Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.
e-Petitions are administered by Parliament and allow members of the public to express support for a particular issue.
If an e-petition reaches 10,000 signatures the Government will issue a written response.
If an e-petition reaches 100,000 signatures the petition becomes eligible for a Parliamentary debate (usually Monday 4.30pm in Westminster Hall).
Reform the Grocery Supply Code of Practice to better protect farmers
Gov Responded - 27 Nov 2023 Debated on - 22 Jan 2024 View Greg Smith's petition debate contributionsWe want the Government to amend the Grocery Supply Code of Practice (GSCP) to require retailers, without exception, to:
- Buy what they agreed to buy
- Pay what they agreed to pay
- Pay on time
We believe the current GSCP is inadequate and doesn't protect farmers from unfair behaviour.
Limit the shooting season of Woodcock
Gov Responded - 11 Oct 2022 Debated on - 27 Feb 2023 View Greg Smith's petition debate contributionsMark Avery , Chris Packham and Ruth Tingay (Wild Justice) want the opening of the Woodcock shooting season to be pushed back to 1 December. 160,000 Woodcock are shot for fun across the UK whilst their population is declining. The Defra Secretary of State has powers to vary the shooting season.
Stop work on HS2 immediately and hold a new vote to repeal the legislation
Gov Responded - 14 Jan 2021 Debated on - 13 Sep 2021 View Greg Smith's petition debate contributionsWe ask Parliament to repeal the High Speed Rail Bills, 2016 and 2019, as MPs voted on misleading environmental, financial and timetable information provided by the Dept of Transport and HS2 Ltd. It fails to address the conditions of the Paris Accord and costs have risen from £56bn to over £100bn.
Ban Driven Grouse Shooting
Wilful blindness is no longer an option
Chris Packham, Ruth Tingay and Mark Avery (Wild Justice) believe that intensive grouse shooting is bad for people, the environment and wildlife. People; grouse shooting is economically insignificant when contrasted with other real and potential uses of the UK’s uplands.
Repeal the Coronavirus Act 2020
Gov Responded - 20 Oct 2020 Debated on - 22 Mar 2021 View Greg Smith's petition debate contributionsThe Coronavirus Act grants potentially dangerous powers including to detain some persons indefinitely, to take biological samples, and to give directions about dead bodies. Powers last up to 2 years with 6 monthly reviews, and lockdown powers could prevent protests against measures.
Allow golf to be played with appropriate safety measures
Gov Responded - 18 Jan 2021 Debated on - 22 Mar 2021 View Greg Smith's petition debate contributionsThe Government should allow golf courses to remain open during the second lockdown, and any future restrictions. Shops and clubhouses can close, but courses should be allowed to remain open, with social distancing in place.
Keep gyms open during Tier 4 lockdown
Gov Responded - 14 Jan 2021 Debated on - 22 Mar 2021 View Greg Smith's petition debate contributionsConsider keeping gyms open during lockdown because so many people have mental health and stress and they need something to do to take their mind off it closing all fitness facilities can affect us pretty badly.
Shut all nurseries and early years settings during lockdown
Gov Responded - 26 Jan 2021 Debated on - 22 Mar 2021 View Greg Smith's petition debate contributionsUrgent call for the government to close all nurseries and early years settings in light of the new lockdown to protect early years staff.
Open gyms first as we come out of lockdown & fund a Work Out to Help Out scheme
Gov Responded - 16 Mar 2021 Debated on - 22 Mar 2021 View Greg Smith's petition debate contributionsWe want the government to recognise the importance of gyms, health clubs, leisure centres and swimming pools in empowering people to look after their health and stay fit and for them to open first as we come out of lockdown.
We're also calling for government to fund a Work Out to Help Out scheme.
Do not rollout Covid-19 vaccine passports
Gov Responded - 3 Mar 2021 Debated on - 15 Mar 2021 View Greg Smith's petition debate contributionsWe want the Government to commit to not rolling out any e-vaccination status/immunity passport to the British public. Such passports could be used to restrict the rights of people who have refused a Covid-19 vaccine, which would be unacceptable.
Fund research for childhood cancers with the worst survival rates
Gov Responded - 24 Mar 2020 Debated on - 7 Dec 2020 View Greg Smith's petition debate contributions12 kids in the UK are diagnosed with cancer daily. 1 in 5 will die within 5 years, often of the deadliest types like DIPG (brainstem cancer) - fatal on diagnosis & other cancers on relapse. Yet there has been little, or no, funding for research into these cancers and little, or no, progress.
Make nurseries exempt from business rates to support the childcare sector
Gov Responded - 2 Apr 2020 Debated on - 25 Jun 2020 View Greg Smith's petition debate contributionsAfter owning nurseries for 29 years I have never experienced such damaging times for the sector with rising costs not being met by the funding rates available. Business Rates are a large drain on the sector and can mean the difference between nurseries being able to stay open and having to close.
