Baroness Pidgeon

Every child in care should have a safe and loving home which is also value for money for the taxpayer.

In their 2022 report, the Competition and Markets Authority estimated that the operating profit margins for large children’s social care providers between 2016 and 2020 were 22.6% for children’s homes, 19.4% for Independent Fostering Agencies and 35.5% for supported accommodation.

The department is clear that profiteering from vulnerable children in care is absolutely unacceptable and the department is committed to stamping out profiteering where it occurs in the children’s social care placement market.

On 18 November 2024, the department published its policy paper ‘Keeping children safe, helping families thrive’, setting out ambitious reforms across children’s social care. As part of these, the department is taking forward a package of measures, including through legislation, to rebalance the children’s social care placement market, covering children’s homes, independent fostering agencies and supported accommodation. These measures will improve competition, regulation and commissioning of placements and bring greater visibility to the prices local authorities are paying and the profits providers are making. If the department does not see a reduction in profiteering, the department will not hesitate to take action to cap providers’ profits.

The department will bring forward legislation when parliamentary time allows.

Every child in care should have a safe and loving home which is also value for money for the taxpayer.

In their 2022 report, the Competition and Markets Authority estimated that the operating profit margins for large children’s social care providers between 2016 and 2020 were 22.6% for children’s homes, 19.4% for Independent Fostering Agencies and 35.5% for supported accommodation.

The department is clear that profiteering from vulnerable children in care is absolutely unacceptable and the department is committed to stamping out profiteering where it occurs in the children’s social care placement market.

On 18 November 2024, the department published its policy paper ‘Keeping children safe, helping families thrive’, setting out ambitious reforms across children’s social care. As part of these, the department is taking forward a package of measures, including through legislation, to rebalance the children’s social care placement market, covering children’s homes, independent fostering agencies and supported accommodation. These measures will improve competition, regulation and commissioning of placements and bring greater visibility to the prices local authorities are paying and the profits providers are making. If the department does not see a reduction in profiteering, the department will not hesitate to take action to cap providers’ profits.

The department will bring forward legislation when parliamentary time allows.

Every child in care should have a safe and loving home which is also value for money for the taxpayer.

In their 2022 report, the Competition and Markets Authority estimated that the operating profit margins for large children’s social care providers between 2016 and 2020 were 22.6% for children’s homes, 19.4% for Independent Fostering Agencies and 35.5% for supported accommodation.

The department is clear that profiteering from vulnerable children in care is absolutely unacceptable and the department is committed to stamping out profiteering where it occurs in the children’s social care placement market.

On 18 November 2024, the department published its policy paper ‘Keeping children safe, helping families thrive’, setting out ambitious reforms across children’s social care. As part of these, the department is taking forward a package of measures, including through legislation, to rebalance the children’s social care placement market, covering children’s homes, independent fostering agencies and supported accommodation. These measures will improve competition, regulation and commissioning of placements and bring greater visibility to the prices local authorities are paying and the profits providers are making. If the department does not see a reduction in profiteering, the department will not hesitate to take action to cap providers’ profits.

The department will bring forward legislation when parliamentary time allows.

The Department will continue to work with Transport for London (TfL) with the aim to place it on a long-term financially sustainable footing as part of Phase 2 of the Spending Review. The Government remains committed to supporting London and the transport network on which it depends and continues to regularly engage with TfL to understand its investment plans.

This Government takes road safety seriously, and we are committed to reducing the numbers of those killed and injured on our roads. My Department is developing our road safety strategy and will set out more details in due course.

The Government works closely with local areas and bus operators to ensure issues and concerns with bus electrification are fully understood, and best practice is shared.

More widely, the Government is committed to expanding the electricity network to support the Clean Energy Superpower mission and is working closely with Ofgem and industry to mobilise the required investment at the scale and pace required. Price controls set by Ofgem ensure network companies are investing in infrastructure build, as well as smart management of network assets, to ensure the network has sufficient capacity.

Under the current distribution (low voltage) price control covering 2023-2028, Ofgem has allowed £22.2bn for upfront network investment, including £3.1bn for network upgrades which will help the grid to be ready for changing infrastructure needs.

The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero has also announced that the newly formed National Energy System Operator has been asked to produce the first strategic spatial plan for energy, and it is also looking at reforming the connection process. Both those actions will help bus operators.

The Zero Emission Bus budget for this financial year has already been allocated against ZEBRA 2 projects. The Department’s spending envelope for Financial Year 2025/2026 was announced at the Budget. Allocations for individual funding lines will be agreed as part of the regular departmental business planning process and will be set out in due course.

In spring 2022, the Department consulted on setting an end of sales date for new non-zero emission buses. At the same time calls for evidence on the decarbonisation of coaches and minibuses were conducted. The Government is considering options and will provide an update in due course.

Hostile Vehicle Mitigation (HVM) is currently provided via the National Barrier Asset (NBA) on five bridges within central London. The NBA measures provide a high level of protection to these bridges, and discussions are ongoing between CT Policing and relevant local stakeholders regarding the installation of permanent structures. Permanent measures have been installed on Westminster Bridge since 2022.

Discussions take place periodically between CT Policing and relevant London bodies, such as Transport for London, to progress this matter.