Asked by: Josh Newbury (Labour - Cannock Chase)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent meetings her Department has had with victims of forced adoptions in England.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education has met with members of the Movement for an Adoption Apology, and the Adult Adoptee Movement, to hear first hand the experiences of those affected by historical adoption practices. Their testimonies and insights are vital, and they are helping to shape the government’s ongoing work in this area. The department continues to engage proactively with a range of organisations to understand fully the implications of past practice and to consider the most appropriate steps forward.
Asked by: Josh Newbury (Labour - Cannock Chase)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of salary differences between college lecturers and school teachers on recruitment to further education teaching posts for (a) construction and (b) electrical engineering courses.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Further education (FE) colleges are responsible for setting and negotiating staff pay and terms and conditions within colleges.
The government recognises that colleges are facing recruitment challenges in construction and engineering. That is why our targeted retention incentive scheme gives eligible early career college teachers in priority subjects, including building and construction and engineering, up to £6,000 after tax annually. In the 2024/25 academic year, almost 6,000 teachers received payments.
In addition, we have announced that areas with Local Skills Improvement Plans will benefit from £20 million to form partnerships between FE providers and construction employers. This will help to build links between colleges and industry and boost the number of teachers with construction experience in FE.
Across the spending review period, we will provide £1.2 billion of additional investment per year in skills by 2028/2029. This significant investment will ensure there is increased funding to colleges and other 16 to19 providers to enable the recruitment and retention of expert teachers in high value subject areas, and interventions to retain top teaching talent.
Asked by: Josh Newbury (Labour - Cannock Chase)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what proportion of funding under the (a) Landscape Recovery and (b) Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier scheme has been received by farms smaller than 200 acres.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Landscape Recovery (LR) scheme does not directly award funding to participant land managers. Rather, the scheme awards funding to Projects, when in their development phase, and to a Single Legal Entity when they are in their implementation phase. This funding is then disbursed as per their project plans. The two pilot rounds of LR has seen in excess of 1400 land managers participating in LR projects with a range of holding sizes, with some choosing to enter whole farms into the project and others entering only part of their holdings. It should be noted that due to the dynamic nature of development proposals, this participation figure is subject to change.
The Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier (CSHT) scheme pays farmers and land managers to manage land in a way that: protects, restores, or enhances the environment and mitigates the effects of climate change.
The table below shows the total value claimed under the CSHT scheme and the percentage paid to farm businesses which were 200 Acre and under.
CSHT Claim Year | Total Value Paid to Farm Businesses with a CSHT Claim | % of the Total Fund Paid to Farm Businesses who are 200 acres and under |
2021 | £68,340,619 | 9% |
2022 | £100,077,442 | 9% |
2023 | £125,409,391 | 8% |
2024 | £226,289,959 | 7% |
2025 | £174,616,734 | 8% |
** This includes woodland management and woodland creation plans and is based on land recorded as linked in the Rural Payments Portal.
To Note -The New improved CSHT opened in September 2025 and is being rolled out by invitation only - no annual payments will be due until the payment window opens in December 2026.
Asked by: Josh Newbury (Labour - Cannock Chase)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent progress her Department has made on digitising the catch certificate scheme.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
UK catch certificates for export are already available digitally through the Fish Export Service.
Catch certificates the Government receive from third countries are generally paper-based documents. The Government will consider any opportunities to move to a more digital-based system as they arise.
Asked by: Josh Newbury (Labour - Cannock Chase)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent progress her Department has made on aligning the Fish Export Service with the EU CATCH system.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Following the entry into force of the EU’s new CATCH system on 10 January, we have successfully updated the UK’s Fish Exports Service to allow UK exporters to generate compliant documentation. UK Government has engaged extensively with both UK industry and the EU Commission and continues to support industry to adjust to the new requirements, ensuring the smooth flow of trade.