Government to offer economic assistance to the events industry during COVID-19
Gov Responded - 27 Mar 2020 Debated on - 25 Jun 2020 View Greg Smith's petition debate contributionsFor the UK government to provide economic assistance to businesses and staff employed in the events industry, who are suffering unforeseen financial challenges that could have a profound effect on hundreds of thousands of people employed in the sector.
Give UK nurseries emergency funding if they have to close down amid COVID-19
Gov Responded - 14 Apr 2020 Debated on - 25 Jun 2020 View Greg Smith's petition debate contributionsIf nurseries are shut down in view of Covid-19, the Government should set up an emergency fund to ensure their survival and ensure that parents are not charged the full fee by the nurseries to keep children's places.
Provide financial support to performers and creators during the COVID-19 crisis
Gov Responded - 22 Jul 2020 Debated on - 25 Jun 2020 View Greg Smith's petition debate contributionsThe prospect of widespread cancellations of concerts, theatre productions and exhibitions due to COVID-19 threatens to cause huge financial hardship for Britain's creative community. We ask Parliament to provide a package of emergency financial and practical support during this unpredictable time.
Support the British aviation industry during the COVID-19 outbreak
Gov Responded - 7 May 2020 Debated on - 25 Jun 2020 View Greg Smith's petition debate contributionsAs a result of the COVID-19 outbreak there are travel bans imposed by many countries, there is a disastrous potential impact on our Aviation Industry. Without the Government’s help there could be an unprecedented crisis, with thousands of jobs under threat.
Extend grants immediately to small businesses outside of SBRR
Gov Responded - 29 May 2020 Debated on - 25 Jun 2020 View Greg Smith's petition debate contributionsThe cash grants proposed by Government are only for businesses in receipt of the Small Business Rates Relief or Rural Relief, or for particular sectors. Many small businesses fall outside these reliefs desperately need cash grants and support now.
Business Rate Relief to be extended to all small businesses in healthcare.
Gov Responded - 5 Jun 2020 Debated on - 25 Jun 2020 View Greg Smith's petition debate contributionsTo extend the business rate relief to all dental practices and medical and aesthetics clinics and any small business that’s in healthcare
Provide financial help to zoos, aquariums, & rescue centres during the pandemic.
Gov Responded - 28 Jul 2020 Debated on - 25 Jun 2020 View Greg Smith's petition debate contributionsZoos, aquariums, and similar organisations across the country carry out all sorts of conservation work, animal rescue, and public education. At the start of the season most rely on visitors (who now won't come) to cover annual costs, yet those costs do not stop while they are closed. They need help.
Offer more support to the arts (particularly Theatres and Music) amidst COVID-19
Gov Responded - 20 Jul 2020 Debated on - 25 Jun 2020 View Greg Smith's petition debate contributionsAs we pass the COVID-19 Peak, the Government should: State where the Theatres and Arts fit in the Coronavrius recovery Roadmap, Create a tailor made financial support mechanism for the Arts sector & Clarify how Social Distancing will affect arts spaces like Theatres and Concert Venues.
These initiatives were driven by Greg Smith, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.
MPs who are act as Ministers or Shadow Ministers are generally restricted from performing Commons initiatives other than Urgent Questions.
Greg Smith has not been granted any Urgent Questions
A Bill to make provision to prevent the theft and re-sale of equipment and tools used by tradespeople and agricultural and other businesses; and for connected purposes.
This Bill received Royal Assent on 20th July 2023 and was enacted into law.
A Bill to require persons selling second hand tools online to show the serial numbers of those tools in searchable advertisement text; and for connected purposes.
Disposal of waste (advertising and penalty provision) Bill 2023-24
Sponsor - Paul Bristow (Con)
Public office (child sexual abuse) Bill 2022-23
Sponsor - Alexander Stafford (Con)
NHS Prescriptions (Drug Tariff Labelling) Bill 2022-23
Sponsor - Craig Mackinlay (Con)
Brain Tumours Bill 2022-23
Sponsor - Siobhain McDonagh (Lab)
Schools and Educational Settings (Essential Infrastructure and Opening During Emergencies) Bill 2021-22
Sponsor - Robert Halfon (Con)
Consumer Protection (Double Charging) Bill 2021-22
Sponsor - Huw Merriman (Con)
Recall of MPs (Change of Party Affiliation) Bill 2019-21
Sponsor - Anthony Mangnall (Con)
The government published the draft Border Target Operating Model in April. This sets out plans to introduce security and biosecurity controls from 31 October in a way which implements critical protections at the UK border, while ensuring these new controls are as simple as possible for businesses to comply with.
The relevant business stakeholders informed us before publication that they will need time to prepare for these changes, and our phased approach to implementation is designed to give them this time.
We are working closely with businesses to get this right - the current period of engagement helps us to gather views on our draft proposals from businesses in the UK and overseas, to explore the costs of implementing the new model, and to ensure importing is as smooth as possible where checks are needed.
