Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to encourage people who are not in employment but have the capability to work to re-enter the workforce.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

Our Get Britain Working reforms, set out in a White Paper in November last year, will tackle economic inactivity, build a thriving labour market, and increase the number of people in work. By delivering the biggest reforms to employment support for a generation, with a combined focus on skills and health, we will enable more people to get into work and get on in work. This will move us toward our long-term ambition of an 80% employment rate, which is central to growing the economy.

Building on our Get Britain Working reforms, our ‘Pathways to Work Guarantee’ will provide work, health, and skills support for disabled people and those with health conditions claiming out of work benefits. As announced in the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions’ statement on Welfare Reform on 30 June, we have increased the funding for employment support for disabled people and those with health conditions, investing an additional £300m over the next 3 years. This means our Pathways to Work Guarantee is now an investment of £2.2 billion by 2030 and brings our total investment in employment support for disabled people and those with health conditions to £3.8 billion over this Parliament.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department has taken (a) with schools and local authorities to strengthen the measures used to identify young carers and (b) to ensure that schools are audited against those measures.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

Young carers were added to the school census as a specific group for the first time in 2022/23. The department expects the census data to improve over time as the collection becomes better established. We are looking at the ways the data is entered to see if we can make technical changes that will support more accurate reporting without overly burdening schools.

The statutory guidance ‘Keeping children safe in education’ requires designated safeguarding leads to undergo training to provide them with the knowledge and skills to carry out their role. This includes having a good understanding of, and alertness to, the needs of young carers to identify their needs.

In its inspections of local authority children’s services, Ofsted evaluates whether professionals identify children and young people in need of help and protection, and whether they provide help to families when they need it. Ofsted have recently consulted on a new education inspection framework, and their full response will come in September. The proposals include a specific evaluation of inclusion, ensuring that schools can provide appropriate support for all disadvantaged and vulnerable children, including young carers.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what fiscal steps her Department is taking to help support (a) rural and (b) independent businesses.

Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government provided support for small businesses at Autumn Budget by:

• protecting the smallest businesses from the impact of the increase to Employer National Insurance by more than doubling the Employment Allowance to £10,500,
• freezing the small businesses multiplier (used for properties with a rateable value below £51,000) for 2025-26, and extending the retail, hospitality and leisure (RHL) business rates relief for one year at 40% (up to a cash cap of £110,000 per business),
• committing in the Corporate Tax Roadmap to maintain the Small Profits Rate and marginal relief at their current rates and thresholds, as well as maintaining the £1 million Annual Investment Allowance.

At the Spending Review, we have increased the financial capacity of the British Business Bank to £25.6bn, which will enable a two-thirds increase in support for SMEs across the UK.

This Government is supporting rural businesses with substantial investment in farming, nature, transport and digital connectivity. The Government will invest more than £2.7 billion a year in sustainable farming and nature recovery from 2026-27 until 2028-29. The Government has confirmed investment of £1.9 billion over four years into digital connectivity, and £2.3 billion of Local Transport Grant funding for smaller cities, towns and rural areas.

The Government has protected smaller family businesses from BPR changes, providing a very significant level of relief with the first £1 million of business assets continuing to receive 100% relief and then 50% thereafter.

Longlevens Mixed Ability Rugby Team champions

Remembering PC Ian Minett

Carers and social care reform

Funding and support for SEND

Government policy on the Hillsborough Law

Reform of the special educational needs and disabilities system

Funding and role of community pharmacies

Access to mental health support for children and young people

Support for people with dyscalculia

90th anniversary of Cheltenham Lido

Found: Chowns; Barry Gardiner; Alison Griffiths; Chris Hinchliff; Blake Stephenson; Alison Taylor; Cameron Thomas

Found: Chowns; Barry Gardiner; Alison Griffiths; Chris Hinchliff; Blake Stephenson; Alison Taylor; Cameron Thomas

Found: Voaden Liz Jarvis John Milne Dr Roz Savage Steve Darling Ann Davies Manuela Perteghella Cameron Thomas