Asked by: Ben Spencer (Conservative - Runnymede and Weybridge)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment has he made of the adequacy of the preparations for avoiding school exam disruption during the construction a320 HIF scheme.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
My Department has made no such assessment. The matter in question is for the relevant local authority.
Asked by: Ben Spencer (Conservative - Runnymede and Weybridge)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the introduction of new statutory guidance for supporting pupils with medical conditions and allergies in schools on costs for schools.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
Schools have existing statutory duties to make arrangements for supporting pupils with medical conditions. The draft statutory guidance makes clear to schools what is expected of them in taking reasonable steps to fulfil their legal obligations and to meet the individual needs of pupils with medical conditions.
Schools will be required to stock ‘spare’ adrenaline auto-injectors, and many already choose to do so. The department’s draft guidance suggests most schools should stock 2 to 4 pairs of adrenaline auto-injectors, at a likely cost of £300. The government is in discussion with suppliers to facilitate options here and will look to say more in due course.
School funding is increasing by £1.7 billion in 2026/27, including funding for special educational needs and disabilities reform announced within the Schools White Paper. Our overall investment in schools funding is a critical step forward in our mission to support teachers and leaders to deliver high and rising standards across every school and for every pupil, including those with medical conditions and allergies.
Asked by: Ben Spencer (Conservative - Runnymede and Weybridge)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the resilience of the kerosene supply chain in the UK.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Department continues to monitor the UK kerosene supply chain as part of its wider monitoring of the security of supply of fuels. The UK benefits from a diverse supply base, including domestic production and imports which are complimented by well‑established distribution networks.
While global market conditions can affect prices, the Government currently has no concerns with the supply of heating oil, and continues to monitor risks closely and engage with industry to ensure the continuity of supply is maintained. Airports maintain stocks of bunkered aviation fuel to support their resilience. We are continuing to monitor the situation with industry.
Asked by: Ben Spencer (Conservative - Runnymede and Weybridge)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment has she made of the potential impact of the conflict in the middle east on uk aviation due to aviation fuel prices and supply disruption.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The UK fuel system is built on diverse international supply chains, with multiple import routes and suppliers, ensuring resilience.
My Department and I are working closely with the industry to monitor supply and understand their mitigations and alternative sourcing options. We will continue to monitor the situation closely, and work with airlines and airports to understand mitigations, should any disruption arise.
Asked by: Ben Spencer (Conservative - Runnymede and Weybridge)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment has she made of the potential impact of adjustments to sustainable aviation fuel manufacturing on increasing UK aviation fuel resilience in the context of the conflict in the Middle East.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government is monitoring the impact of conflict in the Middle East on fuel supplies, including its impact on the manufacturing of sustainable aviation fuel.
The UK fuel system is built on diverse international supply chains, with multiple import routes and suppliers, ensuring resilience.
My Department and I are working closely with the industry to monitor supply and understand their mitigations and alternative sourcing options. We will continue to monitor the situation closely, and work with airlines and airports to understand mitigations, should any disruption arise.
Asked by: Ben Spencer (Conservative - Runnymede and Weybridge)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of fetal growth monitoring practices across NHS Trusts.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
To support the consistent delivery of evidence based best practice in regards to fetal growth monitoring, NHS England published the Saving Babies’ Lives Care Bundle Version 3.2 in April 2025.
The bundle covers six areas of clinical care, one of which is fetal growth monitoring. This includes early and ongoing fetal growth restriction risk assessment, risk-based surveillance, competent measurement and interpretation, and timely escalation through clear assessment and decision-making pathways, in line with the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists’ Green-top Guideline No. 31.
Implementation of the clinical standards within the bundle is supported through NHS Resolution’s Maternity Incentive Scheme, which provides a strong financial mechanism to encourage adoption and consistency.
Asked by: Ben Spencer (Conservative - Runnymede and Weybridge)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment has she made of a) the cybersecurity vulnerabilities and b) risk of data manipulation, of the Government Consultation, Growing up in the online world: a national consultation.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
This consultation is being run in line with Government standard practice. The surveys ask for some non-identifying personal information, such the types of individuals and groups participating, for analytical purposes. We will process any personal data in accordance with all applicable data protection laws and in accordance with the departmental Privacy Policy.
Asked by: Ben Spencer (Conservative - Runnymede and Weybridge)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, the steps he is taking to help protect a) park home residents and b) heating oil users from spikes in energy prices.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government recognises that families and businesses across the country will see the recent global events and once again be concerned about the impact on their energy bills. The Government will continue to monitor the situation closely over coming days and weeks. In an uncertain world, we will keep driving for energy sovereignty and abundance with clean homegrown power. We have shown a determination to act to help families, and businesses, and will continue to do so.
The Government also recognises and takes into consideration the more complex energy arrangements used in park homes. We are looking at this issue and recognise its importance. It is also worth noting that customers who pay non-domestic intermediaries do not pay costs related to ECO.
The Government understands that many households, particularly in rural and off‑gas‑grid areas, rely on heating oil as their primary source of heat. We continue to monitor heating‑oil supply chains ensuring households can access fuel when needed. We are frequently engaging with industry to ensure supply and pricing remains resilient to demand. Fuel markets are governed by competition and consumer protection law, overseen by the Competition Market Authority.
Households using heating oil benefit from wider cost‑of‑living support, including electricity bill reductions announced in the Autumn Budget, and the Warm Home Discount, which provides eligible households with £150 off energy bills until 2030/31.
Asked by: Ben Spencer (Conservative - Runnymede and Weybridge)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of mechanisms of accountability of Local Resilience Forum Chairs to Members of Parliament.
Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Under the Civil Contingencies Act 2004, statutory duties for emergency planning rest with individual Category 1 responders, who fulfil these duties collaboratively through Local Resilience Forums (LRFs). LRFs are not statutory bodies and therefore hold no independent legal responsibilities.
Each Category 1 responder remains accountable through its own governance arrangements—for example, local authority leadership or Police and Crime Commissioners.
LRF Chairs are drawn from Category 1 organisations and serve in a coordinating and facilitative role, bringing partners together to plan for emergencies.
Guidance encourages LRF Chairs to maintain constructive relationships with elected members and MPs to support awareness, communication, and public confidence. This government recognises the valuable role MPs play in emergencies, strengthening community preparedness and supporting local response efforts.
Asked by: Ben Spencer (Conservative - Runnymede and Weybridge)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what his planned timetable is for publication of interim and final findings from the independent maternity services investigation.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
On the 26 February Baroness Amos published her interim report on the National Maternity and Neonatal Investigation, and the final report and recommendations will follow in Spring 2026.
The Government is also setting up a National Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce, chaired by my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care. The taskforce will address the recommendations of the investigation by developing a new national action plan to drive improvements across maternity and neonatal care.