Asked by: Dan Norris (Independent - North East Somerset and Hanham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what was the total value of the Bus Service Operators Grant awarded to operators in the West of England area in the last financial year.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department for Transport does not hold information on the amount of Bus Service Operators Grant (BSOG) provided specifically to the West of England area. BSOG is an operator subsidy rather than a regional funding stream and is paid directly to eligible bus and community transport operators.
While the Department holds records of payments made to individual operators, it is not possible to determine how much funding supports services in a particular geographic area. Many operators provide services across multiple local authority areas, meaning that payments made to an operator do not necessarily reflect where the supported mileage is operated.
Information on BSOG payments made to individual operators is published on GOV.UK.
Asked by: Dan Norris (Independent - North East Somerset and Hanham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to improve unpaid carers' awareness of the support available to them.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Hon Member is right to point out that, as well as reviewing the levels of support that are available to unpaid carers through the Casey Commission, it is important to make each individual currently acting as an unpaid carer aware of the support that is available to them at present. That was therefore a key objective of our Unpaid Carers Action Plan, published in July, and available at the link below:
Asked by: Dan Norris (Independent - North East Somerset and Hanham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure bus stops have up-to-date timetable information in rural areas.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government recognises the vital role that high-quality bus stop provision plays in supporting and encouraging people to use local bus services. The local authority is ultimately responsible for all elements of the bus network including the provision of timetables, and can issue physical timetables at bus stops on a discretionary basis. Enhanced Partnership guidance requires EP schemes to include arrangements for multi-operator passenger information and encourages local authorities to provide real-time information at bus stops.
To ensure passengers have access to up-to-date information, the Bus Open Data Service requires operators to publish timetable, fares and real-time vehicle location data. This enables passengers to plan journeys and access accurate, live service information through apps, online platforms and, where available, at-stop displays.
The Government has also confirmed multi-year allocations through the Local Authority Bus Grant (LABG) totalling nearly £700 million per year from 2026/27-28/29. Funding allocated to local authorities to improve services can be used in whichever way they wish to deliver better services for passengers, including investing in bus stops in rural areas to ensure the provision of accurate timetable information.
Asked by: Dan Norris (Independent - North East Somerset and Hanham)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many caretaker posts across the Army Reserve and University Officers’ Training Corps estate will be required to leave tied accommodation by 31 March 2027.
Answered by Calvin Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans and People)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to question 23599 on the 7 September 2026.
https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2026-08-28/23599
Asked by: Dan Norris (Independent - North East Somerset and Hanham)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the Government has made an estimate of the number of organised deer hunts that operated under exemptions relating to the flushing of deer to guns in 2024/25.
Answered by Jenny Riddell-Carpenter - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
No, this Government has not made such an estimate.
Asked by: Dan Norris (Independent - North East Somerset and Hanham)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to support high streets in North East Somerset and Hanham constituency.
Answered by Jim McMahon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
To restore high streets, we have announced measures to tackle organised crime, cut business rates for pubs, and stop the spread of vape shops and gambling outlets.
Later this year, we will publish a High Streets Strategy, setting out the longer-term plan for bringing life back to our town centres.
Asked by: Dan Norris (Independent - North East Somerset and Hanham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that the development of the National Care Service meets the needs of autistic adults who require long-term social care support.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
On 29 July, the Prime Minister set out his objectives to reform the social care system, and brought forward the timetable for Baroness Casey’s commission to inform that reform programme. More information is available at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/pm-sets-out-new-path-to-fix-social-care-together-29-july-2026
All aspects of the current system will be reviewed as part of that process, and we will continue to update Parliament on a regular basis.
Asked by: Dan Norris (Independent - North East Somerset and Hanham)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the redeployment opportunities available to long-serving Skill Zone 1 employees in the West of England, including older members of staff.
Answered by Calvin Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans and People)
The Ministry of Defence has not conducted a specific assessment of redeployment opportunities for long-serving Skill Zone 1 (SZ1) employees in the West of England, including older members of staff.
Opportunities for redeployment are available through vacancies advertised on Civil Service Jobs. In the past two years, one SZ1 vacancy has been advertised in the West of England. There have been nine SZ1 vacancies advertised across the UK over the same period.
Asked by: Dan Norris (Independent - North East Somerset and Hanham)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what support will be provided to caretakers across the Army Reserve and University Officers’ Training Corps estate who need to secure alternative accommodation.
Answered by Calvin Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans and People)
The Army Caretaker Review remains ongoing and no final decisions have been made. Consultation on the proposed implementation plan is taking place with the recognised trade unions. Affected employees have been informed of the proposal and indicative timeline and will be updated following consultation.
Of the 123 caretakers currently in scope of the review, 89% occupy accommodation linked to their caretaker role. This data is correct as at 1 September 2026. The proposed timetable for vacating linked accommodation, including cases where employment may continue beyond 31 March 2027, remains subject to consultation and implementation planning.
The Department recognises the uncertainty and potential impact on affected caretakers and their families. Housing-related issues, including transitional arrangements and the proposed timetable for vacating tied accommodation, are being considered as part of implementation planning. Requests to remain in accommodation beyond the end of the role, under a different rental agreement, would be considered on a case-by-case basis by the property owner, taking account of Defence requirements, site security, estate plans and individual circumstances.
Affected employees will receive support through line management, Human Resources , trades union representatives and the Employee Assistance Programme. Army caretakers across the UK, will also be encouraged to engage early with local housing authorities and relevant independent advice services where they may need support to secure alternative accommodation.
Work is underway to identify suitable redeployment opportunities within Defence and the wider Civil Service. Redundancy would only be considered where suitable redeployment cannot be secured. Any financial assistance or compensation would be considered in line with the relevant Civil Service compensation scheme provisions and wider departmental policy.
Asked by: Dan Norris (Independent - North East Somerset and Hanham)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of modern capital instruments to enable non-member investment in co-operatives.
Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government wants to ensure that the law governing co-operatives and community benefit societies supports their growth. That is why the Government is funding the Law Commission’s independent review of the Co-operative and Community Benefit Societies Act 2014. The review is considering ways to update and modernise the legislation, ensuring that it fits the nature and needs of these societies and that regulation is proportionate and effective. This includes consideration of whether shares may be issued with varying rights and to non-user investors.
Once published, the Government will carefully consider the Law Commission’s recommendations to understand whether reform is needed to support these businesses to grow and succeed in the future. The Government is committed to unlocking the full potential of the mutual and co-operative sector to support inclusive growth and we continue to engage regularly with the sector to address the barriers to the sector’s growth