Written questions by Hurley.

Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the British Council’s restructuring plans, including changes to its global network, on the level of opportunities for cultural organisations in northern England to engage internationally.

The British Council plays a vital role in promoting the UK’s values, language, and culture around the world, and is central to projecting the UK's soft power. My Department values the British Council’s work supporting the UK’s cultural and creative industries, helping organisations and artists to build networks, collaborate and develop markets across the world.As the international partner for Bradford UK City of Culture 2025, the British Council elevated the city’s global profile by spotlighting its vibrant cultural diversity, creative energy and warm, welcoming spirit. This included facilitating collaboration with partners from 11 countries and delegations from 23 nations across four continents.British Council funding and structure are a matter for the FCDO as the British Council’s sponsoring Department. On 19 March 2026, as part of the FCDO’s allocation of Official Development Assistance (ODA) funding for the next three years, it was announced that ODA funding for the British Council would be protected at its current levels up to the end of 2028/29, while non-ODA funding will be increased by £40 million over the same period.

In relation to the staff survey conducted by the National Maternity and Neonatal Investigation team that closed on 9 March 2026, a) how many total responses were received, b) how many NHS trusts in England were represented in the results, and c) what the breakdown of responses was by profession or clinical speciality.

Baroness Amos launched a call for evidence for those who work in the maternity and neonatal pathway, which closed on 9 March. The National Maternity and Neonatal Investigation team has received more than 8,500 responses from across 124 trusts. A breakdown for responses by profession or clinical speciality is not available as evidence is still being analysed.Baroness Amos has advised that the independent National Maternity and Neonatal Investigation will publish its final report and recommendations in June.

Whether his Department plans to extend the 2024-25 NHS pay settlement for staff aligned to Agenda for Change to social enterprises delivering NHS-funded services; and what assessment he has made of the potential impact of excluding such organisations on workforce retention, pay parity and service sustainability.

This specific assessment has not been made.Independent organisations commissioned by the National Health Service in England, such as general practices or social enterprises, are free to develop and adapt their own terms and conditions of employment, including the pay scales that they use. It is for them to determine what is affordable within the financial model they operate.Where such organisations choose to dynamically link to any of the national contracts, including Agenda for Change, those staff will be contractually entitled to receive the same uplifts in pay and associated terms and conditions as staff employed in NHS organisations.The 2024/25 pay award was consolidated and funding has been issued. There are no plans to revisit the funding or to issue additional guidance.

Whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of excluding the state pension as a form of taxable income.

Exempting the State Pension from income tax entirely would reduce tax receipts substantially undermining the public services we all rely on – especially the NHS. However, I can confirm that those whose sole income is the basic and full new State Pension, without any increments, will not pay any income tax this tax year or next. Furthermore, the Chancellor has said that those whose only income is the basic or new State Pension without any increments will not have to pay income tax over this Parliament. The Government will set out more details in due course.

What assessment his Department have made on the potential impact of place-based employment support programmes such as JobsPlus in addressing levels of economic inactivity and unemployment.

Jobs Plus is a community-based model with strong potential to tackle inactivity and unemployment. The department is testing the model in ten social housing communities across England. Jobs Plus and other place-based programmes such as the Get Britain Working Trailblazers, Work Well and Connect to Work will be evaluated to assess their effectiveness in helping people enter and remain in work.

If he will make an assessment of the potential merits of amending company law to move from shareholder primacy towards a stakeholder-governance model.

Under Section 172 of the Companies Act 2006, directors have a fiduciary duty to have regard in their decision-making to the interests of employees, customers and suppliers, and to the impact of the company’s operations on the community and the environment. Section 172 enshrines in law the principle of “enlightened shareholder value”, which recognises the relevance of stakeholder interests to the long-term success of a company. This contrasts with the “shareholder maximisation” model adopted in other jurisdictions, in which directors’ sole duty is to maximise returns to shareholders. The Government has no plans to amend Section 172.

What progress she has made on ending the use of asylum hotels; and what the savings will be for a) Southport, b) the North West and c) the UK.

