Blake Stephenson

Public bodies, in exercising their statutory responsibilities under the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED), consider the adequacy of equality of access to public services, including through the use of tools such as Equality Impact Assessments.

We are already working across Government to ensure that all policy decision making is rural proofed, which will help ensure that rural communities are not disadvantaged by policy developments and their implementation.

The Ancient Woodland Inventory, updated Planning Practice Guidance and the Standing Advice on ancient woodlands and ancient and veteran trees are in place to support local decision makers make informed decisions about planning applications near these habitats. Protections have been further strengthened by the Town and Country Planning Consultation Direction 2024 which includes suitable criteria and arrangements that must be followed for consulting Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government Secretary of State once a local planning authority has resolved to grant planning permission for development affecting ancient woodland.

The National Planning Policy Framework makes it clear that planning decisions should not result in the deterioration or loss of ancient woodland or ancient or veteran trees. We will continue to work to ensure our ancient woodlands and trees remain protected.

We recognise that the recent period of wet weather has impacted UK agriculture. On 13 November we announced that additional financial support will be provided to rural communities, recognising the importance of preventing flooding for farmers and protecting food security.

Defra is providing a one-off £75 million Internal Drainage Board (IDB) Fund, to accelerate IDBs’ recovery from the winter 2023 -24 storms and to modernise and upgrade assets.

More than 12,700 farmers impacted by the severe wet weather, including Storms Babet and Henk, between October 2023 and March 2024, have received recovery payments totalling £57.5 million from the Farming Recovery Fund. These are one off recovery payments which will support land recovery activities such as soil remediation, recultivation and the removal of debris caused by flooding.

We are aware of the ongoing challenges farmers have been facing following the winter storms and wet weather in late 2023 and early 2024. We are committed to maintaining food production and supporting thriving farm businesses as well as protecting communities from flooding. All eligible farmers that were identified in the original fund from April have been offered payment. More information on the expanded Farming Recovery Fund will be made available soon.

The more recent flooding seen in September 2024 is not at the scale where we would expect to open the Flood Recovery Framework, Property Flood Resilience Grant of Farming Recovery Fund Schemes.

Flood risk is an important consideration in the planning system. The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) is clear that inappropriate development in areas at risk of flooding should be avoided by directing development away from areas at highest risk, including floodplains.

Where development needs to be in locations where there is a risk of flooding as alternative sites are not available, local planning authorities and developers should ensure development is appropriately flood resilient and resistant, safe for its users for the development’s lifetime, and will not increase flood risk overall.

In July 2024, the Government issued a consultation inviting views on proposed reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework in order to achieve sustainable growth. The consultation, which closed on 24 September, invited views on potential improvements to planning policy for flood risk. The Government will respond in due course.

Information relating to the number of delayed services on the Bedford line is not held by the department. The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) publishes quarterly statistics on punctuality and reliability for passenger trains in Great Britain at: https://dataportal.orr.gov.uk/statistics/performance/passenger-rail-performance/. Table 3133 shows Train punctuality at recorded station stops by operator in Great Britain, quarterly from April 2014 to June 2024. The operators servicing the Bedford line are Govia Thameslink Railway and the East Midlands Railway.

Ministers have been clear that rail services have been failing passengers. Cancellations are at a ten-year high and punctuality is inconsistent across the network. We need to improve services for passengers and deliver better value for money for the taxpayer.

Ministers continue to meet with the Managing Directors of the worst performing TOCs and their Network Rail counterparts, to address poor performance and demand immediate action to raise standards.

Recent levels of disruption experienced on Thameslink due to delays and cancellations are clearly not acceptable and passengers deserve better.

Ministers are meeting with the Managing Directors of all Train Operating Companies and their Network Rail counterparts to address poor performance and what is being done to improve it. Department officials also continually monitor the Train Operators’ performance and meet with them and Network Rail to ensure they deliver improvements to services.

Improving railway performance and delivering reform is a top priority for the Department. Ministers continue to meet with Managing Directors of the worst performing train operators and their Network Rail counterparts to address poor performance and demand immediate action to raise standards. Furthermore, performance information will be displayed at stations, demonstrating transparency, and allowing passengers to hold us to account as we deliver change.

Whilst the Department has not made an assessment of the impact of train delays on productivity, we recognise the inconvenience and costs felt by passengers, local communities and businesses arising from poor performance.

