Mike Amesbury Portrait

Mike Amesbury

Independent - Runcorn and Helsby

14,696 (34.8%) majority - 2024 General Election

First elected: 8th June 2017


Select Committees
Modernisation Committee (since September 2024)
Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee (since October 2024)
Shadow Minister (Levelling Up, Housing, Communities and Local Government)
5th Sep 2023 - 30th May 2024
Prison Media Bill
15th May 2024 - 22nd May 2024
Secure 16 to 19 Academies Bill
24th Apr 2024 - 1st May 2024
Leasehold and Freehold Reform Bill
10th Jan 2024 - 30th Jan 2024
Renters (Reform) Bill
8th Nov 2023 - 28th Nov 2023
Transport Committee
13th Dec 2022 - 20th Nov 2023
Data Protection and Digital Information (No. 2) Bill
3rd May 2023 - 23rd May 2023
Pensions (Extension of Automatic Enrolment) (No. 2) Bill
8th Mar 2023 - 15th Mar 2023
Ballot Secrecy Bill [HL]
1st Mar 2023 - 7th Mar 2023
Shadow Minister (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
19th Sep 2021 - 30th Jun 2022
Leasehold Reform (Ground Rent) Bill [HL]
1st Dec 2021 - 9th Dec 2021
Building Safety Bill
9th Sep 2021 - 26th Oct 2021
Shadow Minister (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
10th Apr 2020 - 19th Sep 2021
Shadow Minister (Work and Pensions) (Employment)
10th Jul 2018 - 10th Apr 2020
Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee
11th Sep 2017 - 23rd Jul 2018
Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Committee
11th Sep 2017 - 23rd Jul 2018


Division Voting information

During the current Parliament, Mike Amesbury has voted in 48 divisions, and never against the majority of their Party.
View All Mike Amesbury Division Votes

Debates during the 2024 Parliament

Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.

Sparring Partners
Mel Stride (Conservative)
Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer
(4 debate interactions)
Catherine McKinnell (Labour)
Minister of State (Education)
(4 debate interactions)
Damian Hinds (Conservative)
(3 debate interactions)
View All Sparring Partners
Department Debates
Department for Work and Pensions
(5 debate contributions)
Cabinet Office
(5 debate contributions)
Department for Transport
(4 debate contributions)
View All Department Debates
View all Mike Amesbury's debates

Runcorn and Helsby Petitions

e-Petitions are administered by Parliament and allow members of the public to express support for a particular issue.

If an e-petition reaches 10,000 signatures the Government will issue a written response.

If an e-petition reaches 100,000 signatures the petition becomes eligible for a Parliamentary debate (usually Monday 4.30pm in Westminster Hall).

Petitions with highest Runcorn and Helsby signature proportion
Mike Amesbury has not participated in any petition debates

Latest EDMs signed by Mike Amesbury

21st October 2024
Mike Amesbury signed this EDM on Monday 21st October 2024

Zoe’s Place and funding for children’s hospices

Tabled by: Ian Byrne (Independent - Liverpool West Derby)
That this House notes its deep concern at the announcement that children’s hospice Zoe’s Place in Liverpool is at risk of imminent closure; applauds the phenomenal response to this shocking news in the city and thanks the huge charitable drive to raise £5 million by 9 November to save Zoe’s …
36 signatures
(Most recent: 25 Nov 2024)
Signatures by party:
Labour: 20
Independent: 13
Democratic Unionist Party: 2
Alliance: 1
16th October 2024
Mike Amesbury signed this EDM as the primary signatory on Wednesday 16th October 2024

Low level letter boxes and back injuries

Tabled by: Mike Amesbury (Independent - Runcorn and Helsby)
That this House notes that low level letter boxes cause back injuries to postmen and women each year, force postal staff to stoop to ground level whilst carrying mail items and thus can cause back strain; further notes that low level letter boxes also present an increased risk of dog …
19 signatures
(Most recent: 14 Nov 2024)
Signatures by party:
Labour: 9
Independent: 5
Liberal Democrat: 2
Democratic Unionist Party: 1
Scottish National Party: 1
Green Party: 1
View All Mike Amesbury's signed Early Day Motions

Commons initiatives

These initiatives were driven by Mike Amesbury, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.

MPs who are act as Ministers or Shadow Ministers are generally restricted from performing Commons initiatives other than Urgent Questions.



Latest 50 Written Questions

(View all written questions)
Written Questions can be tabled by MPs and Lords to request specific information information on the work, policy and activities of a Government Department
2 Other Department Questions
12th Dec 2024
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what steps she is taking to consult with (a) disabled and (b) Black peoples’ organisations on the planned implementation of the draft Equality (Race and Disability) Bill.

We are committed to championing the rights of everyone and boosting opportunity for people of all backgrounds. The Equality (Race and Disability) Bill will introduce mandatory ethnicity and disability pay gap reporting for large employers and enshrine in law the right to equal pay for ethnic minority and disabled people.

Officials in the Office for Equality and Opportunity have been discussing proposals with a wide range of stakeholders and we will formally consult on them shortly.

