Written questions by Law.

If he will review the current eligibility criteria for legal aid in private family law proceedings to allow applicants on low incomes to qualify for support even where there is no evidence of domestic abuse or risk to a child.

This Government recognises that legal aid – a vital part of the justice system – supports the ability of individuals, who need it most, to have access to publicly funded legal assistance in order to uphold their legal rights.Legal aid is available for some private family matters such as child arrangement orders, if an individual is a victim of domestic abuse or at risk of being abused, or if the child who is the subject of the order is a victim of child abuse or at risk of abuse. Funding is subject to providing the required evidence of domestic abuse or child abuse and passing the means and merits tests.The Government keeps legal aid policy under continuous review.For cases which do not qualify for legal aid, individuals may seek free, independent advice from legal support and advice organisations.The Ministry of Justice is providing funding to support litigants in person, to help them navigate the civil justice system effectively, including preparation for court and support at court. In 2025/26, we are providing over £6 million of funding to 60 organisations to support the delivery of free legal support and information, both in-person and online. This includes some Citizens Advice and Law Centres, Rights of Women and Advice Now.

What steps her Department is taking to consider the needs of the visitor economy when assessing place-based funding decisions.

The Government recognises the important role of the visitor economy sector, and has set an ambitious goal to grow inbound tourism. These will be set out in more detail when the Department for Culture, Media and Sport publishes its Visitor Economy Growth Strategy. In September the government launched an overarching Pride in Place programme, providing up to £5bn over 10 years to support almost 250 places. In addition, the Pride in Place Impact Fund will provide around £150 million of funding to 95 places to support the development of shared spaces, revitalise local high streets and improve the public realm, all of which have benefits for the visitor economy. Following the Green Book Review, HM Treasury is working with relevant departments, as well as local and regional government, to develop place-based business cases. This will bring together the different Departments needed to achieve the objectives of a particular place.

Communities and Local Government, whether he is taking steps to ensure that site freeholders are financially responsible for fighting fires within derelict buildings.

Owners of derelict buildings have obligations in respect of fire safety measures. Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, as amended by Section 156 of the Building Safety Act 2022, the “Responsible Person” (usually the owner or person in control of the premises) must: - Carry out and record a fire risk assessment - Take steps to reduce fire risks - Maintain fire safety measures — even in non-occupied or derelict buildings Owners of derelict buildings are also required to liaise with their council tax authority concerning payment of council tax.

Communities and Local Government, what recent steps his Department has taken to introduce regulation of (a) development and (b) residential management companies; and what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of establishing a (i) statutory regulator and (ii) code of practice for that sector.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 77534 on 17 October 2025.

Whether his Department plans to introduce performance targets for Royal Mail’s Special Delivery guaranteed services.

It is for Ofcom, as the independent regulator of postal services, to ensure the provision of a financially sustainable and efficient universal postal service. Ofcom monitors Royal Mail’s provision of the universal service and has powers to investigate and take enforcement action if Royal Mail fails to achieve its performance targets as appropriate, taking account of all relevant factors.

What steps his Department has taken to ensure the delivery of 10,910 new dental appointments in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly since February 2025 .

We have asked the integrated care boards (ICBs) to commission extra urgent dental appointments to make sure that patients with urgent dental needs can get the treatment they require. ICBs have been making extra appointments available since April 2025.ICBs have the flexibility to commission the additional activity in the way which best meets their local needs. Options include buying more appointments through new or recommissioned contracts, modification of existing contracts, or using flexible commissioning.National Health Service dentistry is delegated to the ICBs, who are accountable to NHS England for the delivery of urgent dental appointments.

Whether his Department has made an assessment of the adequacy of the personal expenses allowance for residents in care homes to meet the cost of (a) transport, (b) health-related services and (c) social participation.

The rates of the personal expenses allowance (PEA) are reviewed annually, and local authorities also have the discretion to set higher rates for the PEA if they so choose.To allow people receiving means-tested support to keep more of their own income, the PEA was increased in line with consumer price index inflation for the present financial year, 2025/26.

Whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of reclassifying the NHS ambulance service as an emergency service on (a) retirement age, (b) pension entitlements and (c) other areas.

