Sharon Hodgson Portrait

Sharon Hodgson

Labour - Washington and Sunderland West

First elected: 5th May 2005


46 APPG memberships (as of 24 Jan 2024)
'Left Behind' Neighbourhoods, Art, Craft and Design in Education, Assistive Technology, Baby Loss, Bermuda, Bowel Cancer, Breast Cancer, British Overseas Territories, Cancer, Child of the North, Childcare and Early Education, Childhood Trauma, Children’s Parliament, Coalfield Communities, Coeliac Disease, Conception to Age Two - First 1001 Days, Craft, Dance, Design and Innovation, Dyslexia and Other Specific Learning Difficulties, Electric Vehicles, First Do No Harm, Food and Drink, Food and Health, Food Banks, Hormone Pregnancy Tests, Inappropriate Institutional Care of Autistic People and People with Learning Disabilities, Infant Feeding and Inequalities, Leamside Line, Montserrat, Motor, Music, Music Education, Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME), Ovarian Cancer, Performing Arts Education and Training, Pitcairn Islands, School Food, Singapore, Ticket Abuse, Tidy Britain, Trailer and Towing Safety, Ukraine, Usher Syndrome, Valproate and other Anti-Epileptic Drugs in Pregnancy, Women's Health
38 Former APPG memberships
Armed Forces Covenant, Arts, Craft and Design in Education, Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder, Autism, Basketball, British Jews, British Property Owners in Cyprus, Children's Centres, Children, Teenagers, and Young Adults with Cancer, Christians in Parliament, Classic Rock and Blues, Commercial Radio, Commercial Sexual Exploitation, Creative Diversity, Ethics and Sustainability in Fashion, Film Industry, Food and Drink Manufacturing, Food and Drink Supply Chain, Foodbanks, Jamaica, Lipoedema, Meningitis, National Food Strategy, Oracy, Premature and Sick Babies, Prevention of Childhood Trauma, Special Educational Needs and Disabilities, Sport, Surgical Mesh, Surgical Mesh Implants, Textile and Fashion, Textiles and Fashion, Video Games, Video Games and Esports, Water Safety and Drowning Prevention, Wine and Spirits, Women and Enterprise, Yemen
Shadow Minister (Defence)
10th Apr 2020 - 14th May 2021
Select Committee on the Armed Forces Bill
25th Feb 2021 - 14th Apr 2021
Select Committee on the Armed Forces Bill
22nd Feb 2021 - 22nd Feb 2021
Armed Forces Bill Select Committee
22nd Feb 2021 - 22nd Feb 2021
Shadow Minister (Public Health)
9th Jan 2018 - 10th Apr 2020
Shadow Minister (Public Health)
9th Oct 2016 - 9th Jan 2018
Shadow Minister (Education)
8th May 2015 - 27th Jun 2016
Shadow Minister (Equalities)
7th Oct 2013 - 18th Sep 2015
Ecclesiastical Committee (Joint Committee)
26th Oct 2010 - 30th Mar 2015
Shadow Minister (Education)
8th Oct 2010 - 7th Oct 2013
Opposition Whip (Commons)
10th May 2010 - 8th Oct 2010
Assistant Whip (HM Treasury)
10th Jun 2009 - 6th May 2010
Regulatory Reform
12th Jul 2005 - 6th May 2010
Children, Schools and Families
26th Nov 2007 - 6th May 2010
North East Regional Select Committee
3rd Mar 2009 - 6th May 2010
European Scrutiny Committee
12th Dec 2005 - 17th Jul 2006
Ecclesiastical Committee (Joint Committee)
19th Jul 2005 - 5th May 2005


Division Voting information

During the current Parliament, Sharon Hodgson has voted in 676 divisions, and never against the majority of their Party.
View All Sharon Hodgson Division Votes

Debates during the 2019 Parliament

Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.

Sparring Partners
Johnny Mercer (Conservative)
Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Minister for Veterans' Affairs)
(15 debate interactions)
Liz Twist (Labour)
Shadow Minister (Levelling Up, Housing, Communities and Local Government)
(6 debate interactions)
Matt Hancock (Independent)
(5 debate interactions)
View All Sparring Partners
Department Debates
Department of Health and Social Care
(28 debate contributions)
Cabinet Office
(19 debate contributions)
Department for Transport
(18 debate contributions)
View All Department Debates
View all Sharon Hodgson's debates

Washington and Sunderland West Petitions

e-Petitions are administered by Parliament and allow members of the public to express support for a particular issue.

If an e-petition reaches 10,000 signatures the Government will issue a written response.

If an e-petition reaches 100,000 signatures the petition becomes eligible for a Parliamentary debate (usually Monday 4.30pm in Westminster Hall).

