Patrick Spencer

It is the responsibility of the developers of electricity network projects, in this case National Grid Electricity Transmission, to propose a route and obtain planning permission for that route including assessment of any agricultural impacts. The Government sets the rules for a robust and independent planning process that communities participate in.

The Government cannot comment on specific projects which will come before the Secretary of State for a final decision. Depending on the specifics of each case, network operators are required to have an agreement with landowners impacted by transmission infrastructure projects on their land, including payment of appropriate compensation.

The Government cannot comment on specific projects which will come before the Secretary of State for a final planning decision. All projects, regardless of location, must go through the independent and robust planning process.

We are committed to ensuring that communities who live near new transmission infrastructure can see the benefits of it and are considering how to most effectively deliver this. Community benefits are different to compensation. Depending on the specifics of each case, network operators must have an agreement with landowners impacted by the presence of transmission infrastructure projects on their land, which includes payment of appropriate compensation.

It is the responsibility of the developers of electricity network projects – in this case National Grid Electricity Transmission - to propose a route and obtain planning permission for that route. The government sets the rules for a robust and independent planning process that communities can participate in, with consultation being a central element of the planning process. Any engagement by Ministers must consider the role of the Secretary of State in deciding on planning applications for energy projects, and the limitations on discussing live projects in the development process which have not come to the Planning Inspectorate.

The department recognises the vital role of parents and the home learning environment in children's early development and their contribution to the government’s mission to improve opportunity and give all children the best start in life. The department continues to support family hubs delivering services to help parents create rich home learning environments. The department's Little Moments Together campaign aims to encourage and provide resources for parents to chat, play and read with their children. The department is reviewing future support for parents within the current spending review process.

This year government is investing £255 million in the Supporting Families Programme, which since 2012 has championed early intervention and helped over 800,000 families achieve successful outcomes.

In addition, through the £45 million families first for children pathfinder and family networks pilot, the department is testing whole-system reform to children’s social care in 10 local authorities to help families overcome challenges, stay together and thrive, and to keep children safe. This includes testing a new model of Family Help, building on best practice from well-evidenced programmes, such as Supporting Families.

The department is working closely with pathfinder local authority areas and their partners including health, police, education, the voluntary and community sector and local children and families. The department will share learning from the programme with the wider sector and partners as the programme progresses including through an independent evaluation. Initial evaluation findings are expected in spring 2025.

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The department knows that parents have struggled to get the right support for their children, particularly through long and difficult education, health and care (EHC) plan processes and is planning to work across the sector to provide support for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), those needing alternative provision (AP), and their families. The department is committed to taking a community-wide approach, improving inclusivity and expertise in mainstream schools and AP settings, as well as ensuring special schools cater to those with the most complex needs.

The department wants to ensure that EHC plan applications are processed promptly and, where required, plans are issued as quickly as possible so that children and young people can access the support they need. The department publishes annual data from the SEN2 survey in relation to every EHC plan maintained by individual local authorities and closely monitors and uses the information from the annual SEN2 data collection to inform discussions with local areas. Where a council does not meet its duties, the department can take action that prioritises children’s needs and supports local areas to bring about rapid improvement. The department offers a range of universal, targeted and intensive support through department-managed programmes, such as the sector-led improvement partners which provide peer-to-peer tailored support.

The local area SEND inspection by Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) for Suffolk local area partnership in November 2023 found widespread and/or systemic failings leading to significant concerns about the experiences and outcomes of children and young people with SEND.

The local area partnership submitted a priority action plan to Ofsted and the CQC to address the areas for priority action, including actions to improve EHC plan timeliness, with progress monitored by the department through deep dive and stocktake meetings.

An expert SEND advisor has been commissioned by the department to support the improvement work being undertaken by the partnership, including improving EHC plan timeliness, by providing advice, guidance and challenge alongside the Regional NHS England SEND Manager.

Ofsted and the CQC introduced a strengthened area SEND inspection framework in January 2023, leading to a greater emphasis on the outcomes being achieved for children and young people. It is the primary tool to maintain a focus on high standards in the SEND system across all partners.

