Adam Holloway Portrait

Adam Holloway

Conservative - Former Member for Gravesham

First elected: 5th May 2005

Left House: 30th May 2024 (Dissolution)


Home Affairs Committee
2nd Mar 2020 - 30th May 2024
Space Industry (Indemnities) Bill
1st May 2024 - 8th May 2024
European Scrutiny Committee
4th Jul 2022 - 30th Apr 2024
Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
20th Sep 2022 - 27th Oct 2022
Assistant Whip
8th Jul 2022 - 20th Sep 2022
Science and Technology Committee (Commons)
16th Oct 2017 - 22nd Jan 2018
Science and Technology Committee
16th Oct 2017 - 22nd Jan 2018
Science, Innovation and Technology Committee
16th Oct 2017 - 22nd Jan 2018
Foreign Affairs Sub-Committee
5th Jan 2016 - 3rd May 2017
Foreign Affairs Committee
8th Jul 2015 - 3rd May 2017
Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee
31st Oct 2016 - 19th Dec 2016
Public Administration Committee
12th May 2014 - 30th Mar 2015
Defence Committee
5th Nov 2012 - 3rd Nov 2014
Defence Committee
6th Feb 2006 - 2nd Nov 2010


Division Voting information

Adam Holloway has voted in 2662 divisions, and 56 times against the majority of their Party.

