Asked by: Adam Dance (Liberal Democrat - Yeovil)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the findings of the British Dyslexia Association's 9 July 2026 Report: GCSE attainment: A decade without progress.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
Effective early identification and intervention is critical to improving outcomes for children and young people with special educational needs (SEND), including those with dyslexia.
To ensure that all teachers, teaching assistants, support staff and leaders across early years, schools and post-16 settings can be trained to support pupils with dyslexia and other types of SEND, the department is investing £200 million of new funding to upskill staff.
In addition, the department is providing £1.6 billion of additional funding to mainstream settings through an Inclusive Mainstream Fund to help settings identify commonly occurring needs and take meaningful steps to improve everyday support. Settings will also be able to spend the funding to develop targeted support for those who need it, such as group interventions, without formal assessment or diagnosis.
Clear statutory duties for schools will also be introduced, including identifying and meeting needs as early as possible and ensuring that they monitor children and young people’s progress to ensure timely and effective interventions.
We are strengthening inclusivity in mainstream schools by giving teachers better tools to identify and support needs early while ensuring specialist settings meet the needs of pupils with the most complex needs.
We will support schools to respond to pupils’ learning and development needs with evidence‑informed resources, helping make mainstream education more inclusive and improving outcomes.
This aligns with our commitment to deliver a high‑quality, ambitious curriculum for every child, including those with SEND. The department has engaged with a wide variety of organisations as we consider the SEND system, and this has included engagements with representatives of the British Dyslexia Association.
Asked by: Adam Dance (Liberal Democrat - Yeovil)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to help ensure passenger travel times from Yeovil constituency are not negatively impacted by any changes to the West of England Line timetable.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department recognises that reliability and punctuality affect passenger benefits, journey times and wider economic outcomes, and these factors are considered when assessing any timetable changes.
Soil moisture deficit (SMD) caused significant and prolonged disruption to Southwestern Railway's West of England Line in 2025. Exceptionally dry conditions led to substantial shrinkage of clay embankments between Salisbury and Exeter, resulting in track movement and the imposition of multiple 40mph speed restrictions across long single-track sections.
Whilst other parts of the UK Rail Network also suffer from these issues, the unique nature of the West of England Line with long single-track sections and limited passing points means that the base timetable is unable to accommodate delays resulting from speed restrictions. Despite mitigation work, further record-breaking dry weather means SMD is again highly likely to affect the route this year.
During Autumn, seasonal conditions prevent trains on the predominantly single line track between Salisbury and Exeter from passing each other at their planned times. The single line track means that even small delays can make the timetable unworkable and lead to wider disruption. Removing some station stops with lower demand reduces the time spent in the single lines sections and reduces delays.
Where timetable changes are necessary, operators are expected to consider the effect on passenger travel times and seek to reduce disruption while ensuring services continue to operate safely and reliably.
The Department works with Network Rail and train operators to consider the impacts of timetable changes on passengers and local communities, including when temporary service alterations are required to maintain a safe and reliable railway.
Asked by: Adam Dance (Liberal Democrat - Yeovil)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the proposed West of England Line timetable changes on stations in Yeovil constituency.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department recognises that reliability and punctuality affect passenger benefits, journey times and wider economic outcomes, and these factors are considered when assessing any timetable changes.
Soil moisture deficit (SMD) caused significant and prolonged disruption to Southwestern Railway's West of England Line in 2025. Exceptionally dry conditions led to substantial shrinkage of clay embankments between Salisbury and Exeter, resulting in track movement and the imposition of multiple 40mph speed restrictions across long single-track sections.
Whilst other parts of the UK Rail Network also suffer from these issues, the unique nature of the West of England Line with long single-track sections and limited passing points means that the base timetable is unable to accommodate delays resulting from speed restrictions. Despite mitigation work, further record-breaking dry weather means SMD is again highly likely to affect the route this year.
During Autumn, seasonal conditions prevent trains on the predominantly single line track between Salisbury and Exeter from passing each other at their planned times. The single line track means that even small delays can make the timetable unworkable and lead to wider disruption. Removing some station stops with lower demand reduces the time spent in the single lines sections and reduces delays.
Where timetable changes are necessary, operators are expected to consider the effect on passenger travel times and seek to reduce disruption while ensuring services continue to operate safely and reliably.
The Department works with Network Rail and train operators to consider the impacts of timetable changes on passengers and local communities, including when temporary service alterations are required to maintain a safe and reliable railway.
Asked by: Adam Dance (Liberal Democrat - Yeovil)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will publish assessments of the impact of the proposed reforms to the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities system on workloads of teaching staff in (a) Yeovil constituency (b) Somerset and (c) England.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
Through the department’s engagement with the sector, we have heard a clear and consistent message from teachers that the current system is not working and driving unnecessary and bureaucratic processes.
