Every parliamentary written question tabled by Kim Johnson this session, with the full answer and department. Back to the MP page.
Showing 81–100 of 414 · this parliament
Communities and Local Government, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the revised National Planning Policy Framework on playing fields, pitches and community sports facilities.
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 107478 on 30 January 2026.
What steps she is taking to encourage (a) provision and (b) take up of seafarer apprenticeships in the North West.
An industry round-table, chaired by the then Maritime Minister, was held in Blackpool in May 2025. The round-table brought key stakeholders from across the maritime industry together to discuss the promotion of maritime careers in the North West. The Department is engaging with Skills England and the Department for Work and Pensions on the provision of maritime apprenticeships and will continue to advocate for growing maritime careers and apprenticeships with employers in the North West.
What steps she is taking to increase (a) seafarer jobs and (b) freight volumes on domestic short sea shipping routes.
Domestic shipping routes are an important part of the UK maritime sector and wider economy. Such routes accounted for 71.2 million tonnes of freight moved in 2024. Moving freight in this way can be environmentally beneficial and improve inland transport efficiency. We support the shift towards greater use of waterborne freight, and Government intends to undertake a comprehensive review of the potential for waterborne freight and the barriers that currently constrain its growth. Shipping is a commercial market, and demand for shipping goods stems from wider economic demand, but it is important the sector can respond to those opportunities. Government continually considers the UK offer to attract shipping businesses to base themselves, and operate in, the UK market. Recent improvements to Tonnage Tax for shipping operators have proved successful.The Department also remains committed to increasing the number of seafaring jobs in the UK. The apprenticeship levy is available for use in the maritime industry, including for ratings apprenticeships, and the Department and MCA continues to fund 50% of a cadetship through the £18m Support for Maritime Training (SMarT) fund.
What recent discussions she has had with representatives from the maritime ports sector on modal shift of freight from road to domestic short sea shipping routes.
Departmental officials have discussed the case for promoting greater use of coastal and other domestic short-sea shipping routes with the British Ports Association and with the UK Major Ports Group on several recent occasions. The Government remains committed to incentivising modal shift.
When she expects to launch (a) Round 7 of the Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition (CMDC7) and (b) round 2 of the Zero Emission Vessels and Infrastructure competition (ZEVI2); and how much public funding will be allocated from the UK Shipping Office for Reducing Emissions (UK SHORE) budget for (i) CMDC7 and (ii) ZEVI2.
We intend to launch the CMDC7 and ZEVI2 competitions in Spring 2026. The budgets will be announced when the competitions launch and will be funded from the recently announced UK SHORE £448m budget for the 2026 – 2030 financial period.
What information she holds on the recent progress of the International Green Corridor Fund feasibility studies to decarbonise merchant shipping routes between (a) the ports of Holyhead and Dublin and (b) the ports of Tyne and Ijmuiden.
Green Corridors have the potential to be effective mechanisms to deliver first mover activity and accelerate the decarbonisation of the maritime sector globally, as demonstrated in the published findings of the International Green Corridor Fund. These bilaterally-funded studies, with Ireland and the Netherlands, demonstrated the economic feasibility of industry delivering Green Corridors on these routes. The Government is focussed on delivering change through the policies set out in the Maritime Decarbonisation Strategy alongside international action at the International Maritime Organization (IMO). This will support industry to deliver Green Corridors and widespread decarbonisation of the maritime sector.
If he will publish the assessment criteria the Department uses to determine whether the supplier of externally-contracted services has been responsible for a critical performance failure in delivering its contractual commitments.
The Cabinet Office does not utilise a single, universal set of assessment criteria for determining whether a supplier is responsible for a critical performance failure. Instead, specific criteria are defined within each individual contract, generally aligning with the standard definitions in the Model Services Contract.The Cabinet Office remains committed to promoting high standards of supplier performance and compliance with all relevant procurement legislation.
What assessment he has made of the adequacy of the performance of Capita in delivering and administering the civil service pension scheme.
The Cabinet Office awarded the contract to administer the Civil Service Pension Scheme to Capita in November 2023 under the previous government. The issues and delays facing some civil servants and pension scheme members in accessing their pensions are unacceptable. Angela MacDonald, Deputy Chief Executive at HMRC, is working with the Cabinet Office and Capita to lead and support delivery of a full recovery plan. This includes commitments, with milestones, to immediately deal with priority cases, restore service levels and improve communication with affected members. Furthermore, any further service failures by Capita will attract financial penalties, which will reduce the overall cost of the contract. The contract includes key performance indicators that, if not met, include financial penalties. These have already been applied in respect of Capita’s performance in December. The Cabinet Office will continue to use all available commercial levers to hold Capita to account and ensure they deliver the contractual service levels.
