Written questions by Berry.

Pursuant to the Answer of 6 January 2025 to Question 21111 on Local Housing Allowance, if she will publish the analysis of the range of factors considered in the decision not to increase local housing allowance rates.

The impacts referenced in the previous answer were determined using a wide variety of metrics, data and analysis. These included:Current and past rental data supplied by the Valuation Office Agency, Rent Officers Scotland, and Rent Officers Wales;Analysis of current and past DWP administrative data on recipient households, including the modelling of the effects of potential policy changes: andForecasts of benefit caseloads and related matters. At Autumn Budget the Government prioritised a downpayment on poverty, by introducing a Fair Payment Rate for Universal Credit (UC) customers with deductions to retain more of their benefit award. We also invested £1bn in extending the Household Support Fund and maintaining Discretionary Housing Payments (DHPs) at current levels (including Barnett impacts) for 2025/26. Additionally, from 1 April 2026, we are introducing a new Crisis and Resilience Fund, incorporating Discretionary Housing Payments and funding to ensure the poorest children do not go hungry outside of term time. This will provide £842 million per year (£1 billion including Barnett consequential) to reform how crisis support is delivered locally. This support can be paid to those entitled to Housing Benefit or Universal Credit who face a shortfall in meeting their housing costs. DWP forecast data is regularly published and can be found in our benefit expenditure tables: Benefit expenditure and caseload tables - GOV.UK The Rent Officers Order 2025 Explanatory Memorandum includes considerations for reviewing LHA rates for 2025/26: The Rent Officers (Housing Benefit and Universal Credit Functions) (Modification) Order 2025 In addition, the department regularly publishes Universal Credit and Housing Benefit data via Official Statistics. The data can be obtained via Stat-Xplore:Stat-Xplore - Log in

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of changes to funding for level 7 solicitor apprenticeships on (a) equalities and (b) social mobility.

I refer the hon. Member for Brighton Pavilion to the answer of 13 June 2025 to Question 57823.

If she will make an assessment of the potential implications for her Department's policies of the Protect Student Choice’s report entitled Causing gaps, creating uncertainty: why the government should lift the ban on AGQ diplomas and extended diplomas in T level subjects, published on 23 July 2025.

This government is fully committed to the future of T Levels, which are delivering fantastic results for thousands of young people. T Level learners who go directly into work are more likely to work in a sector related to their course than learners on other large level 3 qualifications. 71% of T Level learners agreed that their course prepared them for the workplace. This is greater than learners on comparable level 3 courses with differences of 10-15 percentage points. In 2023 and 2024, 97% of T Level learners who applied for higher education through UCAS received at least one offer.The department’s plans for further reform to level 3 qualifications will be set out soon, informed by the independent Curriculum and Assessment Review.

Whether her Department has made a recent estimate of the value of the illegal drugs market for (a) cannabis, (b) cocaine, and (c) opioids.

The most recent estimate of the value of the illegal drugs market for cannabis, cocaine and opioids is available as a part of the Dame Carol Black’s Independent Review of Drugs: Evidence Pack. This is available at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/review-of-drugs-phase-one-reportThe evidence pack provides the following estimates for value of the illegal drugs market in England and Wales, measured by the amount spent on these drugs:Powder cocaine: £1.9bnCannabis: £2.4bnCrack cocaine: £1.3bnOpiates: £3.8bn

Communities and Local Government, with reference to section 3 of the Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023, when she plans to lay a report before Parliament on the delivery of the levelling-up missions.

The Government published the Levelling Up Missions annual report 2024 to 2025 on 21 May 2025.

With reference to his proposal to close independent local Healthwatch services and transfer their functions to (a) local authorities and (b) Integrated Care Boards, what proportion of existing funding of £178,600 received by Brighton and Hove council in 2024-25 to commission a local Healthwatch service will be transferred to (i) the Sussex Integrated Care Board and (ii) Brighton and Hove Council to fund the new separate arrangements to collect (A) patient and (B) public views on (1) NHS and (2) publicly funded adult social care services.

The abolition of Healthwatch England and the transfer of its functions, as well as the changes to Local Healthwatch, will require primary legislation. The timing of this is subject to the will of Parliament and will happen when Parliamentary time allows.A full Impact Assessment, including an Equality Impact Assessment, would be produced and published on the Government website when the legislation is introduced in Parliament. No assessment has been made at this time.Any changes to the funding regarding the transfer of Local Healthwatch functions to integrated care boards and local authorities will take place after legislation.

If he will publish the Equalities Impact Statement on the decision to close local Healthwatch services and transfer their functions to local authorities and Integrated Care Boards; and what assessment he has made of the ability of commissioners to reach marginalised groups of people experiencing the greatest health inequalities.

