Asked by: Jenny Riddell-Carpenter (Labour - Suffolk Coastal)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the Universal Credit claimant count has been in (a) Leiston and (b) the IP16 postcode area in each month since January 2022.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Monthly Universal Credit statistics showing the number of people on Universal Credit, for the Postcode Area IP16, and the Ward Aldeburgh & Leiston or Leiston Jobcentre Plus office, are published in the People on Universal Credit dataset on Stat-Xplore, and are currently available to February 2026.
Users can log in or access Stat-Xplore as a guest and, if needed, can access guidance on how to extract information. There is also a Universal Credit Official Statistics: Stat-Xplore user guide.
Asked by: Jenny Riddell-Carpenter (Labour - Suffolk Coastal)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether any review was undertaken of the mitigation package secured through the Sizewell C Deed of Obligation following the increase in the project’s estimated cost.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Deed of Obligation was agreed between Suffolk Council, East Suffolk Council, and NNB Generating Company (SZC) Limited in October 2021. It sets out mitigation measures to reduce the impact of the development and operation of Sizewell C within each Councils boundary and is reflected in Requirements within the Development Consent Order. We are not aware of any review of the mitigation package in the light of increased project costs. Any application to change the Orders Requirements would need to be approved by the Secretary of State.
Asked by: Jenny Riddell-Carpenter (Labour - Suffolk Coastal)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of freight operations associated with Sizewell C on (a) passenger capacity, (b) journey times and (c) service frequency on the East Suffolk Line in the long-term.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department for Transport has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.
Asked by: Jenny Riddell-Carpenter (Labour - Suffolk Coastal)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Transport on ensuring children have access to practical road safety and cycle training.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
Officials in the department engaged with the Department for Transport when developing the updated Relationships Sex and Health Education guidance.
The updated guidance, published in July 2025 has a new section on personal safety which includes how to recognise risk and keep safe around roads. The Department for Transport has dedicated interactive websites for schools with materials that focus on their THINK! campaign.
Officials also engage on active travel for schools. Bikeability, the government owned cycle training programme, is funded by Active Travel England in schools across England. Up to £30 million was allocated to the programme for 2025/26 and funding for the forthcoming 3-year period is due to be announced shortly. Almost 6 million children have received Bikeability cycle training since 2007, with 500,000 children booking onto training in 2024/25.
Asked by: Jenny Riddell-Carpenter (Labour - Suffolk Coastal)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what funding is available to local authorities to deliver road safety measures around schools, including crossings, speed management and parking enforcement in 2026-27 in (a) England, (b) the East of England, (c) Suffolk and (d) Suffolk Coastal constituency.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The Government provides a range of funding streams and national guidance to support local authorities in improving road safety around schools, including measures such as pedestrian crossings, traffic‑calming, speed management and School Streets schemes.
We have confirmed £7.3 billion of capital funding for local highway maintenance across England between 2026–27 and 2029–30, allocated to local authorities to maintain and improve their road networks. This includes the road infrastructure around schools.
The Consolidated Active Travel Fund (CATF) may be used to deliver safety improvements around schools as part of wider walking and cycling programmes. In the latest CATF allocation round, Suffolk County Council received £2,784,685, which can be used for schemes in any part of the county, including within the Suffolk Coastal constituency.
Local authorities are responsible for identifying risks around schools and selecting appropriate interventions, drawing on national guidance. This includes:
Setting Local Speed Limits, which advises on implementing permanent or time‑limited 20 mph limits outside schools and is being updated as part of the Government’s Road Safety Strategy.
Chapter 6 of the Traffic Signs Manual, which provides guidance on the design and use of pedestrian crossings.
Local Transport Note 1/07, which sets out advice on traffic‑calming measures.
Guidance from the Department for Transport and Active Travel England on establishing and managing School Streets schemes, which restrict vehicle access near schools at peak times.
It is for local authorities to determine what measures are appropriate in individual cases as they have the local knowledge and it is right that they focus on the areas of highest risk, which may be where tragic collisions have occurred - but there is nothing to stop them implementing road safety measures elsewhere. The Government expects local authorities to work with local schools, parents, and communities to address concerns about road safety in their local area.
Asked by: Jenny Riddell-Carpenter (Labour - Suffolk Coastal)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to ensure local authorities publish the outcome of school gate road safety assessments and the measures implemented at each school where risk is identified.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The Government provides a range of funding streams and national guidance to support local authorities in improving road safety around schools, including measures such as pedestrian crossings, traffic‑calming, speed management and School Streets schemes.
