Dan Norris

The Government Property Agency (GPA) does not manage participation of No Mow May centrally. However, estates are encouraged to take part in such initiatives if operationally feasible on a site by site basis. As such several sites took part across the GPA estate.

The Government published an Impact Assessment for the 2025 National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage rates, which includes a breakdown of the expected impacts by region. Constituency-level estimates are not available due to greater data reliability issues arising from low survey response rates.

The Department for Business and Trade has a dedicated exports promotion programme for the film and high-end TV industry, which includes providing export support for businesses at major international film festivals and markets.

We prioritise growth markets, including the EU, the Asia-Pacific and Latin America, with an overall objective to increase our global exports footprint. We work with the UK film and TV sectors to remove market access barriers to enable businesses to increase their exports and use free trade agreements to grow exports.

The restructured Board of Trade is charged with enhancing support for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), including those in North East Somerset & Hanham. With a renewed focus on championing UK exports, the Board-comprising experienced business leaders-will help SMEs access new global markets and benefit from trade agreements through serving as ambassadors and advocates for British businesses at home and abroad, supporting and promoting initiatives such as the upcoming Business Growth Service.

Last year the Business Secretary announced a new Business Growth Service which will make it easier for businesses across Somerset to get advice and support to grow and thrive. The West of England Growth Hub is where small and medium businesses in Somerset and the surrounding rural areas can benefit from specialist advice on how to scale up, access new markets and receive financial support through the British Business Bank.

Businesses can also access other Government programmes such as the Business Support Service, Help to Grow: Management, the UK Export Academy, International Trade Advisors and the Export Support Service.

The deal that the Government struck with the EU delivers on what the British public voted for last year. It slashes red tape and bureaucracy; boosts British exporters; and will add nearly £9 billion to the UK economy by 2040. This will benefit the South West of England, whose largest trading partner is the EU, constituting 44.1% of South West exports of goods and 47.8% of imports of goods in 2024.

Additionally, we signed a Security and Defence Partnership, which will boost defence procurement opportunities in the nearby aerospace industry cluster.

DESNZ and Great British Energy are developing the Local Power Plan, designed to accelerate the local and community energy sector in support of the Clean Power Mission.

On 21 May we published a working paper on community benefits and shared ownership of low carbon energy infrastructure. Developers of low carbon energy generation and storage infrastructure would be required to contribute to funds, which can be used to support the local community.

Plans are in place for households within 500 metres of new or significantly upgraded electricity transmission infrastructure to get up to £2,500 off their electricity bills over 10 years.

My Rt. Hon. Friends the Secretary of State and the Chancellor of the Exchequer have regular discussions on a range of issues.

We are confident in the UK's security of gas and fuel supply, even in light of geopolitical tensions and the current crisis in the Middle East. The UK benefits from a secure and diverse energy system, which allows us to draw on global gas and fuel supplies, reducing our reliance on any single source. Additionally, despite regional disruptions, global energy markets continue to function, ensuring stability in our supply.

The Government recognises that mine water heat shows good potential as a renewable source for heat networks. The technology was eligible for support through the Heat Network Investment Project from 2018 and is currently eligible for funding from the Green Heat Network Funding https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/green-heat-network-fund-ghnf. Mine water schemes at Gateshead and Seaham Garden Village have been supported through these schemes. Feasibility assessments have also been supported by Heat Network Delivery Unit Funding in other locations.

I met with Trustees of the BCSSS on 22nd April 2025 and analysis to support decision making has now been commissioned jointly by the Trustees and the Department from the Government Actuarial Department.

The government will continue to deliver the Warm Home Discount which provides a £150 annual rebate on energy bills for eligible low-income households. We will invest an extra £13.2 billion through our Warm Homes Plan over the next Parliament to upgrade 5 million homes and cut bills for families.

The Government is committed to the development of non-animal alternatives and will publish a strategy to support their development, validation and adoption later this year.

Significant progress has been made on validating alternative methods, including the possibility of replacing mice by in vitro suitable cell cultures in LD50-type testing methods, and relevant regulatory quality standards and testing requirements have been revised accordingly for these specific medicines.

The implementation of new tests for existing products must protect and prioritise human safety, often requiring extensive validation. It is not presently possible to replace all of the existing animal tests with in vitro non-animal replacements.

