Written questions by Edwards.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment has been made of the effectiveness for renters of the two redress schemes currently endorsed by the government.

My Department monitors the performance of the two government-approved redress schemes: the Property Ombudsman and the Property Redress Scheme.This includes reviewing monthly data provided by the schemes and assessing their progress against the approval criteria.To obtain and maintain approval as Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) bodies, the schemes must comply with statutory ADR requirements, including criteria relating to effectiveness.These requirements were originally set out in the Alternative Dispute Resolution Regulations 2015 and are now being updated under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024.The schemes have been subject to audit by a Competent Authority to ensure criteria are met.

What steps HMRC is taking to ensure retirees and others with pensions and savings get clear help in avoiding mistakes with tax codes.

HMRC is committed to helping retirees and others with pensions and savings understand their tax position and avoid errors with their tax codes. Most people who receive a pension or savings income pay the right tax automatically through Pay As You Earn (PAYE). HMRC uses information provided by pension providers, banks and building societies to set and update tax codes, and continues to improve how this data is used to increase accuracy and reduce the risk of errors. Where changes are made to a tax code, HMRC provides clear explanations so customers understand why an adjustment has been made and what action, if any, is needed. Customers can check and update their details online through their Personal Tax Account or the HMRC app, and can contact HMRC directly if something does not look right. HMRC also recognises that some retirees may find tax matters more complex or may not be able to use digital services. For these customers, HMRC provides alternative support, including telephone and postal services, clear written guidance, and trained advisers who can offer tailored and empathetic help. HMRC continues to improve its guidance and communications, including plain‑English information designed around real‑life situations, to help people better understand their tax affairs and avoid common mistakes.

Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the potential financial impact on outdoor visitor attractions, including zoos like Chester Zoo and theme parks like Drayton Manor, from the presentation of weather forecasts that use a single icon to summarise whole-day conditions.

DCMS recognises the vital role outdoor visitor attractions play in the UK’s visitor economy. These sites, ranging from world-leading zoos and theme parks to historic gardens, contribute to regional investment, local employment and often support learning and biodiversity conservation.At this time, DCMS has not made a specific assessment of the potential financial impact of digital weather forecasting on outdoor visitor attractions. The Government is aware of the concerns raised by the sector regarding how these forecasts can influence visitor behaviour, including the recent campaign led by Chester Zoo.My department continues to represent the interests of the visitor economy across Government and my officials are engaged on this matter. This includes membership of the Public Weather Service (PWS) Customer Group. This Group has been working closely with the Met Office to strengthen the focus on supporting the outdoor economy, including the visitor economy. More broadly, I remain committed to maintaining a close and constructive dialogue with industry representatives to ensure the visitor economy continues to thrive.

What steps she is taking to help support greater transparency in the fees associated with accepting card payments.

The Government recognises the importance of ensuring that the cost of accepting payments, including cards, is fair to all parties, and that our payment systems work for all. The Payment Systems Regulator (PSR), the UK’s economic regulator for payments, has recently concluded two market reviews into card fees to assess if increases in prices are fair and reflect a market that is operating well. The PSR is now considering its next steps, including remedies designed to increase the transparency of scheme and processing fees.https://www.psr.org.uk/our-work/market-reviews/ There are a number of fees that can be placed on merchants, including interchange fees which are governed by the Interchange Fee Regulations 2015 (IFR). The IFR caps the fees that are paid by a merchant (or trader) to the card user’s bank. The caps are currently set at 0.2% for every transaction using a debit card, and 0.3% for credit card transactions. The Government is also committed to ensuring that payment options remain affordable and accessible for small businesses, including through measures that promote competition and reduce unnecessary costs. The National Payments Vision, published in November 2024, sets out the Government’s ambitions for a trusted, world-leading payments ecosystem delivered on next generation technology, where consumers and businesses have a choice of payment methods to meet their needs. This included the ambition for seamless account-to-account payments to be developed as a ubiquitous payment method – enabling consumers to pay digitally for goods and services in shops and online, without using a card. This would provide greater choice to consumers and merchants in how they make and receive payments, which in turn is likely to spur innovation and downward competitive pressure on the cost of payments.