Anneliese Dodds
Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
12th Dec 2024
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, how she plans to monitor the effectiveness of the new preventative duty on sexual harassment.

The Office for Equality and Opportunity will formally review the Worker Protection (Amendment to the Equality Act 2010) Act 2023 after five years to evaluate its effectiveness.

We will use Employment Tribunal data and Acas management information to monitor the impact of the new duty.

We are also taking action to strengthen the duty through the Employment Rights Bill to require employers to take “all reasonable steps” to prevent sexual harassment of their employees.

Anneliese Dodds
Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
3rd Dec 2024
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether he plans to issue guidance to local authorities on awarding contracts to companies responsible for the 2017 Grenfell fire.

The Cabinet Office is undertaking a review of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry’s findings for evidence of supplier failures, and is identifying if organisations involved in the tragedy are still in government supply chains as subcontractors. The government will support action on these findings, which could include issuing guidance on exclusions to the public sector where appropriate.

Georgia Gould
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
26th Nov 2024
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if the Government will set a timeline for introducing central electronic registers for all public bodies; and if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of making these registers public.

The most recent Public Bodies Directory, which contains the details of every administratively classified arms length body, can be found on gov.uk. An updated version will be published in due course.

Georgia Gould
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
26th Nov 2024
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he is taking to improve conflicts of interest management across the public sector.

We are committed to restoring public confidence in government and ensuring that all those in public service are held to the highest standards.

We will consider carefully the National Audit Office’s recommendations in its recent report ‘Managing Conflicts of Interest’.

Georgia Gould
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
7th Oct 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to increase foreign investment in the North West.

Growth is the government’s central economic mission and we are currently developing an Industrial Strategy which aims to drive growth across the UK through investment in key sectors and regions. We are also hosting the International Investment Summit in October, to bring together global investors and regional leaders to advance opportunities for investment and growth across the country. Additional measures to improve the business environment and increase investment into the UK will be announced at the summit.

For the North West specifically, we will support delivery of the Local Growth Plans. We will continue showcasing investment opportunities across the North West to potential investors, and provide account management services for investors already in the region to help them build and scale.

Sarah Jones
Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
29th Nov 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of establishing a national programme to encourage more people to insulate their homes.

The Government has kickstarted delivery of the Government’s ambitious Warm Homes Plan, which will transform homes across the country by making them cleaner and cheaper to run, from installing new insulation to rolling out solar and heat pumps.

On 30th October, the Chancellor’s Budget committed £3.4 billion over the next 3 years towards heat decarbonisation and household energy efficiency. The Government is also exploring the role of incentives and private finance for households to support homeowners with the upfront costs of energy efficiency improvements and low carbon heating.

Miatta Fahnbulleh
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
29th Nov 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking to help tackle fuel poverty in Runcorn and Helsby constituency.

There are multiple targeted schemes to deliver energy efficiency measures to low-income and fuel poor households. The Warm Home Discount schemes also provide a £150 rebate off bills to eligible low-income households across Great Britain.

The Government has kickstarted delivery of the Warm Homes Plan, including an initial £1.8 billion to support fuel poverty schemes over the next 3 years, helping over 225,000 households reduce their energy bills by over £200.

We will also consult this year on proposals for privately rented homes to achieve Energy Performance Certificate C or equivalent by 2030 and are reviewing the fuel poverty strategy.

Miatta Fahnbulleh
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
19th Nov 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what estimate he has made of the number of households in Runcorn and Helsby constituency in fuel poverty.

The latest statistics for the number of households in fuel poverty in 2022 in parliamentary constituencies in England, can be found in the published sub-regional fuel poverty statistics, in Table 4: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/fuel-poverty-statistics. These statistics were published in line with the boundaries operating prior to the 2024 General Election. Subregional fuel poverty statistics using the 2024 parliamentary boundaries will be published on 5th December.

Miatta Fahnbulleh
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
8th Nov 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the National Wealth Fund on offshore wind supply chain development.

The National Wealth Fund builds on the success of the UK Infrastructure Bank, expanding its mandate, with an enhanced risk budget, to support the broader Industrial Strategy.

The National Wealth Fund aims to address key barriers to investment and strengthen the entire value chain, by catalysing more private investment and accelerating investable projects coming to market to unlock growth opportunities across the UK. This will ensure robust support for domestic clean energy supply chains.

Michael Shanks
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
8th Nov 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether he has had discussions with the Secretary of State for Business and Trade on the potential merits of including support for the wind industry in the Government’s industrial strategy.

Given the key interactions between the two departments, this Department is in regular discussions with the Department of Business and Trade regarding the Industrial Strategy


Due in Spring 2025, the Industrial Strategy will channel support to eight key growth-driving sectors – those in which the UK excels today and will excel tomorrow – and this includes Clean Energy Industries. Future work will be done to determine the key subsectors, using evidence collected from the Invest 2035 Green Paper and further evidence-gathering.

Michael Shanks
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
6th Nov 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of an industrial strategy for offshore wind.

As set out in the recent Invest: 2035 Green Paper, clean energy industries are a priority growth sector for the UK. The Government will set out its full Industrial Strategy in the spring to deliver the certainty and stability businesses need to invest in the high-growth sectors that will drive our growth mission.

