Helen Morgan
Liberal Democrat - North Shropshire
15,311 (30.9%) majority - 2024 General ElectionFirst elected: 16th December 2021
Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (Health and Social Care)
(since September 2024)4 APPG memberships (as of 28 Mar 2025)
Digital Communities, Flooding and Flooded Communities, Spinal Cord Injury, UK Food Security10 Former APPG memberships
Baby Loss, Council Housing, Eating Disorders, Flood Prevention, Grid Networks, Jordan, Markets, Maternity, Rural Business and the Rural Powerhouse, Rural ServicesDivision Voting information
Debates during the 2024 Parliament
Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.
Department Debates
(72 debate contributions)
(16 debate contributions)
(14 debate contributions)
(11 debate contributions)
Legislation Debates
(2,433 words contributed)
North Shropshire Petitions
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).
of 40,569 signatures (0.52%)
of 153,719 signatures (0.47%)
of 36,110 signatures (0.32%)
of 88,451 signatures (0.28%)
of 53,579 signatures (0.27%)
of 153,719 signatures (0.47%)
of 247,556 signatures (0.20%)
of 227,080 signatures (0.20%)
of 235,235 signatures (0.16%)
c. 861 added daily
153,944
(Estimated)
Don't change inheritance tax relief for working farms
Sign this petition Gov Responded - 5 Dec 2024 Debated on - 10 Feb 2025 View Helen Morgan's petition debate contributionscloses in 2 weeks
We think that changing inheritance tax relief for agricultural land will devastate farms nationwide, forcing families to sell land and assets just to stay on their property. We urge the government to keep the current exemptions for working farms.
Latest EDMs signed by Helen Morgan
UK parliamentarians sanctioned by the Russian Federation
Tabled by: Tom Gordon (Liberal Democrat - Harrogate and Knaresborough)That this House unequivocally supports those hon. and Rt hon. Members and Peers targeted by the Russian Federation in the latest round of retaliatory sanctions announced on 23 April 2025; condemns the Russian Government’s continued attempts to stifle international criticism and accountability for its illegal and unjustified invasion of Ukraine; …
(Most recent: 25 Apr 2025)
Signatures by party:
Liberal Democrat: 20
Democratic Unionist Party: 1
Plaid Cymru: 1
Future of children’s palliative care
Tabled by: Will Forster (Liberal Democrat - Woking)That this House notes with concern the findings of the report entitled Built to Last? The State of Children’s Palliative Care in 2025, published by Together for Short Lives; recognises that the report reveals a stark postcode lottery in access to high-quality palliative care for seriously ill children across England, …
(Most recent: 25 Apr 2025)
Signatures by party:
Liberal Democrat: 15
Democratic Unionist Party: 1
Labour: 1
Commons initiatives
These initiatives were driven by Helen Morgan, 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.
Helen Morgan has not been granted any Urgent Questions
Helen Morgan has not been granted any Adjournment Debates
9 Bills introduced by Helen Morgan
A Bill to place a duty on the Government to ensure that every town with a population of more than 10,000 people has a regular bus service operating seven days a week, and that local health services, including hospitals and GP surgeries, are served by those buses; and for connected purposes.
Monday 21st October 2024
Friday 11th July 2025
Order Paper number: 9
(Unlikely to be Debated - would require unanimous consent to progress)
A Bill to require the Secretary of State to publish and implement a Care Workers Employment Strategy, with the aim of improving the recruitment and retention of care workers; to establish an independent National Care Workers Council with responsibility for setting professional standards for care workers, for establishing a system of professional qualifications and accreditation for care workers, and for advising the Government on those matters; to require the Secretary of State to commission an independent assessment of the support available to unpaid carers, including financial support and employment rights; and for connected purposes.
Monday 21st October 2024
Friday 11th July 2025
Order Paper number: 8
(Unlikely to be Debated - would require unanimous consent to progress)
A Bill to require providers of electronic communications networks to grant other such providers access to their apparatus where that is necessary to ensure consistent network coverage; to prevent those providers from charging more than the standard market rate for such access; to require the regulator to impose penalties on providers who unreasonably fail to grant such access; to make provision for the purpose of incentivising providers to allow customers of other providers to use their networks where access cannot be granted to their apparatus; and for connected purposes.
