Written questions by Milne.

Whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of allowing businesses to continue paying rates based on the previous year's valuation where a newly determined business rates valuation is under appeal with additional liability payable only if the appeal is unsuccessful.

If customers disagree with their Rateable Value (as published in the Rating Lists), there is a three-stage process run by the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) known as Check, Challenge, Appeal to challenge this. Ratepayers are required to continue paying business rates based on the current valuation while a case is ongoing.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the answer of 20 January 2026 to UIN 105608, if he will publish the evidence on the application of the Remoteness Adjustment in the Fair Funding Review.

The government will apply the remoteness adjustment to the Adult Social Care Formula, but not to formulas more broadly. The government recognised in the Fair Funding Review 2.0 the case in principle for the impact of a remoteness adjustment on costs.The best evidence the government has heard in response to the consultation indicates remoteness may have a particular impact on adult social care services. Social care was also the area most frequently mentioned by respondents to the consultation in relation to the impact of remoteness.On balance, taking into consideration the available evidence and the views of stakeholders, the government has made a judgement that remoteness should be accounted for when assessing the cost of delivering adult social care services.The technical methodology annexes published at the provisional Settlement set out the Area Cost Adjustment's methodology and data sources - Provisional Local Government Finance Settlement 2026-2027 to 2028-2029 - GOV.UK.

How many and what proportion of families subject to the household benefit cap are blended families.

The information requested is not held centrally and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

Pursuant to the Answer of 13 January 2026 to Question 103110 on Exports: Ammunition, on what evidential basis the Minister stated that the Government does not licence the export of any bombs or ammunition for use in military operations in Gaza or the West Bank.

Licence applications for the export of controlled goods, including bombs and ammunition, are considered by the Export Control Joint Unit. Relevant teams, including technical experts and officials within DBT, FCDO and MOD, consider every application on a case-by-case basis. On the basis of such assessments this Government has been clear that the UK does not licence the export of any bombs or ammunition for use in military operations in Gaza or the West Bank. Information on export licensing is publicly available at: Strategic export controls: quarterly licensing statistics - GOV.UK. The Government has previously published exceptional information relating to Israel available at: Export control licensing management information for Israel - GOV.UK.

Whether HMRC holds customs export data identifying exports of live munitions, including bullets or cartridges, from the United Kingdom to Israel; and whether such data distinguishes live munitions from training, sporting, and other non-combat ammunition.

HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) is responsible for the collection of Customs declarations and the publication of data on imports and exports of goods to and from the UK.Data on ammunition exports does not distinguish between live ammunition and other forms such as those for training or sporting activities.

Pursuant to the Answer of 15 January 2026 to Question 104116 on Firearms Licensing, whether the government will set out a timeline for publication of the consultation on firearms licensing; and whether the impact assessment will be published alongside the consultation.

The Government will be publishing the public consultation paper on strengthening the controls on shotguns shortly.The Government will provide the necessary impact assessments in due course, depending on whether we decide to make any changes following the consultation.

Communities and Local Government, if he will take steps to publish a revised local government finance settlement that excludes consideration of income received through second home council tax premiums.

At the provisional Local Government Finance Settlement 2026-27 to 2028-29 on 17 December 2025, we set out the funding available to councils through the longstanding Core Spending Power measure, which was calculated in line with the approach used at previous Settlements. This means we assumed each authority’s council tax base increases in line with the five-year average annual growth in their council tax base. The inclusion of second homes premium income in Core Spending Power does not affect grant allocations, as it is excluded in the updated assessment of relative need and resources. We are aware over two thirds of billing authorities introduced second homes premiums in 2025-26, and under our proposals this additional income would be accounted for in Core Spending Power, given it is an important part of the resources available to local authorities to deliver services. No council will lose grant and/or business rates through our assessment of authorities’ relative need and resources as a result of this approach and as part of the government’s policy to reward places for housebuilding. The consultation on the provisional Settlement closed on 14 January. The government is now considering responses and will set out its position at the final Settlement in February.

Communities and Local Government, whether his department holds data outlining the Local Government Finance Settlement allocations for individual councils discounting second home premium council tax projections.