Michael Shanks
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
6th Nov 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of continuing grant funding to the offshore wind supply chain investment.

The Government has just launched the Clean Industry Bonus, an addition to Contract for Difference (CfD) payments for fixed and floating offshore wind developers who invest in their supply chains.

The Government has capitalised the National Wealth Fund with £27.8bn, which will mobilise billions of pounds of investment in the UK’s world-leading clean energy and growth industries, and support the delivery of the Industrial Strategy.

£8.3bn has also been announced for the newly created Great British Energy which will work in lockstep with the National Wealth Fund.

Michael Shanks
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
7th Oct 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many people are in receipt of the warm home discount in Runcorn and Helsby constituency.

The most recent published statistics on Warm Home Discount can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/warm-home-discount-statistics-2023-to-2024

The published statistics use parliamentary constituency boundaries as defined prior to the 2024 General Election.

Miatta Fahnbulleh
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
27th Nov 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps his Department is taking to help support rural households to receive broadband connections in Runcorn and Helsby constituency.

According to the independent website ThinkBroadband.com, over 98% of premises in the Runcorn and Helsby constituency have access to superfast broadband speeds (>=30 Mbps) and over 92% can access a gigabit-capable (>1000 Mbps) connection.

To extend gigabit-capable coverage further, Freedom Fibre is delivering a £43 million contract under Project Gigabit to bring fast, reliable broadband to premises across Cheshire, including in Runcorn and Helsby, that would otherwise miss out.

Chris Bryant
Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
2nd Dec 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the disparities in (a) pay and (b) prize money on the future development of (i) men’s and (ii) women’s football.

The Government is fully committed to supporting and growing women’s sport and ensuring that women’s sport is on an equal footing with men’s sport.

The ambition of equal prize money where possible across sport is absolutely the right one. The FA took steps last season to increase the total prize fund for the Women’s FA Cup, however we recognise there is more to do. We will continue to keep this under review.

In 2023, Karen Carney OBE published a Review of Women’s Football which set out a route to raise minimum standards and deliver bold and sustainable growth at elite and grassroots level. The review made a series of recommendations for key stakeholders to take forward. I recently convened stakeholders to discuss updates on progress and will convene further meetings in 2025 to drive action.

Stephanie Peacock
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
25th Nov 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what (a) capital and (b) revenue funding her Department provides for local authority leisure centres.

The Government encourages local leaders to prioritise access to sport and physical activity wherever possible. Local Authorities are responsible for decisions regarding sport and leisure provision in their area. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport does not provide capital or revenue funding for local authority leisure centres.

This Government recognises that grassroots facilities are at the heart of communities up and down the country and is acting to support more people to get active wherever they live through the delivery of the £123 million Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities Programme in 2024/25.

Stephanie Peacock
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
23rd Oct 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what capital funding is available to local authorities to help (a) develop and (b) refurbish leisure centres.

The ongoing responsibility of providing access to public sport and leisure facilities lies at Local Authority level. Local Authorities work in partnership with operators who manage leisure services.

Decisions on future funding available for Local Authorities will be set out as part of departmental spending plans in the coming weeks.

Stephanie Peacock
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
10th Dec 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of (a) living in temporary accommodation, (b) being a child at risk, (c) being a looked-after child and (d) being a child of UK armed services personnel on the educational attainment of children at each of the key stages from early years to KS4.

This government’s Opportunity Mission will break the link between young people’s backgrounds and their future success, ensuring family security and providing the best start in life, with all children achieving and thriving and building skills for opportunity and growth.

Too often opportunity for children and young people is defined by their background. We know that disadvantaged young people face barriers to engagement with education, which can have a negative impact on their educational outcomes. This can include practical barriers like insecure housing. If children are unable to engage with education, it doesn’t matter how good teaching and learning is, they will not benefit.

From April 2025, we will be rolling out Family Help Services that will prioritise supporting the whole family and intervening at the earliest opportunity to prevent challenges escalating. Lead practitioners will undertake assessments of all needs of the family, including those who are experiencing, or at risk of experiencing, homelessness, and work to support families where this may be part of a more complex set of needs.

As announced at the Autumn Budget 2024, funding for homelessness services is increasing next year by £233 million compared to this year, 2024/25. This increased spending will help to prevent rises in the number of families in temporary accommodation and help to prevent rough sleeping. This brings total spend to nearly £1 billion in 2025/26.

The impact of pre-care and care experience can also be a significant barrier to a child’s educational achievement. In 2022/23 at key stage 2, 37% of children in care for at least 12 months and 30% of children in need achieved the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics, which is significantly lower than all pupils (60%). However, it is important to recognise that 49.9% of children in need and 58.1% of children in care for at least 12 months have a special educational need, including mental health needs.

