Asked by: Manuela Perteghella (Liberal Democrat - Stratford-on-Avon)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to ensure developers complete (a) roads and (b) pavements on new housing developments in a timely manner.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government recognise the frustrations that stalled or delayed sites can cause to communities.
Once housebuilders have been granted permission for residential development, meeting local housing needs and preferences, we expect to see them built out as quickly as possible.
Local planning authorities have powers to issue a completion notice to require a developer to complete their development if it is stalled. If they fail to do so, the planning permission for the development will lapse.
The revised National Planning Policy Framework published on 12 December 2024 includes policies designed to support increased build out rates, including the promotion of mixed tenure development.
On 25 May, the government published a Planning Reform Working Paper: Speeding Up Build Out (which can be found on gov.uk here) inviting views on further action the government should take to speed up homes being built.
On the same day, we launched a technical consultation on implementing measures to improve the transparency of build rates from new residential development, which includes proposals to implement provisions in Section 113 of the LURA on the power to decline to determine applications. The consultation can be found on gov.uk here. Subject to the outcome of the consultation, the government intends bring forward the regulations to implement these measures at the earliest practical opportunity with the new build out reporting framework coming into force from 2026.
Local planning authorities have a wide range of enforcement powers, with strong penalties for non-compliance, which they can use where development has not taken place in accordance with the planning permission given. It is for authorities to decide how and when they use their powers depending on the circumstances of each case.
Asked by: Manuela Perteghella (Liberal Democrat - Stratford-on-Avon)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to support residents’ associations in securing completion of outstanding works on housing developments.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government recognise the frustrations that stalled or delayed sites can cause to communities.
Once housebuilders have been granted permission for residential development, meeting local housing needs and preferences, we expect to see them built out as quickly as possible.
Local planning authorities have powers to issue a completion notice to require a developer to complete their development if it is stalled. If they fail to do so, the planning permission for the development will lapse.
The revised National Planning Policy Framework published on 12 December 2024 includes policies designed to support increased build out rates, including the promotion of mixed tenure development.
On 25 May, the government published a Planning Reform Working Paper: Speeding Up Build Out (which can be found on gov.uk here) inviting views on further action the government should take to speed up homes being built.
On the same day, we launched a technical consultation on implementing measures to improve the transparency of build rates from new residential development, which includes proposals to implement provisions in Section 113 of the LURA on the power to decline to determine applications. The consultation can be found on gov.uk here. Subject to the outcome of the consultation, the government intends bring forward the regulations to implement these measures at the earliest practical opportunity with the new build out reporting framework coming into force from 2026.
Local planning authorities have a wide range of enforcement powers, with strong penalties for non-compliance, which they can use where development has not taken place in accordance with the planning permission given. It is for authorities to decide how and when they use their powers depending on the circumstances of each case.
Asked by: Manuela Perteghella (Liberal Democrat - Stratford-on-Avon)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent steps he has taken with Cabinet colleagues to help improve cyber resilience.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
The Ministry of Defence (MOD) works closely with the Cabinet Office and wider Government in many areas.
The MOD cyber security function works closely with the Cabinet Office, Government Security, the National Cyber Security Centre and others.
This includes formal boards, governance meetings, reports, returns, collaboration sessions and working groups.
A key work strand is the MOD adopting GovAssure which includes reporting using the Cyber Assurance Framework (CAF), and the new Cyber and Digital Resilience Target Operating Model (TOM) led by Government Security.
As announced in the Strategic Defence Review (SDR), Defence will develop a Digital Warfighter Group: a highly skilled workforce that will conceive and develop warfighting capability in a digital age. This workforce will support all other SDR announcements. Our vision is the creation of a new type of operator, whose education, training and equipment supports digital operations across the entire range of Defence activity, from warfighting to Ministerial and strategic data-led decision support. The SDR also announced the establishment and creation of a Cyber and Electromagnetic (CyberEM) Command. This will bring the necessary coherence for Defence and the Armed Forces across the CyberEM Domain – which is highly contested, complex and vital to operational success in all types of operations including warfighting.