Monday 21st October 2024
Friday 13th June 2025
Order Paper number: 2
(Likely to be Debated)
A Bill to require the Secretary of State to publish and implement a Care Workers Employment Strategy, with the aim of improving the recruitment and retention of care workers; to establish an independent National Care Workers Council with responsibility for setting professional standards for care workers, for establishing a system of professional qualifications and accreditation for care workers, and for advising the Government on those matters; to require the Secretary of State to commission an independent assessment of the support available to unpaid carers, including financial support and employment rights; and for connected purposes.
Friday 26th January 2024
A Bill to place a duty on the Government to ensure that every town with a population of more than 10,000 people has a regular bus service operating seven days a week, and that local health services, including hospitals and GP surgeries, are served by those buses; and for connected purposes.
Monday 11th December 2023
A Bill to require providers of electronic communications networks to grant other such providers access to their apparatus where that is necessary to ensure consistent network coverage; to prevent those providers from charging more than the standard market rate for such access; to require the regulator to impose penalties on providers who unreasonably fail to grant such access; to make provision for the purpose of incentivising providers to allow customers of other providers to use their networks where access cannot be granted to their apparatus; and for connected purposes.
A Bill to remove the requirement for voters to show an identity document in order to vote; and for connected purposes.
Wednesday 29th March 2023
A Bill to require the Secretary of State to publish and implement a Care Workers Employment Strategy, with the aim of improving the recruitment and retention of care workers; to establish an independent National Care Workers Council with responsibility for setting professional standards for care workers, for establishing a system of professional qualifications and accreditation for care workers, and for advising the Government on those matters; to require the Secretary of State to commission an independent assessment of the support available to unpaid carers, including financial support and employment rights; and for connected purposes.
A Bill to place a duty on the Government to ensure that every town with a population of more than 10,000 people has a regular bus service operating seven days a week, and that local health services, including hospitals and GP surgeries, are served by those buses; and for connected purposes.
Wednesday 20th July 2022
4 Bills co-sponsored by Helen Morgan
Schools (Mental Health Professionals) (No. 2) Bill 2023-24
Sponsor - Munira Wilson (LD)
Markets and market traders (review of support) Bill 2022-23
Sponsor - Simon Baynes (Con)
Kinship Care Bill 2022-23
Sponsor - Munira Wilson (LD)
Latest 50 Written Questions
(View all written questions)1 Other Department Questions
I regularly meet with the Lord Chancellor to discuss the Government’s mission to halve VAWG and tackle domestic abuse.
I am aware of Private Members Bill tabled by the Honourable Member for Eastbourne.
I will carefully consider both the merits and risks of creating domestic abuse-aggravated offences and respond via the usual parliamentary procedure.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.
A response to the Hon gentleman or lady Parliamentary Question of 26th March is attached.
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.
A response to the Hon lady’s Parliamentary Question of 26th March is attached.
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.
A response to the Hon lady’s Parliamentary Question of 26th March is attached.
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The table below provides the estimates requested, number of long term sick days lost per department, along with our preferred measure, Average Working Days Lost (AWDL) per staff year which accounts for workforce size and composition. Data is provided for the main Ministerial Departments consistent with the answer of 2 February 2024 to Question 11521.
Long term sickness absence by Main Department, days lost and average working days lost per staff year, 2023
| 2023 (year ending 31 Mar 2023) | |
Department | Long Term Sick Days Lost | Average Working Days Lost |
Cabinet Office | 24,260 | 2.3 |
Department for Levelling up, Housing and Communities | 8,360 | 2.0 |
Department Culture Media and Sport | 3,370 | 1.4 |
Department for Environment | 25,560 | 2.1 |
Department for Education | 19,790 | 2.5 |
Department for Transport | 75,190 | 4.8 |
Department for Health and Social Care | 34,180 | 3.3 |
Department for Work and Pensions | 367,360 | 4.7 |
HM Customers and Revenue | 305,190 | 4.5 |
HM Treasury | 4,230 | 1.5 |
Home Office | 139,980 | 3.8 |
Ministry of Defence | 173,050 | 3.2 |
Ministry of Justice | 580,740 | 6.9 |
Scottish Government | 151,000 | 5.8 |
Welsh Government | 21,560 | 3.9 |
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The Government recognises that due to the absence of records and the amount of time that has passed since losses were incurred, postmasters may face challenges in evidencing their claim under the Horizon Shortfall Scheme. The scheme was designed so that a lack of supporting information would not be a barrier to entry to the scheme.