Sharon Hodgson has not participated in any petition debates

Latest EDMs signed by Sharon Hodgson

11th March 2024
Sharon Hodgson signed this EDM on Tuesday 12th March 2024

Alleged comments by Frank Hester

Tabled by: Dawn Butler (Labour - Brent Central)
That this House expresses its shock regarding the alleged comments made by Frank Hester reported by The Guardian about the hon. Member for Hackney North and Stoke Newington and all Black women; believes these alleged comments to be both racist and violent in nature; notes that Mr Hester is a …
60 signatures
(Most recent: 18 Mar 2024)
Signatures by party:
Labour: 34
Scottish National Party: 12
Liberal Democrat: 9
Social Democratic & Labour Party: 2
Conservative: 1
Independent: 1
Alba Party: 1
Green Party: 1
Alliance: 1
28th February 2024
Sharon Hodgson signed this EDM as a sponsor on Wednesday 6th March 2024

School minibus safety

Tabled by: Sarah Edwards (Labour - Tamworth)
That this House notes that 18 November 2023 was the 30th anniversary of the Hagley M40 minibus disaster, where twelve children and their teacher died; further notes that there is still no legislation to ensure best practice in the use of school minibuses, and a repeat of the tragedy is …
8 signatures
(Most recent: 13 Mar 2024)
Signatures by party:
Labour: 6
Democratic Unionist Party: 1
Independent: 1
View All Sharon Hodgson's signed Early Day Motions

Commons initiatives

These initiatives were driven by Sharon Hodgson, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.

MPs who are act as Ministers or Shadow Ministers are generally restricted from performing Commons initiatives other than Urgent Questions.


Sharon Hodgson has not been granted any Urgent Questions

Sharon Hodgson has not been granted any Adjournment Debates

1 Bill introduced by Sharon Hodgson


The Bill failed to complete its passage through Parliament before the end of the session. This means the Bill will make no further progress. A Bill to regulate the selling of tickets for certain sporting and cultural events; and for connected purposes.

Commons - 40%

Last Event - 2nd Reading: House Of Commons
Friday 21st January 2011

Latest 50 Written Questions

(View all written questions)
Written Questions can be tabled by MPs and Lords to request specific information information on the work, policy and activities of a Government Department
1 Other Department Questions
26th Jun 2020
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, with reference to her Department’s new story, Next steps for work on covid-19 disparities announced, published on 4 June 2020, whether the planned review of the effectiveness and effect of steps being undertaken by government departments and their agencies will address diabetes under the planned assessment of co-morbidities; and if she will make a statement.

I can confirm that next steps work on covid-19 disparities will include diabetes as a factor to be considered.

Kemi Badenoch
President of the Board of Trade
27th Feb 2024
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to page 123 of the Cabinet Office Annual Reports and Accounts 2022-23, published on 19 September 2023, what the intangible software development asset developed by the Office for Government Property was; and for what reason there was a change in approach to the project.

The Intangible asset relates to build costs of a bespoke software solution to capture strategic information across government property. A recovery of £300,000 (incl VAT) was made from the technology supplier. This recovery is not reflected in the £1,202,000 figure (on page 123).

The project approach changed as the technology supplier was unable to deliver a solution to meet the requirements, despite multiple deadline extensions. Based on commercial advice, the contract was terminated. A new contract has now been awarded to a provider of an off-the-shelf product, which is currently being configured. Where possible, products that were developed in the previous written off solution, such as user requirements and data standard, have been recycled for the current delivery.

Alex Burghart
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
1st Jun 2022
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 31 May to Question 5626, what the (a) content and (b) design of his Department's workshops on businesses handling inflationary pressures were; which public food sectors were involved; and what advice was given on mitigating any potential global food price shocks.

The Government Commercial Function has provided general guidance on handling inflationary pressures to Contracting Authorities. It would not be appropriate to comment on the content or guidance specifically as this is commercially sensitive. The interpretation and application of the guidance is wholly within the remit of a Contracting Authority. The food sector was not uniquely identified within the guidance.

24th Mar 2021
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what estimate he has made of the total reduction to the budget of the Office for Veterans' Affairs.

The Office for Veterans’ Affairs’ budget has not been confirmed and the Cabinet Office budget for 2021/22 will be published in due course. Support for veterans is funded through a variety of Government channels, including the OVA and individual departments delivering veterans’ services. This year, more funding than ever before has been made available to veterans’ mental health services in NHS England, and unprecedented support has been offered to the service charity sector.

The OVA works to champion veterans across government, driving new approaches and policies in areas that will improve the support the nation offers veterans over the long term, in line with the commitments made by all four nations of the Union in the Strategy for our Veterans. Examples of this are through better use of data to drive change, improved digitisation to make services easier to access and navigate, developing a coherent research strategy to improve our understanding of issues affecting veterans and to improve collaboration across the veterans sector.

