Mike Amesbury

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.

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.

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).

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

The Environment Agency (EA) are responsible for issuing permits to allow new incinerators (also known as energy from waste or EfW plants) to operate in England. When the EA receives a permit application for a new EfW plant, or to change the operation of an existing plant in a way which could affect its emissions, they carry out a comprehensive air quality impact assessment.

The EA will only grant a permit for an EfW plant, or a variation to an existing permit, if they are satisfied that the proposal would not give rise to any significant pollution of the environment or harm to human health, including via impacts on air quality. This has been done for the Runcorn EfW plant in the Borough of Halton. A copy of the latest air quality impact assessment for Runcorn can be found in Section 1 of the document at the following link: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5c8faadee5274a4c32a1597d/Application_Variation_-_Decision_Document.pdf

The EA also consult the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) for their views on every new permit application they receive. The UKHSA’s position is that modern, well-run and regulated municipal waste incinerators are not a significant risk to public health. This view is based on detailed assessments of the effects of air pollutants on health and on the fact that these incinerators make only a very small contribution to local and national concentrations of air pollutants.

The Government takes the condition of local roads very seriously and is committed to maintaining and renewing the local highway network. This Government has a manifesto commitment to enable local highway authorities to fix up to a million extra potholes a year, and it will say more on this in due course after the forthcoming Budget and Spending Review.

Cheshire West and Chester Council and Halton Council are the local highway authorities for different parts of the Runcorn and Helsby constituency, and they are therefore responsible for the condition and maintenance of their local road networks.

Cheshire West and Chester Council will receive £11.1 million from this Department during 2024/25 to help them carry out their local highway maintenance responsibilities, and it is their responsibility to decide how that funding is used, based on local needs and priorities.

Halton Council is a member of the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority (LCRCA). LCRCA will receive £142.9 million from this Department during 2024/25 for investment in local transport networks in the Liverpool City Region as outlined in their programme business case and delivery plan. It is for LCRCA to decide how much of that funding is used for highway maintenance in Halton and its other five member authorities.

The English National Concessionary Travel Scheme (ENCTS) provides free off-peak bus travel to those with eligible disabilities and those of state pension age, currently sixty-six. Local authorities in England have the power to go beyond their statutory obligations under the ENCTS and offer additional discretionary concessions, such as extending the times at which concessionary passes can be used.

The Government believes that local transport authorities and local leaders are best placed to prioritise and take forward transport projects which are most appropriate for the areas they serve, particularly where they will support economic growth, job creation, more and better housing, and, ultimately, demonstrate a good business case.

I would encourage the Hon member to continue to engage with local stakeholders further on this.

The department published information on 27^th September on the number of applications between 1 April 2024 and 22 September 2024. This showed a 152% increase in applications in the 8 weeks following the 29 July 2024 Winter Fuel Payment announcement by the chancellor.

The Department has announced its plan to publish updated information on Pension Credit Applications and Awards on 28 November 2024. We are currently unable to provide information at the geographic levels requested and the 28 November 2024 statistical release is currently planned to include data at the national level.

The rates of Pension Credit are reviewed annually as part of the Secretary of State’s statutory review of State pension and benefit rates. The review for 2025/26 has been completed and its conclusions announced to Parliament. Subject to Parliamentary approval, the Standard Minimum Guarantee in Pension Credit will increase from £218.15 to £227.10 a week for a single pensioner and from £332.95 to £346.60 a week for a pensioner couple. The new rates will take effect from 7 April 2025.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) does not currently intend to produce guidance for postal workers on preventing the potential impact of back injuries from low-level letter boxes. HSE already publishes a range of guidance to help employers understand how to assess and prevent the risks of musculoskeletal injuries to their workers.

The Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has carried out ergonomic research which includes a study on reaching letter boxes. The Building Safety Regulator is providing advice to the MHCLG on this research, including what changes may be necessary to the Building Regulations and its associated guidance. The research will be published in due course.

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave on 28 October 2024 to Question 10124.

The Department of Health and Social Care and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government have published guidance and supporting materials for health and care staff on discharging people at risk of, or experiencing homelessness. This ensures that every health and care interaction with a homeless person acts as an opportunity to provide support and signposting, with the aim of ending rough sleeping. The Department of Health and Social Care continues to work with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government on the development of the Government’s plans for social and affordable housing. Further information on the published guidance and supporting materials for health and care staff on discharging people at risk of, or experiencing homelessness, is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/discharging-people-at-risk-of-or-experiencing-homelessness/discharging-people-at-risk-of-or-experiencing-homelessness

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave on 29 October 2024 to Question 10122.

Palliative care services are included in the list of services that integrated care boards (ICBs), including the Cheshire and Merseyside ICB, which covers the Runcorn and Helsby constituency, must commission. This promotes a more consistent national approach and supports commissioners in prioritising palliative and end of life care. To support ICBs in this duty, NHS England has published statutory guidance and service specifications.

I recently met NHS England to discuss how to reduce inequalities and variation in access to, and the quality of, palliative and end of life care. Additionally, we have committed to develop a 10-Year Health Plan, to deliver a National Health Service fit for the future, and as part of this we will carefully be considering policies, including those that impact people with palliative and end of life care needs, with input from the public, patients, health staff, and our stakeholders, as we develop the plan. More information about how they can input into the 10-Year Health Plan is available at the following link:

https://change.nhs.uk/en-GB/

It is unacceptable that too many children and young people are not receiving the mental health care they need, and we know that waits for mental health services are far too long, including in areas such as the Runcorn and Helsby constituency. That is why we will recruit 8,500 additional mental health workers across both adult, and children and young people’s mental health services.