All local authorities have a statutory duty to promote the educational achievement of children in their care and are required to appoint a virtual school head (VSH), who is responsible for ensuring that arrangements are in place to improve the educational outcomes of the authority’s looked after children, including those placed out of authority, and for championing their progress. While VSHs have had an overwhelmingly positive impact on the outcomes of looked-after children, we want to see the same for all children with a social worker. This is why we intend to extend the role on a statutory basis to support educational outcomes of all children on child in need and child protection plans, as announced in our policy statement ’Keeping Children Safe, Helping Families Thrive’.

Service children's attainment at school is on a par with that of non-service children and they achieve very well at school. However, children who move frequently perform less well than those who move school less often or not at all, whilst service pupils can also experience additional needs relating to their emotional and social well-being. Service children attract Service Pupil Premium, which is currently worth £340 per pupil and can be used by schools to help improve their wellbeing and educational progress.

Janet Daby
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
9th Dec 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what information her Department holds on the number of young people who have previously lived in temporary accommodation entering (a) further and (b) higher education.

The department does not hold information on the number of people who have previously lived in temporary accommodation before entering further education or higher education.

Janet Daby
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
9th Dec 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of living in temporary accommodation on the educational attainment of children at each of the key stages between early years and key stage 4.

Too often opportunity for children and young people is defined by their background and we know that disadvantaged young people face barriers to engagement with education, which can include practical barriers like insecure housing. If children are unable to engage with education, it doesn’t matter how good teaching and learning is, they will not benefit.

The Opportunity Mission will break the link between young people’s backgrounds and their future success, ensuring family security and providing the best start in life, with all children achieving and thriving and building skills for opportunity and growth.

The Ministerial Taskforce jointly chaired by my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, and my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education will use all available levers to drive cross-government action on child poverty, starting with overseeing the development of our ambitious Child Poverty Strategy, which will be published in spring 2025.

From April 2025 we will be rolling out Family Help Services that will prioritise supporting the whole family and intervening at the earliest opportunity to prevent challenges escalating.  Lead practitioners will undertake assessments of all the needs of the family, including those who are experiencing, or at risk of experiencing, homelessness, and will work to support families where this may be part of a more complex set of needs.

The government has set up a dedicated Inter-Ministerial Group which my right hon. Friend, the Deputy Prime Minister chairs, bringing together Ministers from across government to develop a long-term strategy to put us back on track to ending homelessness. As announced at the Autumn Budget 2024, funding for homelessness services is increasing next year by £233 million compared to 2024/25. This increased spending will help to prevent rises in the number of families in temporary accommodation and help to prevent rough sleeping. This brings total spend to nearly £1 billion in 2025/26.

More widely, we want a school system in which all children can achieve and thrive, no matter their background. This is why we have begun work to recruit an additional 6,500 expert teachers and launched an independent, expert-led Curriculum and Assessment Review that will look closely at the key challenges to attainment for young people, in particular those who are socioeconomically disadvantaged.

Janet Daby
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
9th Dec 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to increase the number of foster carers in (a) England and (b) Cheshire.

This government is committed to working in partnership with local authorities to recruit more foster carers and committed an additional £15 million in the Autumn Budget 2024. This funding is to start work to ensure every local authority has access to a hub and to embed the existing regional fostering recruitment and retention hubs, covering 64% of local authorities in England. The hubs will transform the way people who are interested in fostering are supported and rollout the Mockingbird programme, which offers peer-support to foster carers and the children in their care. The department is also funding ‘Fosterlink’, a support service for local authority fostering services not in the regional programme. This identifies areas for improvement and creates a national network to share best practice.

Janet Daby
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
9th Dec 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she plans to take with local authorities to improve the (a) transparency and (b) accountability of multi academy trusts.

Multi-academy trusts are partners in this government’s vision to drive high standards across all parts of the education system. The government is committed to bringing forward legislation to enable the inspection of multi-academy trusts supporting this government’s ambition that every part of the education system which can drive improvement is doing so.

It is important that multi-academy trusts work effectively with local authorities in the areas where their schools are located.

Catherine McKinnell
Minister of State (Education)
9th Dec 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what role Ofsted plays in ensuring the (a) safety, (b) wellbeing and (c) educational attainment of children living in temporary accommodation.

This is a matter for His Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Sir Martyn Oliver. I have asked him to write to my hon. Friend, the Member for Runcorn and Helsby, directly and a copy of his reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Catherine McKinnell
Minister of State (Education)
3rd Dec 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if her Department will take steps to ensure that private firms do not profit from out of area looked after children's residential care placements.

The needs of the child are paramount when deciding the right care placement. Though the department wants to reduce out of area placements, they will always be part of the care landscape. Sometimes circumstances make it the right decision for a child to be placed elsewhere, for example when they are at risk from domestic abuse, sexual exploitation, trafficking or gang violence.

Moving a child away is not a decision to be taken lightly and there are legislative safeguards around this. Directors of children’s services are required to sign off each such decision and Ofsted can challenge where they believe poor decisions are being made. This is to encourage local authorities to place children locally wherever possible.

The department is clear that profiteering from vulnerable children in care is absolutely unacceptable, irrespective of whether a child is placed in or out of area, and the department is committed to stamping out profiteering where it occurs in the children’s social care placement market.