At its peak under the previous government, around 400 hotels were used to accommodate asylum seekers – costing £9 million per day. That figure is now under 200, and the government remains committed to closing every hotel by the end of this Parliament. We have already saved £700 million in hotel costs. Now we are recouping millions more in excess profits. And, by the end of this parliament, we will have closed every asylum hotel.The Home Office publishes all available information on asylum expenditure in the Home Office annual reports and accounts - GOV.UK (opens an new tab).

When her Department plans to bring forward secondary legislation required under the Building Societies Act 1986 (Amendment) Act 2024 to enact provisions around the disapplication of the wholesale funding limit for funds held for prudential purposes.

The government is committed to supporting the growth of building societies in line with the manifesto commitment to double the size of the mutual and co-operative sector. As part of this, the government is committed to ensuring that building societies can operate in a modern and supportive legislative environment.On 14 October 2024, the government introduced two statutory instruments to modernise the 1986 Act. The Building Societies Act 1986 (Amendment of Small Business Turnover Limit) Order 2024 came into force on 4 November 2024 and the Building Societies Act 1986 (Modifications) Order 2024 came into force on 6 January 2025.The government will look to give effect to the further powers enabled through the Building Societies Act 1986 (Amendment) Act 2024 in due course.

Communities and Local Government, whether his Department plans to implement the recommendations set out in the Social Impact Investment Advisory Group’s final report; and what steps he is taking to establish the proposed Temporary Accommodation Impact Investment Facility.

The government is carefully considering the full set of recommendations in the report, including moving swiftly with the launch of the new Office for the Impact Economy.We are committed to considering the best way to sustainably fund good-quality temporary accommodation and drive down the use of poor-quality temporary accommodation.

Communities and Local Government, what his planned timetable is for publishing the forthcoming cross-government homelessness strategy.

The cross-government homelessness strategy will be published shortly.

Communities and Local Government, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of expanding Housing First provision across England in the forthcoming cross-government homelessness strategy.

Our homelessness strategy will put prevention at its core, including setting out that interventions should be tailored to the individual needs of people at risk of homelessness. Councils can use our homelessness funding flexibly to meet those needs, including by commissioning Housing First services which evidence has shown can transform the lives of people with complex needs.

What support she is offering for the building societies, in the context of the government's ambition to double the size of the mutuals sector.

The government is committed to supporting the growth of building societies in line with the manifesto commitment to double the size of the mutual and co-operative sector. HM Treasury has already announced measures to support the sector and is currently progressing these. For building societies specifically, HM Treasury has committed to progressing further amendments to the Building Societies Act 1986. This follows two statutory instruments being laid in October 2024, which raise the turnover limit for the definition of a small business for the purpose of wholesale funding limit exclusions, remove outdated director retirement requirements, and simplify how balance sheets are signed. These will create a more supportive legislative environment for building societies. To support all financial mutuals, HM Treasury has also asked the Prudential Regulation Authority and Financial Conduct Authority to produce a report on the current landscape of the sector. This is expected to be published before the end of 2025. The government also welcomed the establishment of the Mutual and Co-operative Sector Business Council to consider mutual and co-operative solutions. The government also published the Financial Services Growth and Competitiveness Strategy, which will support all organisations in the financial services sector and encourages the sector to continue to work in partnership with government to deliver growth.

What recent progress he has made on doubling the size of the mutuals sector.

As part of the Autumn Budget announcements, the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) launched a Call for Evidence on Business Support for Co-operatives and Mutuals. This will be open across Great Britain for 12 weeks. DBT ensured that for Financial Year 25/26 Growth Hubs in England offer support to businesses with alternative business models – including Co-operatives and Mutuals, as a condition of funding, and included more information on Co-operatives and Mutuals through the highly successful Help to Grow Management programme. DBT is looking at how to integrate support for Co-operatives and Non-Financial Mutuals within the government’s overall approach for supporting SMEs, including via the Business Growth Service. DBT continues to work closely with the sector, including the new Mutual and Co-operative Business Sector Council.