The cost of preparing for regulatory change will vary from business to business, however the Government is working closely with businesses to help them understand what they need to do.
We are also using the engagement period to ensure that UK and international businesses and their supply chains are aware of and understand the new requirements and are ready for these changes.
We will publish a final version of the Border Target Operating Model, providing further detail where needed, in the summer.
The government published the draft Border Target Operating Model in April. This sets out plans to introduce security and biosecurity controls from 31 October in a way which implements critical protections at the UK border, while ensuring these new controls are as simple as possible for businesses to comply with.
The relevant business stakeholders informed us before publication that they will need time to prepare for these changes, and our phased approach to implementation is designed to give them this time.
We are working closely with businesses to get this right - the current period of engagement helps us to gather views on our draft proposals from businesses in the UK and overseas, to explore the costs of implementing the new model, and to ensure importing is as smooth as possible where checks are needed.
The cost of preparing for regulatory change will vary from business to business, however the Government is working closely with businesses to help them understand what they need to do.
We are also using the engagement period to ensure that UK and international businesses and their supply chains are aware of and understand the new requirements and are ready for these changes.
We will publish a final version of the Border Target Operating Model, providing further detail where needed, in the summer.
The government published the draft Border Target Operating Model in April. This sets out plans to introduce security and biosecurity controls from 31 October in a way which implements critical protections at the UK border, while ensuring these new controls are as simple as possible for businesses to comply with.
The relevant business stakeholders informed us before publication that they will need time to prepare for these changes, and our phased approach to implementation is designed to give them this time.
We are working closely with businesses to get this right - the current period of engagement helps us to gather views on our draft proposals from businesses in the UK and overseas, to explore the costs of implementing the new model, and to ensure importing is as smooth as possible where checks are needed.
The cost of preparing for regulatory change will vary from business to business, however the Government is working closely with businesses to help them understand what they need to do.
We are also using the engagement period to ensure that UK and international businesses and their supply chains are aware of and understand the new requirements and are ready for these changes.
We will publish a final version of the Border Target Operating Model, providing further detail where needed, in the summer.
The government published the draft Border Target Operating Model in April. This sets out plans to introduce security and biosecurity controls from 31 October in a way which implements critical protections at the UK border, while ensuring these new controls are as simple as possible for businesses to comply with.
The relevant business stakeholders informed us before publication that they will need time to prepare for these changes, and our phased approach to implementation is designed to give them this time.
We are working closely with businesses to get this right - the current period of engagement helps us to gather views on our draft proposals from businesses in the UK and overseas, to explore the costs of implementing the new model, and to ensure importing is as smooth as possible where checks are needed.
The cost of preparing for regulatory change will vary from business to business, however the Government is working closely with businesses to help them understand what they need to do.
We are also using the engagement period to ensure that UK and international businesses and their supply chains are aware of and understand the new requirements and are ready for these changes.
We will publish a final version of the Border Target Operating Model, providing further detail where needed, in the summer.
Almost 93% of the UK benefits from good quality 4G coverage from at least one mobile network operator, but we know more needs to be done in rural areas.
Our £1bn Shared Rural Network agreement with industry, will increase coverage to 95% by the end of 2025, supporting rural businesses and communities.
Ofcom is also looking at the accuracy of coverage reporting to ensure it better reflects people’s experiences over coverage.
The Government has invested £4.12m in the National Space Propulsion Test Facility to support innovation in small satellite propulsion technologies; building on significant existing facilities and expertise at Westcott, Buckinghamshire. This facility will enable leading edge research and promote the development of an innovation community across the UK around space propulsion that stimulates R&D, facilitates the transfer of ideas between the research community and industry, and develops a pool of skilled people appropriate to the future needs of the industry and the sector. The facility can then enable UK Space companies to maintain and grow their competitive edge internationally through a world-leading facility that is attractive to foreign direct investment and one that will also allow universities to take on cutting-edge propulsion research topics. This environment will promote effective work between the research community and the commercial sector which will accelerate: innovation, knowledge exchange and commercial exploitation of propulsion and engineering research. These steps to support innovation will also help develop sovereign small satellite launch capability and the participation in international launcher R&D programmes.
The Government believes that the Space Sector offers opportunities to drive economic growth across the country.
In order to better understand the pipeline of space research, development & innovation infrastructure proposals, which could be funded through a number of routes, the UK Space Agency has initiated a space infrastructure road mapping exercise and has been in touch with Buckinghamshire Local Enterprise Partnership to seek further details of this proposal for a Disruptive Innovation in Space Centre.
We wish to see growth of our world class space sector benefitting the whole of the UK. The UK Space Agency, working with partners including the Satellite Applications Catapult, is currently supporting three Centres of Excellence in Satellite Applications (in the North East, South West and the South Coast of England). In November 2020 we announced £0.5m funding to support the development of new space hubs, bringing together local partners, expertise and businesses to create strategies for how their area can take maximum advantage of the commercial space race and align the space sector within their local industrial strategies.
