Asked by: Mohammad Yasin (Labour - Bedford)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps he is taking to help reduce levels of dependence on international fossil fuel markets.
Answered by Ed Miliband - Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero
Since coming to office this government has secured enough renewables in our two record breaking auctions to power the equivalent of 23 million homes and embarked on the biggest nuclear building programme in half a century.
Only by going further and faster in building clean homegrown power can we reduce our level of dependence on fossil fuel markets.
Asked by: Mohammad Yasin (Labour - Bedford)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to address animal welfare concerns associated with the breeding of wildcat hybrids.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
As part of the Animal Welfare Strategy, which was published on 22 December 2025, the Government will take steps to improve our understanding of the size, scale and current management practices related to cat breeding, drawing on expertise from the sector, and consider any further steps which may improve welfare practices in the cat breeding sector.
The keeping of dangerous wild animals is regulated by the Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976. Keepers of dangerous wild animals listed in the Schedule to the 1976 Act must get a Dangerous Wild Animals licence from their local authority. All cats are listed in the Schedule to the Act, although several species, such as the domestic cat, are exempted. Cat hybrids having a domestic cat, or other exempted species, as one parent and a non-exempted cat, such as a wildcat, as the other parent would require a Dangerous Wild Animals licence.
Asked by: Mohammad Yasin (Labour - Bedford)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, when he plans to publish the response to the consultation on trade union right of access to workplaces.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Officials are in the process of reviewing the responses to the consultation, and the government will publish a formal response in due course.
Asked by: Mohammad Yasin (Labour - Bedford)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps she is taking to support the mental health of young people reliant on online communities for emotional and social support.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The government recognises that for many young people, online communities can play an important role in providing emotional and social support. It is vital that these online spaces are safe. Through the Online Safety Act, in-scope services are required to protect children from illegal and harmful and age-inappropriate content.
On 2 March, the government launched a consultation which will explore options to ensure children’s experiences online are safe and enriching.
The Department of Health and Social Care is working to improve access to mental health support for young people, both online and offline.
Asked by: Mohammad Yasin (Labour - Bedford)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether she plans to evaluate the potential impact of the proposed under-16 social media ban on young people’s access to support and educational resources.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The government recognises that there are benefits for children being online and for many young people, online services can play an important role in providing support and access to educational resources.
On 2 March, the government launched a consultation on how to ensure children can grow up with a safer and more enriching relationship with the online world. The consultation seeks views on a range of options to help shape our next steps and the potential impacts of these.
Asked by: Mohammad Yasin (Labour - Bedford)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the median waiting time was between a request for a registered intermediary and allocation in each of the last three years; and what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of these waiting times on the (a) wellbeing of victims and (b) the progress of their cases.
Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
The table below sets out the proportion of requests for a registered intermediary that were successfully matched, as well as those that could not be matched, were cancelled by the police or CPS, or where matching was still in progress at the end of the calendar year. This is broken down for victims, prosecution witnesses and defence witnesses for the calendar years 2022-2024 (the most recent years for which published data is available through the Witness Intermediary Scheme annual report):
Year | Allocation status | Defence Witness | Prosecution Witness | Victim | Total |
2022 | Matched | 3 (100%) | 733 (95.2%) | 7,018 (95.5%) | 7,754 (95.4%) |
Unmatched |
| 16 (2%) | 179 (2.4%) | 195 (2.4%) | |
Cancelled |
| 21 (2.7%) | 151 (2.1%) | 172 (2.1%) | |
In Progress |
|
| 4 (0.1%) | 4 (0%) | |
Total | 3 | 770 | 7,352 | 8,125 | |
2023 | Matched | 1 (100.0%) | 678 (94.4%) | 8,077 (94.8%) | 8,756 (94.8%) |
Unmatched |
| 19 (2.6%) | 182 (2.1%) | 201 (2.2%) | |
Cancelled |
| 19 (2.6%) | 183 (2.1%) | 202 (2.2%) | |
In Progress |
| 2 (0.3%) | 79 (0.9%) | 81 (0.9%) | |
Total | 1 | 718 | 8,521 | 9,240 | |
2024 | Matched | 4 (100.0%) | 554 (93.3%) | 8,789 (96.0%) | 9,347 (95.8%) |
Unmatched |
| 10 (1.7%) | 130 (1.4%) | 140 (1.4%) | |
Cancelled |
| 20 (3.4%) | 164 (1.8%) | 184 (1.9%) | |
In Progress |
| 10 (1.7%) | 72 (0.8%) | 82 (0.8%) | |
Total | 4 | 594 | 9,155 | 9,753 |
Unmatched cases include those where:
Therefore, not all unmatched requests indicate that the individual did not have a RI for their case.