If she will make an assessment of the potential impact of continued professional development on the ability of teachers to tackle misinformation, disinformation and conspiracy theories in the classroom.

The initial teacher training and early career framework sets out the foundational core content that defines great teaching. This includes anticipating common misconceptions within particular subjects, which is an important aspect of curricular knowledge. In the context of misinformation, this can help teachers to spot pupil misconceptions that may arise from various sources. Beyond this, providers can design a curriculum which is responsive to participant needs, including additional training where necessary. In October 2024, Ofcom published its three-year media literacy strategy, which commits to supporting teachers through continuing professional development, evaluation of training outcomes and stronger collaboration with regional partners to share learnings and effective practices. The independent Curriculum and Assessment Review’s final report was published on 5 November 2025 and includes recommendations for reform to the curriculum, which the government has accepted. Vital applied knowledge and skills in media and digital literacy will be embedded into the revised curriculum from 2028. To support schools in the meantime, Oak National Academy provides adaptable, optional and free curriculum support for schools, including resources for computing and secondary citizenship, which can be found here: https://www.thenational.academy/.

If she will make an assessment of the potential impact of initial teacher training on the ability of teachers to tackle misinformation, disinformation and conspiracy theories in the classroom.

The initial teacher training and early career framework sets out the foundational core content that defines great teaching. This includes anticipating common misconceptions within particular subjects, which is an important aspect of curricular knowledge. In the context of misinformation, this can help teachers to spot pupil misconceptions that may arise from various sources. Beyond this, providers can design a curriculum which is responsive to participant needs, including additional training where necessary. In October 2024, Ofcom published its three-year media literacy strategy, which commits to supporting teachers through continuing professional development, evaluation of training outcomes and stronger collaboration with regional partners to share learnings and effective practices. The independent Curriculum and Assessment Review’s final report was published on 5 November 2025 and includes recommendations for reform to the curriculum, which the government has accepted. Vital applied knowledge and skills in media and digital literacy will be embedded into the revised curriculum from 2028. To support schools in the meantime, Oak National Academy provides adaptable, optional and free curriculum support for schools, including resources for computing and secondary citizenship, which can be found here: https://www.thenational.academy/.

If she will make an assessment of the potential impact of including (a) misinformation, (b) disinformation and (c) conspiracy theories in the guidance entitled Keeping children safe in education, published on 1 September 2025, on schools; and whether she plans to update the guidance to include information for teachers on tackling this issue.

In response to stakeholder feedback, an amendment was made to paragraph 135 in the statutory guidance ‘Keeping children safe in education’. This came into force on 1 September 2025, and provided further examples of content risks. The department recognises the significant risks these issues pose to children’s safety and wellbeing, as they can distort understanding, undermine trust and expose pupils to harmful narratives online. The independent Curriculum and Assessment Review highlighted the importance of all pupils developing the skills they need to identify and challenge misinformation. In making changes to the curriculum, we will support this by strengthening media literacy content in citizenship and English and making citizenship compulsory in primary school so that all children are introduced to this vital content at an early stage.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Correspondence entitled HM Land Registry Chair’s letter, published 6 March 2025, what progress the Land Registry has made on (a) opening up existing data and information on land and (b) reforms to deeper transparency of land ownership in (i) Southport constituency and (ii) across the country.

