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, what recent progress her Department has made on phasing out the use of farrowing crates in pig production.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 2 April 2025 to the hon. Member for Birmingham Northfield, PQ UIN 41698.
Asked by: Dan Norris (Independent - North East Somerset and Hanham)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what progress she has made on increasing skills via apprenticeships, technical colleges and regional training programmes.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The government is transforming apprenticeships into a new growth and skills offer, providing greater flexibility for employers and learners while supporting the industrial strategy. In August, new foundation apprenticeships for young people in targeted sectors and shorter-duration options were introduced to help more people gain high-quality skills and drive business innovation.
The government has also launched 10 construction technical excellence colleges (TECs) and will expand the programme to clean energy, advanced manufacturing, digital technologies, and defence. Selection for these TECs begins by the end of 2025, with delivery from April 2026.
Providers nationwide are funded to develop training aligned with local needs. In 2025/26, 67% of the £1.44 billion adult skills fund was devolved to 13 strategic authorities for locally tailored provision.
Local Skills Improvement Plans (LSIPs) unite employers, educators, and leaders to match local skills provision to demand. The Business West Chamber of Commerce leads the West of England and North Somerset LSIP.
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, what estimate her Department has made of how many farms in Somerset and Gloucestershire use farrowing crates in pig production.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
No such estimate has been made for Somerset and Gloucestershire, but 50% of the national sow breeding herd give birth freely on outdoor units, with no option for confinement. Of the 50% of breeding sows kept indoors, approximately 42% are confined in farrowing crates from around five days before they are due to give birth, until the piglets are weaned at approximately 28 days of age.
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 steps he is taking to support veterans into suitable employment.
Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
This Government is committed to ensuring that veterans and their families are fully supported in transitioning to sustainable careers post military service.
A range of support is available, including the Career Transition Partnership (CTP), which is the initial point of provision for those transitioning into civilian life. The CTP offers assistance to individuals seeking employment for up to two years pre leaving service and for two years post service.
For veterans who are more than two years post-service, as well as their families, additional support is provided through Op ASCEND. This initiative has already successfully supported 5,000 veterans and family members and engaged with over 420 employers to create employment opportunities.
These core programmes form part of a suite of wider initiatives, which include pathways for veterans gaining employment in the Civil Service, and 12 months National Insurance relief for employers who hire veterans in their first role post-service.
Asked by: Dan Norris (Independent - North East Somerset and Hanham)
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 the hospitality sector in North East Somerset and Hanham constituency.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Government recognises the significant pressures facing hospitality businesses, including those in North East Somerset and Hanham, and the Government is providing support through various measures to help ease these pressures.
We’ve introduced permanently lower tax rates for retail, hospitality and leisure properties with a ratable value under £500,000, worth nearly £900 million annually, benefitting over 750,000 properties. The new relief rates are permanent, giving businesses certainty and stability, and there will be no cap so all qualifying properties will benefit.
The Chancellor announced a new National Licensing Policy Framework as part of her budget. This sets out a vision for a proportionate licensing system that supports good businesses while continuing to tackle bad operators.
We’re also investing £440,000 with Pub is The Hub to help rural pubs diversify, aiming to support rural communities, create new jobs and services.
Asked by: Dan Norris (Independent - North East Somerset and Hanham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency last reviewed the driving test questions relating to (a) horse riders (b) cyclists and (c) motorcyclists.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) regularly reviews the driving theory test questions to ensure they remain clear, relevant and effective in assessing candidates’ road safety knowledge and understanding. This includes the questions about how to drive safely to protect vulnerable road users such as horse riders, cyclists and motorcyclists.
In addition, the CGI video hazard perception part of the driving theory test includes hazards involving horse riders, cyclists and motorcyclists. Candidates are evaluated on their ability to identify developing hazards in good time.
Every theory test candidate is exposed to both questions and hazard clips on these topics.
Asked by: Dan Norris (Independent - North East Somerset and Hanham)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps she is taking to support the life sciences sector.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
This summer the Government published the Life Sciences Sector Plan, setting out how we will strengthen one of the UK’s most important sectors. The Plan focuses on enabling world-class R&D, making the UK an outstanding place to start, scale and invest in life sciences, and driving healthcare innovation and reform. Backed by up to £2 billion of public investment alongside funding from UKRI and NIHR, the UK is already securing multibillion-pound private investment, expanding manufacturing, streamlining regulation and clinical trials, and building new research infrastructure. The recent UK-US trade deal on pharmaceuticals will also ensure that British-based pharmaceutical and medical technology firms have the lowest-tariff access to the US market in the world, a major competitive advantage. The deal will also allow more NHS patients to access cutting edge new innovations.
Asked by: Dan Norris (Independent - North East Somerset and Hanham)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what measures she is taking to improve access in schools to music, sport, art and drama for all children.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The government is committed to ensuring that high quality arts, music and physical education is not for the privileged few but an entitlement for all. We will ensure that the reformed national curriculum will support access to art and design, music and physical education, as well as access to drama within English. We will also ensure GCSEs in arts subjects and physical education are inclusive and fit for purpose.
Next year, we will launch the procurement of a new National Centre for Arts and Music Education and a new PE and School Sport Partnerships Network to support excellent teaching, strengthen partnerships between schools and national and local organisations, and promote arts and sporting opportunities for children and young people. In addition, the government has already committed £76 million for the Music Hubs grant this academic year, with future funding to be announced in due course.
Asked by: Dan Norris (Independent - North East Somerset and Hanham)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what measures she is taking to ensure the national curriculum equips children with the skills they will need with the increasing influence of AI.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
Following the independent Curriculum and Assessment Review’s final report on 5 November, we have accepted the recommendations for computing and will go further by including artificial intelligence (AI) within the curriculum. We are also exploring a potential level 3 qualification in data science and AI. This will empower students to harness the opportunities of AI, whilst navigating its risks responsibly.
We will work with subject experts to embed AI and issues like bias in technology within the refreshed computing curriculum in an age-appropriate way. Content will be shaped through expert engagement, with a public consultation on draft proposals next year.
To support the teaching of AI now, the department-funded National Centre for Computing Education offers free online courses for teachers on machine learning, ethics and generative AI. In July, the government also published updated relationships, sex and health education statutory guidance introducing new content on AI which will be mandatory from 1 September 2026.
Asked by: Dan Norris (Independent - North East Somerset and Hanham)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what progress he has made on supporting small and medium-sized businesses in North East Somerset and Hanham constituency.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Government’s Plan for Small Businesses, published in July, sets out the measures that the government is taking to support small businesses across the UK. This includes tackling late payments, boosting access to finance, and removing red tape to enable small businesses, including those in North East Somerset and Hanham constituency, to grow and thrive. SMEs can access DBT’s wealth of business and export support via business.gov.uk.
The West of England Growth Hub is where SMEs in North East Somerset and Hanham constituency can benefit from specialist business advice and help on how to grow and access new markets.