We are working to integrate the UK's Fish Export Service with the EU's CATCH platform to facilitate the automatic digital transfer of information. This will remove the need for manual entry of information, ensuring UK seafood exports remain competitive.
Asked by: Josh Newbury (Labour - Cannock Chase)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of including wraparound extensions within permitted development rights for householders.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government continues to keep permitted development rights under review.
Asked by: Josh Newbury (Labour - Cannock Chase)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the removal of the automatic wear-and-tear allowance for childminders as part of the Making Tax Digital reforms, what steps she will take to ensure childminders receive tax relief for incidental expenses arising from the use of their home for their business.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
Childminders play a vital role in childcare. The Government has eased rules on working from schools and community centres and increased early years funding rates above 2023 average fees. These increases reflect increased costs, and from April 2026, local authorities must pass at least 97 per cent of funding to providers.
At Budget 2025 the Government confirmed that the standard rules for calculating income tax would apply to childminders who are mandated into Making Tax Digital (MTD). We will phase in this change between 2026 and 2028, in line with the MTD income thresholds. The threshold from April 2026 is £50,000 of qualifying income, reducing to £30,000 from April 2027 and £20,000 from April 2028.
Childminders can continue to claim tax relief for wear and tear by deducting the actual cost of buying, repairing or replacing items. They can also deduct the cost of business expenses such as utilities, cleaning and equipment. This ensures childminders receive tax relief for all of the costs that they incur in relation to their childminding business.
Asked by: Josh Newbury (Labour - Cannock Chase)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the removal of the automatic wear-and-tear allowance on (a) growth in the childminding sector and (b) the number of childcare places available to parents.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
Childminders play a vital role in childcare. The Government has eased rules on working from schools and community centres and increased early years funding rates above 2023 average fees. These increases reflect increased costs, and from April 2026, local authorities must pass at least 97 per cent of funding to providers.
At Budget 2025 the Government confirmed that the standard rules for calculating income tax would apply to childminders who are mandated into Making Tax Digital (MTD). We will phase in this change between 2026 and 2028, in line with the MTD income thresholds. The threshold from April 2026 is £50,000 of qualifying income, reducing to £30,000 from April 2027 and £20,000 from April 2028.
Childminders can continue to claim tax relief for wear and tear by deducting the actual cost of buying, repairing or replacing items. They can also deduct the cost of business expenses such as utilities, cleaning and equipment. This ensures childminders receive tax relief for all of the costs that they incur in relation to their childminding business.
Asked by: Josh Newbury (Labour - Cannock Chase)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what representations she has received on the potential impact of the planned rise in fuel duty on motorists.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
At Budget 2025, the Government announced continued support for people and businesses by extending the temporary 5p fuel duty cut until the end of August 2026. Rates will then gradually return to early 2022 levels. The planned increase in line with inflation for 2026-27 will not take place, with the government uprating fuel duty rates by RPI from April 2027. This will save the average car driver £49 next year compared to previous plans.
The Government received and considered a wide variety of representations in the approach to Budget 2025.
Asked by: Josh Newbury (Labour - Cannock Chase)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of rhododendron sales on woodland (a) management and (b) restoration.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra has not conducted a formal assessment specifically regarding the impact of rhododendron sales on woodland management or restoration. However, the Department recognises that Rhododendron ponticum is a highly invasive non-native species that poses a serious threat to woodland ecosystems. Its dense growth suppresses native vegetation, inhibits natural regeneration, and acts as a host for Phytophthora ramorum, a tree disease that affects a wide range of species. These ecological impacts significantly complicate woodland management and restoration efforts.
To support woodland owners in controlling and removing rhododendron, Defra provides funding through the Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier scheme, specifically the SB6: Rhododendron Control capital item. This offers payments of up to £5,500 per hectare, depending on site conditions, to cover the cost of cutting, treating, and disposing of rhododendron. Applicants must submit a management plan and follow strict protocols to prevent regrowth and disease spread.