The National Crime Agency, who administer the Witness Intermediary Scheme on behalf of the Ministry of Justice does not collect waiting times between the making of a request for a Registered Intermediary, so no data is available on the number of cases that were delayed due to capacity constraints.
The Ministry of Justice does not hold data on the waiting time between the request for a registered intermediary and matching of the intermediary. The allocation of a Registered Intermediary in each case will be dependent on a number of requirements including the availability of the witness and the investigation officer as well the availability and skillset of the registered intermediary. Where a case is flagged as urgent, the National Crime Agency will endeavour to prioritise the case, including seeking registered intermediary support out of hours or at the weekend.
The Ministry of Justice recruits and trains Registered Intermediaries on an ongoing basis to meet growing demand. These are informed by annual gap analyses to ascertain where demand is growing. In the 3 years to 2024, we have recruited 88 additional RIs to the Scheme.
The table below sets out the rate at which requests for a Registered Intermediary (from both the police and CPS) in each police force area were matched in 2024. We do not hold data on waiting times for intermediaries. We also do not hold data broken down by Crown Court circuit.
Police Force Area | Cancelled | Matched | Unmatched | Total |
Avon & Somerset | 1 (0.6%) | 173 (97.7%) | 3.0 (1.7%) | 177 |
Bedfordshire | 1 (1.5%) | 66 (97.1%) | 1.0 (1.5%) | 68 |
Cambridgeshire | 2 (1.4%) | 139 (94.6%) | 6.0 (4.1%) | 147 |
Cheshire | 5 (3.3%) | 145 (96.7%) | 0.0 (0%) | 150 |
Cleveland | 6 (5.4%) | 102 (91.9%) | 3.0 (2.7%) | 111 |
Cumbria | 2 (3.4%) | 56 (94.9%) | 1.0 (1.7%) | 59 |
Derbyshire | 2 (0.7%) | 294 (98.0%) | 4.0 (1.3%) | 300 |
Devon & Cornwall | 12 (2.5%) | 450 (95.3%) | 10.0 (2.1%) | 472 |
Dorset | 1 (0.6%) | 171 (97.7%) | 3.0 (1.7%) | 175 |
Durham | 5 (2.3%) | 213 (95.9%) | 4.0 (1.8%) | 222 |
Dyfed-Powys | 1 (1.4%) | 69 (98.6%) | 0.0 (0%) | 70 |
Essex | 5 (2.0%) | 234 (95.9%) | 5.0 (2.0%) | 244 |
Gloucestershire | 3 (2.2%) | 129 (96.3%) | 2.0 (1.5%) | 134 |
Greater Manchester | 6 (2.7%) | 214 (96.4%) | 2.0 (0.9%) | 222 |
Gwent | 2 (1.3%) | 148 (95.5%) | 5.0 (3.2%) | 155 |
Hampshire | 5 (1.5%) | 318 (96.7%) | 6.0 (1.8%) | 329 |
Hertfordshire | 1 (1.5%) | 66 (97.1%) | 1.0 (1.5%) | 68 |
Humberside | 3 (1.9%) | 152 (98.1%) | 0.0 (0%) | 155 |
Kent | 7 (1.6%) | 421 (96.8%) | 7.0 (1.6%) | 435 |
Lancashire | 0.0 (0%) | 251 (99.2%) | 2 (0.8%) | 253 |
Leicestershire | 3 (2.1%) | 137 (95.1%) | 4.0 (2.8%) | 144 |
Lincolnshire | 7 (4.1%) | 147 (86.5%) | 16.0 (9.4%) | 170 |
London | 21 (2.6%) | 769 (95.4%) | 16.0 (2.0%) | 806 |
Merseyside | 3 (1.1%) | 258 (97.7%) | 3.0 (1.1%) | 264 |
Norfolk | 9 (6.5%) | 119 (86.2%) | 10.0 (7.2%) | 138 |
North Wales | 4 (2.5%) | 154 (95.7%) | 3.0 (1.9%) | 161 |
