Asked by: Jayne Kirkham (Labour (Co-op) - Truro and Falmouth)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department undertook research on Extended Producer Responsibility schemes in other countries during the design of the proposed weight-related fee structure for his proposed scheme.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra has engaged with and sought to learn from a range of schemes in Europe and further afield in the design of our pEPR scheme, both in the development of policy and implementation of the scheme. As a result, our approach limits producers’ costs to those of efficient and effective collection systems and apportions these between materials based on the costs of their management using appropriate weight and volume-based metrics. This is in line with international good practice.
Asked by: Jayne Kirkham (Labour (Co-op) - Truro and Falmouth)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the proposed Extended Producer Responsibility scheme on the number of producers switching from glass to plastic packaging.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We have considered feedback from all material sectors, which has included including feedback from the glass sector on the risks of material switching towards plastic and fibre-based composite packaging. We have received limited evidence of decisions to investigate or implement switching. The evidence received indicates expected lead time for major products of at least one to two years to implement any decisions. We continue to engage with the glass sector on reuse which will bring environmental benefits and a reduction in EPR liabilities.
Asked by: Jayne Kirkham (Labour (Co-op) - Truro and Falmouth)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of allowing listed building owners to install uPVC double glazing to improve energy efficiency.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Changes to improve the energy efficiency of a listed building need to be sensitive to the character, appearance and specific characteristics of the building depending on individual circumstances. Listed buildings are generally exempt from energy efficiency requirements where compliance would unacceptably alter the character or appearance of the existing building.
Further guidance on improving the energy efficiency of windows of listed buildings can be found on the Historic England website.
Accompanying link: https://historicengland.org.uk/advice/technical-advice/retrofit-and-energy-efficiency-in-historic-buildings/modifying-windows-and-doors-in-historic-buildings/
Asked by: Jayne Kirkham (Labour (Co-op) - Truro and Falmouth)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure the sustainability of funding for maintained nursery schools.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education has been clear in her commitment to early years. Despite tough decisions to get our public finances back on track, this government has increased investment in the early years sector to drive forward progress towards our Plan for Change target of a record number of children starting school ready to learn.
In the 2025/26 financial year alone, this government plans to spend over £8 billion on early years entitlements. The department has also announced the largest ever uplift to the early years pupil premium, increasing the rate by over 45% compared to the 2024/25 financial year, raising it to the equivalent to up to £570 per eligible child per year.
On top of this the department is providing further supplementary funding of £75 million for the early years expansion grant to support the sector to provide the additional places and workforce needed by September 2025.
The department is also providing £25 million through the Employer National Insurance Contributions Grant for public sector employers in early years, which includes maintained nursery schools (MNS).
As part of the overall early years budget, the department expects to spend £92.6 million in MNS supplementary funding in the 2025/26 financial year, in recognition of the additional costs MNS face. The national average hourly rate for MNS supplementary funding will increase from £5.27 in the 2024/25 financial year to £5.90 in the 2025/26 financial year.
The department has introduced a minimum and maximum hourly rate that a local authority can receive for their MNS to create a fairer distribution of funding. For 2025/26, the supplementary funding minimum hourly rate for MNS will be set at £5.27.
MNS supplementary funding is just as secure over the long term as all the other early years funding streams.
Asked by: Jayne Kirkham (Labour (Co-op) - Truro and Falmouth)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, when he last raised the case of Alaa Abd El-Fattah with the Egyptian Government; and how often he has raised the case of Mr El-Fattah with that Government.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK Government continues to raise Mr Alaa Abd El-Fattah's case at the highest levels with the Egyptian government. We have been consistently clear in calling for his release and continue to press for urgent consular access. The Prime Minister raised the case in a phone call with President Sisi on 28 February 2025 and previously wrote to President Sisi on 26 December 2024 and 8 January 2025. The Foreign Secretary has raised this case regularly with the Egyptian Foreign Minister, most recently on 23 January 2025. I raised the case with the Egyptian Ambassador to London on 18 February 2025. The National Security Adviser also raised the case with Foreign Minister Abdelatty in a phone call on 2 March.
Asked by: Jayne Kirkham (Labour (Co-op) - Truro and Falmouth)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will take steps to ensure that funding allocated through the National Wealth Fund provides effective support to different port requirements.
Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
I refer the member to the answer given to UIN 38914 on 20 March 2025.
Asked by: Jayne Kirkham (Labour (Co-op) - Truro and Falmouth)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of managed realignment in the shore management plan on coastal (a) businesses and (b) facilities.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We are committed to supporting coastal communities and ensuring flood and coastal erosion risk management is fit for the challenges we face now and in the future.
Shoreline Management Plans (SMPs) are developed and owned by the local councils and coastal protection authorities. These provide long-term strategic plans which identify approaches for managing the flood and coastal erosion risks at every stretch of coastline.
SMPs have recently been refreshed with updated action plans. This follows several years of collaborative work between the Environment Agency and coastal groups.
The recently updated National Coastal Erosion Risk Map for England (NCERM) provides the most up to date national picture of current and future coastal erosion risk for England. This is based on a further ten years of coastal monitoring data, the latest climate change evidence and technical input from coastal local authorities. It will support and inform local decision making.
Asked by: Jayne Kirkham (Labour (Co-op) - Truro and Falmouth)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the introduction of menstrual well-being education in the statutory guidance entitled Relationships and sex education (RSE) and health education, published on 9 July 2020, on school leavers' knowledge of endometriosis.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
While the department has not made an assessment of the impact of learning about menstrual wellbeing as part of statutory health education, it is beneficial for pupils to understand the features of a healthy menstrual cycle, be able to recognise when things are not right and know when to seek help.
The department is currently reviewing the relationships, sex and health education statutory guidance and is looking carefully at the consultation responses, considering the relevant evidence and engaging with stakeholders before setting out next steps. This includes considering whether any additional content is needed, including on menstrual wellbeing and endometriosis.
Asked by: Jayne Kirkham (Labour (Co-op) - Truro and Falmouth)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps she is taking to ensure that funding for port infrastructure through the National Wealth Fund is allocated according to the needs of each region.
Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The National Wealth Fund (NWF) has financial capacity totaling £27.8 billion, of which at least £5.8 billion will be committed over this Parliament to the five priority sectors that the Chancellor announced at the International Investment Summit, including ports. This capital will be targeted into investable projects that meet the NWF’s investment criteria and mandate – driving growth, clean energy and creating the jobs of the future.
The NWF will support regional and local strategies with advisory and lending support throughout the investment cycle to deliver on local priorities. In doing so, the NWF will act in partnership with central government, local government, and other public bodies, to help identify and deliver the right support for projects.
Asked by: Jayne Kirkham (Labour (Co-op) - Truro and Falmouth)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what her Department's timeline is for the allocation of funding to ports through the National Wealth Fund.
Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The National Wealth Fund (NWF) has financial capacity totaling £27.8 billion, of which at least £5.8 billion will be committed over this Parliament to the five priority sectors that the Chancellor announced at the International Investment Summit, including ports. This capital will be targeted into investable projects that meet the NWF’s investment criteria and mandate – driving growth, clean energy and creating the jobs of the future.
The NWF will support regional and local strategies with advisory and lending support throughout the investment cycle to deliver on local priorities. In doing so, the NWF will act in partnership with central government, local government, and other public bodies, to help identify and deliver the right support for projects.