18 Jul 2019 - Northern Ireland (Executive Formation) Bill - View Vote Context
Adam Holloway voted No - against a party majority and against the House
One of 57 Conservative No votes vs 65 Conservative Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 328 Noes - 65
15 Jul 2019 - High Speed Rail (West Midlands - Crewe) Bill - View Vote Context
Adam Holloway voted No - against a party majority and against the House
One of 11 Conservative No votes vs 210 Conservative Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 263 Noes - 17
9 Jul 2019 - Northern Ireland (Executive Formation) Bill - View Vote Context
Adam Holloway voted No - against a party majority and against the House
One of 65 Conservative No votes vs 105 Conservative Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 383 Noes - 73
9 Apr 2019 - Section 1 of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2019 - View Vote Context
Adam Holloway voted No - against a party majority and against the House
One of 97 Conservative No votes vs 131 Conservative Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 420 Noes - 110
8 Apr 2019 - European Union (Withdrawal) (No. 5) Bill - View Vote Context
Adam Holloway voted No - against a party majority and against the House
One of 71 Conservative No votes vs 118 Conservative Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 396 Noes - 83
8 Apr 2019 - European Union (Withdrawal) (No. 5) Bill - View Vote Context
Adam Holloway voted Aye - against a party majority and against the House
One of 74 Conservative Aye votes vs 112 Conservative No votes
Tally: Ayes - 85 Noes - 392
8 Apr 2019 - European Union (Withdrawal) (No. 5) Bill - View Vote Context
Adam Holloway voted No - against a party majority and against the House
One of 71 Conservative No votes vs 114 Conservative Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 390 Noes - 81
3 Apr 2019 - European Union (Withdrawal) (No. 5) Bill - View Vote Context
Adam Holloway voted No - against a party majority and in line with the House
One of 91 Conservative No votes vs 212 Conservative Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 220 Noes - 400
3 Apr 2019 - European Union (Withdrawal) (No. 5) Bill - View Vote Context
Adam Holloway voted Aye - against a party majority and against the House
One of 110 Conservative Aye votes vs 190 Conservative No votes
Tally: Ayes - 123 Noes - 488
3 Apr 2019 - European Union (Withdrawal) (No. 5) Bill - View Vote Context
Adam Holloway voted Aye - against a party majority and against the House
One of 95 Conservative Aye votes vs 203 Conservative No votes
Tally: Ayes - 105 Noes - 509
29 Mar 2019 - United Kingdom’s Withdrawal from the European Union - View Vote Context
Adam Holloway voted No - against a party majority and in line with the House
One of 34 Conservative No votes vs 277 Conservative Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 286 Noes - 344
27 Mar 2019 - EU Exit Day Amendment - View Vote Context
Adam Holloway voted No - against a party majority and against the House
One of 93 Conservative No votes vs 150 Conservative Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 441 Noes - 105
12 Mar 2019 - European Union (Withdrawal) Act - View Vote Context
Adam Holloway voted No - against a party majority and in line with the House
One of 75 Conservative No votes vs 235 Conservative Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 242 Noes - 391
15 Jan 2019 - European Union (Withdrawal) Act - View Vote Context
Adam Holloway voted No - against a party majority and in line with the House
One of 118 Conservative No votes vs 196 Conservative Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 202 Noes - 432
30 Jan 2018 - High Speed Rail (West Midlands - Crewe) Bill - View Vote Context
Adam Holloway voted No - against a party majority and against the House
One of 6 Conservative No votes vs 267 Conservative Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 295 Noes - 12
23 Mar 2016 - High Speed Rail (London – West Midlands) Bill - View Vote Context
Adam Holloway voted No - against a party majority and against the House
One of 21 Conservative No votes vs 238 Conservative Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 399 Noes - 42
8 Dec 2015 - Serious and Organised Crime: Prüm Convention - View Vote Context
Adam Holloway voted Aye - against a party majority and against the House
One of 22 Conservative Aye votes vs 264 Conservative No votes
Tally: Ayes - 26 Noes - 503
7 Sep 2015 - European Union Referendum Bill - View Vote Context
Adam Holloway voted No - against a party majority and in line with the House
One of 37 Conservative No votes vs 276 Conservative Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 285 Noes - 312
26 Mar 2015 - Elections for Positions in the House - View Vote Context
Adam Holloway voted No - against a party majority and in line with the House
One of 23 Conservative No votes vs 198 Conservative Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 202 Noes - 228
9 Mar 2015 - Consumer Rights Bill - View Vote Context
Adam Holloway voted No - against a party majority and against the House
One of 4 Conservative No votes vs 227 Conservative Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 353 Noes - 5
26 Sep 2014 - Iraq: Coalition Against ISIL - View Vote Context
Adam Holloway voted No - against a party majority and against the House
One of 6 Conservative No votes vs 274 Conservative Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 524 Noes - 43
12 Sep 2014 - International Development (Official Development Assistance Target) Bill - View Vote Context
Adam Holloway voted No - against a party majority and against the House
One of 7 Conservative No votes vs 60 Conservative Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 166 Noes - 7
12 Sep 2014 - International Development (Official Development Assistance Target) Bill - View Vote Context
Adam Holloway voted No - against a party majority and against the House
One of 6 Conservative No votes vs 58 Conservative Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 164 Noes - 6
5 Mar 2014 - Judgments - View Vote Context
Adam Holloway voted No - against a party majority and against the House
One of 83 Conservative No votes vs 123 Conservative Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 360 Noes - 104
5 Mar 2014 - Registration of Births, deaths and marriages etc - View Vote Context
Adam Holloway voted No - against a party majority and against the House
One of 81 Conservative No votes vs 124 Conservative Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 363 Noes - 100
5 Mar 2014 - Registration of births, deaths and marriages etc - View Vote Context
Adam Holloway voted No - against a party majority and against the House
One of 83 Conservative No votes vs 123 Conservative Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 366 Noes - 103
5 Mar 2014 - Marriage - View Vote Context
Adam Holloway voted No - against a party majority and against the House
One of 81 Conservative No votes vs 126 Conservative Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 367 Noes - 100
5 Mar 2014 - Marriage - View Vote Context
Adam Holloway voted No - against a party majority and against the House
One of 84 Conservative No votes vs 123 Conservative Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 365 Noes - 103
5 Mar 2014 - Marriage - View Vote Context
Adam Holloway voted No - against a party majority and against the House
One of 79 Conservative No votes vs 126 Conservative Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 368 Noes - 98
27 Jan 2014 - European Union (Approvals) Bill [Lords] - View Vote Context
Adam Holloway voted Aye - against a party majority and against the House
One of 31 Conservative Aye votes vs 202 Conservative No votes
Tally: Ayes - 37 Noes - 243
22 Nov 2013 - European Union (Referendum) Bill - View Vote Context
Adam Holloway voted Aye - against a party majority and against the House
One of 14 Conservative Aye votes vs 244 Conservative No votes
Tally: Ayes - 15 Noes - 249
30 Oct 2013 - enterprise - View Vote Context
Adam Holloway voted No - against a party majority and against the House
One of 16 Conservative No votes vs 218 Conservative Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 290 Noes - 22
29 Aug 2013 - Syria and the Use of Chemical Weapons - View Vote Context
Adam Holloway voted No - against a party majority and in line with the House
One of 31 Conservative No votes vs 240 Conservative Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 272 Noes - 285
26 Jun 2013 - High Speed Rail (Preparation) Bill - View Vote Context
Adam Holloway voted Aye - against a party majority and against the House
One of 20 Conservative Aye votes vs 197 Conservative No votes
Tally: Ayes - 37 Noes - 325
26 Jun 2013 - High Speed Rail (Preparation) Bill - View Vote Context
Adam Holloway voted No - against a party majority and against the House
One of 16 Conservative No votes vs 199 Conservative Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 330 Noes - 27
31 Oct 2012 - Multiannual Financial Framework - View Vote Context
Adam Holloway voted Aye - against a party majority and in line with the House
One of 51 Conservative Aye votes vs 235 Conservative No votes
Tally: Ayes - 307 Noes - 294
10 Jul 2012 - House of Lords Reform Bill - View Vote Context
Adam Holloway voted No - against a party majority and against the House
One of 89 Conservative No votes vs 192 Conservative Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 462 Noes - 124
24 Oct 2011 - National Referendum on the European Union - View Vote Context
Adam Holloway voted Aye - against a party majority and against the House
One of 81 Conservative Aye votes vs 209 Conservative No votes
Tally: Ayes - 111 Noes - 483
1 Apr 2009 - Nick Cousins - View Vote Context
Adam Holloway voted No - against a party majority and against the House
One of 20 Conservative No votes vs 79 Conservative Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 362 Noes - 21
29 Oct 2008 - Canterbury City Council Bill (By Order) - View Vote Context
Adam Holloway voted No - against a party majority and against the House
One of 9 Conservative No votes vs 19 Conservative Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 159 Noes - 12
10 Jun 2008 - Counter-Terrorism Bill - View Vote Context
Adam Holloway voted No - against a party majority and in line with the House
One of 12 Conservative No votes vs 181 Conservative Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 269 Noes - 331
20 May 2008 - Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill [Lords] - View Vote Context
Adam Holloway voted Aye - against a party majority and against the House
One of 40 Conservative Aye votes vs 70 Conservative No votes
Tally: Ayes - 71 Noes - 393
20 May 2008 - Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill [Lords] - View Vote Context
Adam Holloway voted Aye - against a party majority and against the House
One of 50 Conservative Aye votes vs 67 Conservative No votes
Tally: Ayes - 84 Noes - 387
27 Apr 2021 - Delegated Legislation - View Vote Context
Adam Holloway voted No - against a party majority and against the House
One of 77 Conservative No votes vs 222 Conservative Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 431 Noes - 89
14 Dec 2021 - Public Health - View Vote Context
Adam Holloway voted No - against a party majority and against the House
One of 97 Conservative No votes vs 224 Conservative Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 369 Noes - 126
22 Jun 2022 - Health and Personal Social Services - View Vote Context
Adam Holloway voted No - against a party majority and against the House
One of 61 Conservative No votes vs 106 Conservative Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 215 Noes - 70
22 Mar 2023 - Northern Ireland - View Vote Context
Adam Holloway voted No - against a party majority and against the House
One of 22 Conservative No votes vs 281 Conservative Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 515 Noes - 29
19 Jun 2023 - Privilege: Conduct of Right Hon. Boris Johnson - View Vote Context
Adam Holloway voted No - against a party majority and against the House
One of 6 Conservative No votes vs 118 Conservative Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 354 Noes - 7
12 Sep 2023 - Dangerous Drugs - View Vote Context
Adam Holloway voted No - against a party majority and against the House
One of 2 Conservative No votes vs 268 Conservative Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 404 Noes - 36
4 Dec 2023 - Business without Debate - View Vote Context
Adam Holloway voted No - against a party majority and against the House
One of 26 Conservative No votes vs 217 Conservative Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 381 Noes - 37
4 Dec 2023 - Victims and Prisoners Bill - View Vote Context
Adam Holloway voted Aye - against a party majority and in line with the House
One of 22 Conservative Aye votes vs 238 Conservative No votes
Tally: Ayes - 246 Noes - 242
16 Jan 2024 - Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill - View Vote Context
Adam Holloway voted Aye - against a party majority and against the House
One of 57 Conservative Aye votes vs 262 Conservative No votes
Tally: Ayes - 58 Noes - 525
16 Jan 2024 - Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill - View Vote Context
Adam Holloway voted Aye - against a party majority and against the House
One of 58 Conservative Aye votes vs 262 Conservative No votes
Tally: Ayes - 68 Noes - 529
17 Jan 2024 - Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill - View Vote Context
Adam Holloway voted Aye - against a party majority and against the House
One of 59 Conservative Aye votes vs 266 Conservative No votes
Tally: Ayes - 65 Noes - 536
16 Apr 2024 - Tobacco and Vapes Bill - View Vote Context
Adam Holloway voted No - against a party majority and against the House
One of 58 Conservative No votes vs 179 Conservative Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 383 Noes - 67
21 May 2024 - High Speed Rail (Crewe - Manchester) Bill (Instruction) (No. 3) - View Vote Context
Adam Holloway voted No - against a party majority and against the House
One of 5 Conservative No votes vs 222 Conservative Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 323 Noes - 7
View All Adam Holloway Division Votes

All Debates

Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.