Johnny Mercer
Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Minister for Veterans' Affairs)
29th Jan 2021
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the Making the Civil Service a Great Place to Work for Veterans initiative, how many veterans have (a) applied to the Civil Service through that initiative and (b) been successful in securing a job through that initiative to date.

Since the pilot of ‘Making the Civil Service a Great Place to Work for Veterans’ was launched on 5 October 2020, up to 31 December 2020, unvalidated data shows that 856 veterans have applied for jobs using the scheme (6% of total applicants), with 9 job offers made to veterans (13% of all job offers). This indicates that on participating vacancies, a higher proportion of job offers are held by veterans compared to the proportion of all applicants who are veterans. In addition to this, since the launch of the pilot in four Government departments, the Welsh Government and National Crime Agency have joined the scheme, ensuring a higher number of vacancies are made available to veterans.

Johnny Mercer
Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Minister for Veterans' Affairs)
8th Dec 2020
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to his Department's news story, New study to understand effect of COVID-19 on veterans, published on 13 June 2020, when he will publish the report into the effect of covid-19 on veterans.

Results from the study conducted by the Kings’ Centre for Military Health Research into the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on veterans will be published independently by Kings’ College London. The report will be submitted for academic peer review by the end of 2020, with full publication expected in early 2021 after the review process has taken place.

The key themes examined in the report will cover veterans’ health, wellbeing and employment. The cohort surveyed has been followed by Kings’ College London since 2003, allowing for insightful comparison to previous data concerning the health and wellbeing of veterans.

Johnny Mercer
Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Minister for Veterans' Affairs)
27th Jan 2020
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many babies were born prematurely in each (a) nation and (b) region of the UK in each of the last five years.

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. I have therefore asked the Authority to respond.

13th Oct 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 19 September 2023 to Question 199561 on World Economic Forum, how much and what proportion of the £6255.20 was spent on (a) flights, (b) accommodation and (c) hospitality.

The Department's Transparency returns for the period January to February 2023 show a total cost of £6,225.20 for the visit and this represents the total cost including flights and accommodation. All hospitality is declared in quarterly returns but costs for that are not routinely recorded. In the case of this visit there was no hospitality given.

Nigel Huddleston
Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
14th Sep 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to the data on Ministerial travel for the Department for International Trade, January to March 2023, last updated on 20 July 2023, how much was spent on (a) flights and (b) accommodation for her visit to the World Economic Forum from 17 to 20 January 2023.

The total cost of the flights and accommodation for the Secretary of State’s visit to the World Economic Forum from 17 to 20 January 2023 is set out within the “DIT Ministers' Overseas Travel: January to February 2023” transparency data published on GOV.UK.

Nigel Huddleston
Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
27th Apr 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether she is taking steps with Cabinet colleagues to support the growth of battery technology companies.

The Automotive Transformation Fund (ATF) and the long-term Advanced Propulsion Centre R&D programme continue to support the development and commercialisation of cutting-edge automotive technologies. The ATF enabled the £1bn electric vehicle hub in Sunderland in partnership between Nissan and Envision AESC.

In October 2022 we announced a record £211m of funding for the Faraday Battery Challenge, to support battery research and innovation, bringing the overall budget of the Challenge to £541m since 2017.

Nusrat Ghani
Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade) (jointly with the Cabinet Office)
19th Apr 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what incentives her Department plans to introduce to encourage businesses to offer flexible working arrangements that help enable jobseekers with SEND to access employment.

The Government is taking steps to encourage businesses to discuss and agree suitable flexible working arrangements with all workers and jobseekers, including those with SEND.

In December 2022, we published our response to the “making flexible working the default” consultation. This committed to a range of measures, including making the right to request flexible working a ‘day one’ entitlement, by removing the existing 26-week qualifying period.

We are also supporting the Employment Relations (Flexible Working) Bill, which will make further changes to improve access to flexible working.

Certain jobseekers with SEND may have the right to reasonable adjustments when applying for jobs, which businesses have a duty to consider.

Kevin Hollinrake
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
23rd Mar 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what recent assessment he has made of his Department's fulfilment of its responsibility to support the Competition and Markets Authority to deliver the Government's objectives for competition and consumer policy.

I and my officials work closely with the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) including a regular dialogue with its new Chair and Chief Executive to ensure the independent regulator has the tools it needs to continue to improve competition in the UK to the benefit of the UK consumer.

The Government will introduce the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumer Bill into Parliament this session. The Bill will support our goals of improving competition in the UK and ensuring consumers are protected by enhancing the CMA’s powers.