Ministers have been clear that rail services have been failing passengers. The Department expects passenger services currently operated by private sector operators under contract with the Secretary of State to transfer into public ownership over the next three years. The failures of the past three decades cannot be fixed overnight, but bringing train operations into public ownership is the first step in the government’s plans to improve the railways for passengers and taxpayers.

We will continue to support industry and consumers to make the switch to zero emission vehicles, with over £300 million announced in the Budget to drive uptake of electric vehicles and £2 billion to support the transition of domestic manufacturing and supply chain.

Unpaid carers play a vital role in supporting elderly or disabled relatives or friends. Sometimes unpaid carers will need to turn to the benefit system for financial support, so it is right that we keep Carer’s Allowance under review, to see if it is meeting its objectives, and giving unpaid carers the help and support they need and deserve.

Unpaid carers may be able to receive financial and/or employment support from the department depending on their circumstances. Carer’s Allowance provides a measure of financial support and recognition for people who are not able to work full time due to their caring responsibilities. The rate of Carer’s Allowance is £81.90 a week in 2024/25, and from April 2025 this will increase by 1.7% to £83.30 a week, net of allowable expenses.

Spending on Carer’s Allowance in the mid-Bedfordshire parliamentary constituency in 2023/4 was £3.6 million. 912 people in mid-Bedfordshire were in receipt of Carer’s Allowance in May ’24.

In addition to Carer’s Allowance, carers on low incomes can claim income-related benefits, such as Universal Credit and Pension Credit. These benefits can be paid to carers at a higher rate than those without caring responsibilities through the carer element and the additional amount for carers respectively. Currently, the Universal Credit carer element is £198.31 per monthly assessment period. The additional amount for a carer in Pension Credit is £45.60 a week. These additional amounts are worth around £2400 a year.

From 2024/25, Winter Fuel Payments in England and Wales will be targeted to low-income pensioners. Payments will continue to be paid to pensioner households with someone receiving Pension Credit or certain other income-related benefits. They will continue to be worth £200 for households with someone aged 66-79, or £300 for eligible households with someone aged 80 or over.

Eligible pensioners in England and Wales will also receive Cold Weather Payments for each seven day period of very cold weather, and an annual rebate on their energy bill of £150, through the Warm Home Discount.

The powers to make winter heating assistance payments were devolved to the Scottish Parliament under the Scotland Act 2016.

The Government is investing £421 million to extend the current Household Support Fund in England for six months, running from 1 October 2024 until 31 March 2025. In addition, at the Autumn Budget 2024, the Government announced that £1 billion, including Barnett impact, will be invested to extend the Household Support Fund in England by a full year until 31 March 2026.

This Government remains absolutely committed to supporting pensioners and giving them the dignity and security they deserve in retirement. We are honouring our commitment to the Triple Lock with a 4.1% increase to the basic State Pension, the new State Pension, and to the standard minimum guarantee in Pension Credit. As such, according to the latest OBR projections, the full yearly rate of the new State Pension is forecast to increase by around £1,900 over the course of this parliament whilst the full yearly amount of the basic State Pension is forecast to increase by around £1,500.

In 2023/24, Winter Fuel Payments were universal for those of State Pension age. Pensioner households received a Winter Fuel Payment combined with a cost of living payment of £500 / £600 depending on age. Cold Weather Payments and rebates from the Warm Home Discount Scheme were also payable in 2023/24.

An equality analysis was produced as part of Ministerial decision making in line with the requirements of the Public Sector Equality Duty. This was published on 13^th September. By convention, such analyses are not published alongside secondary legislation. However, in view of the close public interest in this issue Ministers decided, exceptionally, to publish in this case.

Our commitment to the Triple Lock means that both the basic and new State Pensions will increase in line with the highest of earnings growth, price inflation or 2.5% in each year of this Parliament. This will benefit over 12 million pensioners.

We know there are low-income pensioners who aren’t claiming Pension Credit, and we urge those people to apply. This will passport them to receive Winter Fuel Payment alongside other benefits – hundreds of pounds that could really help them.

Since September the Department has been running a campaign to raise awareness of Pension Credit. This national marketing campaign is running on a range of channels, including national and local print media and radio. The campaign also highlights that a successful backdated claim for Pension Credit made by 21 December will also qualify a pensioner for a Winter Fuel Payment, as long as they satisfy the other eligibility criteria.

