David Smith

Renewable liquid fuels are a limited resource, and the Government expects sustainable biomass to be prioritised where there are limited alternatives for decarbonisation. Renewable liquid heating fuels are also much more expensive to use than other heating solutions.

Before taking decisions on whether to support the use of renewable liquid fuels in heating including as a 20% blend, the Government would require stronger evidence on their affordability for consumers, and the availability of sustainable feedstock.

I have written to the Chief Secretary to the Treasury on this matter and we will continue to work closely with His Majesty’s Treasury on aspects related to the British Coal Staff Superannuation Scheme.

I refer my hon Friend to the answer I gave on 6 March 2025 to my hon Friend the Member for Truro and Falmouth to Question UIN 35113.

The Department is working closely with industry to make sure they are addressing meters across GB that are not providing automatic readings. Statistics on meters not providing automatic readings are published at a GB wide level only (at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/smart-meters-statistics).

Energy suppliers are required to take all reasonable steps to ensure their customers’ smart meters are fully functional. Ofgem regulates suppliers against these obligations.

The Government recognises that too many households across GB have smart meters which currently cannot send automatic readings to their energy suppliers. We will set out new plans to improve the rollout and the consumer experience, alongside Ofgem, in due course.

As sustainable biomass is a limited resource, the Government expects to prioritise its use in sectors like aviation, and potentially the small number of homes unsuitable for heat pumps, as these sectors have fewest options to decarbonise. The cost of renewable liquid heating fuels is currently much higher than other fuels available to off grid customers. Before taking decisions on whether to support the use of renewable liquid fuels, like hydrotreated vegetable oil, in heating, the Government would require stronger evidence on their affordability for consumers, and the availability of sustainable feedstocks.

In North Northumberland, there are four government funded Home Office masts that are due to be upgraded as part of the Shared Rural Network. The first of these upgrades at Herdlaw Farm should be activated in July and we will write to you with the details once the mast is delivering new coverage. The remaining masts in Mindrum, Bell Hill and The Ladyship Field will be activated no later than by the end of next year in line with the overall programme’s delivery timescales.

As an MP representing a mining community and previous member of the Coalfields Communities APPG, I understand the concerns raised about the performance of the Coal Industry Social Welfare Organisation (CISWO). As a constituency MP I have spoken to both ex-miners and stakeholders about the practices of CISWO. I would strongly encourage CISWO to strengthen its engagement with the coalfield communities that it was established to support.

As the Minister for Civil Society, I have met with the Charity Commission to discuss CISWO’s support for coal mining communities, and I know that the Charity Commission is in contact with CISWO directly. CISWO is an independent charity that does not receive direct government funding. It is for the charity trustees to make decisions about how it should deliver its charitable purpose. If the trustees are acting within the law, fulfilling their duties and furthering their charitable purpose, the Charity Commission cannot become involved in the internal decision making of a charity.

As an MP representing a mining community and previous member of the Coalfields Communities APPG, I understand the concerns raised about the performance of the Coal Industry Social Welfare Organisation (CISWO). As a constituency MP I have spoken to both ex-miners and stakeholders about the practices of CISWO. I would strongly encourage CISWO to strengthen its engagement with the coalfield communities that it was established to support.

As the Minister for Civil Society, I have met with the Charity Commission to discuss CISWO’s support for coal mining communities, and I know that the Charity Commission is in contact with CISWO directly. CISWO is an independent charity that does not receive direct government funding. It is for the charity trustees to make decisions about how it should deliver its charitable purpose. If the trustees are acting within the law, fulfilling their duties and furthering their charitable purpose, the Charity Commission cannot become involved in the internal decision making of a charity.

​​This government is committed to breaking down barriers to opportunity and tackling child poverty, which is why the department is taking action to expand access to free breakfasts and lunches in schools.

Free breakfast club places are already being offered in six early adopter schools in North Northumberland.

Furthermore, Department for Work and Pensions data shows that 3,690 children in North Northumberland will be eligible to receive free school meals when provision is extended to all household in receipt of Universal Credit from September 2026. Overall, this measure will lift 100,000 children out of poverty.

