James Wild Portrait

James Wild

Conservative - North West Norfolk

4,954 (11.1%) majority - 2024 General Election

First elected: 12th December 2019

Shadow Exchequer Secretary (Treasury)

(since November 2024)

Opposition Whip (Commons)

(since November 2024)

Employment Rights Bill
13th Nov 2024 - 19th Nov 2024
Shadow Parliamentary Under Secretary (Education)
19th Jul 2024 - 6th Nov 2024
Finance (No.2) Bill
15th May 2024 - 21st May 2024
Pensions (Special Rules for End of Life) Bill
17th Apr 2024 - 24th Apr 2024
Pensions (Extension of Automatic Enrolment) (No. 2) Bill
8th Mar 2023 - 15th Mar 2023
Child Support Collection (Domestic Abuse) Bill
13th Dec 2022 - 14th Dec 2022
Public Accounts Committee
2nd Mar 2020 - 29th Nov 2022
Charities Bill [HL]
19th Jan 2022 - 25th Jan 2022
Charities Bill [HL] Second Reading Committee
12th Jan 2022 - 18th Jan 2022


Division Voting information

During the current Parliament, James Wild has voted in 55 divisions, and 1 time against the majority of their Party.

29 Nov 2024 - Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill - View Vote Context
James Wild voted Aye - against a party majority and in line with the House
One of 23 Conservative Aye votes vs 92 Conservative No votes
Tally: Ayes - 330 Noes - 275
View All James Wild Division Votes

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.

Sparring Partners
Ed Miliband (Labour)
Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero
(9 debate interactions)
Wes Streeting (Labour)
Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
(7 debate interactions)
Angela Rayner (Labour)
Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government
(4 debate interactions)
View All Sparring Partners
Department Debates
HM Treasury
(28 debate contributions)
Department for Education
(12 debate contributions)
Cabinet Office
(6 debate contributions)
View All Department Debates
Legislation Debates
Finance Bill 2024-26
(5,471 words contributed)
Employment Rights Bill 2024-26
(63 words contributed)
View All Legislation Debates
View all James Wild's debates

North West Norfolk 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).

Petitions with highest North West Norfolk signature proportion
James Wild has not participated in any petition debates

Latest EDMs signed by James Wild

2nd September 2024
James Wild signed this EDM as a sponsor on Monday 2nd September 2024

Social Security

Tabled by: Rishi Sunak (Conservative - Richmond and Northallerton)
That an humble Address be presented to His Majesty, praying that the Social Fund Winter Fuel Payment Regulations 2024 (S.I., 2024, No. 869), dated 22 August 2024, a copy of which was laid before this House on 22 August 2024, be annulled.
81 signatures
(Most recent: 10 Sep 2024)
Signatures by party:
Conservative: 75
Independent: 3
Democratic Unionist Party: 2
Scottish National Party: 1
View All James Wild's signed Early Day Motions

Commons initiatives

These initiatives were driven by James Wild, 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.


James Wild has not been granted any Urgent Questions

James Wild has not been granted any Adjournment Debates

James Wild has not introduced any legislation before Parliament

1 Bill co-sponsored by James Wild

Road Traffic (Testing of Blood) Bill 2023-24
Sponsor - Jonathan Gullis (Con)


Latest 50 Written Questions

(View all written questions)
Written Questions can be tabled by MPs and Lords to request specific information information on the work, policy and activities of a Government Department
2 Other Department Questions
11th Sep 2024
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what steps she is taking to ensure public bodies protect the rights of (a) women and (b) transgender people.

The Equality Act 2010 protects people from discrimination based on the protected characteristics of 'sex' and ‘gender reassignment’. The Government is committed to upholding this important legislation. The Public Sector Equality Duty requires public bodies, in carrying out their functions, to have due regard to the need to achieve the objectives set out under section 149 of the Equality Act 2010. These are to: eliminate discrimination, harassment, victimisation and any other conduct that is prohibited by or under the Act; advance equal opportunities between people who have a protected characteristic and those who do not; and foster good relations between people who have a protected characteristic and those who do not.

Anneliese Dodds
Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
11th Sep 2024
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what steps she is taking to promote safe spaces for women.

This Government is steadfast in its dedication to protecting women and fostering a society in which they feel respected and empowered. We will uphold the Equality Act and its framework to protect single-sex spaces for women, and ensure that service providers understand how to lawfully protect such spaces.

We will also treat violence against women and girls as a national emergency and have committed to halving the instances of this in a decade. This Government believes that women and girls should feel safe and protected wherever they go whether that be at home, on the street or at work.