What she is doing to reduce the cost of accepting payments for small businesses.

The Government recognises the importance of ensuring that the cost of accepting payments, including cards, is fair to all parties, and that our payment systems work for all. The Payment Systems Regulator (PSR), the UK’s economic regulator for payments, has recently concluded two market reviews into card fees to assess if increases in prices are fair and reflect a market that is operating well. The PSR is now considering its next steps, including remedies designed to increase the transparency of scheme and processing fees.https://www.psr.org.uk/our-work/market-reviews/ There are a number of fees that can be placed on merchants, including interchange fees which are governed by the Interchange Fee Regulations 2015 (IFR). The IFR caps the fees that are paid by a merchant (or trader) to the card user’s bank. The caps are currently set at 0.2% for every transaction using a debit card, and 0.3% for credit card transactions. The Government is also committed to ensuring that payment options remain affordable and accessible for small businesses, including through measures that promote competition and reduce unnecessary costs. The National Payments Vision, published in November 2024, sets out the Government’s ambitions for a trusted, world-leading payments ecosystem delivered on next generation technology, where consumers and businesses have a choice of payment methods to meet their needs. This included the ambition for seamless account-to-account payments to be developed as a ubiquitous payment method – enabling consumers to pay digitally for goods and services in shops and online, without using a card. This would provide greater choice to consumers and merchants in how they make and receive payments, which in turn is likely to spur innovation and downward competitive pressure on the cost of payments.

What steps her Department is taking to support competition in the payments market to reduce fees for small businesses.

The Government recognises the importance of ensuring that the cost of accepting payments, including cards, is fair to all parties, and that our payment systems work for all. The Payment Systems Regulator (PSR), the UK’s economic regulator for payments, has recently concluded two market reviews into card fees to assess if increases in prices are fair and reflect a market that is operating well. The PSR is now considering its next steps, including remedies designed to increase the transparency of scheme and processing fees.https://www.psr.org.uk/our-work/market-reviews/ There are a number of fees that can be placed on merchants, including interchange fees which are governed by the Interchange Fee Regulations 2015 (IFR). The IFR caps the fees that are paid by a merchant (or trader) to the card user’s bank. The caps are currently set at 0.2% for every transaction using a debit card, and 0.3% for credit card transactions. The Government is also committed to ensuring that payment options remain affordable and accessible for small businesses, including through measures that promote competition and reduce unnecessary costs. The National Payments Vision, published in November 2024, sets out the Government’s ambitions for a trusted, world-leading payments ecosystem delivered on next generation technology, where consumers and businesses have a choice of payment methods to meet their needs. This included the ambition for seamless account-to-account payments to be developed as a ubiquitous payment method – enabling consumers to pay digitally for goods and services in shops and online, without using a card. This would provide greater choice to consumers and merchants in how they make and receive payments, which in turn is likely to spur innovation and downward competitive pressure on the cost of payments.

What assessment he has made of the adequacy of Ofgem's work to enforce supplier license responsibilities to vet TPIs they partner with.

Ofgem’s supplier license conditions and other legal protections have not sufficiently protected non-domestic consumers from exploitative and harmful practices by some Third-Party Intermediaries (TPIs). That is why last year, the Government announced its plans to directly regulate TPIs, by appointing Ofgem as regulator when parliamentary time allows.

What plans his Department has to introduce regulation for Third Party Intermediaries in the retail energy market.

Ofgem’s supplier license conditions and other legal protections have not sufficiently protected non-domestic consumers from exploitative and harmful practices by some Third-Party Intermediaries (TPIs). That is why last year, the Government announced its plans to directly regulate TPIs, by appointing Ofgem as regulator when parliamentary time allows.

