Lewis Cocking

Our forthcoming Small Business Strategy will reaffirm our long-term support for small businesses and outline our vision for boosting scale-ups and helping all types of business to thrive and grow. This strategy will empower business owners and entrepreneurs to innovate, export, and create jobs across their regions.

In addition, as confirmed in the autumn Budget the Government has taken steps to protect small businesses by increasing the Employment Allowance to £10,500. This measure will help small businesses in particular - in 2024 small businesses (with 0-49 employees) make up 99.2% of the total business population.

The Government understands the importance of face-to-face banking to communities and high streets and is committed to championing sufficient access for all.

We have committed to work closely with banks to roll out at least 350 banking hubs. That rollout is overseen by Cash Access UK (CAUK). LINK (the operator of the UK’s largest ATM network) assesses a community’s needs for access to cash in the event of the closure of a core cash service or if LINK receives a request directly from a community.

The department understands that, in line with schools’ charitable objectives, private schools do not typically charge for partnership work, meaning it is outside the scope of VAT. Whilst the government keeps all tax policy under review, there are currently no plans for changes that would enable independent schools to offset any financial contributions made to state academies against their VAT liability.

Whilst developing these policies, the government has carefully considered the impact that they will have on pupils and their families across both the state and private sector, as well as the impact these policies will have on state and private schools. Following scrutiny of the government’s costing by the independent Office for Budget Responsibility, the government will confirm its approach to these reforms at the Budget on 30 October and set out its assessment of the expected impacts of these policy changes in the normal way.

The department understands that, in line with schools’ charitable objectives, private schools do not typically charge for partnership work, meaning it is outside the scope of VAT. Whilst the government keeps all tax policy under review, there are currently no plans for changes that would enable independent schools to offset any financial contributions made to state academies against their VAT liability.

Whilst developing these policies, the government has carefully considered the impact that they will have on pupils and their families across both the state and private sector, as well as the impact these policies will have on state and private schools. Following scrutiny of the government’s costing by the independent Office for Budget Responsibility, the government will confirm its approach to these reforms at the Budget on 30 October and set out its assessment of the expected impacts of these policy changes in the normal way.

The department is providing schools with extra funding of almost £1.1 billion in the 2024/25 financial year through the new Core Schools Budget Grant (CSBG), to support them with overall costs, including the costs of supporting their pupils with special educational needs and disabilities. Of this total, special schools and alternative provision settings will be receiving over £140 million through the CSBG.

The additional funding through the CSBG comes alongside high needs funding for children and young people with complex needs, which totals over £10.75 billion in 2024/25, including the funding through the separate teachers’ pay and pension employer contribution grants. Hertfordshire County Council is receiving a high needs funding allocation of £193.2 million, including funding for previous teachers’ pay and pension costs, and a CSBG allocation of over £2.3 million.

Budgets for the 2025/26 financial year have not yet been set which means that decisions on the high needs and schools national funding formulae as well as the publication of allocations for that year are not to the usual timescales. The department will publish information as soon as possible after the Budget in October.

This government is committed to providing the necessary support to improve the experiences for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and their families. The department is committed to taking a community-wide approach, improving inclusivity and expertise in mainstream schools and alternative provision settings, as well as ensuring special schools cater to those with the most complex needs.

Ofsted inspected local arrangements for children with SEND in Hertfordshire in July 2023. Its report, published on 10 November 2023, concluded that there are widespread and/or systemic failings, leading to significant concerns about the experiences and outcomes of children and young people with SEND, which the local area partnership must address urgently.

The department provides support and accountability to the Hertfordshire local area partnership by monitoring progress against its priority action plan and Improvement Plan, and by providing advice and guidance via a SEND expert advisor. The partnership has also established a SEND Improvement Board, independently chaired by Dame Christine Lenehan to oversee progress and provide appropriate challenge.

This government aims to create a clear, flexible, high quality skills system that supports all young people, thereby breaking down the barriers to opportunity and driving economic growth.

The department has already taken steps to reform the skills system.

Firstly, the department has established Skills England, which is a new organisation that will ensure we have the highly trained workforce needed to deliver national, regional and local skills needs, aligned with the Industrial Strategy. It is a critical part of the government’s mission to raise growth sustainably across the whole country to support people to get better jobs and to improve their standard of living.

Secondly, the department has established an independent Curriculum and Assessment Review, covering ages 5 to 18 and chaired by Professor Becky Francis CBE. The review will seek to refresh the curriculum to ensure it is cutting edge, fit for purpose and meets the needs of children and young people to support their future life and work. The review will be undertaken in close partnership with stakeholders, including employers. A call for evidence will be launched in the coming weeks which will set out the areas where the review group would particularly welcome input.

Thirdly, the department is undertaking a short, internal review of post-16 qualifications reform. The review will examine the current planned reforms to look at how the department can ensure high quality qualifications like T Levels are open to as many people as possible, whilst also ensuring there are high-quality alternatives available where they are needed. To allow space for the review, the department has paused the planned defunding of qualifications in construction and the Built Environment, Digital, Education and Early Years, and Health and Science, which was due to go ahead in July 2024. The department will conclude and communicate the outcomes of this review before the turn of the year. Defunding decisions for 2025 onwards will be confirmed after the short review.

