Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of recent early years statutory guidance changes on the financial sustainability of (a) private and (b) voluntary childcare providers.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

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.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to (a) reduce waiting times for practical driving tests, (b) increase the availability of driving test examiners and (c) expand access to test centres in (i) South Cotswolds constituency and (ii) other rural areas.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

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 23 April, the Secretary of State for Transport appeared before the Transport Select Committee and announced that DVSA will take further actions to reduce waiting times for all customers across Great Britain, including those in rural areas.

Further information on these actions and progress on DVSA’s 7-point plan, which was set out last year, can be found on GOV.UK.

DVSA’s 7-point plan included recruiting and training 450 driving examiners (DE). In its recent recruitment campaign, DVSA advertised for three DEs for Swindon, Cheltenham and Gloucester. DVSA’s recent recruitment activity in the area has resulted in:

• three DEs waiting to begin training; and
• one DE completing pre-employment checks.

Additionally, the agency has one DE transferring into Gloucester from another test centre.

Should applicants successfully complete the required training, this will increase the number of DEs working in those test centres to 28, from 20.

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

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to change the 10% commission charge which affects park home owners.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 44299 on 16 April 2025.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department has taken to ensure that children with (a) complex SEND and (b) escalating behavioural needs have timely access to suitable residential education placements when local day settings are unable to meet their needs; and what support is available to families (i) experiencing delays in placement decisions and (ii) for whom safeguarding or health risks have been identified.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

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.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure NHS GP surgeries process private medical paperwork in a timely manner; and whether his Department plans to issue updated guidance to prevent administrative delays that could adversely affect patient outcomes.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

We are working across Government to cut red tape and improve ways of working, including work to improve the patient experience, such as streamlining or removing the need to request unnecessary medical evidence and paperwork where possible.

Some medical paperwork is not included within the GP Contract and is therefore outside of core National Health Service work. It may attract charges in the same way some medical evidence letters, certificates, and reports are chargeable.

There are currently no plans to develop further guidance around handling private medical requests. The British Medical Association provides guidance to general practitioners on its website on fees for medical evidence, and on general practice responsibility in responding to private health care.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of mandatory food waste reporting in Austria on (a) food waste reduction levels, (b) businesses and (c) food inflation.

Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Government has announced its plans to publish a Circular Economy Strategy for England and a series of roadmaps detailing the interventions the government and others will make on a sector-by-sector basis, one of which is agri-food.

As part of this work, evidence for action from right across the economy will be considered and evaluated in terms of what interventions may be needed, including introducing a mandatory food waste reporting requirement for large food businesses.

No assessment of the potential impact of mandatory food waste reporting in Austria has been made.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what his planned timeline is for mandating food waste reporting.

Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Government has announced its plans to publish a Circular Economy Strategy for England and a series of roadmaps detailing the interventions the government and others will make on a sector-by-sector basis, one of which is agri-food.

As part of this work, evidence for action from right across the economy will be considered and evaluated in terms of what interventions may be needed, including introducing a mandatory food waste reporting requirement for large food businesses.

No assessment of the potential impact of mandatory food waste reporting in Austria has been made.

Volunteers Week 2025

Summer solstice at Glastonbury Tor

Fracking moratorium and onshore fossil fuel exploration

Residential estate management companies

Press ownership by foreign states

Inverness ranked top Scottish city for outdoor enthusiasts

Role of relationship education in preventing violence against women and girls

Local authority funding

Gurkha pensions

Visas and access to education for Ukrainian refugee children

Bath Rugby

Learning Disability Week 2025

Better Business Day campaign and the Company Directors (Duties) Bill

UK-US Trade Deal and animal welfare and farming

Access to Electric Vehicle charging for social housing residents

Role of B Corporations in promoting sustainable business in rural communities

20th anniversary of Midsomer Norton and Radstock Dial-a-Ride

Diabetes Week 2025

Support for farmers

Chinese Embassy

Gaza (No. 2)

Reform of NHS dentistry services

RHS Chelsea Flower Show Gold Medal

Nature-Friendly Farming Week

UK-EU defence cooperation

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions he has had with Rt. hon and hon. Members on the Climate and Nature Bill since 24 January 2025.

Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

This Government is absolutely committed to tackling the climate and nature crises. Accordingly, we have engaged extensively with Roz Savage MP on the proposed Climate and Nature Bill and agreed how we can take forward the spirit and substance of the Bill. The minister responsible for the Bill area, Minister Creagh, met with Roz Savage on 27 January to discuss the government’s approach to taking forward the spirit of the Bill.

Found: Adrian Ramsay Sarah Dyke John Milne Martin Wrigley Andrew George Ian Sollom Luke Taylor Dr Roz Savage

Found: Adrian Ramsay Sarah Dyke John Milne Martin Wrigley Andrew George Ian Sollom Luke Taylor Dr Roz Savage

Found: Ellie Chowns Adrian Ramsay Sarah Dyke Martin Wrigley Andrew George Ian Sollom Luke Taylor Dr Roz Savage

Found: Clive Jones Layla Moran Calum Miller Martin Wrigley Andrew George Ian Sollom Luke Taylor Dr Roz Savage

Found: Sarah Olney Sarah Dyke Tom Morrison Vikki Slade Brian Mathew Ian Sollom Marie Goldman Dr Roz Savage

Found: Lee Dillon Sarah Olney Sarah Dyke Tom Morrison Brian Mathew Ian Sollom Marie Goldman Dr Roz Savage

Science and Technology in Agriculture APPG
Wednesday 11th June 2025

Found: chair) Charlie Dewhirst MP Lord Taylor of Holbeach Lord Cameron of Dillington Baroness Batters Roz Savage