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.
Asked by: Ian Roome (Liberal Democrat - North Devon)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to help reduce waiting times for driving tests; and what assessment she has made of the potential impact of waiting times on driving test (a) candidates and (b) examiners.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s (DVSA) main priority is upholding road safety standards while it works hard to reduce car practical driving test waiting times.
On the 23 April, the Secretary of State for Transport appeared before the Transport Select Committee and announced that DVSA will take further actions to reduce waiting times for all customers across Great Britain.
As acknowledged in the announcement regarding these measures, DVSA understands the potential impact high waiting times have on learner drivers, and the importance of helping learners pass quickly.
Further information on these actions and progress on the DVSA’s plan to reduce waiting times, which was set out last year, can be found on GOV.UK.
All staff at the agency are working tirelessly to reduce waiting times and help more people get on the road.
Driving examiners have been asked to carry out overtime, but this is on a voluntary basis. Examiners may also revise their shift patterns to incorporate weekend working.
The wellbeing and health and safety of colleagues, including driving examiners, is paramount, and DVSA will continue to support its people through its comprehensive wellbeing approach.