Sparring Partners
Gareth Johnson (Conservative)
(12 debate interactions)
Stephen Metcalfe (Conservative)
(12 debate interactions)
Laura Smith (Labour)
(9 debate interactions)
View All Sparring Partners
Department Debates
Department for Transport
(54 debate contributions)
Cabinet Office
(42 debate contributions)
Home Office
(36 debate contributions)
View All Department Debates
View all Adam Holloway's debates

Latest EDMs signed by Adam Holloway

24th January 2023
Adam Holloway signed this EDM on Friday 3rd February 2023

Ryan Cornelius and the UAE

Tabled by: Peter Bottomley (Conservative - Worthing West)
This House notes with concern that Ryan Cornelius, a British citizen, remains imprisoned in the United Arab Emirates, notwithstanding a finding by the United Nations that he has been arbitrarily detained, and notwithstanding a finding by the United Nations that Mr Cornelius should be immediately released and provided with compensation …
30 signatures
(Most recent: 26 Oct 2023)
Signatures by party:
Liberal Democrat: 10
Independent: 5
Conservative: 3
Plaid Cymru: 3
Scottish National Party: 3
Labour: 3
Democratic Unionist Party: 2
Green Party: 1
12th May 2022
Adam Holloway signed this EDM as a sponsor on Monday 16th May 2022

Arrests in Hong Kong

Tabled by: Edward Leigh (Conservative - Gainsborough)
That this House notes with concern reports that His Eminence Joseph Cardinal Zen, Bishop Emeritus of Hong Kong, aged 90, has been arrested in Hong Kong on charges relating to breaches of China's National Security Law; further notes reports that alongside Cardinal Zen, Cantopop singer and actor Denise Ho, former …
30 signatures
(Most recent: 19 Jun 2023)
Signatures by party:
Scottish National Party: 17
Labour: 4
Conservative: 3
Democratic Unionist Party: 2
Independent: 2
Green Party: 1
Alba Party: 1
View All Adam Holloway's signed Early Day Motions

Commons initiatives

These initiatives were driven by Adam Holloway, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.

MPs who are act as Ministers or Shadow Ministers are generally restricted from performing Commons initiatives other than Urgent Questions.


Adam Holloway has not been granted any Urgent Questions

4 Adjournment Debates led by Adam Holloway

Thursday 27th April 2023
Thursday 24th March 2022
Tuesday 28th November 2017
Monday 14th November 2016

Adam Holloway has not introduced any legislation before Parliament

Adam Holloway has not co-sponsored any Bills in the current parliamentary sitting


Latest 50 Written Questions

(View all written questions)
Written Questions can be tabled by MPs and Lords to request specific information information on the work, policy and activities of a Government Department
4 Other Department Questions
14th Jun 2021
To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, when the appointment of an Assessor to enquire into complaints made against the Royal Peculiar of Westminster Abbey by the congregation of St Margaret's Church will be made.

As a Royal Peculiar, Westminster Abbey does not come under the responsibilities of the Church Commissioners. Accordingly, the most appropriate person to deal with this enquiry is Mr Richard Tilbrook, the Prime Minister's Appointments Secretary at the Cabinet Office.

Andrew Selous
Second Church Estates Commissioner
7th Jan 2019
To ask the Right Honourable Member for Meriden, representing the Church Commissioners, what duty does (a) the Church of England and (b) cathedrals and abbeys have to cathedral choristers with long-term medical conditions under disability discrimination legislation; and if she will make a statement.

The Church of England comprises a large number of legally separate institutions, which includes Cathedrals, Parochial Church Councils and Diocesan Boards of Finance. Each Cathedral, as an independent legal entity, is required to comply with the Equality Act 2010 (the “Act”) and so has a duty to make reasonable adjustments for disabled persons in accordance with the requirements of the Act. This duty applies in relation to a Cathedral chorister who has a disability for the purposes the Act (whether or not the disability is due to a long-term medical condition). However, there is no separate legal duty placed on cathedrals in relation to child choristers as a specific group.

A cathedral has a duty to make reasonable adjustments to enable all persons with a disability to have physical access to the cathedral. As the Act does not override other legislation, such as listed building or planning legislation, the Church of England’s Cathedral and Church Buildings Division has produced a guidance note for cathedrals which specifically addresses this issue: http://www.churchcare.co.uk/images/access_and_disabled_people.pdF. Common reasonable adjustments made by cathedrals include the removal of pews to allow greater flexibility of seating and use of space and the addition of ramps and/or the levelling of internal floors.

The duty to make reasonable adjustments under the Act rests with individual cathedrals. What constitutes reasonable adjustment in the situation of choristers will depend on the nature of the particular disability and what may be considered to be reasonable in the circumstances. I understand that several cathedrals have successfully integrated choristers with disabilities into their choirs.

7th Jan 2019
To ask the Right Honourable Member for Meriden, representing the Church Commissioners, how many cathedrals and abbeys (a) do and (b) do not appoint a head chorister.

The operation and governance of cathedral choirs is not a matter for the Church Commissioners and no data on this is held centrally.

In Rochester Cathedral which is nearest to the Hon. Member’s constituency the cathedral has appointed Dean’s Choristers (two boys and two girls) to share the responsibility, the rationale for which is to enable a larger number of choristers to gain leadership experience. This is also the case at some but not all other cathedrals.

3rd Dec 2014
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, pursuant to the Answer of 13 October 2014 to Question 209041, what assessment she has made of the implications of the findings of the final report on estimating the extent of caste-based discrimination in the UK on the timescale for the publication of a consultation on caste discrimination.

We are currently considering the form and timing of the public consultation in the light of ongoing caste discrimination litigation in the Employment Appeal Tribunal. We will await the outcome of the judgment before deciding in what form to issue the public consultation.

2nd Nov 2020
To ask the Attorney General, how many prosecutions there have been of British citizens who returned to the UK from north-eastern Syria since March 2019.

The CPS has a strong record of bringing successful prosecutions in terrorism cases and works extremely closely with Counter Terrorism policing and partners to help build strong cases.

The CPS does not collate or publish data on categories of offender such as British citizens who have returned to the UK. However, latest figures from the Home Office for all types of terrorism cases show that in the year ending 30 June 2020, 49 persons were tried for terrorism-related offences, resulting in 45 convictions.

18th Apr 2018
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will ask the Office of National Statistics to undertake a National Population Projection on the effect of the UK leaving the EU.

The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.

8th Sep 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what estimate her Department had made of the cost of (a) implementing and (b) running the Pioneer programme prior to the Government securing an agreement to join Horizon Europe.

As set out in the Pioneer Prospectus published April 2023, the government would have committed up to £14.6billion to implement and run the Pioneer Programme until 2027/28. This was part of a wider package of contingency measures the government developed in the event that the UK had been unable to associate to Horizon Europe and Copernicus.

8th Sep 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if she will publish a value for money assessment of the UK's participation in the Horizon Europe programme; and if she will make a statement.

The Government will not publish a value for money assessment. The Government has negotiated a bespoke deal in the UK’s national interest.

The Secretary of State made a statement to the House of Commons on 7 September 2023 and set out why the bespoke deal negotiated by the Government was the best outcome for the UK research and innovation sector.

8th Sep 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps she is taking to ensure that the UK's participation in the Horizon scheme cannot be (a) suspended and (b) terminated by the EU.