Kevin Hollinrake
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
14th Sep 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to the transparency data entitled DESNZ ministerial travel, January to March 2023, published on 20 July 2023, what meetings took place during the visit to India by the then Secretary of State from 9 to 23 March 2023; and how much was spent on (a) overnight accommodation, (b) plane tickets and (c) other expenses.

The then Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero visited Mumbai and New Delhi from 19-22 March 2023. During the visit, he opened the new British International Investment office in Mumbai and met India’s Minister for Power and New and Renewable Energy, Raj Kumar Singh. He also met India’s G20 Sherpa, Amitabh Kant. He held engagements with a range of representatives from businesses and the third sector, including green investors. The total cost of the Secretary of State’s flights and accommodation was £9,346.

Graham Stuart
Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
22nd Jun 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what recent progress he has made on each project funded through the offshore wind manufacturing investment support scheme; and whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of increasing private investment into those projects.

All projects funded through the Offshore Wind Manufacturing Investment Scheme are on track to meet the milestones agreed through the scheme. The grants for three manufacturing facilities, provided to SeAH Wind, JDR Cables and Smulders, are expected to leverage over £600 million of private investment.

Graham Stuart
Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
22nd Jun 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how much funding his Department has allocated to (a) Port of Sunderland, (b) Teesport, (c) Port of Tyne, (d) Port of Blyth, (e) Port of Hull, (f) Port of Grimsby and (g) Port of Immingham through the offshore wind manufacturing investment support scheme since its introduction.

None of the listed ports received funding through the Offshore Wind Manufacturing Investment Scheme fund.

Graham Stuart
Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
22nd Jun 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, to which (a) businesses and (b) locations his Department provided funding through the Offshore wind manufacturing investment support scheme.

Through the Offshore Wind Manufacturing Investment Scheme fund, SeAH Wind received £17 million to build an XXL monopile foundation manufacturing facility in Teesside; JDR Cable Systems received £14 million to build a subsea cable factory in Northumberland; Smulders received £7 million to enable the manufacture of transition pieces at their facility in Wallsend and South Tees Development Corporation received £20 million for work at the Teesworks Offshore Manufacturing Centre.

Graham Stuart
Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
22nd Jun 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what funding has not been allocated from the 2021 offshore wind manufacturing investment.

£58 million of the £160 million Offshore Wind Manufacturing Investment Scheme budget was committed.

Graham Stuart
Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
4th Mar 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how the Government plans to allocate funding for research into (a) myalgic encephalomyelitis and (b) other post-viral diseases.

Medical Research Council (MRC) has invested in research into Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) for many years, awarding £6.6m in this area since 2012. This includes through DecodeME, the world’s largest ME/CSF study, via strategic co-funding with the National Institute of Health and Care Research, which aims to find genetic factors to better understand ME/CFS disease pathways and unlock future treatment pathways.

We continue to encourage high-quality proposals across our funding opportunities, maintaining an open highlight notice to encourage ME/CFS research. MRC also co-funded the ME/CFS Priority Setting Partnership to identify research priorities for ME/CFS, led by people with ME/CFS, their carers and clinicians, and facilitated by Action for M.E.

Andrew Griffith
Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
4th Mar 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps her Department is taking to support research into (a) understanding, (b) treating and (c) curing Myalgic Encephalomyelitis.

Medical Research Council (MRC) has invested in research into Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) for many years, awarding £6.6m in this area since 2012. This includes through DecodeME, the world’s largest ME/CSF study, via strategic co-funding with the National Institute of Health and Care Research, which aims to find genetic factors to better understand ME/CFS disease pathways and unlock future treatment pathways.

We continue to encourage high-quality proposals across our funding opportunities, maintaining an open highlight notice to encourage ME/CFS research. MRC also co-funded the ME/CFS Priority Setting Partnership to identify research priorities for ME/CFS, led by people with ME/CFS, their carers and clinicians, and facilitated by Action for M.E.

Andrew Griffith
Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
4th Mar 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what research the Medical Research Council is funding on the (a) causes and (b) treatment of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis.

Medical Research Council (MRC) has invested in research into Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) for many years, awarding £6.6m in this area since 2012. This includes through DecodeME, the world’s largest ME/CSF study, via strategic co-funding with the National Institute of Health and Care Research, which aims to find genetic factors to better understand ME/CFS disease pathways and unlock future treatment pathways.

We continue to encourage high-quality proposals across our funding opportunities, maintaining an open highlight notice to encourage ME/CFS research. MRC also co-funded the ME/CFS Priority Setting Partnership to identify research priorities for ME/CFS, led by people with ME/CFS, their carers and clinicians, and facilitated by Action for M.E.

Andrew Griffith
Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
19th Jan 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, when the National Science and Technology Council last met.

It is a long-established precedent that information about the discussions that have taken place in Cabinet and its Committees, and how often they have met, is not normally shared publicly.

