Written questions by Olney.

What her Department's timetable is for (a) implementing and (b) publishing further information on its policy to bring unused pension funds and death benefits under an individual’s estate for inheritance tax purposes.

Most unused pension funds and death benefits will be included within the value of a person’s estate for inheritance tax purposes from 6 April 2027. A technical consultation was published at Autumn Budget 2024 on the proposal for pension scheme administrators to become liable for reporting and paying any inheritance tax due on pensions. The consultation concluded on 22 January 2025 and the responses are being considered. The Government will publish a response document and draft legislation for these changes later this year.

Communities and Local Government, whether the Renters' Rights Bill will place penalties on landlords who have been unable to sell their properties and want to re-rent.

The Renters’ Rights Bill will introduce a new ground for possession for landlords who wish to sell their property. To prevent abuse of this ground, landlords will not be able to market or re-let their property for twelve months after using the selling ground. This will remove the financial incentive to landlords from misusing the grounds and evicting a tenant with the intention to re-let at a higher rent.Once the legislation is in place, landlords could be given a fine of up to £40,000 by local councils if they market or re-let their properties within twelve months of using the moving and selling grounds. Tenants will also be able to seek Rent Repayment Orders for this offence. Tenants will be able toc challenge evictions in court if they believe the landlord is misusing the grounds. If this happens, the landlord will need demonstrate that their intention to sell or move in is genuine.

When he plans to publish information on the remaining issues set out in paragraph 46 of the policy paper entitled The fire safety of domestic upholstered furniture, published on 22 January 2025.

The Government is committed to upholding the highest standards of fire safety for domestic upholstered furniture and ensuring only safe products are placed on the UK market. Officials in the Department for Business and Trade have begun extensive, targeted stakeholder engagement to inform decision making on the issues outlined in the policy paper. Following this engagement process, the Government will publish an update on the remaining issues.

Communities and Local Government, what target she has set for the total number of dispersal accommodation centres available to victims of domestic abuse.

This government is committed to tackling violence against women and girls and supporting victims of domestic abuse. Since 2021, local authorities in England have a duty to ensure domestic abuse victims and their children who need to flee their homes have access to support within safe accommodation when they need it. MHCLG has defined in regulations the types of safe accommodation that support to victims can be delivered in, including dispersed accommodation. MHCLG has allocated £160 million to local authorities in 2025/26 to help them deliver their duty, a £30 million uplift from the previous year. This revenue funding is for local authorities to fund provision of lifesaving support for victims and their children within safe accommodation, including dispersed accommodation. It is for local authorities to determine how best to allocate the funding MHCLG has provided to meet local needs, in line with a local needs assessment and strategy.

What recent discussions has she had with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on the potential impact of living under a flight path on people's (a) health and (b) wellbeing.

My Department seeks to minimise the impact of aviation on people’s health and wellbeing, in the context of other government priorities. My officials are in regular contact on this issue with other government departments and their agencies, including the Department of Health and Social Care sponsored UK Health Security Agency.

What proportion of Pharmacy First funding had been spent as of 26 November 2024.

Verified data to the end of November 2024 shows that £82 million has been spent in the 2024/25 financial year on the seven common clinical pathways and associated incentive payments, and on expanding blood pressure and contraception services. A comprehensive view of all spending against the Pharmacy First budget will be available after the end of the financial year.

Media and Sport, what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for the Home Department on the potential impact of proposed cuts to the Parks Police on ensuring the protection of the (a) nature and (b) environment of Royal Parks.

The Royal Parks are Crown Land managed on behalf of the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport by The Royal Parks Charity. The policing of the parks is an operational matter for the Metropolitan Police Service, who are in regular contact with The Royal Parks Charity. No discussions have been held between the Home Secretary and Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport regarding this matter. As the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is not responsible for the Royal Parks, it is also assumed that no discussions have been held between that Secretary of State and the Home Secretary.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the threshold level for eligibility for (a) 30 hours of free childcare and (b) tax-free childcare on working parents who earn between £100,000 and £125,000.

