Asked by: Clive Betts (Labour - Sheffield South East)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of outsourcing the licensing of the operation of the professional basketball league on the (a) investments and (b) financial viability of professional basketball clubs in the UK; and if she will make an assessment of the effectiveness of the British Basketball Federation's governance model.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The licensing of the operation of the professional basketball league is a matter for the British Basketball Federation (British Basketball), the National Governing Body responsible for basketball in Great Britain. The licensing of the operation of the professional basketball league is an ongoing commercial matter for the British Basketball Federation.
The revised Code for Sports Governance sets out the levels of transparency, diversity and inclusion, accountability and integrity that are required from sporting governing bodies, including the British Basketball Federation, in receipt of DCMS and National Lottery funding from UK Sport and/or Sport England (DCMS’ arm’s length bodies). Performance against those factors is kept under review.
Asked by: Clive Betts (Labour - Sheffield South East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she plans to introduce new regulations to clarify the legal use of (a) ebikes and (b) escooters.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The law on the use of e-cycles and e-scooters is clear. E-cycles can legally be used in the same way as a regular pedal cycle providing the user is aged 14 or over, and providing the cycle meets in full the requirements set out in the Electrically Assisted Pedal Cycle Regulations 1983 (as amended). There is ample guidance on gov.uk on this matter. In short, the requirements state that the cycle must be fitted with pedals that can propel it; must have a maximum continuous rated power output of no greater than 250 Watts; and that the motor must stop providing assistance at 15.5 miles per hour. Any electric cycle that does not meet the EAPC regulations is classed as a motorcycle or moped and needs to be approved, registered, insured, and taxed as a motor vehicle; and riders will also need an appropriate driving licence to ride one and must wear an approved motorcycle safety helmet.
It is currently illegal to use private e-scooters on public roads, cycle lanes and pavements, and rental e-scooters can only be used as part of the Government’s rental e-scooter trials. The Government recognises the need to address public concern about the regulation of e-scooters and is considering next steps. It will consult on any new proposed regulations before they come into force.
Enforcement of the rules for e-cycles and e-scooters is a matter for the police.
Asked by: Clive Betts (Labour - Sheffield South East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the average length of motorway (a) maintenance and (b) improvement contracts in terms of (i) duration and (ii) distance covered has changed in the last 10 years.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
For maintenance activities, National Highways operates long-term Maintenance & Response (M&R) contracts, typically spanning 8–15 years. These contracts handle tens of thousands of interventions across the Strategic Road Network annually. Currently, there are 10 M&R contracts, each covering approximately the same road network length as 10 years ago. However, on average, the contract durations have slightly increased compared to their previous iterations. To minimise the impact on customers, National Highways ensures that individual maintenance activities are carefully planned, with most works conducted overnight and designed to have minimal disruption.
Asked by: Clive Betts (Labour - Sheffield South East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the impact of time delays on road users is taken into account when determining the length of motorway (a) maintenance and (b) improvement contracts.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
For maintenance activities, National Highways operates long-term Maintenance & Response (M&R) contracts, typically spanning 8–15 years. These contracts handle tens of thousands of interventions across the Strategic Road Network annually. Currently, there are 10 M&R contracts, each covering approximately the same road network length as 10 years ago. However, on average, the contract durations have slightly increased compared to their previous iterations. To minimise the impact on customers, National Highways ensures that individual maintenance activities are carefully planned, with most works conducted overnight and designed to have minimal disruption.
Asked by: Clive Betts (Labour - Sheffield South East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many miles of the M1 motorway between Junction 34 and Junction 1 had speed restrictions as a result of roadworks as of 1 January in each year between 2015 and 2025.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Unfortunately, the information requested can only be provided at disproportionate cost as the department does not hold this information.
Asked by: Clive Betts (Labour - Sheffield South East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the oral contribution of the Minister for Policing, Fire and Crime Prevention in response to the question from the hon. Member for Sheffield South East of 29 July 2024, Official Report, Column 1028, what progress her Department has made on tackling antisocial road users.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)
Tackling anti-social behaviour is a top priority for this Government, and a key part of our Safer Streets Mission.
On 27 November 2024, the Government announced proposals to give the police greater powers to clamp down on e-bikes, e-scooters and other vehicles involved in anti-social behaviour, with officers no longer required to issue a warning before seizing vehicles.
This will allow the police to quickly remove anti-social vehicles which are creating a nuisance or disturbance in city centres and pedestrian areas. These powers will be included in the forthcoming Crime and Policing Bill.
