Asked by: Beccy Cooper (Labour - Worthing West)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, for what reason the new Supply Teachers and Temporary Staffing framework makes no provision for ensuring that supply teachers can access the teachers’ pension scheme.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The Teachers’ Pensions Regulations currently provide for supply teachers to participate in the teachers’ pension scheme (TPS) where they are employed by a scheme employer. These are local authorities, academies and further education colleges. This includes supply teachers who are recruited by a supply agency but then employed directly, under a contract of employment, by the scheme employer.
Where supply teachers are self-employed or remain employed by a supply agency and their services are provided under a ‘contract for services’, it is not possible for them to participate in the TPS as there is no organisation to undertake the employer role, including remitting contributions to the scheme.
Supply teachers employed by agencies will continue to have access to alternative workplace pensions.
Asked by: Beccy Cooper (Labour - Worthing West)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to improve supply teachers’ access to the teachers’ pension scheme under the new Supply Teachers and Temporary Staffing framework.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The Teachers’ Pensions Regulations currently provide for supply teachers to participate in the teachers’ pension scheme (TPS) where they are employed by a scheme employer. These are local authorities, academies and further education colleges. This includes supply teachers who are recruited by a supply agency but then employed directly, under a contract of employment, by the scheme employer.
Where supply teachers are self-employed or remain employed by a supply agency and their services are provided under a ‘contract for services’, it is not possible for them to participate in the TPS as there is no organisation to undertake the employer role, including remitting contributions to the scheme.
Supply teachers employed by agencies will continue to have access to alternative workplace pensions.
Asked by: Beccy Cooper (Labour - Worthing West)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment has been made of the potential merits of extending VAT exemption on defibrillators to include purchases of units installed in private homes.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government currently provides VAT reliefs to aid the purchase of defibrillators. For example, when an Automated External Defibrillator is purchased with funds provided by a charity and then donated to an eligible body, no VAT is charged. Furthermore, all state schools in England have been fitted with AEDs.
Tax breaks reduce the revenue available for vital public services and must represent value for money for the taxpayer. Exceptions to the standard rate have always been limited and balanced against affordability considerations.
A key consideration for any potential new VAT relief is whether savings would be passed on to the consumer. Evidence suggests that businesses only partially pass on any savings from lower VAT rates.
Asked by: Beccy Cooper (Labour - Worthing West)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking ensure education on gambling harm is provided by organisations independent of the gambling industry; and whether targeted interventions are planned to educate children on gambling harms.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The updated Relationships and sex education (RSE) and health education (RSHE) guidance is clear that children and young people should be taught about the risks associated with gambling, including the accumulation of debt. This guidance can be read in full here:
Content is taught at both primary and secondary education and in reviewing the guidance, the department worked with ‘Gambling With Lives’ as part of the stakeholder engagement process.
Schools have flexibility over how they teach issues and the materials they use, however the guidance is clear that schools should check that external resources are accurate and unbiased.
As part of the statutory gambling levy prevention programme, the Gambling Harms Prevention Grant Fund was launched this month. This may include education programmes and interventions for children and young people, and competing organisations will be required to sign up to demonstrate their commitment to moving towards a new public health approach, independent of industry funding.
Asked by: Beccy Cooper (Labour - Worthing West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to assist British nationals who have overstayed their visas abroad, particularly in countries where the process for obtaining exit permits is complex.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Each country is responsible for their own immigration rules and we cannot interfere in their policies or procedures. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) Travel Advice provides up to date information on the most common entry and exit requirements, with further guidance published here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/support-for-british-nationals-abroad. When appropriate, the FCDO will signpost British nationals to local authorities to help resolve any immigration issues.
Asked by: Beccy Cooper (Labour - Worthing West)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to safeguard children and young people from gambling, including in later life, through the regulation of advertising, marketing and product design.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
There are already a wide variety of measures in place to protect children and young people from being exposed to gambling advertising, marketing and products.
For example, gambling advertising must not be targeted at children, through ensuring that it does not appear in media created for children or for which children make up 25% or more of the audience. In May last year, we introduced a £2 maximum stake limit on online slots for 18-24 year olds, who can be particularly vulnerable to harms associated with high stakes play. We also welcome the commencement of the Premier League’s ban on front-of-shirt sponsorship by gambling firms by the end of the 2025/26 season.
However, we recognise that children and young people’s exposure to gambling is an important issue. We remain committed to strengthening measures to protect those at risk of gambling harm and will continue to work with industry and gambling harm campaigners. We will also redouble our efforts to work across government and with tech platforms to address illegal gambling advertising, which poses the most risk for children and young people.
Asked by: Beccy Cooper (Labour - Worthing West)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of the research report by the Irish Economic and Social Research Institute entitled Childhood gambling experiences and adult problem gambling, published in June 2024.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Government recognises the importance of using impartial, accurate and up-to-date research on gambling behaviour and harms, including relevant evidence from jurisdictions similar to Great Britain. We are committed to ensuring that policy decisions are guided by the best available evidence from a broad range of reliable sources.
We note the findings of the report titled ‘Childhood gambling experiences and adult problem gambling’.
Asked by: Beccy Cooper (Labour - Worthing West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what her long-term plans are for the Independent Commission for Aid Impact, particularly in relation to its mandate and resourcing.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
In relation to all the questions raised by the Hon Member on 28 January, I refer her to Baroness Chapman's appearance before the International Development Committee on 20 January, where she addressed these issues at length. We will set out any further plans in this area in the context of Official Development Assistance funding allocations up to 2028-29, decisions on which will be announced in the coming months.
Asked by: Beccy Cooper (Labour - Worthing West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking to maintain public confidence in the value for money and accountability of UK aid spending.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
In relation to all the questions raised by the Hon Member on 28 January, I refer her to Baroness Chapman's appearance before the International Development Committee on 20 January, where she addressed these issues at length. We will set out any further plans in this area in the context of Official Development Assistance funding allocations up to 2028-29, decisions on which will be announced in the coming months.
Asked by: Beccy Cooper (Labour - Worthing West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of independent scrutiny on value for money across the aid programme.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
In relation to all the questions raised by the Hon Member on 28 January, I refer her to Baroness Chapman's appearance before the International Development Committee on 20 January, where she addressed these issues at length. We will set out any further plans in this area in the context of Official Development Assistance funding allocations up to 2028-29, decisions on which will be announced in the coming months.