Andrew Griffith
Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
17th May 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps her Department takes to vet the (a) financial interests and (b) potential conflicts of interest of non-executive board members before their appointment.

In accordance with the code of practice for corporate governance in central government departments, the Department requires non-executive directors to declare sources of renumeration, contracts, shares and securities, non-financial interests, and related party interests that may influence, or may be perceived to influence, their judgement as a board member.

During the recruitment and onboarding process for non-executive directors my department conducts its own due diligence to make sure that office holders meet the standards set out in the code of conduct for board members. The Department reviews any real or potential conflicts of interests declared and publishes these, with any mitigating action taken, in the Department’s annual governance statement.

8th Dec 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will make an estimate of the number of homes that have had solar power panels installed in Washington and Sunderland West constituency as of 31 October 2022.

At the end of October 2022, there were 4,064 domestic installations of solar panels recorded in Washington and Sunderland West constituency.

Graham Stuart
Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
8th Dec 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will make an estimate of the number of homes that have had heat pumps installed in Washington and Sunderland West constituency as of 31 October 2022.

The Microgeneration Certification Scheme Installations Database shows that as of 31 October 2022, 55 heat pump installations were registered in the Washington and Sunderland West constituency.

The database does not include all heat pump installations, for example, those installed without Government funding support, such as in new buildings, which are not typically recorded in the Microgeneration Certification Scheme Installations Database.

Graham Stuart
Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
8th Dec 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will make an estimate of the number of homes with cavity walls that have been insulated in Washington and Sunderland West constituency as of 31 October 2022.

BEIS estimates that under the Energy Company Obligation (ECO) and Green Homes Grant (GHG) Government schemes, around 1,100 cavity wall insulation measures have been installed in Washington and Sunderland West constituency as at end of September 2022.

Graham Stuart
Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
8th Dec 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will make an estimate of the number of homes that have had under floor insulation installed in Washington and Sunderland West constituency as of 31 October 2022.

The Department estimates that under the Energy Company Obligation (ECO) and Green Homes Grant (GHG) Government schemes, around 1,000 loft insulation measures and around 100 under floor insulation measures have been installed in Washington and Sunderland West constituency as at end of September 2022.

Household Energy Efficiency Statistics - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Green Homes Grant and Home Upgrade Grant statistics - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Graham Stuart
Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
8th Dec 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will make an estimate of the number of homes with lofts that have had loft insulation installed in Washington and Sunderland West constituency as of 31 October 2022.

The Department estimates that under the Energy Company Obligation (ECO) and Green Homes Grant (GHG) Government schemes, around 1,000 loft insulation measures and around 100 under floor insulation measures have been installed in Washington and Sunderland West constituency as at end of September 2022.

Household Energy Efficiency Statistics - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Green Homes Grant and Home Upgrade Grant statistics - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Graham Stuart
Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
30th Nov 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether he has had discussions with businesses in Washington and Sunderland West constituency on the potential impact of the cost of living crisis on those businesses.

The Government recognises the impact rising prices are having on businesses, including those in Washington and Sunderland West, and is engaging with businesses across the UK to understand these challenges and explore ways to mitigate them.

­­

The Government has reversed the National Insurance rise, saving SMEs £4,200 on average, cut fuel duty for 12 months and brought in the Energy Bill Relief Scheme, which is shielding businesses across the country from soaring energy prices, saving some around half of their wholesale energy costs.

We have also announced £13.6 billion of support for businesses over the next five years, reducing the burden of business rates for SMEs.

Kevin Hollinrake
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
30th Nov 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, How many homes in Washington and Sunderland West constituency had external wall insulation installed as of 31 October 2022.

BEIS estimates that under the Energy Company Obligation (ECO)and Green Homes Grant (GHG)Government schemes, there have been less than 5 external wall insulation measures[1]installed in Washington and Sunderland West constituency. Data for ECO covers January 2013 to September 2022. Data for the GHG schemes cover October 2020 to September 2022.

[1]Exact number suppressed to prevent disclosure

Graham Stuart
Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
30th Nov 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether his Department is taking steps to increase the number of green jobs in Washington and Sunderland West constituency.

The Department is working with the Deparment for Education and local partners to ensure green skills are considered through Local Skills Improvement Plans, which will set out the key skills needs and the priority changes required to provision in an area. The North East Automotive Alliance has been designated to work with a range of employers to lead the Local Skills Improvement Plan for the area which includes Washington and Sunderland West. The Secretary of State for Education may only approve a Plan if satisfied that there has been consideration of the skills related to net zero targets, climate change adaptation, and other environmental goals.

