Written questions by White.

Whether sovereign-linked biodiversity and carbon certificates are an investable environmental asset class within the Green Financing Framework.

The UK Green Financing Framework, published in June 2021 and updated in November 2025, governs the UK Green Financing Programme. The Programme raises funds through the issuance of green gilts and NS&I’s retail Green Savings Bonds to finance public expenditure that can demonstrate a direct and positive climate or environmental impact. The Framework defines the categories of expenditure that are eligible for green financing. Eligible expenditures are drawn from departments’ confirmed settlements through the Spending Review process and are assessed on the basis of their contribution to the government’s climate and wider environmental objectives. The Framework governs the raising of financing for green public spending where biodiversity and credit certificates are not in scope.

What information her Department holds on the number of times that Jeffrey Epstein (a) visited and (b) stayed at a Crown Estate owned property.

The Epstein scandal exposed a culture that didn't value the lives of women. It is utterly contrary to what the Prime Minister stands for and the values at the heart of a government tackling misogyny in schools, halving violence against women and girls and overhauling how our criminal justice system serves victims. The Crown Estate is an independent commercial organisation, and the Government is not involved in its operations and day-to-day decision making. The Crown Estate has confirmed that its leases contain a nuisance clause that prohibits illegal or immoral use, and that it enforces those leases in accordance with applicable law. The Crown Estate has confirmed that its residential lease arrangements do not require monitoring or recording the identities of a leaseholder’s private visitors. Such monitoring would be incompatible with privacy and data protection requirements and with the long-established covenant owed to leaseholders under landlord-tenant law.

What information her Department holds on whether the Crown Estate sought legal advice on the potential liability of their properties being used for the procurement of prostitution.

The Epstein scandal exposed a culture that didn't value the lives of women. It is utterly contrary to what the Prime Minister stands for and the values at the heart of a government tackling misogyny in schools, halving violence against women and girls and overhauling how our criminal justice system serves victims. The Crown Estate is an independent commercial organisation, and the Government is not involved in its operations and day-to-day decision making. The Crown Estate has confirmed that its leases contain a nuisance clause that prohibits illegal or immoral use, and that it enforces those leases in accordance with applicable law. The Crown Estate has confirmed that its residential lease arrangements do not require monitoring or recording the identities of a leaseholder’s private visitors. Such monitoring would be incompatible with privacy and data protection requirements and with the long-established covenant owed to leaseholders under landlord-tenant law.

What information her Department holds on the number of times Peter Mandelson visited 11 Downing Street between June 2010 and March 2020 for each year.

Visitor information for 11 Downing Street is not retained for the time periods specified. Archived diary records, which are only available for the period from June 2016-March 2020, found no record of a visit by Lord Mandelson to 11 Downing Street.

If she will publish the membership of the Green Book Review taskforce.

The Chancellor has listened to regional leaders who have said that, for too long, the Green Book has downplayed the importance of local outcomes and the potential of targeted regional investment. The Chancellor commissioned a new review of the Green Book. The conclusions of that review were published in June, setting out a new approach to public sector appraisal that will deliver a more effective assessment of place-based interventions. This includes the introduction of place-based business cases that will galvanise departments across Whitehall and highlight the reinforcing effects of different investments within an area. Liverpool, Plymouth, Port Talbot and Birmingham will be the first early adopters of place-based business cases. HM Treasury will also publish an updated Green Book at the start of 2026. A cross-government taskforce has been established to develop the approach to place-based business cases and oversee their implementation. This taskforce is currently comprised of the Second Permanent Secretary of HM Treasury responsible for regional growth and devolution, the Director General for Local Government, Growth and Communities in the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, the Director General for Public Transport and Local Group in the Department for Transport, and the CEO of the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority.

What progress her Department has made on implementing the actions outlined in the document entitled Green Book Review: Findings and Actions, published on 11 June 2025.

The Chancellor has listened to regional leaders who have said that, for too long, the Green Book has downplayed the importance of local outcomes and the potential of targeted regional investment. The Chancellor commissioned a new review of the Green Book. The conclusions of that review were published in June, setting out a new approach to public sector appraisal that will deliver a more effective assessment of place-based interventions. This includes the introduction of place-based business cases that will galvanise departments across Whitehall and highlight the reinforcing effects of different investments within an area. Liverpool, Plymouth, Port Talbot and Birmingham will be the first early adopters of place-based business cases. HM Treasury will also publish an updated Green Book at the start of 2026. A cross-government taskforce has been established to develop the approach to place-based business cases and oversee their implementation. This taskforce is currently comprised of the Second Permanent Secretary of HM Treasury responsible for regional growth and devolution, the Director General for Local Government, Growth and Communities in the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, the Director General for Public Transport and Local Group in the Department for Transport, and the CEO of the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority.

If she will outline the timeline for the review of the Green Book.

The review of the Green Book will report back at the conclusion of the Spending Review in June.