We have also provided Buckinghamshire Local Enterprise Partnership with £7.7m from the Getting Building Fund, of which I understand they intend to invest £2m into the initial phase of their Westcott Disruptive Innovation Space Centre. In addition, specific work is currently being funded by the UK Space Agency to bring together the significant space interests across the Oxford to Cambridge Arc – including the exciting developments at Westcott - and to put together an action plan for the development of the Arc Space Sector.
Through the UK Space Agency, the Government continues to invest in supporting research & development. Increasingly, this is aimed at fostering innovation in the manufacture of small satellites and associated ground systems to support this growing market. Initiatives are underway to support Earth observation, satellite telecommunications, exploration and science, ranging from providing low cost access to space to enable a wider range of small and medium enterprises and academia to use space, to setting up a commercial lunar data relay service using small satellites.
The UK Space Agency has also supported UK small satellite manufacturers and their UK supply chains to industrialise production of their satellites to meet an increase in demand and exploit emerging technologies.
It is clear, there is growing interest in the Hydrogen sector and we are in regular discussions with businesses about their investment plans for hydrogen projects. The Government is currently investing up to £121 million in hydrogen innovation, supporting a range of projects exploring the potential of low carbon hydrogen across the value chain. Alongside our innovation activity, we are developing sustainable business models to support hydrogen production and will be engaging with Industry on the £100m Low Carbon Hydrogen Fund later this year. We are undertaking extensive stakeholder engagement as we develop new policy to help bring forward the technologies and supply chains, we will need to grow the UK hydrogen economy. As part of this we are looking to formalise regular engagement between Government and industry to discuss and drive development of the UK hydrogen economy. This will consider how we can best work together to encourage increased private sector investment in hydrogen projects, growing the hydrogen supply chain and providing clean growth and new jobs across the UK.
We recognise the important role that targets, alongside long-term policy frameworks have often played in the development of low carbon technology in the UK. We are currently developing our strategic approach to hydrogen and its potential to deliver against our net zero goals. We will set out our plans in due course. We are undertaking extensive stakeholder engagement as we develop new policy to help bring forward the technologies and supply chains, we will need to grow the UK hydrogen economy, including green hydrogen. As part of this we are looking to formalise regular engagement between Government and industry to discuss and drive development of the UK hydrogen economy. We have not set any targets, although we support green hydrogen production facilities both through innovation funding and other grants. An example is our support for the industrialisation of production processes at the new ITM Power Gigafactory being built in Sheffield which when complete will be the largest electrolyser manufacturing facility in the world.
COP26 will provide an opportunity to demonstrate a range of UK innovations and developments, including potential use of hydrogen as a contributor to achieving our net-zero ambition. We are exploring how this might be achieved, including demonstration of hydrogen appliances developed under the Hy4Heat programme, as part of the BEIS Energy Innovation Portfolio. The UK is well placed to enhance international cooperation to accelerate clean energy innovation, including hydrogen technologies.
The Government is committed to the development of hydrogen as a strategic decarbonised energy carrier for the UK. We are currently developing our strategic approach to hydrogen and its potential to deliver against our net zero goals. We will set out our plans in due course.
In order to inform our approach, we are undertaking extensive stakeholder engagement as we develop new policy to help bring forward the technologies and supply chains, we will need to grow the UK hydrogen economy. This includes business models to support the deployment of, and investment in, low carbon hydrogen production and a £100m Low Carbon Hydrogen Production Fund to stimulate capital investment. We will be further engaging with industry on both schemes throughout the year.
The Government is committed to the development of hydrogen as a strategic decarbonised energy carrier. We are closely monitoring international hydrogen developments and participate in a range of international fora, including the International Partnership for Hydrogen for Fuel Cells in the Economy, Mission Innovation and Clean Energy Ministerial. These forums offer opportunities to discuss international activity on hydrogen, including strategies put forward by Germany, Denmark, and the European Commission. This contributes to understanding of, for example, respective drivers for interest, levels of ambition, innovation priorities and policy support frameworks. This is informing our own strategic approach to the development of hydrogen in the UK context, including opportunities for partnership and economic benefit.
The Department for Transport developed the Transport Energy Model, published in 2018, to provide a clear assessment of the relative environmental impacts of different road vehicle technologies and fuels. This showed that battery electric vehicles (EVs) in the UK have substantially lower greenhouse gas emissions than conventional petrol or diesel cars, even when taking into account the energy mix of the electricity to charge the vehicle and the electricity used for battery production.
In order to obtain their full environmental benefits, EVs and their batteries need to be manufactured using electricity from carbon-free sources. With the Government’s announcement of up to £1 billion to support EV supply chains, our increasing use of carbon-free energy sources, and our commitment to net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, the UK is an attractive option for investment in low-carbon battery manufacture.
