Asked by: Carla Denyer (Green Party - Bristol Central)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will take legislative steps to require independent schools to (a) identify SEND pupils and (b) provide support to those pupils in line with the (i) SEND Code of Practice and (ii) Children and Families Act 2014.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
Independent schools are regulated against The Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014, which set out the standards for the education, welfare and safety for pupils attending an independent school. These standards can be accessed at: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2014/3283. The standards related to ‘quality of education provided’ (curriculum and teaching) require independent schools to ensure their written policy, plans and schemes of work take into account the ages, aptitudes and needs of all their pupils, including those with special educational needs.
Section 85 of the Equality Act 2010 prohibits schools, including independent schools, from discriminating against pupils with certain protected characteristics. This includes a requirement that schools must not discriminate in the way they provide education for pupils; the way they afford pupils access to benefits, facilities or services; or by not providing education for pupils.
Asked by: Carla Denyer (Green Party - Bristol Central)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to develop new country information for Syria; and when she plans to begin processing (a) asylum claims and (b) settlement cases.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)
Following the fall of the Assad regime, the Home Office has withdrawn the Country Policy Information Notes and Guidance relating to Syria and has temporarily paused all asylum interviews and decisions. However, we continue to register new claims from Syrians in the UK who wish to claim asylum.
The Country Policy and Information Team (CPIT) are continuing to monitor and review the situation in Syria. CPIT are gathering evidence from a wide range of reliable sources, including reputable media outlets; local, national and international organisations, including human rights organisations; and information from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.
The pause is being kept under constant review and when there is a clear basis upon which to make decisions, we will resume the processing of them.
Asked by: Carla Denyer (Green Party - Bristol Central)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make it his policy to align with changes to the EU Honey Directive on labelling published on 14 May 2024.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra, alongside the Food Standards Agency in Wales and Food Standards Scotland, are working together to assess and address issues arising from the EU’s recent amendments relating to the Honey Directive 2001/110/EC. Any decision on future policy will focus on maintaining our existing high food standards, protecting consumers, and supporting businesses and consumer choice.
Asked by: Carla Denyer (Green Party - Bristol Central)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will publish an impact assessment of the updates to her Department's guidance entitled Good character: caseworker guidance, updated on 10 February 2025.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
I refer the Honourable Member to the answer I gave on 25 February to Question 31371.
Asked by: Carla Denyer (Green Party - Bristol Central)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she will issue guidance to planning authorities on the cumulative impact of carbon emissions from infrastructure projects on the Government’s carbon reduction targets.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government’s Planning Practice Guidance on Climate Change, its National Design Guide and National Model Design Code provide general guidance on how carbon impacts can be taken into account in the town and country planning process.
For Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects, National Policy Statements set out not only the need case for the infrastructure, but also the principles and types of impact against which they will be assessed (including air quality and carbon impacts).
Asked by: Carla Denyer (Green Party - Bristol Central)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will take steps to oppose any (a) forcible displacement and (b) ethnic cleansing of Palestinians from Gaza.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Government's objective remans a negotiated two-state solution, with a sovereign Palestinian state, which includes the West Bank and Gaza, alongside a safe and secure Israel. In order to deliver this, it is clear that Palestinian civilians must be permitted to return to their communities in Gaza and rebuild and that there can be no forcible transfer of Gazans from or within Gaza, nor any reduction in the territory of the Gaza Strip. The new US administration played an integral role in negotiating the ceasefire agreement, alongside Qatar and Egypt. The UK will continue to work closely with the US to sustain the fragile ceasefire, ensure that all the hostages are released, increase the supply of aid, and break the ongoing cycle of violence in pursuit of a permanent, sustainable peace.
Asked by: Carla Denyer (Green Party - Bristol Central)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of increasing the value of the Bereavement Support payment.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
Bereavement Support Payment is intended to help people through the immediate period following a bereavement. It is not a cost-of-living benefit like Universal Credit, which is generally increased in line with inflation. The rate of Bereavement Support Payment is reviewed on a discretionary basis as part of the annual uprating process, but there is no legal requirement to uprate it.
Whilst we have no plans to uprate BSP from April, the Government keeps all benefits including Bereavement Support Payments, under review.
Asked by: Carla Denyer (Green Party - Bristol Central)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make it her policy to uprate Bereavement Support Payments annually in line with inflation.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
Bereavement Support Payment is intended to help people through the immediate period following a bereavement. It is not a cost-of-living benefit like Universal Credit, which is generally increased in line with inflation. The rate of Bereavement Support Payment is reviewed on a discretionary basis as part of the annual uprating process, but there is no legal requirement to uprate it.
Whilst we have no plans to uprate BSP from April, the Government keeps all benefits including Bereavement Support Payments, under review.
Asked by: Carla Denyer (Green Party - Bristol Central)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether it is his policy to stop issuing development consents for all new oil and gas fields.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government has committed that it will not revoke existing licences and will partner with business and workers to manage our existing fields for the entirety of their lifespan.
We have already consulted on revised environmental guidance for development consents to take into account emissions from burning extracted oil and gas to provide stability for industry.
This consultation closed in January, and we are working to have guidance in place as soon as possible.
Asked by: Carla Denyer (Green Party - Bristol Central)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what the cost to the public purse was of legal services used by the Government in relation to potential Rosebank oil and gas field development since 4 July 2024; and whether further legal costs have been accounted for in his Department’s (a) current and (b) future budgets.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Department has paid a total of £26,773 in legal fees relating to the Jackdaw and Rosebank fields since 4 July 2024.