Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of increased funding for transport infrastructure on economic growth.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Growth is this government’s top priority and formed a fundamental part of the analysis informing the Spending Review. Our significant investment in transport infrastructure will deliver a step-change in transport connectivity across the country, which is vital for economic growth. It boosts productivity by reducing travel time for businesses; widening access to markets and supporting trade; better matching workers’ skills to high quality jobs; and increasing the economic density of the country.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure that accessibility improvements at railway stations can still be delivered in cases where applications to the Access for All scheme are unsuccessful because that scheme is over-subscribed.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Accessibility improvements at stations are delivered in a variety of ways, in addition to those funded via the Access for All programme. Whenever the industry installs, replaces or renews station infrastructure, this must meet current accessibility standards. In addition, accessibility improvements can be developed and funded locally, in partnership with Network Rail and train operators.

If there are any sources of funding that can be identified locally, for example from s106 monies, that would also be a way of bringing accessibility at stations further forward.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what her planned timetable is for the roll out of free breakfast clubs to all state‑funded schools with primary‑aged children; and what support her Department plans to provide schools to facilitate implementation of that programme.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The government is committed to delivering on its pledge to provide a free breakfast club in every state funded school with primary-aged children. This will ensure every child, regardless of circumstance, has a supportive start to the school day.

From the start of summer term 2025, the department has funded 750 schools to deliver a free breakfast club to early adopters.

We are currently working through the outcomes of the latest spending review and the departmental business planning processes. Further details will follow in due course.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of replicating GB Energy’s investment in hospital rooftop solar for commercial and industrial buildings aligned with the UK’s industrial strategy.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The investment in solar power and complementary decarbonisation technologies totalling £180 million, announced by the Government and Great British Energy (GBE) in March, is for schools and hospitals for the 2025/26 financial year. Beyond 2025/26, we expect future decisions on funding and investment to be made by GBE as it becomes fully operational.

The UK’s overall approach to Net Zero commercial buildings will be set out in the government’s Warm Homes Plan strategy later this year. It will provide long-term regulatory clarity for industry and unlock considerable UK and foreign investment in commercial buildings driving economic growth.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of stockpiling (a) critical minerals and (b) (i) cathode active materials, (ii) black mass and (iii) other derivative products in the context of (A) industrial resilience and (B) supply chain security.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

This Government recognises the importance of domestic supply in insulating UK industry from potential economic shocks, but working with international partners to diversify global supply chains is also essential in building resilience and improving security of supply.

Solutions such as targeted stockpiling measures (both government and industry led), diversified international supply, and expansion of recycling capabilities provide opportunities to improve resilience and security of supply while reducing demand for virgin inputs. We need to take a proactive approach and will work with UK industry to ensure that policies developed have clear, tangible benefits for both economic security and growth.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on the resourcing of (a) the Environment Agency and (b) other environmental regulators for environmental regulation in the context of his Department's industrial strategy.

Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

DBT's Secretary of State has corresponded with the Defra Secretary of State on this government's approach to regulation to understand the challenges faced by regulators, including resourcing challenges for environmental regulators such as Natural England and the Environment Agency.

This engagement focused on working together on the Regulation Action Plan, published in March, to identify opportunities for growth and innovation. This has also informed our approach to the Industrial Strategy, and we will continue to work closely with departments to deliver it and the government's regulatory reform agenda.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has considered introducing a waste code for black mass to align the UK and EU classification systems.

Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Prospective changes to the List of Waste in England will be considered as we develop proposals for our Circular Economy Strategy. Any specific regulatory changes should be subject to consultation.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has considered introducing a code for black mass, in the context of the forthcoming (a) industrial and (b) circular economy strategy.

Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Prospective changes to the List of Waste in England will be considered as we develop proposals for our Circular Economy Strategy. Any specific regulatory changes should be subject to consultation.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will take steps with local authorities to that ensure travel distance is taken into account when (a) calculating school catchment zones and (b) offering school places.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

Admission arrangements are set and applied locally by a school’s admission authority, which for academies is the academy trust and for maintained schools is either the governing body or the local authority.

Admission authorities must determine the criteria that they will use to allocate places if a school receives more applications than it has places available. These must be fair, clear and transparent, and comply with the statutory School Admissions Code.

Admission authorities are already able to prioritise applications on the basis of distance to the school, including through the use of designated catchment areas. In setting such criterion, admission authorities must ensure they are reasonable and clearly defined, including making clear how distance from the child’s home to the school will be measured.

Where a school is not oversubscribed, every applicant must be offered a place.

Found: Smith, Alec Shelbrooke, Leigh Ingham, Richard Holden, Andrew Snowden, Toby Perkins, Sarah Champion, Noah Law

Found: Q55 Noah Law: Thank you.

Found: Q55 Noah Law: Thank you.

Found: Q136 Noah Law: Are you saying you have limitations as an economist?

Found: Q136 Noah Law: Are you saying you have limitations as an economist?

Found: Alex McIntyre Dr Roz Savage Sean Woodcock Yuan Yang Henry Tufnell Gill Furniss Sarah Dyke Noah Law

Found: Alex McIntyre Dr Roz Savage Sean Woodcock Yuan Yang Henry Tufnell Gill Furniss Sarah Dyke Noah Law

Found: Alex McIntyre Dr Roz Savage Sean Woodcock Yuan Yang Henry Tufnell Gill Furniss Sarah Dyke Noah Law

Submit Evidence (by 25 Aug 2025)

Nigeria was the sixth largest recipient of UK Official Development Assistance in 2023 with over £100m allocated. This was a reduction from third place in 2022 when it received £110m. As of 2024, Nigeria had by far the largest population in Africa and one of the highest population growth rates. Nigeria is the fourth largest economy in Africa and has a diaspora numbering hundreds of thousands living in the UK.