The Government is committed to exploring the?development?of hydrogen as a strategic decarbonised energy carrier, alongside electricity and other decarbonised gases. Recently, the government published its Energy Innovation Needs Assessment (EINA) for hydrogen and fuel cells which identified that in 2050 up to 15,000 jobs per annum could be created through domestic hydrogen opportunities. In order to support the development of hydrogen, unlocking jobs and growth we are:
The Government is aware of the socioeconomic, environmental and supply concerns surrounding the mining of raw materials for electric vehicle (EV) batteries and is taking steps to address these.
The Government has committed £274m into the Faraday Battery Challenge (FBC) to support the research, development and scale-up of world-leading battery technology in the UK.
This include research to make better use of global resources and support a more circular economy; for example, by reducing the amount of critical raw materials, such as cobalt, that are used in EV batteries, and localising more of the battery supply chain to the UK. The Faraday Institution’s £10m ‘ReLiB’ (Reuse and Recycling of Lithium-ion Batteries) research project is developing the technological, economic and legal infrastructure to allow close to 100% of the materials in lithium-ion batteries to be reused or recycled at the end of their first life. Through the Faraday Institution, the UK participates in the Global Battery Alliance: a World Economic Forum initiative seeking to accelerate action towards a socially responsible, environmentally sustainable and innovative battery value chain.
The Government welcomes the moves of the motorsport sector, including Formula 1, to develop, and make widely available, more advanced sustainable fuels. Formula 1 and the British motorsport industry has a great history of technological innovations which can have an enormous impact beyond the racetrack. Motorsport’s work to develop 100% sustainable fuels stands to benefit the global transport sector, and help our drive towards net zero.
The Government recognises the impact that sport and physical activity has on physical and mental health, and the importance of welfare and wellbeing for everyone participating in sport at all levels.
The Government's role in the support of bidding for and hosting major sporting events is set out in the Gold Framework. The Gratitude Games do not meet the criteria as set out in the Gold Framework and therefore would not be within scope for support. We encourage all organisations to continue to work together to support mental health through sport and physical activity.
The Government recognises the impact that sport and physical activity has on physical and mental health, and the importance of welfare and wellbeing for everyone participating in sport at all levels.
The Government's role in the support of bidding for and hosting major sporting events is set out in the Gold Framework. The Gratitude Games do not meet the criteria as set out in the Gold Framework and therefore would not be within scope for support. We encourage all organisations to continue to work together to support mental health through sport and physical activity.
In light of the changing needs of young people and due to the pandemic, DCMS reviewed its programmes and funding for out-of-school provision to ensure it achieves maximum impact and levelling up opportunities. As a result, at the 2021 Spending Review, the government decided that DCMS should continue to focus on domestic youth provision through a National Youth Guarantee for young people and DfE will continue to offer the Turing Scheme, an international educational exchange scheme that has a genuinely global reach and increases social mobility.
The Turing scheme is backed by £110 million, providing funding for over 41,000 overseas placements for students in universities, colleges and schools, starting in September 2021.
48% of the overseas placements receiving Turing Scheme funding are for participants from disadvantaged backgrounds and areas which did not previously have many students benefiting from Erasmus+, making life-changing opportunities accessible to everyone across the country. The second year of the Turing Scheme will open for applications shortly, at which point youth organisations will be able to review the eligibility criteria when considering applying for funding.
The government is focused on improving digital infrastructure and connectivity in rural areas, with our £5bn Project Gigabit and £1bn Shared Rural Network. As such, the government recently announced more details about our procurement pipeline, specifically, for the 2.2 million hard to reach premises in England in Phases 1 and 2 of the delivery plan.
Alongside Project Gigabit and the Shared Rural Network, we are continuing with our strategy to reduce barriers and to promote competition and investment.
Ofcom, the telecoms regulator, has rules in place requiring all UK telecoms providers, not just BT, to offer text relay for calls to and from deaf or speech-impaired people. The service is free at the point of use, and disabled users are entitled to a special tariff to compensate them for the additional time taken by these calls.
In December 2019, Ofcom consulted on implementing new consumer protection rules, including a proposal to introduce video relay for emergency communications. It also proposed new requirements to ensure disabled consumers have access to information in respect of their telecoms services - for example, contracts, bills and complaints procedures - in accessible formats.
The data on requests and issuing of education, health and care plans (EHCPs) are not collected by parliamentary constituency, or by who the requestor is for the plan. The answer provided is based on all requests made to the Buckinghamshire local authority. The number of requests received, and plans issued by Buckinghamshire local authority, are detailed below.
Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 |
Requests for EHCP | 680 | 658 | 888 | 940 | 940 |
New EHCPs issued | 447 | 300 | 628 | 674 | 592 |
The tables below show the number of permanent exclusions and suspensions for pupils with and without special educational needs (SEN) in Buckingham constituency between the 2015/16 and 2019/20 academic years.
