Asked by: Claire Young (Liberal Democrat - Thornbury and Yate)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether NHS bodies are permitted to award contracts in which the contractor's remuneration is linked to reductions in patient care expenditure.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
National Health Service bodies are permitted to award contracts in which the contractor's remuneration is linked to reductions in patient care expenditure. NHS bodies, which are the contracting authority, design their procurements in a way that is both commercially and legally compliant, delivering the required patient outcomes, and ensuring maximum value for money. They often encourage bidders to propose innovative ways in which the contracts can be delivered, and these may also seek to include proposals for risk/gain sharing, or performance targets/incentive payments linked to delivery ahead of schedule which should also see a reduction in overall costs of patient care and better patient outcomes.
Asked by: Claire Young (Liberal Democrat - Thornbury and Yate)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he plans to extend the Growth and Skills Levy to help increase flexibility for businesses seeking to offer apprenticeships.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The government is transforming the apprenticeships levy into a new growth and skills levy, which will deliver greater flexibility to employers, more opportunities for young people and support the industrial strategy.
In August 2025, we introduced new foundation apprenticeships to give young people a route into careers in critical sectors, enabling them to earn a wage while developing vital skills. They are underpinned by additional funding for employers of up to £2,000 to contribute to the extra costs of supporting someone at the beginning of their career.
We are investing an additional £725 million to deliver the next phase of the growth and skills levy and meet our ambition to support 50,000 more young people into apprenticeships. We will expand foundation apprenticeships into sectors that traditionally recruit young people and launch a pilot with Mayoral Strategic Authorities to better connect young people to local apprenticeship opportunities.
From April 2026, employers will also be able to access short, flexible training courses to help respond quickly to evolving skills needs. The first wave of these courses will be called apprenticeship units, and they will be available in critical skills areas such as artificial intelligence, digital and engineering.
The government will fully fund apprenticeship training for non-levy paying employers (essentially SMEs) for all eligible people aged 16-24 from the next academic year, to boost small business starts and prioritise funding to young people.
To support employers of all sizes to offer apprenticeships the government also pays £1,000 to both employers and providers for apprentices aged 16-18, and for apprentices aged 19-24 who have an EHCP or have been, or are, in local authority care. Additionally, employers are not 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).
Asked by: Claire Young (Liberal Democrat - Thornbury and Yate)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to help increase apprenticeship uptake among small businesses.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The government is transforming the apprenticeships levy into a new growth and skills levy, which will deliver greater flexibility to employers, more opportunities for young people and support the industrial strategy.
In August 2025, we introduced new foundation apprenticeships to give young people a route into careers in critical sectors, enabling them to earn a wage while developing vital skills. They are underpinned by additional funding for employers of up to £2,000 to contribute to the extra costs of supporting someone at the beginning of their career.
We are investing an additional £725 million to deliver the next phase of the growth and skills levy and meet our ambition to support 50,000 more young people into apprenticeships. We will expand foundation apprenticeships into sectors that traditionally recruit young people and launch a pilot with Mayoral Strategic Authorities to better connect young people to local apprenticeship opportunities.
From April 2026, employers will also be able to access short, flexible training courses to help respond quickly to evolving skills needs. The first wave of these courses will be called apprenticeship units, and they will be available in critical skills areas such as artificial intelligence, digital and engineering.
The government will fully fund apprenticeship training for non-levy paying employers (essentially SMEs) for all eligible people aged 16-24 from the next academic year, to boost small business starts and prioritise funding to young people.
To support employers of all sizes to offer apprenticeships the government also pays £1,000 to both employers and providers for apprentices aged 16-18, and for apprentices aged 19-24 who have an EHCP or have been, or are, in local authority care. Additionally, employers are not 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).
Asked by: Claire Young (Liberal Democrat - Thornbury and Yate)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he plans to increase financial incentives available to employers to provide apprenticeships.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The government is transforming the apprenticeships levy into a new growth and skills levy, which will deliver greater flexibility to employers, more opportunities for young people and support the industrial strategy.
In August 2025, we introduced new foundation apprenticeships to give young people a route into careers in critical sectors, enabling them to earn a wage while developing vital skills. They are underpinned by additional funding for employers of up to £2,000 to contribute to the extra costs of supporting someone at the beginning of their career.
We are investing an additional £725 million to deliver the next phase of the growth and skills levy and meet our ambition to support 50,000 more young people into apprenticeships. We will expand foundation apprenticeships into sectors that traditionally recruit young people and launch a pilot with Mayoral Strategic Authorities to better connect young people to local apprenticeship opportunities.