The Government published its Digital Inclusion Action Plan in February 2025, which outlines the first five actions we are taking over the next year to boost digital inclusion in every corner of the UK, including North East Somerset & Hanham.

These will be targeted at local initiatives for boosting digital skills and confidence, widening access to devices and connectivity, and getting support to people in their own communities so everyone can reap the benefits of technology.

We are committed to ensuring government online and digital services are accessible as possible alongside exploring how to extend the scope of the standards further.

The Government published its Digital Inclusion Action Plan in February 2025, which outlines the first five actions we are taking over the next year to boost digital inclusion in every corner of the UK, including North East Somerset & Hanham.

These will be targeted at local initiatives for boosting digital skills and confidence, widening access to devices and connectivity, and getting support to people in their own communities so everyone can reap the benefits of technology.

We are committed to ensuring government online and digital services are accessible as possible alongside exploring how to extend the scope of the standards further.

The Labour Manifesto includes a commitment to “partner with scientists, industry, and civil society as we work towards the phasing out of animal testing” and the Government is drafting a strategy to support the development, validation and uptake of alternative methods.

The Government has been consulting industry, academia and civil society as this process unfolds. Minister Vallance hosted a roundtable on 05.09.24 with industry representatives and officials have kept in regular contact with industry since then.

The Government actively supports AI research by collaborating with academic institutions and industry, investing in talent development, and funding research projects.

UKRI has allocated over £1 billion to AI research including doctoral training, the Alan Turing Institute, Bridge AI, Responsible AI UK, and BRAID programmes.

We are focused on reducing barriers to research through initiatives such as AISI’s Systemic Safety Grants Programme, which provides funding of up to £200,000 to innovative projects addressing AI risks.

This data is shared by all constituencies in the ceremonial county of Somerset:

• Inbound: Somerset saw 496K visits, 3.2M nights, and a spend of £296M in 2022.

• Domestic: Somerset saw 2M trips, 6.7M bednights, and a spend of £460.4M - annual average based on 24 months between Sep 21-Sep 23

This government is committed to breaking down barriers to opportunity and tackling child poverty. The department has now announced that we are extending free school meals (FSM) to all children from households in receipt of Universal Credit from September 2026. This will lift 100,000 children across England out of poverty and put £500 back in families’ pockets, supporting parents in decisive action to improve lives ahead of the Child Poverty Strategy coming later this year.

In North East Somerset and Hanham, 2,008 pupils are currently eligible for FSM. Following the expansion of FSM to all on Universal Credit from September 2026, the department expects approximately 3,500 children to be eligible based on data from the Department for Work and Pensions. Providing over half a million children from the most disadvantaged backgrounds with a free, nutritious lunchtime meal every school day will lead to higher attainment, improved behaviour and better outcomes, meaning children get the best possible education and chance to succeed in work and life.

This government is committed to breaking down barriers to opportunity and tackling child poverty. The department has now announced that we are extending free school meals (FSM) to all children from households in receipt of Universal Credit from September 2026. This will lift 100,000 children across England out of poverty and put £500 back in families’ pockets, supporting parents in decisive action to improve lives ahead of the Child Poverty Strategy coming later this year.

In North East Somerset and Hanham, 2,008 pupils are currently eligible for FSM. Following the expansion of FSM to all on Universal Credit from September 2026, the department expects approximately 3,500 children to be eligible based on data from the Department for Work and Pensions. Providing over half a million children from the most disadvantaged backgrounds with a free, nutritious lunchtime meal every school day will lead to higher attainment, improved behaviour and better outcomes, meaning children get the best possible education and chance to succeed in work and life.

The government is reforming the apprenticeships offer into a new growth and skills offer, providing greater flexibility for employers and learners.

From August, the offer will include new foundation apprenticeships for young people, as well as shorter-duration apprenticeships, helping more individuals gain high quality skills. Construction and social care will be among the first sectors to benefit, with the introduction of four new apprenticeship standards, as well as shorter apprenticeships, including the level 2 healthcare support worker and level 2 smart meter installer. These measures, backed by a record £3 billion English apprenticeship budget for 2025/26, will open up opportunities for careers the country vitally needs to prosper.

Recently, the government launched the 'Next Generation' campaign to inspire more pupils to pursue careers in high-demand sectors like construction and healthcare. This consists of targeted communications, school engagement, and promotion of technical education pathways.

