Asked by: Michelle Scrogham (Labour - Barrow and Furness)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that teacher training and continuing professional development programmes include awareness of the specific needs of the children of armed forces personnel, particularly those with special educational needs and disabilities.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
As part of our consultation on special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) reforms, I attended a roundtable hosted by the Armed Forces Community All-Party Parliamentary Group, to hear first-hand from armed forces families about the challenges they face.
The ‘Every Child Achieving and Thriving’ White Paper set out proposals for a package of professional development on SEND, backed by over £200 million of funding.
This includes a new requirement in the SEND Code of Practice that will ensure all mainstream staff receive high‑quality SEND and inclusion training.
We have reformed the Initial Teacher Training and Early Career Framework to include more content on adaptive teaching. From 2027, teaching staff can sign up to new courses that enhance their knowledge of adaptive teaching styles to meet the special educational needs of a wide range of pupils, which could include those from armed forces’ families.
We are investing around £1.8 billion over the next three years for local area partnerships, including local authorities and integrated care boards, to develop a new ‘Experts at Hand’ offer, strengthening mainstream education through access to health and specialist education support.
Asked by: Michelle Scrogham (Labour - Barrow and Furness)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of (a) freezing fuel duty and (b) the introduction of a 12-month Vehicle Excise Duty for heavy good vehicles on the road haulage sector; and what assessment she has made of the potential merits of introducing (a) an essential user rebate and (b) further targeted support for the sector.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
On 20 May the Government announced a package worth around £600m, which combines broad support with targeted support for sectors most exposed to and affected by higher fuel prices.
Concerning the broad support, the temporary 5p per litre fuel duty cut will be extended until the end of the year, providing certainty to motorists and other road users. Taken together, fuel duty freezes since 2025 will save the average HGV over £2,000, or 11p per litre. Further information on the impacts of the amended fuel duty rates is available on GOV.UK.
The 12-month holiday from Vehicle Excise Duty for the majority of heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) will save a typical HGV £600 on top of savings from the fuel duty freeze. This targeted support recognises the key role the sector plays in transporting goods across the UK and their exposure to pump prices.
The Government keeps all taxes under review and will continue to monitor the situation and make the necessary decisions to help protect the haulage sector from price increases stemming from the conflict in the Middle East.
Asked by: Michelle Scrogham (Labour - Barrow and Furness)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that bereaved parents who require specialist psychological support following (a) pregnancy and (b) baby loss are able to access such support through the NHS.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government recognises that the experience of losing a baby or pregnancy loss can be a very difficult time for parents and families. We are determined to make sure all bereaved parents, regardless of where they live, have access to specialist psychological support through the National Health Service.
Maternal Mental Health Services (MMHS) provide expert assessment and treatment for women experiencing moderate to severe or complex mental health difficulties due to loss, trauma, or severe fear of childbirth, known as tokophobia, related to their maternity or neonatal experiences. Referrals are typically made through a general practitioner, midwife, or health visitor, although some MMHS accept self-referrals.
The NHS also provides mental health support for bereaved parents through Talking Therapies services and specialist hospital-based bereavements teams. All NHS England trusts have signed up to the National Bereavement Care Pathway, which acts as a set of standard and guidance aimed at ensuring all families, including fathers and partners, receive consistent, individualised, and sensitive care.
Asked by: Michelle Scrogham (Labour - Barrow and Furness)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the impact of local authority assessment delays on service children with special educational needs and disabilities who relocate frequently due to Armed Forces postings; and what steps she is taking to ensure continuity of support in such cases.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The department recognises that Armed Forces life may present particular challenges for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). As part of our consultation on SEND reforms, I attended a roundtable hosted by the Armed Forces Community All-Party Parliamentary Group to hear first-hand from armed forces families about these challenges.
In our consultation we included proposals for new National Inclusion Standards, setting out support that should be available in every mainstream setting. We also proposed a nationally consistent set of Specialist Provision Packages to provide comprehensive, evidence-based support for children and young people with the most complex needs, underpinning education, health and care (EHC) plans to help end the postcode lottery in support. Additionally, EHC plans and new Individual Support Plans will be digital, which will support service children by facilitating smoother transitions and improved information sharing when they move between schools or local authorities. We will confirm our intentions over reform in the light of consultation responses.
The SEND Code of Practice currently provides guidance on how to best support these children. For example, local authorities should use all relevant evidence when considering provision, including evidence of the support given during the previous posting. We will update the Code of Practice as part of the SEND reforms, including strengthening the material on supporting service children.
Asked by: Michelle Scrogham (Labour - Barrow and Furness)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what guidance her Department provides to local authorities on recognising existing diagnoses and statutory support plans for armed forces families with special educational needs and disabilities when families move to a new area.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The department recognises that Armed Forces life may present particular challenges for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). As part of our consultation on SEND reforms, I attended a roundtable hosted by the Armed Forces Community All-Party Parliamentary Group to hear first-hand from armed forces families about these challenges.
In our consultation we included proposals for new National Inclusion Standards, setting out support that should be available in every mainstream setting. We also proposed a nationally consistent set of Specialist Provision Packages to provide comprehensive, evidence-based support for children and young people with the most complex needs, underpinning education, health and care (EHC) plans to help end the postcode lottery in support. Additionally, EHC plans and new Individual Support Plans will be digital, which will support service children by facilitating smoother transitions and improved information sharing when they move between schools or local authorities. We will confirm our intentions over reform in the light of consultation responses.