Permanent Exclusions
Academic year | All pupils | Pupils without SEN | SEN with EHCP or statement | SEN without EHCP or statement |
2019/20 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 |
2018/19 | 12 | 6 | 2 | 4 |
2017/18 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 6 |
2016/17 | 14 | 5 | 2 | 7 |
2015/16 | 14 | 8 | 3 | 3 |
Suspensions
Academic year | All pupils | Pupils without SEN | SEN with EHCP or statement | SEN without EHCP or statement |
2019/20 | 503 | 261 | 98 | 144 |
2018/19 | 696 | 330 | 115 | 251 |
2017/18 | 423 | 146 | 64 | 213 |
2016/17 | 457 | 234 | 67 | 156 |
2015/16 | 283 | 133 | 53 | 97 |
The data on requests and issuing of education, health and care plans (EHCPs) are not collected by parliamentary constituency, or by who the requestor is for the plan. The answer provided is based on all requests made to the Buckinghamshire local authority. The number of requests received, and plans issued by Buckinghamshire local authority, are detailed below.
Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 |
Requests for EHCP | 680 | 658 | 888 | 940 | 940 |
New EHCPs issued | 447 | 300 | 628 | 674 | 592 |
The tables below show the number of permanent exclusions and suspensions for pupils with and without special educational needs (SEN) in Buckingham constituency between the 2015/16 and 2019/20 academic years.
Permanent Exclusions
Academic year | All pupils | Pupils without SEN | SEN with EHCP or statement | SEN without EHCP or statement |
2019/20 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 |
2018/19 | 12 | 6 | 2 | 4 |
2017/18 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 6 |
2016/17 | 14 | 5 | 2 | 7 |
2015/16 | 14 | 8 | 3 | 3 |
Suspensions
Academic year | All pupils | Pupils without SEN | SEN with EHCP or statement | SEN without EHCP or statement |
2019/20 | 503 | 261 | 98 | 144 |
2018/19 | 696 | 330 | 115 | 251 |
2017/18 | 423 | 146 | 64 | 213 |
2016/17 | 457 | 234 | 67 | 156 |
2015/16 | 283 | 133 | 53 | 97 |
Currently, any parent or carer of a child or a young person, including those with cerebral palsy, may request a personal budget as part of their education, health and care (EHC) plan as a means of delivering the outcomes specified in the plan. The scope of that budget will vary depending on the needs of the individual, the eligibility criteria for the different components and the mechanism for delivery. This means that decisions need to be taken on an individual basis, including for children with cerebral palsy. Decisions about the provision of personal budgets and other operational matters are for local authorities. Local authorities and their health partners remain responsible for securing the provision specified in an EHC plan, funded where necessary through joint commissioning arrangements.
More broadly, a review regarding special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) was announced in September 2019. The SEND review is looking at ways of making sure that the SEND system is consistent, high-quality and integrated across education, health and care. It is also considering measures to make sure that money is being spent fairly, efficiently and effectively, and that the support available to children and young people is sustainable in the future.
We recently published the White Paper, Skills for Jobs: Lifelong Learning for Opportunity and Growth. This is focused on giving people the skills they need, in a way that suits them, so they can get great jobs in sectors the economy needs and boost this country’s productivity.
A key focus of the White Paper is making the skills systems more responsive to employer skill needs both locally and nationally. Building on the success of our flagship apprenticeships programme, we are putting employers at the heart of the system so education and training meets their needs. Through employer engagement, we have transformed apprenticeships from a second-rate option to a prestigious opportunity to train with leading employers and get a well-paid job. Our new apprenticeships system includes a Space Engineering Technician apprenticeship that covers the design and manufacture of satellites and the components and subsystems they comprise, along with production, operation and maintenance of the highly specialised ground support equipment used to support development and testing of satellites before launch. It has been developed by employers including Airbus Defence & Space, BAE Systems, Thales Alenia Space UK Ltd, Nammo Westcott Ltd, Reaction Engines Ltd, Oxford Space Systems, Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd and several others.
Alongside apprenticeships, by 2030, almost all technical courses will be based on employer-led standards, ensuring that the education and training people receive are directly linked to the skills needed for jobs.
A key part of our plans is to provide the advanced technical and higher technical skills the nation needs including, for example, in satellite production. We are doing this by expanding our flagship Institutes of Technology programme to every part of the country by the end of this Parliament to spearhead the increase in higher-level technical skills in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths. We will also continue to roll out T Levels, which prepare students for entry into skilled employment or higher levels of technical study, including apprenticeships. We are reforming higher technical education with a new approval system based on employer-led standards and are creating clear progression routes for students towards the higher-level technical qualifications that employers need.
We are also funding the High-Value Manufacturing Catapult’s ‘Skills Value Chain’. This process assesses future skills needs in advanced manufacturing, develops courses to meet these needs, and makes those courses widely available through high-quality providers such as Institutes of Technology. It will support Small and Medium Enterprises to work with emerging technologies in the manufacturing sector, such as electrification, additive manufacturing, and metrology. We will then explore whether this Skills Value Chain approach can be used in other emerging skills areas and to support government priorities such as net zero.