North Yorkshire | 4 (2.0%) | 193 (98.0%) | 0.0 (0%) | 197 |
Northamptonshire | 4 (2.6%) | 149 (96.1%) | 2.0 (1.3%) | 155 |
Northumbria | 10 (3.0%) | 321 (96.1%) | 3.0 (0.9%) | 334 |
Nottinghamshire | 7 (2.9%) | 227 (94.6%) | 6.0 (2.5%) | 240 |
South Wales | 2 (0.6%) | 306 (96.2%) | 10.0 (3.1%) | 318 |
South Yorkshire | 3 (1.0%) | 303 (99.0%) | 0.0 (0%) | 306 |
Staffordshire | 6 (1.8%) | 319 (97.0%) | 4.0 (1.2%) | 329 |
Suffolk | 3 (2.4%) | 118 (95.9%) | 2.0 (1.6%) | 123 |
Surrey | 2 (1.2%) | 155 (96.9%) | 3.0 (1.9%) | 160 |
Sussex | 8 (3.1%) | 246 (96.1%) | 2.0 (0.8%) | 256 |
Thames Valley | 5 (2.1%) | 234 (96.7%) | 3.0 (1.2%) | 242 |
Warwickshire | 3 (3.9%) | 73 (96.1%) | 0.0 (0%) | 76 |
West Mercia | 7 (2.3%) | 285 (95.6%) | 6.0 (2.0%) | 298 |
West Midlands | 13 (2.1%) | 602 (96.8%) | 7.0 (1.1%) | 622 |
West Yorkshire | 3 (0.8%) | 377 (98.7%) | 2.0 (0.5%) | 382 |
Wiltshire | 1 (1.2%) | 83 (96.5%) | 2.0 (2.3%) | 86 |
Total | 198 (2%) | 9,386 (96.2%) | 169 (1.7%) | 9,753 |
Asked by: Mohammad Yasin (Labour - Bedford)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many and what proportion of vulnerable (a) victims and (b) witnesses assessed as requiring a registered intermediary under the Witness Intermediary Scheme were allocated one in each of the last three years; and how many requests were (i) refused and (ii) delayed due to availability constraints.
Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
The table below sets out the proportion of requests for a registered intermediary that were successfully matched, as well as those that could not be matched, were cancelled by the police or CPS, or where matching was still in progress at the end of the calendar year. This is broken down for victims, prosecution witnesses and defence witnesses for the calendar years 2022-2024 (the most recent years for which published data is available through the Witness Intermediary Scheme annual report):
Year | Allocation status | Defence Witness | Prosecution Witness | Victim | Total |
2022 | Matched | 3 (100%) | 733 (95.2%) | 7,018 (95.5%) | 7,754 (95.4%) |
Unmatched |
| 16 (2%) | 179 (2.4%) | 195 (2.4%) | |
Cancelled |
| 21 (2.7%) | 151 (2.1%) | 172 (2.1%) | |
In Progress |
|
| 4 (0.1%) | 4 (0%) | |
Total | 3 | 770 | 7,352 | 8,125 | |
2023 | Matched | 1 (100.0%) | 678 (94.4%) | 8,077 (94.8%) | 8,756 (94.8%) |
Unmatched |
| 19 (2.6%) | 182 (2.1%) | 201 (2.2%) | |
Cancelled |
| 19 (2.6%) | 183 (2.1%) | 202 (2.2%) | |
In Progress |
| 2 (0.3%) | 79 (0.9%) | 81 (0.9%) | |
Total | 1 | 718 | 8,521 | 9,240 | |
2024 | Matched | 4 (100.0%) | 554 (93.3%) | 8,789 (96.0%) | 9,347 (95.8%) |
Unmatched |
| 10 (1.7%) | 130 (1.4%) | 140 (1.4%) | |
Cancelled |
| 20 (3.4%) | 164 (1.8%) | 184 (1.9%) | |
In Progress |
| 10 (1.7%) | 72 (0.8%) | 82 (0.8%) | |
Total | 4 | 594 | 9,155 | 9,753 |
Unmatched cases include those where:
Therefore, not all unmatched requests indicate that the individual did not have a RI for their case.