Asked by: Clive Betts (Labour - Sheffield South East)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what the responsibilities of (a) unitary councils and (b) mayors will be for the delivery of the affordable homes programme.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government will set out details of new investment to succeed the 2021-26 Affordable Homes Programme at the multi-year Spending Review later this year. This will support local authorities as well as housing associations to build their capacity and make a greater contribution to affordable housing supply.
We are considering how all local authorities with housing responsibilities, including unitary authorities, will interact with our new investment for social and affordable housing and we will announce further details at the Spending Review.
The Devolution White Paper set out that mayors will be given the ability to set the strategic direction of any future affordable housing in their area. Further details will be set out as part of any future programme design.
Asked by: Clive Betts (Labour - Sheffield South East)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what the responsibilities are of (a) unitary authorities and (b) mayoral combined authorities to deliver housing targets.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government have implemented a new mandatory standard method for assessing housing needs which aligns with our ambition to build 1.5 million new homes in this Parliament.
Delivering on that ambitious milestone requires local planning authorities to plan for sufficient homes, as well as commercial development and wider infrastructure, through local development plans.
Unitary authorities are local planning authorities for their area and therefore will need to take account of the standard method when updating their local plans.
Mayoral combined authorities (MCAs) are not local planning authorities. However, some MCAs currently have a duty to produce Spatial Development Strategies (SDS), which is a form of strategic level plan.
Further, through our English Devolution White Paper published on 16 December 2024 we were clear that in future, SDSs will be produced for all of England, and where there are MCAs, they will produce the SDS.
Therefore, MCAs will use the new standard method when producing their SDSs, which will set the housing requirement for each local planning authority within its area. Local Plans will then have to be in general conformity with the relevant SDS.
Asked by: Clive Betts (Labour - Sheffield South East)
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 transferring powers for (a) skills and (b) training for employment support from job centres to (i) mayors and (ii) unitary councils under devolution deals.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
As announced in the Get Britain Working White Paper, the Department for Work and Pensions will devolve funding for Connect to Work via grants to Strategic Authorities (including unitaries with a devolution agreement), and other agreed local authority clusters across the rest of England. This funding, in addition to the local Get Britain Working plans these areas will produce, will enable them to design and deliver an offer that is shaped around local priorities and provision. For Established Mayoral Strategic Authorities, Connect to Work funding forms part of their Integrated Settlement.
All Mayoral Strategic Authorities will have a role in co-designing any future non-Jobcentre Plus employment support. Their subsequent role in commissioning or delivery will be determined as part of agreeing the policy objectives, design and funding parameters of any future programme. Established Mayoral Strategic Authorities will play an integral role in the design and delivery of this support, subject to evaluation and readiness conditions being met, with a clear outcomes and accountability framework.
The Department for Education already devolves the Adult Skills Fund to all Strategic Authorities, including Mayoral ones.
Full details of the governments employment and skills devolution commitments are set out within the recently published English Devolution White Paper: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/english-devolution-white-paper-power-and-partnership-foundations-for-growth/english-devolution-white-paper
Asked by: Clive Betts (Labour - Sheffield South East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to give extra (a) powers and (b) responsibilities to (i) councils and (ii) mayors over (A) academies, (B) other schools and (C) further education.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
All our schools are crucial partners in breaking down the barriers to opportunities for children and young people so they all receive a brilliant education which sets them up to achieve and thrive.
Academies are directly accountable to my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education. In the event that academies and their trusts are not meeting the required standards, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education has powers to intervene. In the event that a local authority or mayor has concerns about the performance of an academy or trust in their area they can raise these with the department.
Maintained schools are accountable to their local authority, which also has powers to intervene where schools are seriously underperforming.
The Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill, introduced on 17 December 2024, contains proposals to extend certain powers of local authorities. They include powers relating to the admission of children to maintained schools and academies, to the range of bodies which can propose the opening of a new school and to the setting of a school’s published admission number.
The department believes that further education has a crucial part to play in ensuring we have the skills needed for sustainable economic growth. That is why the government will continue to build an education system that prepares our students for life, work, and the future. All young people should have access to high quality education and training that meets their needs and provides them with opportunities to thrive.
The department recognises that mayors have a key role to play in ensuring that education and training pathways for young people provide clear routes into further education or employment. While the department remains committed to the principle of a national education system for those in compulsory education, including that every learner must have a wide range of choices in 16-19 study, the English Devolution White Paper, published on 16 December 2024, sets out areas for further devolution including on skills. Mayors will in future be jointly responsible for local skills improvement plans and have a key role developing the Youth Guarantee to ensure all young people under age 21 are earning or learning.