Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on the findings and recommendations from the Parliamentary and Health Services Ombudsman report into the changes to Women’s State Pension Age, published on 21 March 2024.

Answered by Paul Maynard

The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions has many discussions with Cabinet colleagues as required to conduct the business of his Department.

In laying the report before Parliament at the end of March, the Ombudsman has brought matters to the attention of this House, and a further update to the House will be provided once the report's findings have been fully considered.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to help support people to save for a private pension.

Answered by Paul Maynard

Automatic Enrolment (AE) has transformed participation in workplace pension saving. More than 11 million workers have been automatically enrolled into workplace pensions to date, with the participation rate of eligible employees in the private sector increasing from 42% in 2012 to 86% in 2022. Over £115bn was saved into workplace pensions for eligible individuals in 2022.

Expanding AE to younger people and helping all eligible workers save from the first pound of earnings will boost overall saving levels, once fully implemented, by an extra £2 billion a year in pension contributions.

The Pensions (Extension of Automatic Enrolment) Act 2023 provides the necessary powers to deliver the expansion of AE.

We are committed to implementing these measures in the mid-2020s. We intend to carry out a consultation on the detailed implementation at the right time. We will report to Parliament before using the powers in the Act.

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what progress his Department has made on making an assessment of the potential merits of introducing new planning rules on Material Changes of Use and Permitted Development for children’s residential homes.

Answered by Lee Rowley

The joint ministerial statement on planning for children’s homes jointly published in May 2023 by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities and the Department for Education remains the most up to date government policy on this matter. I am aware of the Hon Member’s concerns on this issue, and if he has more information to share we would be happy to receive it.

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of design quality guidance for new build developments in the planning system.

Answered by Lee Rowley

The Government is committed to ensuring the planning system creates more beautiful and sustainable buildings and places. Our national planning policy makes clear that local authorities should engage communities during the preparation of local design codes in line with the principles set out in the National Design Guide and National Model Design Code. Local councils can use this guidance to inform local policy and local guidance to define expectations for well-designed new development for their local area.

Furthermore, the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act 2023 introduces a requirement for local planning authorities to produce a design code for the whole of their area as part of the development plan, which will give design codes significant weight when planning applications are determined.

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what powers local authorities have to prevent the building of poorly designed housing developments.

Answered by Lee Rowley

The Government is committed to ensuring the planning system creates more beautiful and sustainable buildings and places. Our national planning policy makes clear that local authorities should engage communities during the preparation of local design codes in line with the principles set out in the National Design Guide and National Model Design Code. Local councils can use this guidance to inform local policy and local guidance to define expectations for well-designed new development for their local area.

Furthermore, the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act 2023 introduces a requirement for local planning authorities to produce a design code for the whole of their area as part of the development plan, which will give design codes significant weight when planning applications are determined.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of differences in the (a) licensing and (b) regulation of (i) short-term holiday lets and (ii) other providers of accommodation on (A) hotels, (B) bed and breakfasts and (C) other accommodation providers.

Answered by Julia Lopez - Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport

On 19 February 2024, the government announced a mandatory national registration scheme for short-term lets.

The scheme aims to preserve the benefits of short-term lets, as well as tackling the challenges they present in a proportionate way. The evidence collected through the call for evidence in 2022 and public consultation held in 2023 suggests that a form of registration rather than a licensing model is the optimum form of regulation in this sector in England.

Our aim is to make the scheme as light touch, low cost and simple as possible. The registration scheme is focussed on short-term lets, and therefore the register will not affect hotels, hostels or B&Bs. We will be examining the impact of the scheme on the sector through an impact assessment. Further details of the register will be set out in the government’s response to the consultation.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the policy paper entitled Our plan to recover and reform NHS dentistry, published on 7 February 2024, what recent assessment she has made of the potential impact of those plans on (a) the availability of NHS dentists and (b) waiting times for NHS treatment.

Answered by Andrea Leadsom

Our Dentistry Recovery Plan, backed by £200 million, will make dental services faster, simpler, and fairer for National Health Service dental patients. It will fund approximately 2.5 million additional appointments, or more than 1.5 million additional courses of dental treatment. The plan sets out our actions to improve dental access for patients across the country, and to address the challenges facing NHS dentistry, including in Lancashire. A New Patient Premium is supporting dentists to take on new patients and since the end of January, nearly 500 more practices have said they are open to new patients.