The National Crime Agency, who administer the Witness Intermediary Scheme on behalf of the Ministry of Justice does not collect waiting times between the making of a request for a Registered Intermediary, so no data is available on the number of cases that were delayed due to capacity constraints.
The Ministry of Justice does not hold data on the waiting time between the request for a registered intermediary and matching of the intermediary. The allocation of a Registered Intermediary in each case will be dependent on a number of requirements including the availability of the witness and the investigation officer as well the availability and skillset of the registered intermediary. Where a case is flagged as urgent, the National Crime Agency will endeavour to prioritise the case, including seeking registered intermediary support out of hours or at the weekend.
The Ministry of Justice recruits and trains Registered Intermediaries on an ongoing basis to meet growing demand. These are informed by annual gap analyses to ascertain where demand is growing. In the 3 years to 2024, we have recruited 88 additional RIs to the Scheme.
The table below sets out the rate at which requests for a Registered Intermediary (from both the police and CPS) in each police force area were matched in 2024. We do not hold data on waiting times for intermediaries. We also do not hold data broken down by Crown Court circuit.
Police Force Area | Cancelled | Matched | Unmatched | Total |
Avon & Somerset | 1 (0.6%) | 173 (97.7%) | 3.0 (1.7%) | 177 |
Bedfordshire | 1 (1.5%) | 66 (97.1%) | 1.0 (1.5%) | 68 |
Cambridgeshire | 2 (1.4%) | 139 (94.6%) | 6.0 (4.1%) | 147 |
Cheshire | 5 (3.3%) | 145 (96.7%) | 0.0 (0%) | 150 |
Cleveland | 6 (5.4%) | 102 (91.9%) | 3.0 (2.7%) | 111 |
Cumbria | 2 (3.4%) | 56 (94.9%) | 1.0 (1.7%) | 59 |
Derbyshire | 2 (0.7%) | 294 (98.0%) | 4.0 (1.3%) | 300 |
Devon & Cornwall | 12 (2.5%) | 450 (95.3%) | 10.0 (2.1%) | 472 |
Dorset | 1 (0.6%) | 171 (97.7%) | 3.0 (1.7%) | 175 |
Durham | 5 (2.3%) | 213 (95.9%) | 4.0 (1.8%) | 222 |
Dyfed-Powys | 1 (1.4%) | 69 (98.6%) | 0.0 (0%) | 70 |
Essex | 5 (2.0%) | 234 (95.9%) | 5.0 (2.0%) | 244 |
Gloucestershire | 3 (2.2%) | 129 (96.3%) | 2.0 (1.5%) | 134 |
Greater Manchester | 6 (2.7%) | 214 (96.4%) | 2.0 (0.9%) | 222 |
Gwent | 2 (1.3%) | 148 (95.5%) | 5.0 (3.2%) | 155 |
Hampshire | 5 (1.5%) | 318 (96.7%) | 6.0 (1.8%) | 329 |
Hertfordshire | 1 (1.5%) | 66 (97.1%) | 1.0 (1.5%) | 68 |
Humberside | 3 (1.9%) | 152 (98.1%) | 0.0 (0%) | 155 |
Kent | 7 (1.6%) | 421 (96.8%) | 7.0 (1.6%) | 435 |
Lancashire | 0.0 (0%) | 251 (99.2%) | 2 (0.8%) | 253 |
Leicestershire | 3 (2.1%) | 137 (95.1%) | 4.0 (2.8%) | 144 |
Lincolnshire | 7 (4.1%) | 147 (86.5%) | 16.0 (9.4%) | 170 |
London | 21 (2.6%) | 769 (95.4%) | 16.0 (2.0%) | 806 |
Merseyside | 3 (1.1%) | 258 (97.7%) | 3.0 (1.1%) | 264 |
Norfolk | 9 (6.5%) | 119 (86.2%) | 10.0 (7.2%) | 138 |
North Wales | 4 (2.5%) | 154 (95.7%) | 3.0 (1.9%) | 161 |