HM Land Registry (HMLR) already provides public access to information on individual property titles for a small fee, and it received 27.8 million information service requests in 2024-25. It also provides a mix of free and paid-for data services through its “Use land and property data” service on gov.uk. The Use land and property data platform, which can be found on gov.uk here, now sees more than 6,000 users downloading datasets every month. HMLR is committed to maximising the value of the data it holds and making it findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable, while ensuring that risks to personal information and ownership security remain well controlled. The information HMLR holds is complex and in a variety of formats. Its economic and social value cannot be fully realised without the investment HMLR is already putting in to digitise the data. HMLR has an ambitious programme of transformational activity, such as the award-winning Local Land Charges programme, that uses AI to accelerate the pace of change. This year, one of HMLR's flagship programmes – Geospatial and Data Transformation – is going to deliver a change that will make land ownership data more accessible and valuable to people. HMLR has worked with GeoPlace to improve the way in which Unique Property Reference Numbers (or UPRNs) can help in matching ownership records, which are map-based, with other property data that is address-based. HMLR will then be able to add these links into more of its published datasets in 2026, in addition to those that already contain the UPRNs, such as the UK and Overseas Ownership and Price Paid Datasets. The National Polygon Service and Registered Leases will be prioritised for this enhancement to their accessibility and utility. We will also ensure that INSPIRE polygons – showing ownership boundaries – are also easy to relate to other property data. This will allow users to match and merge HMLR data with other government data sources. HMLR has also established a dedicated team to develop and improve the way that its data can be accessed through automated requests (via APIs) that software providers in the PropTech market use. This will enable better and faster services for consumers and business. Alongside its transformation activities, HMLR is supporting the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government in the delivery of a new policy around the Contractual Controls Dataset. This will offer all stakeholders a reliable and accessible information source regarding land ownership controls beyond the usual freehold and leasehold ownership information. HMLR's recently published Strategy 2025+, which can be found on gov.uk here, sets out its ambitions to further support the property market and beyond with its data over the next 10 years. All HMLR’s data on property ownership can be publicly accessed today and the investment it is engaged in will increase the ease and speed with which it can be obtained and used.

Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to ensure that funding for alternative learning and skills provision will be available after UK Shared Prosperity Fund comes to an end in March 2026.

This Government is establishing a new local growth fund, provided for specific mayoral city regions in the North and Midlands, with the highest productivity catch and agglomeration potential, which can be used to support skills interventions.This sits alongside Government’s continuing investment in education and skills training for adults (19 and over) through the Adult Skills Fund (ASF), spending £1.4 billion in the 2025/26 academic year, ensuring that adults can access the education and training they need to get into employment or progress in work.

Communities and Local Government, if he will make alternative funding available for community organisations after the UK Shared Prosperity Fund comes to an end in March 2026.

The Government is taking a new approach to local funding, replacing multiple funding pots with long-term certainty for places. This will be led by sustained and predictable support for local authorities through the Local Government Finance Settlement and complemented by targeted interventions designed to drive local growth and strengthen communities.Strong communities are vital to drive growth, yet many communities have been left behind and let down by years of decline and systemic under-investment. While there are no current plans to directly replace the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, the Government has announced a new local growth fund for specific mayoral city regions in the North and Midlands as part of its strategy for regional investment, supporting areas with the highest productivity catch-up and agglomeration potential’On top of this, every part of the country will benefit from our whole of government Pride in Place strategy, which focuses on three overarching objectives: building stronger communities; creating thriving places; and helping communities to take back control of their own lives and areas. You can find the strategy here: Pride in Place Strategy - GOV.UKAs part of the strategy the Government announced, the Pride in Place programme and Pride in Place Impact Fund, both have been designed to target the most in-need places. We have used metrics that identify ‘double-disadvantaged’ neighbourhoods – those suffering from a combination of material deprivation and low social capital.

Whether she has had recent discussions with relevant stakeholders on the potential merits of introducing an exemption from the higher business rates multiplier for (a) cultural and (b) entertainment venues.

The Government has met with a wide range of stakeholders on business rates reform. As announced at Autumn Budget 2024, the Government will introduce permanently lower tax rates for retail, hospitality, and leisure properties with rateable values (RVs) below £500,000 from 2026/27. This permanent tax cut will ensure that eligible cultural and entertainment venues benefit from much-needed certainty and support. This tax cut must be sustainably funded, and so the Government will introduce a higher rate on the most valuable properties in 2026/27 – those with RVs of £500,000 and above. These represent less than one per cent of all properties, but cover the majority of large distribution warehouses, including those used by online giants. The final design, including the rates, for the new business rates multipliers will be announced at Budget 2025, so that the Government can factor the revaluation outcomes and broader economic and fiscal context into decision-making.