National Health Service ambulance staff are entitled to NHS Pension Scheme membership. There are no plans to reclassify these staff as being entitled to Police or Firefighter’s Pension Scheme membership, or to a separate scheme with similar terms. This reclassification would significantly increase the pension contribution costs of these staff.NHS Pension Scheme members, including those in the ambulance service, do not have to work to the scheme’s normal pension age (NPA) to claim their retirement benefits. Flexible retirement options enable members to choose when to claim their benefits. Voluntary Early Retirement allows staff to fully retire up to ten years earlier than the NPA with an actuarially reduced pension due to the pension being in payment for longer. Alternatively, partial retirement allows members to draw down some or all of their pension while continuing to work and build up further pension benefits. Even when taken years before normal pension age, NHS Pension Scheme entitlements give exceptional value to staff and can provide for a comfortable living in retirement.

Whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of removing the current statute of limitations on medical negligence cases involving cerebral palsy.

Limitation periods set statutory time limits within which a party must bring a civil claim, or give notice of a claim, to the other party in a dispute. For negligence resulting in personal injury (which would include clinical negligence claims) the limitation period is normally three years from the date of the alleged negligence or the date of the claimant’s knowledge of damage, whichever is later.However, under Section 33 of the Limitation Act 1980, this period can be extended at the court’s discretion, if it appears that it would be equitable (ie. fair and reasonable) to all parties to allow an action to proceed.The Government has no plans to reform the law in this area.

Communities and Local Government, whether he plans to amend the Caravan Sites Act 1968 to prevent touring caravan sites becoming permanent without full planning permission requirements.

To operate land as touring caravan sites, site operators are required to have the appropriate planning permission and a site licence (unless exempted) from the local authority. If a site operator fails to get the necessary permissions and licence, the relevant local authority can take enforcement action against them.

Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that there is sufficient planning human resource capacity to enable the timely sign-off of pre-start conditions for affordable housing developments.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 67508 on 21 July 2025.

Communities and Local Government, what recent assessment he has made of the financial pressures facing housing associations.

This government is committed to rebuilding the financial capacity of housing associations so they can borrow and invest in new and existing homes.At the Spending Review, the government set out funding to provide a decade of certainty for housing associations. This included a new ten-year £39 billion Social and Affordable Homes Programme (SAHP) alongside a ten-year rent settlement that will permit social housing rents to increase by CPI+1% annually. In addition, we recently completed a focused consultation on how we will implement social rent convergence, ahead of a final decision to be announced at Autumn Budget.The Government has also committed over £1 billion between 2026 and 2030 to support cladding remediation for social landlords, ensuring equal access to building safety funds, as well as £2.5 billion in low-interest loans which will be made available to support new affordable housing development.

Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to support affordable housing developers with (a) making grid connections, (b) installing drainage infrastructure, (c) achieving biodiversity net gain and (d) other development challenges.

The National Planning Policy Framework sets out that the purpose of the planning system is to contribute to the achievement of sustainable development, including the provision of supporting infrastructure in a sustainable manner. Local development plans should address needs and opportunities in relation to infrastructure and identify what infrastructure is required and how it can be funded and brought forward. When preparing a Local Plan, Planning Practice Guidance recommends that local planning authorities use available evidence of infrastructure requirements to prepare an Infrastructure Funding Statement. Such Statements can be used to demonstrate the delivery of infrastructure throughout the plan-period. The government provides financial support for essential infrastructure in areas of greatest housing demand through Land and Infrastructure funding programmes, such as the Housing Infrastructure Fund. The revised National Planning Policy Framework published on 12 December 2024 will also support the increased provision and modernisation of various types of public infrastructure. It makes clear that local authorities should have policies that set out an overall strategy for the pattern, scale and design quality of places; that they should make sufficient provision for infrastructure including energy; and that applications which could affect drainage on or around the site should incorporate sustainable drainage systems. The government is also committed to strengthening the existing system of developer contributions to ensure new developments provide necessary affordable homes and infrastructure. Further details will be set out in due course. On 28 May 2025, the government published a consultation on improving the implementation of biodiversity net gain for minor, medium and brownfield development. It can be found on gov.uk here. The consultation closed on 24 July 2025 and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is considering the responses received.

