Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of financial support available to small and medium-sized arts organisations seeking to undertake international touring activity.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)

This Government is committed to supporting UK artists and cultural organisations to reach international audiences and take advantage of opportunities overseas. We recognise the challenges faced by small and medium-sized arts organisations undertaking international touring, including regulatory complexity, administrative burdens, and transport costs.

The Government primarily supports arts and culture through its Arm’s Length Body Arts Council England (ACE), which provides funding to a range of organisations up and down the country. International working is one of four priorities for ACE’s Touring Fund, enabling UK arts organisations and artists to reach audiences overseas and develop international partnerships. Recent examples of tours supported by ACE include Birmingham Royal Ballet’s Black Sabbath, The Ballet tour to the Netherlands, Germany and the US; and Performance Infinity’s tour of five UK theatre companies to four locations in China. International touring is also supported through ACE’s Incentivising Touring Repayable Grants, which supports touring in England, but can include tours with international performances, such as Rambert’s upcoming It’s A Sin.

We recognise that organisations face wider challenges beyond funding when undertaking international touring, particularly barriers arising from the UK’s exit from the EU. To improve our understanding of these issues, DCMS recently commissioned independent research into the impact of EU Exit on UK touring and we continue to engage with industry stakeholders and European partners on opportunities to support cultural exchange and international touring across the continent.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, when she will lay the statutory instruments necessary to confirm the Protected Pension Age administrative arrangements for eligible Local Government Pension Scheme members; and what steps she is taking to help ensure administering authorities can provide members with certainty over their retirement age and pension entitlement before the increase in the Normal Minimum Pension Age takes effect in April 2028.

Answered by Jim McMahon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Government aims to publish its response to the Local Government Pension Scheme Access and Protections consultation, including the proposed arrangements for the increase in the Normal Minimum Pension Age, by the end of this year. This will provide clarity to members. The necessary legislation will be brought forward in due course.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment she has made of whether current Smart Export Guarantee arrangements provide fair value to consumers who are supporting the transition to net zero through investment in renewable energy generation and storage technologies.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) is a market-led mechanism in which energy suppliers, not government, set both tariff levels and structure. This is designed to encourage innovation and competition in the sector and minimise costs to consumers. Such competition is also designed to ensure that the tariffs offered by suppliers are reflective of the value of the power provided under the SEG.

The Government has committed to undertake a review of the SEG to consider if there is a strong case for reform. One of the things this review will consider is the appropriateness of tariffs on offer. Further detail on the review will follow in due course.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what plans she has to introduce greater regulatory oversight or transparency requirements for the calculation and setting of Smart Export Guarantee export tariffs by energy suppliers.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) is a market-led mechanism in which energy suppliers, not government, set both tariff levels and structure. This is designed to encourage innovation and competition in the sector and minimise costs to consumers. Such competition is also designed to ensure that the tariffs offered by suppliers are reflective of the value of the power provided under the SEG.

Ofgem oversees compliance with SEG obligations, including requirements for suppliers to publish information on their available tariffs. Ofgem also publishes an annual report containing information on tariffs offered, electricity exported and payments made to generators.

The Government has committed to undertake a review of the SEG to consider if there is a strong case for reform. Further detail on the review will follow in due course.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of converting disused railway lines into traffic-free shared-use greenways; whether she plans to establish a national programme to support their development; and what funding is available to local authorities and community organisations to support the development of such routes.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Government supports active travel and the reuse of former transport corridors where appropriate. Funding opportunities are available through active travel and local transport programmes, subject to eligibility criteria and business cases.

Local authorities are empowered to decide where investment is made in their areas. As such, it is for local authorities to consider whether disused railway lines in their areas would be suitable for active travel routes and to work with National Highways, in their role as custodians of the Historical Railways Estate, to assess the viability of any particular routes.

Best practice in the design of active travel routes away from the highway, including on disused rail corridors, is covered in ATE’s Rural Design Guide which was published this summer.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her Department plans to introduce of a dedicated category for recording wildfire incidents within the Incident Recording System.

Answered by Florence Eshalomi - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

We are ensuring within Version 2 of the Fire and Rescue Data Platform (FaRDa) that data relating to wildfires can be captured through the way incident data is recorded, rather than through a dedicated wildfire category. By collecting a consistent set of data points and reporting criteria across all incidents, FaRDaP will enable analysts to identify and assess incidents that meet the definition of a wildfire, while avoiding the need for a separate wildfire classification within the platform.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what plans she has to deliver a coordinated national wildfire strategy.

Answered by Florence Eshalomi - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

To strengthen resilience, MHCLG and Defra have established joint governance arrangements with partners across government and the resilience sector to drive coordinated action on prevention, preparedness, response and recovery. This work is helping to inform the development of a cross-government Wildfire Action Plan to improve resilience over the short, medium and long term.

The Prime Minister announced that he will convene a Wildfire Summit in the autumn, which will provide an opportunity to continue to consider wildfire resilience measures across prevention, response and recovery. Officials from all nations will continue to work together post Summit to ensure coordination across the wildfire risk landscape.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to improve strategic decision-making to help prevent and manage wildfire risks.

Answered by Jenny Riddell-Carpenter - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The scale and severity of this summer’s wildfires has demonstrated that strategic decision making across Government departments and public bodies is critical on wildfire. Wildfire risk is increasing due to climate change, which is why it is already part of the shared National Risk Register.

The Government is preparing for future wildfire seasons by strengthening coordination across Government, working closely with fire and rescue services, land managers and local authorities, and improving our understanding of risk. Defra is working closely with MHCLG to inform cross Government action.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of school teacher training (INSET) days on working parents' childcare arrangements; and whether her Department has considered options to support the provision of supervised childcare or activity-based provision for pupils on such days.

Answered by Paul Waugh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

Local authorities are responsible for ensuring that there is sufficient childcare, so far as is reasonably practicable, to meet the requirements of parents in their area who need childcare in order to work, or to undertake education or training which could reasonably be expected to assist them to obtain work. This includes childcare for school-age children during school holidays and INSET days.

The department recognises the importance of working parents being able to access suitable childcare when schools are not open to pupils. Local authorities should assess local demand and work with schools, childcare providers and other partners to address gaps in provision.

The government is supporting local authorities to maintain sufficient school-age childcare provision, including through £12.9 million of capacity funding in 2026/27. This funding supports local authorities to sustain sufficient school-age childcare systems and respond to the childcare needs of families in their areas.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of the High Income Child Benefit Charge on households in which one partner experiences a temporary reduction or loss of earnings as a result of serious illness.

Answered by James Murray - Financial Secretary to the Treasury and Paymaster General

The High Income Child Benefit Charge is currently the best way to manage Child Benefit expenditure, helping to ensure the sustainability of the public finances. The Government recognises concerns raised about the impact it can have on single-earner households in certain circumstances.

The Chancellor makes decisions on tax policy at fiscal events, and does not routinely comment on proposals.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the impact of the High Income Child Benefit Charge on single-earner households where total household income is lower than that of two-earner households not liable for the charge.

Answered by James Murray - Financial Secretary to the Treasury and Paymaster General

The High Income Child Benefit Charge is currently the best way to manage Child Benefit expenditure, helping to ensure the sustainability of the public finances. The Government recognises concerns raised about the impact it can have on single-earner households in certain circumstances.

The Chancellor makes decisions on tax policy at fiscal events, and does not routinely comment on proposals.