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.

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.

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.

The Government does not comment on individual applications. Any applicant seeking development consent for an energy-related nationally significant infrastructure project must submit a Funding Statement as part of the application process. The Funding Statement is reviewed by the Planning Inspectorate and the Secretary of State for adequacy of funding to cover the applicant’s liabilities for the project. Past financial performance does not hold any weight when the Secretary of State considers the overall planning balance.

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.

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 Children and Families Act 2014 requires local authorities to ensure there are sufficient school places for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

The department has published allocations for £740 million in High Needs Provision Capital Allocations for the 2025/26 financial year. The funding can be used to adapt schools to be more accessible for children with SEND, to create specialist facilities within mainstream schools that can deliver more intensive support adapted to suit the pupils’ needs, and to create special school places for pupils with the most complex needs.

The department continues to monitor and work closely with local authorities that have issues with education, health and care plan timeliness, including placement decisions. Where there are concerns about a local authority’s capacity to make the required improvements, we help the local authority to identify the barriers and put in place an effective recovery plan.

Free support and advice for families and local authorities is provided by Special Educational Needs and Disability Information and Advice Services.

Where there are concerns about a child’s safety or wellbeing, support from social care services may be required. Under Section 17 of the Children Act 1989, it is the general duty of every local authority to safeguard and promote the welfare of children within their area who are in need, including disabled children, and to promote the upbringing of such children by their families by providing a range and level of services appropriate to those children’s needs. Where appropriate, social care services may be provided in conjunction with an educational placement such as a residential special school.

It is our ambition that all families have access to high quality, affordable and flexible early education and care, giving every child the best start in life and delivering on our Plan for Change.

As the early years entitlements are expanded, it is vitally important they remain accessible and affordable for families. The department updated the early years statutory guidance to ensure there is clarity for parents, providers and local authorities about additional charges associated with entitlement hours.

The statutory guidance also emphasises transparency at the heart of how the entitlement should be passed onto parents, including that any costs should be clearer on invoices and websites. However, for these new transparency expectations, the guidance allows a lead-in time until January 2026 to give providers time to adapt.

Government funding for the entitlements does not cover consumables like meals, nappies or sun cream or additional activities, such as trips, so providers are able to ask parents to pay for these. However, in line with a recent high court judgment, these charges must not be mandatory or a condition of accessing a funded place. The high court judgement is accessible here: https://caselaw.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ewhc/admin/2025/224. This guidance must reflect the law governing the delivery of the early education and childcare entitlements, which has not changed.

I refer the hon. Member for South Cotswolds to the answer of 9 April 2025 to Question 43288.

The department introduced the Online Education Accreditation Scheme (OEAS) in April 2023 to ensure high standards of education and protect pupils receiving a full-time education online. Providers must meet online education standards to become accredited. The scheme is non-statutory. The department encourages all eligible providers to engage with the scheme and for commissioners to use accredited providers only.

Online education should not be viewed as an equal alternative to attendance in school. The department expects schools to consider online education only as a last resort where the alternative would be no education and only after it has been established that the pupil is, or will be, absent from school. In such cases, remote education can have the benefit of allowing absent pupils to keep on track with their education and stay connected to their teachers and peers.

Local authority commissioners, often in conjunction with a child’s school, can use online provision as a form of alternative provision for children with a medical condition or school refusal, where necessary adjustments have not been appropriate. Local authorities can also, as a last resort, provide online education for children who are new to an area and are awaiting a school place.

Where it would not be appropriate for special educational provision to be delivered in a school, college or early years setting, a local authority may put in place education otherwise than at a school or college under section 61 of the Children and Families Act 2014. If a local authority chooses to specify education otherwise than at a school or college in an education, health and care plan, it will be statutorily responsible for securing the provision and funding it.

I refer the hon. Member for South Cotswolds to the answer of 28 March 2025 to Question 39189.

