Bradley Thomas Portrait

Bradley Thomas

Conservative - Bromsgrove

3,016 (6.0%) majority - 2024 General Election

First elected: 4th July 2024



Division Voting information

During the current Parliament, Bradley Thomas has voted in 209 divisions, and never against the majority of their Party.
View All Bradley Thomas Division Votes

Debates during the 2024 Parliament

Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.

Sparring Partners
Lucy Powell (Labour (Co-op))
Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
(14 debate interactions)
Keir Starmer (Labour)
Prime Minister and First Lord of the Treasury
(7 debate interactions)
Luke Pollard (Labour (Co-op))
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
(6 debate interactions)
View All Sparring Partners
Department Debates
HM Treasury
(33 debate contributions)
Ministry of Justice
(14 debate contributions)
View All Department Debates
View all Bradley Thomas's debates

Bromsgrove Petitions

e-Petitions are administered by Parliament and allow members of the public to express support for a particular issue.

If an e-petition reaches 10,000 signatures the Government will issue a written response.

If an e-petition reaches 100,000 signatures the petition becomes eligible for a Parliamentary debate (usually Monday 4.30pm in Westminster Hall).

Bradley Thomas has not participated in any petition debates

Latest EDMs signed by Bradley Thomas

2nd June 2025
Bradley Thomas signed this EDM on Wednesday 2nd July 2025

Reform of monetary limits on charity lotteries

Tabled by: Wendy Chamberlain (Liberal Democrat - North East Fife)
That this House acknowledges the role played by Britain’s charity lottery sector in providing some £450 million in vital funds for good causes each year at no cost to the Government; recognises the unique nature of charity lottery fundraising, which is centred on long-term, unrestricted giving; acknowledges such a model …
25 signatures
(Most recent: 2 Jul 2025)
Signatures by party:
Liberal Democrat: 16
Plaid Cymru: 4
Scottish National Party: 2
Democratic Unionist Party: 1
Labour: 1
Conservative: 1
12th May 2025
Bradley Thomas signed this EDM on Wednesday 2nd July 2025

Improving equestrian road safety awareness

Tabled by: Lee Dillon (Liberal Democrat - Newbury)
That this House acknowledges the vital role of horses in rural communities, particularly in areas such as Lambourn, known for its contributions to British horse racing; notes with deep concern that in 2024 alone, 3,100 road incidents involving horses were reported to the British Horse Society; recognises that one third …
31 signatures
(Most recent: 2 Jul 2025)
Signatures by party:
Liberal Democrat: 26
Labour: 2
Conservative: 2
Democratic Unionist Party: 1
View All Bradley Thomas's signed Early Day Motions

Commons initiatives

These initiatives were driven by Bradley Thomas, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.

MPs who are act as Ministers or Shadow Ministers are generally restricted from performing Commons initiatives other than Urgent Questions.


Bradley Thomas has not been granted any Urgent Questions

Bradley Thomas has not been granted any Adjournment Debates

Bradley Thomas has not introduced any legislation before Parliament


Latest 50 Written Questions

(View all written questions)
Written Questions can be tabled by MPs and Lords to request specific information information on the work, policy and activities of a Government Department
1 Other Department Questions
10th Feb 2025
To ask the hon. Member for Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney, representing the House of Commons Commission, with reference to the oral contribution by the Leader of the House in Business Questions on 6 February 2025, Official Report, column 947 on written parliamentary questions; what steps the Commission is taking to ensure the Table Office is adequately resourced.

The Table Office has 16 members of staff. There are no plans to review staffing levels at the moment.

11th Feb 2025
To ask the Solicitor General, how many unclaimed estates are in Bromsgrove constituency.

The Bona Vacantia Division (“the Division”) of the Government Legal Department acts on behalf of the Treasury Solicitor (the Crown’s Nominee) to administer bona vacantia estates.