Anneliese Dodds
Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
29th Oct 2024
To ask the Solicitor General, with reference to paragraph 7.16 of the Ministerial Code, how many ministers have consulted the law officers on legal proceedings in a personal capacity since 4 July 2024.

Paragraph 7.16 of the Ministerial Code (3.17 of the Ministerial Code updated on 6 November 2024) obliges Ministers involved in legal proceedings in a personal capacity to consult the Law Officers in good time and before legal proceedings are initiated.

The Law Officers do not disclose whether ministers have consulted them on legal proceedings in a personal capacity.

This is due to the long-standing convention, observed by successive Governments, that the fact of, and substance of advice from, the Law Officers of the Crown is not disclosed outside government. The purpose of this convention is to enable the Government to obtain frank and full legal advice in confidence. This is set out in paragraph 21.27 of Erskine May, is known as the Law Officers’ Convention, and it applies to your question.

Sarah Sackman
Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
28th Oct 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, when the independent appeals process for the Horizon Shortfall Scheme will start accepting applications.

In September, the Government announced that it would establish an HSS appeals process to provide individuals with a chance to have their claims reassessed through a DBT-run process. We are working with representative groups and the Horizon Compensation Advisory Board to make sure that that the process is fit for purpose and that claims can be assessed and resolved quickly. We will announce further details as soon as we can.

Gareth Thomas
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
4th Oct 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will make an estimate of the total annual cost of regulation to UK businesses.

In 2023, the previous government repealed the Business Impact Target (BIT) through the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Act. The BIT was the principal mechanism through which government made an estimate of the total annual cost of regulation to UK businesses. In place of that, the reformed Better Regulation Framework encourages an earlier and more thorough assessment of impacts of individual regulatory proposals. This government will use the framework to ensure that new regulations achieve their objectives, with the minimum cost to business and support economic growth. We will set out further proposals for regulatory reform in due course.

Justin Madders
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
4th Oct 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to reduce the cost of regulation for businesses.

It is essential that we identify areas where the costs of regulations may be unnecessarily high and burdensome for businesses. Best practice analysis of regulatory interventions and reforms, as well as monitoring and evaluating the success of interventions will help us understand these issues further. The Department for Business and Trade is in the process of developing an ambitious regulatory reform agenda to ensure that any future regulation or regulatory reform will work for businesses and consumers, and aids economic growth. Our proposals will be set out in due course.

Justin Madders
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
4th Oct 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, when he expects decisions to be made on applications to the Industrial Energy Transformation Fund Phase 3 Spring 2024 competition.

The Industrial Energy Transformation Fund (IETF) Phase 3 spring 2024 window (3.1) is currently awaiting outcomes from the autumn fiscal event before decisions on applications can be made.

Sarah Jones
Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
29th Jul 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of decoupling electricity from wholesale gas prices.

Our mission is for clean power by 2030 because this is the best way to achieve energy independence and protect billpayers. New, clean renewable energy will reduce our exposure to volatile fossil fuel markets. As part of the Review of Electricity Market Arrangements (REMA) programme, the Government is considering what further steps can be taken to shield consumers from the impacts of potential price spikes and to ensure they benefit from lower cost renewable energy.

Michael Shanks
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
9th Sep 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to the Autumn Statement 2023, whether he plans to make £520 million available for life sciences.

The Government is committed to supporting Life Sciences manufacturing to deliver an NHS fit for the future and stimulate economic growth across the UK. It has invested over £405 million to secure vaccine manufacturing through the Vaccine Taskforce and is providing up to £118 million in capital grants to boost UK manufacturing investment.

DSIT is discussing plans to support investment in the sector with the Treasury. The £520 million funding announced in the Autumn Statement for Life Sciences manufacturing is part of these discussions.

Feryal Clark
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
9th Sep 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to the Autumn Statement 2023, when stakeholders will be able to apply for the £520 million in funding from 2025‑26 to support transformational manufacturing investments in life sciences.

The Government is committed to supporting Life Sciences manufacturing to deliver an NHS fit for the future and stimulate economic growth across the UK. It has invested over £405 million to secure vaccine manufacturing through the Vaccine Taskforce and is providing up to £118 million in capital grants to boost UK manufacturing investment.

DSIT is discussing plans to support investment in the sector with the Treasury. The £520 million funding announced in the Autumn Statement for Life Sciences manufacturing is part of these discussions.