Claimants are asked to provide as much information as they can in making their claim. In the absence of any Post Office records, the postmaster’s testimony will be considered when determining the outcome.
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Rural businesses offer significant potential for growth and are central to our economy. DBT works with other departments who provide funding for the Rural England Prosperity Fund (REPF) supporting new and existing rural businesses and improved community infrastructure that will provide essential community services.
The Government has just announced the Business Growth Service (BGS), with local delivery at its heart to bring a range of existing core services under the BGS banner.
All businesses can access their Local Growth Hubs, which provide advice and support throughout the business journey, shaping their offer around the unique needs, whether town or country.
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Rural businesses offer significant potential for growth and are central to our economy. DBT works with other departments such as Defra, helping people living and working in rural areas to realise the full potential of rural businesses and communities placing them at the heart of our policymaking.
The Government will publish a Small Business Strategy Paper later this year, setting out the Government’s vision for all small businesses, and has committed to funding for two key growth-driving programmes in 2025-26: Growth Hubs in England and Help to Grow: Management across the UK, which help businesses and entrepreneurs unlock their potential through bespoke support and resources
The Rural England Prosperity Fund is intended to support new and existing rural businesses, including farm businesses, to develop new products and facilities that will be of wider benefit to the local economy and to support new and improved community infrastructure that will provide essential community services and assets for local people and businesses to benefit the local economy
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Rural businesses offer significant potential for growth and are central to our economy. As with all places, fulfilling the needs of people and businesses in rural areas is at the heart of our policymaking.
The Government has just launched the Business Growth Service (BGS), a national service with local delivery at its heart. It will bring a range of existing core services under the BGS banner, working hand in glove with local and devolved governments and the Growth Hubs network.
All businesses can access their Local Growth Hubs, which provide advice and support throughout the business journey, shaping their offer around the unique needs, whether town or country.
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
As of 30 August, 253 offers had been made to claimants under the GLO scheme; 207 postmasters had accepted their offer. Data on all Horizon redress schemes are published monthly on gov.uk.
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Secretary of State and I meet regularly with a range of stakeholders.
Details of Ministers’ meetings with external individuals and organisations are published quarterly in arrears on GOV.UK.
Published declarations include the purpose of the meeting and the names of any additional external organisations or individuals in attendance.
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government believes the only way to protect billpayers permanently is to speed up the transition towards homegrown clean energy. The creation of Great British Energy will help us harness clean energy, reduce our reliance on volatile fossil fuel markets, and enable us to meet our target to be a clean energy superpower by 2030.
In the short-term, we are continuing to deliver the Warm Home Discount which provides a £150 annual rebate on energy bills for eligible low-income households. I am also having regular discussions with energy suppliers to ensure that consumers are supported this winter.
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government’s assessment is that the introduction of a price cap for heating oil and liquefied petroleum gas would not be in the long-term interests of consumers.
The structures of the heating oil and liquefied petroleum gas markets are different from those of gas and electricity supply. Imposing a price cap, which might fall below wholesale costs faced by heating fuel distributors, risks companies exiting the market or not accepting orders when they would make a loss on their fulfilment.
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
10 Department for Science, Innovation & Technology Questions
(View all Helen Morgan's DSIT questions)An independent evaluation of the Healthy Ageing Challenge has been published on UKRI’s website. The evaluation found that the Challenge has:
- Contributed to firm-level growth, as evidenced by increased turnover, R&D expenditure, and staff numbers among participating companies.
- Largely achieved its short- to medium-term outcomes. Even against a backdrop of a global pandemic and cost of living crisis
- Supported research and innovation across the entire innovation pipeline from early-stage research to adoption and scaling research, and commercialisation.
The medium- to long-term outcomes are likely to be achieved over the next 3 to 5 years.
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Criteria assessing the impact and effectiveness of UKRI funding to support scale-up of innovative projects are consistently tracked through the UKRI Commercialisation Monitoring Framework, as well as Innovate UK’s Impact Management Framework.