The Division currently has two unclaimed bona vacantia estates in the Bromsgrove constituency, neither of which involve the deceased owning property.

Current Bona Vacantia unclaimed estates are listed on the Division’s Unclaimed Estates List, https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/unclaimed-estates-listhttps://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/unclaimed-estates-list.

Lucy Rigby
Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
13th Jun 2025
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many Government bodies use the Government Car Service; and what the average number of journeys has been in each Department in the last 12 months.

Since April 2012, the Government Car Service has provided a Departmental Pool Car (DPC) service to several Government Departments for their ministerial travel, whereby the official car is contracted to a Department rather than allocated to an individual. The use made of these services based at Departments is therefore not held by the Cabinet Office.

As is longstanding practice for security reasons, specific details regarding the allocation of vehicles are also not disclosed.

Abena Oppong-Asare
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
11th Feb 2025
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if the Prime Minister will make an assessment of the potential merits of inviting the Minister for Housing and Planning to Cabinet.

The Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government has responsibility for housing and planning policy in Cabinet.

Abena Oppong-Asare
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
6th Feb 2025
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what estimate his Department has made of the number of small businesses in Bromsgrove constituency (a) in July 2024 and (b) as of 6 February 2025.

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.

A response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 6th February is attached.

Georgia Gould
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
6th Feb 2025
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many licensed public houses were operating on (a) 5 July 2024 and (b) 31 January 2025 in Bromsgrove constituency.

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.

A response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 6th February is attached.

Georgia Gould
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
5th Feb 2025
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what estimate his Department has made of the level of population growth in Bromsgrove constituency in the next five years.

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.

A response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 5th February is attached.

Georgia Gould
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
5th Feb 2025
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many civil servants across Government are compressed hours workers on a four day week.

This information is not held centrally.

Decisions on terms and conditions of employment, including flexible working, are made by the employing department, depending on their specific business requirements and the nature of the role.

Georgia Gould
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
4th Feb 2025
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether he plans to procure British manufactured vehicles for use by the Government Car Service.

The Government Car Service (GCS) is committed to supporting British businesses wherever possible, and approximately half of the vehicles in the GCS fleet are manufactured in the United Kingdom. However, public sector procurement is governed by clear principles, including value for money, transparency, and fair competition, which guide GCS purchasing decisions.

This approach ensures that all vehicles are assessed based on objective criteria such as quality, cost-effectiveness, and suitability for purpose. Where British manufactured vehicles meet GCS requirements and offer the best overall value, they are prioritised in line with procurement regulations.

Abena Oppong-Asare
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
3rd Feb 2025
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many civil servants funded by central government work in Bromsgrove constituency.

The location of civil servants is mapped and published at International Territorial Levels (ITLs) and Local Administrative Units (LAUs) only, and not by parliamentary constituency. However, the boundary for the parliamentary constituency of Bromsgrove aligns with the LAU of Bromsgrove. As of 31 March 2024 there were approximately 590 civil servants (headcount) employed and based in Bromsgrove. This information has been sourced from Annual Civil Service Employment Survey (ACSES) 2024, Cabinet Office.

Georgia Gould
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
13th Jun 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of a public holiday to commemorate the reign of Queen Elizabeth II.

The Government recognises the remarkable legacy of Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II as Britain’s longest-reigning monarch.

We regularly receive requests for additional bank and public holidays to mark a variety of occasions. While an additional bank holiday may benefit some communities and sectors, the cost to the economy remains considerable. The latest analysis estimates the cost to the UK economy for a one-off bank holiday to be around £2 billion.

For these reasons, the Government currently has no plans to change the well-established pattern of bank holidays.

Justin Madders
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
30th May 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, when he will visit Bromsgrove constituency to discuss the impact of government policy on the hospitality industry with (a) publicans and (b) landlords.

