Asked by: Samantha Niblett (Labour - South Derbyshire)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to help reduce the incidence of antisocial behaviour in rural areas.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)
Tackling anti-social behaviour is a top priority for this Government, and a key part of our Safer Streets Mission.
The Government recently announced Respect Orders, which will be introduced in the forthcoming Crime and Policing Bill. Respect Orders can be applied for by police and local councils and are issued by the courts.
They will enable courts to place wide-ranging restrictions on the behaviour of the most persistent and disruptive ASB offenders. They will include a power of arrest for any suspected breach, meaning officers can take action quickly to disrupt ongoing ASB. Breach will be a criminal offence, which is heard in the criminal courts with a wide range of sentencing options, including community orders, unlimited fines and, for the most severe cases, up to two years’ imprisonment.
We will also put thousands of new neighbourhood police and community support officers into local communities, so residents know who to turn to when things go wrong.
Asked by: Samantha Niblett (Labour - South Derbyshire)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what plans he has to support (a) pubs and (b) the wider hospitality industry in (i) rural areas and (ii) South Derbyshire constituency.
Answered by Gareth Thomas - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Pubs and hospitality businesses, including those in rural areas and South Derbyshire, are at the heart of our communities and are vital for economic growth. That is why the Government is creating a fairer business rate system by introducing permanently lower tax rates for retail, hospitality, and leisure businesses from 2026-27 and extending the current relief for 1 year at 40%.
The government is also reducing alcohol duty on qualifying draught products, representing an overall reduction in duty bills of over £85m a year.
We will also transform the apprenticeship levy into a more flexible growth and skills levy to support business, including in the hospitality industry and boost opportunity.
Through the Hospitality Sector Council, we are addressing strategic issues for the sector related to high street regeneration, skills, sustainability, and productivity.
Asked by: Samantha Niblett (Labour - South Derbyshire)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he plans to take to help support veterans with (a) housing and (b) education and skills training in South Derbyshire constituency.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
This is a Government of service that will always stand up for those who serve our country, no matter which community they are based in. I am working across Government and with civil society to ensure veterans, including those throughout Derbyshire get access to housing, employment and other support they need.
Op FORTITUDE is a single referral pathway available across the United Kingdom that provides housing guidance and assistance to veterans experiencing or at risk of homelessness and as of 24 November 2024, over 2,850 referrals have been made and nearly 816 veterans have been supported into housing.
The Prime Minister recently announced the continuation of funding for the cross-UK Reducing Veterans Homelessness Programme and Op FORTITUDE, ensuring that support will be there into 2026 for veterans at risk of homelessness. This is in addition to his commitment earlier in the year that veterans will be exempt from local connection and residency tests when applying for social housing in England.
There are a range of skills and education support available to veterans, including via the Career Transition Partnership, which supports those in search of new job and education opportunities.
Additional support is also available to veterans and their families via a Sector-Based Employment Pathway, which offers employment and career progression support, including access to qualifications and training, at any stage in their lives after leaving Service.
Asked by: Samantha Niblett (Labour - South Derbyshire)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking with (a) regional mayoralties and (b) wider local government to help tackle violence against women and girls.
Answered by Jess Phillips - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
This Government has set out an ambition to halve violence against women and girls (VAWG) within a decade and will treat it as the national emergency that it is. Achieving this requires a transformative approach to the way we work together across Government, public services, the private sector, and charities.
We are already driving forward a range of activities which will support local governments to tackle VAWG. We are continuing to implement Part 4 of the Domestic Abuse Act to ensure that victims of domestic abuse are able to access accommodation-based support. The Victims and Prisoners Act will require local commissioners, which includes Police and Crime Commissioners and local authorities, to identify and address gaps in support for victims of domestic abuse, and we also continue to champion the work being done by many PCCs and Deputy Mayors for Crime and Policing to tackle violence against women and girls in their local areas.
Asked by: Samantha Niblett (Labour - South Derbyshire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans she has to encourage more girls into STEM subjects.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
The department is committed to ensuring that anyone, regardless of their gender or background, can pursue an education in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects.
The government continues to fund and support the STEM Ambassadors programme, a nationwide network of over 28,000 registered volunteers from over 7,000 STEM and related employers. Over the last year, STEM Ambassadors have delivered 356,000 volunteer hours, serving as relatable role models to illustrate to young people that science, research, engineering and innovation is for everyone. Notably, 56% of STEM Ambassadors are under 35, 48% are women and 20% come from ethnic minority backgrounds. The programme has been active for over 20 years.
The department is a partner signatory to the Tomorrow’s Engineers Code pledging to work with the engineering community to improve the quality, targeting, inclusivity and reach of engineering inspiration activities.
In addition, the department funds the National Centre for Computing Education to improve the teaching of computing and increase participation in computer science qualifications. This support includes programmes designed to encourage greater participation by girls and industry-led career events that raise pupils’ awareness of careers in computing. the department also funds the Stimulating Physics Network, which provides tailored support to schools to increase rates of progression to physics A level the Maths Hubs programme, which has a focus on all pupils being given equal access to the curriculum and the Advanced Mathematics Support Programme, which delivers high-quality teacher professional development for level 3 mathematics.
Asked by: Samantha Niblett (Labour - South Derbyshire)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what recent assessment he has made of the potential effectiveness of (a) artificial intelligence and (b) other digital innovation for tackling violence against women and girls.
Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Innovative technology solutions are key to improving online safety outcomes and delivering the government’s commitment to halving violence against women and girls in a decade. The Online Safety Act and Ofcom’s codes of practice are designed to keep pace with emerging technologies, with Ofcom continuing to research, review and, if necessary, iterate their codes of practice to adapt to technological developments.
On 20th November the government published a draft Statement of Strategic Priorities for online safety. This sets out five priorities, including the expectation that services are safe by design to improve the safety of all users and tackle violence against women and girls, as well as the importance of innovation in online safety technologies.
Asked by: Samantha Niblett (Labour - South Derbyshire)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent assessment she has made of the potential economic contribution of community (a) arts and (b) literary festivals.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
This Government recognises the importance of community arts and literary festivals in bringing local communities together, providing them with high-quality culture, and stimulating local growth.
Data collection plays an integral role in how the Department for Culture, Media and Sport assesses the economic contribution of its sectors to the UK economy. DCMS publishes official statistics (DCMS Sectors Economic Estimates) including data on Gross Value Added, employment and business demographics, which are available at national and regional levels.These data can be found on the DCMS website at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/dcms-sectors-economic-estimates
DCMS Sectors Economic Estimates does not, however, provide data specific to community arts and literary festivals.
Asked by: Samantha Niblett (Labour - South Derbyshire)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what role her Department expects the (a) Mayoral Council and (b) Leaders Council to play in supporting regional governance.
Answered by Jim McMahon - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Mayoral Council will support regional governance by building stronger partnership working between the UK Government and Mayors of Combined Authorities to deliver economic growth and effective public services.
The Leaders Council brings together ministers and local leaders, who know their communities best, to tackle shared problems and co-design policy solutions.