Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her Department plans to simplify the application process for the Disability Facilities Grant.

Answered by Rushanara Ali - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Government recognises how important home adaptations are in enabling disabled people to live as independently as possible in a safe and suitable environment. This is why government awarded an £86 million in-year uplift to the DFG for 2024-25, bringing the total funding for 2024-25 to £711 million. Government has also confirmed £711 million for the DFG for 2025-26.

In March 2022 government published guidance for local authorities in England on the effective and efficient delivery of the grant, including best practice in setting out the application process. A link to the guidance can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/disabled-facilities-grant-dfg-delivery-guidance-for-local-authorities-in-england. It is for each local authority to decide its own application processes in line with the legislative requirements, but the guidance makes clear that local authorities should ensure the needs of applicants are at the heart of the grant application process.

Government continues to keep all aspects of the DFG under consideration. As part of this, the suitability of the current £30,000 upper limit is being reviewed. Government is also reviewing the allocations formula for the DFG to ensure the funding is aligned with local needs and will consult on a new approach during 2025. Any changes in policy that require additional funding would be subject to the Spending Review.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of raising the personal tax-free allowance in line with the state pension on public finances.

Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Personal Allowance - the amount an individual can earn before paying tax - will continue to exceed the basic and full new State Pension this tax year. This means pensioners whose sole income is the full new State Pension or basic State Pension without any increments will not pay any income tax.

The previous Government made the decision to freeze the income tax Personal Allowance at its current level of £12,570 until April 2028. This Government is committed to keeping people’s taxes as low as possible while ensuring fiscal responsibility and so, at our first Budget, we decided not to extend the freeze on personal tax thresholds.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate she has made of the potential impact of increases to employer national insurance contributions on the average staffing costs for each nursery.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

It is the government’s ambition that all families have access to high-quality, affordable and flexible early education and care, giving every child the best start in life. This is key to the government’s Plan for Change, which starts with reaching the milestone of a record number of children being ready for school. That also means ensuring the sector is financially sustainable and confident as it continues to deliver entitlements and high-quality early years provision going forward.

That is why, despite tough decisions to get our public finances back on track, the government is continuing to prioritise and invest, supporting early education and childcare providers with the costs they face.

In the 2025/26 financial year alone, the department plans to spend over £8 billion on early years entitlements. We have also announced the largest ever uplift to the early years pupil premium, increasing the rate by over 45% compared to the 2024/25 financial year, equivalent to up to £570 per eligible child per year.

On top of this we are providing further supplementary funding of £75 million for the early years expansion grant to support the sector as they prepare to deliver the final phase of expanded childcare entitlements from September 2025, recognising the significant level of expansion needed and the effort and planning this will require. We are also providing £25 million of funding to support public sector employers with increased national insurance contributions (NICs) through the early years NICs grant.

As we continue to roll out the new entitlements, we will keep the funding process under review to ensure that early years funding is distributed fairly and efficiently.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has had discussions with Cabinet colleagues on the potential merits of exempting nurseries from increases to employers' National Insurance contributions.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

It is the government’s ambition that all families have access to high-quality, affordable and flexible early education and care, giving every child the best start in life. This is key to the government’s Plan for Change, which starts with reaching the milestone of a record number of children being ready for school. That also means ensuring the sector is financially sustainable and confident as it continues to deliver entitlements and high-quality early years provision going forward.

That is why, despite tough decisions to get our public finances back on track, the government is continuing to prioritise and invest, supporting early education and childcare providers with the costs they face.

In the 2025/26 financial year alone, the department plans to spend over £8 billion on early years entitlements. We have also announced the largest ever uplift to the early years pupil premium, increasing the rate by over 45% compared to the 2024/25 financial year, equivalent to up to £570 per eligible child per year.

On top of this we are providing further supplementary funding of £75 million for the early years expansion grant to support the sector as they prepare to deliver the final phase of expanded childcare entitlements from September 2025, recognising the significant level of expansion needed and the effort and planning this will require. We are also providing £25 million of funding to support public sector employers with increased national insurance contributions (NICs) through the early years NICs grant.

