Phil Brickell

Ofcom does not publish coverage data at the local level, but their WebChecker indicates that while outdoor 4G coverage is available from all four mobile operators in Chew Moor, large parts of the village have limited 4G indoor coverage. According to Ofcom’s Connected Nations report (published on 5 December 2024) 99% of the Bolton West constituency has 4G geographic coverage from all four mobile operators, while 5G is available from at least one operator outside almost 100% of all premises. I have raised my concerns about the accuracy of their coverage reporting with Ofcom and I welcome their continuing efforts to make improvements.

The government wants all areas of the UK to benefit from good quality mobile coverage. Our ambition is for all populated areas, including Chew Moor, to have higher-quality standalone 5G by 2030.

We work closely with the mobile industry and are committed to ensuring we have the right policy and regulatory framework to support investment and competition in the market.

I refer my hon. Friend, the Member for Bolton West to the answer of 5 February 2025 to Question 27959.

The apprenticeship evaluation surveys commissioned by the department provide insights into the satisfaction rates of employers and apprentices.

For employers, overall satisfaction rates were 83% for all commercial employers and 89% for all employers who reported a wage bill of over £3 million. Employers with wage bills of over £3 million were eligible for the Apprenticeship Levy. These figures are published on sheet 55 of the ‘Apprenticeship evaluation 2023: employer survey data tables (overall)’, which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/apprenticeship-evaluation-2023-learner-non-completer-and-employer-surveys.

In the 2023 apprenticeship evaluation survey, 86% of all apprentices were satisfied with their apprenticeship overall. Satisfaction rates are not broken down according to whether their employer paid the Apprenticeship Levy. Further details can be found on page 113 of the ‘Apprenticeship evaluation 2023: learner and non-completer surveys research report’, which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/apprenticeship-evaluation-2023-learner-non-completer-and-employer-surveys.

Qualification achievement rates for apprenticeships are published annually at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/apprenticeships/2024-25. Data for the 2023/24 academic year is available at this link.

The department holds all apprenticeship training providers to account for quality delivery through its Apprenticeship Accountability Framework, which encompasses a wide range of quality indicators, including retention rates, employer and apprentice feedback, as well as achievement rates. Further detail about the framework can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/apprenticeship-training-provider-accountability-framework/apprenticeship-training-provider-accountability-framework-and-specification--2.

Ofsted routinely inspects the quality of training delivery in all apprenticeship providers, including higher education (HE) providers, and will ensure that all apprenticeship training providers are inspected by September 2025. A summary of Ofsted’s inspection findings up to 31 August 2024 is published at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/further-education-and-skills-inspections-and-outcomes-as-at-31-august-2024/main-findings-further-education-and-skills-inspections-and-outcomes-as-at-31-august-2024#data-4.

The Office for Students is the independent regulator of English HE providers and works with other organisations to make sure degree apprenticeships meet the right quality and standards. This includes considering the inspections that Ofsted carries out to decide whether a provider is complying with its conditions of registration in this area. Its regulatory framework can be found at: https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/publications/regulatory-framework-for-higher-education-in-england/.

The department believes all children and young people should have access to outdoor learning and the opportunity to learn about and connect with nature. Access to green space has been shown to have positive impacts on the physical, mental and emotional wellbeing of young people. The National Education Nature Park, a key initiative of our Sustainability and Climate Change Strategy, provides the opportunities for children and young people to benefit from spending time in nature.

The department is also working to make sure that all children and young people have access to a variety of enrichment opportunities at school, including outdoor learning, as an important part of our mission to break down barriers to opportunity. We recognise that these activities are a vital way for children and young people to gain skills, supporting them to achieve and thrive. Outdoor education specifically is linked to improved motivation, social capital and sense of belonging in school.

Beyond outdoor education through schools, many outdoor education organisations could be considered out-of-school settings. The government recognises that out-of-school settings can supplement schools’ learning and enriching activities for children, with significant educational benefits for children’s mental health, wellbeing, and social development.