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School funding will increase by £4.2 billion over the Spending Review period, meaning core school funding will total £65.9 billion by 2028/29. This additional funding will provide an above real terms per pupil increase on the core schools budget.

The majority of school funding is allocated on a per pupil basis through the National Funding Formula (NFF) on a lagged funding system, where schools are funded on the basis of their pupil numbers in the previous October census. This arrangement helps to give schools more certainty over funding levels and is particularly important in giving individual schools time to adjust to demographic change before experiencing the funding impact.

Local authorities are also allocated funding through the NFF for growth and falling rolls, which they can use to support schools experiencing significant growth in pupil numbers, to support schools facing a temporary drop in pupil numbers, or to help meet the revenue costs of removing or repurposing surplus places.

Berwick Academy is the body responsible for the school buildings and has not put forward a nomination for the School Rebuilding Programme (SRP). The department is aware that Northumberland County Council has plans to invest in Berwick Academy as part of a wider school reorganisation in the area but we are yet to receive a business case or further detail.

The government has given a long-term commitment for capital investment through to 2034/35 to improve the condition of schools and colleges across England. We are investing almost £3 billion per year by 2034/35 in capital maintenance and renewal of the school and college estate, rising from £2.4 billion in 2025/26.

This is in addition to investment of almost £20 billion in the SRP through to 2034/35, delivering rebuilding projects at over 500 schools across England within the existing programme, with a further 250 schools to be selected within the next two years.

The department plans to set out further details on the process for selecting additional schools for the rebuilding programme later this year.

School buildings are integral to high and rising standards and need to be fit for the future.

The government has announced almost £20 billion of investment for the School Rebuilding Programme through to 2034/35, delivering rebuilding projects at over 500 schools across England within the existing programme, with a further 250 schools to be selected within the next two years. We plan to set out further details about the selection process later this year.

At the 2025/26 budget, the government increased capital investment to improve the condition of school buildings across England to £2.1 billion, almost £300 million more than 2024/25. More information on allocations and successful Condition Improvement Fund bids for 2025/26 can be found on GOV.UK.

£31 billion of capital funding for the education estate was announced at the Spending Review in June 2025 for the period the 2026/27 financial year to the 2029/30 financial year. As part of the 10-Year Infrastructure Strategy, the government also committed to increase annual capital maintenance investment per year through to 2034/35. Further details on funding commitments and any application processes for capital funding will be announced on GOV.UK in due course.

I refer my hon. Friend, the Member for North Northumberland, to the answer of 02 June 2025 to Question 54205.

a) The application window for Productivity and Slurry FETF 2024 grants closed on the 07 April 2024; the application window for Animal Health and Welfare FETF 2024 closed on the 01 May 2024.

The majority of Productivity applicants received their Grant Funded Agreement offer on 24 May 2024 totalling a wait time of approximately 7 weeks.

The majority of Slurry applicants received their Grant Funded Agreement offer on 23 May 2024 totalling a wait time of approximately 7 weeks.

The majority of Animal Health and Welfare applicants received their Grant Funded Agreement offer on 29 May 2024 totalling a wait time of approximately 4 weeks.

b) More than 70% of all FETF 2024 claims paid to date have been processed within 30 working days.

I hold regular discussions with National Highways on matters related to the Strategic Road Network. I am aware that National Highways is undertaking a safety study on the A1 through Northumberland which focuses on how it can improve the route’s safety rating. The study will identify specific locations where safety performance can be enhanced. These locations can then be considered for funding as part of the future Road Investment Strategies.

National Highways has considered the safety record of the A1 through North Northumberland, along with other priorities for this section of the route, as part of its London to Scotland (East) Route Strategy. The outputs of this work will be considered as part of final decisions on investment in the third Road Investment Strategy.

As the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced on 11 June, this Government will deliver improvements to people’s everyday travel by providing £24 billion of capital funding between 2026-27 and 2029-30 to maintain and improve national and local roads across the country. We will confirm funding for the third Road Investment Strategy in due course.