On 18 November 2024, the department published its policy paper ‘Keeping children safe, helping families thrive’, which set out ambitious reforms across children’s social care. As part of these, the department is taking forward a package of measures, including through legislation, to rebalance the children’s social care placement market. These measures will improve competition, regulation and commissioning of placements and bring greater visibility to the prices local authorities are paying and the profits providers are making. If the department does not see a reduction in profiteering it will not hesitate to take action to cap providers’ profits.

Janet Daby
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
29th Nov 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a new protocol to ensure that (a) local authorities and (b) public bodies inform children who have recently been bereaved about the (i) local, (ii) national and (iii) online support services available to them.

This government is committed to improving the support available to all children and young people, including those struggling with bereavement. This is why we are prioritising improving mental health support for all children and young people, which includes providing access to specialist mental health professionals in every school. In addition, the department provides a list of resources for schools on supporting pupils’ mental health and wellbeing, which may include supporting children dealing with loss and bereavement.

As I set out at a Westminster Hall Debate on childhood bereavement on 2 December, the cross-government bereavement working group, chaired within the Department of Health and Social Care, will continue to look at options for improving support for bereaved children and young people across government, including the potential to improve data collection.

Catherine McKinnell
Minister of State (Education)
20th Nov 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to support teachers of pupils with Down's syndrome in mainstream schools.

This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life.

The department is committed to improving inclusivity and expertise in mainstream schools, as well as ensuring special schools cater to those with the most complex needs, restoring parents’ trust that their child will get the support they need. This includes strengthening accountability for inclusivity, including through Ofsted, and encouraging schools to set up Resourced Provision or special educational needs units to increase capacity in mainstream schools.

High-quality teaching is central to ensuring that all pupils, including those with Down’s Syndrome or other types of SEND, are given the best possible opportunity to achieve. The department is committed to recruiting an additional 6,500 new expert teachers over the course of this parliament. To support all teachers, the department is implementing a range of teacher training reforms to ensure teachers have the skills to support all pupils to succeed, including those with SEND.

On 1 September 2024, the government introduced a new mandatory leadership level qualification for special educational needs coordinators (SENCOs). The qualification will play a key role in improving outcomes for pupils with SEND, including Down’s Syndrome, by ensuring SENCOs consistently receive high-quality, evidence-based training on how best to support children with SEND.

This government is also providing almost £1 billion more for high needs budgets in the 2025/26 financial year, bringing total high needs funding to £11.9 billion. This funding will help local authorities and schools with the increasing costs of supporting children and young people with SEND.

Catherine McKinnell
Minister of State (Education)
20th Nov 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to help children with Down's syndrome attend mainstream schools.

This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life.

The department is committed to improving inclusivity and expertise in mainstream schools, as well as ensuring special schools cater to those with the most complex needs, restoring parents’ trust that their child will get the support they need. This includes strengthening accountability for inclusivity, including through Ofsted, and encouraging schools to set up Resourced Provision or special educational needs units to increase capacity in mainstream schools.

High-quality teaching is central to ensuring that all pupils, including those with Down’s Syndrome or other types of SEND, are given the best possible opportunity to achieve. The department is committed to recruiting an additional 6,500 new expert teachers over the course of this parliament. To support all teachers, the department is implementing a range of teacher training reforms to ensure teachers have the skills to support all pupils to succeed, including those with SEND.

On 1 September 2024, the government introduced a new mandatory leadership level qualification for special educational needs coordinators (SENCOs). The qualification will play a key role in improving outcomes for pupils with SEND, including Down’s Syndrome, by ensuring SENCOs consistently receive high-quality, evidence-based training on how best to support children with SEND.

This government is also providing almost £1 billion more for high needs budgets in the 2025/26 financial year, bringing total high needs funding to £11.9 billion. This funding will help local authorities and schools with the increasing costs of supporting children and young people with SEND.

Catherine McKinnell
Minister of State (Education)
19th Nov 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential (a) implications for her policies of trends in the level of unauthorised term time absences and (b) impact of unauthorised absence rules on families who are unable to find suitable times for holidays outside of (i) school term times and (ii) work schedules.

The new government has inherited a crisis in school attendance. Thanks to the hard work of schools, local authorities and system leaders there is evidence of slight progress but we must go much further to get children back to school. This government is acting decisively to tackle absence via a new approach rooted in responsibility, partnership and belonging. This includes supporting schools and recognising they have important responsibilities by creating a welcoming, engaging and inclusive environment for children, but that it is also a parent’s legal responsibility to send their children to school every day that they can.

Taking children out of school during term time can damage their education. If children are taken out of school for a one week holiday every year and have an average number of days off for sickness and medical appointments, then by the time they finish year 11 at age 16, they will have missed the equivalent of two entire terms of their schooling. This also causes unnecessary disruption for teachers, making it more difficult for them to plan lessons and cover the curriculum, which is then disruptive for the other pupils in the class. The school year gives families various opportunities to enjoy holidays together.