Hospitality businesses, including those in Bromsgrove, are at the heart of our communities and play a vital role in supporting economic growth and social cohension. We've launched a licensing taskforce aimed at cutting red tape and removing barriers that hinder progress. The Government also plans to permanently lower business rates for retail, hospitality, and leisure properties with a rateable value under £500,000. Additionally, we've introduced a £1.5 million Hospitality Support Scheme to co-fund projects aligned with Department for Business & Trade and Hospitality Sector Council priorities. This includes helping those furthest from the job market into employment and boosting productivity across the sector.

Whilst I don't have any immediate plans to visit Bromsgrove, I will endeavour to visit in future as part of my wider business engagement programme.

Gareth Thomas
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
5th Mar 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether the Government considers increased trade with China to be an inherent risk to national security.

China is the world’s second largest economy and predicted to be the largest driver of global growth from 2021 to 2035. Identifying opportunities to build secure and resilient growth through a mature, stable, and balanced relationship with China is in our national interest.

National security and growth are not opposed – they are mutually reinforcing. The UK must engage with international partners, including China, on trade and investment to grow our economy, while ensuring we uphold our security and values by challenging China on areas where we disagree.

Douglas Alexander
Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
5th Mar 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how many officials are working on the negotiations of a trade deal with the United States.

DBT’s Trade Policy, Implementation and Negotiations (TPIN) Group operates a flexible resourcing model to maximise efficiency across priorities. In January 2025, DBT had 675 staff working in TPIN.

The US is the UK’s largest single country trading partner, with trade worth around £300 billion in the year to September 2024.

Douglas Alexander
Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
6th Feb 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to help promote retail entrepreneurship in Bromsgrove constituency.

The Government supports entrepreneurs, including those in Bromsgrove, through Start-up Loans via the British Business Bank and through programmes such as Growth Hubs in England and Help to Grow: Management across the UK. We will publish our Small Business Strategy later this year, which will signal a clear overarching ambition to promote entrepreneurship and articulate a new vision for business support, built around the new Business Growth Service. The strategy will enable scale-ups and other small businesses to grow, empowering entrepreneurs to innovate, export, and create new jobs.

Our Industrial Strategy is unreservedly pro-business, engaging on complex issues that are barriers to investment, like skills, recruitment of international talent, data, R&D, technology adoption, access to finance, competition, regulation, energy prices, grid connections, infrastructure, and planning – all through the lens of promoting investment.

Gareth Thomas
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
6th Feb 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to secure a trade deal with the United States.

The UK-US trading relationship is already worth around £300 billion, supporting over a million jobs and representing 17% of total UK trade. This government's priority is economic growth and increasing trade with international partners is a major part of that. The Prime Minister had a warm call with President Trump on 26 January where they discussed trade and the economy and agreed to meet soon for further discussions.

Douglas Alexander
Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
5th Feb 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a strategic industry register to document key industries and companies of national significance.

The modern Industrial Strategy focuses on eight growth-driving sectors: Advanced Manufacturing, Clean Energy Industries, Creative Industries, Defense, Digital and Technologies, Financial Services, Life Sciences, and Professional and Business Services.

For each, an ambitious sector plan will be designed in partnership with business, devolved governments, regions and other stakeholders, through bespoke arrangements tailored to each sector. The industrial strategy, alongside sector plans for the growth-driving sectors, will be published in spring 2025, aligned with the multi-year spending review.

Sarah Jones
Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
3rd Feb 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what discussions he has had with the United States State Department on trade.

The UK looks forward to working with President Trump and his administration to deepen our trading relationship with the US. The Prime Minister had a warm call with President Trump on 26 January where they discussed trade and the economy, and agreed to meet soon for further discussions.

The US Government has clear rules that preclude other governments from formally engaging with members of the US Cabinet before they are officially confirmed by the Senate. We are still waiting for both the Commerce Secretary and the US Trade Representative to be confirmed by the Senate.

Douglas Alexander
Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
14th Oct 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to support the long-term viability of pubs (a) in Bromsgrove constituency and (b) nationally.

