Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent progress his Department has made on helping tackle cases of adverse events in dogs which have been administered Librela.

Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Librela Solution for Injection for Dogs is an authorised injectable veterinary medicinal product containing the active substance bedinvetmab. It is indicated for the alleviation of pain associated with osteoarthritis in dogs.

We continue to actively monitor the reported adverse events in dogs that have been administered Librela.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of changes to the (a) national minimum wage and (b) national living wage on people in North East Somerset and Hanham constituency.

Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

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.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to increase the UK film industry's exports to (a) the EU (b) South America, (c) Asia and the Pacific.

Answered by Gareth Thomas - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

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.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether estates managed by her Department are participating in the No Mow May initiative.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The departmental estate is made up of office buildings which do not have any lawns. The department does not manage this estate. This is done on its behalf by the Government Property Agency.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure access to NHS dentistry for people living in North East Somerset & Hanham constituency.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government plans to tackle the challenges for patients trying to access National Health Service dental care with a rescue plan to provide 700,000 more urgent dental appointments and recruit new dentists to the areas that need them most. To rebuild dentistry in the long term, we will reform the dental contract with the sector, with a shift to focus on prevention and the retention of NHS dentists.

The responsibility for commissioning primary care services, including NHS dentistry, to meet the needs of the local population has been delegated to the integrated care boards (ICBs) across England. For the North East Somerset and Hanham constituency, this is the NHS Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire ICB. ICBs have been asked to start making extra urgent dental appointments available from April 2025. The Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire ICB is expected to deliver 13,990 additional urgent dental appointments as part of the scheme.

ICBs have started to advertise posts through the Golden Hello scheme. This recruitment incentive will see up to 240 dentists receiving payments of £20,000 to work in those areas that need them most for three years.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the re-structured Board of Trade on small and medium-sized businesses in North East Somerset & Hanham constituency.

Answered by Gareth Thomas - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

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.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to support small and medium-sized businesses in North East Somerset & Hanham constituency.

Answered by Gareth Thomas - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

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.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to improve SEND provision in North East Somerset and Hanham constituency.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

The government’s ambition for all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) is that they will achieve and thrive, and lead happy, healthy and productive lives. The department is working closely with experts on SEND reforms.

The department and NHS England have been supporting local areas to improve their SEND service delivery for several years. This includes a monitoring, support and challenge relationship following an inspection by Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission (CQC). Where a local authority does not meet its duties, we can take action that prioritises children’s needs and support local areas to bring about rapid improvement.

Ofsted and CQC undertook a joint local area SEND inspection of Bath and North East Somerset in March 2019 and received a positive outcome (the local area was not required to produce a written statement of action). We expect the area will be re-inspected within 5 years from January 2023, when the new Ofsted and CQC’s SEND inspection framework was introduced. Officials from the department and NHS England meet annually with partners from the local area (including health, education, agencies, parent/carer, children and young people representatives) to review and reflect on the SEND services.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of her proposals for reducing business rates for shops, pubs and leisure businesses on SMEs in North East Somerset and Hanham constituency.

Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

From April 2026, the Government intends to introduce permanently lower tax rates for retail, hospitality, and leisure (RHL) properties with rateable values below £500,000. This permanent tax cut will ensure that they benefit from much-needed certainty and support.

The rates for these new business rate multipliers will be set at Budget 2025 so that the Government can take into account the upcoming revaluation outcomes as well as the economic and fiscal context.

Ahead of these changes being made, we have prevented RHL relief from ending in April 2025 by extending it for one year at 40 per cent up to a cash cap of £110,000 per business, and frozen the small business multiplier.

When the new multipliers are set at Budget 2025, HM Treasury intends to publish overall analysis of the effects of the new multiplier arrangements.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the proposed reforms to the pensions markets on people in North Somerset and Hanham.

Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

This Government introduced its Pensions Scheme Bill on 5^th June. This will legislate for a smaller number of bigger, better governed, better value pension providers investing in a wider range of productive assets. The Bill will also legislate for wider changes, from addressing the small pots problem to a value for money regime that focuses everyone on the returns being delivered for savers and duties on those who run pension schemes to put savers into a default pension benefit solution.

This Bill is about delivering better returns for savers and driving economic growth, which will make everyone, including those in North Somerset and Hanham, better off. A typical saver, saving over a working lifetime, could benefit by tens of thousands of pounds.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the revised UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement on North East Somerset & Hanham constituency.

Answered by Douglas Alexander - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)

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.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of trade deals with (a) India and (b) the USA on the economy of North East Somerset and Hanham constituency.

Answered by Douglas Alexander - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)

On 8 May the UK government announced a landmark economic deal with the US. This protects jobs in the automotive, steel, aluminium, pharmaceutical and aerospace sectors - which employ over 320,000 people across the UK. In the South-West alone, these sectors employed 29,450 people in 2023. The trade deal with India is expected to raise UK GDP by £4.8 billion, increase wages by £2.2 billion annually in the long run, and unlock opportunities in every corner of the UK. As a result of this deal South-West exports including lamb, cosmetics, and advanced manufacturing will benefit from reduced tariffs.

