Clive Jones

Our priorities to support growth and investment in the construction sector across the UK include: maximising economic benefits of HMG investment in construction and infrastructure; helping industry become more productive and sustainable, encouraging adoption of new technologies, decarbonisation and greater investment in its workforce; working to improve the business environment including payment practices; and supporting trade and investment in construction products and services.

The Government is working with the construction industry to build capacity and capability to deliver its infrastructure and built environment commitments. The introduction of Skills England will be crucial to providing high quality training for construction workers.

This government is committed to supporting the telecommunications industry.

We aim to deliver nationwide gigabit connectivity by 2030 and foster a competitive and business-friendly environment. Today, 85% of UK premises and over 90% of premises in Berkshire can access gigabit-capable networks. Our ambition is for all populated areas to have high-quality standalone 5G by 2030. We are committed to ensuring we have the right policy and regulatory framework to support investment and competition. We have invested £36 million to establish 5G Innovation Regions to drive adoption and investment.

Up to £100 million in funding is being provided for future telecoms technologies.

Our creative industries showcase the best of our creativity and culture to the world and drive both regional and national growth. They employ over 2 million people, are worth over £124 billion to the UK economy and have seen GVA growth twice that of the national rate. We will ensure that the sector can continue to drive growth, boost opportunities and help people to fulfil their creative potential across the UK, including in Berkshire. Our support includes:

• almost doubling studio capacity through funding for the British Film Commission of £6million over four years, which includes support for Shinfield and Bray studios in Berkshire;
• expanding the global reach of independent content through the £28 million UK Global Screen Fund;
• the screen sector tax relief (for film, high-end TV, animation, children’s TV, and video games) which has supported over £9.5 million of production for over 1000 projects; and
• £13.4 million funding between 2022 and 2025 for the UK Games Fund to support independent video games studios and graduate talent.

We’re also supporting the next generation of indie films with the introduction of the Independent Film Tax Credit, which will allow eligible films to apply for tax reliefs of 53% on qualifying expenditure up to £15 million, creating jobs and growth.

Opportunities to drive growth exist across the whole of the UK and in places such as Berkshire, which has benefited from the £56 million Creative Industries Clusters programme. This funded the StoryFutures Cluster bringing together creative businesses and universities to provide a research platform to develop cutting edge technologies. We will be launching the next wave of the Clusters programme next year.

Finally, the British Film Institute has committed £34.2 million National Lottery funding over 2023-2026 for education and skills programmes. This includes £8.1 million to develop skills clusters, one of which has been set up in Berkshire, led by Resource Productions, the University of Reading, and Shinfield Studios.

Under the School Food Standards, schools must ensure milk is available to all pupils who want it during school hours. Section 512ZB (3) of the Education Act 1996 sets out the requirement that milk must be provided free of charge to pupils eligible for free school meals.

Compliance with the School Food Standards is mandatory for all maintained schools, academies and free schools. Governors have a responsibility to ensure compliance and should appropriately challenge the headteacher and senior leadership team to ensure the school is meeting its obligations.

The long-standing School Milk Subsidy Scheme was accessed by over 11,000 schools in England in the last school year. Any school wishing to participate can access information about the Scheme here. The scheme is voluntary and it is a matter for individual schools as to whether they wish to participate in it.

Our mission to drive growth in the economy will bring with it increasing trade in high-value goods, and our mission to become a clean energy superpower will boost jobs within and around ports engaged in helping to deliver offshore wind and other clean energy development. Investment in ports and supply chains has been identified as a priority area for the newly established National Wealth Fund (NWF), which has allocated £7.3 billion of additional capitalisation to the UK Infrastructure Bank.

The Government is considering its position on future rail investment in the context of our critical missions and the availability of public finances.

The cross-modal freight sector is vital for the UK's economic prosperity, security, and well-being. An efficient logistics sector supports all other sectors of the economy and facilitates international trade through import, export, and market access.

We do not plan to update the previous ‘Future of Freight: a long-term plan’ document, but the Government is committed to working with the sector and will set out its concrete next steps in this area as soon as possible.

The Blue Badge scheme is primarily about helping people with a long-term disability, that affects their capacity to access the goods and services they need to use. Anyone may be entitled to a badge if they meet the eligibility criteria.

The Department has issued local authorities with advice on how they could use existing powers to provide locally determined parking concessions within their areas. For example, some local authorities grant parking concessions to assist their elderly residents. The same powers could be used to help those with temporary disabilities. The guidance is available at: www.gov.uk/government/publications/people-with-severe-temporary-impairments-advice-to-local-authorities.

It is important road safety knowledge and hazard perception skills are up-to- date at the critical point a person drives unsupervised for the first time.

The maximum duration of two years between passing the theory test and a subsequent practical test is in place to ensure a candidate’s road safety knowledge and ability to identify developing hazards is current. This validity period is set in legislation and the Government has no current plans to lay further legislation to extend it.

Ensuring learner drivers have current relevant knowledge and skills is a vital part of the learning to drive process as new drivers are disproportionately casualties on our roads. Learners therefore need to pass another theory test if their two-year theory test certificate expires.