The Government recognises the importance of England’s peatlands, and in our manifesto, we committed to expanding nature-rich habitats such as peatlands. This will contribute to ensuring nature’s recovery, one of Defra’s five priorities. We have ambitions to restore hundreds of thousands of hectares of peatlands across the country, and we are working to ensure that we have the most effective mechanisms in place to go further than we have before.

Peatland restoration works across England are carried out by local peatland partnerships, such as Lancashire Peat Partnership who are responsible for managing the peatlands in the West Pennine Moors. Peatland restoration is currently funded via the Nature for Climate Peatland Grant Scheme, and going forwards will be primarily funded through Environmental Land Management schemes, such as the Landscape Recovery and Countryside Stewardship schemes.

Private finance will also be vital if we are to meet our peatland restoration ambitions. To support peatland restoration, the Government is implementing a range of policies that will mobilise private investment. These include working with the IUCN to attract investment through the Peatland Code.

I was concerned to see there was a wildfire last month in part of the hon. Member’s constituency, at Longworth Road.

Defra encourages landowners and land managers to adopt good quality wildfire management plans and use sustainable methods to manage habitat, such as restoring peatlands. Evidence shows that wetter, healthy-functioning peatlands are more resilient to the impacts of wildfire.

We are currently consulting on proposed changes to The Heather and Grass etc. Burning (England) Regulations 2021, which would extend protections to a broader area of upland peat. The consultation is open until 25 May.

Section 3(3)(a) of the Water Industry Act 1991 sets a requirement on water companies ‘to have regard to the desirability of preserving for the public any freedom of access to areas of woodland, mountains, moor, heath, down, cliff or foreshore and other places of natural beauty’.

The Secretary of State is not currently investigating or undertaking enforcement action under Section 18 of the Water Industry Act in respect of this requirement.

Current estimates are that around 4%, or 1,400 miles, of rivers in England and Wales have a public right of navigation. There are around 3,500 miles of canal and river navigations that have a public right of access through the licensing regimes operated by the navigation authorities that own them.

The Government recognises the importance of providing access to the outdoors, including blue spaces, for people’s health and wellbeing and is working to ensure this is safe and appropriate. This is why we have set out our ambitious manifesto commitments to create nine new national river walks and three new national forests in England, expanding access to the great outdoors. We are currently developing policy to improve access to nature, including onto unregulated inland waterways, working closely with key stakeholders to reduce barriers preventing people from accessing green and blue spaces.

Northern trains have no plans to reduce services on the Manchester-Southport line that serves Westhoughton. Some Sunday services have been temporarily removed from the timetable. This was agreed by Northern leaders as part of Northern’s work to stabilise and then improve services, including to Westhoughton.

The membership of the UK Bus Manufacturing Expert Panel comprises two classifications: Standing Members and Additional Members. Standing Members include Government departments and wider industry bodies. Industry bodies include the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), the Urban Transport Group (UTG), Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT) and the Association of Local Bus Managers (ALBUM).

Additional Members will be invited to relevant meetings when particular issues are under consideration. These include bus manufacturers, operators and mayoral combined authorities. This decision was taken to ensure that the expertise of additional members is reflected during relevant meetings when specific issues are under discussion.

Bolton West is part of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) area. GMCA was awarded over £5 million through the fifth round of the Active Travel Fund in 2024 to 2025 and will receive over £15 million as part of the integrated settlements for 2025 to 2026. The funding can be used to develop new walking and cycling routes and for behaviour change initiatives, such as cycle training. Decisions on priorities for the funding, including locations in the Greater Manchester area, are matters for the combined authority.

The Government recognises that investment in high quality active travel infrastructure supports its economic growth, health and net zero missions by helping to revitalise high streets; enabling people to live longer, healthier lives; and helping to reduce transport emissions. The Department announced the details of almost £300 million of funding for active travel in 2024/5 and 2025/6 on 12 February.

The Department’s Ministers will be having regular discussions with their Treasury counterparts as part of the ongoing Spending Review which will conclude later this Spring.

Active Travel England (part of the Department for Transport) has engaged regularly with Greater Manchester’s Active Travel Commissioner over the last year, including on the role active travel can play in supporting the development of the Bee Network. This is supported by Active Travel England’s ongoing discussions with officials at Transport for Greater Manchester.