Latest official statistics show there are already around 430,000 jobs in low carbon businesses and their supply chains across the country, and the Government is working with the Green Jobs Delivery Group to explore how central government, local government and businesses can further support local areas to deliver a successful net zero labour market transition.

Graham Stuart
Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
30th Nov 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to help increase the rate of energy efficiency measure installations in homes in Washington and Sunderland West constituency.

The Government is committed to improving the energy performance of homes across the country, including in Washington and Sunderland West.

The Government is already investing £6.6 billion over this parliament on decarbonising heat and energy efficiency measures.

The additional £6 billion of new Government funding, announced in the Autumn Statement, will be made available from 2025 to 2028.

Graham Stuart
Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
18th Jul 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to reduce energy costs for energy-intensive businesses.

The Government recognises the importance of securing a competitive future for Its energy intensive industries (EIIs), and in recent years has provided them with extensive support, including more than £2 billion to help with energy costs and to protect jobs. As part of the its British Energy Security Strategy, the Government recently announced to extended the EII Compensation Scheme for a further three years. The scheme’s budget will be more than doubled. That strategy also announced plans to consider increasing support offered by the EII Exemption Scheme.

Greg Hands
Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
18th Jul 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to support UK manufacturers when developing government infrastructure projects.

The UK Energy Supply Chain Taskforce will focus on ensuring UK supply chain companies can take advantage of clean growth opportunities in the UK and overseas. The Government will put UK at the forefront of manufacturing as opportunities grow from wind turbines to heat pumps as the Government set out the opportunity to develop the manufacturing base and expand supply chains for building efficiency.

Greg Hands
Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
12th Nov 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of extending the National Manufacturing Competitiveness Levels Automotive programme, which is due to expire in March 2022, to 2024.

The pandemic led to a slowdown in the delivery of the industry-managed National Manufacturing Competitiveness Levels programme, with participating businesses pausing or limiting their planned business improvement activity. There has been a positive uplift in the programme’s activity in the last six months.

Following the recent conclusion of the Comprehensive Spending Review, the Department is determining its future spending priorities. A decision on continued funding for the National Manufacturing Competitiveness Levels programme will be made alongside other Departmental programmes in the coming months.

Lee Rowley
Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
12th Nov 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the impact of the covid-19 outbreak on the rate of deployment of the National Manufacturing Competitiveness Levels Automotive programme.

The pandemic led to a slowdown in the delivery of the industry-managed National Manufacturing Competitiveness Levels programme, with participating businesses pausing or limiting their planned business improvement activity. There has been a positive uplift in the programme’s activity in the last six months.

Following the recent conclusion of the Comprehensive Spending Review, the Department is determining its future spending priorities. A decision on continued funding for the National Manufacturing Competitiveness Levels programme will be made alongside other Departmental programmes in the coming months.

Lee Rowley
Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
30th Nov 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether his Department plans to bring forward the payment date for recipients of the Warm Home Discount who are not in receipt of Pension Credit, to account for increased utility costs arising as a result of the coivd-19 outbreak.

Participating energy suppliers are obligated to pay their customers by the end of March 2021, however they are encouraged to make these payments as soon as the relevant checks on eligible customers have been completed.

Administering the Warm Home Discount is a large undertaking. We estimate that around 2.2 million households will receive a rebate this winter with around 1.2 million applying via the Broader Group. Due to the volume of rebates and the time needed for the implementation process outlined above, it would not be possible to bring forward the delivery timetable for this scheme year.

In addition, the Voluntary Agreement that BEIS negotiated in March with energy suppliers remains in force, where suppliers agreed to a set of principles to support customers impacted by Covid-19 who may be struggling with energy bills and help to keep them on supply.

12th Nov 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether he has made an assessment of the potential effect on the level of jobs in the aerospace sector of establishing a long-term supply chain investment fund to recapitalise suppliers that are unable to take on new debt.

The Government is providing various support measures to safeguard jobs in the aerospace sector from the impact of Covid-19, including the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme and the Coronavirus Large Business Interruption Loan Scheme. The British Business Bank has also created an online Finance Hub, which details sources of business finance that may be available, as well as useful guidance.

The aerospace sector and its aviation customers are being assisted with around £9 billion of funding made available through loans, research and development grants, loan guarantees, and support for exporters. The Government continues to support the long-term competitiveness of the UK’s aerospace supply chain through the Aerospace Growth Partnership.

The Government will continue to work closely with local authorities, businesses, and business representative organisations to understand the impact of Covid-19 on the aerospace sector.

13th Jul 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will take steps to introduce neonatal (a) leave and (b) pay for families affected by covid-19.

We recognise that parents of sick and premature babies are in an extremely difficult and distressing position and that Covid-19 has made it difficult for some parents to spend time with their children. The social distancing measures that we put in place have, however, been necessary to save lives – including those of new parents and their babies – and protect the NHS.