Our ambition is for every child, no matter what challenges they face, to have access to a world-class education that sets them up for life.
The statutory guidance to support pupils at school with medical conditions are designed to help schools ensure that they are meeting their legal responsibilities by taking reasonable action to support children with medical conditions and to give parents confidence that the right support will be put in place. The guidance is available here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/supporting-pupils-at-school-with-medical-conditions--3.
The guidance covers a range of areas including the preparation and implementation of school policies for supporting pupils with medical conditions, the use of individual healthcare plans, staff training, medicines administration, roles and responsibilities, consulting with parents and collaborative working with healthcare professionals. It was developed based on good practice in schools.
We will continue to work with organisations such as the Health Conditions in Schools Alliance to help raise further awareness of the duty on schools. Collaborative working between local authorities, health bodies, schools and school governing bodies is vital to ensure that pupils with medical needs are appropriately supported in school.
Arrangements for selecting pupils by ability are for the admission authorities of selective schools to decide. We are working with the sector and intend to publish advice on the impact of COVID-19 on testing arrangements for admissions to selective schools shortly.
The overall aims of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for packaging are to reduce the amount of unnecessary packaging that is produced, and to increase the proportion of this packaging that is recycled or reused. Our analysis estimates that, with the introduction of EPR in 2024 and a Deposit Return Scheme for drinks containers in 2025, overall recycling rates will increase from 63.2% in 2021 to 76% by 2033. This is an important step towards meeting our 25 Year Environment Plan commitment to eliminate avoidable waste by 2050.
These measures will also help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more than 2.2 million tonnes by 2033 as the creation of new packaging using virgin materials is reduced. This will contribute to climate change mitigation, in line with our commitment to decarbonise all sectors of the UK economy and achieve net zero by 2050.
This will be achieved by making producers pay for the waste management costs associated with the packaging that they place on the market. The EPR fees that producers will pay will also be varied (modulated) based on the type of packaging produced, with less easily recyclable packaging incurring a higher cost. This will place a strong financial incentive on producers to reduce the overall amount of packaging they use, and to design and use packaging that is easily reusable or recyclable.
Defra’s intention is that the regulations to introduce Extended Producer Responsibility for packaging will be introduced at the end of 2023. These regulations will reflect the policy set out in the Government response to the 2021 consultation, which was published in March 2022.
In parallel with drafting these regulations, the department is continuing to work with stakeholders to develop a future vision for our waste reforms programme over the longer term. As part of this work, we have recently embarked on an eight-week series of industry-wide Sprint events bringing together key stakeholders to obtain their input. Outputs from this process will need due consideration and may include subsequent amendments to the regulatory framework.
Producers will need to start reporting data on the packaging they place on the market from October 2023. We have published guidance and an obligation checker to help packaging producers to prepare for Extended Producer Responsibility on the gov.uk website, including outlining what data producers will need to start collecting and reporting. This guidance will be continually updated with more detailed information.
The payments that producers will be required to pay to local authorities will be determined from April 2024. These payments will cover the costs for improved management of household packaging when it becomes waste, and provide for the collection of additional packaging materials for recycling such as plastic films and flexible packaging. This, together with higher recycling targets for packaging waste, will result in less packaging waste being sent to landfill and incinerators.
The policy objectives of the Sprints are to build a shared vision on the landscape around packaging reforms in 10 years' time. This includes a shared strategic roadmap detailing a UK Government and industry agreed view of how the benefits will be realised over time. The overall objective is to build a multi-stakeholder view and recommendation to policy on how to incorporate EPR policies in a way that best realises the shared benefits and vision. Representatives from the Devolved Assemblies were invited to nominate attendees, ensuring all UK nations guide common future packaging reform policy.
We continually engage with industry on the EPR packaging requirements and are providing guidance and support to ensure a smooth transition. Feedback from industry has been encouraging and having dedicated forums for industry has been well received.
In May 2022, in response to increasing inflationary pressure in the economy, we modelled an increase in the full net cost of collecting and managing household packaging waste. Specifically, we looked at the impact of an increase in fuel costs, staff costs due to an increase in wages, and in the cost of trucks used for collections. Fairly sizeable increases in these costs were modelled and the result was that the overall increase in full net costs was not substantial.
An updated impact assessment will be published later this year alongside the draft Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging and Packaging Waste) Regulations 2023.
We published an Impact Assessment alongside the Government Response to the consultation on Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for packaging setting out the costs and benefits of the policy. This includes the potential impact on obligated businesses. We continue to engage with obligated businesses as we prepare for implementation and as we develop the next phases of EPR.
In October 2020 we legislated to prevent the incineration or landfilling of certain separately collected material, including plastic, paper, metal and glass, unless it has undergone a treatment process first and only if landfill or incineration is the best environmental outcome. This is in addition to existing permit conditions that already prevent acceptance of recyclable material at landfills and waste incinerators.
