Written questions by Lowe.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department uses sewage to estimate population changes.

Defra does not routinely measure population changes and therefore does not use sewage monitoring for this purpose. Sewerage undertakers account for population changes in their business planning by using local Government growth plans and population data supplied by the Office of National Statistics. Sewerage undertakers use projections of population growth at a sewerage catchment level to assess future capacity needs within their Drainage and Wastewater Management Plans (DWMP). Since 1 September 2024, sewerage undertakers in England are required to prepare, publish and maintain a DWMP. The DWMP is a key evidence base to inform future capacity needs in the sewerage undertakers' business plans.

What the cost to the public purse was for all non-departmental bodies in the last financial year.

We are currently collecting financial data from arms lengths bodies, which includes non-departmental public bodies, for 2023/24 and will publish it in due course. Financial data for arm’s length bodies, including non-departmental public bodies, in 2022/23 is published on GOV.UK.

If she will make an estimate of the number of school places in Great Yarmouth constituency (a) available and (b) requested in the next academic year.

As part of the school capacity survey 2023, Norfolk local authority submitted to the department information on school capacity and forecast demand for school places. Forecasts are made for pupil place planning areas, which are not a standard geography and cannot be linked to parliamentary constituency. However, there is a Great Yarmouth planning area.Using school capacity survey 2023 data, as well as information on centrally delivered programmes, the department estimated that in the 2025/26 academic year there would be 426 spare primary places and 323 spare secondary places in the Great Yarmouth planning area.These estimates were made in 2023. These estimated spare places may or may not be available for pupil placements, as this depends on admission policies set by the individual admission authorities covering the Great Yarmouth planning area.The department does not have information on the number of places requested for the 2025/26 academic year, as the national primary and secondary applications and offers rounds have not yet started.

What steps she has taken to reduce antisocial behaviour in Great Yarmouth constituency.

Tackling anti-social behaviour (ASB) is a top priority for this Government, and a key part of our Safer Streets Mission.The Government recently announced Respect Orders, which will be introduced in the forthcoming Crime and Policing Bill. Respect Orders can be applied for by police and local councils and are issued by the courts. They will enable courts to place wide-ranging restrictions on the behaviour of the most persistent and disruptive ASB offenders. Breach will be a criminal offence meaning officers can arrest and take action quickly to disrupt ongoing ASB. Breaches will be heard in the criminal courts who will have a wide range of sentencing options, including community orders, unlimited fines and, for the most severe cases, up to two years’ imprisonment.We will also put thousands of neighbourhood police and community support officers into local communities so that residents have a named officer they can turn to when things go wrong.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will take steps to ensure that the Summer Development Internship Programme 2025 is open to all applicants.

As a public body, the Environment Agency (EA) is committed to meeting the obligations set out in the Equality Act 2010 and Public Sector Equality Duty. These require public bodies to eliminate discrimination, advance equality of opportunity and foster good relations between people with different protected characteristics. The EA recruits using a fair and open process and appoints on merit, and will only limit a campaign to a specific group as a form of positive action as a proportionate response to achieve a legitimate aim as defined in section 159 of the Equality Act 2010. The EA is focused on addressing known gaps in its workforce, and its Summer Development Internship Programme aims to widen access to careers and attract talented individuals from underrepresented ethnic groups. The latest data (Q2 2024-2025) from the EA shows that 6.4% of Agency staff are from a Black, Asian or Minority Ethnic background, against a representation goal of 7.6% this year and a 2021 Census representation of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic respondents in England and Wales of 18.3%. The EA also offers various different career entry programmes which are open to all and is committed to supporting other underrepresented communities, including those from poorer socio-economic backgrounds.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will ensure (a) internships and (b) job opportunities in (i) his Department and (ii) its non-departmental public bodies are open to all applicants.

The core department complies with the Civil Service Recruitment Principles by ensuring that appointments to the Civil Service are made on the basis of merit following a fair and open competition. Defra’s Non-Departmental Public Bodies are accredited by The Civil Service Commission, which means the relevant HR Policies are similarly compliant with the Recruitment Principles. Internships in both the core department and Defra’s Non-Departmental Public Bodies are commonly linked to a specific scheme or programme. They are therefore open to all applicants who meet the relevant advertised entry requirements of the individual scheme or programme.

What recent estimate she has made of the (a) cost of building HS2 and (b) impact of HS2 on economic growth in the next 10 years; and what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of the lessons learned from the construction of Crossrail.

HS2 has faced increases in costs since delivery started and this needs to end and the programme must be brought under control. The Secretary of State has asked Mark Wild, the new CEO of HS2 Ltd, to review the remaining scope, the cost and schedule needed to complete phase 1 of the programme, and advise the government on what is needed.Despite its challenges, HS2 is delivering, and will deliver long-term benefits for people and places. The programme is currently supporting over 31,700 jobs, and it will support wider economic growth, including the delivery of tens of thousands of new homes. A report commissioned by HS2, ‘From Trains to Cranes’, included analysis estimating that HS2 will drive a £10 billion annual uplift within the West Midlands area over the next 10 years (https://www.hs2.org.uk/about-us/our-documents/from-trains-to-cranes-hs2-and-the-west-midlands-development-boom/).Action is being taken to learn lessons from Phase 1 of HS2, as well as previous programmes such as Crossrail. The Department has commissioned an independent review of the governance and assurance of the Department’s major infrastructure projects, drawing primarily on the experiences of HS2. The review, which is led by James Stewart, is part of the Department’s on-going programme of work to learn lessons from HS2 and its other major projects, such as Crossrail.