On 7th September the Prime Minister announced a new UK- EU agreement on the UK’s association to Horizon Europe and Copernicus. This is a landmark moment for scientific and space collaboration between the EU and the UK. Horizon Europe strengthens UK science and boosts economic growth. The Government has negotiated a bespoke deal in the UK’s national interest.

This agreement secures UK association to Horizon Europe and Copernicus through to 2027 when these programmes finish. The agreement will now be adopted by both sides, confirming the UK’s association to these two programmes as well as binding both parties to the terms of this deal.

8th Sep 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps she is taking to ensure the Horizon Scheme aligns with the UK’s priorities.

On 7th September the Prime Minister announced a new UK- EU agreement on the UK’s association to Horizon Europe and Copernicus. This is a landmark moment for scientific and space collaboration between the EU and the UK. Horizon Europe strengthens UK science and boosts economic growth. The Government has negotiated a bespoke deal in the UK’s national interest.

This agreement secures UK association to Horizon Europe and Copernicus through to 2027 when these programmes finish. The agreement will now be adopted by both sides, confirming the UK’s association to these two programmes as well as binding both parties to the terms of this deal.

4th Jan 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether his Department has undertaken any research on the potential impact on sales of British made goods of mandating country of origin information on goods sold in the UK.

Aside from certain specified products such as food there is no requirement for goods to be labelled with their country of origin.

Under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008, traders are banned from using misleading statements about the geographical or commercial origin of products including in response to requests for information by consumers.

4th Jan 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of mandating country of origin information on goods sold in the UK.

Aside from certain specified products such as food there is no requirement for goods to be labelled with their country of origin.

Under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008, traders are banned from using misleading statements about the geographical or commercial origin of products including in response to requests for information by consumers.

19th Mar 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether weddings will be restricted to places of worship, public buildings and outdoor settings that are already open at Steps 2 and 3 of the Roadmap.

At Step 2, which will be no earlier than 12 April, weddings and civil partnership ceremonies are permitted for up to 15 people in COVID-19 Secure venues that are permitted to open or where a broader exemption applies. Receptions can take place with up to 15 people in the form of a sit-down meal and in any COVID-19 Secure outdoor venue that is permitted to open. Such receptions must not take place in people’s private gardens or public outdoor spaces.

At Step 3, which will be no earlier than 17 May, weddings and civil partnership ceremonies are permitted for up to 30 people in COVID-19 Secure venues that are permitted to open. Receptions can also proceed with up to 30 people in a COVID-19 Secure indoor venue, or outdoors.

Further information on the venues where weddings and civil partnership ceremonies may take place can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-guidance-for-small-marriages-and-civil-partnerships/covid-19-guidance-for-small-marriages-and-civil-partnerships.

18th Oct 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will take steps to encourage the BBC to publish the 2004 Balen Report.

The BBC is editorially and operationally independent from the Government, and this is an issue for the BBC.

John Whittingdale
Shadow Minister (Health and Social Care)
10th Dec 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether funding from the Cultural Capital Fund will be allocated to Gravesham.

As of Friday 11 December, £1bn has been allocated from the Culture Recovery Fund so far. Within that Gravesham have received the following to date:

  • Arts Council England recovery grant of £108,635 to Nocturnal Touring and Rooting Productions

  • Heritage Stimulus Fund award of £97,928 to Church of England, Northfleet, St Botolph

1st Feb 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans his Department has to assess external students for 2021 public examinations, including students sitting resits, in the event that they are studying independently with no oversight from teachers.

In light of the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak, the Government considers that exams cannot be held in a way which is fair. We have therefore announced that GCSE, AS and A level exams will not go ahead this summer as planned.

My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, has asked the Chief Regulator at Ofqual to find a clear and accessible route for private candidates, and those not in school this year, to be assessed and receive a grade. To ensure our approach is developed with the sector, the Department and Ofqual have now concluded a 2-week consultation on how to fairly award all pupils a grade that supports them to progress to the next stage of their lives, including consulting specifically on four different approaches for private candidates to receive a grade.

The Department has consulted on the following options: for private candidates to complete the papers set by the exam boards for use in schools and colleges, for private candidates to work with a school or college willing to assess the standard at which they are performing, using the same type of evidence the school and college is considering for its students, and for the exam boards to run normal exams for private candidates to take in the summer or autumn of 2021.

​We are working at pace to provide further clarity to the sector and will publish the results of the consultation by the end of February.

The Department and Ofqual have strongly encouraged all our stakeholders, including private candidates and their parents, to respond to the consultation. The Department will continue to engage with a range of relevant stakeholders when developing plans for our policy on GCSE, AS and A level assessments in 2021, as will the exams regulator Ofqual.

10th Dec 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what progress has been made on the IOT Wave 2 competition; and for which areas applications were submitted.

The Institutes of Technology Wave 2 competition was launched on 8 October 2020. It is open to parts of the country without an Institute of Technology. Applicants had until 14 December to submit their proposals. We expect to conclude Stage 1 of the Competition in Spring 2021 and shortly thereafter launch Stage 2. We are aiming to announce successful proposals in Summer 2021.

9th Dec 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether in-person one-on-one tuition in a residential setting with appropriate personal protective equipment is permitted in an area with Tier 3 covid-19 restrictions for pupils with additional needs for whom online lessons are not possible.

One-to-one tuition for children that is not provided by a school, such as a private tutor working in a residential setting (i.e. their own home, or their pupils’ homes), would typically be considered to be an out-of-school setting.

As of 2 December 2020, out-of-school settings, including providers of one-on-one tuition, have been able to open for both indoor and outdoor provision in all local restriction tiers, for all children, including those with additional needs. We have updated our guidance for providers of after-school and holiday clubs and other out-of-school settings on the measures they should put in place to ensure they are operating as safely as possible: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/protective-measures-for-holiday-or-after-school-clubs-and-other-out-of-school-settings-for-children-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak/protective-measures-for-out-of-school-settings-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak#educational-visits-and-trips. Providers offering one-to-one tuition should ensure they are implementing these protective measures to reduce the risk of infection and transmission of the virus. Additionally, if a private tutor normally offers provision in their own home, or pupils’ homes, they should also follow the guidance on?working safely in other people’s homes during the COVID-19 outbreak: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/working-safely-during-coronavirus-covid-19/homes.

17th Nov 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether he plans to reimburse schools for covid-19 related expenditure in the 2020-21 academic year.

Getting all children and young people back into school for the new academic year has been a national priority. To support schools with this they have continued to receive their core funding allocations throughout the COVID-19 outbreak. Following last year’s Spending Round, school budgets are rising by £2.6 billion in 2020-21, £4.8 billion in 2021-22 and £7.1 billion in 2022-23, compared to 2019-20. On average, schools are attracting 4.2% more per pupil in 2020-21 compared to 2019-20. As stated in our guidance, schools should use these existing resources when making arrangements for this term: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak/guidance-for-full-opening-schools.