As announced in the Queen’s Speech, we intend to bring forward an Employment Bill which will include measures to allow parents of children who have spent time in neonatal care to take additional paid leave (subject to qualifying criteria). We intend to legislate as soon as Parliamentary time allows.

21st Feb 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will increase the funding available for National Trading Standards investigations into secondary ticket abuse.

The Government is committed to tackling fraudulent practices in secondary ticketing. The department works closely with National Trading Standards to ensure they have adequate funding to tackle consumer detriment in the secondary ticketing market.

As a result of this work, earlier this month two individuals from London were found guilty of fraudulently and dishonestly buying and reselling tickets for high-profile music and entertainment events. They have now been sentenced to a combined six and a half years in jail. This landmark case marks the first successful prosecution against the fraudulent reselling of tickets on a large scale. This is directly a result of the work of National Trading Standards, North Yorkshire County Council, and City of York Council.

9th Nov 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many (a) applications were submitted to and (b) grants were awarded during the first phase of the swimming pool support fund.

Phase I of the Swimming Pool Support Fund was oversubscribed, with the Government receiving applications from 221 Local Authorities, on behalf of 630 facilities. After assessment against a range of criteria to target pools most at risk of closure, awards were made to 103 Local Authorities, covering 196 facilities. The full list of awards made can be found on the Sport England website here.

An additional £40 million of capital funding will be provided in Phase II, which will support local authorities to make their facilities more energy efficient and reduce future operating costs. Applications were open to local authorities from 7 September to 16 October, and are now being assessed. Awards for this phase of the fund will be announced in due course.

Stuart Andrew
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
2nd Sep 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent discussions she has had with representatives of (a) local and (b) regional news outlets on the impact of the economic situation on (i) those organisations and (ii) their employees.

The Government understands that people across the UK are worried about the rising cost of living and are seeing their disposable incomes decrease as they spend more on the essentials. In May, we announced over £15 billion of additional cost of living support, targeted at those with the greatest need. As a result, millions of vulnerable households will receive at least £1,200 of support this financial year, with the vast majority of households receiving at least £550. This package builds on the over £22 billion previously announced, meaning government support for the cost of living now totals over £37 billion this year, equivalent to 1.5% of GDP.

With regard to energy costs, while the majority of UK non-domestic customers are on fixed price energy deals, some are not. Businesses did not benefit from the Ofgem price cap and there was a risk that some would fall through the gap, unable to fix their energy price and unable to access the kind of support we are making available to households. A new 6-month scheme for businesses and other non-domestic energy users (including charities and public sector organisations like schools) will be offered support as is being provided for consumers. After this initial 6 month scheme, the government will provide ongoing focused support for vulnerable industries. There will be a review in 3 months’ time to consider where this should be targeted to make sure those most in need get support. Further details will be published shortly.

In addition to timely, temporary and targeted support, the government is also committed to tackling the root cause of the cost of living challenge – high inflation. Through independent monetary policy, responsible management of the public finances and supply-side reforms, we will combat high inflation and reduce it over time.

More specifically in relation to local and regional news outlets, the government is committed to supporting local newspapers as vital pillars of our communities. We are in regular contact with news organisations to understand the financial pressures they face and we have taken action to support them. Our plans for a pro-competition regime for digital markets will, among many other things, help to rebalance the relationship between news publishers and online platforms. We have also delivered a £2 million pilot innovation fund, zero rated VAT on e-newspapers, extended business rates relief on local newspaper office space, and published the Online Media Literacy Strategy. In addition, the BBC Charter Mid Term Review will evaluate how the BBC and Ofcom assess the market impact and public value of the BBC in an evolving marketplace and how that relates to the wider UK media ecology, including with regard to the local news sector. We will continue to consider all possible options in the interest of promoting and sustaining the sector.

Julia Lopez
Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
2nd Sep 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to help support journalists at local newspapers, in the context of rising inflation.

The Government understands that people across the UK are worried about the rising cost of living and are seeing their disposable incomes decrease as they spend more on the essentials. In May, we announced over £15 billion of additional cost of living support, targeted at those with the greatest need. As a result, millions of vulnerable households will receive at least £1,200 of support this financial year, with the vast majority of households receiving at least £550. This package builds on the over £22 billion previously announced, meaning government support for the cost of living now totals over £37 billion this year, equivalent to 1.5% of GDP.

With regard to energy costs, while the majority of UK non-domestic customers are on fixed price energy deals, some are not. Businesses did not benefit from the Ofgem price cap and there was a risk that some would fall through the gap, unable to fix their energy price and unable to access the kind of support we are making available to households. A new 6-month scheme for businesses and other non-domestic energy users (including charities and public sector organisations like schools) will be offered support as is being provided for consumers. After this initial 6 month scheme, the government will provide ongoing focused support for vulnerable industries. There will be a review in 3 months’ time to consider where this should be targeted to make sure those most in need get support. Further details will be published shortly.