Pubs, including those in Bromsgrove, are at the heart of our communities and vital for economic growth. That is why the Government is creating a fairer business rate system by introducing permanently lower tax rates for retail, hospitality, and leisure businesses from 2026-27 and extending the current relief for 1 year at 40%.

The government is also reducing alcohol duty on qualifying draught products, representing an overall reduction in duty bills of over £85m a year.

We will transform the apprenticeship levy into a more flexible growth and skills levy to better support business and boost opportunity for people to work in Pubs.

Through the Hospitality Sector Council, we are addressing strategic issues for the sector related to high street regeneration, skills, sustainability, and productivity.

Gareth Thomas
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
24th Jun 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what contingency plans his Department has put in place in the event of the closure of the Strait of Hormuz; and if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of a closure on energy security in the UK.

Oil and gas markets are well supplied and functioning normally. Though they have responded to events in the Middle East, prices remain within the bounds we have seen over the last year. We have not witnessed any material reduction of traffic passing through the Strait of Hormuz. DESNZ will continue monitoring closely for any future impacts.

The UK holds oil stocks that can be released onto the global market collectively with releases by other International Energy Agency member countries in the event of a global oil supply disruption.

The Government's Clean Energy Superpower Mission, supported by the largest investment in home-grown clean energy in British history, will enhance energy security by boosting our energy independence, protecting billpayers, and reducing exposure to global supply shocks.

Michael Shanks
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
5th Mar 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, pursuant to the Answer of 5 February to Question 29155 on Energy Resilience, when the robust plans to mitigate the impacts of a gas or electricity disruption were last updated.

The National Emergency Plan for Downstream Gas and Electricity sets out the arrangements for the safe and effective management of downstream gas or electricity disruption. The National Emergency Plan for Downstream Gas and Electricity was last updated in July 2023 and is expected to be updated again this year.

Michael Shanks
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
5th Mar 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, pursuant to the Answer of 6 February to Question 29770 on Chinese manufacturing, whether major energy infrastructure including wind turbines are categorised as critical national infrastructure when they are procured from foreign countries.

The designation of sites, systems and assets that make up the UK energy sector as Critical National Infrastructure is based on the extent that the loss, damage or disruption of that infrastructure has a major detrimental impact on the availability, integrity or delivery of the essential services of the UK energy system. This approach to identifying Critical National Infrastructure means that we assess all infrastructure, regardless of its ownership.

Michael Shanks
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
25th Feb 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of redistributing green levies and surcharges to help increase energy affordability.

The Government is committed to ensuring a fair and affordable transition to Net Zero while considering the impact of policy costs on all energy consumers. Consumer energy bills are a vital tool to leverage private sector investment to support our critical goals to decarbonise the energy market whilst contributing to economic growth. Policy costs, or levies, fund essential schemes that have delivered significant benefits, including increasing renewable generation capacity and reducing reliance on fossil fuels. The Renewables Obligation and the Feed-in Tariffs schemes are now closed to new applications but have brought forward the successful renewable electricity sector that we see today in the UK.

The Department keeps the aggregate impact of these policies under review.

Miatta Fahnbulleh
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
6th Feb 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the potential contribution of Chinese manufacturing in delivering the Government's Clean Power 2030 goal.

As set out in the Integrated Review Refresh, a positive trading relationship benefits both the UK and China, and we continue to recognise the importance of trade and investment from China where it is safe, reciprocal and mutually beneficial.

The Government works closely with industry to maintain a detailed picture of foreign involvement in critical national infrastructure. Foreign involvement in critical national infrastructure undergoes the highest levels of scrutiny, with the government and industry working alongside each other to monitor and mitigate the security risks in the energy sector and its supply chain.

Michael Shanks
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
3rd Feb 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether he has had recent discussions with his EU counterparts on linking the UK and EU emissions trading schemes.

My Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero engages regularly with international counterparts on a number of issues.

Kerry McCarthy
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
4th Dec 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what his Department's timetable is for lowering energy bills for people in Bromsgrove constituency, in the context of the Great British Energy Bill.

Great British Energy is a key part of the government's mission to make Britain a clean energy superpower. This is a sustainable, long-term plan to protect billpayers. In an unstable world, the only way to guarantee our energy security and protect billpayers permanently is to accelerate the transition away from fossil fuels and towards homegrown clean energy.

We are progressing the Great British Energy Bill through Parliament. By putting the company on a statutory footing and using the £100 million of capital funding announced at Autumn Budget, Great British Energy will be able to hit the ground running next year.

Michael Shanks
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
25th Nov 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of multiple solar farms on the local environment; whether he has had discussions with the the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, on the impact of solar farms on the rural (a) landscape and (b) communities; and if he will take steps to ensure that those farms are distributed over a wide area.

Although the precise location of energy infrastructure is a matter for developers, planning guidance sets out that the cumulative impact of solar developments located close to each other can be a factor in planning decisions. This impact should be considered by decision-makers.

Officials are in regular contact with their counterparts at the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with whom they work closely on matters related to the rural impacts of solar farms.

Michael Shanks
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
13th Jun 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment his Department has made of the resilience of the UK’s digital economy in the event of disruption to undersea data cables.

The Government recognises the critical role of undersea data cables in the UK’s digital economy. Individual subsea cables can be vulnerable to disruption. There is an average of 12 breaks a year from fishing, anchor drag, landslides and other causes. Most breaks have minimal impact on digital services due to resilience in the UK network. The UK has a large number of cables relative to other island nations. They are also geographically dispersed so data can be rerouted in the event of most disruptions. However, DSIT lead work on emergency preparedness and response in the event of a serious incident, as described in the National Risk Register.

Chris Bryant
Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
13th Feb 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps his Department is taking to protect freedom of speech in (a) online and (b) electronic communications.

DSIT is implementing the Online Safety Act to protect children and adults online. The Act’s duties apply to services that allow users to post content online or to interact with each other. Protections for freedom of expression are built in throughout the framework. Services must have ‘particular regard’ to the impact on users’ rights to freedom of expression when implementing policies under the Act.

Ofcom, as the independent Regulator, must act in a way that is compatible with the European Convention of Human Rights, including in relation to freedom of expression when developing codes of practice and making enforcement decisions.

Feryal Clark
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
10th Feb 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps his Department is taking to reduce spam telephone calls linked to fraudulent activity; and what discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on potential penalties for this.

The Government takes fraud seriously. DSIT works closely with Ofcom, who have a duty to ensure UK numbers are not misused including by requiring telecoms operators to block spoofing calls from abroad imitating UK landline numbers in order to help protect consumers from scam calls.

DSIT is also working closely with the Home Office, who lead on fraud policy, and other government departments to tackle telecoms fraud. Together, we are working with industry to develop a second Telecoms Fraud Charter, going further in identifying, preventing and disrupting telecoms fraud.

We will continue to work with industry and government departments to ensure that as threats evolve so too does the response.

Chris Bryant
Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
5th Feb 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what his Department's research and development budget was in the (a) 2023-24 and (b) 2024-25 financial year.

DSIT’s closing R&D budget for 2023-24 was £12,300m. This reflects the position post-Machinery of Government changes, comprising elements of the R&D budgets of DSIT’s predecessor departments.

DSIT’s R&D budget for 2024-25, updated at Autumn Budget 2024 is £12,500m*.

* Rounded to nearest £100m

Feryal Clark
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
3rd Feb 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what recent assessment he has made with Cabinet colleagues of the potential impact of AI on the creative industries.

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport jointly published a consultation on Copyright and AI in December 2024, seeking views on several topics relating to the interaction between copyright and AI.