The Department is aware that all pupils, regardless of their background, have been affected by the COVID-19 outbreak. We are providing schools with the resources and tools to address lost education so that all pupils may make up lost ground. Our £1 billion COVID-19 catch-up package is providing additional funding in the 2020/21 academic year so that schools can support pupils who have been negatively affected by the COVID-19 outbreak: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/billion-pound-covid-catch-up-plan-to-tackle-impact-of-lost-teaching-time.

16th Nov 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether the Government plans to produce before the end of the autumn 2020 term transparent and standard contingency assessment plans and processes for GCSEs and A levels in the event that the 2021 examinations may not be safely or fairly held.

Examinations and assessments are the best and fairest way of judging pupils’ performance. My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State has confirmed that next year’s GCSE, AS level, and A level examination series will go ahead.

The Department is working with Ofqual and engaging widely with the education sector to identify any risks to examinations at a national, local, and individual student level, and to consider measures needed to address any potential disruption. For example, if a pupil is unable to sit examinations due to illness or self isolation, or if schools are affected by a local outbreak during the examination season resulting in examination centres not being able to open. Further details will be published later in the autumn.

6th Nov 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether during the November 2020 covid-19 lockdown academic tutors are permitted to teach their pupils in the pupil's home on a one to one basis, where the (a) age, (b) special educational needs of the child or (c) other factors mean that online lessons are not possible.

As outlined in the guidance for education and childcare settings on New National Restrictions from 5 November 2020, out-of-school activities such as private tuition may continue to operate during the period of national restrictions. The guidance is available here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/education-and-childcare-settings-new-national-restrictions-from-5-november-2020#ooss. Providers of these activities, regardless of the age of the children they are caring for, should ensure they are only being accessed for face-to-face provision by parents if their primary purpose is registered childcare, or where they are providing other activities for children, where it is reasonably necessary to enable parents to work or search for work, or to undertake training or education.

Out-of-school activities that are primarily used by home educating parents as part of their arrangements for their child to receive a suitable full-time education (which could include, for example, academic tutors) may also continue to operate face-to-face for the duration of the national restrictions.

Where a child has special educational needs or disabilities or there are other factors which mean that online lessons are not reasonably possible, providers are permitted to offer face-to-face provision in pupils’ homes, where it is necessary for them to continue to work.

Tutors that continue to operate face-to-face during this period should continue to undertake risk assessments and implement the system of controls set out in the guidance regarding protective measures for holiday clubs and after-school clubs, and other out-of-school clubs for children during the COVID-19 outbreak. The guidance is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/protective-measures-for-holiday-or-after-school-clubs-and-other-out-of-school-settings-for-children-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak/protective-measures-for-out-of-school-settings-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak. Providers operating out of other people’s homes should also implement the guidance on working safely in other people’s homes, available at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/working-safely-during-coronavirus-covid-19/homes.

All other out of school activities, not being primarily used by parents for these purposes and that can offer remote education, should close for face-to-face provision for the duration of the national restrictions. This will minimise the amount of mixing between different groups of people and therefore reduce the risk of infection and transmission of COVID-19.

22nd Jul 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether his Department has made an assessment of the adequacy of wholly paper-based tuition in meeting the (a) education and (b) emotional needs of pupils during the covid-19 outbreak.

As part of national social distancing measures to limit the spread of COVID-19, we had to limit the numbers of children and young people attending schools, colleges, and nurseries. That is why, between 20 March and 1 June, education and childcare settings were open only to priority groups.

During the period of partial school closures, schools did a huge amount to deliver remote education to pupils remaining at home. The Department has supported sector-led initiatives such as Oak National Academy, a new organisation created by 40 teachers from schools across England. The Department has made £4.84 million available for Oak National Academy both for the summer term of the academic year 2019-20, and then for the 2020-21 academic year to provide video lessons for reception up to year 11. This will include specialist content for pupils with special educational needs and disability. The Oak National Academy will remain a free optional resource for 2020-21, as remote education may need to be an essential component in the delivery of the school curriculum for some pupils alongside classroom teaching, or in the case of a local lockdown. The Department is currently considering approaches to evaluating the Oak National Academy's effectiveness.

The Department published a comprehensive range of advice and guidance to support schools, including a list of high-quality online resources, which was assessed with support from some of the country’s leading educational experts. The guidance also included examples of how schools can support pupils without internet access by, for example, providing physical work packs, which can be seen here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/remote-education-practice-for-schools-during-coronavirus-covid-19, and here: https://www.gov.uk/government/case-studies/providing-physical-work-packs-for-pupils-with-limited-or-no-internet-connection.

In addition to the departmental guidance and the work ofthe Oak National Academy, the BBC developed resources for families as part of a comprehensive new education package. This service was available during the period of partial school closures on television, BBC iPlayer and online at BBC Bitesize. Pupils without internet access were able to access the BBC’s education content via the red button.

In June, the Government announced a £1 billon support package to ensure that schools can help all children and young people make up for the lost teaching time. The package consists of two elements: a universal catch up premium for schools of £650 million to help make up for lost teaching time, and a new £350 million National Tutoring Programme for disadvantaged pupils and students.

The Department has already invested over £100 million to support remote education, including the delivery of over 220,000 laptops and tablets for disadvantaged children who would not otherwise have access. We are now supplementing this support by making available additional devices in the event face-to-face schooling is disrupted as a result of COVID-19 outbreaks or local lockdowns, and children become reliant on remote education.

22nd Jul 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of education provided to school pupils during the period of school closures during the covid-19 outbreak.

As part of national social distancing measures to limit the spread of COVID-19, we had to limit the numbers of children and young people attending schools, colleges, and nurseries. That is why, between 20 March and 1 June, education and childcare settings were open only to priority groups.

During the period of partial school closures, schools did a huge amount to deliver remote education to pupils remaining at home. The Department has supported sector-led initiatives such as Oak National Academy, a new organisation created by 40 teachers from schools across England. The Department has made £4.84 million available for Oak National Academy both for the summer term of the academic year 2019-20, and then for the 2020-21 academic year to provide video lessons for reception up to year 11. This will include specialist content for pupils with special educational needs and disability. The Oak National Academy will remain a free optional resource for 2020-21, as remote education may need to be an essential component in the delivery of the school curriculum for some pupils alongside classroom teaching, or in the case of a local lockdown. The Department is currently considering approaches to evaluating the Oak National Academy's effectiveness.

The Department published a comprehensive range of advice and guidance to support schools, including a list of high-quality online resources, which was assessed with support from some of the country’s leading educational experts. The guidance also included examples of how schools can support pupils without internet access by, for example, providing physical work packs, which can be seen here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/remote-education-practice-for-schools-during-coronavirus-covid-19, and here: https://www.gov.uk/government/case-studies/providing-physical-work-packs-for-pupils-with-limited-or-no-internet-connection.

In addition to the departmental guidance and the work ofthe Oak National Academy, the BBC developed resources for families as part of a comprehensive new education package. This service was available during the period of partial school closures on television, BBC iPlayer and online at BBC Bitesize. Pupils without internet access were able to access the BBC’s education content via the red button.

In June, the Government announced a £1 billon support package to ensure that schools can help all children and young people make up for the lost teaching time. The package consists of two elements: a universal catch up premium for schools of £650 million to help make up for lost teaching time, and a new £350 million National Tutoring Programme for disadvantaged pupils and students.

