Asked by: Damien Egan (Labour - Bristol North East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans her Department has to expand the range of powers available to local authorities to tackle anti-social behaviour.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government is determined to restore confidence that anti-social behaviour (ASB) will be tackled quickly and effectively. Through the Crime and Policing Act 2026, we have strengthened the tools available to frontline agencies, including introducing Respect Orders for persistent adult perpetrators of anti-social behaviour, providing a more flexible and robust intervention to prevent further offending.
The Act also strengthens existing powers by increasing the maximum financial penalty available for breaches of Public Spaces Protection Orders (PSPOs) and Community Protection Notices (CPNs), extending the period for which Closure Notices can be issued, and introducing a new requirement for local policing bodies to conduct reviews where communities are dissatisfied with the response to ASB.
On 6 October, we published updated ASB statutory guidance ahead of commencement of these measures on 26 October. The guidance provides frontline practitioners with clarity on the new powers and processes coming into force, helping police, councils, housing providers and the courts prepare for and implement the new framework consistently and effectively
Asked by: Damien Egan (Labour - Bristol North East)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when the Government expects to reach the NATO target to spend 1.5% of GDP on broader resilience measures.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The UK is meeting its commitment to spend 1.5% on security and resilience, in line with NATO's definition. This includes investment focused on protecting critical infrastructure and networks, ensuring civil preparedness and resilience, driving innovation, and strengthening the defence industrial base.
Asked by: Damien Egan (Labour - Bristol North East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment she has made of the effectiveness of measures used to tackle antisocial behaviour in (a) Bristol and (b) South Gloucestershire.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The police, local authorities and other relevant agencies have a range of powers to tackle anti-social behaviour. Local agencies are best placed to assess the effectiveness of their response based on the issues affecting their communities.
Avon and Somerset Police, which covers both Bristol and South Gloucestershire, published its Anti-Social Behaviour Plan 2026–2031 in April. It sets out an evidence-led approach focused on prevention and early intervention, targeted enforcement, partnership working and improved support for victims.
The Government has strengthened the tools available to local agencies through the Crime and Policing Act 2026, including Respect Orders for persistent adult anti-social behaviour and reforms to the Anti-Social Behaviour Case Review. We are also improving anti-social behaviour data collection to strengthen our understanding of what works and where further action is needed.
Asked by: Damien Egan (Labour - Bristol North East)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he plans to introduce new legislation on defence readiness and national resilience during the current legislative session.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Government has accepted the 2025 Strategic Defence Review recommendation to introduce a Defence Readiness Bill to ensure the Government has the powers to respond effectively during escalation towards war. Prospective legislation is being developed to be brought forward before the end of this Parliament and will be introduced when parliamentary time allows.
Asked by: Damien Egan (Labour - Bristol North East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will revise the funding formula for schools in England to better reflect educational disadvantages among young people from white working-class backgrounds.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The Independent Inquiry into White Working-Class Educational Outcomes published its report in June 2026. The department will continue to engage with the Inquiry as it takes forward the next stage of its work.
The department is determined to do more to improve the life chances of our disadvantaged children, and the ‘Every Child Achieving and Thriving’ white paper establishes our plan to improve outcomes for all children.
We are investing significantly in the core schools budget in the 2026/27 financial year, with an extra £2.3 billion for schools.
The schools national funding formula (NFF) distributes funding for mainstream schools based on schools’ and pupils’ needs and characteristics.
In the 2026/27 financial year, 11% (£5.6 billion) of the schools NFF has been allocated through deprivation factors, and 18.1% (£9.2 billion) has been allocated for additional needs overall. In addition, we are providing approximately £3.2 billion of pupil premium funding.
Asked by: Damien Egan (Labour - Bristol North East)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether the Government is taking steps to expand access to apprenticeships specifically among young people from white working-class backgrounds.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
This government is transforming the apprenticeships 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.
To expand opportunities for young people, we are now fully funding apprenticeships for eligible young people aged under 25 and introducing a £2,000 hiring payment for non-levy paying employers (who are typically SMEs) that recruit apprentices aged under 25 from October.
Alongside this, we are introducing a targeted bursary worth up to £4,500 to support access to apprenticeships for the small number of Universal Credit households that would otherwise be financially worse off when a young person starts an apprenticeship, so that no young person is discouraged from undertaking one.
The government also facilitates and funds the Apprenticeship Ambassador Network (AAN) which comprises 3,000 employers and apprentices who volunteer to promote the benefits of apprenticeships, including in schools and colleges.
Asked by: Damien Egan (Labour - Bristol North East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent progress the Government has made toward reaching the target of 10,000 new foster care places by the end of the Parliament.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department must expand fostering. That is why creating 10,000 more places for children in foster homes this parliament is a priority, with 14 regional hubs moving towards end-to-end recruitment from September, backed by £12 million in transformation funding. Our Room Makers programme will provide up to £25 million to add additional capacity to existing loving foster homes. We have launched a £12.4 million innovation programme, enhanced digital tools and will launch a communications campaign in the autumn.
Asked by: Damien Egan (Labour - Bristol North East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what alternatives to the current formula for calculating interest rates for Plan 2 student loans are under consideration by her Department.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The formula for calculating interest rates for Plan 2 student loans is set in accordance with regulation 21A of the Education (Student Loans) (Repayment) Regulations 2009 (as amended). The department has no current plans to amend these.
The department continues to look for ways to make the student finance system fairer for students, graduates and taxpayers, but it is important that these are financially sustainable.
Asked by: Damien Egan (Labour - Bristol North East)
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 availability of NHS dental appointments in Bristol; and what steps her Department is taking to increase access to NHS dentistry for new adult and child patients in the city.
Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
In Bristol, the South West, and across the rest of England, we are committed to increasing access to dental treatment for those in greatest need, as set out in the reform programme published last December, and available at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/major-boost-for-millions-of-nhs-dental-patients
The latest NHS Dental Statistics show continued improvement across a range of key measures, with more National Health Service dental care being delivered, more dentists providing NHS services, improved access for patients, increased preventative care for children, and record levels of urgent dental activity. The publication of the annual dental statistics, which include statistics for the Bristol, North Somerset, and South Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board, can be found at the following link:
https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/statistical-collections/dental-england/dental-statistics-england-202526
Funding for preventative dental health programmes, including supervised toothbrushing and wider oral health improvement in Bristol and elsewhere in England, is available through the Public Health Grant. Further information can be found at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/public-health-grants-to-local-authorities-2026-to-2027
Asked by: Damien Egan (Labour - Bristol North East)
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 potential impact of dental workforce shortages on the provision of NHS dental services in the South West; and what steps she is taking to recruit and retain NHS dentists in Bristol and the wider region.
Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
In Bristol, the South West, and across the rest of England, we are committed to increasing access to dental treatment for those in greatest need, as set out in the reform programme published last December, and available at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/major-boost-for-millions-of-nhs-dental-patients
The latest NHS Dental Statistics show continued improvement across a range of key measures, with more National Health Service dental care being delivered, more dentists providing NHS services, improved access for patients, increased preventative care for children, and record levels of urgent dental activity. The publication of the annual dental statistics, which include statistics for the Bristol, North Somerset, and South Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board, can be found at the following link:
https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/statistical-collections/dental-england/dental-statistics-england-202526
Funding for preventative dental health programmes, including supervised toothbrushing and wider oral health improvement in Bristol and elsewhere in England, is available through the Public Health Grant. Further information can be found at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/public-health-grants-to-local-authorities-2026-to-2027