Asked by: Stuart Anderson (Conservative - South Shropshire)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking to support the retrofitting of homes in rural areas.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Our ambitious Warm Homes Plan will support investment in households, including rural homes, to install energy efficiency measures and low carbon heating to save families money on their bills.
The Government has committed £3.4 billion over the next 3 years towards heat decarbonisation and household energy efficiency. This includes the new Warm Homes: Local Grant (WH:LG), which will provide support for low-income households living in privately owned EPC band D-G homes both on and off the gas grid in England. The WH:LG will be delivered from 2025 to 2028 by eligible local authorities.
Asked by: Stuart Anderson (Conservative - South Shropshire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of specialist education provision in (a) rural areas and (b) South Shropshire constituency.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
For too long the education and care system has not met the needs of all children, particularly those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), with parents struggling to get their children the support they need and deserve. We want more children and young people to receive the support they need to achieve and thrive in their local mainstream school, reducing the need for pupils to travel a long way to access a suitable placement. Alongside this, we recognise the vital role that special schools play in catering to those with the most complex needs. Many mainstream settings are already going above and beyond to deliver specialist provision locally, including through resourced provision and special educational needs units.
Following the last Ofsted inspection, departmental officials have been working with Shropshire Council to closely monitor progress against the areas for improvement identified by inspectors. A SEND Advisor was appointed to support and work alongside Shropshire Council and the local area partnership. Shropshire is also gaining valuable insights and learning across the SEND and alternative provision system through engagement in the Change Programme.
Following the Autumn Budget 2024, the department is providing an increase of £1 billion for high needs budgets in England in the 2025/26 financial year, bringing total high needs funding for children and young people with complex SEND to £11.9 billion. Of that total, Shropshire Council is being allocated over £46 million through the high needs funding block of the dedicated schools grant (DSG), an increase of £3.8 million on this year’s DSG high needs block.
Additionally, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education has now announced £740 million for high needs capital in 2025/26 to support children and young people with SEND or who require alternative provision. This new funding is intended to create specialist facilities within mainstream schools or adapt classrooms to be more accessible for children with SEND, alongside continuing to provide places in special schools for pupils with the most complex needs. In Shropshire and other rural areas, where specialist providers are more likely to be geographically dispersed, this could reduce the need for pupils to travel a long way to access a suitable placement. We will confirm allocations for the £740 million funding for the 2025/26 financial year in the spring.
Asked by: Stuart Anderson (Conservative - South Shropshire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department has taken to improve access to specialist education in (a) rural areas and (b) South Shropshire constituency.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
For too long the education and care system has not met the needs of all children, particularly those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), with parents struggling to get their children the support they need and deserve. We want more children and young people to receive the support they need to achieve and thrive in their local mainstream school, reducing the need for pupils to travel a long way to access a suitable placement. Alongside this, we recognise the vital role that special schools play in catering to those with the most complex needs. Many mainstream settings are already going above and beyond to deliver specialist provision locally, including through resourced provision and special educational needs units.
Following the last Ofsted inspection, departmental officials have been working with Shropshire Council to closely monitor progress against the areas for improvement identified by inspectors. A SEND Advisor was appointed to support and work alongside Shropshire Council and the local area partnership. Shropshire is also gaining valuable insights and learning across the SEND and alternative provision system through engagement in the Change Programme.
Following the Autumn Budget 2024, the department is providing an increase of £1 billion for high needs budgets in England in the 2025/26 financial year, bringing total high needs funding for children and young people with complex SEND to £11.9 billion. Of that total, Shropshire Council is being allocated over £46 million through the high needs funding block of the dedicated schools grant (DSG), an increase of £3.8 million on this year’s DSG high needs block.
Additionally, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education has now announced £740 million for high needs capital in 2025/26 to support children and young people with SEND or who require alternative provision. This new funding is intended to create specialist facilities within mainstream schools or adapt classrooms to be more accessible for children with SEND, alongside continuing to provide places in special schools for pupils with the most complex needs. In Shropshire and other rural areas, where specialist providers are more likely to be geographically dispersed, this could reduce the need for pupils to travel a long way to access a suitable placement. We will confirm allocations for the £740 million funding for the 2025/26 financial year in the spring.