Feryal Clark
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
26th Nov 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 26 November 2024 to Question 14758 on Special Educational Needs: Finance, and with reference to Table 5.1 in the Autumn Budget 2024, HC 295, on what evidential basis item 62, page 121, entitled Special Education Needs and Disabilities: Reduction in Local Authority SEND deficits as a result of additional DEL funding specifies £865 million of spending in 2025-26.

The Office for Budget Responsibility had forecast that local authorities would spend £1.4 billion more than the funding they would receive on high needs in the 2025/26 financial year. This was on the assumption that high needs funding would increase only by the gross domestic product (GDP) deflator. In fact, overall high needs funding increased by £1 billion, and given this higher level of funding, HM Treasury have recorded in their tables that this creates a corresponding £865 million reduction in expected local government spending on high needs (that is, in the level of local government spending over the funding they will receive).

Catherine McKinnell
Minister of State (Education)
18th Nov 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answers of 29 October to Question 11052 and of 8 November to Question 12117 on Free Schools, for what reason she has not provided the list requested.

The government confirmed a review of mainstream free school projects to ensure that they continue to meet a need for places, offer value for money for the taxpayer and are not to the detriment of the other schools in the local area.

The department is currently in discussion with trusts, local authorities and other partners to gather more information in relation to projects. It would be unhelpful to increase speculation about individual projects at this stage.

No final decisions have been made at this point, and the department will publicly communicate the outcomes of the review in due course. It is also established departmental process that all cancellations and withdrawals are routinely published on GOV.UK. These can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/free-schools-successful-applications.

Stephen Morgan
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
18th Nov 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of the £1 billion funding for Special Education Needs announced in the Budget she expects to be used (a) by local authorities to reduce deficits and (b) to improve support for pupils.

This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) or in alternative provision receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life.

The department is providing the almost £1 billion increase in high needs funding to help meet the rise in costs faced by local authorities next year, as they in turn provide support to schools and children with SEND.

Local authorities’ responsibility to provide the required support remains unchanged. No part of the additional funding that is being provided has been ear-marked for use by local authorities to reduce existing dedicated schools grant deficits.

Catherine McKinnell
Minister of State (Education)
31st Oct 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 29 October to Question 11052 on Free Schools, if she will list the 44 projects.

I refer the hon. Member for North West Norfolk to the answer of 29 October 2024 to Question 11051.

Catherine McKinnell
Minister of State (Education)
24th Oct 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Written Statement of 22 October 2024, HCWS150 on Mainstream Free Schools, what her policy is on opening free schools approved under the last Government.

The government wants to ensure children thrive in education, whatever type of school they are in, including free schools. Capacity varies from place to place, so the department will continue to open new schools where they are needed.

Departmental officials are working with local authorities, academy trusts and other partners to take work forward on the review of mainstream free school projects over the autumn and have written to them, setting out next steps in relation to individual projects. The department will publicly communicate the outcomes of the review in due course.

Stephen Morgan
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
16th Oct 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 9 October 2024 to Question 6213 on Special Educational Needs, whether she plans to introduce SEND and alternative provision partnerships.

Local authorities have existing statutory responsibilities to collaborate with local partners in the strategic planning and commissioning of the local offer provision for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

The department has been testing the implementation of SEND and alternative provision (AP) partnerships through the SEND and AP Change Programme. We are reviewing the evidence gathered and will continue to explore options to strengthen partnerships as part of SEND and AP reforms.

Catherine McKinnell
Minister of State (Education)
16th Oct 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 9 October 2024 to Question 6213 on Special Educational Needs, whether she plans to introduce national standards for speech and language services.

The government’s ambition is that all children and young people receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life.

The department is committed to improving inclusivity and expertise in mainstream schools, as well as ensuring special schools cater to those with the most complex needs, restoring parents’ trust that their child will get the support they need. Whilst the department recognises the urgency and need to drive improvements, we are conscious that there are no quick fixes and want to take a considered approach to deliver sustainable education reform, including in relation to the introduction of nation standards for speech and language services.

Supporting children’s early language development is one of the department’s key priorities. The department is funding continued support for the 11,100 schools registered for the Nuffield Early Language Intervention programme during the 2024/25 academic year. In partnership with NHS England, the department is funding the Early Language and Support For Every Child (ELSEC) to trial new ways of working to earlier identify and support children with Speech, Language and Communication Needs (SLCN) in early years and primary schools, utilising therapy support assistants.

In further partnership with NHS England and the Department for Health and Social Care, this department is funding the Partnerships for Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools (PINS) programme. PINS will build teacher and staff capacity to identify and meet the needs of neurodiverse children, including those with SLCN, through whole school interventions.