Together, the US and India deals support UK-wide growth, with the South-West already exporting goods worth £0.6 billion to India and £4.4 billion to the US in 2024.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to tackle anti-social behaviour in communities in North East Somerset & Hanham constituency.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

Tackling anti-social behaviour (ASB) and the harm it causes is a top priority for this Government and a key part of our Safer Streets Mission.

​The Government’s Plan for Change details our commitment to reduce ASB, including a dedicated lead officer in every police force in England and Wales working with communities to develop a local ASB action plan. We are also delivering on our commitment to restore and strengthen neighbourhood policing, ensuring thousands of additional police officers and police community support officers are out patrolling in our town centres and communities to make the streets safer.

These officers will be equipped with tougher powers, such as the Respect Order, which was introduced in the Crime and Policing Bill, to crack down on ASB and crimes blighting our high streets and town centres.

The 2025-26 final Police Funding Settlement provides funding of up to £19.6 billion for the policing system in England and Wales. This is an overall increase of up to £1.2 billion when compared to the 2024-25 settlement and includes an additional £200 million to kickstart the first phase of putting 13,000 additional police officers and personnel into neighbourhood policing roles.

The Home Office is also providing £66.3m funding this financial year (2025-26) to police forces in England and Wales to deliver high visibility patrols in the areas worst affected by knife crime and ASB. Avon and Somerset Police will receive £1,641,063 of this funding.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to monitor the potential impact of the award of the contract for adult and community services to HCRG Care Group on patient care.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department has received requests asking my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care to use the powers under Schedule 10A of the National Health Service Act 2006 to call-in the award of the contract for adult and community services to the Health Care Resourcing Group Care Group. Departmental officials have been asked to look into the issues raised and to provide advice on whether my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care should call-in the decision.

The Department will assess the call-in request against the considerations published in the statutory guidance in January 2024 and the merits of the case.

The responsibility for the delivery, implementation, and funding decisions for services ultimately rests with the appropriate NHS commissioner, who are accountable to NHS England. All service changes should be based on clear evidence that they will deliver better outcomes for patients.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of proposed changes to apprenticeships on (a) young people and (b) businesses in North East Somerset and Hanham constituency.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

This government’s first mission is to kickstart economic growth. We know that across the country skills gaps are holding back business growth and that we need to support employers to invest in skills training. That is why we are transforming the apprenticeships offer into a new growth and skills offer, which will provide greater flexibility to employers and learners, aligned to the industrial strategy.

As part of the offer, we are introducing new foundation apprenticeships to give young people a route into careers in critical sectors, allowing them to earn a wage while developing vital skills. The first foundation apprenticeships will be focussed on industrial strategy and priority areas including construction, social care, digital and engineering, with seven new foundation apprenticeship standards introduced from August 2025. We expect this to drive up to 30,000 apprenticeship starts across this Parliament, creating more skilled jobs for young people and fuelling innovation for businesses across the country, including North East Somerset and Hanham.

The growth and skills offer is informed by Skills England’s engagement with a wide range of stakeholders, to ensure that levy-funded training meets the needs of employers and learners.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps his Department is taking to improve the accessibility of government digital services in North East Somerset & Hanham constituency.

Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

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.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps he is taking to improve digital inclusion in North East Somerset and Hanham constituency.

Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

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.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential implications for its policies of the report by the Urban Mobility Partnership entitled Community Bus Partnerships: A proposition to deliver improved local bus services, published on 20 May 2025.

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

The government’s reforms to bus services are designed to empower local authorities to improve services to better meet the needs of their communities. The government introduced the Bus Services (No.2) Bill last year, which will increase the powers available to local leaders to choose the bus services model that works best in their area, whether that be franchising, strengthened Enhanced Partnerships with private operators or setting up new local authority bus companies. In parallel, the government is reviewing Enhanced Partnerships, looking at where it can strengthen these to help local areas deliver better services for passengers.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will implement service standards for decisions for visa applications.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

Visa processing times are published on the GOV.UK website. https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/visa-processing-times

Applications made outside the UK: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/visa-processing-times-applications-outside-the-uk

Applications made in the UK: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/visa-processing-times-applications-inside-the-uk

UKVI are currently processing applications on the overwhelming majority of its visa routes within their published customer service standards.

Care-Experienced Children and Young People APPG
Wednesday 11th June 2025

Found: Dan Norris (Child Poverty Action Group, CPAG) said how nice it was to speak to people from the real world

Care-Experienced Children and Young People APPG
Wednesday 11th June 2025

Found: Dan Norris (Child Poverty Action Group, CPAG) said how nice it was to speak to people from the real world