T Levels will continue to be rolled out as high quality qualifications which include direct experience of the workplace, providing young people with a firm foundation for their future. 21 T Levels are now available, including Media, Broadcast and Production, Craft and Design, and Animal Care and Management, which are being taught for the first time from this September.

The government will continue to take steps to reform the skills system, as part of a comprehensive post-16 education and skills strategy.

The department will introduce a Youth Guarantee of access to training, an apprenticeship, or support to find work for all 18 to 21 year olds. This will bring together existing funding and entitlements to help to lower the number of young people who are not learning or earning. This is vital to prevent young people becoming excluded from the world of work at a young age.

The department is transforming the Apprenticeship Levy into a new Growth and Skills Levy, to create opportunities for learners of all ages and to give employers greater flexibility to train and upskill their workforce by allowing investment in a broader range of skills training.

The department will establish Technical Excellence Colleges, which will work with businesses, trade unions, and local government to provide opportunities to young people and adults, developing a highly skilled workforce that meets national and local needs.

These reforms will support all young people to have access to the skills and training opportunities to enable them to succeed in the workplace.

Under new proposals set out by this Government, households and businesses will be entitled to higher payments from water companies when basic services are hit in a wider range of circumstances – with payments water company customers are legally entitled to when key standards are not met at least doubling.

The Government is also expanding the list of circumstances that can trigger compensation, to include payments for boil notices when drinking water standards drop, and for failures to conduct meter readings or installations as promised. It would mean recent outages in Hastings, Brixham and Bramley earlier this year would have all automatically led to compensation at higher rates for all customers.

The Government has allocated capital grants for new flood defences as well as maintenance funding for existing flood defence assets in Hertfordshire.

For the financial year 24/25 (April 2024 - March 2025), the Environment Agency's allocated funding for asset maintenance in Hertfordshire is £1,040,280. This figure covers their expected maintenance on flood defence assets and main river channels under their permitted powers, including vegetation management, operational checks on flood defence assets, treatment of invasive non-native species, mechanical and electrical inspections, and inspection and maintenance of public safety measures.

In addition, as of 4 September 2024, £6,480,444 of Grant in Aid has been allocated to capital flood defence projects in Hertfordshire for the financial year 24/25.

Defra has established a ministerially led cross-Governmental Flood Resilience Taskforce to ensure that communities are better protected from flooding, with the first meeting taking place in September. The Flood Resilience Taskforce will ensure that preparedness and resilience to flooding is reviewed regularly before the start of the main flood season; and that it is continuously improved to ensure optimum protection to people, homes and businesses.

In advance of the winter, MPs will receive advice on how to access the most up to date flood information from the EA and how to raise awareness of flooding with constituents.

Protecting communities around the country from flooding and coastal erosion is one of the new Secretary of State’s five core priorities. That’s why we are launching a Flood Resilience Taskforce to provide oversight of national and local flood resilience and preparedness ahead of and after the winter flood season.

In the current floods investment programme, approximately 40% of the Environment Agency’s flood defence schemes, and 45% of their investment, protect properties in rural communities. We will review the floods programme to ensure flood risk management is fit for the challenges we face now and in the future.

Working with farmers and landowners is an important part of the Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management Strategy Roadmap up to 2026. As part of this, the Rural Flood Resilience Partnership focuses on helping farmers and land managers adapt to a changing climate.

The number of people struck by trains in the last 12 months within each of Network Rail’s regions and routes is set out below. This data shows whether the incident led to a fatality or injury, and if it was classified as a suspected suicide or as non-suicidal. The total number of people struck by trains over this period was 339.

The Street Manager service is closely managed by the Department, with officials also overseeing ongoing development and improvement of the service in line with Government Digital Services best practice. There is a governance group made up of elected representatives from the public and private sector whom officials meet monthly, and a small group of subject matter experts are consulted on a weekly basis. A roadmap setting out future enhancements of the service is agreed with the governance group and published every six months. Users can provide feedback and raise any concerns they have about the service at any point, and a yearly survey monitors satisfaction.

The Department is in the process of updating its lane rental guidance and has recently announced a new assessment process for lane rental applications to improve and streamline the application process for authorities. We have been speaking to authorities directly as part of a series of regional visits and are also working with the Highway Authorities and Utilities Committee (HAUC) to develop their guidance for local authorities who are considering applying for a scheme.

Crossrail 2 has not received government funding since 2020 when the scheme was paused. The Department for Transport will be considering its future investment priorities as part of the current Spending Review.

According to British Transport Police (BTP) data, from November 2023 to October 2024, 358 people have been struck by a train on the railway; of these, sadly 304 people lost their lives. Of the 304 who died, 297 of those are suspected to have taken their own life by suicide, and 6 died in rail accidents (with one classification pending).

The Department is committed to working with the rail industry to reduce the number of deaths by suicide. Each rail operator is responsible for delivering a suicide prevention plan and maintaining accreditation to the independently assessed Safeguarding on Rail Scheme. Their plan must include training of public-facing staff in suicide prevention, putting in place mitigation measures at stations and promoting avenues of help for vulnerable people at risk of suicide or self-harm.