The Department has already invested over £100 million to support remote education, including the delivery of over 220,000 laptops and tablets for disadvantaged children who would not otherwise have access. We are now supplementing this support by making available additional devices in the event face-to-face schooling is disrupted as a result of COVID-19 outbreaks or local lockdowns, and children become reliant on remote education.

22nd Jul 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment he has made of the quality of education that pupils received (a) online and (b) on paper while schools have been closed during the covid-19 outbreak.

As part of national social distancing measures to limit the spread of COVID-19, we had to limit the numbers of children and young people attending schools, colleges, and nurseries. That is why, between 20 March and 1 June, education and childcare settings were open only to priority groups.

During the period of partial school closures, schools did a huge amount to deliver remote education to pupils remaining at home. The Department has supported sector-led initiatives such as Oak National Academy, a new organisation created by 40 teachers from schools across England. The Department has made £4.84 million available for Oak National Academy both for the summer term of the academic year 2019-20, and then for the 2020-21 academic year to provide video lessons for reception up to year 11. This will include specialist content for pupils with special educational needs and disability. The Oak National Academy will remain a free optional resource for 2020-21, as remote education may need to be an essential component in the delivery of the school curriculum for some pupils alongside classroom teaching, or in the case of a local lockdown. The Department is currently considering approaches to evaluating the Oak National Academy's effectiveness.

The Department published a comprehensive range of advice and guidance to support schools, including a list of high-quality online resources, which was assessed with support from some of the country’s leading educational experts. The guidance also included examples of how schools can support pupils without internet access by, for example, providing physical work packs, which can be seen here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/remote-education-practice-for-schools-during-coronavirus-covid-19, and here: https://www.gov.uk/government/case-studies/providing-physical-work-packs-for-pupils-with-limited-or-no-internet-connection.

In addition to the departmental guidance and the work ofthe Oak National Academy, the BBC developed resources for families as part of a comprehensive new education package. This service was available during the period of partial school closures on television, BBC iPlayer and online at BBC Bitesize. Pupils without internet access were able to access the BBC’s education content via the red button.

In June, the Government announced a £1 billon support package to ensure that schools can help all children and young people make up for the lost teaching time. The package consists of two elements: a universal catch up premium for schools of £650 million to help make up for lost teaching time, and a new £350 million National Tutoring Programme for disadvantaged pupils and students.

The Department has already invested over £100 million to support remote education, including the delivery of over 220,000 laptops and tablets for disadvantaged children who would not otherwise have access. We are now supplementing this support by making available additional devices in the event face-to-face schooling is disrupted as a result of COVID-19 outbreaks or local lockdowns, and children become reliant on remote education.

22nd Jul 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many disadvantaged pupils in Gravesham have been provided with technological support by the Government during the covid-19 outbreak.

The Department for Education has delivered over 200,000 laptops and tablets to children and young people who would not otherwise have access, as part of over £100 million invested to support remote education and access to online social care.

The devices were an injection of support to help local authorities and academy trusts to provide access to education and social care during the COVID-19 lockdown period. Local authorities and trusts were responsible for distributing the devices and are best placed to know which children and young people need access to a device.

Devices are owned by the local authority, trust or school who can loan unused devices to children and young people who need them most, and who may face disruption to face-to-face education in the event of future local COVID-19 restrictions.

As of 27 August, over 220,000 laptops and tablets and over 50,000 4G wireless routers had been delivered to local authorities and academy trusts. This information split by local authorities and trusts can be viewed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/laptops-tablets-and-4g-wireless-routers-progress-data.

This includes 4,000 devices delivered to Kent County Council for children with a social worker, care leavers and disadvantaged year 10 pupils and four devices to Mayfield Grammar in Gravesend.

The Department is now supplementing this support by making available additional devices in the event of face-to-face schooling being disrupted as a result of local COVID-19 restrictions or local lockdowns, and children become reliant on remote education.

This scheme is intended to enable schools to support disadvantaged children in years 3 to 11 who cannot afford their own devices. Schools will also be able to order devices for disadvantaged children across all year groups who are shielding as a result of official advice, all year groups who attend hospital schools and those completing their Key Stage 4 at a further education college.

22nd Jul 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much funding has been allocated to schools in Gravesham for (a) online tuition and (b) teaching materials.

Schools in Gravesham are receiving an extra £5.4 million in 2020-21 through the national funding formula. This is equivalent to an increase of 4.6% in per pupil funding and takes total funding for 2020-21 for schools in Gravesham to over £77.7 million.

Schools in Gravesham will also benefit from the catch-up package to support schools to make up for lost teaching time. This £1 billion package is on top of the £2.6 billion increase this year in school budgets, announced last year as part of a £14 billion three-year funding settlement.

Schools are free to choose how they spend this to support their pupils, including on online tuition and teaching materials, and we trust head teachers to spend their budgets in a way that achieves the best outcomes.

22nd Jul 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department plans to take to reduce the gap in educational provision between state and private schools in Kent after the covid-19 outbreak.

We recognise that all children and young people have had their education disrupted as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak. It is our ambition, shared by schools, to ensure that all pupils have the chance to make up for this lost education - ensuring that everyone can reach their potential in the long term.

We appreciate that this ambition will be challenging for schools to deliver. That is why we are introducing a ‘Catch Up Premium’ worth a total of £650 million. This will be available to all state-funded mainstream and special schools, and alternative provision. Our expectation is that this funding will be spent on supporting children and young people to catch up after a period of disruption to their education. Alongside this universal offer, we have also announced a new £350 million National Tutoring Programme for disadvantaged pupils. This will increase access to high quality tuition for disadvantaged and vulnerable children and young people, helping to accelerate their academic progress and tackling the attainment gap between them and their peers.

To support state schools to provide education online while they were closed to the majority of pupils, the Government committed over £100 million to boost access to remote education. This includes providing laptops and tablets and internet access for those who need it most, ensuring every school that wants it has access to free, expert technical support to get set up on Google for Education or Microsoft’s Office 365 Education, and offering peer support from schools and colleges leading the way with the use of education technology.

The Department also supported sector-led initiatives such as the Oak National Academy. This new enterprise was created by 40 teachers from schools across England and produced at least 180 hours of online lessons per week. There were at least four hours of lessons per day for secondary, and at least three hours for primary. By 12 July, 4.7 million unique users had accessed the Oak National Academy website and 16.1 million lessons had been viewed. Additionally, the BBC developed resources for families as part of a comprehensive new education package, which is now available on TV, BBC iPlayer and online at BBC Bitesize.

22nd Jul 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how Ofsted visits to schools from September 2020 to January 2021 will differ from formal inspections; and what potential effect that will have on Ofsted's ability to (a) target failing schools (b) tackle any inadequacies in remote learning provision.

These are matters for Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Amanda Spielman. I have asked her to write to my hon. Friend directly and a copy of her reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

22nd Jul 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what powers Ofsted will have after undertaking visits to schools in the period September 2020 to January 2021 to enforce standards in remote learning.

