Asked by: Richard Foord (Liberal Democrat - Honiton and Sidmouth)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to support families in rural areas with the cost of transport to schools.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government knows how important affordable and reliable bus services are in enabling people to get to education, particularly in rural areas.
On 1 January, we introduced a £3 cap on single bus fares in England outside London to help passengers continue to access cheaper bus services and better opportunities. At the Spending Review we announced the cap would be extended until March 2027.
At present, the majority of bus services operate on a commercial basis by private operators, and any decisions regarding the level at which fares are set outside the scope of the £3 bus fare cap are commercial decisions for operators. Bus operators can choose to offer discounted fares for young people, and in the year ending March 2025, youth discounts were offered by at least one commercial bus operator in 73 out of 85 local authority areas in England outside London.
As part of the Autumn 2024 Budget, the Government allocated £955 million to support and improve bus services in 2025/26. This includes £712 million for local authorities, this can be used to expand services and improve reliability, which are currently massive obstacles for too many people. Devon County Council has been allocated £11.6 million of this funding. Funding allocated to local authorities to deliver better bus services can be used in whichever way they wish to improve services for passengers, which could include introducing new fares initiatives to reduce the cost of bus travel for young people.
Asked by: Richard Foord (Liberal Democrat - Honiton and Sidmouth)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of the cost to the public purse of providing protection and support during Donald Trump's visit to Scotland.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
We were delighted to welcome the President to the UK earlier this year. The visit supported our deep and enduring alliance with the United States, which is vital for both our economic and security interests.
As is the case for many visits from high profile individuals, the President’s visit was in part funded by the taxpayer.
It is right that the Government and policing partners take appropriate steps to ensure the safety of foreign dignitaries when on UK soil.
Asked by: Richard Foord (Liberal Democrat - Honiton and Sidmouth)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of recent reports of the shelling of civilian infrastructure in Thailand by Cambodian forces; and if he will support a UN investigation into potential breaches of international humanitarian law.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Government continues to monitor the Cambodia-Thailand border dispute closely with officials from our Embassies in Bangkok and Phnom Penh conducting site visits to affected areas to better understand the impact on local populations. We urge all parties to uphold international humanitarian law and take all necessary steps to protect civilians.
As set out in our public statements of 28 July and 7 August, the agreement of a framework for a full ceasefire between Cambodia and Thailand is a welcome development. It is essential that both sides now work together to implement and maintain this agreement. This message has been conveyed directly to both governments.
We support the Association of South East Asian Nations' leadership in working with Cambodia and Thailand to resolve the border conflict, including its efforts to deploy an Observer Mission. We believe this can play an important role in providing an independent assessment of the situation and in de-escalating tensions on the border.
Asked by: Richard Foord (Liberal Democrat - Honiton and Sidmouth)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if his Department will consider introducing a national scheme offering small grants to private individuals for the creation of climate-resilient, wildlife-friendly gardens.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We recognise the importance of individual action and the contribution that wildlife-friendly gardens can make to nature recovery and climate resilience. Our Land Use Consultation this year asked about approaches to support such outcomes in urban areas. We are considering the responses we received, which will inform the upcoming Land Use Framework.
We also coordinate and work with a range of partners to promote guidance and support for individuals. For example, the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew’s Grow Wild programme inspires and supports individual and community gardening, and Defra’s annual Bees’ Needs Week and Bees’ Needs Champions Awards celebrate action and promote simple actions everyone can take to benefit pollinators. We encourage individuals to participate in and contribute to the preparation of Local Nature Recovery Strategies to help shape nature recovery in their area.
Asked by: Richard Foord (Liberal Democrat - Honiton and Sidmouth)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of rural broadband coverage.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Rural broadband coverage is not good enough. We are delivering nationwide gigabit broadband, through Project Gigabit.
Between 1 April 2024 and 31 March 2025, 89% of premises benefitting from government broadband schemes were in rural areas.
Asked by: Richard Foord (Liberal Democrat - Honiton and Sidmouth)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of the difference in per capita bus funding between rural and urban areas.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government recognises that different areas have different characteristics and needs for their local bus network. The Government has committed to reforming bus funding to create a fairer and simpler system for bus funding that takes into account local needs.