Finally, the department is funding evidence reviews from Newcastle University and University College London to highlight what the best available evidence suggests are the most effective tools and approaches to identify and support children and young people, age 0 to 25, with different types of needs including SLCN.

Catherine McKinnell
Minister of State (Education)
14th Oct 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the oral answer of 9 September 2024 from the Secretary of State for Education, Official Report column 551, whether she has asked the Office for Students to look into reports regarding the operation of Peking University HSBC Business School in Oxford.

As my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education outlined in her response of 9 September, decisions relating to the conditions of registration and requirements of higher education (HE) providers in England are a matter for the Office for Students (OfS) as the independent regulator.

In order to meet the regulatory requirements of the OfS, English HE providers must uphold applicable public interest governance principles. These include principles on free speech, academic freedom and accountability, such as operating openly and with integrity. As such providers are responsible for ensuring they have adequate governance and risk management procedures in place, including on the acceptance of donations.

The OfS has informed the department that it is engaging with relevant parties as appropriate to understand the issues that have been raised regarding the operation of Peking University HSBC Business School UK Campus (PKBS-UK). PKBS-UK is a registered HE provider in the ‘approved’ category, which means the provider is not eligible for certain grants including eligibility for OfS teaching grant funding or any other OfS payments under sections 39 or 40 of the Higher Education and Research Act (HERA).

As outlined in its regulatory framework, if the OfS identifies a breach of a specific or general ongoing condition of registration as part of its enquiries, then it will consider the use of formal sanctions, which may include monetary penalties, suspension from the register or deregistration.

This government has committed to an audit of the UK’s relationship with China to improve its ability to understand and respond to the challenges and opportunities it poses. This will guide a consistent and coherent approach to relations with China rooted in UK and global interests.

Janet Daby
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
30th Aug 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to expand childcare to 30 hours per week for all eligible families with children aged between nine months and three years from September 2025.

Expanding access to affordable and high quality childcare is key to breaking down barriers to opportunity and is one of the driving missions of this government.

From 2 September 2024, hundreds of thousands of eligible working parents of children from nine months old have begun to access 15 hours of government-funded early education per week.

The department is looking ahead to delivering the expansion to 30 funded hours from next September. Eligible working parents of children aged nine months and above will be able to access 30 hours (over 38 weeks a year) from the term following their child turning nine months to when they start school.

The department is already taking action to help deliver the additional places needed for the next phase and to deliver the remainder of the promised 3,000 school-based nurseries from 2026 onwards, with a greater focus on more disadvantaged families.

Stephen Morgan
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
30th Aug 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many parents have applied for government-funded childcare codes for September 2024; and how many codes have been validated by childcare providers.

Since 2 September 2024, eligible working parents of children from nine months old can access 15 hours of government-funded early education per week.

Take up from parents is roughly in line with the position at this point in time prior to the April phase of the rollout for eligible working parents of two year olds. Internal figures show a similar trajectory, with over 200,000 entitlement codes validated by providers, meaning parents have secured a place. Thanks to the hard work of local authorities and childcare providers, the department is confident delivery is on track.

The department has not published figures yet because it normally takes a few weeks for local authorities and providers to have validated codes following the 31 August application deadline. The department will be publishing data on codes issued and codes validated for September 2024 in due course.

Stephen Morgan
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
30th Aug 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many additional places will be required in September 2024 for the expanded childcare offer.

Ensuring that parents are able to access affordable and high quality childcare is a top priority. The department’s focus in reforming the system will be to ensure that there are greater and more equal opportunities to access early education for every family, and that there are greater opportunities for children to thrive and develop. As an initial step, the department is working to deliver new places in 3,000 nurseries through upgrading space in primary schools. This will help deliver the expansion in childcare entitlements and ensure that a variety of different types of provision are available that suit the needs of different parents.

Based on assumptions around take-up, likely hours used and whether children are new or existing users of childcare, there is estimated to be demand of an additional 15,000 places for September 2024.

Thousands of children, aged from nine months, will get government-funded childcare for the first time, allowing them to access 15 hours a week, over 38 weeks a year, of high quality, accessible childcare.

Further information on the underpinning assumptions behind these estimates was published in the 2023 Spring Budget Policy costing information note: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/66221ba8252f0d71cf757d2b/Spring_budget_2023_childcare_expansion_costing_note_information.pdf.

The department will continue to monitor the sufficiency of childcare provision through regular conversations with local authorities.