The department is working with the sector to bring breakfast clubs to all primary schools so that every child is in on time and ready to learn. We are introducing new annual Ofsted reviews of safeguarding, attendance and off-rolling, as well as tackling mental ill-health among young people by providing access to specialist mental health professionals in every school. Where pupils are not regularly attending school, the ‘Working together to improve school attendance' statutory guidance emphasises that schools and local authorities should be working with them and their family to provide support and remove any barriers to attendance.

We publish regular school attendance data, which shows rates of absence, including unauthorised absence, on an ongoing basis. This is available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/pupil-attendance-in-schools.

Stephen Morgan
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
23rd Oct 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of capping the costs of residential care for looked after children.

The department recognises that local authorities are facing rising costs to place children in care, with some private providers making excessive profits.

This is unacceptable. The department is taking a range of actions to rebalance the market and eliminate profiteering, including strengthening regulation and working with local government to make sure every child has a safe, loving home.

The department will be bringing forward measures in the Children’s Wellbeing Bill to achieve this and to return children’s social care to delivering high quality outcomes for looked after children at a sustainable cost to the taxpayer. The department will be announcing further detail in due course.

Janet Daby
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
22nd Oct 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many (a) primary and (b) secondary school students receive free school meals in Runcorn and Helsby constituency.

The most recently published figures on free school meals (FSM) eligibility are from the January 2024 school census, which were published in June 2024 here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-pupils-and-their-characteristics

Where statistics were published prior to the changes in parliamentary constituency boundaries, they will be updated to reflect the new boundaries in the next publication of statistics. This is expected to be in June 2025 for schools and pupils statistics.

The constituency of Runcorn and Helsby is made up of elements of five old constituencies: Weaver Vale, Halton, Ellesmere Port and Neston, Eddisbury, and City of Chester. The attached Excel table gives FSM rates as of January 2024 for schools in those constituencies.

The ‘Schools, pupils and their characteristics’ publication linked above includes data at school level. This can be combined with information from ‘Get Information About Schools’ (GIAS) to identify parliamentary constituency, which can be accessed here: https://get-information-schools.service.gov.uk/. GIAS reflects the changes made following the general election parliamentary constituency changes. Updates to geographical data in GIAS are made on a quarterly basis using data published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

Stephen Morgan
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
21st Oct 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to improve the (a) recruitment and (b) retention of school support staff in Runcorn and Helsby constituency.

School support staff play a vital role in children’s education and the smooth running of schools. They are crucial to ensuring children are given the best possible life chances.

In a survey conducted by the department in 2023, titled ‘Use of teaching assistants in schools’, 75% of school leaders found it either 'fairly’ or ‘extremely’ difficult to recruit teaching assistants. The survey also showed that retention was less of a concern but still difficult for 29% of leaders.

The department values and recognises the professionalism of the entire school workforce and will address recruitment and retention challenges by reinstating the School Support Staff Negotiating Body (SSSNB) as a measure in the Employment Rights Bill, which was introduced on 10 October 2024.

The SSSNB will be tasked with establishing a national terms and conditions handbook, training, career progression routes and fair pay rates for support staff. This reform will ensure that schools can recruit and retain the staff needed to deliver high quality, inclusive education and drive high and rising standards to ensure every child has the best life chances.

Catherine McKinnell
Minister of State (Education)
7th Oct 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has had discussions with (a) Halton Council and (b) Cheshire West and Cheshire Council on the adequacy of SEND provision.

The statutory duty to provide sufficient school places for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) sits with local authorities.

The department supports local authorities to meet this duty by providing annual capital funding. In March 2024, local authorities were notified of £850 million of investment in places for children and young people with SEND or who require alternative provision.

Local authorities can use this funding to deliver new places in mainstream and special schools, as well as other specialist settings. It can also be used to improve the suitability and accessibility of existing buildings.

Halton Council has received just under £5.5 million in capital funding through this route between 2022 and 2025. Cheshire West and Chester Council has received £11.6 million.

In summer 2023, the department began collecting annual data from local authorities on available capacity in special schools, SEND units and resourced provision. This data will help the department to more effectively support local authorities to fulfil their statutory duty to provide sufficient specialist places.

Catherine McKinnell
Minister of State (Education)
4th Oct 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of wraparound care provision for children with SEND in (a) England, (b) Cheshire West and Chester Council area and (c) Halton borough.

The department knows know that parents of children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) need childcare provision that meets their needs. The department has funded the national wraparound programme to support working families and improve the availability of before and after school childcare to ensure that parents have the flexibility they need to care for their children.

The programme is being delivered through local authorities, given their existing sufficiency duty. The Childcare Act 2006 places a legal duty on local authorities to make sure that there are enough childcare places within its locality for working parents or parents who are studying or training for employment, for children aged 0 to 14, or up to 18 for disabled children. All local authorities should be able to demonstrate how they have discharged this duty and should include specific reference to how they are ensuring there is sufficient childcare to meet the needs of children with SEND, as per the statutory guidance. This should be available from the local authority.

The wraparound programme is helping local authorities discharge this duty by distributing funding on the basis of anticipated need. Local authorities across England can decide how best to use the funding to set up or expand wraparound childcare in their area to meet the needs of their local community, including children with SEND. To date, the department has paid £926,235.79 to Cheshire West and Chester Council, and £876,187.28 to the Borough of Halton.