From April 2026, employers will also be able to access short, flexible training courses to help respond quickly to evolving skills needs. The first wave of these courses will be called apprenticeship units, and they will be available in critical skills areas such as artificial intelligence, digital and engineering.
The government will fully fund apprenticeship training for non-levy paying employers (essentially SMEs) for all eligible people aged 16-24 from the next academic year, to boost small business starts and prioritise funding to young people.
To support employers of all sizes to offer apprenticeships the government also pays £1,000 to both employers and providers for apprentices aged 16-18, and for apprentices aged 19-24 who have an EHCP or have been, or are, in local authority care. Additionally, employers are not 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).
Asked by: Claire Young (Liberal Democrat - Thornbury and Yate)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of making a formal recommendation to HM Treasury on extending VAT relief to Microgeneration Certification Scheme-certified heat batteries.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Tax treatment is the responsibility of HM Treasury and they keep all taxes under review.
This Government has invested £15 billion in the Warm Homes Plan to help upgrade British homes and cut bills. Whilst we expect heat pumps to be suitable for the vast majority of properties, some may be less suitable and so we are supporting alternative low carbon technologies like heat batteries, air-to-air heat pumps, and biomass boilers.
We are also expanding the Boiler Upgrade Scheme to provide more options, including heat batteries. To simplify the system for consumers and installers, Government has recently mandated Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) as the sole certification scheme for clean heat installations under DESNZ schemes.
Asked by: Claire Young (Liberal Democrat - Thornbury and Yate)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps is the Government taking to protect rural and semi-rural households from fuel poverty resulting from increases in heating oil prices.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government is closely monitoring heating oil supply and price in light of instability in the Middle East. International kerosene prices are >75% higher than they were before the conflict and this is putting pressure on heating oil prices.
The Secretary of State has written to the industry reminding heating oil distributors of their commitments under the UKIFDA Code of Practice, including the need for fair, transparent and justifiable pricing. Ministers have also spoken with the Competition and Markets Authority, who have announced they are reviewing evidence of potential unfair practices and anti-competitive behaviour.
We are keeping under review whether any further support or action is needed to protect consumers.
Asked by: Claire Young (Liberal Democrat - Thornbury and Yate)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of instances in the Capacity Market where consumers paid for capacity that did not materialise.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Department has not made an assessment of this scenario because Capacity Providers are not paid for capacity that does not build out and therefore there is no cost to consumers. Payments under the Capacity Market are only made after a Capacity Provider has demonstrated that it is available to deliver. Where existing capacity fails to demonstrate availability or deliver during its obligation period, payments are suspended and the relevant Capacity Agreement is terminated.
From a security of supply perspective non delivery risk is factored into the way that targets are set within the Capacity Market based on historic data. This ensures that we can have confidence that we are securing the right level of capacity needed to maintain electricity security through a range of scenarios.
Asked by: Claire Young (Liberal Democrat - Thornbury and Yate)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what process her Department has in place to help ensure that Plan 2 student loan borrowers are informed of any changes made to their repayment terms.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The Student Loans Company (SLC) publishes confirmation of the interest rates and repayment threshold to apply in the upcoming financial year annually on GOV.UK. Furthermore, SLC have extensive guidance on the operation of the student loan repayments system available on GOV.UK.
Asked by: Claire Young (Liberal Democrat - Thornbury and Yate)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the VAT treatment of heat batteries.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
Installations of qualifying energy-saving materials or ‘ESMs’ in residential accommodation and buildings used solely for a charitable purpose benefit from a VAT zero-rate until March 2027.
We constantly evaluate whether to add ESMs, including heat batteries, to this relief. Any decisions would be announced by the Chancellor at a fiscal event, having assessed any change against the context of the overall public finances.
Asked by: Claire Young (Liberal Democrat - Thornbury and Yate)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what estimate his Department has made of the projected funding required to meet the fuel poverty targets set out in the Fuel Poverty Strategy for England by 2030.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government is determined to double the pace at which we slash fuel poverty. DESNZ will publish new fuel poverty statistics on 26 March.
As a result of decisions taken in the Budget, energy bills are set to fall by 7% or £117 from April. The expansion of the Warm Home Discount means nearly 6 million households are now eligible for the discount. We will continue to provide this until 2030/31.
We also made a £15 billion investment in the Warm Homes Plan. £5 billion of this is going to low-income and fuel poor households, initially delivered through the Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund and Warm Homes: Local Grant. This is made up of £4.4 billion in direct capital grants and an initial £600 million from the Warm Homes Fund, our new strategic investment facility.
Our plans to introduce minimum energy efficiency standards in the private and social rented sectors will deliver long lasting change with around 650,000 households lifted out of fuel poverty.