I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to question 23599 on the 7 September 2026.

https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2026-08-28/23599

No, this Government has not made such an estimate.

To restore high streets, we have announced measures to tackle organised crime, cut business rates for pubs, and stop the spread of vape shops and gambling outlets.

Later this year, we will publish a High Streets Strategy, setting out the longer-term plan for bringing life back to our town centres.

The Ministry of Defence has not conducted a specific assessment of redeployment opportunities for long-serving Skill Zone 1 (SZ1) employees in the West of England, including older members of staff.

Opportunities for redeployment are available through vacancies advertised on Civil Service Jobs. In the past two years, one SZ1 vacancy has been advertised in the West of England. There have been nine SZ1 vacancies advertised across the UK over the same period.

The Army Caretaker Review remains ongoing and no final decisions have been made. Consultation on the proposed implementation plan is taking place with the recognised trade unions. Affected employees have been informed of the proposal and indicative timeline and will be updated following consultation.

Of the 123 caretakers currently in scope of the review, 89% occupy accommodation linked to their caretaker role. This data is correct as at 1 September 2026. The proposed timetable for vacating linked accommodation, including cases where employment may continue beyond 31 March 2027, remains subject to consultation and implementation planning.

The Department recognises the uncertainty and potential impact on affected caretakers and their families. Housing-related issues, including transitional arrangements and the proposed timetable for vacating tied accommodation, are being considered as part of implementation planning. Requests to remain in accommodation beyond the end of the role, under a different rental agreement, would be considered on a case-by-case basis by the property owner, taking account of Defence requirements, site security, estate plans and individual circumstances.

Affected employees will receive support through line management, Human Resources , trades union representatives and the Employee Assistance Programme. Army caretakers across the UK, will also be encouraged to engage early with local housing authorities and relevant independent advice services where they may need support to secure alternative accommodation.

Work is underway to identify suitable redeployment opportunities within Defence and the wider Civil Service. Redundancy would only be considered where suitable redeployment cannot be secured. Any financial assistance or compensation would be considered in line with the relevant Civil Service compensation scheme provisions and wider departmental policy.

On 29 July, the Prime Minister set out his objectives to reform the social care system, and brought forward the timetable for Baroness Casey’s commission to inform that reform programme. More information is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/pm-sets-out-new-path-to-fix-social-care-together-29-july-2026

All aspects of the current system will be reviewed as part of that process, and we will continue to update Parliament on a regular basis.

The Government is committed to supporting the growth of the co-operatives and mutuals sector and recognises its important role in driving competition, financial inclusion and consumer choice. Since Mansion House 2024, the Government has been delivering a multi-year programme of reforms to support its ambition to double the size of the sector over the long term, including in North East Somerset and Hanham.

This includes supporting the sector’s long-term development through the Law Commission’s independent review of co-operative legislation and ongoing engagement with the industry-led Mutual and Co-operative Sector Business Council. The Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade is also considering responses to its call for evidence on how the government can continue to support co-operatives and non-financial mutuals to start, grow and sustain, as well as support existing businesses transition into a co-operative or mutual model. The Government’s approach focuses on removing barriers to growth and creating the conditions for sustainable expansion across the sector.

Community spaces have a significant role to play in developing social networks, encouraging community participation, and promoting civic pride. Through the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act 2026, we are empowering communities with the introduction of a new Community Right to Buy, giving them the first opportunity to purchase Assets of Community Value when they are put up for sale by their owner.

We are currently developing the wider regulatory framework to implement the new powers and more information will be announced in due course.

The Government wants to ensure that the law governing co-operatives and community benefit societies supports their growth. That is why the Government is funding the Law Commission’s independent review of the Co-operative and Community Benefit Societies Act 2014. The review is considering ways to update and modernise the legislation, ensuring that it fits the nature and needs of these societies and that regulation is proportionate and effective. This includes consideration of whether shares may be issued with varying rights and to non-user investors.

Once published, the Government will carefully consider the Law Commission’s recommendations to understand whether reform is needed to support these businesses to grow and succeed in the future. The Government is committed to unlocking the full potential of the mutual and co-operative sector to support inclusive growth and we continue to engage regularly with the sector to address the barriers to the sector’s growth

My Department is working across government to deliver our manifesto commitment to double the size of the co-operative and mutuals sector, following the commitment to establish a Co-operatives Development Unit in the Pride in Place Strategy.

The government has also introduced a new Pride in Place Community Right to Buy Fund that will support communities in taking advantage of the Community Right to Buy, created by our English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act.

Absence is a key barrier to opportunity. For children to achieve and thrive they need to be in school. The department is committed to improving the attendance of all pupils. Thanks to the efforts of the sector, we saw record improvements in 2024/25 with around 150,000 fewer children persistently absent nationally.

The department publishes figures from the school census on pupil absence in England. The latest data covers the 2024/25 academic year and is published here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/pupil-absence-in-schools-in-england/2024-25.