The Department of Health and Social Care is working with the Department for Education and NHS England to consider how to deliver our commitment of providing access to a specialist mental health professional in every school. Alongside this we are working towards rolling out Young Futures hubs in every community, offering open access mental health services for young people.

In one of the first major acts of this Government, the Chancellor launched a landmark pensions review, dedicated to unlocking billions of pounds of investments to boost growth and make every part of Britain better off. The review is consulting widely and a recent call for evidence sought feedback on the role of pension schemes in investing in different asset classes. The first phase of the review will conclude in the coming months.

This Government understands the challenges that mortgage prisoners face and will work with regulators and the industry to ensure that this issue is properly considered.

There are significant measures in place to protect vulnerable mortgage borrowers across the mortgage market, including mortgage prisoners. Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) rules require lenders to engage individually with their customers who are struggling or who are worried about their payments in order to provide tailored support. Closed book lenders must also comply with the FCA’s Consumer Duty, which ensures firms prioritise fair treatment and good outcomes for their customers.

The Government also has a number of measures in place to help people to avoid repossession, including Support for Mortgage Interest (SMI) loans for those in receipt of an income-related benefit; the Housing Loss Prevention Advice Service (HLPAS); and protection in the courts through the Pre-Action Protocol, which makes it clear that repossession must always be the last resort for lenders.

This Government understands the challenges that mortgage prisoners face and will work with regulators and the industry to ensure that this issue is properly considered.

There are significant measures in place to protect vulnerable mortgage borrowers across the mortgage market, including mortgage prisoners. Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) rules require lenders to engage individually with their customers who are struggling or who are worried about their payments in order to provide tailored support. Closed book lenders must also comply with the FCA’s Consumer Duty, which ensures firms prioritise fair treatment and good outcomes for their customers.

The Government also has a number of measures in place to help people to avoid repossession, including Support for Mortgage Interest (SMI) loans for those in receipt of an income-related benefit; the Housing Loss Prevention Advice Service (HLPAS); and protection in the courts through the Pre-Action Protocol, which makes it clear that repossession must always be the last resort for lenders.

This Government is committed to reducing crime and disorder in rural areas, given the devastating impact rural crime can have on communities. Under our reforms, rural communities will be safeguarded, with tougher measures to clamp down on anti-social behaviour, strengthened neighbourhood policing and stronger measures to prevent farm theft and fly-tipping.

The Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee will deliver thousands of additional neighbourhood police, police community support officers and Special Constables, across England and Wales, including in rural areas, to speed up response times and build public confidence.

Removeable GPS units are particularly vulnerable to theft and can massively disrupt day to day farming operations. The National Farmers Union (NFU) reports the UK cost of GPS theft increased by 137% to £4.2 million in 2023.

We are committed to implementing the Equipment Theft (Prevention) Act 2023, which aims to prevent the theft and re-sale of high-value equipment, particularly for use in an agricultural setting. The Act requires secondary legislation before it can come into effect. We are carefully considering the views of those who may be affected by the legislation and its regulations, to understand the potential implications and determine the scope of the legislation.

This Government is committed to reducing crime and disorder in rural areas, given the devastating impact rural crime can have on communities. Under our reforms, rural communities will be safeguarded, with tougher measures to clamp down on anti-social behaviour, strengthened neighbourhood policing and stronger measures to prevent farm theft and fly-tipping.

The Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee will deliver thousands of additional neighbourhood police, police community support officers and Special Constables, across England and Wales, including in rural areas, to speed up response times and build public confidence.

Removeable GPS units are particularly vulnerable to theft and can massively disrupt day to day farming operations. The National Farmers Union (NFU) reports the UK cost of GPS theft increased by 137% to £4.2 million in 2023.

We are committed to implementing the Equipment Theft (Prevention) Act 2023, which aims to prevent the theft and re-sale of high-value equipment, particularly for use in an agricultural setting. The Act requires secondary legislation before it can come into effect. We are carefully considering the views of those who may be affected by the legislation and its regulations, to understand the potential implications and determine the scope of the legislation.

As set out at the Autumn Budget, the Long-Term Plan for Towns will be retained and reformed as part of a new regeneration programme.

Halton Borough Council received an initial £50,000 capacity payment in April 2024.

Following feedback that the previous programme timelines were too short and not conducive to the level of engagement places wished to undertake with their communities, it was confirmed at Budget that we will make available a further £200,000 of capacity funding in the financial year 2025/26. This will support the development of plans in line with a revised prospectus that will be published in due course.

Delivery grant funding will therefore begin in the financial year 2026/27.

The Government will monitor the impact of the industry-led Fire Safety Reinsurance Facility on buildings insurance premiums and competition in the market.

We understand the financial and emotional impact that extreme insurance premiums are having on leaseholders, and will review how to better protect leaseholders from costs and push for fair premiums for leaseholders in buildings with fire safety issues.

This Government agrees that manufacturers should be held to account for their role in the Grenfell tragedy. The Prime Minister has committed to writing to all companies, including product manufacturers, found by the Inquiry to have been part of these horrific failings, as the first step to stopping them being awarded government contracts. This process is being led by the Minister for the Cabinet Office. Initial letters have now been sent to all 49 organisations named in the report, each of which bear different levels of responsibility for the failings that led to the Grenfell tragedy, including those that are construction product manufacturers.

This Government is also committed to tackling the significant issues in relation to construction products identified in the Grenfell Inquiry, and reviews by Dame Judith Hackitt and Paul Morrell and Anneliese Day. We will bring forward proposals for systemwide reform of the construction products regulatory regime to give consumers confidence and underpin supply chains and housing delivery.