The Department for Transport will confirm the enhancement schemes and large-scale renewals to be delivered in the next road period when the third Road Investment Strategy is published in early 2026. National Highways will then publish further details in its Delivery Plan.

In order to support the planned introduction of the route’s recast timetable in December 2025, Network Rail have conducted detailed route-wide power modelling. Network Rail will continue to undertake similar activity to help inform future plans for East Coast Main Line investment, including sections of the route north of Berwick.

The Department is working closely with the Inter-Ministerial Group on Homelessness and Rough Sleeping, to get the country back on track to ending homelessness.

As I made clear in my statement to the House, Hansard, 1 July, col 219, any changes to PIP eligibility will come after a comprehensive review of the benefit, which I am leading, and which will be co-produced with disabled people, the organisations that represent them, clinicians, experts, MPs and other stakeholders, so a wide range of views and voices are heard. This review aims to ensure that the PIP assessment is fair and fit for the future. The review is expected to conclude in autumn 2026.

Personal Independence Payment (PIP) is there to help people, now and into the future, with the extra costs of living with a disability.

PIP is not intended to cover housing costs, which are paid through Universal Credit or Housing Benefit, but my department is committed to identifying and preventing homelessness amongst all customers.

Tailored support is available to those at risk of and experiencing homelessness. This includes easements for those with work-related requirements, to give the space to resolve housing issues; referrals to local authority housing teams under ‘duty to refer’ legislation; and signposting to money advice services.

We are continuing funding this year for local authorities to provide additional financial support for people struggling with housing and other essential living costs through the Household Support Fund and Discretionary Housing Payments. Through the Spending Review, we announced £1bn a year including Barnett consequentials from 2026 to reform crisis support in England.

The Pathways to Work Green Paper announced a broad package of plans and proposals to reform health and disability benefits and employment support. Our reforms will ensure the most vulnerable and severely disabled people are protected, so they can live with dignity and security, while supporting those who can work to do so. As we develop detailed proposals for change, we will continue to consider the potential impacts of reforms.

Ending all forms of homelessness is a priority for this Government. £1 billion has been invested in homelessness and rough sleeping services this year. DWP is fully committed to playing its part in homelessness prevention and supporting MHCLG to develop a new cross-government strategy to get us back on track to ending homelessness.

We announced in the Pathways to Work Green Paper that we would establish a new guarantee of support for all disabled people and people with health conditions claiming out of work benefits who want help to get into or return to work, backed up by £1 billion of new funding

As the Green Paper notes, we are keen to engage widely on the design of this guarantee and the components needed to deliver it. To get this right, we will be seeking input from a wide range of stakeholders including devolved governments, local health systems, local government and Mayoral Strategic Authorities, organisations in the private, voluntary and charitable sectors, employers and potential users. We will confirm further details in due course after we have completed our consultation process.  We expect voluntary and charitable organisations to play a significant role in delivering employment support.

We strongly value the input of disabled people and people with health conditions, in addition to representative organisations that support them, and that is why we have brought forward this Green Paper and the consultation.

The consultation welcomes the views of voluntary organisations, and we hope many will respond before the consultation closes on the 30 June 2025. Our programme of accessible public events will further facilitate input, including in-person and online, and will help us hear from disabled people and representative organisations directly.

We are also exploring other ways to facilitate the involvement of stakeholders in our reforms. In addition to the consultation, we will establish ‘collaboration committees’ that bring groups of people together for specific policy development areas and our wider review of the PIP assessment will bring together a range of experts, stakeholders and people with lived experience.

As we develop proposals further, we will consider how to best to involve voluntary and community organisations in the planning and implementation of reforms, including in our employment support package.

Universal Credit treats all forms and sectors of self-employment in the same way, focusing on the level of a customer’s earnings rather than the sector in which they work. The Minimum Income Floor (MIF) encourages self-employed customers to progress in work and grow their earnings to a sustainable level.

The Government is committed to reviewing Universal Credit. Further details will be provided in due course.

