Asked by: Baroness O'Neill of Bexley (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of political knowledge among 16- and 17-year-olds in light of research published by the Electoral Commission on 3 March showing that around 30 per cent of young people aged 18 and under report having heard about politics at school or college in the past year; and what assessment they have made of the implications of those findings for young people’s understanding of how Parliament works.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Government believes that by extending the right to vote to 16- and 17-year-olds and building a strong foundation for democratic participation among young people, we can establish democratic participation habits which will continue as they grow older. We believe that young people should be much more involved in decisions that affect them. Decisions the Government makes now will not only affect young people today but will have an enduring impact on their entire lives.
The Government also recognises the importance of equipping young people with the knowledge and skills needed to participate confidently in democratic life. The Government wants everyone to understand the value of their voice and the role they can play and we will promote a deeper understanding of why democracy matters. To support this, the Government will look for the earliest opportunity to make it a legal requirement to teach citizenship at key stages 1 and 2 – focussed on the most essential content. This includes democracy and government, as well as media literacy, law and rights, financial literacy, and climate education. The second curriculum will build on primary content and fit with the content in other subjects to ensure that all pupils get an essential grounding in a range of topics.
A strong and value the democratic institutions and the democratic process. Citizenship education, reinforced across the curriculum, can play a vital role in making sure young people feel the democratic process is relevant to themcitizenship curriculum should include democratic institutions. The Government’s Curriculum and Assessment Review response recognised this and highlighted that that it is vital to ensure that young people understand, and that they understand how constitutional principles such as the rule of law protect them and benefit their lives.
Asked by: Baroness O'Neill of Bexley (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the potential impact of extending the franchise to 16- and 17-year-olds without corresponding increases in civic education.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Government believes that by extending the right to vote to 16- and 17-year-olds and building a strong foundation for democratic participation among young people, we can establish democratic participation habits which will continue as they grow older. We believe that young people should be much more involved in decisions that affect them. Decisions the Government makes now will not only affect young people today but will have an enduring impact on their entire lives.
The Government also recognises the importance of equipping young people with the knowledge and skills needed to participate confidently in democratic life. The Government wants everyone to understand the value of their voice and the role they can play and we will promote a deeper understanding of why democracy matters. To support this, the Government will look for the earliest opportunity to make it a legal requirement to teach citizenship at key stages 1 and 2 – focussed on the most essential content. This includes democracy and government, as well as media literacy, law and rights, financial literacy, and climate education. The second curriculum will build on primary content and fit with the content in other subjects to ensure that all pupils get an essential grounding in a range of topics.
A strong and value the democratic institutions and the democratic process. Citizenship education, reinforced across the curriculum, can play a vital role in making sure young people feel the democratic process is relevant to themcitizenship curriculum should include democratic institutions. The Government’s Curriculum and Assessment Review response recognised this and highlighted that that it is vital to ensure that young people understand, and that they understand how constitutional principles such as the rule of law protect them and benefit their lives.
Asked by: Baroness O'Neill of Bexley (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to deal with historic dedicated schools grant debt.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The government recognises that the rising costs of special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) provision is putting a strain on local government finances. The government will work with local authorities to manage their SEND system, including deficits, alongside an extension to the dedicated schools grant statutory override until the end of 2027/28. The government will set out further details on its plans to support local authorities with historic and accruing deficits and conditions for accessing such support through the upcoming local government finance settlement.
Asked by: Baroness O'Neill of Bexley (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by the Minister for Housing and Planning on 7 April (HC40908), what is the evidential basis for the designation of the site of special scientific interest that prevented the development of the town due to jumping spiders.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Natural England (NE) notifies areas as Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) which, in its opinion are of special interest by reason of their flora, fauna, geological or physiographic features.
The Swanscombe Peninsula SSSI is a corridor of habitats connecting Ebbsfleet Valley with the southern shore of the River Thames between Dartford and Gravesend. It is considered by NE to be of special interest for its:
The more detailed evidence base for the designation of the SSSI is publicly available.
