Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 12 February 2025 to Question 28608 on Employers' Contributions: Public Sector, whether the funding provided will offset the full impact.
Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
At Autumn Budget 2024, the Government set aside funding to support the public sector with the additional cost of employer National Insurance Contributions. This support funding amounts to £4.7 billion in 2025-26, inclusive of Barnett consequentials.
This funding was based on an estimate of the proportion of employer NICs receipts paid by public sector organisations, using the Office for National Statistics (ONS) classification of the public sector boundary. This funding has since been allocated to departments and other public sector employers, with shares based on data covering headcount, wage and salary costs, with the Barnett formula applying in the usual way.
The Government plans to publish the allocations for departments alongside departmental budgets for 2025/26 as part of Mains estimates.
Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 13 February 2025 to Question 29193 on Hospitality Industry: Employment, whether her Department has done a sector specific analysis of the projected impact of the Autumn Budget 2024 on employment in hospitality.
Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government has taken a number of difficult but necessary decisions on tax, welfare, and spending to fix the public finances and fund public services.
The Government has set out the impacts of the policy changes from Autumn Budget 2024 in the usual way.
For example, a Tax Information and Impact Note (TIIN) was published alongside the introduction of the Bill containing the changes to employer NICs. The TIIN sets out the impact of the policy on the exchequer, the economic impacts of the policy, and the impacts on individuals, businesses, and civil society organisations, as well as an overview of the equality impacts.
As set out previously, the Office for Budget Responsibility also published the Economic and Fiscal Outlook (EFO), which sets out a detailed forecast of the economy and public finances.
Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps he is taking to support university-partnered venture capital investment companies outside the Oxford, Cambridge and London triangle; and whether Ministers in his Department have met with those companies.
Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Government is committed to driving innovation and economic growth across the UK. DSIT Ministers regularly meet with investors in science and technology sectors. Research England’s Connecting Capabilities Fund (CCF) has supported university collaborations, leading to the Northern Gritstone and Midlands Mindforge venture capital funds, and the Northern Accelerator. Innovate UK’s Investor Partnerships programme supports investors like Northern Gritstone and Qantx with R&D funding for their companies. The government supports venture capital through tax reliefs such as the Enterprise Investment Scheme and programmes from the British Business Bank who are an investor in Northern Gritstone. Government continues to assess opportunities to strengthen the UK’s leadership in innovation-led investment.
Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 17 February 2025 to Question 29957 on Bank Services and Banking Hubs, if her Department will direct the Financial Conduct Authority to require the creation of banking hubs in new towns without banking services.
Answered by Emma Reynolds - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
Banking has changed significantly in recent years with many customers benefiting from the ease and convenience of remote banking. However, the Government understands the importance of face-to-face banking to communities and high streets in new towns and across the UK and is committed to championing sufficient access for all as a priority. This is why the Government is working closely with industry to roll out 350 banking hubs across the UK. The UK banking sector has committed to deliver these hubs by the end of this Parliament. Over 220 hubs have been announced so far, and over 135 are already open.
The Financial Services and Markets Act 2023 granted the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) the responsibility and powers to seek to ensure the reasonable provision of cash withdrawal and deposit facilities. Under the FCA’s regime, LINK, the operator of the UK’s largest ATM network, is responsible for undertaking access to cash assessments. When a cash access facility such as a bank branch closes, or if LINK receives a request directly from a community, including in new towns, LINK independently assesses a community’s access to cash needs and can recommend a new service, such as a banking hub.
A community request can be submitted to LINK via its website.
Alternative options to access everyday banking services can be via telephone banking, through digital means such as mobile or online banking and via the Post Office.
Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the increased investment in maintenance of flood defences will allow the Environment Agency to keep 98% of its high-consequence assets in the required condition over the next two years.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This Government inherited flood assets in their poorest condition on record, as years of underinvestment and damaging storms left just 92% of the Environment Agency’s 38,000 high-consequence assets at required condition, meaning approximately 60,000 properties are at a higher risk.
The Environment Agency (EA) is reprioritising £72 million from capital programme funding, for the 2025/26 financial year, to maintain high consequence assets at target condition. This funding will ensure assets are as resilient and reliable as possible and operate as expected in flood events.
Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate he has made of the number of hectares of forestry land that will be made available for energy generation, in the context of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The forestry renewables measure, announced as part of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, aims to integrate renewable energy into our natural landscape. Provisions will be in place to ensure that renewable energy developments on forestry land are not at the expense of our natural environment. Forestry England’s general duty to promote the interests of forestry and development of afforestation, as set out by the Forestry Act, will be unchanged.
The Public Forest Estate comprises a mixture of woodland and non-woodland areas. Only projects at suitable locations within the Public Forest Estate will be taken forward to deliver energy generation projects. Renewable energy developments will be subject to the planning process which will include environmental screening, surveys, and mitigation measures on any potential impacts on landscapes and ecology. The estimated footprint of these projects will be relatively small, and we expect no net loss of woodland area.
Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to provide guidance to forestry authorities on prioritising energy generation in the context of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The forestry renewables measure, announced as part of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, aims to integrate renewable energy into our natural landscape. Provisions will be in place to ensure that renewable energy developments on forestry land are not at the expense of our natural environment. Forestry England’s general duty to promote the interests of forestry and development of afforestation, as set out by the Forestry Act, will be unchanged.
The Public Forest Estate comprises a mixture of woodland and non-woodland areas. Only projects at suitable locations within the Public Forest Estate will be taken forward to deliver energy generation projects. Renewable energy developments will be subject to the planning process which will include environmental screening, surveys, and mitigation measures on any potential impacts on landscapes and ecology. The estimated footprint of these projects will be relatively small, and we expect no net loss of woodland area.
Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether Natural England will be expected to consult Internal Drainage Boards in the preparation of Environmental Delivery Plans.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Environmental Delivery Plans (EDPs) will be subject to public consultation, providing relevant organisations and bodies with the opportunity to comment on their content.
Natural England will be able to proactively seek the views of any public authority it considers necessary when consulting on an EDP. This may include Internal Drainage Boards where appropriate.
Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to clause 49(7)(b) of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, whether environmental delivery plans would be (a) replaced and (b) lapse at the end of the specified period.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Developments coming forward after the expiry of Environmental Delivery Plan (EDP) will not be able to utilise the Nature Restoration Fund.
Where an Environmental Delivery Plan is due to expire, the Secretary of State may make the decision to either update or replace it following the process set out in the Bill.
Whether an environmental delivery plan is replaced at the end of its duration will depend on the context and specific circumstances.
Where an environmental impact has been resolved, such as securing the restoration of a Habitats Site to a favourable condition, the need for an Environmental Delivery Plan may fall away as development may not be having a negative effect.
Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to clause 49(7)(b) of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, whether development would be considered on a first-come-first-served basis up to the maximum amount specified.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government would expect Environmental Delivery Plans to operate on a first-come-first-served basis.