The Household Support Fund is also being extended for a further six months, from 1 October 2024 until 31 March 2025.  An additional £421 million will be provided to enable the extension of the HSF in England, plus funding for the Devolved Governments through the Barnett formula to be spent at their discretion, as usual.

The Warm Home Discount scheme in England and Wales provides eligible low-income households across Great Britain with a £150 rebate on their electricity bill. This winter, we expect over three million households, including over one million pensioners, to benefit under the scheme.

Under the Care Act 2014, local authorities have duties to support people caring for their family and friends. It is for local authorities to decide how best to support their local population, including how they signpost unpaid carers to support groups.

The Government recognises the scale of the reforms needed in social care. That is why we will set out next steps for a process that engages with adult social care stakeholders, including cross-party and unpaid carers, to ensure their voices are heard as we develop plans to create a National Care Service.

Lord Darzi’s independent review of the National Health Service is clear that a fresh approach to supporting and involving unpaid carers is required to improve outcomes for carers, people needing care, and the NHS.

The Government is committed to delivering a National Health Service that is fit for the future, and we recognise that delivering high quality NHS healthcare services requires safe, resilient, and effective infrastructure.

As part of the management of their estate, NHS trusts regularly assess the physical condition of their estate. The Estates Related Information Collection survey collects data from trusts on the quality of their estate annually, including the projected cost of bringing all the buildings on each NHS site into acceptable condition, recorded as backlog maintenance. The latest data on backlog maintenance is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/estates-returns-information-collection-summary-page-and-dataset-for-eric-202223.

GPs have been neglected for too long. They are under-resourced, struggling to cope, and patients pay the price.

We know that there is pressure on primary care estates and service provision in areas of high population growth.

General practice provides high quality care, and we are committed to shifting the focus of care out of hospitals and into the community.

The Agreement between the UK and Mauritius on 3 October will, for the first time in 50 years, secure the important UK-US military base on Diego Garcia. The base plays a crucial role in regional and international security. It is not normal practice for the UK to reveal the value of its payments for military bases anywhere across the globe. To do so could put at risk their future secure operation. Parliament will have opportunity to scrutinise the Agreement with Mauritius in the usual manner following its signature.

The Border Security Command is funded from within the Home Office’s Spending Review settlement, as announced at the Budget.

On 30th October, at Budget, the Government confirmed that, as of 1 January 2025, all education, boarding, and vocational training provided for a charge by a private school in the UK will be subject to VAT at the standard rate of 20 per cent.

International schools make an important contribution to the connections between the UK and its international partners, which the Government remains committed to strengthening and deepening further. While they can be subsidised by foreign governments, depending on their funding structure, many international schools still charge fees comparable to that of a lot of British private schools, many of which do not necessarily follow the UK curriculum, nor teach exclusively in English. It would therefore be unfair to carve international schools out of policy changes whilst comparable independent schools remain within scope.

On 30th October, at Budget, the Government confirmed that, as of 1 January 2025, all education, boarding, and vocational training provided for a charge by a private school in the UK will be subject to VAT at the standard rate of 20 per cent.

International schools make an important contribution to the connections between the UK and its international partners, which the Government remains committed to strengthening and deepening further. While they can be subsidised by foreign governments, depending on their funding structure, many international schools still charge fees comparable to that of a lot of British private schools, many of which do not necessarily follow the UK curriculum, nor teach exclusively in English. It would therefore be unfair to carve international schools out of policy changes whilst comparable independent schools remain within scope.

In the October 2021 Economic and Fiscal Outlook the OBR set out “a central forecast to 2026-27 taking account of recent data and Government policies announced up to and including the October 2021 Budget and Spending Review”. The Government does not speculate on tax changes outside of fiscal events.

HMRC have worked closely with stakeholders in the business and tax communities on the design and scope of MTD for Income Tax to make sure it is fit for purpose. This has led to practical design changes and improvements that will benefit users.

HMRC is currently testing the IT functionality, customer support model and customer experience for MTD for Income Tax.

HMRC will continue to provide guidance and communications to help small businesses, landlords and their agents prepare for this change.

Ahead of rollout, HMRC will also introduce a comprehensive communications campaign, based on customer insight, to further increase awareness.