What guidance her Department provides to (a) schools and (b) Multi-Academy Trusts on appropriate staffing levels; and what assessment she has made of trends in the level of overstaffing in (i) maintained schools and (ii) academies.

The department supports school leaders by providing a range of resources, including commercial resources and benchmarking tools. This includes our school staffing guidance, designed to help employers in all schools with staffing and employment issues, and to inform their decision making. It provides information to relevant legislation and sources of up-to-date guidance and advice that employers need to consider.We have also made resources available as part of the ‘Maximising Value for Pupils’ programme, including the financial benchmarking and insight tool, which helps schools examine their financial data and benchmark spending against similar schools and trusts, and the ‘Energy for Schools’ pilot, which has identified 36% savings for schools on their energy bills.The department publishes an annual headcount of those working in schools in the School Workforce Census, with the latest release available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-workforce-in-england/2024.

What criteria her Department uses to determine when to intervene in a Multi-Academy Trust experiencing financial difficulty; and what steps she is taking to hold trust leadership and trustees accountable for financial mismanagement.

Academy trusts play a central role in our education system, but accountability hasn’t kept pace with their growth. The government is delivering on its manifesto commitment by legislating to introduce Ofsted inspection of academy trusts, and intervention powers for the Secretary of State where inspection identifies that a trust is failing.The department’s published guidance on Financial Support and Oversight for Academy Trusts sits alongside the Academy Trust Handbook and sets out the regulatory approach for the sector and how the department will engage with trusts in financial difficulty. Both of these documents can be accessed at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/financial-support-and-oversight-for-academy-trusts/financial-support-and-oversight-for-academy-trusts-guidance, and: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/academy-trust-handbook/academy-trust-handbook-2025-effective-from-1-september-2025.Where there are concerns about the financial compliance or governance of a trust, the department will intervene and can issue a notice to improve setting conditions that the trust must meet to address concerns and avoid further action. The Secretary of State also has the power to terminate a trust's funding agreement in the most serious cases.

Whether Multi-Academy Trust boards are permitted to redact minutes of board meetings that relate to the use of public funds; what guidance her Department issues on transparency and redaction of trust governance documents; and what assessment she has made of the adequacy of current practices.

The Academy Trust Governance Guide outlines that the trust board is responsible for being open and transparent about its decisions and actions. This guide is accessible at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/academy-trust-governance-guide. The Academy Trust Handbook and trust’s articles of association state that trusts must make available on request for inspection the agenda for board, local committees/governing bodies and committee meetings, approved minutes of each meeting, and any report, document or other paper considered at each meeting. Trusts may exclude from its records material which, by reason of its nature, the trustees are satisfied should remain confidential, such as names of employees or pupils. The trust must comply with the Data Protection Act 2018 and UK General Data Protection Regulations. To monitor financial oversight, trusts must submit an annual report and accounts in accordance with the Charity Commission’s Statement of Recommended Practice and the departments Accounts Direction to the department. The requirements set out in the Academy Trust Handbook are reviewed annually.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of local authority top-slicing of High Needs Block funding on the resources available to schools and academy trusts to deliver provision set out in Education, Health and Care Plans (ECHP); and what mechanisms are in place to ensure that EHCP funding allocated to trusts is spent directly on the provision specified in those plans.

High needs funding has increased by over £1 billion in the 2025/26 financial year and we are continuing that increased level of funding into next year. The vast majority of this funding is allocated by local authorities to schools, colleges and other settings, including for mainstream schools’ support costs in excess of £6,000 per pupil, to secure the special provision set out in education, health and care plans. Local authorities generally allow some flexibility over how this funding is used by schools, and are responsible for ensuring the school delivers the provision set out in those plans.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Defence Industrial Strategy 2025 on Northern Ireland.

The defence of the United Kingdom is always the first duty of any Government.As part of our defence industrial strategy, we will invest £250m across five regions for Defence Growth Deals - including one in Northern Ireland which already boasts a booming defence sector - and it looks like it will only get stronger in 2026.

