Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if her Department will publish guidance on recruiting impartial school governors.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The government’s guidance on the constitution of school governing bodies explains that the most robust governing bodies welcome and thrive on diversity of viewpoints, skills, experiences and backgrounds. This ensures open debate, effective decision-making, and prevents dominance by a single perspective. It promotes inclusivity, strategic challenge, and decisions in the best interests of the school community. As public officeholders, governors must uphold the seven Nolan principles of public life. Additionally, governors must ensure compliance with the law on political impartiality in schools.

Governors, associate members and governance professionals must declare their interests to ensure that transparent strategic decision-making can take place.

Schools should publish governors’ relevant business, financial and pecuniary interests on their website.

There are comparable expectations for academy trusts.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many Mobility as a Service (MaaS) apps are in development using public funding; and which locations they cover.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Department is aware of several ‘Mobility as a Service’ apps at various stages of development and implementation across the country through regular engagement with local authorities. However, we do not maintain a comprehensive list of these. The geographic scope and funding models of such apps are a matter for local authorities.

Found: election, but was defeated in a local party membership ballot by former Labour MP for Wansdyke, Dan Norris