We will deploy dental vans offering appointments to patients in need, including rural and coastal communities who have the most limited access to dentistry, starting later this year. A Golden Hello incentive will encourage dentists into under-served areas. We will offer Golden Hellos of £20,000 to up to 240 dentists who join existing NHS practices in areas where recruitment is particularly challenging. Patients unable to access an urgent dental appointment directly through an NHS dental practice are advised to contact NHS 111 for assistance.

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether he is taking steps to help tackle antisocial behaviour by guests in short-term holiday lets.

Answered by Jacob Young

As outlined in the ASB Action Plan (2023), the Government is introducing measures to ensure that landlords have the tools they need to take action against persistently problematic tenants, relieve innocent parties living nearby and ensure that anti-social tenants face the consequences of their actions. This includes a commitment to preventing short-term lets importing anti-social behaviour into communities.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to help improve the digital skills of older people.

Answered by Luke Hall

The government recognises that digital skills are important for adults of all ages, and the department is committed to improving their level of digital skills to support active participation in society.

From August 2020, the department introduced a digital entitlement for adults with no or low digital skills to undertake specified digital qualifications free of charge. The new entitlement mirrors the existing legal entitlements for English and mathematics. This puts essential digital skills on an equal footing in the adult education system, as the third essential skill adults need for work, life and further learning.

The department introduced new Essential Digital Skills qualifications (EDSQs) at entry level and level 1 from August 2020, funded under the digital entitlement. EDSQs are based on the national standards for essential digital skills and are designed to meet the diverse needs of adults with no or low digital skills, reflecting different learning needs, motivations and starting points.

To further enhance the essential digital skills offer for adults, from August 2023, the department introduced new digital Functional Skills qualifications (FSQs), which have replaced FSQs in Information and Communication Technology. Digital FSQs have standardised content and assessment, providing a benchmark of digital skills for employers. These are based on subject content for digital FSQs the department published in October 2021.

The government recognises that formal qualifications are not necessary for everyone. That is why the department also fund community learning and other non-regulated learning, such as building confidence in essential digital skills, through the Adult Education Budget. Many local authorities and other further education providers are already delivering these courses that help equip adults with the essential digital skills they need for work, life and further learning.

Of course, older people may also be looking to progress beyond essential digital skills, potentially through a desire to retrain or upskill. Through the department’s wider skills reforms, the department is continuing to ensure learners, whatever their age, can train, retrain and upskill towards better jobs, better wellbeing and better options for the future.

More information about essential digital skills and other government funded training opportunities can be found here: https://www.skillsforcareers.education.gov.uk/pages/skills-for-life.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of using low-carbon aircraft to support regional airports.

Answered by Anthony Browne

Airlines determine the routes they operate based on their own assessment of whether routes are commercially viable.

The Budget confirmed that the Government’s support for the development of new low and zero carbon emission aircraft in the UK will continue with an additional £975m of funding between 2025 and 2030.

In addition, the Government is supporting the development of Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) by introducing a SAF Mandate from 1 January 2025 and the consultation on revenue certainty options to support investment in a UK SAF production industry.

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps he plans to take to improve local consultation on nationally significant infrastructure projects.

Answered by Lee Rowley

Effective consultation with local communities on nationally significant infrastructure projects (NSIPs) is essential to ensuring that projects are delivered in the right way. That is why on 30 April we updated our guidance on public consultation during the pre-application stage for NSIPs.

This new guidance outlines the expectations examining inspectors will have that effective engagement will support better quality applications. Applicants will now be required to include a clear programme of engagement which reflects the complexity and scale of the project proposed.

The guidance also emphasises the importance of frontloaded consultation so that applicants can resolve issues at an early stage, and how communities can influence and shape projects so they can be accommodated to maximise local benefits and minimise any disbenefits.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of Northern Rail's performance on the South Fylde Line.

Answered by Huw Merriman

I recognise the importance of a reliable train service for the people and businesses of Blackpool. The department closely monitors the performance of Northern Trains and other operators and holds them to account for any performance issues under their control.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the role that academy trusts in improving (a) educational standards and (b) school facilities.

Answered by Damian Hinds - Shadow Secretary of State for Education

High quality academy trusts have been a key vehicle in improving educational standards. They have facilitated better collaboration, directed resources to where they are needed most, and enabled the best leaders to support a greater number of schools. As of 1 April, over 50% of all state-funded schools are academies.