The rail industry works together, using campaigns and education, physical barriers, training staff and working with charities to prevent these incidents.

BTP works in collaboration with its partners to ensure all incidents are managed swiftly and people are treated with dignity.

Network Rail has a long-standing relationship with The Samaritans and funds the ‘Small Talk Saves Lives’ campaign. Since launching in 2017, the campaign has successfully raised awareness within railway stations and other public settings about the need to trust your instincts and start a simple conversation if you think someone might need help.

It is estimated that around 16,600 pensioners in Broxbourne Constituency (2024 boundaries) will be affected by the decision to amend the eligibility criteria for the Winter Fuel Payment. This is based on February 2024 Pension Credit statistics which are available via DWP Stat-Xplore and the Winter FuelPayment statistics for winter 2023 to 2024 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

This estimation is calculated by subtracting the number of people claiming Pension Credit in Broxbourne constituency from the number of Winter Fuel Payment recipients in Broxbourne constituency. It is possible to use the Pension Credit statistics, to give a minimum estimate of the number who may be eligible for Winter Fuel Payments. Therefore, the above estimation is essentially the number of Winter Fuel Payment recipients who are not claiming Pension Credit pre-policy change, as an estimate of those who will no longer receive the Winter Fuel Payment.

Please note that the above estimation would not take into account any potential increase in Pension Credit take-up that we might see as a result of the Government’s Pension Credit Awareness Campaign. We do not have data on those additional Pension Credit claims by Parliamentary constituencies.

The published Pension Credit figures refer to households, so the number of individuals in respect of whom Pension Credit is paid will be higher (i.e. taking account of households where a claimant has a partner and/or dependents.)

In addition, while Pension Credit claimants constitute the majority of those that will be eligible for the Winter Fuel Payment, pensioners who claim other qualifying means-tested benefits will also be eligible for the Winter Fuel Payment. It is not, however, possible to include those on other qualifying means-tested benefits in these figures.

We know patients are struggling to contact their general practices (GP), including in the Broxbourne constituency. That is why we have committed to eliminating the 8:00am scramble for appointments by implementing a modern appointment booking system.

The most recent data from the Health Insight Survey found that between July and August 2024, 78% of people had successfully contacted their GP on the same day, in the last 28 days. Of those who tried to contact their GP practice in the last 28 days, 72.6% of adults perceived their overall experience of their GP practice as either ‘Very Good’ or ‘Good’.

99.4% of the primary care estate are now live with digital telephony and 90% have been enrolled to use online registration systems.

We are determined to reduce bureaucracy, which is why the Government has launched a red tape challenge, ensuring GPs spend less time filling in forms and more time caring for patients.

Providers must provide sufficient numbers of suitably qualified, competent, skilled, and experienced staff to meet the needs of the people using the service. Staff must receive the support, training, professional development, supervision, and appraisals that are necessary for them to carry out their role.

We now have a national career framework for adult social car, the Care Workforce Pathway, which is linked to a number of existing competency frameworks, including the dementia training standards framework.

The Department has also launched a new Level 2 Adult Social Care Certificate qualification which links to the outcomes in the Care Workforce Pathway. This contains the baseline knowledge required to provide quality care, and will make sure that those who are starting out their careers have an informed awareness of dementia.

There are currently no plans for assessing whether the responsibility of the allocation of general practice surgeries should fall to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. Upper-tier local authorities currently have a role in improving health and influencing health and care strategies through participation in integrated care partnerships (ICPs) and integrated care boards (ICBs). ICBs are National Health Service organisations responsible for planning health services for their local population, including Primary Medical Services. ICBs are legally required to have local government representation on their board. Each integrated care system (ICS) includes an ICP, formed of NHS organisations and upper-tier local authorities, which is responsible for developing an integrated care strategy. The ICB works to deliver this through developing a joint plan with partner local authorities, managing the NHS budget, and arranging for the provision of health services in the ICS area.

The healthcare needs of local populations affect the funding which practices receive. Global sum payments for general practice contractors are based on a weighted sum for every person registered with the practice, using the Carr-Hill formula to estimate the practices’ workload.

In July 2024, the median number of full time equivalent (FTE) doctors in general practice per 10,000 registered patients in the Broxbourne constituency was 5.5. This was more than the median in England, of 5.4.

We know that patients are finding it harder than ever to see a general practitioner (GP) and we are committed to fixing the the crisis in GPs to secure the long-term sustainability of the National Health Service.

Broxbourne sits within the NHS Hertfordshire and West Essex Integrated Care Board, where 82.7% of appointments were delivered within two weeks of booking, 0.4% lower than the national average.

Our plan to restore GPs and improve the waiting times to see a GP will require both investment and reform. We have committed to train thousands more GPs, end the 8:00am scramble for GP appointments by introducing a modern booking system, and trial new Neighborhood Health Centers to bring community health services together under one roof. Furthermore, the Government will also bring back the family doctor by incentivising GPs to see the same patient.