Stephen Morgan
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
30th Aug 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the (a) allocated budget and (b) amount spent was for advertising the expanded childcare offer for children aged two before April 2024.

For the 2024/25 financial year, the department has an allocated budget of £2.4 million for the Childcare Choices campaign. This includes promotion of the expanded childcare working entitlements for nine month olds, as well as the existing offers for two, three and four year olds. Final spending will be confirmed.

For the 2023/24 financial year, the department had an allocated budget of £1.4 million for the Childcare Choices campaign. This included promotion of the expanded childcare working entitlements for two year olds as well as the existing offers for three and four year olds.

Stephen Morgan
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
30th Aug 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the (a) allocated budget and (b) amount already spent is for advertising the expanded childcare offer for children aged nine months and above.

For the 2024/25 financial year, the department has an allocated budget of £2.4 million for the Childcare Choices campaign. This includes promotion of the expanded childcare working entitlements for nine month olds, as well as the existing offers for two, three and four year olds. Final spending will be confirmed.

For the 2023/24 financial year, the department had an allocated budget of £1.4 million for the Childcare Choices campaign. This included promotion of the expanded childcare working entitlements for two year olds as well as the existing offers for three and four year olds.

Stephen Morgan
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
30th Aug 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many childcare places the 3,000 additional school-based nursery classrooms will provide.

High quality early education and childcare is a crucial opportunity to transform life chances.

In the coming months, the government will be setting out plans to deliver new places in 3,000 nurseries through upgrading space in primary schools. This will include both school-run nurseries and schools partnering with private, voluntary and independent providers.

The department is working closely with schools, local authorities and providers to understand what is needed to deliver this, and to ensure provision meets the needs of families and schools and is opened in the right places.

Stephen Morgan
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
30th Aug 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many additional staff will be required in September 2024 for the expanded childcare offer.

The department knows that to deliver the expanded early years entitlements, the sector will need additional staff. In total, the department estimated that compared to 2023, the new entitlements will create an increased need for workers in the region of 9,000 in September 2024.

In 2023, the number of staff increased by 12,900 (4%), from 334,400 in 2022, to 347,300 in 2023. This was before the department introduced interventions to support the growth of the workforce.

Stephen Morgan
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
30th Aug 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many places will be required in September 2024 for the expanded childcare offer.

Ensuring that parents are able to access affordable and high quality childcare is a top priority. The department’s focus in reforming the system will be to ensure that there are greater and more equal opportunities to access early education for every family, and that there are greater opportunities for children to thrive and develop. As an initial step, the department is working to deliver new places in 3,000 nurseries through upgrading space in primary schools. This will help deliver the expansion in childcare entitlements and ensure that a variety of different types of provision are available that suit the needs of different parents.

Based on assumptions around take-up, likely hours used and whether children are new or existing users of childcare, there is estimated to be demand of an additional 15,000 places for September 2024.

Thousands of children, aged from nine months, will get government-funded childcare for the first time, allowing them to access 15 hours a week, over 38 weeks a year, of high quality, accessible childcare.

Further information on the underpinning assumptions behind these estimates was published in the 2023 Spring Budget Policy costing information note: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/66221ba8252f0d71cf757d2b/Spring_budget_2023_childcare_expansion_costing_note_information.pdf.

The department will continue to monitor the sufficiency of childcare provision through regular conversations with local authorities.

Stephen Morgan
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
24th Jul 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what her planned timetable is to roll out free breakfast clubs to all primary schools.

The government is committed to making quick progress on delivering breakfast clubs in every primary school. Breakfast clubs will remove barriers to opportunity, by providing a supportive start to the day, ensuring every child, no matter their circumstances, is well prepared for school and ready to achieve.

The department has already taken decisive action by announcing in the King’s Speech that, under the Children’s Wellbeing Bill, every primary school in England will offer a free breakfast club. Legislating for breakfast club provision will give schools the certainty they need to plan for the future. Before the legislation comes into force, the department will work with the sector to make sure the right support, including funding, is in place.

Stephen Morgan
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
24th Jul 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate she has made of the annual cost of providing free breakfast clubs in all primary schools.

The government is committed to making quick progress on delivering breakfast clubs in every primary school. Breakfast clubs will remove barriers to opportunity, by providing a supportive start to the day, ensuring every child, no matter their circumstances, is well prepared for school and ready to achieve.

The department has already taken decisive action by announcing in the King’s Speech that, under the Children’s Wellbeing Bill, every primary school in England will offer a free breakfast club. Legislating for breakfast club provision will give schools the certainty they need to plan for the future. Before the legislation comes into force, the department will work with the sector to make sure the right support, including funding, is in place.