The department’s proposed reforms aim to create a more inclusive, responsive, and sustainable system that ensures all children and young people receive the support they need to thrive in education.
To drive inclusive practice across the workforce, we are investing £200 million of new funding to ensure that all teachers, educators, teaching assistants, support staff and leaders across early years, schools and post-16 settings can be trained to support pupils with special educational needs and disabilities.
We value the hard work of teachers and educators up and down the country and we have specifically designed our new continuing professional development courses to be flexible to work around their schedules. We know that best practice already exists across the system and the new training package will help take that further.
New National Inclusion Standards will also set out evidence-informed tools, strategies and approaches, which help educators to identify and support children and young people with additional needs.
We are also drawing on user-centred research with schools, settings, families and professionals, to design the Individual Support Plans, so that they serve to reduce workload for teachers and educators by bringing information together in one place and cutting down on duplicated recording.
Asked by: Adam Dance (Liberal Democrat - Yeovil)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of abolishing Stamp Duty for downsizers in (a) Yeovil constituency (b) Somerset and (c) England.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with HM Treasury)
Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) continues to be an important source of Government revenue, raising around £14 billion each year to help pay for the essential services the Government provides. Abolishing SDLT in any region of the country would be likely to have a significant cost to the Exchequer.
Most owners looking to downsize are likely to have equity in their current property and are already exempt from Capital Gains Tax on any gain made on their main residence through Private Residence Relief. For most of those looking to downsize, the SDLT due on the property they are moving into will be small, and, in many cases, lower than estate agent’s fees.
Asked by: Adam Dance (Liberal Democrat - Yeovil)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether he plans to introduce (a) stronger incentives or (b) planning reforms to increase the use of previously developed land before greenfield sites are approved for housing developments in Yeovil constituency.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Paragraphs 82-84 of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) set out how planning policies and decisions should apply in respect of rural housing.
Between 16 December 2025 and 10 March 2026, we consulted on a new NPPF. That proposed Framework, which can be found on gov.uk here, included policies relating to rural housing, protected landscapes, and the historic environment. We are currently analysing the feedback received to the consultation and will publish our response in due course.
In respect of brownfield land, I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 128472 on 23 April 2026.
Asked by: Adam Dance (Liberal Democrat - Yeovil)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will review national planning policy to strengthen protections for rural communities in (a) Yeovil constituency and (b) Somerset where proposed housing developments would alter the character and identity of villages.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Paragraphs 82-84 of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) set out how planning policies and decisions should apply in respect of rural housing.
Between 16 December 2025 and 10 March 2026, we consulted on a new NPPF. That proposed Framework, which can be found on gov.uk here, included policies relating to rural housing, protected landscapes, and the historic environment. We are currently analysing the feedback received to the consultation and will publish our response in due course.
In respect of brownfield land, I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 128472 on 23 April 2026.
Asked by: Adam Dance (Liberal Democrat - Yeovil)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will take steps to ensure that planning decisions affecting villages in Yeovil constituency adequately protect their (a) local character, (b) historic setting and (c) surrounding landscapes.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Paragraphs 82-84 of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) set out how planning policies and decisions should apply in respect of rural housing.
Between 16 December 2025 and 10 March 2026, we consulted on a new NPPF. That proposed Framework, which can be found on gov.uk here, included policies relating to rural housing, protected landscapes, and the historic environment. We are currently analysing the feedback received to the consultation and will publish our response in due course.
In respect of brownfield land, I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 128472 on 23 April 2026.
Asked by: Adam Dance (Liberal Democrat - Yeovil)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to encourage housing developers to prioritise the development of brownfield land over greenfield land for new housing in Yeovil constituency.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Paragraphs 82-84 of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) set out how planning policies and decisions should apply in respect of rural housing.
Between 16 December 2025 and 10 March 2026, we consulted on a new NPPF. That proposed Framework, which can be found on gov.uk here, included policies relating to rural housing, protected landscapes, and the historic environment. We are currently analysing the feedback received to the consultation and will publish our response in due course.
In respect of brownfield land, I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 128472 on 23 April 2026.
Asked by: Adam Dance (Liberal Democrat - Yeovil)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how her Department will measure whether proposed new restrictions on (a) social media and (b) additional online functionalities for under-16s are improving children's safety and wellbeing in Yeovil constituency.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Technology)
Government is committed to ensuring that children have the best start in life. Preventing social media companies from offering their services to under-16s will help children have a healthier relationship with technology.
We will monitor closely how these new measures work in practice and change children’s online experiences. We will use surveys, media monitoring data, justice and health statistics to understand effects on children’s attitudes, time online, and potential harms they face. Insights from parents, young people, platforms and experts will also be critical to evaluate these policies.
We will also work with Wellcome Trust, who will be funding independent nationwide studies of the impact of the social media ban on youth mental health, with research teams working with tens of thousands of teenagers across the UK.