Asked by: Stuart Anderson (Conservative - South Shropshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to improve water quality at (a) the River Teme and (b) other bathing sites.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
For too long, water companies have discharged unacceptable levels of sewage into our rivers, lakes and seas.
The Water (Special Measures) Bill will drive meaningful improvements in the performance and culture of the water industry as a first important step in enabling wider, transformative change across the water sector. It will also give regulators new powers to take tougher and faster action to crack down on water companies not delivering for customers and the environment.
The Water Industry National Environment Programme and the Storm Overflow Discharge Reduction Plan will reduce water industry impacts on bathing waters in England. As part of the Plan, water companies will have improved all storm overflows discharging near every designated bathing water by 2035.
On 12th November 2024, Defra, jointly with the Welsh Government, announced a consultation on a package of potential reforms to The Bathing Water Regulations 2013. We are currently analysing responses to the Consultation and will publish a response in due course.
The Environment Agency has developed an Action Improvement Plan for the Shropshire bathing water sites to identify actions needed to improve them, as well as trialling novel monitoring approaches on the River Teme at Ludlow to provide greater insight into bathing water quality.
Upstream of Ludlow, the Environment Agency has completed over 80 farm inspections over the last 2 years, ensuring compliance with agricultural regulations and providing advice to reduce farming impacts on our waterways.
Tree planting along rivers can help improve water quality, such as by trapping and removing pollutants from agricultural runoff water before it reaches the river. The England Woodland Creation Offer provides financial support for tree planting and incentivises woodland creation that improves water quality through supplementary payments.
The ‘Woodlands for Water’ project, supported by Defra, has been providing targeted facilitation to support landowners to access tree planting grants to support the creation of riparian woodland corridors, including in the River Teme catchment.
Asked by: Stuart Anderson (Conservative - South Shropshire)
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 help to improve training in the use of automated external defibrillators in rural areas.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is committed to improving access to Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) in public spaces and reducing inequalities in access to these life saving devices. Following the depletion of the existing AED fund, launched in September 2023, the Government approved a further £500,000 in August 2024 to fulfil existing applications to the fund.
The Department selected a joint bid from Smarter Society as its independent partners to manage grant applications. Smarter Society has reviewed funding applications, against requirements specified by the Department. These requirements were to ensure that resources are allocated where there is the greatest need, for instance remote communities with extended ambulance response times, places with high footfall and high population densities, hotspots for cardiac arrest, including sporting venues and venues with vulnerable people, and deprived areas.
As part of the Department’s requirements, the defibrillators are suitable for use by untrained persons. The Mindray C1A Defibrillator, a fully automated device suitable for use by untrained persons, are the AEDs provided by Smarter Society in partnership with London Hearts charity.
The Department has continued its partnership with Smarter Society, who managed the grant applications on our behalf, with London Hearts supplying the AEDs. London Hearts is the leading heart defibrillator charity in the United Kingdom, supporting communities with the provision of life saving heart defibrillators and teaching cardiopulmonary resuscitation and defibrillator skills.
NHS England has partnered with St John Ambulance to co-ordinate skills development to significantly increase the use of AEDs by individuals in community settings. This includes a national network of Community Advocates to champion the importance of first aid, training 60,000 people that will help save up to 4,000 lives each year by 2028.
Asked by: Stuart Anderson (Conservative - South Shropshire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to improve the availability of apprenticeships in rural areas.
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
This government has a driving mission to break down barriers to opportunity. Meeting the skills needs of the next decade is central to delivering the government's five missions on economic growth, opportunity for all, a stronger NHS, safer streets and clean energy. Through delivering the opportunity and growth missions, the department will ensure that we have the skilled workforce needed to deliver the national, regional and local skills needs. This will align with the government’s industrial strategy and break down the barriers to opportunity for learners.
In order to help meet these skills needs, the government has committed to widening the apprenticeships offer into a levy-funded growth and skills offer, with apprenticeships at the heart. This will offer greater flexibility to learners and employers, including those in rural areas. As a first step, this will include shorter duration and foundation apprenticeships in targeted sectors, helping more people learn new high-quality skills at work, fuelling innovation in businesses across the country and providing high-quality entry pathways for young people.
In addition, Skills England will help to ensure that there is a comprehensive suite of apprenticeships, training and technical qualifications for individuals and employers to access, and that regional and national skills needs are met.