All evaluations are published on UKRI’s website and are used to inform future approach and investments.
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
To deliver the Shared Rural Network, the UK’s four mobile network operators are investing £532m to eliminate the majority of ‘partial not-spots’ – areas which receive coverage from at least one, but not all, operators. The programme has already delivered substantial improvements for rural communities across the UK, with Ofcom reporting that 4G coverage from at least one operator now stands at over 93%, up from 91% when the programme started.
The government’s grant funding to upgrade Extended Area Service masts and tackle ‘total not spots’ is capped to prevent overspend. Building Digital UK is working with its delivery partners, including the Home Office, to ensure that maximal benefit can be achieved within the allotted programme funding and that the programme represents good value for money.
Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
To deliver the Shared Rural Network, the UK’s four mobile network operators are investing £532m to eliminate the majority of ‘partial not-spots’ – areas which receive coverage from at least one, but not all, operators. The programme has already delivered substantial improvements for rural communities across the UK, with Ofcom reporting that 4G coverage from at least one operator now stands at over 93%, up from 91% when the programme started.
The government’s grant funding to upgrade Extended Area Service masts and tackle ‘total not spots’ is capped to prevent overspend. Building Digital UK is working with its delivery partners, including the Home Office, to ensure that maximal benefit can be achieved within the allotted programme funding and that the programme represents good value for money.
Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Shared Rural Network will bring 4G mobile coverage to 95% of the UK landmass. Ofcom assesses the mobile network operators progress against their individual coverage targets. Ofcom reports that 4G coverage from at least one operator currently stands at over 93%, up from 91% when the programme started.
Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Roaming already exists for 999 calls, as the Code of Practice for the Public Emergency Call Service requires that any call from a mobile phone will automatically roam onto another mobile network free-of-charge to make an emergency call if they have no signal from their own provider.
The Government is committed to improving rural coverage. The Shared Rural Network is set to increase 4G geographic coverage throughout the UK to 95% by the end of 2025. This will enable emergency calls in new areas and will reduce the digital divide between rural and urban areas of the UK, helping rural businesses and communities to thrive.
Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The government is working in partnership with mobile network operators to deliver the Shared Rural Network, which will reduce both partial and total not spots and bring 4G coverage to 95% of UK landmass. Ofcom reports that 4G coverage currently stands at over 93%.
Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Over 72% of premises in the North Shropshire constituency can access a gigabit-capable (>1000 Mbps) broadband connection.
Project Gigabit will extend this gigabit coverage. Freedom Fibre is delivering a contract to upgrade over 12,000 additional premises in the region, including over 9,000 premises in the North Shropshire constituency. We expect the first of these premises in North Shropshire to be connected by the end of 2024 and the contract is due to be completed by 2026. We will also keep suppliers’ commercial delivery plans under review and consider what else may be necessary to fulfil our ambition for gigabit coverage across the UK by 2030.
Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
From my own experience, I am aware that Ofcom’s coverage maps do not always match consumers’ experience of mobile networks. My Department is working with Ofcom to identify what more can be done to improve the accuracy of its reporting, noting that all sorts of factors will impact people's experience, including how many other people are on the network at any given point, as well as weather conditions.
We have also asked Ofcom to keep under review its definitions of what constitutes “good” 4G and 5G coverage, so that they continue to reflect consumer expectations as people’s usage and their requirements evolve.
Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Government is committed to ensuring that everyone, regardless of where they live, has access to and benefits from quality sport and physical activity opportunities.
The Government provides the majority of funding for grassroots sport through our Arm’s Length Body, Sport England - which annually invests over £250 million in Exchequer and Lottery funding in areas of greatest need to tackle inactivity levels through community-led solutions. Sport England’s Movement Fund offers crowdfunding pledges, grants and resources to improve physical activity opportunities for the people and communities who need it the most.
Funding from the Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities Programme continues to be invested in England through Sport England and our delivery partner, the Football Foundation.
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Government is committed to ensuring that everyone, regardless of background, has access to and benefits from quality sport and physical activity opportunities.
The Government provides the majority of funding for grassroots sport through our Arm’s Length Body, Sport England - which annually invests over £250 million in Exchequer and Lottery funding in areas of greatest need to tackle inactivity levels through community-led solutions.