If she will take steps to consolidate online train ticket providers as part of her plans to bring train operating companies into public ownership.

Once Great British Railways is established, it will retail online by consolidating individual train operators’ ticket websites. This will take place alongside a thriving private sector retail market, which will continue to play a key role in driving innovation and investment and encouraging more people to choose rail. The Railways Bill consultation took place in the Spring. As part of this process, the government consulted closely with industry, the private sector, and wider stakeholders including in relation to the future of the rail retail market. A formal update will be provided in due course and we will work closely with stakeholders to ensure transition plans are as smooth as possible.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to ensure transparency in the allocation of licences for commercial bluefin tuna fishery; and if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of implementing alternative management models to enable wider participation by inshore fishermen.

In 2025, the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) published comprehensive online guidance outlining the process for fishers, including those from the inshore fleet, to apply for access to the bluefin tuna commercial fishery. This guidance included detailed information on how applications would be assessed along with a timeline for the process. Following assessment, the MMO contacted all applicants directly to inform them of the outcome of their applications. To support the development of the fishery Defra commissioned external evaluations of the commercial bluefin fishery in 2023 and 2024 and continue to engage with fishers and other stakeholders on the ongoing management. We must act within international rules set by The International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) and will continue to evaluate the best way to provide social and economic benefits for UK fishers in a sustainably managed commercial bluefin tuna fishery.

Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the extension of permitted days for temporary campsites on licensed campsite operators; and what steps she is taking to ensure a level regulatory playing field between licensed and temporary sites.

The government has no plans to carry out any such assessment but will continue to keep permitted development rights under review.

Communities and Local Government, what support is available for leaseholders in buildings under eleven metres in height impacted by building safety issues; and whether her Department plans to review the exclusion of such buildings from financial remediation schemes under the Building Safety Act 2022.

Fire risks from cladding are generally proportionate to building height. If remediation is required in buildings under 11 metres in height, the responsibility should rest with building owners. They should not pass these costs on to leaseholders but should seek to recover costs from those who were responsible for building unsafe homes.The department announced targeted funding for multi-occupied residential buildings under 11 metres in the Remediation Acceleration Plan update. This funding will be available in exceptional cases, where there are life-critical fire safety risks from cladding and no alternative route to funding. This will protect leaseholders from unjust costs. Clear eligibility criteria which outline the application process for this exceptional funding will be published in due course.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a national social tariff for water bills.

The Independent Water Commission made a recommendation to consult on a National Social Tariff which the Government is taking into consideration and will provide a response to later this year in a White Paper. The Government is working with industry to keep current support schemes under review to ensure that vulnerable customers across the country are supported and expects water companies to ensure support is available for vulnerable customers who are struggling to pay their bills. Companies have therefore more than doubled the number of customers that will receive help with their bills through existing social tariffs – from 4% to 9%.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of social tariffs on household water affordability; and what steps he is taking to ensure that water companies provide adequate support for customers struggling to pay their bills.

Water companies must ensure support is available for vulnerable customers who are struggling to pay their bills. Companies have therefore more than doubled the number of customers that will receive help with their bills through social tariffs – from 4% to 9 and government expects industry to keep the current support schemes under review to ensure that vulnerable customers across the country are supported. The Independent Water Commission made a recommendation to consult on a National Social Tariff which the Government is taking into consideration and will provide a response to later this year in a White Paper.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department plans to prioritise the development of reservoir capacity in the South West as part of the Government’s water resilience strategy; and what assessment he has made of the potential impact of this on (a) households and (b) businesses in Cornwall.

The Government remains committed to a twin track approach to improving water resilience. This involves urgent action to improve water efficiency and reduce water company leaks, alongside investing in new supply infrastructure, including new reservoirs and water transfers. Water companies have a statutory duty to provide a secure supply of water for customers, efficiently and economically and they have recently set out how they plan to continue to supply water to their household and business customers through statutory Water Resources Management Plans. The Government will work with regulators to ensure the water companies’ plans are delivered.