The department is committed to supporting employers, including those in rural areas, to offer apprenticeship opportunities. The government continues to pay additional funding to employers and training providers to support them to take on young apprentices, apprentices with learning difficulties and disabilities and care leavers.
The department pays 100% of apprentice training costs for small employers when they take on apprentices aged 16 to 21 and £1,000 to all employers and training providers when they take on apprentices aged under-19. This payment is to support young apprentices in the workplace and can be used to support costs such as travel, work equipment and uniforms.
Asked by: Stuart Anderson (Conservative - South Shropshire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to support SEND transport providers with the cost of increased employer’s National Insurance contributions.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
Home-to-school travel is an integral part of the school system. It provides a valuable service on which many families rely. The department is grateful to the many transport operators for the crucial role they play in ensuring that children receive the education that they need to help them thrive.
Local authorities are responsible for arranging home-to-school travel for eligible children. It is for them to determine how best to do so, based on local circumstances and the needs of the children travelling. They might, for example, have an in-house fleet, provide passes for free travel on public transport or contract with private transport operators for the provision of buses, coaches, taxis and private hire vehicles. Where they contract with private operators, it is for the local authority and the operator to agree suitable terms.
The government recognises the need to protect the smallest employers. It has more than doubled the Employment Allowance to £10,500 which means that more than half of businesses with National Insurance liabilities will either gain or see no change next year. Businesses will still be able to claim employer National Insurance Contributions relief, where eligible.
Asked by: Stuart Anderson (Conservative - South Shropshire)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to (a) protect and (b) improve access to leisure facilities in rural areas.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Government recognises that leisure facilities are important to communities up and down the country. High-quality, inclusive facilities help people get active. Everyone, no matter who they are or where they live, should have access to high quality facilities and opportunities to participate in sport and physical activity.
The ongoing responsibility for public leisure facilities lies at Local Authority level. Local Authorities work in partnership with operators who manage leisure services. The Government and Sport England continue to work closely with Local Authorities to monitor pressures in the sector.
The Government has committed to continued funding for grassroots facilities. £123 million will be invested UK-wide via the Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities Programme throughout 2024/25. Grassroots sport is also funded through the Government’s Arm’s Length Body, Sport England, who invest over £250 million in Exchequer and Lottery funding each year.
Asked by: Stuart Anderson (Conservative - South Shropshire)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps she is taking to (a) protect and (b) enhance access to cash in rural areas.
Answered by Emma Reynolds - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government is committed to protecting access to cash for the millions of people across the UK that use it, including those in vulnerable groups.
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) assumed regulatory responsibility for access to cash in September 2024. Its rules require the UK’s largest banks and building societies to assess the impact of a closure or material alteration of a relevant cash withdrawal or deposit facility and put in place a new service if necessary.
The FCA’s rules require designated firms to consider a range of factors in their assessments which will account for challenges in cash access faced in rural areas. For example, firms are required to consider the actual travel times and costs to reach cash access facilities and identify gaps in provision where these are unreasonable.
Where a resident, community organisation or other interested party feels access to cash in their community is insufficient, they can submit a request for a cash access assessment. Further information about submitting a cash access request can be found at the following link: https://www.link.co.uk/helping-you-access-cash/request-access-to-cash
Asked by: Stuart Anderson (Conservative - South Shropshire)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps she is taking to support the delivery of banking hubs in rural areas.
Answered by Emma Reynolds - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government understands the importance of face-to-face banking to communities, high streets and rural areas across the UK, and is committed to championing sufficient access for all as a priority. This is why the Government is working closely with banks to roll out 350 banking hubs, which will provide local residents and businesses up and down the country with critical cash and banking services. Over 200 banking hubs have been recommended so far, and over 100 banking hubs are already open.
Banking has changed significantly in recent years with many customers benefitting from the ease and convenience of remote banking. While branch closures are commercial decisions for banks and building societies, FCA guidance expects firms to carefully consider the impact of planned branch closures on their customers’ everyday banking and cash access needs and put in place alternatives where reasonable. This seeks to ensure that branch closures are implemented in a way that treats customers fairly.
Alternative options to access everyday banking services can be via telephone banking, through digital means such as mobile or online banking and via the Post Office. The Post Office Banking Framework allows personal and business customers to withdraw and deposit cash, check their balance, pay bills and cash cheques at 11,500 Post Office branches across the UK.