Asked by: Roz Savage (Liberal Democrat - South Cotswolds)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the operation (a) Rosebank and (b) Jackdaw oil fields on the UK's (a) carbon budgets and (b) commitments under the Paris Agreement.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
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.
Asked by: Roz Savage (Liberal Democrat - South Cotswolds)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will provide clarity on the law on the public rights of navigation on non-tidal waterways; and if he will make a comparative assessment of his policy and Magna Carta.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
I refer the Hon Member to the reply previously given on 21 January 2025 to PQ 24394.
Asked by: Roz Savage (Liberal Democrat - South Cotswolds)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the level of funding provided to Gloucestershire Constabulary for the 2024-25 financial year on frontline policing; and if she will take steps to increase that level of funding.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)
Gloucestershire Police received funding of up to £158 million in 2024-25. This is in addition to £1.3m provided for the 2024-25 pay award which was allocated outside of the police funding settlement.
In 2025-26, Gloucestershire will receive up to £168.2m, an increase of £10.1m compared to last year’s settlement. This represents a 6.4% cash increase and 3.9% real terms increase.
The 2025-26 funding settlement provides new funding of £200 million to kickstart the delivery of 13,000 additional neighbourhood officers, community support officers and special constables.
Asked by: Roz Savage (Liberal Democrat - South Cotswolds)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will provide (a) additional resources and (b) oversight mechanisms to ensure local authorities provide educational, health and care plan assessments in a timely manner.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
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.
Asked by: Roz Savage (Liberal Democrat - South Cotswolds)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will take steps to provide additional (a) funding and (b) oversight of local authorities for the provision of education health and care plans.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
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.
Asked by: Roz Savage (Liberal Democrat - South Cotswolds)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps he is taking to encourage the adoption of low-cost, room-based air conditioner heat pumps; and if he will have discussions with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on (a) reducing VAT and (b) introducing carbon reduction heat pump grants for those pumps.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
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.
Asked by: Roz Savage (Liberal Democrat - South Cotswolds)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to tackle trends in the levels of (a) noise pollution and (b) emissions from motorcycles and cars.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
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.
Asked by: Roz Savage (Liberal Democrat - South Cotswolds)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to help tackle potential barriers to trade for UK consultancy businesses operating in the EU; what assessment he has made of the potential impact of differing requirements for work permits in individual EU countries on those businesses; and what steps he plans to take with Cabinet colleague to help improve the (a) competitiveness of those businesses in and (b) access of those businesses to the EU market.
Answered by Douglas Alexander - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
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.
Asked by: Roz Savage (Liberal Democrat - South Cotswolds)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department plans to (a) review and (b) release (i) underused and (ii) surplus land to help meet housing targets in South and North Cotswolds.
Answered by Maria Eagle - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is committed to reviewing its estate to ensure it is of the right size and suitable for Defence purposes, whilst supporting wider Government house building initiatives.
On average, the MOD releases enough surplus land for over 3,500 new homes a year.
Any new sites identified as surplus would be disposed in the usual way.
As set out in December, the Government has purchased over 36,000 military homes through a landmark deal to bring the military housing estate back into public ownership.
Alongside this, the Government kickstarted work on a new military housing strategy which will explore better use of MOD land to support the delivery of affordable homes.
Asked by: Roz Savage (Liberal Democrat - South Cotswolds)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Housing Ombudsman Service's report Special Report on GreenSquareAccord, published in October 2024, what discussions she has had with the Housing Ombudsman Service on GreenSquareAccord.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
As has been the case under successive administrations, government does not normally disclose details of internal discussions.