As we continue to roll out the new entitlements, we will keep the funding process under review to ensure that early years funding is distributed fairly and efficiently.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of increases in employer national insurance contributions on the number of nurseries.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

It is the government’s ambition that all families have access to high-quality, affordable and flexible early education and care, giving every child the best start in life. This is key to the government’s Plan for Change, which starts with reaching the milestone of a record number of children being ready for school. That also means ensuring the sector is financially sustainable and confident as it continues to deliver entitlements and high-quality early years provision going forward.

That is why, despite tough decisions to get our public finances back on track, the government is continuing to prioritise and invest, supporting early education and childcare providers with the costs they face.

In the 2025/26 financial year alone, the department plans to spend over £8 billion on early years entitlements. We have also announced the largest ever uplift to the early years pupil premium, increasing the rate by over 45% compared to the 2024/25 financial year, equivalent to up to £570 per eligible child per year.

On top of this we are providing further supplementary funding of £75 million for the early years expansion grant to support the sector as they prepare to deliver the final phase of expanded childcare entitlements from September 2025, recognising the significant level of expansion needed and the effort and planning this will require. We are also providing £25 million of funding to support public sector employers with increased national insurance contributions (NICs) through the early years NICs grant.

As we continue to roll out the new entitlements, we will keep the funding process under review to ensure that early years funding is distributed fairly and efficiently.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the funding model for nurseries.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

It is the government’s ambition that all families have access to high-quality, affordable and flexible early education and care, giving every child the best start in life. This is key to the government’s Plan for Change, which starts with reaching the milestone of a record number of children being ready for school. That also means ensuring the sector is financially sustainable and confident as it continues to deliver entitlements and high-quality early years provision going forward.

That is why, despite tough decisions to get our public finances back on track, the government is continuing to prioritise and invest, supporting early education and childcare providers with the costs they face.

In the 2025/26 financial year alone, the department plans to spend over £8 billion on early years entitlements. We have also announced the largest ever uplift to the early years pupil premium, increasing the rate by over 45% compared to the 2024/25 financial year, equivalent to up to £570 per eligible child per year.

On top of this we are providing further supplementary funding of £75 million for the early years expansion grant to support the sector as they prepare to deliver the final phase of expanded childcare entitlements from September 2025, recognising the significant level of expansion needed and the effort and planning this will require. We are also providing £25 million of funding to support public sector employers with increased national insurance contributions (NICs) through the early years NICs grant.

As we continue to roll out the new entitlements, we will keep the funding process under review to ensure that early years funding is distributed fairly and efficiently.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 1 April 2025 to Question 41654 on Trade: Occupied Territories and Western Sahara, whether he has had discussions with the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs on the potential impact of recognising Western Sahara as a part of Morocco on British businesses.

Answered by Douglas Alexander - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)

DBT and FCDO frequently engage on how best to deliver the government’s growth mission, including by supporting UK exports and investment across North Africa.

The Department for Business and Trade’s team in Morocco focusses on the business opportunities which will create the most value for the UK economy. An example of this is the work the Department is doing on infrastructure projects, ahead of Morocco’s co-hosting of the 2030 FIFA World Cup.

The UK continues to support UN-led efforts to reach a just, lasting, and mutually acceptable political solution, based on compromise, which will provide for the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 1 April 2025 to Question 41654 on Trade: Occupied Territories and Western Sahara, if his Department will make an assessment of the impact on British businesses of the UK recognising Western Sahara as a part of Morocco.

Answered by Douglas Alexander - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)

DBT and FCDO frequently engage on how best to deliver the government’s growth mission, including by supporting UK exports and investment across North Africa.

The Department for Business and Trade’s team in Morocco focusses on the business opportunities which will create the most value for the UK economy. An example of this is the work the Department is doing on infrastructure projects, ahead of Morocco’s co-hosting of the 2030 FIFA World Cup.

The UK continues to support UN-led efforts to reach a just, lasting, and mutually acceptable political solution, based on compromise, which will provide for the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara.

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Andy Slaughter (Chair); Pam Cox; Sir Ashley Fox; Warinder Juss;

Found: Slaughter, in the Chair Josh Babarinde Alex Barros-Curtis Pam Cox Linsey Farnsworth Sir Ashley Fox

Found: Ben Obese-Jecty Jim Shannon Sir Desmond Swayne Mary Glindon Rupert Lowe Andrew Rosindell Sir Ashley Fox