Written questions by Blake.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps he is taking to help secure the release of Jimmy Lai.

We call on Hong Kong authorities to end their politically motivated prosecution of Jimmy Lai. The Prime Minister raised his case with President Xi at last week’s G20 Summit; the Foreign Secretary raised with China’s Foreign Minister last month; and I raised with Hong Kong officials earlier this month. Diplomats from our Consulate-General in Hong Kong are attending his court proceedings on a regular basis. We continually press for consular access and progress on broader human rights concerns.

Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to consult on the draft of the Leasehold and Commonhold Reform Bill.

I refer my hon Friend to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 21 November 2024 (HCWS244).

If she will introduce advanced disclosure and barring service checks for pedicab drivers.

The Pedicabs (London) Act 2024, which received Royal Assent on 25 April 2024, confers powers onto Transport for London (TfL) to regulate London’s pedicab industry for the first time. TfL is preparing to consult on these prospective regulations, which will include enhanced disclosure and barring service checks for pedicab drivers.

Whether she has had discussions with (a) local authorities and (b) organisations that represent local authorities on the use of dockless e-bikes.

The department works closely with local authorities and their representative organisations to deliver our shared transport objectives. My officials regularly meet with local authority officials to discuss specific transport challenges and better understand how to identify and tackle problems that arise as well as how to make the most of opportunities. Dockless e-bikes are a good example of this. I also correspond frequently with local leaders on the use of dockless e-bikes in their area and would like to take this opportunity to further encourage such dialogue. The experience and expertise shared by local authorities in correspondence with me and with officials is invaluable as I carefully consider the next steps on policy in this area.

Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 18 November 2024 to Question 13348 on Private Rented Housing: Rents, what her planned timetable is for introducing a registration scheme for short-term lets; and whether planning permission and licensing will have to have been secured for properties to be listed on the scheme.

Parliament legislated for a registration scheme for short-term lets in the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act 2023, and we are committed to introducing such a scheme as soon as possible. , We will soon publish the government’s response to the 2023 consultation including on the specific requirements for registration. The government is also considering what additional powers might be given to local authorities to enable them to respond to the pressures that can be created by short-term lets.

What estimate his Department has made of the cost to the public purse per (a) week and (b) month of waiting for the release of (i) design and (ii) planning funding for the rebuilding of St Mary’s Hospital in Paddington.

While the review into the New Hospital Programme is taking place, requests for funding are being considered on a case-by-case basis.We are finalising the implications of the review for all schemes in the programme so we can be honest and upfront with everyone on when we expect the new hospitals to be delivered. My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, will update Parliament and other stakeholders with the full outcome of the review in the coming months.

Communities and Local Government, what progress her Department has made on establishing a Jewish History Month.

This Government is committed to celebrating the positive contributions to society made by this country’s faith and belief groups, including our Jewish communities. We are proud of the contribution that Jewish people have made and continue to make to the UK in so many areas of life.We continue to support Britain’s Jewish communities on areas such as Holocaust education, our commitment to the Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre, and our resolve to tackle antisemitism in all its forms.Initiatives to mark specific cultural events or history months are best led from within the community, and the Government is fully supportive of these efforts.

What data her Department holds on the number of road traffic incidents which involved bicycles operated by (a) Lime and (b) Forest in 2023.

The Department does not hold the information requested. The Department collects information on personal injury road collisions reported to police via the STATS19 data collection system. STATS19 data does not require information on whether the vehicle was hired, or who the operator of a hired vehicle was.

Food and Rural Affairs, what data his Department holds on the number of residences that are ineligible for Floor Re support due to qualifying policy five in Cities of London and Westminster constituency.

The department does not hold data on the number of residences that are ineligible for Floor Re support due to qualifying policy five in Cities of London and Westminster constituency. Tenants and leaseholders can however, obtain contents insurance supported by Flood Re, regardless of the size of the block.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 on recent trends in the cost of service charges for leaseholders.

The level of service charge that leaseholders pay depends on many factors, including the terms of a lease and the age and condition of a building.By law, variable service charges must be reasonable. Should leaseholders wish to contest the reasonableness of their service charges they may make an application to the appropriate tribunal.The Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 includes measures designed to drive up the transparency of service charges to make them more easily challengeable if leaseholders consider them to be unreasonable. We will set out details in due course about the extensive programme of secondary legislation need to bring the various provisions of the Act into force.Leaseholders in shared ownership properties whose leases qualify for protections set out in the Building Safety Act are protected from the costs of internal building safety defects, with a cost cap proportionate to their equity stake in the property.All leaseholders can benefit from the Government’s Cladding Safety Scheme or Developer Scheme for the removal of unsafe cladding. The Government understands the difficulties some leaseholders are still experiencing and has committed to review how to better protect leaseholders from costs and to accelerate the pace of remediation.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of short-term letting websites on recent trends in private rental prices in Cities of London and Westminster constituency.

Whilst short-term lets can benefit local economies, the government appreciate that excessive concentrations in some areas of the country can impact the availability and affordability of homes both to rent and buy. We have committed to introducing a registration scheme for short-term lets and removing the furnished holiday let rules to ensure all income from property will be treated the same for tax purposes. We also recognise that more needs to be done and are considering what additional powers we might give local authorities to enable them to respond to the pressures created by short-term lets.

What steps his Department is taking to improve employment regulation applicable to (a) Deliveroo, (b) Just Eat and (c) other online food delivery companies.