The SEND Code of Practice currently provides guidance on how to best support these children. For example, local authorities should use all relevant evidence when considering provision, including evidence of the support given during the previous posting. We will update the Code of Practice as part of the SEND reforms, including strengthening the material on supporting service children.
Asked by: Michelle Scrogham (Labour - Barrow and Furness)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to improve the portability of Education, Health and Care Plans for service children with special educational needs and disabilities when families move between local authority areas.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The department recognises that Armed Forces life may present particular challenges for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). As part of our consultation on SEND reforms, I attended a roundtable hosted by the Armed Forces Community All-Party Parliamentary Group to hear first-hand from armed forces families about these challenges.
In our consultation we included proposals for new National Inclusion Standards, setting out support that should be available in every mainstream setting. We also proposed a nationally consistent set of Specialist Provision Packages to provide comprehensive, evidence-based support for children and young people with the most complex needs, underpinning education, health and care (EHC) plans to help end the postcode lottery in support. Additionally, EHC plans and new Individual Support Plans will be digital, which will support service children by facilitating smoother transitions and improved information sharing when they move between schools or local authorities. We will confirm our intentions over reform in the light of consultation responses.
The SEND Code of Practice currently provides guidance on how to best support these children. For example, local authorities should use all relevant evidence when considering provision, including evidence of the support given during the previous posting. We will update the Code of Practice as part of the SEND reforms, including strengthening the material on supporting service children.
Asked by: Michelle Scrogham (Labour - Barrow and Furness)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether the Government is considering additional interim support for rural households and businesses that remain without access to gigabit-capable broadband while awaiting connection through Project Gigabit contracts; and whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of (a) temporary voucher expansion, (b) support for alternative wireless technologies and (c) targeted assistance for communities facing delivery delays beyond originally indicated connection timelines.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Government is committed to ensuring at least 99% of premises receive gigabit broadband coverage by 2032. As of January 2026, Ofcom report that 88% of UK premises have access to a gigabit-capable connection.
In the interim, most premises can access superfast fixed wired connections (available to 98% of UK premises), and connectivity via fixed wireless and satellite connections is also available in many areas. We continue to monitor and support the development of the satellite market and further suppliers are expected to enter it this year.
Building Digital UK (BDUK) works with Project Gigabit suppliers to avoid delivery delays wherever possible. Where these do occur, recovery plans or alternative delivery solutions are put in place to bring delivery back on track as quickly as possible and mitigate any impacts that might arise.
The last date for claims under the Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme is March 2028. There are no plans to extend the scheme beyond this date as low volumes mean that it would not offer value for money.
Asked by: Michelle Scrogham (Labour - Barrow and Furness)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that the Valuation Office Agency is applying the statutory requirement to base Council Tax bandings on 1 April 1991 property values; and whether he will review the consistency and transparency of the Agency’s banding decisions to reassure residents they are not being overcharged due to incorrect or inflated banding decisions.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Valuation Office will assess the council tax bands of all domestic properties in England based on their capital value in 1991. Information on how the Valuation Office assesses the banding of individual properties is available here. They continue to carry out their work independently of central government.
Where residents believe banding may be inaccurate there is a process to challenge these bandings. The government has committed to consult further on improving the process for challenging bands.
The Valuation Office has been integrated into HMRC from 1 April 2026 and therefore no longer exist as an executive agency.
Asked by: Michelle Scrogham (Labour - Barrow and Furness)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of electricity pricing arrangements on (a) small and medium sized enterprises and (b) other non domestic consumers; and what steps his Department is taking to support small businesses with their energy costs.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
We are closely monitoring the impact of energy prices on businesses caused by the instability in the middle east, and much will depend on the length of the ongoing crisis. We are increasing the Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS) grant for properties heated by oil and LPG, taking the total grant to £9,000. This will help SMEs in England and Wales most impacted by rising energy prices to electrify their heating and provide greater certainty over energy bills.
Asked by: Michelle Scrogham (Labour - Barrow and Furness)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what progress her Department has made on reforming the business rates system to support small businesses and maintain community infrastructure in rural areas.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
Rural Rate Relief (RRR) provides 100 per cent business rates relief for certain properties that are based in eligible rural areas with populations below 3,000.
At the Budget, the Valuation Office announced updated property values from the 2026 revaluation. This revaluation is the first since pandemic, which has led to significant increases in rateable values for some properties.
In recognition of the impact of the revaluation on bills, the Government has introduced a support package worth £4.3 billion to protect against ratepayers seeing large overnight increases in bills. This includes the Supporting Small Business scheme, which supports ratepayers who have lost eligibility for certain reliefs, including RRR. This means most properties seeing increases have them capped at 15% or less in 2026/27, or £800 for the smallest.
More broadly, the Government has introduced new permanently lower multipliers for eligible retail, hospitality and leisure properties. The Government has also introduced a 1-year 15 per cent relief for all pubs and live music venues in 2026/27, on top of the existing support package announced at the Budget. For the following two years, their bills will be frozen in real terms.
Around a third of properties pay no business rates as they receive 100 per cent Small Business Rate Relief (SBRR), with an additional 85,000 benefitting from reduced bills as this relief tapers. At the Budget, the Government introduced an additional two years of SBRR for businesses expanding into a second property to support small businesses to grow and expand.