Asked by: Baroness O'Neill of Bexley (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to change the electoral qualification and disqualification provisions on whether Members of Parliament can (1) stand for election, and (2) continue to hold office, as (a) councillors, (b) council mayors, (c) Police and Crime Commissioners, and (d) combined authority mayors.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
I refer the noble Baroness to the response given to Question UIN 47703 on 30 April 2025. Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) and Mayors who hold the PCC function are disqualified from standing for election or continuing to hold office if they become Members of Parliament. Government has laid out proposals to extend similar arrangements to Mayors of a combined authority, combined county authority or the Greater London Authority who do not hold the PCC function. There are no plans to similarly change disqualification criteria for other elected mayors or councillors.
Asked by: Baroness O'Neill of Bexley (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government, with reference to the best value inspection of Tower Hamlets Council in 2024, what assessment was made by the Commissioners of the standards of behaviour in council meetings.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Best Value Inspection of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets report was published on 12th November 2024. Inspectors found that “[council] meetings have, at times, been fractious, the tone has been occasionally aggressive and sometimes there has been filibustering… it is our view that this has, unfortunately, over-shadowed and impaired the quality of debate in the chamber.” (paragraph 3.42)
The Minister of State for Local Government and English Devolution has appointed three Ministerial Envoys to work with the Council to address the issues found in the Inspection Report, and intends to publish their first report on the Council’s progress this summer.
Asked by: Baroness O'Neill of Bexley (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Statement by the Minister for Housing and Planning on 10 March (HCWS510), what is their timetable for the publication of the consultation on removing statutory consultees in the planning process; and which elements of the wider reform will be delivered through primary and secondary legislation.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
We have committed to consult this Spring on the impact of removing a limited number of statutory consultees. A publication date is yet to be confirmed.
Asked by: Baroness O'Neill of Bexley (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the letter issued on 9 January to local authorities by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs regarding the indicative capital transitional costs for the introduction of weekly food waste collections, whether they have plans to defer the deadline of 19 January for local authorities to respond to the banking details request until after the Department has responded to the concerns of local authorities about the level of Government funding offered to cover the cost of these collections.
Answered by Lord Douglas-Miller
So that we can provide funding this financial year, we have asked local authorities to provide bank details by 19 January. If local authorities have requested a review of their funding, then we will still need a record of their bank details.
If local authorities are undergoing a review process with our Defra team, we intend to still pay the funding indicated in their indicative letter. Subject to the result of the review, if a local authority requires further funding, then this will be provided separately.
Asked by: Baroness O'Neill of Bexley (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the merits of devolving fine-setting powers for fly-tipping and littering offences to local authorities.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Lord Chamberlain (HM Household)
Fixed penalties provide local authorities with an effective and visible way of quickly responding to environmental crimes, where prosecution may not be proportionate. Local authorities must set fixed penalties for litter and fly-tipping from within ranges specified in law. If a penalty level is not set by the authority then a default penalty level will apply.
We believe local authorities are best placed to select the appropriate level, to ensure it reflects local circumstances such as ability to pay. This flexibility is consistent with the responses we received to the consultation on introducing fixed penalty notices for fly-tipping.
Under the Prime Minister’s Antisocial Behaviour Action Plan, the first local authority fly-tipping enforcement league tables were published in August 2023. These show which councils are making good use of their powers to issue fixed penalties, encouraging both scrutiny and the sharing of best practice.
Asked by: Baroness O'Neill of Bexley (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the merits of (1) awarding local authorities five-year highways funding allocations, and (2) moving highways funding currently allocated to Transport for London towards London borough councils.
Answered by Lord Davies of Gower - Shadow Minister (Home Office)
The Government agrees that there is a compelling case to provide local authorities with long-term funding certainty, enabling them to plan and carry out their highway maintenance responsibilities in the most efficient way.
On 4 October, the Prime Minister announced a long-term multi-year funding uplift of £8.3 billion for local highway maintenance through the Network North plan, which will provide the long-term funding that local highway authorities need.
Further details were published on 17 November on https://www.gov.uk/government/news/8-billion-boost-to-repair-roads-and-back-drivers. A share of the £8.3 billion will go to London, and the Government intends to allocate this directly to both Transport for London and the individual London boroughs.