Improving outcomes and experiences of cancer treatment, including lobular breast cancer and other rare cancers, is a priority for the Government. Engagement with campaigners and partners is vital to achieving this.

My rt. Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, accompanied by my hon. Friend, the Minister of State for Health, met with representatives of the Lobular Moonshot Project on 14 July 2025 to discuss their work. Following this meeting, the Chief Scientific Adviser and officials from the Department and the Medical Research Council (MRC) met again with the Lobular Moonshot Project to provide advice on existing funding options. Both the MRC and the National Institute for Health and Care Research have committed to continuing to work with the Lobular Moonshot Campaign team to support the development of fundable research proposals in this area and help drive our collective ambition to increase understanding and effective management of this disease.

In April 2025, I attended an event with Cancer Research UK, Macmillan, and Cancer52. The was followed by a roundtable in May 2025, in which I met with Cancer52 members, representing a wide range of cancer types, to discuss how the National Cancer Plan can prioritise rare cancers, to make a meaningful difference to how patients experience cancer treatment, and to bring cancer survivability back up to the standards of the best in the world. I have also met with brain cancer campaigners and All-Party Parliamentary Group members on several occasions since taking up post.

The National Cancer Plan will include more details about improving treatments for all tumour types, including lobular breast cancer. The Department continues to engage with a wide range of cancer partners on the Plan, including charities and patient representative bodies.

While the Department has made no assessment, approximately 89% of prescription items are dispensed free of charge in the community in England, and there is a wide range of exemptions from prescription charges already in place for which those with ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease may be eligible. Eligibility depends on the patient’s age, whether they are in qualifying full-time education, whether they are pregnant or have recently given birth, whether they have a qualifying medical condition, or whether they are in receipt of certain benefits or a war pension.

People on low incomes can apply for help with their health costs through the NHS Low Income Scheme. Prescription prepayment certificates (PPCs) are also available. PPCs allow people to claim as many prescriptions as they need for a set cost, with three-month and 12-month certificates available. The 12-month PPC can be paid for in instalments.

On 3 July 2025, the Government announced the 10-Year Health Plan and set out its vision for a Neighbourhood Health Service set up in local communities across the country, to improve access to National Health Services, including NHS dental services.

We expect neighbourhood teams and services to be designed in a way that reflects the specific needs of local populations. We will be clear on the outcomes we expect, and will give significant licence to tailor the approach to local need.

Our priority will be to address underperformance and health inequalities in the areas with the worst health outcomes, such as rural and coastal communities, where we know access to healthcare services is often particularly poor.

The Government recognises the challenges facing adult social care and is taking action to improve the system across the country, including in rural areas. We have launched an independent commission into adult social care as part of our critical first steps towards delivering a National Care Service, and are also taking forward a package of reforms to enable more people to live independently for longer.

We are also updating the Adult Social Care Relative Needs Formula for the first time since 2013/14 to ensure adult social care funding reflects an up-to-date assessment of need. Our proposals are set out in the Fair Funding Review 2.0 consultation document, a consultation on local government funding reform which sets out our plans for ensuring central Government funding is allocated to the places that need it most, ensuring the best value for money for the Government and taxpayers. This wider consultation includes proposals to more effectively account for variations in the relative cost and demand of delivering services between rural and urban areas. We are proposing to do this by considering the remoteness of an area alongside its accessibility in the Area Cost Adjustment.

The Neighbourhood Health Service will mean millions of patients, including those in rural constituencies, are treated and cared for closer to their home by new teams of health professionals. Our priority will be to address underperformance and health inequalities in the areas with the worst health outcomes, such as rural and coastal communities, where we know access to healthcare services is often particularly poor.

We expect neighbourhood teams and services to be designed in a way that reflects the specific needs of local populations. While we will be clear on the outcomes we expect, we will give significant licence to tailor the approach to local need.

Our 10-Year Health Plan is creating a National Health Service truly fit for the future, keeping patients healthy and out of hospital, with care closer to home and in the home. An impact statement for the plan will be published in shortly.