Published data for the percentage of pupils classified as persistent absentees (defined as missing 10% or more of possible sessions) in schools in South Gloucestershire and Bath and North East Somerset since the 2018/19 academic year is available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/87184f2c-0671-4abc-c9f4-08dee0eeb30d.

Full year absence statistics for 2019/20 were not published due to the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Department has not made a specific assessment of the adequacy of mobile signal coverage on Great Western Railway (GWR) services. However, the Department has secured funding to deploy low earth orbit satellite technology on mainline trains which will significantly improve the on-train Wi-Fi for rail passengers, this will include long-distance services across GWR. Pending final Treasury approval, Officials at the Department for Transport Operator (DFTO) are planning to begin the procurement and design work for this in the second half of this year. DFTO is also repeating an exercise to capture the measurement of 4G and 5G signal strength across the rail corridor and expects the full data to be available early in the new year. This will be published online.

The Peninsula Taskforce and GWR successfully trialled enhanced Wi-Fi on an Intercity Express train, using low earth orbit satellite technology. The trial demonstrated significantly stronger Wi-Fi connectivity, higher data capacity and received positive feedback from passengers.

Network Rail’s Project Reach will also address mobile coverage in 57 tunnels across the rail network.

For unauthorised school absences during the 2024/25 academic year, Bath and North East Somerset issued 1,014 penalty notices and South Gloucestershire issued 2,043 penalty notices.

A new national framework for penalty notices came into effect from August 2024 designed to embed our support-first approach and improve consistency and fairness across the country.

Our statutory guidance on attendance makes clear that legal intervention, including prosecution, should only be considered where support has been exhausted, not engaged with or, in the cases of term-time holidays, is not appropriate. The guidance sets out clear expectations on how schools, local authorities and wider services should work together to support attendance for all children.

It is vital for road safety that, when the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) is made aware of a condition that could affect an individual’s ability to drive safely, they ensure that the required medical standards are met before a licence is issued.

The table below shows the number of Group 1 (car and motorcycle) and Group 2 (bus and lorry) driving licences that were revoked or an application refused between 2021 and 2025. Driving licences can be revoked or an application refused following a medical investigation carried out when the DVLA is informed of a medical condition by either the licence holder or a third party. A licence holder who had both Group 1 and Group 2 driving entitlements revoked or refused will be included in the figures for both groups.

Please note that the figures for 2025 are currently incomplete. The figure in the table above reflects those cases that can currently be accurately categorised as revoked or refused in 2025.

I refer the hon Member to the answer given to him on 20^th October 2025 to Question UIN 7797.

Through the Crime and Policing Act 2026, The Home Office is introducing a mandatory anti-social behaviour (ASB) data reporting duty to improve our understanding of ASB and how it is being tackled locally, which will include use of Respect Orders. The first set of regulations will require local authorities to report data on ASB incident volumes, the use of ASB powers and interventions, and ASB Case Review numbers and outcomes.

The Home Office is currently developing arrangements for the monitoring and evaluation of Respect Orders, including the data that will be collected. Further information will be announced in due course.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 112724 on 3 March 2026.

The consultation on a new National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), which can be found on gov.uk here, closed on 10 March 2026. We are currently analysing the feedback received and will publish our response in the summer.

The Government does not hold data on the economic impact of heritage railways on the UK economy.

DCMS official statistics currently uses the Standard Industry Classification (SIC) code 91.03 Operation of historic sites and similar visitor attractions as a narrow proxy for the heritage sector. In 2024, the SIC code Operation of historic sites and similar visitor attractions contributed an estimated 10,000 jobs with a Gross Value Added estimated at £0.8 billion.

Historic England, Government statutory advisors on the historic environment, estimated England's heritage sector overall contributed £15.3 billion in Gross Value Added (GVA) to the UK economy in 2022, with a total estimated employment of 201,000 workers.

The Heritage Railway Association, the largest heritage rail trade body, values the economic contribution of the UK's heritage rail sector at roughly £600 million annually. This sum is generated through tourism, local business spending, and the support of thousands of jobs and volunteers across the country.

The Government’s ambition is simple: everyone, whatever their circumstances, should be able to get connected and get online, safely and with confidence

In 2025, 20% of those aged 75+ do not have home internet access compared to 5% across all age groups. Those aged 75+ are also less likely to have the foundational level of digital skills (54%) compared to the general population (85%). This has however improved by 23 percentage points since 2022, when only 31% of those aged 75+ had foundational level digital skills.

In the year since the Digital Inclusion Action Plan was published in 2025, over a million people have been connected or supported to get online, more than 22,000 people have received a free device, and communities across the UK have benefited from the £11.9 million Digital Inclusion Innovation Fund. This includes Age UK’s Digital Champion Programme providing digital skills and devices across England.

The Timms Review Call for Evidence was open to anyone who wished to contribute and received over 38,000 responses. The response form did not ask participants to provide information about their geographic location. Therefore, we do not hold the data requested in relation to the Call for Evidence.

While we cannot provide a figure on participation from different regions, the Review encouraged responses from disabled people and representative organisations across the United Kingdom.