Roz Savage

We are working across government and the sector to ensure children and young people with SEND receive the right support to succeed, in mainstream schools where possible.

High needs funding will increase by almost £1bn in 2025-26, compared to 2024-25. We have announced £740 million of capital funding to create more specialist places in both mainstream and special schools.

To grow the economy and boost living standards, we need to build export and investment opportunities for UK businesses, including consultancy firms, and reduce barriers to trade with the EU.

The Government recognises the importance of mobility for UK businesses, and regularly engages other EU Member States to address any bilateral mobility issues and to ensure the visa information they provide is clear. To help businesses navigate the visa and work permit rules of EU Member States, the Government has also published guidance on GOV.UK on entry requirements, as well as for Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Switzerland.

The Department for Business and Trade continuously monitors the impact of leaving the EU on costs to businesses through our business surveys, ONS reports, and other intelligence sources, as well as through regular direct engagement with exporters - Minister Alexander and I recently hosted a roundtable with SMEs specifically about exporting to the EU. Indeed, a report published by the LSE just this week highlights the disproportionate detrimental impact that Brexit has had on small businesses, with goods exports to the EU dropping by an estimated 30% for the smallest firms.

This Government is addressing those challenges by resetting our relationship with the EU, as discussed between the Prime Minister and European Commission President Ursula Ven Der Leyen in October. We are exploring ways to prevent unnecessary border checks and strengthening our export support service - we launched the 'Unlock Europe' programme earlier this month as part of the Export Academy, which offers practical guidance that will help UK businesses enhance their exporting potential to the EU.

We are resetting the relationship with our European friends to strengthen ties and tackle barriers to trade. But we’ve been clear that there will be no return to the single market.

Hearing from businesses about how they have been impacted by Brexit and how the relationship with the EU can be improved is key. In addition to formal channels such as the UK TCA Domestic Advisory Group and Civil Society Forum, my ministerial colleagues, officials and I have been engaging directly with businesses including through round table events with industry leaders.

Households with solar panels benefit through significantly reduced electricity bills. They can also export the excess energy they generate to the grid, and receive payment for doing so, via the Smart Export Guarantee (SEG). The SEG is a market-led mechanism that captures the value of small-scale exported electricity and was introduced to help meet net zero commitments at the lowest cost to consumers and businesses.

According to a report on energy trends published by DESNZ, as of September 2024 ground-mount solar PV panels covered an estimated 21,200 hectares (52,000 acres), which is only around 0.1 per cent of the total land area of the UK. While such information is not currently available for projects that have been granted planning permission, we are working on expanding the coverage of the data to all projects in the pipeline.

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6762f035e6ff7c8a1fde9b48/Land_utilised_by_solar_PV__September_2024.pdf

The Government believes that our mission to deliver clean power by 2030 is the best way to break our dependence on global fossil fuel markets and protect billpayers permanently, including pension-age carers. This, combined with our Warm Homes Plan to upgrade millions of homes to make them warmer and cheaper to run is how we will drive down energy bills and make cold homes a thing of the past.

We recognise that we need to support households struggling with bills whilst we transition to clean power by 2030. This is why we are delivering the Warm Home Discount to around 3 million eligible low-income households this winter. Last week, we published a consultation on expanding the Warm Home Discount scheme for next winter, where we propose to remove the high cost to heat threshold, making all those on means tested benefits eligible for the scheme. This would make those of pension age, who claim the Saving Credit element of Pension Credit, eligible for a rebate next winter.

In addition, I have also worked with energy suppliers to agree a £500 million Winter Commitment to help customers struggling with bills this winter. I would urge any consumers struggling with their energy bills to contact their energy supplier, local authority, or Citizens Advice to see what support they can receive.

I refer the Hon Member to the regulatory decision documents on the environmental effects of the Rosebank and Jackdaw projects. Those regulatory decisions were subject to Judicial Review and were found to be unlawful by the Court of Session in light of the Supreme Court’s judgment in Finch.

Should the developers of the Rosebank and Jackdaw fields choose to re-apply for consent, and submit supplementary environmental information required in light of the Court of Session’s judgment, it will be assessed in line with supplementary Environmental Impact Assessment guidance that the government is finalising and will publish soon.

There is a 0% rate of VAT on the installation of heat pumps, including air-to-air systems, due to last until 2027. The Government wants to target grant support at technologies that offer the greatest potential to decarbonise our buildings, and in most cases air-to-air heat pumps only provide space heating, with many installations still reliant on another less efficient appliance to provide hot water. The Government will, however, keep its position on alternative electric heating technologies under review, utilising the latest evidence before making any decisions.

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic will never be forgotten, and the recent COVID-19 Day of Reflection was an opportunity for communities to come together to remember the lives of those who died, and the sacrifices made by so many. The UK Commission on Covid Commemoration consulted on how to commemorate the COVID-19 pandemic and mark this distinctive period in our history at a national and community level. This Commission made a number of recommendations, including the creation of new COVID-19 memorials in local communities.

This government wants to carefully consider all the Commission's recommendations, working closely with Bereaved Family groups, other departments and the Devolved Governments to do justice to the hard work of the Commission, and will publish a response in due course.

At the recent Budget, the government took a number of difficult decisions on tax, welfare, and spending to fix the foundations of the public finances, fund public services, and restore economic stability.

