Written questions by Anderson.

What steps his Department is taking to support post offices.

The Post Office provides critical services that are valued by communities across the UK and the Government is committed to strengthening the network.We are backing that commitment with over £500 million of investment during this Parliament, including this financial year up to £136m to invest in new technology and replace Horizon.Government recently published a Green Paper which seeks to open a dialogue on the Post Office, from the services it provides, how we modernise and strengthen the network, through to how we change the culture at the Post Office. We want to hear from everyone with a stake in the Post Office’s future.

Pursuant to the Answer of 16 June 2025 to Question 58049 on Kirkby-in-Ashfield Station: Access, when she next plans to select stations for accessibility upgrades; and whether Kirkby-in-Ashfield station will be considered.

In May 2024, the previous government identified 50 stations for initial feasibility work to assess their potential for future upgrades under the Access for All programme. This did not include Kirkby-in-Ashfield station.

Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to ensure new housing developments have adequate (a) infrastructure and (b) public service provision.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 65505 on 14 July 2025.

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of increasing the penalties for antisocial drug smoking.

The maximum penalty for possession of a Class A drug is up to seven years in prison, an unlimited fine or both.The maximum penalty for possession of a Class B drug is up to five years in prison, an unlimited fine or both.

If he will ensure the long term future of the postal service.

The government is clear on its commitment to the provision of a comprehensive, reliable and affordable universal postal service that works for customers, workers and businesses.Ofcom has reviewed the future of the universal service obligation (USO) and set out changes to put the USO on a more sustainable footing and to push Royal Mail to improve reliability.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill on (a) levels of access to green spaces and (b) wildlife.

The Impact Assessment for the Planning and Infrastructure Bill was published 6 May 2025 and can be found on gov.uk here.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an estimate of the cost to the public purse for the use of private jets by his Department since 5 July 2024.

The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office incurred approximately £3,850,000 in ministerial travel costs between July 2024 and the end of March 2025. This figure is inclusive of all commercial, non-scheduled and RAF flights, as well as associated rail and car journeys. The information required to isolate only the cost of private jet usage is not readily available and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost. April 2025 to end June 2025 data will be published in due course via gov.uk, as part of the Quarterly Ministerial Transparency Returns.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill on the effectiveness of procedures for opposing local development.

The Impact Assessment for the Planning and Infrastructure Bill was published 6 May 2025 and can be found on gov.uk here.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he plans to review the suitability of Syria as a recipient of foreign aid.

The humanitarian situation in Syria is dire, with over 16 million people in need of humanitarian assistance and 90 per cent of the population living in poverty. Our funding provides urgent humanitarian aid, as well as support for Syria's longer-term recovery through education and livelihoods. The UK has robust processes in place to ensure our overseas development assistance aid funding reaches those most in need, delivers value for money and protects against aid diversion. A stable Syria is firmly in the UK's interests, reducing the risk of irregular migration, terrorism and other threats to our national security.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure religious freedom in Syria.

The UK has consistently advocated for an inclusive political transition and underlined the importance of protecting the rights of all Syrians, regardless of religious or ethnic background. I travelled to Damascus on 27 August, and reiterated this message to Foreign Minister Al-Shaibani and Justice Minister Al-Waisi.. The Foreign Secretary also discussed this with President al Sharaa and Foreign Minister al Shaibani when he visited Damascus in July. We continue to press the Syrian Government on the need to improve their response to sectarian violence and hold those responsible to account. We welcome the provisions on freedom of expression and freedom of religion and belief in the Constitutional Declaration. We will continue to advocate for the right to freedom of religion or belief for all.

What steps her Department is taking to help tackle antisocial drug smoking.

Tackling anti-social behaviour, including drug misuse, is a top priority for this Government and a key part of our Safer Streets Mission.That’s why we have committed to recruiting an additional 13,000 neighbourhood police officers and community support officers by the end of the Parliament and will ensure that residents have a named officer they can turn to when things go wrong. It is unlawful to possess or supply controlled drugs without a Home Office licence and we expect the police to enforce the law.The Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 provides the police, local authorities and other relevant agencies with a range of flexible tools and powers that they can use to respond quickly and effectively to all forms of anti-social behaviour, including drug misuse.

How much was given in legal aid to people accused of (a) murder, (b) rape and (c) terrorism offences in each of the last five years.

