Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to support young people to access apprenticeships in sectors experiencing skills shortages, including construction and engineering.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

This Government is transforming the Apprenticeship Levy into a new Growth and Skills Levy in England, backed by £1 billion of additional investment, which will support 50,000 more young people into apprenticeships, give employers greater flexibility to develop the workforce they need, and support the industrial strategy.

In August 2025, we introduced new foundation apprenticeships to give young people a route into careers in critical sectors, including construction, and engineering and manufacturing, enabling them to earn a wage while developing vital skills. Foundation apprenticeships are supported by £2,000 additional funding for employers to contribute to the extra costs of supporting someone at the beginning of their career.

This is in addition to the payments that employers are eligible to receive when recruiting young apprentices, including the new £2,000 hiring payment for non-levy paying employers (typically SMEs) when they take on 16–24-year-old apprentices as new employees.

More widely, as of August, the Government now fully funds apprenticeship training for all eligible under 25s at employers of all sizes. Employers also benefit from not being required to pay anything towards employees’ National Insurance for all apprentices aged up to age 25, when the employee’s wage is below £50,270 a year.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people applied for an apprenticeship but did not subsequently secure an apprenticeship place in each of the last five academic years, broken down by (a) age, (b) sector, (c) level and (d) region.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

We know the demand for apprenticeships is high, and we want to support more young people to benefit from the opportunities that apprenticeships offer.

To do that, we have set an ambition to get 50,000 more young people into apprenticeships and this is backed by £1 billion additional funding. This is being used to fully fund apprenticeships for all eligible young people aged under 25 and we have also introduced a £2,000 hiring payment for non-levy paying employers, typically SMEs, that recruit apprentices under 25. We are also piloting, with Mayoral Strategic Authorities, new approaches to better connect young people aged 16-24, including those who are NEET, to local apprenticeship opportunities.

The government does not hold data on the number of people who applied for an apprenticeship but did not subsequently secure one.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what guidance her Department provides on whether Multi-Academy Trusts are required to take the highest price offered for a land disposal where that land is the last open green space in a town and used by the community for leisure and sport; and whether social and environmental well-being can be considered as having a value in a disposal.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

Multi-Academy trusts wishing to dispose of school land are required under both legislation and the terms of their funding agreements to seek the consent of the Secretary of State. The department publishes guidance on the consent process at https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6abcb46c3239bb3cc19f51d5/Involving_the_Secretary_of_State_in_land_transactions.pdf .

For disposal of school playing fields, the department would ask for details of local consultation, and how any existing community use of the land would be affected.

Where land is being disposed of, the guidance includes that multi academy trusts must provide “an explanation of how you have assured yourself that the consideration received represents best value” and then clarifies that “best value, in this context, will normally be the best price reasonably obtainable in the market or the open market value, but may, exceptionally, include other benefits which can be assessed in monetary terms”. Social and environmental well-being can therefore be factored into an assessment of value for a disposal, depending on the circumstances.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, which public authority is responsible for determining whether the management of privately owned woodland presents a wildfire risk to neighbouring residential communities.

Answered by Florence Eshalomi - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Fire and rescue authorities have statutory responsibilities to assess fire and rescue related risks within their areas and make appropriate provision for responding to fires, including wildfires. They work with local authorities and landowners to identify and manage wildfire risks to communities.

Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what steps he is taking to ensure that employers provide appropriate emotional and practical support to bereaved employees, including reasonable workplace adjustments.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Minister of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade)

The government will publish guidance alongside the implementation of Bereavement Leave to ensure that employees are fully aware of their rights, and employers are aware of their responsibilities to support bereaved employees. We are also committed to improving access to flexible working. Greater flexibility over when, where and how much someone works can provide important practical support following a bereavement and help make the return to work more manageable. The government will continue to explore how we can support bereaved people in employment.

Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of introducing a statutory minimum of paid bereavement leave for employees whose parent or parental figure has died.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Minister of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade)

The government has sought to strike a balance by providing meaningful support to bereaved employees and ensuring the entitlement is accessible to those who need it, while also taking account of the costs to employers and the Exchequer. We understand that losing a parent is one of life’s most devastating moments. Bereavement leave sets a statutory minimum, and the government encourages employers to go above and beyond where they can, including by offering paid bereavement leave. The government will assess the policy after implementation to understand how it is working in practice for employees and employers.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the physical condition of the NHS estate in Devon.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Englishness and ethnicity

Flooding in Gaza

Heating oil prices

Postural Tachycardia Syndrome

Found: Negatived on division_6 Gideon Amos Mr Lee Dillon Caroline Voaden Andrew George John Milne .

Found: Amos Vikki Slade Tom Gordon Anna Sabine Dr Roz Savage Dr Danny Chambers Helen Morgan Lisa Smart Caroline Voaden

Found: Amos Vikki Slade Tom Gordon Anna Sabine Dr Roz Savage Dr Danny Chambers Helen Morgan Lisa Smart Caroline Voaden

Found: _NC1 Gideon Amos Mr Lee Dillon Sarah Gibson Caroline Voaden Andrew George John Milne .

Found: _NC1 Gideon Amos Mr Lee Dillon Sarah Gibson Caroline Voaden Andrew George John Milne .

Found: _NC1 Gideon Amos Mr Lee Dillon Sarah Gibson Caroline Voaden Andrew George John Milne .

Found: _NC1 Gideon Amos Mr Lee Dillon Sarah Gibson Caroline Voaden Andrew George John Milne .

Found: Negatived on division_6 Gideon Amos Mr Lee Dillon Caroline Voaden Andrew George John Milne .

Found: _6 Gideon Amos Mr Lee Dillon Caroline Voaden Andrew George John Milne .

Found: _6 Gideon Amos Mr Lee Dillon Caroline Voaden Andrew George .

Found: _6 Gideon Amos Mr Lee Dillon Caroline Voaden Andrew George .

Found: _6 Gideon Amos Mr Lee Dillon Caroline Voaden Andrew George .

Found: _5 Gideon Amos Mr Lee Dillon Caroline Voaden Andrew George .

Found: _5 Gideon Amos Mr Lee Dillon Caroline Voaden Andrew George .

Found: _5 Gideon Amos Mr Lee Dillon Caroline Voaden .

Found: Presented by Caroline Voaden supported by Tim Farron, Dr Roz Savage, Dr Danny Chambers, Maya Ellis,

Found: Presented by Caroline Voaden supported by Tim Farron, Dr Roz Savage, Dr Danny Chambers, Maya Ellis, Sir

The Committee is exploring how the education system should adapt to prepare young people to be active and informed citizens in preparation for the introduction of votes at 16. This includes the role of schools and colleges in supporting pupils to engage with challenging political issues, and in tackling misinformation and disinformation, whilst ensuring impartiality and avoiding bias.