The government recognises the need to protect the smallest businesses and charities, which is why we have more than doubled the Employment Allowance to £10,500. This means that more than half of businesses (including charities) with NICs liabilities will either gain or see no change next year, such as those in the South Cotswold constituency.

We are also expanding eligibility of the Employment Allowance by removing the £100,000 eligibility threshold, to simplify and reform employer NICs so that all eligible employers now benefit. Businesses and charities will still be able to claim employer NICs reliefs including those for under 21s and under 25 apprentices, where eligible.

Within the tax system, we provide support to charities through a range of reliefs and exemptions, including reliefs for charitable giving. More than £6 billion in charitable reliefs was provided to charities, Community Amateur Sports Clubs and their donors in 2023 to 2024. The biggest individual reliefs provided are Gift Aid at £1.6 billion and business rates relief at nearly £2.4 billion.

DCMS does not hold the specific regional financial impacts of this policy. A Tax Information and Impact Note (TIIN) has been published by HMRC, setting out the impact of the policy on the exchequer; the economic impacts of the policy; and the impacts on individuals, businesses, civil society organisations and equality impacts. The TIIN for the employer NICs changes was published on 13 November 2024.

The Government is supporting hotel owners in the South Cotswolds and across the UK through measures such as business rates relief, and funding opportunities like the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. These initiatives aim to alleviate operational costs, promote regional tourism, and drive economic growth. The Government also works closely with VisitBritain and Cotswold Plus (the Local Visitor Economy Partnership for the wider Cotswolds region) to boost marketing efforts, attract visitors, and support the hospitality sector's recovery and growth.

The department does not hold data on the proportion of healthy and unhealthy food provided to schools and school caterers.

The standards for school food are set out in the Requirements for School Food Regulations 2014, known as school food standards. Schools are responsible for their school meals service and governing boards have a responsibility to ensure compliance with the standards. The standards can be found here: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2014/1603/contents/made.

This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life.

The department is providing almost £1 billion more for high needs budgets in the 2025/26 financial year, bringing total high needs funding to £11.9 billion. This funding is a 9% cash increase in funding compared to 2024/25 and will help local authorities and schools with the increasing costs of supporting children and young people with complex SEND.

The department is working closely with experts on reforms, recently appointing a strategic advisor for SEND, who will play a key role in convening and engaging with the sector, including leaders, practitioners, children and families as we consider the next steps for the future of SEND reform.

We want to ensure that, where required, education, health and care (EHC) needs assessments are progressed promptly and, if they are needed, plans are issued as quickly as possible so that children and young people can access the support they require.

Local authorities have a statutory responsibility to assess whether children and young people have special educational needs that require an EHC plan. EHC plans must be issued within 20 weeks of the needs assessment commencing so that children and young people can access the required support. In 2023, there were 138,200 initial requests for an EHC plan and 90,500 assessments took place. 50.3% of new EHC plans in 2023 were issued within 20 weeks.

The department knows that local authorities have seen an increase in the number of assessment requests and that more must be done to ensure that local areas deliver effective and timely services.

This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life.

The department is providing almost £1 billion more for high needs budgets in the 2025/26 financial year, bringing total high needs funding to £11.9 billion. This funding is a 9% cash increase in funding compared to 2024/25 and will help local authorities and schools with the increasing costs of supporting children and young people with complex SEND.

The department is working closely with experts on reforms, recently appointing a strategic advisor for SEND, who will play a key role in convening and engaging with the sector, including leaders, practitioners, children and families as we consider the next steps for the future of SEND reform.

We want to ensure that, where required, education, health and care (EHC) needs assessments are progressed promptly and, if they are needed, plans are issued as quickly as possible so that children and young people can access the support they require.

Local authorities have a statutory responsibility to assess whether children and young people have special educational needs that require an EHC plan. EHC plans must be issued within 20 weeks of the needs assessment commencing so that children and young people can access the required support. In 2023, there were 138,200 initial requests for an EHC plan and 90,500 assessments took place. 50.3% of new EHC plans in 2023 were issued within 20 weeks.

The department knows that local authorities have seen an increase in the number of assessment requests and that more must be done to ensure that local areas deliver effective and timely services.

As of January 2024, 12.5% (1,761) of pupils attending state-funded schools in the South Cotswolds constituency were eligible for and claiming free school meals. This compares with a rate of 24.6% of pupils in state-funded schools in England. These figures are calculated from the school level supporting file published as part of the 2023/24 statistical release ‘School, pupils and their characteristics’, which can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-pupils-and-their-characteristics.

Schools have been matched to their post July 2024 constituency using the department’s Get Information about Schools service, which can be found here: https://get-information-schools.service.gov.uk/.

Public statements issued by the department are reviewed for accuracy by policy officials, communications specialists, special advisers and, where needed, lawyers.

The department also draws on information from external sources such as local authorities’ children’s services departments where relevant.

The department’s media team maintains a comprehensive record of all media queries and public statements made in response to journalists which can be drawn on for future enquiries. Similar processes are followed by the department’s correspondence team and ministerial private offices.

Publicly available statistics are published by the department on the GOV.UK website.

The department cannot comment on the content of external sources which are not the department’s responsibility and can only comment on information provided by the department itself.