North Yorkshire | 4 (2.0%) | 193 (98.0%) | 0.0 (0%) | 197 |
Northamptonshire | 4 (2.6%) | 149 (96.1%) | 2.0 (1.3%) | 155 |
Northumbria | 10 (3.0%) | 321 (96.1%) | 3.0 (0.9%) | 334 |
Nottinghamshire | 7 (2.9%) | 227 (94.6%) | 6.0 (2.5%) | 240 |
South Wales | 2 (0.6%) | 306 (96.2%) | 10.0 (3.1%) | 318 |
South Yorkshire | 3 (1.0%) | 303 (99.0%) | 0.0 (0%) | 306 |
Staffordshire | 6 (1.8%) | 319 (97.0%) | 4.0 (1.2%) | 329 |
Suffolk | 3 (2.4%) | 118 (95.9%) | 2.0 (1.6%) | 123 |
Surrey | 2 (1.2%) | 155 (96.9%) | 3.0 (1.9%) | 160 |
Sussex | 8 (3.1%) | 246 (96.1%) | 2.0 (0.8%) | 256 |
Thames Valley | 5 (2.1%) | 234 (96.7%) | 3.0 (1.2%) | 242 |
Warwickshire | 3 (3.9%) | 73 (96.1%) | 0.0 (0%) | 76 |
West Mercia | 7 (2.3%) | 285 (95.6%) | 6.0 (2.0%) | 298 |
West Midlands | 13 (2.1%) | 602 (96.8%) | 7.0 (1.1%) | 622 |
West Yorkshire | 3 (0.8%) | 377 (98.7%) | 2.0 (0.5%) | 382 |
Wiltshire | 1 (1.2%) | 83 (96.5%) | 2.0 (2.3%) | 86 |
Total | 198 (2%) | 9,386 (96.2%) | 169 (1.7%) | 9,753 |
Asked by: Mohammad Yasin (Labour - Bedford)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the registered intermediary allocation (a) rates and (b) waiting times are in each (i) police force area and (ii) Crown Court circuits; and what steps his Department is taking to help ensure that all vulnerable victims have access to intermediaries.
Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
The table below sets out the proportion of requests for a registered intermediary that were successfully matched, as well as those that could not be matched, were cancelled by the police or CPS, or where matching was still in progress at the end of the calendar year. This is broken down for victims, prosecution witnesses and defence witnesses for the calendar years 2022-2024 (the most recent years for which published data is available through the Witness Intermediary Scheme annual report):
Year | Allocation status | Defence Witness | Prosecution Witness | Victim | Total |
2022 | Matched | 3 (100%) | 733 (95.2%) | 7,018 (95.5%) | 7,754 (95.4%) |
Unmatched |
| 16 (2%) | 179 (2.4%) | 195 (2.4%) | |
Cancelled |
| 21 (2.7%) | 151 (2.1%) | 172 (2.1%) | |
In Progress |
|
| 4 (0.1%) | 4 (0%) | |
Total | 3 | 770 | 7,352 | 8,125 | |
2023 | Matched | 1 (100.0%) | 678 (94.4%) | 8,077 (94.8%) | 8,756 (94.8%) |
Unmatched |
| 19 (2.6%) | 182 (2.1%) | 201 (2.2%) | |
Cancelled |
| 19 (2.6%) | 183 (2.1%) | 202 (2.2%) | |
In Progress |
| 2 (0.3%) | 79 (0.9%) | 81 (0.9%) | |
Total | 1 | 718 | 8,521 | 9,240 | |
2024 | Matched | 4 (100.0%) | 554 (93.3%) | 8,789 (96.0%) | 9,347 (95.8%) |
Unmatched |
| 10 (1.7%) | 130 (1.4%) | 140 (1.4%) | |
Cancelled |
| 20 (3.4%) | 164 (1.8%) | 184 (1.9%) | |
In Progress |
| 10 (1.7%) | 72 (0.8%) | 82 (0.8%) | |
Total | 4 | 594 | 9,155 | 9,753 |
Unmatched cases include those where:
Therefore, not all unmatched requests indicate that the individual did not have a RI for their case.