The Government is also acting to support more people to get onto the pitch wherever they live through the delivery of £123 million UK-wide through the Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities Programme in 2024/25.
Funding from the Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities Programme continues to be invested in England through Sport England and our delivery partner, the Football Foundation, who plan their investment pipeline based on Local Football Facility Plans (LFFPs) which have been developed in partnership with local authorities and are in the process of being refreshed to reflect the current landscape. The existing LFFP for Shropshire can be found by visiting the Football Foundation’s website, and North Shropshire has benefitted from £152,070 of investment under this programme and the Swimming Pool Support Fund to date.
Should a constituent have an enquiry about prospective investment at a specific facility, they can get in touch with the Football Foundation directly via enquiries@footballfoundation.org.uk.
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Government is committed to ensuring that everyone, regardless of background, has access to and benefits from quality sport and physical activity opportunities.
The Government provides the majority of funding for grassroots sport through our Arm’s Length Body, Sport England - which annually invests over £250 million in Exchequer and Lottery funding in areas of greatest need to tackle inactivity levels through community-led solutions.
The Government is also acting to support more people to get onto the pitch wherever they live through the delivery of £123 million UK-wide through the Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities Programme in 2024/25.
Funding from the Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities Programme continues to be invested in England through Sport England and our delivery partner, the Football Foundation, who plan their investment pipeline based on Local Football Facility Plans (LFFPs) which have been developed in partnership with local authorities and are in the process of being refreshed to reflect the current landscape. The existing LFFP for Shropshire can be found by visiting the Football Foundation’s website, and North Shropshire has benefitted from £152,070 of investment under this programme and the Swimming Pool Support Fund to date.
Should a constituent have an enquiry about prospective investment at a specific facility, they can get in touch with the Football Foundation directly via enquiries@footballfoundation.org.uk.
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The department is receiving compensation in recognition of the increase in National Insurance contributions (NICs) paid by institutions it funds, including colleges, schools and other state-funded special educational needs and disabilities provision. Work is in progress to determine how that funding will be distributed, and more information will be provided as soon as is practicable. This NICs funding will be in addition to the £300 million and £1 billion funding increases announced at the Autumn Budget 2024 for further education and young people with high needs respectively, in 2025/26.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
From the 2015/16 financial year to 2022/23, the most recent year for which information is available, the increase in net spending by Shropshire Council on provision and services for children and young people with complex special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), including on those children’s home-to-school transport, has been 37% in real terms (67% in cash terms) and the increase in gross spending has been 32% in real terms (61% in cash terms).
The basis for this calculation uses high needs and home-to-school transport spending data provided to the department by Shropshire Council, which is broadly comparable from year-to-year, as follows:
Financial year | Gross spend | 2022/23 terms | Net spend | 2022/23 terms |
2015/16 | £21.2 million | £25.9 million | £19.6 million | £23.9 million |
2016/17 | £18.9 million | £22.5 million | £17.9 million | £21.3 million |
2017/18 | £24.0 million | £28.2 million | £23.2 million | £27.3 million |
2018/19 | £25.0 million | £28.7 million | £24.6 million | £28.3 million |
2019/20 | £25.0 million | £28.1 million | £24.8 million | £27.8 million |
2020/21 | £27.5 million | £29.3 million | £26.1 million | £27.8 million |
2021/22 | £28.9 million | £31.0 million | £28.0 million | £30.0 million |
2022/23 | £34.2 million | £34.2 million | £32.8 million | £32.8 million |
To note:
- Expenditure has been calculated in 2022/23 terms using the latest GDP deflator series (published 1 October 2024).
