Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what was the cost of funding English as an Additional Language in primary schools in each of the last three years.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
Each year, schools receive core funding from the department to cover their expenditures, which includes teacher salaries, support staff, school resources and other expenses. Through the schools national funding formula, schools attract funding for pupils with English as an additional language (EAL) for the first three years that they are in the statutory school system. Over the last three years, eligible primary pupils have attracted £590 in 2024/25, £595 in 2025/26 and £610 in 2026/27.
The funding schools receive is not ringfenced for any specific form of expenditure and it is for each school to determine how this money will be best used to support their individual children. The department does not hold data on the specific costs incurred by schools for educating primary pupils with EAL.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to improve rail connectivity on Sundays between Peterborough and Spalding.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The December 2025 timetable increased services between Lincoln and Peterborough via Spalding to hourly from Monday to Saturday, improving connectivity for passengers using this route. While there are no current proposals to extend this service to Sundays between Peterborough and Spalding, the Department continues to work with operators as timetables develop in response to passenger demand. Any future changes would also need to take account of staffing and rolling stock requirements, engineering access and value for money.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what fiscal steps he plans to take to support the food manufacturing industry in Lincolnshire.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Minister of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade)
The Government recognises the important contribution made by food and drink manufacturers in Lincolnshire and across the UK. Decisions on fiscal policy are a matter for the Chancellor and HM Treasury. The Government continues to support the sector through measures designed to improve the business environment, encourage investment and support growth.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what recent assessment she has made on the affordability of red diesel for businesses in Lincolnshire.
Answered by Polly Billington - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
We recognise that the situation in the Middle East continues to impact fuel prices. Although the UK maintains a diverse range of energy sources to bolster our resilience, oil is a globally traded commodity and so will directly affect the price of red diesel.
To help those who are reliant on red diesel, we announced at the Autumn Budget 2026 that the Government will extend the temporary 3.7p per litre fuel duty cut to red diesel for a further 6 months to 1 July 2027.
This will keep the rate at its lowest in over 20 years and will continue to provide breathing space for red diesel users and businesses.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what fiscal steps he is taking to support high streets in South Holland and The Deepings constituency.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with HM Treasury)
The Government is backing high streets including those in South Holland and The Deepings through a significant package of support. All retail, hospitality and leisure properties in England, including hotels, will see their business rates either frozen in real terms, reduced, or cut to zero.
The package includes, from 1 April 2027:
Alongside this tax support, the Government has published our plan for ‘Hope on the High Street’, which will help put high streets back under local control, where local leaders can drive the change their communities want to see. We backed this commitment with £210m to transform derelict buildings into the new anchors of our high streets and create resilient community-owned businesses and institutions. This includes £65 million to help communities protect valued local assets and £10 million to expand High Street Rental Auctions, which is available to eligible local authorities across England to help bring persistently empty commercial properties back into productive use.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
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 to support nature friendly farming initiatives in Lincolnshire.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
As set out in the Farming Roadmap, nature‑friendly farming systems can sustain or enhance production while strengthening resilience and reducing input dependency. These approaches are not at odds with food security but are increasingly central to it. The most resilient farms are profitable precisely because they work with the environment, not against it.
The Government is backing a shift towards lower input and more sustainable farming systems. This is already under way, with 69% of English farmland currently being managed under agri-environment schemes. This includes 3,646 live CS and SFI Agreements in Lincolnshire.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to improve access to prostate cancer screening in rural and remote areas.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
I refer the Rt Hon. Member to the future work programme on prostate cancer set out in the answer of 16 July in response to Question 17458, which will produce findings of relevance to men in every part of the country. In addition, the new blood test trial for prostate cancer and other types of abdominal cancer announced by the Department on 4 November will specifically include GP practices in rural, remote, coastal and more deprived areas of England in order to address the kind of inequalities of care often experienced in these communities. More details are available at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-nhs-blood-test-trial-to-help-spot-cancers-earlier
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has made an estimate of the number of graduates on Plan 2 loans that have debt interest growing faster than the loans can be paid off.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The number of England-domiciled Student Finance England borrowers with Plan 2 loans which have become liable to repay where interest accrued faster than the loan was being paid off in the 2025/26 financial year was 3.53 million (to the nearest 10,000). For these borrowers, the amount of interest accrued during the year was greater than the amount repaid. This figure includes borrowers who made repayments that were lower than the interest accrued, as well as borrowers who made no repayments during the year because they were not required to do so, including where their earnings were below the repayment threshold.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to improve consistency of access to genetic testing for people with Motor Neurone Disease.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
NHS England supports consistent access to genomic testing for eligible people with motor neurone disease (MND) through the NHS Genomic Medicine Service and National Genomic Test Directory. Testing can help identify an underlying genetic cause of MND, informing diagnosis and helping to determine eligibility for targeted treatments and research.
We recognise the particular challenges faced by carers in rural areas, including those caring for a loved one with MND. Local authorities have duties to assess carers’ needs and provide support where eligible, including practical support and respite care.
More broadly, we are working with the NHS, local authorities, the voluntary sector and people with lived experience to develop a new fast-track pathway for people with MND, aimed at providing more timely, coordinated and proactive support across health, social care and housing as an individual’s condition progresses. That will build on the existing work that NHS England is doing to commission specialised MND care through 27 neurology centres across the country, as well as local authorities being asked to fast-track access to care and support, improve joint working and anticipate the future needs of people with MND.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to support carers in rural areas looking after people with Motor Neurone Disease.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
NHS England supports consistent access to genomic testing for eligible people with motor neurone disease (MND) through the NHS Genomic Medicine Service and National Genomic Test Directory. Testing can help identify an underlying genetic cause of MND, informing diagnosis and helping to determine eligibility for targeted treatments and research.
We recognise the particular challenges faced by carers in rural areas, including those caring for a loved one with MND. Local authorities have duties to assess carers’ needs and provide support where eligible, including practical support and respite care.
More broadly, we are working with the NHS, local authorities, the voluntary sector and people with lived experience to develop a new fast-track pathway for people with MND, aimed at providing more timely, coordinated and proactive support across health, social care and housing as an individual’s condition progresses. That will build on the existing work that NHS England is doing to commission specialised MND care through 27 neurology centres across the country, as well as local authorities being asked to fast-track access to care and support, improve joint working and anticipate the future needs of people with MND.