The abolition of Healthwatch England and the transfer of its functions, as well as the changes to Local Healthwatch, will require primary legislation. The timing of this is subject to the will of Parliament and will happen when Parliamentary time allows.A full Impact Assessment, including an Equality Impact Assessment, would be produced and published on the Government website when the legislation is introduced in Parliament. No assessment has been made at this time.Any changes to the funding regarding the transfer of Local Healthwatch functions to integrated care boards and local authorities will take place after legislation.

Media and Sport, whether she plans to publish a sustainable tourism plan.

The Government is committed to supporting the growth of a more sustainable and resilient tourism sector. We are in the process of developing a Visitor Economy Growth Strategy with the Visitor Economy Advisory Council which will map out plans to support the growth of the tourism industry. This will address continuing to work with Local Visitor Economy Partnerships (LVEPs) to promote regenerative tourism practices and an approach where residents are involved in decision making and benefit directly from tourism.

Whether the Equality and Human Rights Commission (a) is using and (b) has commissioned external teams to use artificial intelligence tools in analysis of the responses to its consultation on the Draft Code of Practice for the Equality Act.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) is independent of government. The matter of consultation analysis is a decision for EHRC. This question has been passed to the EHRC who will be providing a written response to Sian Berry MP.

How many Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy scheme reviews were outstanding as of 5 July 2024; how many remain outstanding; what steps he is taking to reduce the backlog; and what the average time is for processing a review.

On 1 July 2025, I announced the closure of the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) scheme to new applicants via Written Ministerial Statement (Hansard Link: https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2025-07-01/hcws763). Four years on from the scheme’s launch and with over 95% of first-time applications now found ineligible, the time was right. Closing the scheme will also allow the Ministry of Defence (MOD) to process all outstanding applications and focus on supporting those already in the pipeline to restart their lives in the UK as soon as possible. Two Reviews exist in the ARAP scheme, the Review that follows an ARAP ineligible decision and the Review that follows the rejection or partial rejection of an Additional Family Members application. On 1 July 2024, 1,514 ARAP Reviews remained outstanding, and 387 AFM Reviews remained outstanding. The current number of outstanding applications is, as of 17 July 2025, is 1,033 ARAP Reviews and 280 AFM Reviews. The mean average time for all ARAP and AFM reviews, closed with a decision made, as 17 July 2025, is 194 days for ARAP reviews and 297 days for AFM reviews. This Government inherited a large proportion of these cases from the previous administration, and I am determined that every outstanding case will be addressed as soon as possible. From the autumn, I will be introducing new key performance indicators for the ARAP caseload. This will help people understand where they stand in the process - and when they should receive a decision. To help support this work the MOD is also recruiting additional caseworkers to ensure cases are processed as swiftly as possible.

How many and what proportion of successful claims under the non-consensual conception exception to the two-child limit for (a) Universal Credit, (b) working-age Housing Benefit and (c) Child Benefit were supported by evidence by (a) a criminal conviction, (b) a Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme award and (c) third-party professional support; and if she will provide a breakdown of that data by the jurisdictions of (a) England and Wales, (b) Scotland and (c) Northern Ireland.

The information requested is not held centrally and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the evidentiary requirements of the non-consensual exception to the two-child limit on Article (a) 8 and (b) 14 of the Human Rights Act 1998.

The Department recognises the sensitivities surrounding disclosure that a child was likely born of non-consensual conception and has designed processes that reflect this. All DWP policies are formulated with regard to legal obligations, including those flowing from the ECHR. The current regulations are considered to be compliant with those obligations.

Whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of the provisions of the Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill on eligibility for Personal Independence Payment on the ability of people who are (a) experiencing and (b) at risk of homelessness to secure (i) housing and (ii) employment.

As I set out in the House of Commons on 1 July 2025, the Government has listened to the concerns raised by Members from across the House about the proposed changes to Personal Independence Payment (PIP). Clause 5 of the Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill would have amended the legal framework underpinning PIP assessments, specifically by implementing a new requirement that claimants must score a minimum of four points in at least one daily living activity to be eligible for the daily living component of PIP. In light of the concerns raised, I confirmed during the debate that we are going to remove clause 5 from the Bill in Committee. (Hansard, 1 July, col 219) Any changes to PIP eligibility will come after a comprehensive review of the benefit, which I shall lead, co-produced with disabled people, the organisations that represent them, clinicians, experts, MPs and other stakeholders, so a wide range of views and voices are heard. This review aims to ensure that the PIP assessment is fair and fit for the future.