We also want to make recycling easier. Following support at public consultation, the new s45 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 stipulates that all local authorities in England must make arrangements for a core set of materials to be collected for recycling from households, including plastic packaging. In April last year, we brought in the Plastic Packaging Tax. This will stimulate increased levels of recycling and collection of plastic waste. The introduction of Extended Producer Responsibility in 2024 will also encourage businesses to think carefully about how much plastic packaging they use, to design and use plastic packaging that is easily recyclable and encourage use of reusable and refillable packaging. These measures will reduce plastic waste and divert plastic packaging away from landfill and incineration.
We have restricted the supply of plastic straws, plastic drink stirrers, and plastic-stemmed cotton buds and introduced a carrier bag charge which has reduced the use of single-use carrier bags in the main supermarkets by over 97%. More recently we announced the supply of single-use plastic plates, cutlery, balloon sticks and expanded and extruded polystyrene food and beverage containers will also be banned in England from October this year.
We are committed to going further and addressing other sources of plastic pollution, which is why we also ran a call for evidence to help us gather information to help inform future policy on other problematic plastic items and help inform future policy making. Our response can be found here: www.gov.uk/government/consultations/single-use-plastic-banning-the-supply-of-commonly-littered-single-use-plastic-items/outcome/summary-of-responses-and-government-response.
We continue our engagement with representatives of the food and drink industry, alongside others, in ensuring industry is prepared ahead of the EPR requirements coming into force. This includes a dedicated fortnightly Business Readiness Forum to update industry and answer questions plus a programme of webinars to deep-dive into specific issues and themes. Among the hundreds of stakeholders from the food and drink industry that have so far taken part in this engagement, and will continue to do so, are trade associations (and their members) such as the Food and Drink Federation, the British Soft Drinks Association and the British Retail Consortium.
Additionally, we have initiated an eight-week visioning sprint programme incorporating over 75 representatives from across the different sectors impacted by EPR to work with us to create a vision for what an EPR scheme will look like in 10 years’ time with a view to creating an end-to-end circular economy in packaging and recycling.
The management of predators, such as foxes and carrion crows, plays an important role in supporting the recovery of some of our most vulnerable species, particularly ground nesting birds including the curlew.
We have recently published an update on environmental land management schemes which confirms that we are exploring how actions to do with managing predatory species - when those species are impacting threatened species recovery - will be made available.
The management of predators, such as foxes and carrion crows, plays an important role in supporting the recovery of some of our most vulnerable species, particularly ground nesting birds including the curlew.
We have recently published an update on environmental land management schemes which confirms that we are exploring how actions to do with managing predatory species - when those species are impacting threatened species recovery - will be made available.
We remain committed to our environmental land management schemes and are looking at how best to deliver the schemes to see where and how improvements can be made. We will continue to work closely with the sector in developing the schemes and publish more information by the end of the year.
The proposed ban on the use of electric shock collars controlled by hand-held devices was developed after considering a broad range of factors, including the potential impacts of such a ban. HM Government considered academic research, public consultation responses, and direct engagement with the sector and concluded that these devices present an unacceptable risk to the welfare of dogs and cats and that their use should not be permitted.
The Code of Recommendations for the Welfare of Livestock states, users of electric fences should ensure that they are designed, constructed, used and maintained properly, so that when animals touch them, they only feel slight discomfort. As stated in our answer to Question 53520, anyone causing unnecessary suffering as a result of a poorly installed electric fence may be prosecuted under relevant animal welfare legislation.
In addition, please note that the statutory Code of Practice for the Welfare of Dogs includes guidance and reminders for owners about their responsibilities to provide for the welfare needs of their animal, but also to keep their dogs safe and under control. The code of practice is available here:
Defra’s "Action Plan for Animal Welfare" demonstrates our commitment to a brighter future for animals both at home and abroad. Electric fences used to deter animals from crossing a boundary and which deliver a shock directly to the body are different to e-collars. The use of electric fences in agricultural settings is subject to statutory guidance which requires anyone installing an electric fence to ensure that it is designed, constructed, used and maintained properly, so that when the animals touch it they only feel slight discomfort. Installers and users should also comply with any relevant local regulations and ensure that their responsibilities under other relevant legislation, including the Health & Safety At Work Act 1974, are properly discharged.
Animals are protected from suffering as a result of poorly maintained or installed electric fences by animal welfare laws, including the Animal Welfare Act 2006. Under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 it is an offence to cause an animal unnecessary suffering. Anyone who is cruel to an animal may face an unlimited fine or be sent to prison for up to five years, or both.
The Defra commissioned research into the effects of e-collars was robust and showed that e-collars have a negative impact on the welfare of some dogs. The research showed that many users of the handheld devices were not using them properly in compliance with the manufacturers’ instructions. As well as being misused to inflict unnecessary harm, there is also concern that e-collars can redirect aggression or generate anxiety-based behaviour in pets, making underlying behavioural and health problems worse.