Communities and Local Government, if she will have discussions with local authorities on increasing the level of consultation with local residents when calculating housing targets.

Following consultation on proposed reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework and other changes to the planning system, the government has implemented a new mandatory standard method for assessing housing needs which aligns with our ambition to build 1.5 million new homes in this parliament.National planning policy and guidance is clear that when developing their local plan, local planning authorities should carry out robust consultations with their local communities and ensure views are taken into account. Local planning authorities must also comply with the specific requirements in regulation 18 and 19 of the Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2012 on consultation and representations as well as with the commitments in their Statement of Community Involvement.

If he will make an estimate of the costs to the NHS of treating birth defects resulting from cousin marriage in each of the past ten years.

The Government has not carried out an assessment of the costs to the National Health Service of treating birth defects resulting from cousin marriage.We will continue to work with the NHS as it delivers its three-year maternity and neonatal plan to grow our maternity workforce, develop a culture of safety, and ensure women and babies receive safe, personalised, and compassionate care.

What proportion of spousal visas were issued to cousins in each of the previous ten years.

The requested data is not currently collected, and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of a review of which nationalities proportionately commit the largest number of crimes.

The Ministry of Justice already publishes the nationality of those entering custody or serving prison sentences as part of their quarterly Offender Management Statistics: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/offender-management-statistics-quarterly-april-to-june-2024/offender-management-statistics-quarterly-april-to-june-2024.

Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of implementing restrictions on foreign (a) nationals and (b) companies purchasing new houses.

The government made clear in its manifesto that we would increase the non-resident Stamp Duty Land Tax surcharge by one percentage point.At the Budget, we decided to go further and instead increased the Higher Rate for Additional Dwellings by 2 percentage points to 5%. This will raise £310 million by 2029-30 and go further than the manifesto commitment to rebalance the housing market.Overseas entities who want to buy, sell, or transfer property or land in the UK, must register with Companies House and tell us who their registrable beneficial owners or managing officers are.

Communities and Local Government, if she will make an estimate of the proportion of planned housing development that will be located within the green belt.

The amount of development that occurs in any given Green Belt will depend on local circumstances.The revised National Planning Policy Framework published on 12 December makes clear that before concluding that exceptional circumstances exist to justify changes to Green Belt boundaries, the relevant authority should be able to demonstrate that it has examined fully all other reasonable options for meeting its identified need for development. Where it is necessary to release Green Belt land for development, plans should give priority to previously developed land, then consider grey belt which is not previously developed, and then other Green Belt locations.It is for local planning authorities to assess whether Green Belt land should be released, with their decisions informed by Green Belt reviews undertaken at a local level. The government recognises the need to provide further guidance, to ensure a consistent approach to Green Belt Reviews and the identification of grey belt land. We will be providing further guidance in January 2025 to assist in this.

Communities and Local Government, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of ensuring that infrastructure investment is in place before any new building of homes.

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 the Housing Infrastructure Fund.The changes to the National Planning Policy Framework announced on 12 December will also support the increased provision and modernisation of various types of public infrastructure.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.

Communities and Local Government, if she will make an estimate of the proportion of houses planned to be built during this Parliament that will home new arrivals to this country.

My Department does not collect data on the nationalities of people buying homes for private sale on the open market.Eligibility for social housing is already tightly controlled. If a person’s visa means that they cannot access state benefits or local authority housing assistance, they are not eligible for an allocation of social housing. Migrants arriving in the UK on student or work visas are not eligible and nor are those who arrive in the country illegally with no leave to remain.

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of including immigration status on crime reports.

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer he was given on 4th December to question UIN 16906.

Communities and Local Government, if she will (a) make an assessment of the adequacy of local infrastructure in Great Yarmouth constituency and (b) reassess the housing target for that constituency following that assessment.

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, including in Great Yarmouth.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.I understand that Great Yarmouth Council intend to adopt the Community Infrastructure Levy to help secure contributions towards local infrastructure.The government has no intention of reassessing the recently implemented new standard method for assessing housing needs.

What steps her Department is taking to verify that individuals that enter the country on student visas are attending their courses.

Sponsoring institutions of international students are required to promptly report where sponsorship is withdrawn due to failure to enrol or attend classes in line with published duties to UKVI. Sponsors are required to submit an annual assessment where course completion and enrolment rates of their sponsored students are assessed against published metrics.Where educational institutions fall below these metrics, the Home Office is entitled to take compliance action against the sponsoring institution. Those students who do not enrol or persistently fail to attend their courses also face their Student permission being cancelled.In addition, UKVI has a range of other mechanisms available to ensure that institutions are meeting their sponsor duties, including through onsite compliance visits.

Communities and Local Government, if she will introduce legislation to prohibit non-resident foreigners from purchasing residential property in the UK.

The government made clear in its manifesto that we would increase the non-resident Stamp Duty Land Tax surcharge by one percentage point.At the Budget, we decided to go further and instead increased the Higher Rate for Additional Dwellings by 2 percentage points to 5%. This will raise £310 million by 2029-30 and go further than the manifesto commitment to rebalance the housing market.Overseas entities who want to buy, sell, or transfer property or land in the UK, must register with Companies House and tell us who their registrable beneficial owners or managing officers are.

With reference to his Department's procurement contract entitled Asylum Accommodation & Support Services Contract NW, reference CF-0155600D58000000L5A4EAK3, published on 9 April 2021, what the potential cost to the public purse is of cleaning services associated with the contract.

The Home Office does not hold the information sought in these questions at the level of granularity requested.Collating and verifying that information for the purposes of answering these questions could only be done at disproportionate cost, and would also require the exclusion of any commercially sensitive material.