As of December 2023, 90% of schools were rated ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’, compared to 68% in 2010. There is also evidence that high quality trusts have improved underperforming schools via the sponsored academies programme. Departmental analysis has demonstrated that, on average, sponsored schools improve more quickly than equivalent local authority maintained schools. More than seven out of ten sponsored academies which were found to be underperforming as a local authority maintained school in their previous inspection now have a ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’ rating.

Academy trusts work with their school’s day to day to meet their responsibilities to keep buildings safe, well maintained and compliant with relevant regulations. The department supports them by providing significant capital funding, rebuilding programmes and support and guidance.

The department has allocated £17 billion to improve the condition of the school estate since 2015, including £1.8 billion for the 2024/25 financial year. This is informed by consistent data on the condition of the school estate. In addition, the School Rebuilding Programme is transforming buildings at over 500 schools across England.

The department also provides extensive guidance to help academy trusts and other responsible bodies to maintain their estates safely and effectively, such as through Good Estate Management for Schools. The department has also published a new estate management competency framework, which sets out the skills and knowledge needed in different roles to manage school estates.

Where there are serious issues with buildings that cannot be managed independently by responsible bodies, the department provides additional advice and support on a case by case basis.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the reasons for trends in the number of new children’s residential homes that have been established in Lancashire.

Answered by David Johnston

It is the decision of children’s homes providers to decide on the location and type of building that they wish to use to accommodate children in care. As part of Ofsted’s registration process, children’s homes providers are required to undertake a location assessment, which must show the steps that have been taken to ensure the location is safe and promotes positive opportunities for children. The department recognises the need to ensure there are the right children’s homes in the right places.

As announced in the Spring Budget 2023, the department is continuing to invest in the children’s homes market to provide high quality, safe homes for some of the most vulnerable children and young people in all nine regions of England.

In addition to taking forward the recommendations made by the Care Review and the Competition and Markets Authority, the department is also developing proposals on what more can be done to combat profiteering, bring down costs and create a more sustainable market for residential placements.

The department is developing options regarding the planning of children’s homes and thanks Fylde Council colleagues for their continued engagement in this process.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of banking hubs in helping to ensure access to banking facilities in rural communities.

Answered by Bim Afolami

It is important that all customers, wherever they live, should have appropriate access to banking and cash services and the government monitors this situation closely.

Following recent discussions with the UK high street banks, UK Finance confirmed 225 Hubs will be announced by the end of 2024. Participating high street banks have also committed to improving Hubs by standardising the services available between firms, ensuring that customers do not require their own digital device to bank, trialling both a ‘customer liaison service’ and Saturday openings. The banks have agreed to keep services under review to ensure their effectiveness for all customers.

Banking Hubs are recommended by LINK and delivered by Cash Access UK, according to criteria set by industry. The Government does not intervene in these decisions. If a Hub is not available, rural communities can bank via the Post Office, which allows personal and business customers to carry out everyday banking services at 11,500 branches across the UK. The Post Office is also required to ensure that 95% of the total rural population across the UK is within 3 miles of their nearest Post Office.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has made an estimate of the financial cost to farmers of flooding in the last 12 months.

Answered by Robbie Moore

In March, Defra published its forecasts of Farm Business Income, a measure of profit, for 2023/24. These forecasts reflect changes to price, crop area and yield in 2023, but not the impact of more recent weather events. The results of the 2023/24 Farm Business Survey will be published in autumn 2024.

The recent ‘Balance Sheet Analysis’ publication highlights that average liquidity in the sector has been consistently improving over the latest five years of data and reached a 10-year high in 2022/23. This indicates that farm businesses have been keeping back funds in recent profitable years to help sustain the business in less profitable periods.

It is too early to make definitive conclusions on the impact of more recent weather events on farm profitability. We have no reliable forecasts of yields, largely as spring planting is still underway. Additionally, for many farmers any financial impact that arises will not be felt until later in 2024/25. On this basis we continue to work closely with stakeholders to enhance our monitoring of the wet weather and its impact on farms.

In April, Defra opened the Farming Recovery Fund to offset the financial cost to some of the most impacted farm businesses by providing grants of up to £25,000 for uninsurable flood damage.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of Operation Centurion on anti-social behaviour in Lancashire.

Answered by Chris Philp - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons

Last year the Government launched the Anti-social Behaviour Action Plan (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/anti-social-behaviour-action-plan) ensuring the police, local authorities and other relevant agencies have the tools they need to tackle anti-social behaviour.