The National Crime Agency, who administer the Witness Intermediary Scheme on behalf of the Ministry of Justice does not collect waiting times between the making of a request for a Registered Intermediary, so no data is available on the number of cases that were delayed due to capacity constraints.
The Ministry of Justice does not hold data on the waiting time between the request for a registered intermediary and matching of the intermediary. The allocation of a Registered Intermediary in each case will be dependent on a number of requirements including the availability of the witness and the investigation officer as well the availability and skillset of the registered intermediary. Where a case is flagged as urgent, the National Crime Agency will endeavour to prioritise the case, including seeking registered intermediary support out of hours or at the weekend.
The Ministry of Justice recruits and trains Registered Intermediaries on an ongoing basis to meet growing demand. These are informed by annual gap analyses to ascertain where demand is growing. In the 3 years to 2024, we have recruited 88 additional RIs to the Scheme.
The table below sets out the rate at which requests for a Registered Intermediary (from both the police and CPS) in each police force area were matched in 2024. We do not hold data on waiting times for intermediaries. We also do not hold data broken down by Crown Court circuit.
Police Force Area | Cancelled | Matched | Unmatched | Total |
Avon & Somerset | 1 (0.6%) | 173 (97.7%) | 3.0 (1.7%) | 177 |
Bedfordshire | 1 (1.5%) | 66 (97.1%) | 1.0 (1.5%) | 68 |
Cambridgeshire | 2 (1.4%) | 139 (94.6%) | 6.0 (4.1%) | 147 |
Cheshire | 5 (3.3%) | 145 (96.7%) | 0.0 (0%) | 150 |
Cleveland | 6 (5.4%) | 102 (91.9%) | 3.0 (2.7%) | 111 |
Cumbria | 2 (3.4%) | 56 (94.9%) | 1.0 (1.7%) | 59 |
Derbyshire | 2 (0.7%) | 294 (98.0%) | 4.0 (1.3%) | 300 |
Devon & Cornwall | 12 (2.5%) | 450 (95.3%) | 10.0 (2.1%) | 472 |
Dorset | 1 (0.6%) | 171 (97.7%) | 3.0 (1.7%) | 175 |
Durham | 5 (2.3%) | 213 (95.9%) | 4.0 (1.8%) | 222 |
Dyfed-Powys | 1 (1.4%) | 69 (98.6%) | 0.0 (0%) | 70 |
Essex | 5 (2.0%) | 234 (95.9%) | 5.0 (2.0%) | 244 |
Gloucestershire | 3 (2.2%) | 129 (96.3%) | 2.0 (1.5%) | 134 |
Greater Manchester | 6 (2.7%) | 214 (96.4%) | 2.0 (0.9%) | 222 |
Gwent | 2 (1.3%) | 148 (95.5%) | 5.0 (3.2%) | 155 |
Hampshire | 5 (1.5%) | 318 (96.7%) | 6.0 (1.8%) | 329 |
Hertfordshire | 1 (1.5%) | 66 (97.1%) | 1.0 (1.5%) | 68 |
Humberside | 3 (1.9%) | 152 (98.1%) | 0.0 (0%) | 155 |
Kent | 7 (1.6%) | 421 (96.8%) | 7.0 (1.6%) | 435 |
Lancashire | 0.0 (0%) | 251 (99.2%) | 2 (0.8%) | 253 |
Leicestershire | 3 (2.1%) | 137 (95.1%) | 4.0 (2.8%) | 144 |
Lincolnshire | 7 (4.1%) | 147 (86.5%) | 16.0 (9.4%) | 170 |
London | 21 (2.6%) | 769 (95.4%) | 16.0 (2.0%) | 806 |
Merseyside | 3 (1.1%) | 258 (97.7%) | 3.0 (1.1%) | 264 |
Norfolk | 9 (6.5%) | 119 (86.2%) | 10.0 (7.2%) | 138 |
North Wales | 4 (2.5%) | 154 (95.7%) | 3.0 (1.9%) | 161 |
North Yorkshire | 4 (2.0%) | 193 (98.0%) | 0.0 (0%) | 197 |
Northamptonshire | 4 (2.6%) | 149 (96.1%) | 2.0 (1.3%) | 155 |
Northumbria | 10 (3.0%) | 321 (96.1%) | 3.0 (0.9%) | 334 |
Nottinghamshire | 7 (2.9%) | 227 (94.6%) | 6.0 (2.5%) | 240 |
South Wales | 2 (0.6%) | 306 (96.2%) | 10.0 (3.1%) | 318 |
South Yorkshire | 3 (1.0%) | 303 (99.0%) | 0.0 (0%) | 306 |
Staffordshire | 6 (1.8%) | 319 (97.0%) | 4.0 (1.2%) | 329 |
Suffolk | 3 (2.4%) | 118 (95.9%) | 2.0 (1.6%) | 123 |
Surrey | 2 (1.2%) | 155 (96.9%) | 3.0 (1.9%) | 160 |
Sussex | 8 (3.1%) | 246 (96.1%) | 2.0 (0.8%) | 256 |
Thames Valley | 5 (2.1%) | 234 (96.7%) | 3.0 (1.2%) | 242 |
Warwickshire | 3 (3.9%) | 73 (96.1%) | 0.0 (0%) | 76 |
West Mercia | 7 (2.3%) | 285 (95.6%) | 6.0 (2.0%) | 298 |
West Midlands | 13 (2.1%) | 602 (96.8%) | 7.0 (1.1%) | 622 |
West Yorkshire | 3 (0.8%) | 377 (98.7%) | 2.0 (0.5%) | 382 |
