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 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.

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

I refer the hon. Member for South Cotswolds to the answer of 20 January 2025 to Question 23140.

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.

Actions for permissive access are included in the Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier offer where they will benefit from input from Natural England advisers to ensure improvements represent value for money and link into the existing PROW network. Details of the new Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier offer were announced in December 2024.

The Government recognises the importance of providing access to the outdoors for people’s health and wellbeing and is working to ensure that this access is safe and appropriate. We are committed to increasing access to nature and have already set out several ambitious manifesto commitments to expand opportunities for the public to enjoy the outdoors, including the creation of nine new national river walks and three new national forests in England.

We are currently developing policy to improve access to nature, working closely with other government departments and key stakeholders. In addition, we are already delivering key initiatives aimed at increasing access to green spaces and the countryside, including:

• Completing the King Charles III England Coast Path, which will become the longest waymarked and maintained coastal walking route in the world. With over 2,400 miles of the route now approved and 1,430 miles already open, this will also create 250,000 hectares of new open access land within the coastal margin.
• Designating Wainwright’s Coast to Coast route as a National Trail across the north of England.
• Delivering the £16 million ‘Access for All’ programme, which is designed to make our protected landscapes, national trails, forests, and the wider countryside more inclusive and accessible to all.

In addition, the Government has made the decision to repeal the cut-off date for the registration of historic rights of way, preventing the loss of hundreds of miles of unregistered paths. This will ensure that these paths remain available to the public for future generations. This change will be formally enacted when parliamentary time allows.

This is a devolved matter, and the information provided therefore relates to England only.

Farmers and landowners who would like to reintroduce wild beavers on their land must first submit an Expression of Interest, which will be assessed by Natural England (NE). Projects likely to meet the licensing criteria will be invited to make a full application.

A licence is needed to release any beavers into the wild. Applications will be considered against comprehensive wild release criteria. These criteria have been designed to ensure only high-benefit, low-risk projects are licenced, and that beavers are reintroduced at a measured pace in a well-managed way.

This is a devolved matter, and the information provided therefore relates to England only.

The Government recognises that beavers can bring many benefits for the environment including reducing downstream flooding.

A licence is needed to release any beavers into the wild. Applications will be considered against comprehensive wild release criteria. These criteria have been designed to ensure only high-benefit, low-risk projects are licenced, and that beavers are reintroduced at a measured pace in a well-managed way.

Support for farmers, landowners and local communities will be provided through a rigorous risk assessment in the application process and the existing management framework laid out in our 5-step beaver management approach.

This will be backed up by support through local beaver management groups and Environmental Land Management options.

The Fruit and Vegetable Aid Scheme is an EU legacy scheme, and in England, legislation is in place to close the scheme to English POs on 31 December 2025.

The Government has committed to championing British farming, whilst protecting the environment, and is currently considering the best way to support our farming sectors in the future, including horticulture.

We will make further announcements in due course.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s (DVSA) main priority is upholding road safety standards while it works hard to reduce car practical driving test waiting times.

On the 18 December 2024, DVSA set out further plans to reduce driving test waiting times across the country. These steps include recruiting 450 driving examiners (DEs). Full details of these steps can be found on GOV.UK.

DVSA is committed to providing customers with the best service possible and continually reviews its estate, including in rural areas, to ensure it represents good value for money and is efficient.

To ensure fairness for everyone wanting to book a practical driving test, DVSA continues to work hard to combat the unscrupulous practice of reselling tests and has announced further measures to review the driving test booking system.

On the 18 December 2024, a call for evidence was launched, seeking views on the current rules to book tests. This will lead to consultation on improving processes, with potential future legislative changes.

On 6 January 2025, DVSA also introduced tougher terms and conditions for the service driving instructors use to book and manage car driving tests for their pupils.

The Government takes the impact of noise pollution on health, wellbeing and the natural environment seriously. Strict noise regulations for motorcycles and cars are harmonised at an international level and require vehicles to demonstrate compliance before being placed on the market.

Poor air quality poses a significant risk to public health. Delivering greener transport is a priority for the Department for Transport and we are committed to cleaning up our air and protecting the public from the harms of pollution.

The Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) Mandate sets a clear pathway for the decarbonisation of new cars and vans and is the largest carbon saving measure across government. The Department is committed to decarbonising other vehicle categories and is exploring options for implementation that meet the needs of each segment of the market. Non-ZEV motorcycles and cars are also subject to stringent emissions standards, including strict limits on pollutant emissions such as nitrogen oxides and particulate matter.

Whilst we are not considering Graduated Driving Licences, we absolutely recognise that young people are disproportionately victims of tragic incidents on our roads, and we are exploring options to tackle the root causes of this without unfairly penalising young drivers.

My Department is developing our road safety strategy and will set out more details on when it will be published in due course.

Whilst it is our ambition through public ownership to deliver a more affordable railway, any long-term changes or concessions made to rail fares policy require balancing against the potential impacts on passengers, taxpayers and the railway.

We are committed to reforming the overcomplicated fares and ticketing system to deliver simpler, easier and more flexible ways to travel and will expand ticketing innovations such as Pay As You Go in urban areas across the country.