As part of the Plan, we funded an increased police and other uniformed presence to clamp down on anti-social behaviour, targeting hotspots. Initially we worked with 10 police force areas, including Lancashire Constabulary which received £1,050,000. Data received from pilot forces showed from July 2023 to the end of January 2024 over 100,000 additional hours of anti-social behaviour-focused patrols were delivered across pilot areas in England and Wales. This led to an increase in enforcement activity which included almost 800 arrests, around 2,000 stop and searches and nearly 1.000 uses of anti-social behaviour tools and powers.

Following the success of the pilots, we have extended this approach to every police force in England and Wales from April. Lancashire will receive £1,713,512 for the hotspot programme tackling areas of high incidents of both anti-social behaviour and serious violence.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps she is taking to support the UK nuclear industry to increase exports.

Answered by Greg Hands

The UK has extensive expertise across the nuclear life cycle, from new build, fuel to decommissioning and waste management.

The Department recognises the export potential offered by a growing global market and is working closely with other government departments, our overseas network, and industry to offer a full range of support for UK civil nuclear exports across markets including Japan, France, Central Europe and Ukraine.

This includes UK Export Finance, who can consider a range of options to support overseas sales, including loan guarantees for foreign buyers, working capital, insurance, and bond support products to assist UK suppliers.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if she will have discussions with energy companies on improving (a) communication with (i) businesses and (ii) households about disruption as a result of energy projects and (b) access to compensation for losses related to such projects.

Answered by Justin Tomlinson

The Government engages regularly with energy companies and is committed to delivering the energy infrastructure needed for net zero and energy security, while ensuring that individuals are fairly compensated and brought into the process.

To install infrastructure, network operators often need access to private land and appropriate compensation, covering both the value of land and any losses, must be paid to the landowner. The Government recognises that where compensation cannot be agreed, then challenging this via the Upper Tribunal can be expensive for landowners. Government has established a Taskforce to explore Alternative Dispute Resolution mechanisms, to help un-block these disputes.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will have discussions with the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero on minimising the impact of of new energy projects on local (a) environments, (b) wildlife and (c) rural livelihoods.

Answered by Robbie Moore

The Secretary of State has regular discussions with Cabinet colleagues on a wide range of issues, and Cabinet discussions are considered confidential.

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of existing legislation on short term holiday lets; and what powers are available to local councils to ensure prospective holiday rentals are subject to the planning system.

Answered by Lee Rowley

We announced on 19 February that, following last year’s consultation on the Introduction of a short term let use class and associated permitted development rights, we will give Councils the power to control the proliferation of short term lets. We will introduce a new use class for short term lets (C5 use) and associated permitted development rights. In addition, the Government will bring forward a new registration scheme for short term lets.

Further details of the planning changes, including the timeline for implementation, will be set out when the Government formally responds to the consultation.

Found: Members in attend ance : • Alan Brown MP • Christine Jard ine MP • Mark Menzies MP • Ms Anum

Found: Steve Double Nick Fletcher James Gray Sir John Hayes Simon Jupp Marco Longhi John Penrose Mark

Found: Steve Double Nick Fletcher James Gray Sir John Hayes Simon Jupp Marco Longhi John Penrose Mark

Found: Steve Double Nick Fletcher James Gray Sir John Hayes Simon Jupp Marco Longhi John Penrose Mark

Found: Steve Double Nick Fletcher James Gray Sir John Hayes Simon Jupp Marco Longhi John Penrose Mark

Found: Steve Double Nick Fletcher James Gray Sir John Hayes Simon Jupp Marco Longhi John Penrose Mark

Found: Steve Double Nick Fletcher James Gray Sir John Hayes Simon Jupp Marco Longhi John Penrose Mark

Found: Steve Double Nick Fletcher James Gray Sir John Hayes Simon Jupp Marco Longhi John Penrose Mark

Found: Steve Double Nick Fletcher James Gray Sir John Hayes Simon Jupp Marco Longhi John Penrose Mark

Found: Steve Double Nick Fletcher James Gray Sir John Hayes Simon Jupp Marco Longhi John Penrose Mark

Found: Steve Double Nick Fletcher James Gray Sir John Hayes Simon Jupp Marco Longhi John Penrose Mark

Found: Steve Double Nick Fletcher James Gray Sir John Hayes Simon Jupp Marco Longhi John Penrose Mark