Wiltshire | 1 (1.2%) | 83 (96.5%) | 2.0 (2.3%) | 86 |
Total | 198 (2%) | 9,386 (96.2%) | 169 (1.7%) | 9,753 |
Asked by: Mohammad Yasin (Labour - Bedford)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment has been made of the potential impact of removing the 10% wear and tear allowance for childminders from April 2026 on the financial sustainability of home-based childcare provision; what consideration has been given to the potential effects on recruitment and retention in the early years workforce; and how this change aligns with her childcare expansion commitments.
Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
The expansion of the early years entitlements is set to benefit childminders. The national average three and four-year-old hourly funding rate for local authorities is increasing by 4.1%, the two-year-old hourly funding rate is increasing by 3.3%, and the nine months to two-year-old hourly funding rate is increasing by 3.4%. Childminders may also benefit from the expected increase in demand for places.
We will work in partnership with the sector to raise the value of the profession, promote continuing professional development and give early years educators the recognition they deserve, making sure childminders are valued and supported with fair reward and recognition and more support from day one.
Maxing Tax Digital standardises the way that sole traders record and claim business expenses. It should benefit childminders, as it means that any business expenses related to childminding will be included in their tax calculations. We are, however, aware of the strength of feeling amongst childminders and those who work with them. We have been talking regularly to Coram PACEY, a professional association dedicated to supporting home-based childcare professionals, HMRC and others to understand the issue, the effect that it is having on the childminding sector and to make sure that the concerns of childminders are clearly understood.
Asked by: Mohammad Yasin (Labour - Bedford)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment has the department made of the potential impact of administrative and financial compliance requirements, including Making Tax Digital for Income Tax, on (a) the recruitment and retention of childminders and other home-based childcare providers and (b) the provision of funded 30-hour childcare.
Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
The expansion of the early years entitlements is set to benefit childminders. The national average three and four-year-old hourly funding rate for local authorities is increasing by 4.1%, the two-year-old hourly funding rate is increasing by 3.3%, and the nine months to two-year-old hourly funding rate is increasing by 3.4%. Childminders may also benefit from the expected increase in demand for places.
We will work in partnership with the sector to raise the value of the profession, promote continuing professional development and give early years educators the recognition they deserve, making sure childminders are valued and supported with fair reward and recognition and more support from day one.
Maxing Tax Digital standardises the way that sole traders record and claim business expenses. It should benefit childminders, as it means that any business expenses related to childminding will be included in their tax calculations. We are, however, aware of the strength of feeling amongst childminders and those who work with them. We have been talking regularly to Coram PACEY, a professional association dedicated to supporting home-based childcare professionals, HMRC and others to understand the issue, the effect that it is having on the childminding sector and to make sure that the concerns of childminders are clearly understood.