The government is also committed to making quick progress to deliver on its commitment to offer breakfast clubs in every primary school. The department’s officials are working closely with schools and sector experts to develop a programme that meets the needs of all children, including those with SEND.

On 23 September, my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced that up to 750 state funded schools with primary aged pupils will begin delivering free breakfast clubs from April 2025. Funding will allow these schools to run free breakfast clubs for their pupils in the summer term (April-July 2025) as part of a test and learn phase to inform delivery of a national rollout.

This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with SEND or in alternative provision receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life. The department is committed to improving inclusivity and expertise in mainstream schools, as well as ensuring special schools cater to those with the most complex needs, restoring parents’ trust that their child will get the support they need.

Catherine McKinnell
Minister of State (Education)
30th Aug 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the statutory guidance entitled Cost of school uniforms, published on 19 November 2021, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of amending that guidance to reduce the number of branded items required.

The government has committed to legislate through the Children’s Wellbeing Bill to limit the number of items of branded uniform and PE kit that schools can require. This proposed legislation will go further than the current statutory guidance, which only requires schools to keep branded uniform items to a minimum.

The existing statutory guidance will be updated once the new legislation has received Royal Assent. This will ensure that both work together to ensure that schools will need to justify every piece of branded uniform they include in their uniform policy. This will put an end to schools still requiring large numbers of branded items.

Catherine McKinnell
Minister of State (Education)
30th Aug 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to improve the quality of specialist education in Runcorn and Helsby constituency.

Receiving the support to succeed is at the heart of the government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity and to give every child the best start in life, including those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) or in alternative provision. The department is committed to taking a community-wide approach, improving inclusivity and expertise in mainstream schools, as well as ensuring special schools cater to those with the most complex needs.

The government is committed to improving the school inspection system, including inspections of specialist settings. This will include moving away from the single headline grade to a richer system through a report card.

School report cards will be implemented for all state-funded schools, including those in the specialist sector. As part of our engagement and consultation process, we will explore whether, and how, these report cards need to be tailored to meet the unique needs of different types of state-funded schools.

Our new regional improvement teams will work with teachers and leaders in struggling schools to quickly and directly address areas of weakness and empower sustained improvement.

To drive up standards, all state-funded schools, including special schools, can draw on new regional improvement teams for help in accessing and understanding the array of available improvement programmes and training proven to make a real impact. These teams will encourage and foster a self-improving system where schools and trusts support each other, learning from peers, and sharing best practice.

Catherine McKinnell
Minister of State (Education)
30th Aug 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of SEND provision in Runcorn and Helsby constituency.

The statutory duty to provide sufficient school places for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) sits with local authorities.

The department supports local authorities to meet this duty by providing annual capital funding. In March 2024, local authorities were notified of £850 million of investment in places for children and young people with SEND or who require alternative provision (AP).

Local authorities can use this funding to deliver new places in mainstream and special schools, as well as other specialist settings. It can also be used to improve the suitability and accessibility of existing buildings.

Cheshire West and Chester Council has received £11.6 million in capital funding through this route between 2022 and 2025. Halton Borough Council has received just under £5.5 million.

In summer 2023, the department also began collecting data from local authorities on available capacity in special schools, SEND units and resourced provision, along with corresponding forecasts of demand for these places. This data will help the department to more effectively support local authorities to fulfil their statutory duty to provide sufficient specialist places.

Catherine McKinnell
Minister of State (Education)
28th Nov 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent estimate he has made of the number of pregnant dogs illegally smuggled into the UK in the last three years.

By its very nature, robust data on the full extent of illegal pet smuggling is not readily available. Therefore, the number of pregnant dogs illegally smuggled into the UK is difficult to quantify accurately.

Daniel Zeichner
Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
28th Nov 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the potential flood risks to (a) Runcorn and Helsby constituency and (b) the North West.

Flood and coastal risk management investment takes place where the risk is highest, wherever it is across the country.

The Environment Agency (EA) publishes the National Flood Risk Assessment (NaFRA), an assessment of flood risk from rivers and the sea for all areas of England and Wales, produced using local data and expertise. It shows the probability of flooding from rivers and the sea, considering flood defences and the condition they are in. This information is presented in flood risk likelihood categories.

The northwest of England (the Environment Agency areas of Cumbria and Lancashire, Greater Manchester, Merseyside and Cheshire) benefited from £97 million of investment between 1 April 2023 and 31 March 2024 from the current Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management (FCERM) programme, resulting in 3270 properties being better protected from the risk of flooding.

Emma Hardy
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
28th Nov 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to prevent flooding in rural communities in Runcorn and Helsby constituency.