These are matters for Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Amanda Spielman. I have asked her to write to my hon. Friend directly and a copy of her reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

1st Dec 2014
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many participants there were in each recent intake of the National Professional Qualification for Headship programme; and what guidance is issued to participants in that programme on conducting their first round of monitoring and evaluating teachers in a new school.

In financial year 2012/13, 1202 participants commenced the NPQH programme. In financial year 2013/14, 1140 participants commenced the NPQH programme.

In the first half of the financial year 2014/15, 550 participants commenced the NPQH programme, there is a second application round opening on 11 December 2014. Further information can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/national-professional-qualification-for-headship-npqh#apply.

NCTL licensed the delivery of leadership development, including the National Professional Qualification for Headteachers to School led consortiums in 2012. The qualifications are developed around a leadership curriculum combining a range of essential and elective modules. All qualifications have a rigorous final assessment process.

There are no specific centrally-generated materials on the NPQH for participants on conducting their first round of monitoring and evaluating teachers in a new school. However the entry assessment process, which is administered by a commissioned provider, contains a leadership competence on “Holding to account”. Both this and the performance management of staff and appraisal are covered generically within the programme.

In addition, the NPQH Essential modules, ‘Leading an effective school’ and ‘Leading and improving teaching’, which are mandatory, include content on teacher quality and standards, monitoring and evaluating teaching and performance management/appraisal. Licensees can enhance the modules by including additional material.

1st Dec 2014
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many (a) full-time and (b) part-time teachers were working in publicly-funded schools at the beginning of the year and not working in schools the following year in the last 12 months for which data is available.

There were 26,850 full-time teachers and 16,190 part-time teachers in service in publicly-funded schools in England in March 2010 who were not similarly employed in March 2011. These figures include teachers who retired between March 2010 and March 2011.


These figures are the latest available. The information is provisional and sourced from the Database of Teacher Records.

The information is published in table C1 from the additional tables in the Statistical First Release ‘School Workforce in England, November 2012’ and is available at the following web link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/school-workforce-in-england-november-2012

1st Dec 2014
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many (a) full-time and (b) part-time teachers working in publicly-funded schools were not working in the same role at the same school 12 months later in the latest period for which figures are available.

The information is not available in the format requested.

Information on teacher retention is currently derived from the Database of Teacher Records (DTR). However, this data source does not provide the information as requested.

1st Dec 2014
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many schools in special measures employed newly-qualified teachers in (a) Gravesham, (b) Kent and (c) England in the last 12 months for which figures are available; and if she will make a statement.

The information is not available in the format requested.

1st Dec 2014
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what guidance her Department gives to secondary schools near grammar schools about setting realistic attainment targets for pupils; and what steps she is taking to reflect this in school performance tables for secondary schools.

The Department does not issue guidance on setting attainment targets for pupils. It is for teachers to use their professional judgement to set pupil targets.

The Department sets floor standards against which schools will be measured in performance tables. From 2016 we are replacing the existing secondary school floor standard, based on the percentage of pupils achieving 5 or more A*- C grades including English and maths, with Progress 8. This is a measure based on the progress a pupil makes from KS2 (age 11) to a group of 8 subjects at the end of KS4 (age 16) compared to pupils with the same starting point.

Progress 8 is a fairer way of measuring school performance as schools will no longer be disadvantaged by having a challenging intake.

1st Dec 2014
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate she has made of the (a) financial cost and (b) cost of the effect on pupils' learning of replacing a teacher who leaves a school.

The Department for Education has not estimated the financial costs of replacing a teacher who leaves a school as teacher recruitment is undertaken directly by schools and local authorities.

Evidence is clear that being taught by a good teacher has a significant impact on how well pupils achieve. We are therefore supporting schools to attract and retain high quality teachers, minimising any disruption to children’s learning. Official statistics show that teacher vacancy rates are declining and retention remains stable, with the majority of new teachers still teaching after five years. Children in England now have the best chance they have ever had of attending a good or outstanding school.

1st Dec 2014
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the number of schools implementing blanket policies against the pay portability of teachers returning after a career break.

Our pay reforms have given schools greater flexibility to develop pay policies that are tailored to their needs. That includes the freedom to pay what they consider to be the appropriate rate for the skills that someone brings and the challenges of the job rather than having to pay a teacher what they had previously been paid at another school. We do not monitor how schools are using their new flexibilities but would expect schools to be actively considering their approach to pay portability within the pay freedoms now available to them.

14th Mar 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has plans to permit the use of more organic treatments for Botrytis and downy mildew by wine producers in the UK; and if the Government will undertake a review of organic farming treatments to enable the UK wine industry to compete effectively with its European counterparts.

Any plant protection product used to control fungal diseases such as Botrytis and downy mildew in crops needs to be authorised before it can be sold or used. Authorisation is granted if strict standards for the protection of people and the environment are met.

The organic regulations have a list of approved plant protection products available for organic farmers to manage pests, disease and weed management at crop production stage. Their use comes under restrictive conditions such as compositional requirements and they can only be used in certain situations. Use of the crop products support organic farmers to produce healthy crops including organic grapes for the UK wine industry.

The Government intends to take advantage of our new post EU Exit freedoms and review the organic regulations. The broad aim of the review will be to improve the clarity and functioning of the regulations and through this, support growth in the organic sector. The review will cover the full organics regulatory regime, soil fertilising products, plant protection products, inputs and processing aids to support organic production. Changes to these regulations will require full consultation and consider the impacts on organic equivalence agreements in place with key trading partners.

21st Sep 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he has taken to coordinate (a) Police and Crime commissioners, (b) the Environment Agency and (c) local police forces to ensure that they are adequately responding to fly-tipping.

Defra is committed to working with partners to stamp out the menace of fly-tipping wherever we can. Our 2018 Resources and Waste Strategy set out our strategic approach to tackling waste crime, including fly-tipping. Our focus is on enabling local action by providing a clear legal framework of rights, responsibilities and powers and setting national standards.

Local authorities and the Environment Agency are encouraged to work in partnership with national and local police bodies in carrying out their enforcement functions against fly-tipping. Defra are working with a wide range of interested parties through the National Fly-Tipping Prevention Group (NFTPG) to raise awareness of fly-tipping and to develop a fly-tipping toolkit. Members of the NFTPG include local authorities, the National Police Chiefs Council and the Environment Agency. The toolkit will support partnership working, intelligence sharing, dealing with fly-tipping associated with unauthorised encampments and the use of technology to report fly-tipping.

In the Environment Bill, we are bringing forward measures to go further, giving agencies and authorities enhanced powers of entry and access to evidence to strengthen their ability to tackle waste crime, and enhancing our ability to track waste and to crack down on rogue operators.

21st Sep 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the details available to farmers on the Sustainable Farming Incentive.

Last November, we published our Agricultural Transition Plan setting out all our future environmental land management schemes, starting with the Sustainable Farming Incentive.

We set out what we intend to achieve by 2028 and how we will help farmers manage the move away from Direct Payments over a seven-year transition period to give everyone time to plan and adjust.