What assessment she has made of the adequacy of the list of professionals who have been given approved third-party status for the purpose of certifying claims under the non-consensual conception exception to the two-child limit; whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of expanding that list to include more third-party professionals; and if she will make an assessment of the potential implications for her Department's policies of the report by Dr Rebecca Hewer entitled The Rape Clause - How Health and Social Care Professionals Administer the Non-Consensual Conception Exception to the Two-Child Limit, published on 5 May 2025.

There are currently no plans to make these assessments. The non-consensual exception looks to protect UC child element entitlement for those children conceived non-consensually. The Department recognises the sensitivities surrounding disclosure that a child was likely born of non-consensual conception and has carefully designed processes to reflect this, including the use of a third-party model. Approved third parties have been chosen owing to their positions that already support individuals in sensitive circumstances. These are healthcare professionals, specialist support workers from an approved organisation listed on GOV.UK, or registered social workers.

With reference to paragraph 3.36 of the policy paper entitled UK Infrastructure: A 10 Year Strategy, published on 19 June 2025, when she plans to request the Climate Change Committee's advice on whether a third runway at Heathrow airport is consistent with the UK's net zero framework.

The government has been clear that any airport expansion proposals need to be delivered in line with the UK’s legally binding climate change commitments. The government has invited proposals for a third runway at Heathrow to be brought forward by the summer. Once proposals have been received, the government will review the Airports National Policy Statement. As part of this process, we will consider how and when to engage with the Climate Change Committee.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make it his policy to provide British citizens in Tehran with the necessary authorisation to allow them to be evacuated via third countries in the region.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) Travel Advice is under constant review and includes information for British nationals in Iran, including those who wish to leave the country. The FCDO's Consular Contact Centre is available 24/7 for those who need consular assistance.

What proportion of eligible families were in receipt of Healthy Start in Brighton Pavilion constituency on 9 June 2025.

The NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) operates the Healthy Start scheme on behalf of the Department. Monthly figures for the number of people on the digital Healthy Start scheme are published on the NHS Healthy Start website, which is available at the following link:https://www.healthystart.nhs.uk/healthcare-professionals/The NHSBSA does not hold data on the number of families receiving Healthy Start and does not currently hold data on the number of people eligible for Healthy Start. The NHSBSA does not hold data on local constituencies. The table below shows the number of people on the digital scheme in the relevant local authorities as of 23 May 2025:Local authorityNumber of people on the digital schemeBlackpool1,434City of Bristol2,778County of Herefordshire736Southampton1,677Worthing348Brighton and Hove1,041East Suffolk1,129

Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the installation of wood burning stoves in newbuild homes on levels of public health.

The government recognises that the use of solid fuel appliances in domestic settings is a major source of air pollution and is committed to cleaning up our air and protecting public health by developing a series of interventions to reduce emissions so everyone’s exposure to air pollution is reduced. That is why the government has launched a rapid review of the Environment Improvement Plan (EIP) to make sure it is fit for purpose to deliver legally binding targets to improve air quality. We published a statement of the rapid review’s key findings on 30 January 2025, to be followed by publication of a revised EIP later this year. As part of the EIP, we are developing a series of intervention to reduce emissions of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), including from domestic combustion. Legislation is currently in place to restrict the sale of the most polluting fuels used in domestic burning. This includes restrictions on the sale of small volumes of wet wood for domestic burning; limits on the emission of sulphur and smoke from manufactured solid fuels; and phasing out the sale of bituminous coal (traditional house coal). These regulations aim to move people to cleaner fuels: from wet wood to dry wood, and from traditional house coal to smokeless coal and low sulphur manufactured solid fuels, resulting in lower particulate matter emissions.

When she plans to bring forward legislative proposals under the Environment Act 2021 on the compulsory recall of vehicles and engines on the grounds that relevant environmental standards are not met.

Vehicle manufacturers are required by law to ensure that the vehicles they place on the market in the UK meet rigorous environmental standards and to recall or fix vehicles if they are found to not meet those standards when on sale. Where vehicle manufacturers do not comply with their obligations, the Market Surveillance Unit within the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency is already empowered to take restrictive measures to prevent vehicles from being made available on the market, or to recall them. The Government is currently considering how a mandatory recall regime under the Environment Act 2021 could strengthen enforcement of vehicle environmental standards.

What progress he has made on the Air Quality Information Systems Review recommendation 4 on raising public awareness of (a) air pollution, (b) the associated health impacts and (c) how people can protect themselves.

Following publication of the Air Quality Information Systems (AQIS) Review final report and recommendations on 6 March 2025, we are working closely with the UK Health Security Agency and the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs to improve public awareness of air pollution and the associated health impacts.The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs is currently developing a new air quality web service which embeds the communication principles recommended in the AQIS review. The new service will provide clearer and more relevant information to the public about air pollution, its associated health impacts and actions people can take to protect themselves.