Asked by: Anneliese Midgley (Labour - Knowsley)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, when he plans to respond to the Putting Fans First consultation, which closed on 4 April 2025.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The government response to "Putting fans first: consultation on the resale of live events tickets" was published on 19 November. The government response sets out new measures to end the scourge of ticket touting and put fans back at the heart of live events - including a resale price cap which will make it illegal to resell a ticket for more than it was originally purchased for.
A copy of the government response can be found at: Putting fans first: consultation on the resale of live events tickets - GOV.UK.
Asked by: Anneliese Midgley (Labour - Knowsley)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, which schools in surrounding areas Knowsley A-level students are attending.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The 2024/25 Individualised Learner Record and school census data shows that Knowsley students are undertaking A level learning aims at the following schools and colleges:
School/college name | Number of A levels studied by Knowsley learners |
All Saints Catholic High School | 3 |
Archbishop Blanch CofE High School | 31 |
Bellerive FCJ Catholic College | 9 |
Broughton Hall Catholic High School | 65 |
Calderstones School | 10 |
Cardinal Heenan Catholic High School | 72 |
Carmel College | 913 |
Deyes High School | 10 |
Dixons Broadgreen Academy | 8 |
Gateacre School | 20 |
Great Sankey High School | 3 |
Holly Lodge Girls' College | 6 |
Hugh Baird College | 32 |
King David High School | 25 |
Liverpool College | 32 |
Liverpool Life Sciences UTC | 17 |
Maghull High School | 12 |
Maricourt Catholic High School | 16 |
Ormskirk School | 6 |
Rainhill High School | 49 |
Riverside College Halton | 325 |
Southport Education Group | 15 |
St Anselm's College | 3 |
St Edward's College | 112 |
St Francis Xavier's College | 40 |
St Hilda's Church of England High School | 32 |
St John Bosco Arts College | 8 |
St Julie's Catholic High School | 73 |
St Margaret's Church of England Academy | 11 |
St Michael's Church of England High School | 3 |
The Belvedere Academy | 40 |
The Blue Coat School | 89 |
The City of Liverpool College | 90 |
The Studio School Liverpool | 13 |
University of Liverpool Mathematics School | 8 |
Weatherhead High School | 2 |
Winstanley College | 198 |
Wirral Grammar School for Boys | 3 |
Wirral Grammar School for Girls | 3 |
Grand total | 2,419 |
Asked by: Anneliese Midgley (Labour - Knowsley)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of (a) paying Extended Producer Responsibility fees on packaging supplied indirectly to business end users and (b) producers being charged for commercial waste disposal of that packaging on those producers.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
In autumn last year my department published an updated assessment of the impact of introducing the Extended Producer Responsibility for Packaging (pEPR) scheme on packaging producers as a whole, when the regulations were laid in parliament.
We are aware of industry concerns around producers being charged pEPR disposal fees for the management of packaging that is disposed of in commercial streams. At a roundtable with industry chaired by Minister Creagh on 10 June it was agreed to establish an industry led group to develop approaches to remove dual use packaging that is unlikely to end up in household waste stream from obligation. This work is now well advanced, and my department is carefully reviewing proposed approaches and will seek to balance sectoral ambitions against the operational integrity of the scheme. We will continue to engage with industry during this process as we seek to establish a final approach.
Asked by: Anneliese Midgley (Labour - Knowsley)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what support is available to help students in Knowsley access A-levels in other local authority areas.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The department remains committed to ensuring that young people have access to an inclusive and extensive educational offer that adds value and helps them to achieve their long-term career aspirations.
Students from Knowsley can, and do, study A level provision in surrounding local authority areas. For example, Carmel and Riverside Colleges, both graded Ofsted Outstanding, are based in the surrounding boroughs of St Helens and Halton, and both provide subsidised transport for Knowsley students that reside more than 1.5 miles away from the college campuses.
All schools, academies, further education colleges, sixth-form colleges and other institutions that deliver 16 to 19 education are provided with 16 to 19 bursary funding, to deliver financial support to help students who could not otherwise afford to take part in education to overcome specific barriers to participation, including cost travel costs.
Additionally, through devolution, the government has given Mayoral Strategic Authorities the powers to set local transport priorities and ensure services meet residents’ needs, including support for young people’s access to education.