In March, the government also announced the £625 million skills package for the construction sector. These measures are designed to raise awareness, boost access and improve the quality of training available, ensuring that more young people are equipped with the skills the construction sector urgently needs.

This government is transforming the apprenticeships offer into a new growth and skills offer, which will provide greater flexibility to employers and learners across the country, including in North East Somerset and Hanham, and support the industrial strategy.

From August, the department will be introducing seven new foundation apprenticeships for young people in targeted sectors, including construction and the built environment, digital, and health and social care. We are also reducing the apprenticeship minimum duration to eight months so that shorter apprenticeships are possible from August. These flexibilities will help more people learn new high quality skills at work and fuel innovation in businesses across the country.

To support employers to access apprenticeships, the government pays £1,000 to employers when they take on apprentices aged 16 to 18 years old, and for apprentices aged 19 to 24 years old who have an education, health and care plan or have been in local authority care. We will also provide £2,000 payments to employers for every foundation apprentice they take on and retain. Employers also benefit from not being required to pay anything towards employees’ National Insurance for all apprentices aged up to 25 when they earn less than £50,270 a year.

This government is committed to improving mental health support for all children and young people, including those in North East Somerset and Hanham. This is critical to high and rising standards in schools and breaking down barriers to opportunity, helping pupils to achieve and thrive in education.

The government will provide access to specialist mental health professionals in every school by expanding Mental Health Support Teams (MHSTs), so every child and young person has access to early support to address problems before they escalate. By April 2026, the department estimates that 60% of pupils in schools and learners in further education in England will be covered by an MHST, up from 52% in April 2025. In Bath and North East Somerset local authority, 46% of pupils/learners and 47% of schools/colleges are already covered by an MHST, compared to 52% and 41% nationally, respectively.

The government will also recruit 8,500 mental health staff to treat children and adults, and open new Young Futures Hubs with access to mental health support workers.

To support education staff, the department provides a range of guidance and practical resources on promoting and supporting pupils’ mental health and wellbeing, such as a resource hub for mental health leads and a toolkit to help schools choose evidence-based early support for pupils.

School funding is increasing by £3.7 billion in 2025/26, taking total core school funding to £65.3 billion compared to £61.6 billion in 2024/25.

The Environment Agency (EA) have records of 43 reports of flooding in the North East Somerset and Hanham Constituency over the last 5 years. However, property flooding is often underreported for many reasons, and this number only includes incidents of flooding that have been reported to the EA.

Defra has received HSE’s final opinion on a proposed UK REACH Restriction on lead in ammunition and we are assessing their proposals. Given the need to work through the detail of HSE’s proposal a decision is expected in the summer due course. This decision will be taken with the consent of the Devolved Governments of Scotland and Wales.

As a category 1 responder under the Civil Contingencies Act the Environment Agency has supported Bath and North East Somerset Council at various events to develop resilient communities in North East Somerset and Hanham.

As a responding agency, the Environment Agency (EA) has been involved with protecting residents from various weather events such as Storm Bert in 2024. This included operation of ea assets, warning and informing residents and coordinating responses and recovery with their professional partners.

The ea is working to create a River Avon vision with partners for the Netham to Twerton Corridor to support the Government’s sustainable growth agenda and enable the restoration of nature and resilient communities faced with flooding and climate change.

The EA has a successful programme of Property Flood Resilience (PFR) for isolated properties at risk of flooding. In North East Somerset and Hanham installation of PFR at properties in Swinford, Hanham and Chew Magna has been completed.

In addition, the EA has an ongoing project to understand flood risk in the Siston and Warmley catchment. As part of their asset management role, they have just completed urgent tunnel lining repairs to the Siston flood relief tunnel.

The Environment Agency (EA) inspected over 50% of the Wessex Water assets in this Constituency between April 2024 and March 2025. Inspections are prioritised according to environmental sensitivity, such as sites that impact bathing waters, conservation designations or where data shows high spill rates. The EA will more than double its water company inspections this year.

Defra has received the Health and Safety Executive’s (HSE) final opinion on a proposed UK REACH Restriction on lead in ammunition and we are assessing their proposals. Given the need to work through the detail of HSE’s proposal a decision is expected in due course.