The requested information relating to legal aid expenditure in respect of specific criminal offences could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

How many people have been given legal aid for cases in relation to immigration offences in each of the last five years.

The requested information relating to legal aid expenditure in respect of specific criminal offences could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential risk of infectious diseases from immigrants who arrive illegally on boats.

The UK Health Security Agency routinely monitors infectious disease risk across England and manages any public health action required following notification of infectious diseases.The Migrant Health Guide recommends that all new arrivals to the United Kingdom, including people seeking asylum, should have access to an initial health assessment, which includes infectious disease screening and routine vaccine catch-up. The guide is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/migrant-health-guide

Whether she has considered the potential merits of a direct train service between stations on the Robin Hood Line and London.

There has been no consideration to East Midlands Railway providing a direct service between London and stations on the Robin Hood Line. However, the Department is happy to work with operators as they develop demand-led timetables that can adapt to passengers’ evolving needs, whilst also making the running of the railways financially sustainable, to ensure that taxpayers’ money is used in the most efficient way amid the current financial constraints.

What steps she is taking to improve East-West connectivity (a) in the Midlands and (b) nationwide.

The first phase of Midlands Rail Hub (‘Western’ scope) would enable additional trains each hour between Birmingham and South Wales and the South West, and on Birmingham’s Cross City Line. This includes extending Chiltern services from Moor Street to Snow Hill station by improving connectivity across the region.

Whether she has considered the potential merits of requiring prisoners convicted for (a) murder, (b) rape and (c) terrorism offences to work in prison to repay legal aid.

Legal aid is not paid directly to the defendant. It is paid to lawyers and ensures defendants have a fair trial and can be punished for their crimes.The Legal Aid Agency ensures public money is used efficiently by applying means and merits (the interests of justice test) tests, except where exempt by regulation, to all defendants before the magistrates’ and Crown courts, when they make an application for legal aid funding. Where a defendant’s income is above the minimum income threshold, they are required to pay contributions for up to six months during the case. If convicted, they may be required to pay contributions from their capital assets up to the full amount of their defence costs.The Court of Appeal can also make ‘Recovery of Defence Costs Order’ after upholding a conviction to recover legal aid costs where the defendant has been assessed to have the financial means to do so.

What meetings she has had with the victims of people released from prison through the early release scheme.

This Government inherited prisons days from collapse. We have had no choice but to take decisive action to stop our prisons overflowing and keep the public safe. SDS40 was a necessary measure introduced to relieve pressure on the prison estate. This involved changes to some offender’s automatic release dates.In designing SDS40, we carefully considered the impact on victims and public safety, ensuring that the most serious offenders were excluded from the scheme. The implementation of SDS40 was considered at a victim support sector roundtable, and then subsequently through meetings with a sector engagement group, which included a broad range of victims’ groups and representatives. We also published an explanation of the policy on GOV.UK and provided victim support organisations with frequently asked questions and answers to support them when engaging with victims who may be affected by the measure. Ministers regularly meet with victims and engage with the victims’ sector to inform relevant areas of policy.

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of deporting all foreign criminals currently in prison.

The removal of Foreign National Offenders (FNOs) is an important priority of this Government. We refer all FNOs in receipt of custodial sentences to the Home Office to consider deportation and we are taking decisive steps to increase removals.In the past year, 5,179 FNOs have been deported. This is a 14% increase in returns compared to the same period 12 months prior.We have accepted the recommendations of the sentencing review to enable earlier deportation of FNOs. On 25 June 2025, we laid legislation to expand the Early Release Scheme to allow FNOs to be removed up to 4 years before the earliest release point of their sentence (increased from 18 months now), subject to having served 30% of the custodial element of their sentence (allowing earlier removal compared to the 50% minimum time needed to serve now). This is estimated to further increase deportations and reduce demand by up to 500 prison places per year.

If her Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of exempting foreign nationals from being eligible for legal aid.

Decisions about who receives legal aid are made in accordance with the Legal Aid Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 and regulations made under that Act.Anyone applying for legal aid in England and Wales is subject to strict eligibility criteria, and as a result, their legal issue must generally be in scope, and they must satisfy means and merit tests, unless specifically exempt by regulation.Legal aid can play an important role in ensuring the smooth running of the courts, by providing timely advice to the individuals concerned, reducing the likelihood of delays and adjournments and helping to tackle court backlogs.