Asked by: Oliver Dowden (Conservative - Hertsmere)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to ensure the protection of historic landscapes which have inspired literature from development.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Government is committed to ensuring that our most important and cherished landscapes are appropriately protected so they can be enjoyed by future generations.
The National Planning Policy Framework sets out how planning policies and decisions should recognise the character and beauty of the countryside, and local authorities are expected to protect heritage assets which can include landscape and setting of listed buildings.
It is open to local authorities to take the historic literary importance of a place into account in their decisions if they find that it is a material consideration.
Asked by: Oliver Dowden (Conservative - Hertsmere)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to improve the provision of SEND services in Hertfordshire.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
This government is committed to providing the necessary support to improve the experiences for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and their families. We are committed to taking a community-wide approach, improving inclusivity and expertise in mainstream schools and alternative provision settings, as well as ensuring special schools cater to those with the most complex needs.
Ofsted inspected local arrangements for children with SEND in Hertfordshire in July 2023. Its report, published on 10 November 2023, concluded that there are widespread and/or systemic failings, leading to significant concerns about the experiences and outcomes of children and young people with SEND, which the local area partnership must address urgently.
The department provides support and challenge to the Hertfordshire local area partnership by monitoring progress against its priority action plan and improvement plan, and by providing advice and guidance via a SEND expert advisor. The partnership has also established a SEND Improvement Board, independently chaired by Dame Christine Lenehan to oversee progress and provide appropriate challenge.
Asked by: Oliver Dowden (Conservative - Hertsmere)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to help tackle funding gaps for statutory SEND duties in Hertfordshire.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
The department is providing schools with extra funding of almost £1.1 billion in the 2024/25 financial year, to support schools with overall costs, including the costs of supporting their pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Following the Budget, schools funding will be increased by a further £2.3 billion in 2025/26. Of this overall increase, nearly £1 billion is for children and young people with complex needs and will bring high needs funding to a total of £11.9 billion next year. As overall funding for the 2025/26 financial year has been announced later than normal, allocations calculated through the high needs and schools national funding formulae have not been published to the usual timescales. We will publish further information as soon as possible.
Asked by: Oliver Dowden (Conservative - Hertsmere)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to increase funding for Local Authorities in line with NHS pay awards to ensure that other council services, including SEND and social care provision, are not affected.
Answered by Jim McMahon - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
We have announced £1.3 billion of new grant funding in 2025/26 for local government to deliver core services, of which £600 million is for social care and £700 million to support general pressures. We have also announced a £1 billion uplift to special educational needs and disability (SEND) and Alternative Provision funding, the second biggest ever year-on-year increase.
Further details of total allocations will be made in the Local Government Finance Settlement.
Local authorities are independent employers responsible for the management and organisation of their own workforces, including remuneration. The Government recognise the challenges that local authorities are facing as demand increases for critical services. We have listened to voices across the sector, and we have prioritised local government at this Budget.
Asked by: Oliver Dowden (Conservative - Hertsmere)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to help tackle disparities in per-head High Needs Funding between Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
Allocations of high needs funding for the 2025/26 financial year will be published as soon as possible now that overall budgets for next year have been announced. The department will take longer to consider changes to the funding formula that is used to allocate funding and which creates the variations in funding levels between local authorities across the country. The department fully recognises the importance of establishing a fair education funding system, that directs funding to where it is needed.
Asked by: Oliver Dowden (Conservative - Hertsmere)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of recent increases in the minimum wage for 18-21 year olds on the financial sustainability of the hair and beauty sector.
Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
We know this is a difficult time for businesses and workers alike, the Low Pay Commission are independent experts who conducts extensive consultation, analysis and evidence gathering when recommending the minimum wage rates.
We asked the LPC to make progress in extending the National Living Wage to more adults than ever before, by continuing to narrow the gap between the 18-20 rate and the NLW.
We do recognise that the 18-20 band are more vulnerable to unemployment, and therefore any impacts on employment - as well as incentives to remain in training or education - must be monitored carefully, as we proceed.
Asked by: Oliver Dowden (Conservative - Hertsmere)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 3 September 2024 to Question 2362 on Railway Stations: Access, what progress she has made on considering the best approach to the Access for All programme.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Further to my answer of 3 September 2024, we are not yet able to comment on next steps regarding Access for All. This Government is committed to improving the accessibility of the railway and recognises the social and economic benefits this brings to communities.
Asked by: Oliver Dowden (Conservative - Hertsmere)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 29 July 2024 to Question 815 on High Rise Flats: Insulation, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of bringing forward legislative proposals to increase the pace of cladding remediation.
Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the Right Hon Member to the response provided to Question UIN 8200 on 25 October 2024.
Asked by: Oliver Dowden (Conservative - Hertsmere)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that members of the Responsible Actors Scheme for developers are complying with their contractual obligations.
Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The department publishes quarterly updates on how each developer is performing, meets developers regularly and acts where performance falls short. Developers face significant consequences if they fail to comply with their contractual obligations.
Asked by: Oliver Dowden (Conservative - Hertsmere)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans her Department has to improve accessibility at Radlett Station.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
We are not yet able to comment on next steps regarding Access for All projects at specific stations including at Radlett station. However, please be assured that we are committed to improving the accessibility of the railway and recognise the social and economic benefits this brings to communities.