- The following actual expenditure items from Shropshire Council’s section 251 returns have been used:
High needs budget expenditure:
1.2.1 Top-up funding – maintained schools
1.2.2 Top-up funding – academies, free schools and colleges
1.2.3 Top-up and other funding – non-maintained and independent providers
1.2.4 Additional high needs targeted funding for mainstream schools and academies
1.2.5 Special educational needs (SEN) support service
1.2.6 Hospital education services
1.2.8 Support for inclusion
1.2.9 Special schools and pupil referral units (PRUs) in financial difficulty
1.2.10 Private finance initiative/ Building Schools for the Future costs at special schools, AP/ PRUs and Post 16 institutions only
1.2.11 Direct payments (SEN and disability)
1.2.12 Carbon reduction commitment allowances (PRUs)
1.2.13 Therapies and other health related services
1.4.11 SEN transport
Additional home-to-school transport expenditure:
2.1.4 Home-to-school transport (pre-16): SEN transport expenditure
2.1.6 Home-to-post-16 provision: SEN transport expenditure (aged 16-18)
Minister of State (Education)
The future of the Holiday Activities and Food programme beyond 31 March 2025 is subject to the next government Spending Review taking place this autumn and the department will communicate the outcome of that process in due course.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The future of the Holiday Activities and Food programme beyond 31 March 2025 is subject to the next government Spending Review taking place this autumn and the department will communicate the outcome of that process in due course.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department has invested over £200 million every year since 2022 in free holiday club places for children from low-income families through the holiday activities and food (HAF) programme with all 153 local authorities in England delivering in the Easter, summer and Christmas holidays.
The HAF programme supports disadvantaged children and their families with enriching activities, provides them with healthy food, helps them to learn new things, improves socialisation and benefits their health and wellbeing during school holidays.
The right support should be available to every young person that needs it, which is why the department will provide access to specialist mental health professionals in every school.
The government will also be putting in place new Young Futures hubs, including access to mental health support workers, and will recruit an additional 8,500 new mental health staff to treat children and adults.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department does not hold or collect the data to provide the requested estimate.
For state-funded schools wishing to recruit teachers on a permanent or fixed term basis, Teaching Vacancies is a free national listing service which removes the cost for schools to list vacancies. 87% of schools are signed up to use the service.
Schools have the autonomy to decide whether to use private supply agencies to fill temporary posts or cover teacher absence and are best placed to make decisions on their approach to recruitment. The department, in conjunction with the Crown Commercial Service, has established the agency supply deal, which supports schools to obtain value for money when hiring agency supply teachers and other temporary school staff. For more information, please visit the following link: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/deal-for-schools-hiring-supply-teachers-and-agency-workers.
Minister of State (Education)
16 Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Questions
(View all Helen Morgan's Defra questions)Question 24518 was answered on 4 March 2025.
Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Department announced on 4th March that it would be providing an additional £33 million for the Rural England Prosperity Fund in financial year 2025-26. This announcement continues funding beyond the lifetime of the original scheme providing new money for new projects in rural areas.
The Autumn Statement on 30 October confirmed Defra’s budgets for 2024-25 and 2025-26. Funding allocations for individual programmes have been determined through the departments business planning exercise. Future funding decisions remain subject to the government spending review.
Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Department announced on 4th March that it would be providing an additional £33 million for the Rural England Prosperity Fund in financial year 2025-26. This announcement continues funding beyond the lifetime of the original scheme providing new money for new projects in rural areas.
The Autumn Statement on 30 October confirmed Defra’s budgets for 2024-25 and 2025-26. Funding allocations for individual programmes have been determined through the departments business planning exercise. Future funding decisions remain subject to the government spending review.
Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We are working closely with industry partners such as UK Hospitality, the Hospitality Sector Council, and Food and Drink Federation to raise awareness of the requirements and understand the sector’s readiness, which has included hosting a sector specific webinar with the hospitality sector. Our understanding of readiness of the sector is also informed by ongoing discussions with the waste collection industry.
Furthermore, we are actively responding to queries and publishing guidance in partnership with WRAP to further support the sector’s readiness.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Trade effluent discharges to the public sewerage network are the responsibility of the discharging party to agree consent to discharge with the local sewerage undertaker. Under s.118 of the Water Industry Act 1991, the occupier of any trade premises in the area of a sewerage undertaker may discharge any trade effluent proceeding from those premises into the undertaker’s public sewers if they do so with the undertaker’s consent. Under s.121 of the Act, the sewerage undertaker may place conditions on the consent to discharge
Disposal of food waste to landfill or into the sewer system (even if pre-treated) should only be carried out as a last resort in accordance with the food and drink waste hierarchy. Any additional food waste that is not disposed of on-site must be collected separately for recycling as per the Simpler Recycling requirements.