The Government took the first step towards a fairer allocation system by using a formula to determine Local Authority Bus Grant allocations for 25/26 based on need, including population, the distance that buses travel, and the levels of deprivation. Under this formula, Devon County Council was allocated £11.6 million. This is an increase in funding compared to the £8.7 million allocated to the Council in equivalent funding under the previous Government in 24/25.
The formula used in 25/26 is an interim formula. We are currently reviewing this formula to ensure funding is allocated as fairly as possible, including engaging with stakeholders on any revisions.
Asked by: Richard Foord (Liberal Democrat - Honiton and Sidmouth)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether she plans to sign the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance; and for what reason the UK has not yet signed that Convention.
Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
The Government considers that the current domestic framework and legislation already prevent arbitrary arrests, prohibits torture and degrading treatment, and holds the Security and Intelligence Agencies to account.
We therefore currently have no plans to sign or ratify the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearances.
We strongly condemn any instances of enforced disappearance internationally. We urge states to fully investigate any allegations, prosecute those responsible and provide justice to victims.
Asked by: Richard Foord (Liberal Democrat - Honiton and Sidmouth)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that internet-connected smart TVs do not monitor users’ activity without prior, informed consent; and if she will consider requiring such devices to use an opt-in system for data collection.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
All organisations in the UK that process personal data must comply with the requirements of the UK GDPR, including ensuring any processing is lawful, fair and transparent. Providers of smart devices must consider how their products implement these principles effectively and include appropriate safeguards to protect people's rights.
In addition, the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003 include more specific rules on the use of technologies such as cookies on people’s smart devices. This is prevented unless an exception applies, for example, where the user has given their consent.
The Information Commissioner is currently consulting on a revised version of guidance on the use of storage and access technologies.
Asked by: Richard Foord (Liberal Democrat - Honiton and Sidmouth)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of Making Tax Digital for Income Tax Self-Assessment on (a) small business owners and (b) unrepresented taxpayers; and if she will consider delaying implementation until issues associated with the (i) cost, (ii) software availability, (iii) administrative burden and (iv) digital exclusion have been addressed.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
HMRC are on track to implement Making Tax Digital (MTD) for Income Tax for those with income over £50,000 from April 2026, with a wide range of customers already testing the service in live running.
MTD modernises the tax system and will help self-employed individuals and landlords keep on top of their tax affairs, making their annual tax returns easier.
While many users will incur some cost in moving to MTD for Income Tax, many will also experience wider productivity gains through time savings and greater accuracy. We continually monitor the impacts of MTD and the latest published assessment is available at:
The government has worked with the software industry to ensure there are free and low-cost software options available to support taxpayers, both represented and unrepresented, alongside a wider range of software choices to suit varying needs and budgets. HMRC's software choices page can be found here:
www.gov.uk/guidance/find-software-thats-compatible-with-making-tax-digital-for-income-tax#software-available-now
The government recognises that not everyone is able to interact with HMRC digitally. Taxpayers who are digitally excluded will be able to apply for an exemption from MTD. HMRC will provide further information about the exemption process in due course.
Asked by: Richard Foord (Liberal Democrat - Honiton and Sidmouth)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made an assessment of the reasons for the price differential between (a) ciclosporin and (b) other generic immunosuppressant drugs sold in UK pharmacies compared to the same drugs available overseas; and if he will take steps to review (i) NHS procurement and (ii) pricing arrangements to ensure better value for money.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department has made no assessment of the reasons for the price difference between ciclosporin and other generic immunosuppressant drugs sold in United Kingdom pharmacies compared to other countries.
The UK has well established mechanisms to control the level of spend on branded medicines. The voluntary scheme for branded medicines pricing, access, and growth and the statutory scheme for branded medicines, control the growth in sales of branded medicines, and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s evaluations ensure that spend on new medicines represents a clinically and cost-effective use of National Health Service resources.
For generic medicines, the Government’s policy is freedom of pricing. Community pharmacies buy the drugs they need to dispense against NHS prescriptions and are reimbursed for these according to the prices and ‘rules’ as set out in the Drug Tariff. The reimbursement arrangements include an amount of medicines margin in 2025/26, as allowed for as part of Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework funding. The system incentivises pharmacy contractors to source items as cheaply as possible, so they individually get to keep more medicine margin. This leads to competition and downward pressure on selling prices, which in turn leads to lower reimbursement prices and lower costs to the NHS.