At the provisional Local Government Finance Settlement 2026-27 to 2028-29 on 17 December 2025, we set out the funding available to councils through the longstanding Core Spending Power measure, which was calculated in line with the approach used at previous Settlements. This means we assumed each authority’s council tax base increases in line with the five-year average annual growth in their council tax base. The inclusion of second homes premium income in Core Spending Power does not affect grant allocations, as it is excluded in the updated assessment of relative need and resources. We are aware over two thirds of billing authorities introduced second homes premiums in 2025-26, and under our proposals this additional income would be accounted for in Core Spending Power, given it is an important part of the resources available to local authorities to deliver services. No council will lose grant and/or business rates through our assessment of authorities’ relative need and resources as a result of this approach and as part of the government’s policy to reward places for housebuilding. The consultation on the provisional Settlement closed on 14 January. The government is now considering responses and will set out its position at the final Settlement in February.

Communities and Local Government, what data, analysis, and modelling did the Department use to determine the removal of the remoteness factor from the Area Cost Adjustment, and if the Government will publish or share this evidence with local authorities to demonstrate how the change accurately reflects differences in service delivery costs.

The government is committed to tackling the issues that matter to rural communities. In addition to including a remoteness adjustment in adult social care formulas, we are including a journey times adjustment, which aims to account for the impact of the difference in travel times to provide services on the cost of labour; including updated deprivation data to help ensure that deprivation in rural areas is captured more accurately; and increasing the cap within the home to school transport formula from 20 miles to 50 miles As set out in the Fair Funding Review 2.0, the government believes that accounting for variations in cost between local authorities is important when determining funding allocations through the Local Government Finance Settlement. This ensures that all authorities receive funding which reflects their costs relative to others. Following the Fair Funding Review consultation, the government has taken the decision to include a remoteness adjustment in the area cost adjustment applied to the adult social care formula, but not to other formulas. This is because the best evidence we have heard indicates that distance from a major market has an impact on the cost of delivering adult social care services.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of potential economic impact of the closure of small and medium-sized abattoirs on (a) farmers, (b) abattoir owners, (c) food producers and (d) consumers in the South East.

Small and medium abattoirs play an important role in supporting regional food systems, providing routes to market for local food producers, particularly for native and rare breeds, and sustaining diversity in the meat processing sector. The closure of several smaller abattoirs in recent years has resulted in some farmers having to find alternative slaughter facilities. This has not impacted national food security or food supply for consumers including those based in the South East of England. The national abattoir network remains resilient, continuing to deliver high-quality and safe meat products. Defra works closely with industry stakeholders including farmers, abattoir owners and food producers through the Small Abattoirs Working Group and the Small Abattoirs Task and Finish Group. These groups bring together government and industry representatives on a regular basis and provide a forum for identifying the challenges and opportunities the sector faces, and for collaborating on practical solutions.

Pursuant to question 98653, whether the Department will release the number of people with multiple sclerosis who are in the Work Related Activity Group.

There were fewer than five people with multiple sclerosis as their primary condition who were claiming contributory Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) in the Work Related Activity Group (WRAG) in May 2025. Statistical disclosure control has been applied by rounding to the nearest 10 to avoid the release of confidential data. People claiming income-related Employment and Support Allowance are currently moving across to Universal Credit.

Communities and Local Government, if he will publish guidance for local authorities on the composition of Neighbourhood Area Committees.

The English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill brings a new requirement for local authorities to make appropriate governance arrangements for any neighbourhood area. The government will publish guidance to support the local authorities in the implementation of this policy in due course.

Whether his Department holds UK customs export data identifying shipments of live munitions, including bullets, exported from the United Kingdom to Israel in August 2025; and whether he plans to publish disaggregated data distinguishing live munitions from training, sporting, and other non-combat ammunition.

DBT does not hold detailed shipment-level customs export data. For goods export data, you should refer to HMRC, who publish UK trade in goods statistics by partner country and product which can be found on www.uktradeinfo.com.Since September 2024, this Government has suspended licences for exports for the IDF that might be used in military operations in Gaza and refused new licence applications on the same basis. We categorically do not licence the export of any bombs or ammunition for use in military operations in Gaza or the West Bank.DBT publishes extensive data on export licences on a quarterly basis which includes summaries of the items licensed, with classifications which typically differentiate between types of ammunition. The Department has also published specific information on licences for export to Israel: Export control licensing management information for Israel - GOV.UK.

Whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing independent Local Authority Designated Officers.

The Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) plays a vital role in safeguarding children by overseeing the management of allegations made against adults who work with children in any capacity.The department is aware of proposals to introduce independent LADOs, including a recommendation from the Children’s Commissioner in September 2025. To ensure this vital role is delivered consistently and effectively across all local authorities, we continue to work with key stakeholders across the sector including the Office of the Children’s Commissioner on key policy developments and to explore how the role of LADO can be strengthened. Evidence and intelligence gathered through this engagement will be considered alongside wider stakeholder input to inform future policy development.

What assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the High Streets Illegality Taskforce; and how she measures that effectiveness.

At the Autumn Budget 2025, the Chancellor announced the creation of a dedicated cross-government taskforce to tackle money laundering and associated criminality on our high streets.The Taskforce is currently being established. It will develop an intelligence-led understanding of the threat, design systemic interventions to disrupt money laundering and related criminality and set strategic priorities for future operational activity. Effectiveness will be assessed through systematic monitoring and evaluation of progress against its objectives. Further details will be announced in due course.

What recent discussions she has had with the Valuation Office Agency on the application of business rates to pubs and breweries.

I have regular discussions with the Valuation Office Agency (VOA), who are responsible for independently valuing properties.

What process will her Department follow in order to set the visa allocations under the Seasonal Worker Scheme beyond 2026; and what factors will be considered when tapering the allocation.

The UK Government is committed to supporting the UK Horticulture sector, but it is also important that the sector reduces its ongoing reliance on significant numbers of seasonal workers from overseas. Decisions on future allocations will take into account a broad range of factors including, current usage, steps taken to reduce ongoing reliance, such as the adoption of automative technology, and the ongoing costs of operating the route, including compliance and asylum costs.The Home Office will work closely with the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs to determine future scheme allocations.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of adopting the unofficial Cold War Medal for UK veterans from the Cold War.

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) has no plans to adopt an unofficial medal in recognition of UK military service during the Cold War. In the UK, the granting of official Honours and Awards is made at the behest of His Majesty, The King who is advised by the Cabinet Office led Committee on the Grant of Honours, Decorations and Medals. In turn, this committee is advised on matters of historic military recognition, by the independent Advisory Military Sub-Committee, rather than the MOD. The issue of generic medallic recognition for service during the Cold War was officially considered by Sir John Holmes as part of his review of Military Medals in 2012. The Review did not recommend that a Cold War medal should be introduced.

Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions she has had with the National Farmers’ Union on small and medium sized abattoirs.

Defra engages regularly with a number of key stakeholders, including the National Farmers’ Union, to discuss a wide range of farming issues which are important to both producers and processors. Defra officials continue to work closely with small and medium sized abattoir sector stakeholders particularly through the Small Abattoirs Working Group, of which the National Farmers’ Union is a member. This group provides a platform for the industry to raise the key challenges and opportunities that the sector faces directly with the Department.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the Food Standard Agency’s official control charges on the viability of small and medium sized abattoirs.

Information on the 2025/26 charge rates for official controls, or inspections, conducted in meat premises is available on the Food Standards Agency’s (FSA’s) website at the following link:https://www.food.gov.uk/business-guidance/charges-for-controls-in-meat-premisesAs in previous years, the impact of charges will be offset by a discount which provides the greatest proportional support to smaller businesses. The impact of the discount on different sized food businesses in England and Wales for 2025/26 is set out in the Cost Data Slides the FSA has published.The FSA has conducted an evaluation of the current discount scheme which began with a Call for Evidence in autumn 2024. Extensive stakeholder engagement and consideration by the FSA Board in its public meetings has followed which has informed proposals for a revised scheme. At its public meeting on 10 December, the FSA Board agreed to a full public consultation on proposals for a scheme that would direct more targeted support towards smaller abattoirs. The consultation is planned for spring 2026 and will be accompanied by an assessment of impact.