Defra has commissioned research into the various technologies that treat and discharge food waste to sewer to better understand their respective environmental impacts.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
A response to Question 24518 is being prepared and will be provided as soon as possible. I apologise for the delay in responding to the hon. Member.
Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We welcome community farms in England as they give local communities a chance to get involved in the countryside. Community farms, like any other farm, may be eligible for a variety of grants.
Depending on the setup of the community farm, projects may be eligible for the Environmental Land Management (ELM) schemes such as the Sustainable Farming Incentive. Our ELM schemes provide fairer support to smaller farms, and farmers and land managers can choose the scheme or schemes that work best for their business.
To work out what’s available, you can visit the ‘funding for farmers, growers and land managers’ landing page on GOV.UK.
Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Compensation paid for birds culled by HM Government for disease control purposes is designed to promote prompt reporting of suspicion of disease and is only payable for healthy birds as set out in the Animal Health Act 1981. There is no compensation available for sick birds or birds that have died. Compensation is not paid for consequential losses, including business interruption caused by control measures, nor for eggs or poultry meat.
In response to the unprecedented outbreaks of avian influenza in October 2022 Defra’s approach to compensation was updated to involve earlier assessment of the number of healthy birds and swifter calculation of compensation. This allows Defra to provide earlier certainty about entitlement to compensation; better reflects the impact of outbreaks on premises; and leads to swifter payments to help stem any cash flow pressures.
Defra’s approach to compensation was recently subject to a judicial review, and was found to be lawful on appeal. Compensation policy will continue to be kept under regular review.
Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The UK poultry sector is highly resilient and adaptable and continues to supply healthy and affordable products in spite of the many challenges it has faced in recent years including the Covid-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine and avian influenza outbreaks.
Following difficult avian influenza seasons in 2021/22 and 2022/23, poultry and egg producers have made the department aware of the challenges that some have faced in both obtaining suitable insurance products and the increased cost of such insurance. Defra has been working with both producers and the insurance industry to seek market-based solutions to this situation.
In addition, the department continues to remind producers that they are responsible for the on-farm management of their flocks and should take appropriate steps to reduce the risk of an outbreak occurring. Having strong biosecurity measures in place, and maintaining them year-round, significantly reduces the risk of infection on site.
Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The UK poultry sector is highly resilient, adaptable and continues to supply healthy and affordable products in spite of the many challenges it has faced in recent years including the Covid-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine and Avian Influenza outbreaks.
In autumn 2024 Defra announced a package of measures to help farmers to deal with the impact of any future avian influenza outbreaks and to provide certainty and stability to farmers in the UK’s poultry and egg sectors. These included:
- The introduction of legislation to allow free-range eggs to continue to be labelled as such for the duration of mandatory housing measures, reducing costs on producers and enabling them to continue to trade fairly with imported eggs. This came into force on 23 January 2025.
- A consultation on introducing similar measures for the labelling of free-range poultry meat during mandatory housing measures. The consultation closed on 16 December 2024. Responses are currently being analysed and a summary of responses will be published in due course.
We continue to work closely with the poultry and egg sectors and to monitor these markets for any supply issues that may arise as a result of avian influenza outbreaks.
Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We will launch a consultation in the coming months which will include a review of the existing flood funding formula to ensure that the challenges facing businesses and rural and coastal communities are adequately taken into account when delivering flood protection.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The list of projects to receive funding from the first round of the Frequently Flooded Allowance was announced under the previous Government in 2023 and can be found at Frequently Flooded Allowance: Funding for repeatedly flooded communities - GOV.UK. The Environment Agency is best placed to provide detailed information about each project.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Protecting all communities around the country from flooding is one of the Secretary of State’s five core priorities. We will invest £2.4 billion in 2024/25 and 2025/26 to improve flood resilience, by building, maintaining, and repairing flood defences.
The list of projects to receive Government funding in 2025/26 will be agreed by the Environment Agency over the coming months in the usual way through Regional Flood and Coastal Committees, with local representation.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government inherited flood assets in their worst condition on record following years of underinvestment by the previous Government – only 92% of the Environment Agency’s 38,000 high consequence assets are currently at required condition.