Online food delivery companies, like all companies, must comply with their legal obligations to ensure those they engage receive the rights and protections to which they are entitled. However, we recognise the complexity of the UK’s current three-tiered employment status framework, and have committed to consult in detail on moving towards a simpler two-part framework that differentiates between workers and the genuinely self-employed. This consultation will include how to implement measures to strengthen protections for the self-employed including a right to a written contract and extension of health and safety and blacklisting protections to self-employed workers.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of Israeli legislation on the (a) status and (b) operation of UNWRA on the humanitarian situation in (i) Gaza and (ii) the West Bank.

As the Foreign Secretary said in his statement to the House on 28 October, the UK is gravely concerned at legislation against United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) passed by Israel's Knesset. This risks making UNRWA's essential work providing humanitarian aid to Palestinians impossible, jeopardising the entire international humanitarian response in Gaza and delivery of essential health and education services in the West Bank. We have joined with our partners in expressing our concerns, issuing a joint statement with partners on 27 October. The Foreign Secretary reiterated his deep concern to Israel's Foreign Minister Katz on 27 October. We will continue working with our international partners and through the UN to press Israel to ensure that UNRWA can continue its vital operations.

What the (a) business case status and (b) RIBA stages are for the delivery of work on St Mary's Hospital as part of the New Hospitals Programme.

The standard process for confirming the total funding amount for major infrastructure projects involves the review and approval of a Full Business Case. All trusts in the programme have previously received indicative funding allocations to support planning, however these are commercially sensitive.Up to the end of 2023/24 the total amount received by the Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust in funding for their new hospital schemes is £13 million. The trust has two schemes in the New Hospital Programme for the Charing Cross Hospital and Hammersmith Hospital, as well as the scheme for St Mary’s Hospital. Up to the end of 2023/24, the funding allocated to the trust was not separated by the individual schemes.The breakdown of how much the trust received for their new hospital scheme is published annually as part of the Department’s Annual Reports and Accounts, with Public Dividend Capital to individual Trusts included in the Financial Assistance Report under section 40 of the National Health Service Act 2006. The 2022/23 report is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dhsc-annual-report-and-accounts-2022-to-2023The trust is currently developing their Strategic Outline Case for the St Mary’s Hospital scheme and are at Royal Institute of British Architects Stage 1.

What estimate his Department has made of the total cost to the public purse of work on St Mary's Hospital via the New Hospital programme.

The standard process for confirming the total funding amount for major infrastructure projects involves the review and approval of a Full Business Case. All trusts in the programme have previously received indicative funding allocations to support planning, however these are commercially sensitive.Up to the end of 2023/24 the total amount received by the Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust in funding for their new hospital schemes is £13 million. The trust has two schemes in the New Hospital Programme for the Charing Cross Hospital and Hammersmith Hospital, as well as the scheme for St Mary’s Hospital. Up to the end of 2023/24, the funding allocated to the trust was not separated by the individual schemes.The breakdown of how much the trust received for their new hospital scheme is published annually as part of the Department’s Annual Reports and Accounts, with Public Dividend Capital to individual Trusts included in the Financial Assistance Report under section 40 of the National Health Service Act 2006. The 2022/23 report is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dhsc-annual-report-and-accounts-2022-to-2023The trust is currently developing their Strategic Outline Case for the St Mary’s Hospital scheme and are at Royal Institute of British Architects Stage 1.

What funding had been (a) allocated and (b) confirmed by Government for the redevelopment of St Mary's Hospital as of 2 July 2024.

The standard process for confirming the total funding amount for major infrastructure projects involves the review and approval of a Full Business Case. All trusts in the programme have previously received indicative funding allocations to support planning, however these are commercially sensitive.Up to the end of 2023/24 the total amount received by the Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust in funding for their new hospital schemes is £13 million. The trust has two schemes in the New Hospital Programme for the Charing Cross Hospital and Hammersmith Hospital, as well as the scheme for St Mary’s Hospital. Up to the end of 2023/24, the funding allocated to the trust was not separated by the individual schemes.The breakdown of how much the trust received for their new hospital scheme is published annually as part of the Department’s Annual Reports and Accounts, with Public Dividend Capital to individual Trusts included in the Financial Assistance Report under section 40 of the National Health Service Act 2006. The 2022/23 report is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dhsc-annual-report-and-accounts-2022-to-2023The trust is currently developing their Strategic Outline Case for the St Mary’s Hospital scheme and are at Royal Institute of British Architects Stage 1.

What the cost to the public purse was of work on St Mary's Hospital via the New Hospital programme in financial year 2023-24.

The standard process for confirming the total funding amount for major infrastructure projects involves the review and approval of a Full Business Case. All trusts in the programme have previously received indicative funding allocations to support planning, however these are commercially sensitive.Up to the end of 2023/24 the total amount received by the Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust in funding for their new hospital schemes is £13 million. The trust has two schemes in the New Hospital Programme for the Charing Cross Hospital and Hammersmith Hospital, as well as the scheme for St Mary’s Hospital. Up to the end of 2023/24, the funding allocated to the trust was not separated by the individual schemes.The breakdown of how much the trust received for their new hospital scheme is published annually as part of the Department’s Annual Reports and Accounts, with Public Dividend Capital to individual Trusts included in the Financial Assistance Report under section 40 of the National Health Service Act 2006. The 2022/23 report is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dhsc-annual-report-and-accounts-2022-to-2023The trust is currently developing their Strategic Outline Case for the St Mary’s Hospital scheme and are at Royal Institute of British Architects Stage 1.