The government is committed to delivering the expansion of the 30 hours free childcare offer so that from September 2025 eligible working parents in England will be able to access 30 hours of free childcare per week, over 38 weeks of the year, from the term after their child turns 9 months old to when they start school. Accessible and high-quality early education and childcare is a crucial part of giving every child the best start in life, boosting children’s life chances and giving parents work choices. To be eligible for the working parent entitlement, parents will each need to earn the equivalent of 16 hours a week at National Minimum Wage (£9,518 per year) and less than £100,000 adjusted net income per year. This offer aims to support parents to return to work or to work more hours, if they wish. The income eligibility criteria are the same for Tax-Free Childcare. The £100,000 level was chosen to correspond with Income Tax thresholds and be easily understandable for parents, and only a very small proportion of parents (3.8% of parents of 3 and 4-year-olds in 2023/24) earn over the £100,000 adjusted net income maximum threshold. There are no current plans to change the income threshold for the working parent entitlement or Tax-Free Childcare. The government is committed to managing public finances in a responsible way by targeting support with childcare towards those who need it the most in order to work. These are the parents for whom childcare support makes a bigger difference to their ability to work, given that childcare costs make up a bigger proportion of their earnings. However, the universal 15 hours of free childcare offer remains in place for all parents of 3 and 4-year-olds, regardless of parental circumstances, including those who earn over £100,000. Parents can find out about the government-funded support they are eligible for via the Childcare Choices website: https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/.

What steps his Department is taking to remove barriers to young people in the UK wishing to study and work in the EU.

The Government recognises the value to young people of the opportunity to experience different cultures and work or study elsewhere. UK nationals can travel visa-free to the EU, for example for short-term study, for up to 90 days in a rolling 180-day period. If travelling for the purposes of work, they may need permission from the relevant Member State.The Government introduced the Turing Scheme in 2021, which provides grants for students to study and work anywhere in the world, including Europe, supporting tens of thousands of UK students since its launch.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of First Generation Sustainable Aviation Fuels on the environment.

Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) is one of the key measures required to decarbonise aviation. The SAF Mandate could deliver up to 6.3 million tonnes of carbon savings per year by 2040. The SAF Mandate encourages a diverse range of feedstocks and technologies. It also has strict sustainability criteria that SAF must meet to be eligible. SAF must be made from sustainable wastes or residues (such as used cooking oil or forestry residues), recycled carbon fuels (such as unrecyclable plastics), or power to liquid fuels made using low carbon (renewable or nuclear) electricity. This prevents negative environmental consequences such as the loss of biodiversity, deforestation and the clearance of land with high carbon stock (e.g. peatland) that could be associated with the cultivation of raw materials used in SAF production.

How many constituencies in London do not have a police station located within them.

The Home Office does not centrally collect data on the number or location of police stations.It is up to Chief Constables and directly elected Police and Crime Commissioners (or equivalents) to make decisions on local resourcing and estates, including police stations. They are best placed to make these decisions based on their local knowledge and experience.Police stations are just one of the ways people can access their local police services, including reporting online and by phone 24/7.

What the average police response times were to reported incidents in the SW13 postcode area in Barnes in each year since 2010.

The Home Office does not hold data centrally on police response time at a national or local level.Chief Constables are responsible for determining the allocation of resources for operational policing and managing their response times, in line with the priorities set out by their Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC).The Home Secretary set out in her announcement of major police reforms her intentions for a dedicated government unit to improve performance across policing and make our streets safer. This new unit will monitor performance, including police response times, a key issue for the public that is currently not consistently monitored and managed.

What the average waiting time was for ambulances in the SW13 postcode in each year since 2015.

The Department does not hold the information requested.NHS England publishes monthly official statistics for ambulance response times at a national level and at ambulance trust level. This information is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/ambulance-quality-indicators/In addition, since April 2023, information on ambulance response times to ‘Category 2’ incidents has been provided for each integrated care board (ICB) area.The following table shows the average Category 2 response time information available in minutes and seconds for NHS South West London ICB, which SW13 is within:2023/242024/25 to date (December 2024)32:2635:07Source: NHS England - https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/ambulance-quality-indicators/ambulance-management-information/

What recent assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the (a) benefit cap and (b) two-child limit on single parents.