In just five months in Government, we have introduced a series of measures to better protect Runcorn & Helsby from flooding including:

  • Investing £2.4 billion over the next two years to maintain, repair and build flood defences to protect communities across the country.
  • Setting up a new Floods Resilience Taskforce bringing together representatives from central and local government, Local Resilience Forums, emergency responders and the National Farmers Union, among others, to discuss how they will speed up and co-ordinate flooding preparation and resilience.
  • Consultation to review the existing funding formula, ensuring the challenges facing businesses and rural and coastal communities are adequately considered.
  • Invested £50 million to Internal Drainage Boards (IDBs) to better enable them to manage water levels for agriculture and environmental needs.
  • Supporting farmers impacted by flooding through a £60 million Farming Recovery Fund, which provides grants of up to £25,000 to return their land to the condition it was in before storm damage.
Emma Hardy
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
12th Nov 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to encourage (a) young people and (b) new entrants into farming.

Attracting bright new talent into land-based careers and having a skilled workforce in place is vital for the future of UK food and farming.

Defra works closely with The Institute for Agriculture and Horticulture (TIAH) which is encouraging young people and new entrants into farming in its capacity as an industry led professional body for the farming industry. This includes leading a cross-industry initiative to address common negative misconceptions about the sector and providing free TIAH membership for students. TIAH is also developing online capabilities to support matching mentees with mentors, and those looking for land with those who wish to provide access to land.

Furthermore, the Government has launched Skills England to ensure there is a comprehensive suite of apprenticeships, training and technical qualifications for individuals and employers to access, which are aligned with skills gaps and what employers need. It will work with its partners to ensure that regional and national skills needs are met.

Daniel Zeichner
Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
11th Nov 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the quality of water in river ways in Runcorn and Helsby constituency.

The watercourses of the River Weaver, River Gowy, Peckmill Brook and Keckwick Brook and their tributaries, together with the Mersey Estuary, were classified in 2019 and 2022. They are mainly at ‘Moderate’ ecological status. The Environment Agency publishes data on the classifications of rivers in England at England | Catchment Data Explorer.

Emma Hardy
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
12th Dec 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment her Department has made of the safety of electric (a) cars, (b) bikes and (c) scooters.

Road safety and the safety of electric vehicles is of paramount importance to the Government and is kept under regular review. The Government monitors road safety for all vehicles, these official statistics are regularly published on Department for Transport's website.

(a) All new cars require approval before they can be registered on the roads of Great Britain, to ensure they meet prescribed safety requirements.

(b) E-cycles are regulated under product safety laws and manufacturers must ensure they are safe and provide instructions for safe use before they are placed on the market. The Office for Product Safety and Standards, alongside Trading Standards, have the powers to remove unsafe or non-compliant products from the market.

(c) Safety is our top priority as we consider next steps and potential policy solutions for micromobility, including e-scooters

Lilian Greenwood
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
12th Dec 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an assessment of the potential economic impact of not making the 38.4 tonnes and 44 tonne weight arrangement permanent for volumetric concrete mobile plants.

The Department ran a call for evidence from October to December 2023 seeking views on three potential options on weight limits for Volumetric Concrete Mixers (VCMs). Evidence was provided to the Department on both the pros and cons of allowing VCMs to continue to operate at higher weights. The Department has reviewed the evidence provided and will publish its findings. Any potential changes to the current policy position on VCM weight limits will need to consider the implications for road safety, infrastructure, the environment, and maintaining fair competition in the market.

Lilian Greenwood
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
12th Dec 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of making the temporary 38.4 tonnes and 44 tonnes weight arrangement permanent for volumetric concrete mobile plants.

The Department ran a call for evidence from October to December 2023 seeking views on three potential options on weight limits for Volumetric Concrete Mixers (VCMs). Evidence was provided to the Department on both the pros and cons of allowing VCMs to continue to operate at higher weights. The Department has reviewed the evidence provided and will publish its findings. Any potential changes to the current policy position on VCM weight limits will need to consider the implications for road safety, infrastructure, the environment, and maintaining fair competition in the market.

Lilian Greenwood
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
12th Dec 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to her Answer on 9 December to UIN 17876 on motor insurance - young people, how many meetings of the cross-government motor insurance taskforce have taken place; and what progress has been made in reducing motor insurance premiums.

We are committed to tackling the increased costs of motor insurance, to deliver on our manifesto commitment.

As set out in my previous response, the Taskforce, including the Stakeholder Panel, met for the first time on 16th October. The Taskforce is currently exploring short- and long-term actions for departments that may contribute to stabilising or reducing premiums, while maintaining appropriate levels of cover.

As it takes this work forwards, the Taskforce will continue to work closely with the independent Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and the Competition and Markets Authority. The FCA has launched a market study into the premium finance market and is undertaking work to analyse the cause of increased claims costs in the motor insurance market.

Lilian Greenwood
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
4th Dec 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of offering free bus travel for homeless (a) children and (b) adults living in temporary accommodation.

Local authorities have responsibility for support for homeless people in their areas and are best placed to assess the needs of their communities.

At the Budget, the government confirmed over £1 billion in funding to improve services, protect vital routes and keep fares down. On 17 November, we confirmed how we are distributing £955 million of that funding, with £712 million for local councils to deliver bus service improvement plans (BSIP) and through the Bus Service Operators Grant. Funding allocated to local authorities to deliver BSIPs can be used in whichever way they wish to improve services for all passengers, including introducing targeted local fares initiatives.

Simon Lightwood
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)