To ensure we protect the country from the devastating impacts of flooding, we will invest £2.4 billion over 2024/25 and 2025/26 to improve flood resilience, by building, maintaining, and repairing flood defences. The government also announced an additional £50 million of investment into internal drainage boards, as part of the one-off £75 million Internal Drainage Board (IDB) Fund, supporting farmers and rural communities from the impacts of flooding, and £60 million in payments to farmers through the Farming Recovery Fund, impacted by unprecedented extreme wet weather last winter (October 2023 to March 2024).
The new Flood Resilience Taskforce provides oversight of national and local flood resilience and preparedness ahead of and after the winter flood season.
Additionally, Defra’s farming budget will be £2.4 billion in 2025/26. This will include the largest ever budget directed at sustainable food production and nature’s recovery in our country’s history: £1.8 billion for environmental land management schemes. This funding will deliver improvements to cover a range of objectives including support to improve resilience to flooding.
Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Farming Recovery Fund payments are made directly to farmers. The Farming Recovery Fund is activated by the Government of the day and has been activated in 2015, 2019, 2020 and again in 2024 depending on the scale and impacts of the flooding, these are detailed below:
- In 2015 when Storm Desmond produced 341mm of rainfall at Honister Pass in Cumbria in 24 hours.
- In 2019/2020, a flash flood in North Yorkshire affecting a single parish and the collapse of a flood embankment in Wainfleet, Lincolnshire, and widescale flooding across central and eastern England.
- In 2024 an expanded fund following Storms Babet, Henk and the exceptional wet weather during the six-month period October 2023 to March 2024
Each iteration of the Farming Recovery Fund is different depending on when, where and what the weather conditions were which caused the flooding. Farmers were able to apply for these funds the details of which are set out below.
Region | FRF 2015 | FRF 2019 | FRF 2020 | |||
Number | Amount | Number | Amount | Number | Amount | |
Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire | 1 | £9,120.00 |
|
|
|
|
Cheshire |
|
|
|
| 1 | £3,948.94 |
Cumbria | 530 | £4,647,445.22 |
|
|
|
|
Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire |
|
| 18 | £78,834.38 | 4 | £28,006.84 |
East Anglia | 1 | £1,530.00 |
|
|
|
|
East Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire | 8 | £34,027.49 | 2 | £5,515.78 | 1 | £1,361.30 |
Gloucestershire, Wiltshire and Bath/Bristol area | 1 | £2,924.20 | 1 | £21,387.50 | 35 | £241,976.01 |
Greater Manchester | 7 | £33,124.52 |
|
|
|
|
Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire |
|
| 6 | £52,665.32 | 70 | £362,580.74 |
Inner London - West | 1 | £3,603.00 |
|
| 1 | £1,730.00 |
Lancashire | 129 | £978,167.39 |
|
|
|
|
Leicestershire, Rutland and Northamptonshire |
|
| 1 | £5,829.50 |
|
|
Lincolnshire | 1 | £19,846.00 | 30 | £165,887.13 |
|
|
North Yorkshire | 212 | £1,507,147.20 | 36 | £266,871.18 |
|
|
Northumberland, and Tyne and Wear | 60 | £425,640.21 |
|
|
|
|
Shropshire and Staffordshire | 1 | £20,000.00 |
|
| 29 | £120,655.82 |
South Yorkshire | 1 | £514.90 | 12 | £39,280.42 |
|
|
Tees Valley and Durham | 15 | £106,270.76 |
|
|
|
|
West Yorkshire | 27 | £181,071.49 |
|
|
|
|
Total payments to English registered businesses | 995 | £7,970,432.38 | 106 | £636,271.21 | 141 | £760,259.65 |
Paid for land in England but business registered in other UK country | 4 | £31,867.98 |
|
| 3 | £7,368.36 |
Grand total | 999 | £8,002,300.36 | 106 | £636,271.21 | 144 | £767,628.01 |
We will publish data for the 2024 Farming Recovery Fund once payments have been finalised. The 2024 Farming Recovery Fund has paid around 12,700 farming businesses £57.5 million, to date.
Recovery payments were always intended as an exceptional intervention. Defra is working with the Flood Resilience Taskforce to develop a longer-term solution to the impacts of our changing climate on the agricultural sector. We are also investing in environmental land management schemes which include actions to improve flood resilience and water management on farms.
Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)