Asked by: Ian Roome (Liberal Democrat - North Devon)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to increase the uptake of statutory paternity leave.
Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Government is committed to making life better for families. Through the Employment Rights Bill we are making Paternity Leave a ‘day one’ right, which will bring an extra 32,000 fathers and partners into scope of the entitlement. On the first of July we launched the Parental Leave Review, which presents a much-needed opportunity to consider our approach to the system of parental leave and pay. All current and upcoming parental leave and pay entitlements, including Paternity Leave and Pay, will be in scope.
Asked by: Ian Roome (Liberal Democrat - North Devon)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to help increase the uptake of Shared Parental Leave.
Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Government know that the arrival of a child, whether through birth or adoption, is a transformative time in a family’s life. On the first of July, we launched the Parental Leave Review, which presents a much-needed opportunity to consider our approach to the system of parental leave and pay. All current and upcoming parental leave and pay entitlements, including Shared Parental Leave and Pay, will be in scope.
Asked by: Ian Roome (Liberal Democrat - North Devon)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether children who become eligible for free school meals in 2026 will also be eligible for pupil premium funding.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
Pupil premium funding is allocated to eligible schools based on the number of:
Pupil premium funding is allocated to local authorities based on the number of:
Pupil premium will continue to be allocated on this basis, on the basis of household income below £7,400 (after tax, not including benefits) for the 2026/27 financial year.
We are reviewing how we allocate pupil premium funding in the longer term. We will provide more information in due course.
Asked by: Ian Roome (Liberal Democrat - North Devon)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the impact of the New Hospital Programme Review on NHS staffing levels in Wave 2 and Wave 3 hospitals.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
An equality impact assessment was carried out for the review of the New Hospital Programme which included assessing the extent to which service users, including staff, might be impacted by these delivery proposals, with specific reference to the impact that these might have on relevant protected characteristics. This was laid in the House Library and published on 20 January, and is available at the following link:
Appropriate National Health Service staffing levels are determined locally. We will publish a new workforce plan to deliver the transformed health service we will build over the next decade and will ensure the NHS has the right people, in the right places, with the right skills to deliver the care patients need when they need it.
Asked by: Ian Roome (Liberal Democrat - North Devon)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of the Estates Safety Fund.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The 2025/26 Estates Safety Fund is an essential first step towards addressing the poorest quality estates across the National Health Service and to ensuring hospitals are safe and sustainable. It will deliver vital safety improvements, enhance patient and staff environments, and support NHS productivity at approximately 400 hospitals, mental health units, and ambulance sites.
As my Rt. Hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced at the Spending Review, health capital budgets will increase to £14.6 billion by the end of the Spending Review period. Across this multi-year settlement, over £5 billion will be invested to address the most critical building repairs, and the 2025/26 Estates Safety Fund is the first step in delivering this targeted investment.