Asked by: Manuela Perteghella (Liberal Democrat - Stratford-on-Avon)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to introduce a requirement for all councillors to complete corporate parenting training covering (a) safeguarding, (b) duties under the Children and Social Work Act 2017 and (c) the responsibilities of being a corporate parent as part of induction and ongoing development.
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Guidance on the implementation of corporate parenting duties was published in February 2018 and can be accessed at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a93eb3ae5274a5b87c2fde4/Applying_corporate_parenting_principles_to_looked-after_children_and_care_leavers.pdf.
The guidance recognises the important role that elected members play in promoting and supporting the implementation of corporate parenting within their local authority but does not mandate formal training.
There are a wide range of corporate parenting training and resources readily available for elected members on the Local Government Association website and, as such, we have no plans to introduce a mandatory requirement. These resources can be found at: https://www.local.gov.uk/childrens-improvement-support-members.
Asked by: Manuela Perteghella (Liberal Democrat - Stratford-on-Avon)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether the Curriculum and Assessment Review will include personal financial literacy from Key Stage 1-3.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
I refer the hon. Member for Stratford-on-Avon to the answer of 09 April 2025 to Question 43513.
Asked by: Manuela Perteghella (Liberal Democrat - Stratford-on-Avon)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to expand the (a) teaching and (b) learning of financial education in primary schools in (i) Warwickshire and (ii) England.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
I refer the hon. Member for Stratford-on-Avon to the answer of 09 April 2025 to Question 43513.
Asked by: Manuela Perteghella (Liberal Democrat - Stratford-on-Avon)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to review the Weeds Act 1959.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government regularly monitors the effectiveness of its legislation. At present we are not planning to review the Weeds Act 1959.
Asked by: Manuela Perteghella (Liberal Democrat - Stratford-on-Avon)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will take steps to extend the consultation entitled Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working Green Paper, published on 18 March 2025, for disabled people.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
I refer the Hon. member to the answer I gave on 20 May 2025 to PQ 51603 [Written questions and answers - Written questions, answers and statements - UK Parliament].
Asked by: Manuela Perteghella (Liberal Democrat - Stratford-on-Avon)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps is he taking to improve NHS access for people with postural tachycardia syndrome requiring specialist care.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
It is the responsibility of local integrated care boards to work with clinicians, service users, and patient groups to develop services and care pathways that are convenient and meet the needs of patients with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (PoTS).
The National Institute for Care Excellence (NICE) has published a clinical knowledge summary on the clinical management of blackouts and syncope, that provides advice for clinicians in the United Kingdom on best practice in the assessment and diagnosis of PoTS. This was last updated in November 2023, and is available at the following link:
https://cks.nice.org.uk/topics/blackouts-syncope/diagnosis/assessment/
General practitioners (GPs) have been asked to investigate symptoms to ensure that it is not misdiagnosed. Following referral, patients are treated within National Health Service cardiology and neurology services. Where more specialist advice is required, a referral will be made to an appropriate clinician.
To improve awareness of PoTS amongst healthcare professionals, and specifically GPs, the Royal College of General Practitioners provides training on PoTS as part of its Syncope toolkit, which is available at the following link:
https://elearning.rcgp.org.uk/course/view.php?id=500
Asked by: Manuela Perteghella (Liberal Democrat - Stratford-on-Avon)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to prevent executives from water companies that have been sanctioned for releasing sewage into waterways from receiving bonuses.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government is clear that transformative change across the water sector is needed to clean up our rivers, lakes and seas, and modernise the sector for decades to come.
Unfair bonuses have been banned under new powers given to Ofwat within the Water (Special Measures) Act which came into force on 06 June. Under Ofwat’s rules, companies are not permitted to pay bonuses to water bosses that oversee poor environmental and customer outcomes. This delivers on a key manifesto commitment and has been backdated to apply to any bonuses relating to the financial year from April last year.
Additional information can be found at GOV.UK.