In addition to timely, temporary and targeted support, the government is also committed to tackling the root cause of the cost of living challenge – high inflation. Through independent monetary policy, responsible management of the public finances and supply-side reforms, we will combat high inflation and reduce it over time.

More specifically in relation to local and regional news outlets, the government is committed to supporting local newspapers as vital pillars of our communities. We are in regular contact with news organisations to understand the financial pressures they face and we have taken action to support them. Our plans for a pro-competition regime for digital markets will, among many other things, help to rebalance the relationship between news publishers and online platforms. We have also delivered a £2 million pilot innovation fund, zero rated VAT on e-newspapers, extended business rates relief on local newspaper office space, and published the Online Media Literacy Strategy. In addition, the BBC Charter Mid Term Review will evaluate how the BBC and Ofcom assess the market impact and public value of the BBC in an evolving marketplace and how that relates to the wider UK media ecology, including with regard to the local news sector. We will continue to consider all possible options in the interest of promoting and sustaining the sector.

Julia Lopez
Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
29th Jun 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department has requested that the Natural History Museum to collect from specific incidences of algal blooms in the North Sea as part of its AlgaeVision database in (a) September 2021,(b) October 2021, (c) February 2022 and (d) April 2022.

DCMS-sponsored museums operate at arm’s length from the Government. The specifics of projects are therefore operational matters for museums to decide independently.

The Natural History Museum has not been asked by the Government to collect any samples of algal blooms in the North Sea, nor would they have the required equipment to do so.

DCMS understands that the Algaevision project is a database and virtual collection of images of freshwater and terrestrial algae collected in Britain and Ireland. The project’s aim is to digitise the current algae species already in the Natural History Museum’s algae collection. Identifying the cause of crustacean deaths is outside the scope of the museum’s work and would be better directed to one of the marine monitoring research groups within the UK, such as the Scottish Association for Marine Science.

Nigel Huddleston
Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
4th Jun 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to his Department's press release entitled Landmark laws to protect children and stop abuse online published, published on 12 May 2021, what his timetable is for launching the consultation on online advertising and online fraud.

My department continues to work closely with other government departments, including the Home Office as the government department responsible for tackling fraud, to develop a coherent approach to online advertising that supports competition and protects consumers.

We are working with industry, regulators and consumer groups to understand the specific harms that are being linked to advertising, including online fraud and scams.

Following a call for evidence in 2020, the Online Advertising Programme will launch a public consultation later this year to examine how best to strengthen standards around the placement and content of online advertising, and to ensure they can be effectively enforced.

More information about the Programme can be found here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/online-advertising-call-for-evidence/online-advertising-call-for-evidence

5th Mar 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 20 March 2023 to Question 165185 on Free School Meals, whether any complex data, systems, financial and legal implications are still a barrier to the rollout of auto-enrolment.

Maximising the take up of free school meals is important in ensuring that as many eligible children as possible benefit from a healthy and nutritious meal. The department aims to make it as simple as possible for schools and local authorities to determine eligibility.

To support this, an Eligibility Checking System has been provided to make the checking process as quick and straightforward as possible for schools and local authorities.

The department has looked at auto-enrolment and considers there to be merit in local authorities exploring initiatives to maximise take up and to better understand the barriers that prevent such take up, whilst ensuring adherence to legal and data protection constraints, which still remains an important consideration.

Damian Hinds
Minister of State (Education)
5th Jan 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions she has had with Ofqual on the inclusion of the impact of RAAC in schools in mitigating circumstances guidelines.

The safety of staff and pupils is paramount, and the department has been working at pace with schools to identify RAAC and support them to minimise disruption to pupils’ education.

The department is working closely with affected schools to ensure the best possible education for pupils and taking every step possible to remove any obstacles to learning through mitigations including temporary accommodation where this is needed and in some instances use of specialist facilities in off-site accommodation.

Alongside Ofqual, the department has worked with awarding organisations to help facilitate discussions with affected schools. The department has asked awarding organisations to be as flexible as possible in agreeing longer extensions for coursework and non-examined assessment, including for creative subjects, so that schools have as much time as possible to complete this important part of pupils' learning and qualifications.

If schools and colleges are experiencing difficulties in delivering particular GCSE, A level or T Level assessments, due to certain facilities being out of use due to RAAC or have any concerns about exams and assessments themselves being disrupted, they should speak to the relevant awarding organisation. Only the relevant awarding organisation will be able to confirm what can be done in any specific context and the specific options available.

Damian Hinds
Minister of State (Education)