What steps her Department is taking to engage with Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories on the impact of proposals to expand the UK Emissions Trading Scheme to international maritime voyages.
Officials from my department and the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero recently ran consultation engagement sessions with Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories following the publication of the consultation on expansion of the UK ETS to international maritime voyages.Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories were also encouraged to submit a written response to the consultation. The consultation closed on the 20 January, and officials are now analysing responses.We will continue to engage with Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories and use their input to inform policy developments.
What assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of using funds raised by the expansion of the UK Emissions Trading Scheme to include maritime to support maritime decarbonisation projects.
The Government recognises that decarbonising the maritime sector requires a suite of policies and is providing funding and policy support to facilitate this transition. For example, between April 2022 and March 2026, the Shipping Office for Reducing Emissions programme has allocated £240m to the research and development of clean maritime solutions. In September 2025, the Government announced a further £448m R&D funding for the programme for the period to 2030. This represents the biggest government investment ever in our commercial maritime industry. Receipts from the UK Emissions Trading Scheme support the Government’s wider priorities, including spending that helps deliver decarbonisation.
What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of expanding the UK Emissions Trading Scheme to maritime on (a) the international competitiveness of the UK’s cruise sector, (b) Liverpool Cruise Port and (c) other British ports.
The domestic expansion of the UK Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) will only include emissions from international voyages, including cruises, produced while at berth in UK ports. This means there is no net loss of competitiveness for international cruise visits to UK ports relative to ports in the European Economic Area (EEA), where these emissions are already in scope of the EU ETS. As such, the impact is expected to be minimal. This is also the case for UK ports in general, and whilst the specific impacts on Liverpool Cruise Port have not been assessed, the impact on UK ports is not expected to be significant, as neighbouring competing ports in the EEA face equivalent regulations under the EU ETS. In September 2025, we announced a further £448 million of funding for the UK SHORE programme. This funding will continue to support clean maritime solutions, including the decarbonisation of ports and vessels at berth.
How many and what proportion of Parole Board recommendations on moving (a) prisoners serving an Imprisonment for Public Protection sentence and (b) other prisoners to open conditions were rejected by his Department in each of the last 12 months.
For many years, the Secretary of State has asked the independent Parole Board for advice on whether a prisoner serving an Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPP) or a life sentence is suitable for transfer to open conditions. Where the Parole Board recommends that a prisoner is suitable, the Secretary of State is not bound to accept the recommendation, and it is the Secretary of State who is ultimately responsible for determining whether a life or IPP prisoner is safe to be managed in an open prison. In making that decision, the Secretary of State takes account of the Parole Board’s recommendation and needs evidence to justify rejecting the recommendation.The following tables provide the number and proportion of recommendations made by the Parole Board which were rejected in each month between 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025 for prisoners serving (a) an IPP sentence and (b) a life sentence.Number and proportion of rejected open condition recommendations involving IPP prisoners, 1 April 2024-31 March 2025Table 1: YearMonthAcceptedRejected% Rejected2024April8111%2024May9431%2024June10533%2024July17935%2024August8433%2024September19521%2024October17935%2024November14836%2024December12737%2025January10217%2025February7750%2025March6225% Number and proportion of rejected open condition recommendations involving life prisoners, 1 April 2024-31 March 2025Table 2: YearMonthAcceptedRejected% Rejected2024April14733%2024May15317%2024June1019%2024July4836%2024August34717%2024September25311%2024October20829%2024November17832%2024December27618%2025January19727%2025February23312%2025March23312% These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems which, as with any large-scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing. Data has been provided for the period 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025 to align with the publication of the Parole Board’s data on recommendations for open conditions.Public protection remains the priority and prisoners will only be approved for a move to open conditions if it is assessed that it is safe to do so.
Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of including anti-racism measures in the Competence and Conduct Standard for social landlords on the levels of homelessness amongst people from Black ethnic groups.
A Public Sector Equalities Assessment was published as part of our consultation on the detailed policy supporting the competence and conduct standard for social housing staff. It can be found here.It considered the impact the new standards might have for people with protected characteristics. This assessment was then reviewed in light of feedback received through the consultation.The Competence and Conduct standard requires senior housing managers and executives to undertake qualifications which develop their knowledge and skills of housing management and engagement with tenants in relation to: equality, diversity and inclusion; awareness of a range of needs and vulnerabilities; effective engagement with tenants; and delivering respectful and professional housing services.These criteria are designed to improve the experience of social housing tenants by ensuring senior staff can understand and respond to the diverse needs of tenants, including those related to age, disability, race, gender, and other protected characteristics.The Regulator’s Transparency, Influence and Accountability Standard, which came into force in April 2024, also places clear requirements on landlords to deliver fair and equitable outcomes for their tenants and prospective tenants. This includes using relevant information and data to understand the diverse needs of tenants, including those arising from protected characteristics to deliver more inclusive services.
Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the requirements relating to equality, diversity and inclusion in the Competence and Conduct standards for social landlords on tenants in social housing that have submitted complaints about race-based discrimination.
A Public Sector Equalities Assessment was published as part of our consultation on the detailed policy supporting the competence and conduct standard for social housing staff. It can be found here.It considered the impact the new standards might have for people with protected characteristics. This assessment was then reviewed in light of feedback received through the consultation.The Competence and Conduct standard requires senior housing managers and executives to undertake qualifications which develop their knowledge and skills of housing management and engagement with tenants in relation to: equality, diversity and inclusion; awareness of a range of needs and vulnerabilities; effective engagement with tenants; and delivering respectful and professional housing services.These criteria are designed to improve the experience of social housing tenants by ensuring senior staff can understand and respond to the diverse needs of tenants, including those related to age, disability, race, gender, and other protected characteristics.The Regulator’s Transparency, Influence and Accountability Standard, which came into force in April 2024, also places clear requirements on landlords to deliver fair and equitable outcomes for their tenants and prospective tenants. This includes using relevant information and data to understand the diverse needs of tenants, including those arising from protected characteristics to deliver more inclusive services.
Pursuant to the Answer of 14 March 2025 to Question 37323 on Prison Sentences, how many people serving imprisonment for public protection sentences in Category A prisons on 1 January 2026 were classified as Category (a) A, (b) B, and (c) C prisoners.
Data on the prison population are published as part of the Department’s Offender Management Statistics Quarterly (OMSQ) release. The most recent publication includes prison population data as at 30 September 2025.The information requested—relating to the prison population as at 1 January 2026—cannot be provided at this time, as doing so would provide an early indication of the data underpinning a future iteration of these Accredited Official Statistics, scheduled for publication on 30 April 2026.
Pursuant to the Answer of 5 January 2026 to Question 100020, Serious Violence Reduction Orders, how many stops were made under the power during the pilot.
Serious Violence Reduction Orders (SVROs) were piloted for two years throughout Merseyside, Sussex, Thames Valley and West Midlands police force areas. The pilot took place between 19 April 2023 and 18 April 2025.The pilot has been independently evaluated and looks at the effectiveness of SVROs, including the use of the SVRO stop and search power and the effectiveness of SVROs in reducing reoffending and knife carrying.The evaluation and its findings are currently being considered.
Pursuant to the Answer of 5 January 2026 to Question 100020, Serious Violence Reduction Orders, what assessment was made by the independent evaluation of (a) the use of the SVRO stop and search power, (b) the effectiveness of SVROs in reducing reoffending, and (c) the effectiveness of SVROs in reducing knife carrying.
Serious Violence Reduction Orders (SVROs) were piloted for two years throughout Merseyside, Sussex, Thames Valley and West Midlands police force areas. The pilot took place between 19 April 2023 and 18 April 2025.The pilot has been independently evaluated and looks at the effectiveness of SVROs, including the use of the SVRO stop and search power and the effectiveness of SVROs in reducing reoffending and knife carrying.The evaluation and its findings are currently being considered.
Pursuant to the Answer of 5 January 2026 to Question 100020, Serious Violence Reduction Orders, what was the highest number of stops of one individual during the pilot.
Serious Violence Reduction Orders (SVROs) were piloted for two years throughout Merseyside, Sussex, Thames Valley and West Midlands police force areas. The pilot took place between 19 April 2023 and 18 April 2025.The pilot has been independently evaluated and looks at the effectiveness of SVROs, including the use of the SVRO stop and search power and the effectiveness of SVROs in reducing reoffending and knife carrying.The evaluation and its findings are currently being considered.
Pursuant to the Answer of 5 January 2026 to Question 100020, Serious Violence Reduction Orders, how many weapons were found as a result of the stops during the pilot.
Serious Violence Reduction Orders (SVROs) were piloted for two years throughout Merseyside, Sussex, Thames Valley and West Midlands police force areas. The pilot took place between 19 April 2023 and 18 April 2025.The pilot has been independently evaluated and looks at the effectiveness of SVROs, including the use of the SVRO stop and search power and the effectiveness of SVROs in reducing reoffending and knife carrying.The evaluation and its findings are currently being considered.
Pursuant to the Answer of 5 January 2026 to Question 100020, Serious Violence Reduction Orders, when she will publish the independent evaluation.
Serious Violence Reduction Orders (SVROs) were piloted for two years throughout Merseyside, Sussex, Thames Valley and West Midlands police force areas. The pilot took place between 19 April 2023 and 18 April 2025.The pilot has been independently evaluated and looks at the effectiveness of SVROs, including the use of the SVRO stop and search power and the effectiveness of SVROs in reducing reoffending and knife carrying.The evaluation and its findings are currently being considered.