The Government has published a summary assessment of options alongside the consultation which aims to provide context on the range and scale of impacts the Government is considering in these policies.

The Government welcomes further information and evidence on impacts, including the economic impact of AI on the creative industries, to help shape its thinking.

The consultation closes on 25 February.

Feryal Clark
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
9th Oct 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of mobile phone coverage for cellular calls in Bromsgrove constituency.

It’s inadequate, but the government wants all areas of the UK to benefit from mobile connectivity.

Ofcom’s recent reporting shows that 98% of Bromsgrove has 4G geographic coverage from all four mobile operators, and that basic (non-standalone) 5G is available from at least one mobile operator outside nearly 100% of premises.

I am aware that Ofcom’s data does not always reflect consumers’ experience of mobile networks. I recently wrote to Ofcom, asking them to set out steps to improve their reporting.

Our ambition is for all populated areas to have high-quality standalone 5G by 2030. We are committed to ensuring we have the right policy and regulatory framework to support investment and competition.

Chris Bryant
Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
13th Jun 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to promote the use of redundant churches for (a) cultural, (b) community and (c) educational purposes.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport’s Arms-Length body the Churches Conservation Trust is the national charity that saves redundant historic churches at risk, and has a portfolio of over 350 churches that have been kept open and now used to serve the local communities. These are now enjoyed as cultural, social, tourism and educational resources with over 4000 community, arts and educational events taking place within them per year.

Additionally, redundant churches may be eligible for wider DCMS Heritage funding to support their use by the community. In February my Department announced new funding worth almost £20 million for 2025/26. The Heritage at Risk fund will restore local heritage and is targeted towards areas of higher deprivation. The Heritage Revival Fund empowers local people to take control of and look after their local heritage, supporting community organisations to own neglected heritage buildings and bring them back into good use.

Chris Bryant
Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
5th Mar 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 6 February to Question 29771 on Churches, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of changes to the Listed Places of Worship scheme on Cathedrals.

Based on the Department’s analysis of previous data, 94% of applications between 2022-2024 have been under £25,000, and most of these claims were for under £5,000. We believe that the modifications were necessary and adequate given the tight fiscal challenges we face.

Chris Bryant
Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
6th Feb 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of recent trends in the level of funding for the Listed Places of Worship Scheme on the VAT rebate threshold for large church restoration projects.

On the 22nd of January, I was pleased to announce that the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme would continue from March 2025 to March 2026 with a budget of £23m.

Further details can be found here in the Written Statement.

As I said in his Westminster Hall debate on the subject, based on previous scheme data, we expect 94% of claims to be unaffected by the change.

Chris Bryant
Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
6th Feb 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to support local museums.

Local museums animate towns, high streets and rural communities across the country. Their programmes and activities promote education, entertainment and wellbeing, and play an important role in delivering the government’s agenda.

The Government, with Arts Council England (ACE), supports local museums through the ACE 2023-26 National Portfolio supporting 80 museum organisations with £37m annually, and a further £3m annually is invested in the Museum Development Network. The Government also funds regional museums maintenance through the Museum Estate and Development Fund (MEND), with £86.6 million committed to date, and provides tax incentives through both the Museums and Galleries Exhibition Tax Relief, and the VAT Refund Scheme for museums. We hope to announce more soon.

Chris Bryant
Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
6th Feb 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if her Department will take steps with voluntary organisations to help increase the number of adult volunteers in (a) uniformed youth activity groups and (b) Scouts.

To date, the DCMS Uniformed Youth Fund has enabled Uniformed Youth organisations to recruit over 4,200 adult volunteers in hundreds of new or expanded units across England, and created over 20,500 new places for young people. This includes over 1,000 new volunteers who have been recruited by the Scouts.

In line with the National Youth Strategy announcement in November 2024, the Government has committed to continue funding Uniformed Youth organisations in 2025/26 to ensure young people can continue to access opportunities outside of school in all parts of the country. More details will be shared in due course.