Educational psychologists play a critical role providing support to children and young people, including those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). However, the department knows that current workforce shortages are a barrier to delivering its ambitions for an inclusive mainstream education system. This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with SEND or in alternative provision receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life.

The majority of the funding provided through the Local Government Funding Settlement is un-ringfenced, in recognition of local authorities being best placed to understand local priorities, including investment in educational psychology services.

The department is taking measures to support the flow of educational psychologists into local authority services by investing over £21 million to train 400 more educational psychologists from this year. This builds on the £10 million currently being invested in the training of over 200 educational psychologists who began their training in September 2023.

The department is taking time to consider the various funding formulae that both it and local authorities use to allocate funding for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities. It is important that there is a fair education funding system that directs funding to where it is needed.

Budgets for the 2025/26 financial year have not yet been set, which means that decisions on the high needs and schools national funding formulae, as well as the publication of allocations for that year, are not to the usual timescales. The department will publish information as soon as possible after the Budget announcement on 30 October.

Defra continues to monitor and review the impact of the Border Target Operating Model (BTOM), including the Border Control Post at Sevington. We are working closely with industry, trade partners and enforcement agencies to minimise disruption and costs to trade, while continuing to protect our biosecurity. The effectiveness of the import controls has been demonstrated throughout September and October by the interception at Sevington of 34 consignments of plants infested with Pochazia Shantungensis, a fruit tree pest native to China but now present in mainland Europe. The consignments were destroyed, preventing the potential for a damaging outbreak for UK fruit growers.

The BTOM is designed to assure the biosecurity of legal, commercial imports. Illegal imports of products of animal origin are dealt with through intelligence led checks, conducted at the border by Border Force, in Border Force facilities, with the assistance of Port Health Authorities.

Defra has made additional funding of £1.9 million available to Dover District Council for the Port Health Authority, for the remainder of this financial year (2024 to 2025), to support Border Force to conduct safeguarding checks on the illegal import of products of animal origin. This is in addition to the £1.2 million already committed. This total funding of £3.1 million is based on the existing staffing costs provided by Dover Port Health Authority. This funding is only for this financial year. Defra has also contributed operational equipment to support Border Force with relevant checks.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Epping Forest, on 28 October 2024 PQ 10798.

Defra is aware of the ongoing challenges farmers have been facing following the winter storms and the wet weather in late 2023 and early 2024. Defra is committed to maintaining food production and supporting thriving farm businesses as well as protecting communities from flooding. All spending commitments will be confirmed in the spending review. This includes the Farming Recovery Fund, more information on the expanded Farming Recovery Fund will be made available soon.

All farmers and land managers are encouraged to manage the land in a way that supports and enhances the environment while reducing impacts on others, such as climate risks.

Where there is a watercourse, riparian landowners are required under common law to keep watercourses clear of anything which could cause an obstruction to the flow of water on their land, or downstream if washed away. This includes maintenance of the bed and banks, as well as any trees or shrubs growing on the banks. They must also ensure that any structures such as culverts, trash screens and mill gates are cleared of debris and allow the flow of water.

The new Environmental Land Management schemes aim to help the environment while supporting farming and food production. These will include support for farmers and land managers to adopt Natural Flood Management approaches in a way that reduces flooding and coastal erosion risks to local communities.

We will be writing shortly to the approximately 120,000 pensioners we have identified who are in receipt of Housing Benefit and who may also be eligible for, but not currently claiming, Pension Credit.

As a result of the Winter Fuel Payment changes announced on 29 July, we estimate the take-up rate of Pension Credit to increase by 5 percentage points. This is the equivalent of around an additional 100,000 successful claims to Pension Credit by 21 December 2024 (allowing for a maximum of 3 months backdating to ensure entitlement to a Winter Fuel Payment for 2024/25).

In the long term, the Government will bring together the administration of Pension Credit and Housing Benefit, so that pensioner households receiving Housing Benefit also receive any Pension Credit that they are entitled to, which was pushed back by the previous Government.