Stephen Morgan
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
24th Jul 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what her policy is on the future of the Behaviour Hubs programme.

Delivery of the Behaviour Hubs will run until the end of March 2025.

Funding beyond the end of March 2025 is subject to the forthcoming Spending Review.

Stephen Morgan
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
22nd Jul 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate she has made of the proportion of state schools which teach the national curriculum.

Maintained schools in England are legally required to follow the National Curriculum up to age 16, but academies, including free schools, are not. The department does not hold data on the proportion of academies currently following the National Curriculum, but knows that many choose to teach it.

As part of the legislative programme announced in the King’s Speech, the department intends to legislate to require academies to teach the National Curriculum, once changes are made following the Curriculum and Assessment Review. This will give parents certainty over their children’s education, and it will give academies time to prepare. The department will discuss with the sector the practicalities of implementing this change.

The review will recommend a core curriculum that is designed to empower, not restrict, academies and other schools. It will support the innovation and professionalism of teachers, whether in academies or maintained schools, and will enable them to adapt how they teach the curriculum to their students’ lives and life experiences.

Catherine McKinnell
Minister of State (Education)
9th Sep 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to ensure that his approach to (a) per- and (b) poly-fluoroalkyl substances restrictions takes account of the (i) requirements and (i) time required for the pharmaceutical industry to (A) develop sustainable inhalers and (B) secure regulatory approval for these medicines using novel low global warming potential gases.

Defra is currently considering measures to restrict per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in a wide range of industrial and consumer uses under UK REACH. The scope of restriction proposals will be informed by engagement with a wide range of stakeholders, as well as by technical considerations, health and safety factors and the practical feasibility and requirements of adopting non-PFAS alternatives.

Emma Hardy
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
9th Sep 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to ensure that the (a) phasedown and (b) phaseout of fluorinated greenhouse gases takes into account the requirements of the pharmaceutical industry for (i) developing sustainable inhalers using climate-friendly gases and (ii) securing regulatory approval of such medicines.

Defra is in the process of reviewing the F-gas Regulation, which includes an exemption from the hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) phasedown for metered dose inhalers (MDIs). The review will consider the implementation of the current F-gas Regulation and options for future policy development.

To support this work there is ongoing engagement between Defra, NHS, DHSC and other stakeholders, including the pharmaceutical industry and patient representatives. Through this engagement, Defra will ensure future policy development takes account of the technical considerations and the practical requirements of the key stakeholders in this sector.

Daniel Zeichner
Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
4th Oct 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what (a) contractors and (b) sub-contractors are involved in the main civil works phase of the HS2 programme.

HS2 Ltd publish details of their main civil works contracts, and multiple other contractors, on their Contract Opportunities Table (https://www.hs2.org.uk/supply-chain/direct-contract-opportunities/); this table can be found on the supply chain section of the HS2 website. In addition to this, HS2 Ltd publish details of subcontracts, for which there are likely to be onward opportunities in the supply chain, through their Indirect Opportunities Table (https://www.hs2.org.uk/supply-chain/indirect-contract-opportunities/).

Lilian Greenwood
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
4th Oct 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the security risk of (a) connected and (b) autonomous vehicles manufactured using Chinese (i) software and (ii) hardware.

  • Connected and Automated Vehicles offer benefits to motorists and pedestrians through safer and more enjoyable driving, but these new technologies pose new risks. The Government takes national security very seriously and continues to actively look at threats associated with Connected and Automated Vehicles.

  • The Department for Transport works closely with the transport sector and the National Cyber Security Centre, as well as other Government departments to understand and respond to cyber vulnerabilities associated with all Connected Vehicles, including Automated Vehicles.

Lilian Greenwood
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
24th Jul 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she plans to approve the business case for the A10 West Winch Housing Access Road.

I thank the Honorable Member for his continued support for the scheme. Officials are working closely with Norfolk County Council on the outline business case submitted to the Department. When they have completed their assessment, they will put advice to Ministers.

Lilian Greenwood
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
18th Jul 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department plans to provide funding to Network Rail for the Ely Area Capacity Enhancement proposals.

Both the Rail Minister and I are early in our tenure as Transport Ministers. As such, he is yet to speak to Network Rail regarding the Ely Area Capacity Enhancement. However, we do recognise the benefits the scheme could bring for freight and passenger rail services in East Anglia. The Department looks forward to discussing these proposals with Network Rail, and other stakeholders, in the near future.