Asked by: Anneliese Midgley (Labour - Knowsley)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made with the the Chancellor of the Exchequer, of the potential merits of allowing unredeemed deposits within the Deposit Return Scheme to be retained by the Deposit Management Organisation to fund (a) infrastructure and (b) consumer engagement.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government is committed to ensuring that the deposit return schemes operate effectively and that VAT is not a barrier on industry or UK DMO. VAT is a decision for HMRC Ministers. Defra continue to work with HMRC and will set out more detail regarding VAT treatment within DRS in due course.
Asked by: Anneliese Midgley (Labour - Knowsley)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help uphold health and safety standards in relation to worker exposure to hazardous substances.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Health and Safety Executive’s (HSE) 10 year strategy Protecting People and Places, sets a clear objective to reduce work-related ill health and to deliver on this. There is also a focus on reducing workplace exposure to hazardous substances.
Hazardous substances are subject to The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (as amended) (COSHH). These regulations require employers to undertake a risk assessment to decide the measures needed to prevent, or where this is not reasonably practicable, adequately control the exposure of their employees to hazardous substances. Once assessed, COSHH requires employers to implement the controls identified.
HSE publishes an Approved Code of Practice and guidance to COSHH and a suite of free web guidance Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) - HSE to help employers assess and control the risks from hazardous substances.
HSE engages widely with industry stakeholders to raise awareness of work-related ill health, commonly addressing exposure to hazardous substances. Inspectors from HSE also routinely tackle exposure to hazardous substances when inspecting workplaces and investigating concerns or incidents. They will take enforcement action where the standards are not met.
Asked by: Anneliese Midgley (Labour - Knowsley)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the Youth Guarantee on economic growth.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Chancellor recently announced that we will offer guaranteed paid work to eligible young people who are unemployed on Universal Credit for over 18 months.
This is because we must turn around one of the worst legacies of the last government: almost a million young people not in education, employment or training.
This forms a key part of the Government’s Youth Guarantee, and further details will be announced at the Budget.
Asked by: Anneliese Midgley (Labour - Knowsley)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment his Department has made of the level of risk of identity theft in connection with the implementation of the Online Safety Act 2023.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Online Safety Act requires providers to protect users’ right to privacy when implementing age assurance. UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act requires data to be processed fairly, lawfully, and transparently. Where Ofcom is concerned that a provider has not complied it may refer the matter to the ICO.
Under the Act, regulated services that are likely to be accessed by children must implement highly effective age assurance to prevent exposure to harmful content. There are cost-effective compliant methods available.
Highly effective age assurance must be robust, and services must take appropriate steps to mitigate against circumvention.
Asked by: Anneliese Midgley (Labour - Knowsley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will bring forward the removal of requirements for same-sex female couples to self-fund intrauterine insemination cycles before becoming eligible for NHS-funded IVF treatment.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government recognises that fertility treatment across the National Health Service in England is subject to variation in access. Work continues between the Department and NHS England to better understand the offer around NHS-funded fertility services including the issue for female same sex couples.
Funding decisions for health services in England are made by integrated care boards (ICBs) and are based on the clinical needs of their populations. We expect ICBs to commission fertility services in line with National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines, which are currently under review and will take into consideration whether the current recommendations for access to fertility guidelines are still appropriate.
In the light of broader pressures on the NHS and on ongoing changes within NHS England we have been looking at achievable ambitions to improve access to fertility services and fairness for all affected couples.
The Government is committed to prioritising women’s health as we build an NHS fit for the future. Through our 10 Year Health Plan, we are delivering our manifesto commitment that never again will women’s health be neglected.
Asked by: Anneliese Midgley (Labour - Knowsley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that all Integrated Care Boards provide equal access to fertility treatments across England.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government recognises that fertility treatment across the National Health Service in England is subject to variation in access. Work continues between the Department and NHS England to better understand the offer around NHS-funded fertility services including the issue for female same sex couples.
Funding decisions for health services in England are made by integrated care boards (ICBs) and are based on the clinical needs of their populations. We expect ICBs to commission fertility services in line with National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines, which are currently under review and will take into consideration whether the current recommendations for access to fertility guidelines are still appropriate.
In the light of broader pressures on the NHS and on ongoing changes within NHS England we have been looking at achievable ambitions to improve access to fertility services and fairness for all affected couples.
The Government is committed to prioritising women’s health as we build an NHS fit for the future. Through our 10 Year Health Plan, we are delivering our manifesto commitment that never again will women’s health be neglected.