Asked by: Graham Stuart (Conservative - Beverley and Holderness)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to (a) remove and (b) consult on a timetable for the removal of the historic spend factor from the High Needs National Funding Formula.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life.
The structure of the high needs national funding formula (NFF) is largely unchanged for the 2025/26 financial year, as the government takes the time needed to consider what changes are necessary. It is important both to make sure that we establish an equitable education funding system that directs funding to where it is needed, including to reflect any substantive differences in the costs of SEND provision in rural areas, and to support the government’s SEND reforms.
As part of our review of the NFF we are considering the previous government’s decisions on the element based on local authorities’ spending levels in 2017/18, which amounts to about 25% of the 2025/26 NFF quantum. Our plans for this historic spend factor, as for the NFF as a whole, and for any consultations on changes to the NFF, will be announced in due course.
Asked by: Graham Stuart (Conservative - Beverley and Holderness)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will take steps to ensure that the High Needs National Funding reflects the additional costs of delivering SEND provision in rural areas.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life.
The structure of the high needs national funding formula (NFF) is largely unchanged for the 2025/26 financial year, as the government takes the time needed to consider what changes are necessary. It is important both to make sure that we establish an equitable education funding system that directs funding to where it is needed, including to reflect any substantive differences in the costs of SEND provision in rural areas, and to support the government’s SEND reforms.
As part of our review of the NFF we are considering the previous government’s decisions on the element based on local authorities’ spending levels in 2017/18, which amounts to about 25% of the 2025/26 NFF quantum. Our plans for this historic spend factor, as for the NFF as a whole, and for any consultations on changes to the NFF, will be announced in due course.
Asked by: Graham Stuart (Conservative - Beverley and Holderness)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make it her policy to transition from E10 to E15 fuel.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The UK Government made E10 the standard (or ‘premium’) grade petrol in Great Britain in September 2021. Previously the grade supplied at UK forecourts contained a lower bioethanol content known as E5.
In making the decision to mandate E10 the Department carried out extensive consultation and undertook a comprehensive public information campaign. The UK did not move to E10 without assurance that vehicles on UK roads were ready to safely use higher blends of bioethanol, and that such a transition would align with industry agreed fuel standards for petrol.
The industry agreed standard for petrol, EN228, currently only permits fuel suppliers to supply petrol containing up to 10% ethanol (E10). The Department continually reviews all policies relevant to biofuels, including on E10. Any changes to fuel regulation would require alignment with industry led fuel standards for petrol and a consultation.
Asked by: Graham Stuart (Conservative - Beverley and Holderness)
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 UK-US trade deal on the UK's bioethanol industry.
Answered by Douglas Alexander - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
Whenever a trade agreement of any sort is agreed, there will be domestic impacts if our trading partners have requested further access to the UK market. That is the case for the agreement on bioethanol. Senior officials from the Department for Business and Trade have been meeting representatives of the domestic bioethanol industry, and the Secretary of State has met with bioethanol businesses. We are committed to working with the domestic bioethanol industry about their concerns.
Asked by: Graham Stuart (Conservative - Beverley and Holderness)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what proportion of homes owned by private registered providers had an Energy Performance Certificate rating of C or above in (a) the most recent year for which data is available and (b) 2010 in (i) England, (ii) Scotland and (iii) Wales.
Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The English Housing Survey is the Department’s key source of information on households and housing in England. While it is a sample survey and does not have a record of all dwellings built, it does contain data on the proportion of properties in different tenure types annually for England only, which is found: here. The department does not hold data for Wales or Scotland.
Asked by: Graham Stuart (Conservative - Beverley and Holderness)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what proportion of homes provided by housing associations had an Energy Performance Certificate rating of C or above in (a) the most recent year for which data is available and (b) 2010 in (i) England, (ii) Scotland and (iii) Wales.
Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The English Housing Survey is the Department’s key source of information on households and housing in England. While it is a sample survey and does not have a record of all dwellings built, it does contain data on the proportion of properties in different tenure types annually for England only, which is found: here. The department does not hold data for Wales or Scotland.
Asked by: Graham Stuart (Conservative - Beverley and Holderness)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what proportion of homes owned by local authorities had an Energy Performance Certificate rating of C or above in (a) the most recent year for which data is available and (b) 2010 in (i) England, (ii) Scotland and (iii) Wales.
Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The English Housing Survey is the Department’s key source of information on households and housing in England. While it is a sample survey and does not have a record of all dwellings built, it does contain data on the proportion of properties in different tenure types annually for England only, which is found: here. The department does not hold data for Wales or Scotland.
Asked by: Graham Stuart (Conservative - Beverley and Holderness)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what proportion of social housing had an Energy Performance Certificate rating of C or above in (a) the most recent year for which data is available and (b) 2010 in (i) England, (ii) Scotland and (iii) Wales.
Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The English Housing Survey is the Department’s key source of information on households and housing in England. While it is a sample survey and does not have a record of all dwellings built, it does contain data on the proportion of properties in different tenure types annually for England only, which is found: here. The department does not hold data for Wales or Scotland.
Asked by: Graham Stuart (Conservative - Beverley and Holderness)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, who the designated board-level executive leads are for Down Syndrome in each ICB in England.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
It is the responsibility of integrated care boards (ICBs) to make information public about executive leads for Down syndrome in England. In accordance with statutory guidance published by NHS England on 9 May 2023, ICBs should be open and transparent about who holds these roles and should make this information publicly available. We are giving systems greater control and flexibility, and it is for individual ICBs to decide how to publicise these details.
The statutory guidance sets out NHS England’s expectations about fulfilling executive lead functions and outlines the responsibilities of these roles in more detail, and is available at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/executive-lead-roles-within-integrated-care-boards/
Asked by: Graham Stuart (Conservative - Beverley and Holderness)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to the Oral Statement by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero of 10 February 2025 on Biomass Generation, Official Report, columns 41-43, what steps he is taking to support the continued operation of waste wood biomass sites under the 100MW threshold beyond 2027.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government is aware that the expiration of Renewables Obligation accreditation beyond 2027 may affect the commercial viability of generators from a range of technologies, including waste wood biomass generators below the 100 MW threshold.
We are continuing to assess the situation to understand the impact of the end of Renewables Obligation support on security of supply, clean power 2030 and environment.
No decisions have been made on support for waste wood biomass sites beyond 2027.