Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of imposing VAT on independent school fees on access to independent schools' sports facilities for state sector pupils.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The VAT treatment of the hiring or letting out of facilities will not change as a result of the decision to impose VAT on private school fees. HM Revenue and Customs have published guidance on charging and/or reclaiming VAT on goods and services related to private school fees, which can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/charging-and-reclaiming-vat-on-goods-and-services-related-to-private-school-fees.

In addition, in line with their charitable objectives, private schools demonstrate public benefit through partnerships with schools in the state sector. The government expects private schools to continue to work with schools in the state sector to demonstrate public benefit in this way. The government does not expect the imposition of VAT on school fees to reduce the efforts that private schools invest in their partnership working with state-funded schools.

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 help reduce the number of Blue Tongue virus livestock cases in Shropshire.

Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Defra acted quickly to contain bluetongue serotype 3 (BTV-3) when the first case this season was detected on 26 August, implementing zones with movement controls on susceptible livestock to prevent spread. These disease control restrictions have been adapted in response to new findings and there is now a single restricted zone (RZ) covering the east coast and some inland areas in England.

The movement of susceptible animals from the RZ to live elsewhere in England requires a specific licence and is subject to free pre-movement and post-movement testing. This helps to prevent the possible establishment of new pockets of disease from undetected spread via animal movements.

BTV-3 was confirmed on a single farm in Shropshire on 3 October, following the high-risk movement of cattle from the RZ.

Infected animals in cases found in free areas outside the restricted zone that moved before the RZ was declared, have also been humanely culled to minimise the risk of onward transmission.

Defra has permitted the use of vaccines for BTV-3. These vaccines are now available for vets to prescribe in England.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to increase access to (a) covered and (b) indoor community tennis courts.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

The Government is committed to doing more to ensure that everyone from all backgrounds have access to and benefit from quality sport and physical activity opportunities. Sport and physical activity is central to achieving our health and opportunity manifesto missions, with the biggest gains coming from supporting those who are inactive to move more.

The Government provides the majority of support for grassroots sport through Sport England - which annually invests over £250 million in Exchequer and Lottery funding. Sport England’s work focuses on increasing participation in sport and to boost diversity at a grassroots level to give more and better opportunities to all.

Sport England provides long term investment to the Lawn Tennis Association, the National Governing Body for tennis in Britain, which receives up to £10.2 million for five years to invest in community tennis initiatives that will benefit everyone.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps her Department is taking to reduce reoffending by military veterans who have served custodial sentences.

Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

HMPPS delivers a range of initiatives to support veterans. This includes the Veterans Activity Hubs at HMP Holme House and HMP Risley, which provide safe and supportive spaces for veterans, improving their wellbeing and confidence, and make their transition into the community more likely to succeed.

HMPPS also delivers services via many third sector organisations (including military charities such as SSAFA) who provide a prison in-reach service offering resettlement advice to veterans whilst in custody and guidance in preparation for release.

Across the prison estate, almost all prisons have a Veterans in Custody Support Officer, whose role is to identify prisoners who have served in the armed forces and provide tailored support to them, and many of these officers are veterans themselves.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps her Department is taking to provide rehabilitation to military veterans serving custodial sentences.

Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

HMPPS delivers a range of initiatives to support veterans. This includes the Veterans Activity Hubs at HMP Holme House and HMP Risley, which provide safe and supportive spaces for veterans, improving their wellbeing and confidence, and make their transition into the community more likely to succeed.

HMPPS also delivers services via many third sector organisations (including military charities such as SSAFA) who provide a prison in-reach service offering resettlement advice to veterans whilst in custody and guidance in preparation for release.

Across the prison estate, almost all prisons have a Veterans in Custody Support Officer, whose role is to identify prisoners who have served in the armed forces and provide tailored support to them, and many of these officers are veterans themselves.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to upgrade and modernise married living quarters at RAF Cosford.

Answered by Maria Eagle - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

Circa 95% of Service Family Accommodation (SFA) supporting RAF Cosford is at or above Decent Homes Standard.

Improving our Service accommodation across the UK and providing good quality homes that are safe and well maintained is a top priority for the Department. This Government is committed to setting new minimum standards for military housing, with the aim of improving the standard of SFA across the estate.

Circa £440 million is currently forecast to be spent on maintaining and improving SFA across the Defence Estate within financial year 2024-25.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of trends in the level of reliance on Starlink in the (a) private and (b) public sectors; what steps he is taking to help increase competition in satellite technologies.

Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

The government acknowledges rapid evolutions in the global satellite communications sector. Monopoly rarely serves the public interest and a competitive market is important to ensuring public and private sector value. We are keen to secure UK leadership in commercial satellite communications, which is why the UK has:

• delivered the Connectivity in Low Earth Orbit programme to develop the next generation of UK satellite communications technologies;
• led the European Space Agency’s Advanced Research in Telecommunications Systems programme;
• supported a series of satellite broadband trials with a range of suppliers; and
• acquired a stake in UK based low Earth orbit satellite operator OneWeb, which supports over 400 highly productive UK jobs.