Lilian Greenwood
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
4th Oct 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many applications for Pension Credit have been (a) received and (b) approved in (i) North West Norfolk constituency and (ii) the UK since 29 July 2024.

The information requested regarding the number of Pension Credit applications is not readily available below national level and to provide it at constituency level would incur disproportionate cost.

Year to date figures for weekly Pension Credit claim volumes, received in the Department, were recently published in an ad hoc statistical release. They are available via Weekly Pension Credit claims received from 1 April 2024 to 22 September 2024 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Emma Reynolds
Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
4th Oct 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to paragraph 4(1)(a)(ii) of the Social Fund Winter Fuel Payment Regulations 2024, what estimate she has made of the number of Winter Fuel Payment recipients that are members of a polygamous marriage.

No such estimate has been made as the requested information is not available.

Emma Reynolds
Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
9th Sep 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people in North West Norfolk constituency will be affected by the change in eligibility requirement for Winter Fuel Allowance.

To be comparable with the Winter Fuel Payment statistics, the Pension Credit data that has been used is based on the 2010 Westminster Parliamentary constituencies, not 2024.

It is estimated that around 21,700 pensioners in North West Norfolk constituency (2010 boundary) will be impacted by the decision to amend the eligibility criteria for the Winter Fuel Payment. This is based on February 2024 Pension Credit statistics which are available via DWP Stat-xplore and the Winter Fuel Payment statistics for Winter 2022 to 2023 which are available via GOV.UK.

This estimation is calculated by subtracting the number of people claiming Pension Credit in North West Norfolk constituency from the number of Winter Fuel Payment recipients in North West Norfolk constituency. This is essentially the number of Winter Fuel Payment recipients who are not claiming Pension Credit pre-policy change, as an estimate of those who will no longer receive the Winter Fuel Payment.

Please note that the above figures do not take into account any potential increase in Pension Credit take-up that we might see as a result of the Government’s Pension Credit Awareness Campaign. We do not have data on those additional Pension Credit claims by Parliamentary constituencies or Local Authorities.

The published Pension Credit figures refer to households rather than individuals, so the number of individuals receiving Pension Credit will be higher. This means that the number of pensioners eligible for Winter Fuel Payment will be higher (i.e. taking account of households where it is a couple claiming Pension Credit).

In addition, while Pension Credit claimants constitute the majority of those that will be eligible for the Winter Fuel Payment, pensioners who claim other qualifying means-tested benefits will also be eligible for the Winter Fuel Payment. It is not, however, possible to include those on other qualifying means-tested benefits in these figures.

Emma Reynolds
Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
30th Aug 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people in North West Norfolk constituency (a) received winter fuel payments and (b) were eligible for (i) pension credit and (ii) other means tested benefits in 2023-4.

Annual statistics on the number of Winter Fuel Payment recipients and households by local authority and by Westminster parliamentary constituency are made publicly available via GOV.UK. The latest release contains data on individual and household level statistics for winter 2022 to 2023. For Winter 2022 to 2023, 24,157 people received a Winter Fuel Payment in North West Norfolk constituency.

Information relating to Pension Credit eligibility is only available via take-up statistics. The latest available Pension Credit take-up statistics for Great Britain cover the financial year 2021 to 2022 and are available at: Income-related benefits: estimates of take-up: financial year ending 2022 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). However, these statistics are only available at Great Britain level and cannot be broken down to smaller geographical areas.

Other means-tested benefits available to pensioners to enable them to receive a Winter Fuel Payment are: Income Support, Jobseekers’ Allowance (income-based), Employment and Support Allowance (income-related), and Universal Credit. Take-up statistics for Universal Credit are not available. Since the introduction of Universal Credit, it is no longer possible to make a new claim to other legacy means-tested benefits. We are therefore unable to estimate the number of pensioners who are eligible to claim other means-tested benefits.

Emma Reynolds
Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
17th Dec 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much funding has been released to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital King's Lynn Trust under the New Hospitals Programme.

Up to the end of 2023/24, the Queen Elizabeth Hospital King's Lynn NHS Foundation Trust has received £3.2 million in funding to support the development of the business case for their New Hospital Programme scheme.

Karin Smyth
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
2nd Dec 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to NHS England's commissioning guidance entitled Transcranial magnetic resonance guided focused ultrasound thalamotomy for treatment of medication-refractory essential tremor, updated 5 October 2021, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of this guidance on trends in the number of patients accessing this treatment.

