Olly Glover

It is really important that parents are able to spend sufficient time with their children without it negatively affecting their careers.

The Parental Rights Survey found that 70% of employee fathers took Paternity Leave.

More work needs to be done to support working parents, and we have committed to a review of the parental leave system. Work is underway planning its delivery.

The Employment Rights Bill will make Parental and Paternity Leave ‘day one’ rights, bringing 1.5 million parents into scope for Parental Leave, and 32,300 into scope for Paternity Leave.

On 22 May 2023 the Trade Remedies Authority initiated transition reviews of the existing anti-dumping and anti-subsidy trade remedy measures on electric bicycles originating from China.

As both reviews remain ongoing, I cannot comment further. The Trade Remedies Authority will publish relevant information on the public file as the review progresses.

Student loans are subject to interest to ensure that those who can afford to do so contribute to the full cost of their degree. The government does not make a profit from the student loan repayment system.

The department is determined that the higher education (HE) funding system should deliver for our economy, for universities and for students and the government is committed to supporting the aspiration of every person who meets the requirements and wants to go to university. We will set out this government’s longer-term plan for HE reform by summer 2025.

Interest rates on student loans do not affect monthly repayments made by borrowers. Regular repayments are based on a fixed percentage of earnings above the applicable student loan repayment threshold, not on the amount borrowed or the rate of interest. If a borrower’s income drops, so does the amount they repay. If income is below the relevant student loan repayment threshold, or a borrower is not earning, then they do not have to make repayments at all. Any outstanding debt, including interest built up, is written off after the loan term ends (or in case of death or disability) at no detriment to the borrower.

Interest rates are set annually in relation to the Retail Price Index. The government caps maximum student loan rates when needed to ensure that student loan interest rates do not exceed market rates for comparable unsecured personal loans.

A full equality impact assessment of how student loan reforms may affect graduates, including detail on changes to average lifetime repayments under Plan 5, was produced and published in February 2022 and can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/higher-education-reform-equality-impact-assessment.

I refer my hon. Friend, the Member for Didcot and Wantage to the answer of 12 December 2024 to Question 19632.

I refer the hon. Member for Didcot and Wantage to the answer of 11 November 2024 to Question 12804.

Former Restoring Your Railway (RYR) projects are being considered as part of the Department’s capital spending portfolio review ahead of preparations for the Spending Review. As my Right Honourable Friend, the Chancellor has set out, decisions must be made based on the assessment of the spending inheritance from the previous Government

The Government is currently reviewing guidance for Local Transport Authorities on Local Transport Plans.

The Ideas Fund element of RYR supported the development of early-stage business cases. As of 4 July 2024, £21.24m has been spent. The allocated funds were £50.84m.

Advanced Proposals refer to proposed lines and stations that were already being considered by the Department for Transport prior to the launch of Restoring Your Railway. As of 4 July 2024, £307.36m has been spent. The allocated funds were £322.59m.

The New Stations Fund is intended to fund new stations, with eight new stations across England and Wales being delivered. As of 4 July 2024, £20.58m has been spent. The allocated funds were £32m.

Following the Chancellor’s 29 July announcement, the Restoring Your Railway programme will be brought to a close.

The Ideas Fund element of RYR supported the development of early-stage business cases. As of 4 July 2024, £21.24m has been spent. The allocated funds were £50.84m.

Advanced Proposals refer to proposed lines and stations that were already being considered by the Department for Transport prior to the launch of Restoring Your Railway. As of 4 July 2024, £307.36m has been spent. The allocated funds were £322.59m.

The New Stations Fund is intended to fund new stations, with eight new stations across England and Wales being delivered. As of 4 July 2024, £20.58m has been spent. The allocated funds were £32m.

Following the Chancellor’s 29 July announcement, the Restoring Your Railway programme will be brought to a close.

Recent progress on the Northumberland Line includes completion of track and signalling upgrades which have allowed driver training to commence, and the stations at Ashington, Newsham and Seaton Delaval nearing construction completion ahead of undergoing authorisation to operate a passenger service.

Based on information from the Northumberland County Council project team we currently estimate that passenger services will commence in December 2024 between those three stations and Newcastle. The remaining stations will open as soon as possible after this.