At home and abroad, the UK is taking action to develop our understanding of the microplastic problem and to prevent and reduce microplastic pollution. Microplastics are used in a range of applications and are produced from the degradation of plastic products.

Plastic pellets are the feedstock for the production of plastic products, and can be lost throughout the supply chain. To tackle this issue, we have supported the development of a Publicly Available Specification by the British Standards Institution (PAS 510:2021), which sets out the steps companies should take to reduce the loss of plastic pellets across their operations.

Technical experts from the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas) have also been leading the Oslo and Paris Convention (OSPAR) Convention to develop a new indicator for microlitter (including microplastics) in seafloor sediments. This will help us to track progress in reducing plastics in the environment at a regional scale. The UK also contributes to the OSPAR Microplastic Expert Group, which is examining ways that we can better detect and quantify microplastics in samples taken for research.

Finally, in negotiations to establish a new international treaty on plastic pollution, the UK has called for binding provisions to reduce and prevent microplastic pollution from all sources. In particular, the UK has called for specific provisions to prevent and eliminate emissions and releases of plastic pellets, flakes and powder across the whole supply chain.

The future Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) offer will build on what has made SFI effective so far. Defra will be working closely with farmers and industry stakeholders to design a future SFI offer that fairly and responsibly directs funding. Further details about the reformed SFI offer will be announced following the spending review in summer 2025.

The consultation on land use in England closed on the 25th April. The Government is considering responses to the consultation. These responses will inform a Land Use Framework for England.

The consultation process included events with farmers and other land managers held across England over the twelve-week consultation period. This included an event organised by a partner organised on behalf of Defra in Cirencester.

Defra has a strong history of working with citizen scientists, particularly volunteer species recorders who have provided over 70% of Government biodiversity data. The growth of citizen science across cities, the countryside, and rivers, driven by technology and social networks, has resulted in fragmented efforts and resource competition. This complex landscape often sees short-lived and difficult-to-support initiatives.

The Defra Natural Capital & Ecosystem Assessment (NCEA) Programme includes specific research and development to advance Defra and stakeholder engagement with citizen science. Freshwater permeates our landscapes and cities providing a powerful medium through which we can monitor important elements of our natural capital. We have identified 112 existing freshwater citizen science methods. Much of this focuses on rivers, but we are also advancing lake and pond survey capability. Trials have already found 515 new ponds in test cities and online volunteers mapped open water across Northumberland. Freshwater methods will feature within integrated survey designs we are working to trial with stakeholders across various landscapes and cities. A key goal of NCEA research is to explore how best to support environmental citizen science to enhance both national science and public engagement with the environment.

The Environment Agency (EA) has recruited citizen science coordinators that are embedded in front-line teams. This is creating strong relationships with citizen science groups and a large collaborative effort is underway to ensure the data derived from citizen science can be added to the EA’s data.

Citizen science initiatives focused on sewage and wider catchment pressures include Riverfly, The Big River Watch, Great UK WaterBlitz, and SmartRivers. An example relevant to flooding is the Daily Rainfall Observers Network.

Gloucestershire County Council, as Lead Local Flood Authority, coordinates a natural flood management partnership which plans Nature Based Solutions (NBS) projects across the county, including a scheme upstream of Cirencester to re-naturalise The Churn.

The Environment Agency (EA) funds and works with partners on NBS projects on the Upper Bristol Avon. Upstream of Malmesbury, the EA works with Bristol Avon Rivers Trust and on the Brinkworth Brook it is working with Wiltshire Wildlife Trust on the Wiltshire Rural Runoff Project. This project includes significant landowner engagement to raise awareness of NBS and opportunities to enhance sustainable land management practices, improve river habitat and water quality.

NBS measures upstream of Malmesbury will contribute towards reducing the height of flood peaks and will benefit properties at risk of flooding. The Brinkworth Brook project includes measures that could mitigate some flooding issues in the M4 corridor but will not stop flooding during larger events.

The EA is also keeping track of the small beaver population around Malmesbury, which are likely contribute positively to NBS in the future.