The Department has made no assessment of the potential impact of NHS England’s guidance on trends in the number of patients accessing transcranial magnetic resonance. Transcranial magnetic resonance guided focused ultrasound thalamotomy is recommended for the treatment of refractory essential tremor in patients who are not eligible for deep brain stimulation, within the criteria set put in NHS England’s commissioning policy, which is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/1904-transcranial-magnetic-resonance-guided-focused-ultrasound-thalamotomy-for-treatment-of-medication-refract.pdf

Epidemiology and needs assessment data set out in the commissioning policy estimates that there will be up to 150 patients that meet the inclusion criteria for this therapy per year in England. NHS England will review the policy should any new evidence become available.

Andrew Gwynne
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
6th Nov 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to expand Fracture Liaison Services in England.

More than 500,000 fragility fractures occur every year, and up to 40% of fracture patients will suffer another fracture. I am pleased to reiterate the Government’s commitment to expanding access to Fracture Liaison Services.

The Department is working closely with NHS England to develop plans to ensure better quality and access to these important preventive services. This includes exploring ways to best support systems, as Fracture Liaison Services are commissioned by integrated care boards, which make decisions according to local need.

Andrew Gwynne
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
29th Oct 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to help reduce the time taken to process applications to the dental performers list.

In May 2023, changes were made to the Performers List Regulations for England to accelerate the process for domestic and overseas dentists joining the Dental Performers List to be able to practise in the National Health Service. Further changes came into force in September 2023.

The Government is determined to rebuild NHS dentistry, and strengthening the workforce is key to our ambitions. Dentists that meet our high standards should be able to enter the workforce efficiently, and we are exploring the best ways to achieve this.

Stephen Kinnock
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
29th Oct 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a new provisional registration status for overseas-qualified dentists whose qualifications are not automatically recognised by General Dental Council.

The Government is determined to rebuild National Health Service dentistry, and strengthening the workforce is key to our ambitions. Dentists that meet our high standards should be able to enter the workforce efficiently, and we are exploring the best ways to achieve this, including whether there is merit to the introduction of a provisional registration status for overseas-qualified dentists.

Stephen Kinnock
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
15th Oct 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to increase access to (a) Auditory Verbal therapy for deaf children whose families want them to learn to listen and speak and (b) other early and effective support to develop language and communication for deaf children.

NHS Audiology services, including support for non-hearing children, are locally commissioned, and the responsibility for meeting the needs of non-hearing children lies with local National Health Service commissioners.

NHS England is supporting the integrated care boards (ICBs) to make informed decisions about the provision of audiology services so that they can provide consistent, high quality, and integrated care to non-hearing children. In 2019, NHS England, with input from the National Deaf Children’s Society, produced a guide for commissioners and health and local authority providers which supports non-hearing children and young people, which is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/what-works-chswg-guide.pdf

The Department recognises the need to improve access to therapies generally. Since September 2020, all eligible allied health profession students have received a non-repayable training grant of a minimum of £5,000 per academic year. NHS England and the Department for Education are also working in partnership to co-fund £10 million for nine Early Language Support for Every Child pathfinder sites over two years, starting from September 2023, to provide early identification, targeted, and universal support for children with speech, language, and communication needs in both early years and primary school settings, and more timely referrals for specialist support if required.

NHS England met with Auditory Verbal UK (AVUK) last year and discussed the need for more higher-level research evidence for the intervention and to develop evaluations of impact. AVUK was also invited to join the Chief Scientific Officer’s Audiology stakeholder group.

Stephen Kinnock
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
15th Oct 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential economic benefit for the (a) NHS and (b) wider economy of investment in training the public sector workforce to increase access to Auditory Verbal therapy for young deaf children.

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave to the Hon. Member for Washington and Gateshead South on 14 October 2024 to Question 5963.

Stephen Kinnock
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
5th Sep 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to improve access to neurodevelopmental assessments.

The Department is currently considering the next steps to improve diagnostic assessments and support for autistic people and people with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). It is the responsibility of the integrated care boards (ICBs) to make available appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population, including autism and ADHD services, in line with relevant National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines.

On 5 April 2023, NHS England published a national framework and operational guidance to help ICBs and the National Health Service to deliver improved outcomes for children, young people, and adults referred to an autism assessment service. The guidance also sets out what support should be available before an assessment and what support should follow a recent diagnosis of autism. In 2024/25, £4.3 million is available nationally to improve services for autistic children and young people, including autism assessment services.

In respect of ADHD, we are supporting a cross-sector taskforce that NHS England has launched into challenges in ADHD service provision, to help provide a joined-up approach in response to concerns around rising demand.

Stephen Kinnock
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)