Whether reviews have been conducted by (a) the Animals in Science Regulation Unit and (b) other relevant bodies to ensure that the facilities at MBR Acres in Wyton, Huntingdon, provide appropriate safeguards for (i) dogs and (ii) puppies; and whether she is taking steps to ensure that licence conditions adequately protect animals during periods of extreme heat.

The Animals in Science Regulation Unit conducts both announced and unannounced audits to ensure establishments’ compliance with the terms of their licences, the Code of Practice and with the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (ASPA). ASPA provides protections for animals bred in the UK for use in scientific procedures.These documents require establishments to have contingency plans to ensure animal welfare. Establishment licence holders must ensure sufficient trained staff are in place to maintain high standards of care and facility management.Daily checks by competent personnel are mandated to monitor animal welfare and environmental conditions, with prompt action required to address any issues. Establishments are required to report any breaches or potential breaches of licence conditions to the Secretary of State.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of establishing an independent regulator or ombudsman to support pet-owning households not currently covered by an existing regulatory or complaints framework.

Defra has not completed an assessment of the potential merits of establishing an independent regulator or ombudsman to support pet owners. The Competition and Markets Authority is conducting a market investigation into the provision of veterinary services for household pets. Its Provisional Decision Report was published on 15 October and is open for consultation until 12 November. Defra will consider any remedies from the final report when it is published in Spring 2026.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of biodiversity net gain requirements on the viability of small and medium-sized housing schemes.

The Government has recently consulted on how to improve biodiversity net gain for minor, medium and brownfield development. This included options on exemptions and potential reduced thresholds for minor development. The Government is considering responses and will publish a summary of responses received as well as a Government response in due course.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether the Government will consider the potential merits of (a) exemptions and (b) reduced thresholds for small and medium sized housebuilders under biodiversity net gain regulations.

The Government has recently consulted on how to improve biodiversity net gain for minor, medium and brownfield development. This included options on exemptions and potential reduced thresholds for minor development. The Government is considering responses and will publish a summary of responses received as well as a Government response in due course.

What assessment his Department has made of the impact of the time taken for Section 278 approvals on SME development timelines.

The Government recognises that the road adoption process under the Highways Act 1980, including Section 278 agreements where developers modify existing public highways, has become increasingly fragmented and prolonged across England. This has contributed to a decline in road adoption rates. In response, the Department for Transport is conducting research to better understand the underlying causes and identify opportunities for improvement.

Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to introduce a cascade mechanism for Section 106 affordable housing agreements.

Section 106 agreements are, and will remain, an essential mechanism for delivering social and affordable housing.The government continues to progress work on a holistic policy package that will deal with the legacy problem of existing uncontracted S106 units and also prevent the problem recurring by laying the foundations for a simpler, more transparent, and more resilient S106 system.

Communities and Local Government, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of a (a) targeted help to build and (b) mortgage guarantee scheme for first-time buyers purchasing SME-built homes.

My Department has no current plans to make such an assessment. The Help to Build: Equity Loan scheme, targeted at those wanting to custom build, self build or shell build a home, opened in June 2022 and closed to new applications in March 2025. There are no plans to allocate further funding to it. The government has introduced a new, permanent Mortgage Guarantee Scheme, available to support and sustain availability of low deposit mortgage products for prospective buyers. Additionally, the Bank of England is easing the loan-to-income limit, enabling up to 36,000 additional first-time buyers in the first year. The Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) ongoing review of the mortgage market means many buyers can now borrow 10% more towards a property purchase. The government looks forward to ambitious proposals from the FCA’s paper. First-time buyers may also benefit from home ownership initiatives offered at the local level. We have also provided £3 billion of additional support for SMEs and the Build to Rent sector, in the form of housing guarantee schemes. My Department has regular discussions with HM Treasury on a range of issues including measures to support SMEs.