Stephanie Peacock
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
5th Feb 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many and what proportion of items of correspondence from Parliamentarians received by (a) her Department, (b) herself and (c) her ministerial team have not yet received a substantive response in each month since August 2024 .

An annual correspondence report, across all departments, will be published in due course.

Stephanie Peacock
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
5th Feb 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will make an assessment with Cabinet colleagues of the potential merits of mandating the flying of the Union Flag on all (a) schools and (b) public buildings.

Flag flying guidance is issued each year for Government buildings. However we currently have no further plans to consider the requirement for schools or other public buildings to fly the Union Flag.

Stephanie Peacock
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
5th Mar 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 17 February 2025 to Question 29762 on Cross sector partnerships, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of cooperation between state and private schools on state schools.

Around 70% of private schools affiliated with the Independent Schools Council hold charitable status. As charities, they are required to demonstrate public benefit and one way in which they do that is through partnerships with state schools. This activity should continue.

Stephen Morgan
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
5th Mar 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 5 February 2025 to Question 29183 on Smartphones, what research she refers to.

Mobile phone and smartphone development and social media use has increased (Ofcom, 2024) alongside increasing mental health problems in children and young people (NHS England, 2023), which has raised concerns amongst academics that the two are linked. The cited publications can be found here: https://www.ofcom.org.uk/siteassets/resources/documents/research-and-data/media-literacy-research/children/children-media-use-and-attitudes-2024/childrens-media-literacy-report-2024.pdf?v=368229; https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/mental-health-of-children-and-young-people-in-england/2023-wave-4-follow-up.

Several recent reviews have explored the negative correlations between mobile phones and children’s wellbeing:

Stephen Morgan
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
11th Feb 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what information her Department holds on the number of students that had EHCPs in Bromsgrove constituency on (a) 5 July 2024 and (b) 10 February 2025.

Information on the number of pupils with education, health and care (EHC) plans attending schools in England is published in the statistical release, ‘Special Educational Needs in England, 2024’, which can be accessed here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/special-educational-needs-in-england.

The number of pupils with EHC plans can be derived from the underlying school data which is available under the additional supporting files section of the above publication. This shows the number of pupils with an EHC plan attending schools in Bromsgrove constituency was 733 as of January 2024. This is the latest figure available. Figures from the January 2025 school census will be published in summer 2025.

Catherine McKinnell
Minister of State (Education)
11th Feb 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department has taken to promote Holocaust education in (a) schools and (b) colleges in Bromsgrove constituency.

The Holocaust is the only historic event which is compulsory within the current national curriculum for history at key stage 3. The government has made a commitment that the Holocaust will remain a compulsory topic in the reformed national curriculum, which will also be required teaching in academy schools when it is implemented.

The government supports the teaching of Holocaust education in schools and colleges, including those in Bromsgrove, by funding teachers’ professional development in this subject through University College London’s Centre for Holocaust Education, and the Holocaust Educational Trust’s Lessons from Auschwitz project, which gives students aged 16 to 18 the opportunity to visit Auschwitz-Birkenau.

In addition, a further £2 million funding for Holocaust remembrance and education was committed at the Autumn Budget 2024. This will be used to support the ambition set by my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister for all students to have the opportunity to hear a recorded survivor testimony. The department is currently exploring how it can support schools to fulfil this ambition.

Catherine McKinnell
Minister of State (Education)
6th Feb 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many state school teachers were employed in Bromsgrove constituency on (a) 5 July 2024 and (b) 6 February 2025.

Information on the school workforce, including the number of teachers in each school, is published in the ‘School workforce in England’ statistical publication which is available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-workforce-in-england.

As of November 2023, the latest date for which data is available, there were 943 full-time equivalent teachers employed in the 38 state-funded schools in Bromsgrove constituency.

Catherine McKinnell
Minister of State (Education)