We have confirmed £7.3 billion of capital funding for local highway maintenance across England between 2026–27 and 2029–30, allocated to local authorities to maintain and improve their road networks. This includes the road infrastructure around schools.
The Consolidated Active Travel Fund (CATF) may be used to deliver safety improvements around schools as part of wider walking and cycling programmes. In the latest CATF allocation round, Suffolk County Council received £2,784,685, which can be used for schemes in any part of the county, including within the Suffolk Coastal constituency.
Local authorities are responsible for identifying risks around schools and selecting appropriate interventions, drawing on national guidance. This includes:
Setting Local Speed Limits, which advises on implementing permanent or time‑limited 20 mph limits outside schools and is being updated as part of the Government’s Road Safety Strategy.
Chapter 6 of the Traffic Signs Manual, which provides guidance on the design and use of pedestrian crossings.
Local Transport Note 1/07, which sets out advice on traffic‑calming measures.
Guidance from the Department for Transport and Active Travel England on establishing and managing School Streets schemes, which restrict vehicle access near schools at peak times.
It is for local authorities to determine what measures are appropriate in individual cases as they have the local knowledge and it is right that they focus on the areas of highest risk, which may be where tragic collisions have occurred - but there is nothing to stop them implementing road safety measures elsewhere. The Government expects local authorities to work with local schools, parents, and communities to address concerns about road safety in their local area.
Asked by: Jenny Riddell-Carpenter (Labour - Suffolk Coastal)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what guidance her Department provides to local authorities on responding to road safety risks around schools, including time-limited 20 mph restrictions, crossings and school streets.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The Government provides a range of funding streams and national guidance to support local authorities in improving road safety around schools, including measures such as pedestrian crossings, traffic‑calming, speed management and School Streets schemes.
We have confirmed £7.3 billion of capital funding for local highway maintenance across England between 2026–27 and 2029–30, allocated to local authorities to maintain and improve their road networks. This includes the road infrastructure around schools.
The Consolidated Active Travel Fund (CATF) may be used to deliver safety improvements around schools as part of wider walking and cycling programmes. In the latest CATF allocation round, Suffolk County Council received £2,784,685, which can be used for schemes in any part of the county, including within the Suffolk Coastal constituency.
Local authorities are responsible for identifying risks around schools and selecting appropriate interventions, drawing on national guidance. This includes:
Setting Local Speed Limits, which advises on implementing permanent or time‑limited 20 mph limits outside schools and is being updated as part of the Government’s Road Safety Strategy.
Chapter 6 of the Traffic Signs Manual, which provides guidance on the design and use of pedestrian crossings.
Local Transport Note 1/07, which sets out advice on traffic‑calming measures.
Guidance from the Department for Transport and Active Travel England on establishing and managing School Streets schemes, which restrict vehicle access near schools at peak times.
It is for local authorities to determine what measures are appropriate in individual cases as they have the local knowledge and it is right that they focus on the areas of highest risk, which may be where tragic collisions have occurred - but there is nothing to stop them implementing road safety measures elsewhere. The Government expects local authorities to work with local schools, parents, and communities to address concerns about road safety in their local area.
Asked by: Jenny Riddell-Carpenter (Labour - Suffolk Coastal)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she plans to equalise the VAT treatment of Further Education colleges and school sixth forms.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
Further Education (FE) funding is vital to ensure people are being trained in the skills they need to thrive in the modern labour market. The 2025 Spending Review provided an additional £1.2 billion per year by 2028-29 for skills and £1.7 billion of capital funding to help colleges maintain the condition of their estate. In addition, the Government is providing £375 million of capital investment to support the FE system to accommodate increasing student numbers.
For their non-business activity, FE colleges are unable to reclaim VAT incurred. We operate VAT refund schemes for schools and academies which are designed variously to ensure that VAT is not a burden on local taxation, and that academies are not disincentivised to leave LA control. FE colleges do not meet the criteria for either scheme.
In relation to business activity, FE colleges enjoy an exemption from VAT which means that they do not have to charge VAT to students but cannot recover it either.
Asked by: Jenny Riddell-Carpenter (Labour - Suffolk Coastal)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate she has made of the number of children injured in road traffic incidents within 500 metres of a school in each of the last five years.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The information requested is not available.
Asked by: Jenny Riddell-Carpenter (Labour - Suffolk Coastal)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she plans to review the designated bathing waters framework.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
A review of the Bathing Waters Regulations (2013) was undertaken in 2024-25. Following a consultation on potential reforms to the regulations from November-December 2024, the Bathing Water (Amendment) (England and Wales) Regulations 2025 came into force on 21 November 2025. Defra will continue to keep the implementation of the regulations under review.