First elected: 4th July 2024
Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.
These initiatives were driven by Jess Brown-Fuller, 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.
Jess Brown-Fuller has not been granted any Urgent Questions
Jess Brown-Fuller has not been granted any Adjournment Debates
Jess Brown-Fuller has not introduced any legislation before Parliament
Jess Brown-Fuller has not co-sponsored any Bills in the current parliamentary sitting
In July 2024, my Right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education announced a short pause to the defunding of qualifications to enable a review of post-16 qualification reforms at level 3 and below. This was followed by a Written Ministerial Statement by my noble Friend, the Minister for Skills, on 25 July. This statement is available here: https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2024-07-25/hlws20.
The department is now working to review the defunding due to take place in 2025 and it will set out the position before Christmas.
The department has not announced any defunding for 2026.
Workplace absences that are the result of a workplace injury would usually be subject to normal sick pay arrangements.
The department has no jurisdiction over arrangements for dealing with workplace injuries or matters relating to sick pay, as these are covered by the Conditions of Service for School Teachers in England and Wales, 2000, which is known as the Burgundy Book. This is a national, non-statutory agreement between trade unions and teacher employers. This government was not party to its development and cannot influence its content. Sick leave or sick pay entitlements are therefore currently the responsibility of employers, which, in a school setting, is normally the local authority or Academy Trust. Schools, like all employers, are also subject to any relevant employment legislation.
The department is continuing to support and challenge West Sussex to improve the delivery of special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) services.
The last local area SEND inspection by Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) for West Sussex was in November 2023, which found that there are inconsistent experiences and outcomes for children and young people with SEND.
The areas for improvement identified by inspectors are:
(I) To identify and address ‘waiting well’ arrangements and gaps in service provision to meet the needs of children and young people with SEND.
(I) To ensure children identified as at high risk for aspiration are fully assessed and have access to video-fluoroscopy.
(II) To develop a strategy to improve the processes, quality and the timeliness of education, health and care plans.
(III) To implement oversight and commissioning arrangements of suitable specialist school places and alternative provision.
(IV) And to strengthen their strategic approach to preparation for adulthood.
The department’s regional team has put in place systems to track outcomes against the areas for improvement and the progress made by children and young people with SEND, with a formal review of progress against the areas for improvement to take place in October 2024. West Sussex County Council are committed to working closely with the department to improve services.
West Sussex is taking part in the Delivering Better Value (DBV) in SEND Programme. The DBV in SEND Programme was established under the previous government with the aim of helping local authorities provide more effective SEND services by meeting the needs of children and young people at an early stage and with the right level of support.
This is a devolved matter and the information provided therefore relates to England only.
The Government has no plans to review the rules on beaver protection. Beavers are a protected species under the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017. Protection makes it an offence to deliberately capture, kill, disturb, or injure beavers, or to damage or destroy their breeding sites or resting places. Protection means a licence is required for certain beaver management actions.
Defra will continue to work with Natural England to develop our approach to beaver reintroductions and management in England. Beaver management should follow the 5-step management approach published on GOV.UK. Licensed projects are responsible for managing animals they have released and are also expected to follow the Code for Reintroductions and other Conservation Translocations in England. Landowners and managers who may be affected by beaver activity can find further guidance on beaver management, including when a licence might be needed, on GOV.UK.
We understand the potential benefits that beavers can bring, including through creating wetland habitats and increasing biodiversity. The Government supports species reintroductions where there are clear benefits for nature, people and the environment.
All reintroductions in England are expected to follow the Code for Reintroductions and other Conversations Translocations. We will continue to work with Natural England to develop our approach to beaver reintroductions in England.
Southern Water have recently consulted on their proposal to turn treated wastewater, normally pumped out to sea, into purified recycled water. This water would then be pumped to Havant Thicket Reservoir, where it would be stored and mixed with spring water, before being pumped along a new pipeline and treated prior to going into supply.
The urgent need to protect the iconic chalk rivers of Hampshire means that action is needed now to ensure resilient and sustainable water supplies. Options such as water recycling mark a transition to water supplies that are not dependent upon the uncertainties of rainfall. These options are well established elsewhere around the world and are already operating elsewhere in the UK, to ensure resilient supplies in a changing climate.
All water recycling options including Southern Water’s must meet the environmental requirements for wastewater treatment discharges into the environment. Water re-abstracted from the environment for public water supply must also be treated to meet our high drinking water standards before use, in accordance with a robust risk assessment.
Recent research carried out for the Drinking Water Inspectorate indicated a high level of support (79% agreement) for the use of water recycling to supplement drinking water supplies.
An online survey and in-depth, online interviews were undertaken between July and September 2022. The online survey had 1,618 respondents with demographic representation broadly consistent with the UK adult population. Survey respondents were randomly allocated to groups so that the impact of two manipulated variables (relating to water recycling scheme design and to terminology) could be investigated. Overall, the survey showed that there was a relatively high Ref: DWI 70/2/348. Project Report ii level of support (79% agreement) for the utilisation of water recycling to supplement drinking water supplies. The survey results also showed that terminology has a stronger influence on levels of support for water recycling than scheme configuration (e.g. the presence of environmental buffers).
