Asked by: Nick Timothy (Conservative - West Suffolk)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will publish the responses to the 2025 consultation on the driving test booking system.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The response has been published and can be found online at: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/improving-car-driving-test-booking-rules/outcome/improving-car-driving-test-booking-rules-response-to-consultation.
Asked by: Nick Timothy (Conservative - West Suffolk)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans her Department has to introduce mandatory method of production labelling on food.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We are considering the potential role of method of production labelling reform as part of the ongoing development of the Government’s wider animal welfare strategy.
Asked by: Nick Timothy (Conservative - West Suffolk)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what guidance his Department has given to (a) headteachers and (b) school governors on the use of artificial intelligence in schools.
Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
The department has published clear guidance to support schools in using artificial intelligence (AI) safely and effectively. This includes the Generative AI policy paper, which sets out opportunities, risks and legal responsibilities, and online support materials developed with sector experts. These resources provide practical advice for headteachers and governors on integrating AI into digital strategies, safeguarding pupil data, and ensuring compliance with data protection and intellectual property law. Toolkits for educators and leaders outline safe use cases, risk management and how AI can reduce workload without replacing teacher judgment. The guidance emphasises that AI should enhance teaching, not diminish human oversight, and schools must take care when considering pupil-facing AI.
Materials are available on GOV.UK under “Using AI in education settings: support materials”, alongside the policy paper “Generative artificial intelligence in education”, updated June 2025.
Asked by: Nick Timothy (Conservative - West Suffolk)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much funding her Department has provided towards supplying schools with (a) tablets, (b) laptops and (c) other electronic devices to children since 2015, broken down by (i) local authority area and (ii) year.
Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
Schools, trusts and local authorities can use their budgets at their discretion to purchase technology for their pupils. The department does not mandate a specific device to pupil ratio or recommend how much funding should be allocated for devices.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the department delivered over 1.95 million laptops and tablets to schools, academy trusts and local authorities in England through the ‘Get Help With Technology’ programme, launched in March 2020, which supported remote learning for disadvantaged children. The last devices were delivered by March 2022 and the service closed in June 2022.
The programme represented an investment of approximately £400 million, covering procurement and distribution of devices, alongside connectivity support for families without internet access.
Data on dispatched devices is published in statistical releases via the Explore Education Statistics portal here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/laptops-and-tablets-data/2022-april.
The department monitors pupil access to devices via the Technology in Schools Survey here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/technology-in-schools-survey-report-2022-to-2023.
Asked by: Nick Timothy (Conservative - West Suffolk)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much funding hi Department provided for programmes that promote the use of artificial intelligence in schools.
Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
The department does not mandate or promote any specific materials or programmes as it is for schools to decide what to use. The department has provided over £6 million of funding since July 2024 to support safe and effective use of artificial intelligence (AI) in schools, including £2 million for Oak National Academy to develop its AI lesson planning assistant, Aila, and joint-funding the Education Content Store pilot along with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology.
The department has also funded free support materials for staff in schools and colleges, developed by the Chiltern Learning Trust and the Chartered College of Teaching.
Asked by: Nick Timothy (Conservative - West Suffolk)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions have (a) ministers, and (b) officials had with the Office for Students on the presence of Confucius Institutes in the UK.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Ministers and officials regularly meet with the Office for Students to discuss a wide range of topics, including international partnerships. The government welcomes these partnerships, including with China, many of which make strong contributions to our society. Universities have a responsibility to ensure that any partnership, including with a Confucius Institute, is managed appropriately and is compliant with their legal duties and regulatory requirements.
Asked by: Nick Timothy (Conservative - West Suffolk)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many Chinese nationals have gained a visa through the Graduate Route in each year since 2021, broken down by (a) undergraduates, and (b) postgraduates.
Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The information requested is not available from published statistics; nor do we break down the data as requested and we are unable to answer without disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Nick Timothy (Conservative - West Suffolk)
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 enforce existing legislation against hare coursing.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The enforcement of existing legislation on hare coursing is an operational matter for the police. This is in line with their duties to keep the peace, protect communities and prevent the commission of offences, working within the provisions of the legal framework set by Parliament.
Asked by: Nick Timothy (Conservative - West Suffolk)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what representations she has received from (a) headteachers, (b) applicant groups and (c) local authorities on the 44 free school applications that have been placed on hold since 22 October 2024.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department is reviewing 44 projects as part of the mainstream free school pipeline review, to ensure they continue to meet localised need for places, consider whether they provide a unique educational offer and are not to the detriment of the other schools locally. These projects would provide approximately 30,000 additional places at capacity.
The National Audit Office set out in 2017 that planned free schools would lead to an estimated 57,500 spare places, and that there is a cost both to the taxpayer and to other local schools via impact on pupil numbers at existing schools.
Since the review was launched, the department has paused development of the sites. Any funding has been in line with managing public money. The department will publicly communicate the outcomes of the review as soon as possible.
We have engaged with trusts, local authorities and other stakeholders in relation to individual projects in scope of the review, including reviewing the evidence they have provided.
As would be expected from a review of this scale, there have been a significant number of meetings, including meetings between ministers and MPs, where local MPs have requested them.
Asked by: Nick Timothy (Conservative - West Suffolk)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much funding her Department has given to the 44 free school applications that have been placed on hold since 22 October 2024, broken down by funding stream.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department is reviewing 44 projects as part of the mainstream free school pipeline review, to ensure they continue to meet localised need for places, consider whether they provide a unique educational offer and are not to the detriment of the other schools locally. These projects would provide approximately 30,000 additional places at capacity.
The National Audit Office set out in 2017 that planned free schools would lead to an estimated 57,500 spare places, and that there is a cost both to the taxpayer and to other local schools via impact on pupil numbers at existing schools.
Since the review was launched, the department has paused development of the sites. Any funding has been in line with managing public money. The department will publicly communicate the outcomes of the review as soon as possible.
We have engaged with trusts, local authorities and other stakeholders in relation to individual projects in scope of the review, including reviewing the evidence they have provided.
As would be expected from a review of this scale, there have been a significant number of meetings, including meetings between ministers and MPs, where local MPs have requested them.