In March of this year, we launched the pilot of the Sustainable Farming Incentive. This was so that we could test, at scale, the future scheme in real-world scenarios, with a wide range of farmers and land managers. Our goal is to collaborate with farmers and land managers to design and deliver a scheme that works best for them.

We are currently undertaking user research and surveys on these pilot applicants with a view to informing and improving the scheme. From this we will learn how farmers and land managers have fared in understanding the information presented to them.

In June, we published a progress update of the Agricultural Transition Plan. Here, we gave further details of the early rollout of the Sustainable Farming Incentive scheme and what it will pay for. We also set out clear guidance on the scheme’s eligibility criteria and how farmers can be rewarded for their environmentally sustainable actions when it opens in 2022.

We will be publishing more information about the Sustainable Farming Incentive in November, including confirmation of the standard payment rates.

21st Sep 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what comparative assessment he has made of the support available to farmers (a) under environmental land management schemes and (b) in the countries with which the Government is pursuing free trade deals.

We are undertaking an assessment of our proposed reforms to the agricultural industry as they are developed, including the impact of our future schemes that reward environmental land management. It is our intention to publish a comprehensive assessment in due course.

The Government also produces and publishes analysis for each new free trade agreement it pursues and is committed to publishing a full impact assessment following the conclusion of negotiations prior to implementation of an agreement.

The OECD publishes an annual agricultural policy monitoring and evaluation report which contains estimates of support to agriculture. One metric of particular interest from that publication is the ‘producer support estimate’ (PSE) as a percentage of receipts. As an example, it shows that for the UK the PSE is approximately 20% of receipts compared with 1% in New Zealand and 2% in Australia.

21st Sep 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of whether the delivery timeline of environmental land management schemes will ensure timely access to new payments for farmers moving on from old payments.

The first Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) pilot agreements will start this year. Then, next year we will start to rollout core elements of the SFI, expanding those elements until we have the full offer available in 2024/2025. Importantly, we are running Countryside Stewardship and the SFI in parallel, and both are open to new and existing scheme agreement holders, though we will not fund the same action twice.

The final round of Countryside Stewardship will open in 2023, with agreements starting on 1 January 2024. We plan to start a phased rollout of the Local Nature Recovery scheme from 2023. We will be launching at least ten Landscape Recovery projects between 2022 and 2024. This makes us confident that the full environmental land management offer will be on tap before the end of the transition period.

21st Sep 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, when she plans to publish the impact assessments of the UK-Australia Free Trade Agreement in Principle.

A full impact assessment will be published following the conclusion of negotiations, prior to scrutiny by Parliament.

13th Jun 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to ease congestion arising from lorry traffic departing Dover.

Recent increase in traffic queues for freight and passenger travel in Kent was caused by a combination of factors. Disruption began because of adverse weather conditions causing delays to sailings from Port of Dover and the situation was significantly exacerbated by the well-documented actions of P&O Ferries which account for over 35% of the market share of Dover. Coupled with the brief cessation of Eurotunnel services due to a breakdown and an increase in passenger and freight traffic, disruption quickly grew in Kent.

The Kent Resilience Forum’s (KRF’s) traffic management and enforcement plans, including activation of Operation Brock on the M20, were put in place in late March to ensure continued flow of vehicles through Kent to ports whilst also trying to maintain local mobility as much as possible. Additional resilience measures were put in place, which had a positive impact on maintaining throughput to the ports and keeping local roads moving.

Over the May half-term and Jubilee Weekend, there was no significant disruption on the Kent strategic road network. Operation Brock has now been deactivated as of 5 June, but the Kent Resilience Forum (KRF) will reconsider deploying it ahead of the start of the school summer holidays.

To further ease congestion in Dover, we are strengthening enforcement against those hauliers deviating from Operation Brock and causing gridlock on local roads, and greater usage of freight parking capacity at Sevington Inland Border Facility and Ashford Truck Stop when Operation Brock is reaching its capacity. These measures will help to keep the M20 open to all vehicles and enable local and passenger traffic to keep flowing throughout Kent.

16th May 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether an assessment has been made of the potential merits of extending the Thameslink service from Ebbsfleet to Essex to help reduce pressure from the Dartford crossing.

Ebbsfleet International is served by Southeastern and HS1, and I can confirm the Department has not assessed, nor has it asked Southeastern to investigate, the feasibility of running services from Ebbsfleet International to Essex.

Thameslink services do not serve Ebbsfleet International at present. This would only be possible with significant investment in infrastructure, as there is no railway currently connecting Ebbsfleet International to the Thameslink route.

Wendy Morton
Shadow Minister (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
10th Apr 2019
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the proposed sale of Tollgate Hotel Watling Street Gravesend Kent DA13 9RA to BP Oil UK Limited, what information his Department holds on proposals to re-market the property for sale as a result of the seven-year delay in BP securing planning on that site.

Highways England entered into a conditional contract with BP for the sale of Tollgate Hotel which was conditional on planning permission being granted for development. The planning applications submitted have been subject to a number of judicial reviews, which has delayed the sale. As a result, Highways England have now agreed with BP to move to an unconditional contract, which means the sale will no longer be dependent on gaining planning permission and Highways England will now be able to progress the sale.

Given that Highways England will be entering into a new unconditional contract with BP for the sale of the property, they have no plans to remarket at this time.

Jesse Norman
Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
10th Apr 2019
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, for what reason the sale of Tollgate Hotel Watling Street Gravesend Kent DA13 9RA to BP Oil UK Limited has been delayed.

Highways England entered into a conditional contract with BP for the sale of Tollgate Hotel that was conditional on planning permission being granted for development. The planning applications submitted have been subject to a number of judicial reviews, which have delayed the sale. As a result, Highways England have now agreed with BP to move to an unconditional contract; this means the sale will no longer be dependent on gaining planning permission, and Highways England will now be able to move forward with the sale.

Given that Highways England will be entering into a new unconditional contract with BP for the sale of the property, they have no plans to remarket it at this time.

Jesse Norman
Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
29th Mar 2018
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the current safeguarding status in relation to Crossrail is of the land at Station house on the south side of Railway street, Northfleet, Kent, Title Number K972486.

The Department for Transport does not hold this information, nor does it manage enquiries about safeguarding along the route. More specific advice can be obtained by emailing a plan of the relevant site to Crossrail Limited at safeguarding@crossrail.co.uk.

The safeguarded route between Abbey Wood and Hoo Junction, including the area around Northfleet, is available on Crossrail Limited’s website at http://www.crossrail.co.uk/route/safeguarding/abbey-wood-to-hoo-junction.

12th Jul 2017
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether an assessment has been made of the potential effect on levels of congestion in Gravesham in the event that the (a) existing or (b) proposed new Lower Thames Crossings are heavily congested.

In developing its proposals for the Lower Thames Crossing, Highways England examined the impact of incidents on the operation of the Strategic Road Network, and the knock-on effects on the local road network.

These assessments will be further refined as the detailed design for the scheme takes shape.

Jesse Norman
Shadow Leader of the House of Commons