Written questions by Timothy.

Whether she plans to decolonise the (a) artwork and (b) heritage assets in her Department; and what guidance she issues to her Department’s Arm’s Length Bodies on decolonisation.

While the Hon. Gentlemen is welcome to put forward his proposals on this matter, our immediate priorities remain the protection of national security, the restoration of neighbourhood policing, tackling the smuggling gangs responsible for small boat crossings,and clearing up the chaos left by the previous government.

What industrial disputes are ongoing within (a) her Department and (b) each of the arm’s length bodies connected to her Department; how many (i) staff and (ii) contractors are involved in each dispute; what the form of industrial action is in each dispute; which recognised trade union is involved in each dispute; what the substantive matter is that is being disputed in each case; and what steps she plans to take to end each dispute.

Home OfficeNo recognised trade union currently holds a mandate to call industrial action in the Home Office.The Public and Commercial Services (PCS) trade union is in dispute with the Home Office regarding the implementation, on 29 April 2024, of a new shift roster for Border Force employees working at the Primary Control Point (PCP) at Heathrow Airport.PCS had a mandate to call strike action and action short of a strike (overtime ban and work to rule) at Heathrow between March and September 2024. That mandate has now expired, and the Home Office has not yet been notified of a further ballot. The most recent PCS notice of industrial action at Heathrow, issued in August 2024, called on 653 employees to take part in the action. There are no contractors in scope of the dispute.Border Force management remain open to discussing concerns regarding the roster with PCS with a view to resolving them in a way that meets business needs.Home Office Arms’ Length BodiesPCS currently has a mandate for strike action in the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS). This mandate remains valid until 14 November 2024. This mandate is in respect of a Civil Service wide dispute over pay, pensions and job security. The number of DBS employees included in the ballot was 646. No contractors were in scope of the ballot.No recognised trade union currently holds a mandate to call industrial action in any other Home Office ALB.

How many people who are not British citizens are claiming benefits, by immigration status and benefit.

Non-UK / Irish citizens can only access benefits like Universal Credit if they have an immigration status that provides recourse to public funds. Those without immigration status or with a no recourse to public funds condition on their status are not entitled. The Department checks immigration status when assessing eligibility, but this information is not collated centrally and hence not readily available. We are, however, exploring the feasibility of developing suitable statistics related to the immigration status of non-UK / Irish customers.

What estimate she has made of the lifetime fiscal (a) cost of and (b) income generated by those granted asylum in the UK.

As has been the case under successive governments, there is no published estimate available of the requested information.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the zero emission vehicle mandate on (a) levels of demand for fuel and (b) the economic viability of the refining sector.

As set out in our manifesto, we are committed to phasing out new cars that rely solely on internal combustion engines by 2030. We want to provide certainty and ensure consumers can benefit from more efficient vehicles. We will set out more details on specific 2025-30 requirements for both cars and vans shortly. Refineries will continue to play a significant role in the UK’s economy and energy security, and the government will support the sector to adapt to achieve our net zero ambitions. Together we will harness the skills and expertise of our refinery workforce to make Britain a clean energy superpower.

Whether she plans to implement the proposed changes in the tax treatment of furnished holiday lettings in the next financial year.

The Government will abolish the Furnished Holiday Lets (FHLs) tax regime from April 2025. This will equalise the tax treatment of FHL and non-FHL landlords’ income and gains.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the proposed ban on petrol and diesel cars on the (a) economic viability of the UK's refining sector and (b) UK's energy security in the context of the closure of Grangemouth refinery.

As set out in our manifesto, we are committed to phasing out new cars that rely solely on internal combustion engines by 2030. We want to provide certainty and ensure consumers can benefit from more efficient vehicles. We will set out more details on specific 2025-30 requirements for both cars and vans shortly. Refineries will continue to play a significant role in the UK’s economy and energy security, and the government will support the sector to adapt to achieve our net zero ambitions. Together we will harness the skills and expertise of our refinery workforce to make Britain a clean energy superpower.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the zero emissions vehicle mandate on fuel duty revenues between (a) 2025 and 2030, (b) 2030 and 2040 and (c) 2040 and 2050.

The Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) Mandate requires 80% of all new cars to be zero emission by 2030. There will be no sales of new pure combustion engine cars from 2030 under the Government's plans, and more details on specific 2030-35 requirements for both cars and vans will be set out shortly. The shift to zero emission electric vehicles (EVs) is crucial for decarbonising the transport sector and tackling climate change, while injecting billions of pounds worth of investment into our economy and creating high skilled jobs. As this shift progresses, fuel duty revenues will start to decline, as set out by the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) in their September 2024 Fiscal Risks and Sustainability report and November 2023 Economic and Fiscal Outlook. Full forecasts for fuel duty revenue over the next five years, certified by the OBR, will be published at Budget on 30 October.

What assessment his Department has made of the role of the refining sector in UK energy security in the periods (a) 2025-30, (b) 2030-40 and (c) 2040-50.

The UK has a diverse and resilient fuel supply, and refineries will continue to play a significant role in the UK’s economy and energy security. As the UK transitions to net zero, the production of low carbon fuels, including by refineries, will remain important to reduce emissions across the road, aviation and maritime sectors. Together, we will harness the skills and expertise of our oil and gas workforce to make Britain a clean energy superpower.

If she will ensure data to help identify people eligible for Pension Credit is made available to local authorities.

The Department already shares extensive data with local authorities for a variety of purposes. Local authorities are allowed to re-use that data under the terms of a data sharing Memorandum of Understanding, subject to them seeking their own legal advice, and subject to them notifying the Department of their intent. This data reuse process can be used to include reusing data originating from DWP to help identify people eligible for Pension Credit. In order to maximise the take-up of Pension Credit, we are asking local authorities to support our Pension Credit campaign - the Secretary of State and the Deputy Prime Minister wrote to all local authorities in August. Many already undertake their own initiatives to identify eligible households and promote take-up; and over 160 local authorities have responded positively to our ‘call for action’.

If she will ensure data held by HMRC to help identify people eligible for Pension Credit is made available to local authorities.

His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is subject to a strict duty of confidentiality and may only disclose information it holds where the law allows.There are a number of exceptions to this duty which allow HMRC to share information. These include sharing information where a statutory information sharing gateway provides for it.HMRC and the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) work closely to deliver information to Local Authorities (LAs) to enable then to administer a number of benefits and payments.Where there is a legal basis for LAs to receive or re-use HMRC information shared with them via DWP for the purpose of identifying those eligible for benefits, including Pension Credit, HMRC will work with DWP to support such requests.

What estimate she has made of the lifetime fiscal (a) cost of and (b) income generated by people granted asylum in the UK.

As has been the case under successive governments, there is no published estimate available of the requested information.

Whether Alan Milburn has been issued with a departmental security pass.

As my Rt. Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, stated in Parliament on 9 September 2024, Alan Milburn does not hold a Departmental pass.