On 29 July, the Government announced that, as of 1 January 2025, all education services and vocational training provided by a private school in the UK for a charge will be subject to VAT at the standard rate of 20 per cent.
The Government has no plans to make changes to the VAT treatment of Higher Education.
On 29 July, the Government announced that, as of 1 January 2025, all education services and vocational training provided by a private school in the UK for a charge will be subject to VAT at the standard rate of 20 per cent.
As announced in July this change will apply to private schools providing full-time education for pupils of school age or to institutions providing full-time education for 16-19 year olds for a fee, where that institution is principally concerned with providing education suitable to that age range.
The draft legislation was published in July and can be found here:
I refer the hon Member to the answer given to Question UIN 5974 on 14 October 2024.
The Planning Policy for Traveller Sites makes clear that it is the responsibility of local planning authorities to produce an assessment of need for traveller sites. This includes permanent and transit site accommodation needs. In February 2019, local authorities were reminded of their duties to assess the need for transit sites, in addition to permanent sites, through a Written Ministerial Statement.
The Government recognises that homelessness levels are far too high and that this can have a devastating impact on those involved, as well as placing financial strain on councils. Local authorities have reported the costs of providing temporary accommodation for 2023/24. This information is available at the ‘Revenue outturn housing services (RO4)’ tables at Local authority revenue expenditure and financing England: 2023 to 2024 individual local authority data - outturn - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).
We must address homelessness levels and deliver long term solutions. The Government will look at these issues carefully and will develop a new cross-government strategy, working with mayors, councils and key stakeholders across the country to get us back on track to ending homelessness once and for all.
More widely, we are taking action to tackle the root causes of homelessness. This includes delivering the biggest increase in social and affordable housebuilding in a generation, building 1.5 million new homes over the next Parliament, and abolishing Section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions which will prevent private renters being exploited and discriminated against and empower people to challenge unreasonable rent increases. The Government has also confirmed £450 million for a third round of the Local Authority Housing Fund which will support local authorities to obtain better quality temporary accommodation for homeless families.
The Government recognises that homelessness levels are far too high and that this can have a devastating impact on those involved, as well as placing financial strain on councils. Local authorities have reported the costs of providing temporary accommodation for 2023/24. This information is available at the ‘Revenue outturn housing services (RO4)’ tables at Local authority revenue expenditure and financing England: 2023 to 2024 individual local authority data - outturn - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).
We must address homelessness levels and deliver long term solutions. The Government will look at these issues carefully and will develop a new cross-government strategy, working with mayors, councils and key stakeholders across the country to get us back on track to ending homelessness once and for all.
More widely, we are taking action to tackle the root causes of homelessness. This includes delivering the biggest increase in social and affordable housebuilding in a generation, building 1.5 million new homes over the next Parliament, and abolishing Section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions which will prevent private renters being exploited and discriminated against and empower people to challenge unreasonable rent increases. The Government has also confirmed £450 million for a third round of the Local Authority Housing Fund which will support local authorities to obtain better quality temporary accommodation for homeless families.
The Government recognises that homelessness levels are far too high and that this can have a devastating impact on those involved, as well as placing financial strain on councils. Local authorities have reported the costs of providing temporary accommodation for 2023/24. This information is available at the ‘Revenue outturn housing services (RO4)’ tables at Local authority revenue expenditure and financing England: 2023 to 2024 individual local authority data - outturn - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).
We must address homelessness levels and deliver long term solutions. The Government will look at these issues carefully and will develop a new cross-government strategy, working with mayors, councils and key stakeholders across the country to get us back on track to ending homelessness once and for all.
More widely, we are taking action to tackle the root causes of homelessness. This includes delivering the biggest increase in social and affordable housebuilding in a generation, building 1.5 million new homes over the next Parliament, and abolishing Section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions which will prevent private renters being exploited and discriminated against and empower people to challenge unreasonable rent increases. The Government has also confirmed £450 million for a third round of the Local Authority Housing Fund which will support local authorities to obtain better quality temporary accommodation for homeless families.
The information provided relates to England and Wales. The most recent published figure for applications received by the Reciprocal Enforcement of Maintenance Orders Unit on behalf of the Lord Chancellor is for the calendar year 2023 and is shown in the attached table 6.1. The figure for REMO applications in 2024 will be published in June 2025. Data on those awaiting the outcome of an application is not held centrally.
This Government is committed to ensuring that all victims of rape and sexual abuse have the information and support they need. On 1 October 2024, I wrote to recipients of the Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Fund to confirm that HM Treasury have announced departmental budgets for financial year 2025/26 will be set out through a Budget on 30 October 2024. I understand the need to prioritise confirmation of their budgets as early as possible. My office is in the process of arranging a meeting with the Minister for Women and Equalities and I look forward to meeting with her in due course.
Juries are a vital part of our criminal justice system and undertake an important civic duty. The Government will keep under review the support provided to jurors throughout their service.