Delivering our manifesto commitment to tackle child poverty is an urgent priority for this Government, and the Ministerial Taskforce is working to publish a Child Poverty Strategy which will deliver lasting change. The Strategy will look at all available levers across four key themes of increasing incomes, including considering social security reforms, reducing essential costs, increasing financial resilience; and better local support especially in the early years. This will build on the reform plans underway across Government and work underway in Devolved Governments.

How frequently deaf awareness training is provided to (a) decision-makers, (b) people in customer-facing roles and (c) other staff in her Department.

Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED) is mandatory learning completed by all staff as part of their induction into the department and can then be revisited at any time. Within the learning there is a scenario-based activity around deaf awareness. In addition, all staff new to DWP complete customer service delivery learning which includes a module for deaf or hearing loss and the support DWP offers, including when and how to use interpreters for interviews. The learning explains the definition of disability under the Equality Act 2010 and how it relates to customers who are deaf or have hearing loss, which can also be revisited at any time.

Communities and Local Government, what information her Department holds on the number of people who were evicted from their properties in each year since 2015.

The Ministry of Justice publishes quarterly data on possession claim actions in the county court. It can be found on gov.uk here.The data includes the volumes of repossessions carried out by county court bailiffs in mortgage and landlord possession cases. It does not include cases where a tenant has left their property voluntarily following a notice for eviction.

Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 14 January 2025 to Question 21168 on Amazonia: Rainforests, if he will provide a breakdown of the funding to the Andes-Amazon Biodiverse Landscape Fund.

The UK funded Biodiverse Landscapes Fund supports developing countries to fight poverty, protect nature, and tackle climate change in six landscapes, spanning 18 countries. In the Andes Amazon landscape, covering parts of Ecuador and Peru, the £12.3 million funding will be targeted to deliver three aims including: strengthening Indigenous Peoples and local community organisations; developing bio-business value chains that drive nature-friendly economic growth; and improving the connectivity and quality of conserved areas. Implementation is through a consortium of international and national organisations led by the global development charity Practical Action, selected through a competitive bid exercise, working in partnerships with the Governments of Ecuador and Peru. It is not possible to give a full breakdown of funding per activity at this stage as this will change over the course of delivering the seven-year programme.

Communities and Local Government, how many single parents that have been evicted through a Section 21 notice in each year since 2015.

The Department does not hold granular data on Section 21 evictions, either year by year or by the demographics of those affected.However, the English Private Landlord Survey 2024 indicated that Section 21 notices are the most common way landlords evict tenants, and we know that chronic insecurity in the private rented sector has real-life consequences for individuals and families, including single parents.The Renters’ Rights Bill will deliver our manifesto commitment to transform the experience of private renting, including the long-delayed abolition of Section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions. The Bill will give renters much greater security and stability so they can stay in their homes for longer, build lives in their communities, and avoid the risk of homelessness.

Communities and Local Government, how many Section 21 evictions have taken place in each year since 2015.

The Department does not hold granular data on Section 21 evictions, either year by year or by the demographics of those affected.However, the English Private Landlord Survey 2024 indicated that Section 21 notices are the most common way landlords evict tenants, and we know that chronic insecurity in the private rented sector has real-life consequences for individuals and families, including single parents.The Renters’ Rights Bill will deliver our manifesto commitment to transform the experience of private renting, including the long-delayed abolition of Section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions. The Bill will give renters much greater security and stability so they can stay in their homes for longer, build lives in their communities, and avoid the risk of homelessness.

Communities and Local Government, how many single parents with more than two children have been evicted through a Section 21 notice in each year since 2015.

The Department does not hold granular data on Section 21 evictions, either year by year or by the demographics of those affected.However, the English Private Landlord Survey 2024 indicated that Section 21 notices are the most common way landlords evict tenants, and we know that chronic insecurity in the private rented sector has real-life consequences for individuals and families, including single parents.The Renters’ Rights Bill will deliver our manifesto commitment to transform the experience of private renting, including the long-delayed abolition of Section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions. The Bill will give renters much greater security and stability so they can stay in their homes for longer, build lives in their communities, and avoid the risk of homelessness.