smooth as possible for all status holders. The Home Office has a robust support model in place to facilitate this transition. There is no plan to change the UKVI Account Terms & Conditions. We already operate a process of ex gratia payments where the Home Office is found to be at fault, and this will not change with the introduction of eVisas. Our online immigration status services are designed to be highly resilient, with rigorous testing and concurrent services in place to ensure efficiency. We consistently monitor our online services to resolve any issues as quickly as possible. Where technical issues do arise, there are fallback provisions in place to enable status to be confirmed through alternative means such as the Home Office’s dedicated UK Visas and Immigration Resolution Centre which can assist users who are experiencing technical issues and where necessary, enable a person’s status to be verified through alternative means. On sharecode reliability, we have not identified problems with the share code mechanism itself. The system is designed to invalidate codes in the following circumstances:Expiry after 90 days – Share codes are time-limited to prevent indefinite access to personal immigration data.Status updates – If a user’s immigration status changes after a share code is generated, the code is invalidated to ensure that the migrant has had a chance to review and share the most current status.On carrier eVisa verifications, if someone’s carrier, for example, airline, rail company or other transport provider, is unable to check a person’s permission to travel to the UK, the carrier may contact the UK Border Force Carrier Support Hub for advice, 24/7. This service is for carriers only.We do not collect data on how many times people have been refused airline boarding and UK entry as a result of eVisa issues. This data would rely on either a customer or airline notifying the Home Office and therefore could not be classed as a reliable data source Information requested regarding the breakdown of reported eVisa issues is not available from published statistics. The relevant data could only be collated and verified for the purpose of answering this question at disproportionate cost.We have carefully considered possible options for offline backup versions of eVisas. Information on a printed document would not allow demonstration of real-time immigration status, and therefore is not a secure method of sharing and proving immigration status in a way that gives confidence to the user and the checker.

How many times people have been refused (a) airline boarding and UK entry as a result of eVisa verification problems since 1 January 2025.

We are committed to ensuring that the transition to eVisas is as smooth as possible for all status holders. The Home Office has a robust support model in place to facilitate this transition. There is no plan to change the UKVI Account Terms & Conditions. We already operate a process of ex gratia payments where the Home Office is found to be at fault, and this will not change with the introduction of eVisas. Our online immigration status services are designed to be highly resilient, with rigorous testing and concurrent services in place to ensure efficiency. We consistently monitor our online services to resolve any issues as quickly as possible. Where technical issues do arise, there are fallback provisions in place to enable status to be confirmed through alternative means such as the Home Office’s dedicated UK Visas and Immigration Resolution Centre which can assist users who are experiencing technical issues and where necessary, enable a person’s status to be verified through alternative means. On sharecode reliability, we have not identified problems with the share code mechanism itself. The system is designed to invalidate codes in the following circumstances:Expiry after 90 days – Share codes are time-limited to prevent indefinite access to personal immigration data.Status updates – If a user’s immigration status changes after a share code is generated, the code is invalidated to ensure that the migrant has had a chance to review and share the most current status.On carrier eVisa verifications, if someone’s carrier, for example, airline, rail company or other transport provider, is unable to check a person’s permission to travel to the UK, the carrier may contact the UK Border Force Carrier Support Hub for advice, 24/7. This service is for carriers only.We do not collect data on how many times people have been refused airline boarding and UK entry as a result of eVisa issues. This data would rely on either a customer or airline notifying the Home Office and therefore could not be classed as a reliable data source Information requested regarding the breakdown of reported eVisa issues is not available from published statistics. The relevant data could only be collated and verified for the purpose of answering this question at disproportionate cost.We have carefully considered possible options for offline backup versions of eVisas. Information on a printed document would not allow demonstration of real-time immigration status, and therefore is not a secure method of sharing and proving immigration status in a way that gives confidence to the user and the checker.

Whether she will (a) set and (b) publish service standards for responding to eVisa error reports.

We are committed to ensuring that the transition to eVisas is as smooth as possible for all status holders. The Home Office has a robust support model in place to facilitate this transition. There is no plan to change the UKVI Account Terms & Conditions. We already operate a process of ex gratia payments where the Home Office is found to be at fault, and this will not change with the introduction of eVisas. Our online immigration status services are designed to be highly resilient, with rigorous testing and concurrent services in place to ensure efficiency. We consistently monitor our online services to resolve any issues as quickly as possible. Where technical issues do arise, there are fallback provisions in place to enable status to be confirmed through alternative means such as the Home Office’s dedicated UK Visas and Immigration Resolution Centre which can assist users who are experiencing technical issues and where necessary, enable a person’s status to be verified through alternative means. On sharecode reliability, we have not identified problems with the share code mechanism itself. The system is designed to invalidate codes in the following circumstances:Expiry after 90 days – Share codes are time-limited to prevent indefinite access to personal immigration data.Status updates – If a user’s immigration status changes after a share code is generated, the code is invalidated to ensure that the migrant has had a chance to review and share the most current status.On carrier eVisa verifications, if someone’s carrier, for example, airline, rail company or other transport provider, is unable to check a person’s permission to travel to the UK, the carrier may contact the UK Border Force Carrier Support Hub for advice, 24/7. This service is for carriers only.We do not collect data on how many times people have been refused airline boarding and UK entry as a result of eVisa issues. This data would rely on either a customer or airline notifying the Home Office and therefore could not be classed as a reliable data source Information requested regarding the breakdown of reported eVisa issues is not available from published statistics. The relevant data could only be collated and verified for the purpose of answering this question at disproportionate cost.We have carefully considered possible options for offline backup versions of eVisas. Information on a printed document would not allow demonstration of real-time immigration status, and therefore is not a secure method of sharing and proving immigration status in a way that gives confidence to the user and the checker.

What capital funding streams are available to academy trusts for essential playground (a) repairs and (b) replacement.

The government has given a long-term commitment for capital investment to improve the condition of schools and colleges across England through to 2034/35. It is investing almost £3 billion per year by 2034/35 in capital maintenance and renewal, rising from £2.4 billion in 2025/26.The department supports local authorities, academy trusts and voluntary-aided school bodies, who are responsible for keeping buildings and grounds safe and well-maintained, by providing capital funding to improve the condition of their estates.The majority of capital funding is provided through annual School Condition Allocations to large responsible bodies, such as local authorities and large multi-academy trusts, to decide how to invest in improving the condition of their estates, including playgrounds. Small or stand-alone academy trusts and sixth form colleges bid for funding for essential condition projects through the Condition Improvement Fund.Schools also receive a small annual capital allocation, Devolved Formula Capital, to spend on their own capital priorities, such as replacing or upgrading playground equipment.Further details about capital funding for 2025/26 are published on GOV.UK.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what information his Department holds on the number of children expected to be impacted by the planned reductions to Official Development Assistance spending on health programmes in 2025-26 in (a) Democratic Republic of Congo, (b) Mozambique, (c) Zimbabwe and (d) Ethiopia.

To assess the impact of decisions on Official Development Assistance (ODA) allocations in 2025/26, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) conducted an equality impact assessment (EIA). While this did not capture the requested information and the data cannot readily be obtained for the purposes of answering this question, the EIA we have published confirmed we have avoided disproportionate negative impacts on women and girls and people living with disabilities in our 2025/26 ODA allocations.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of including a target of at least 80 hours of enrichment activities in the enrichment framework.

I refer my hon. Friend, the Member for Rushcliffe to the answer of 2 July 2025 to Question 62871.