Asked by: Stuart Andrew (Conservative - Daventry)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions she department has had with the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero on the decarbonisation of listed buildings.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
I have not held any such discussions, but my officials discuss this and other related issues as part of ongoing engagement with their DESNZ and MHCLG counterparts. In addition, in July, Historic England, the UK government's statutory advisor on England's historic environment, published guidance to support the decarbonisation of historic buildings.
Asked by: Stuart Andrew (Conservative - Daventry)
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 her Written Statement of 30 July 2024 on Building the homes we need, HCWS48, how many of the new planning officers will have the expertise to handle historic and traditionally constructed buildings.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
At the Budget, the Chancellor announced a £46 million package of investment to support capacity and capability in local planning authorities.
We are working with delivery partners to understand how we can scale delivery and fund the recruitment and training of an additional 300 planners as part of that investment. This includes expansion of the Pathways to Planning programme which has had significant interest from prospective graduates wanting to take up roles in local planning authorities and train while they work.
In relation to the specific skills needed in managing historic buildings, we are developing a wider programme of support, working with partners across the planning sector, including Historic England, to ensure that local planning authorities have the types of skills, both now and in the future. More details will be announced in due course.
This will be further underpinned by increases in planning fees we are introducing in the coming months that will help improve the resourcing of planning services, so that LPAs can fund the skills they need.
Asked by: Stuart Andrew (Conservative - Daventry)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to Section 5.2 of Adapting historic homes for energy efficiency: a review of the barriers, what progress has been made on Historic England’s review into the barriers to delivering the Level 3 Award in Energy Efficiency Measures for Older and Traditional Buildings.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
With reference to Section 5.2 of Adapting historic homes for energy efficiency: a review of the barriers, the findings showed that although requirements in retrofit standards are driving demand and increasing numbers of providers delivering the required standards, there has been concern in the sector about the quality of provision. Based on these findings, Historic England has been working with Cadw and Historic Environment Scotland to improve, revise and update the content of the award.
Asked by: Stuart Andrew (Conservative - Daventry)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of changes to (a) Business and (b) Agricultural Property Relief on the heritage sector.
Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government published information about the reforms to agricultural property relief (APR) and business property relief (BPR) at www.gov.uk/government/publications/agricultural-property-relief-and-business-property-relief-reforms.
It is expected that up to around 2,000 estates will be affected by the changes to APR and BPR in 2026-27, with around half of those being claims that only involve AIM shares. Almost three-quarters of estates claiming agricultural property relief (or those claiming agricultural property relief and business property relief together) are expected to be unaffected by these reforms.
In some circumstances, relief from inheritance tax and capital gains tax is also available for national heritage assets when they pass to a new owner either as a result of a death or as a gift. HMRC determines which assets qualify for exemption on the advice of the government’s heritage advisory agencies. No changes have been made to this relief at the Budget. Information about tax relief for national heritage assets can be found at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/tax-relief-for-national-heritage-assets.
Asked by: Stuart Andrew (Conservative - Daventry)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to review the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra is finalising its post-implementation review of the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018. The report into the review will be published in due course.
Asked by: Stuart Andrew (Conservative - Daventry)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of forthcoming changes to business rate relief on the viability of grassroots music venues.
Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
At the Autumn Budget, the Government announced that retail, hospitality and leisure (RHL) properties will receive 40% relief (up to a cash cap of £110,000 per business) for 2025-26. Under the plans we inherited from the previous government, RHL relief would have ended entirely in April 2025.
The Culture, Media and Sport Committee’s report on grassroots music venues recommended that RHL relief should not be wholly withdrawn in April 2025.
The Committee’s report also highlighted the sector's desire for certainty and long-term stability. The government has also announced its intention to introduce permanently lower tax rates for RHL properties with rateable values below £500,000 from 2026-27.
The Government’s full response to this report was published on 14th of November and is available online: https://committees.parliament.uk/work/8227/grassroots-music-venues/publications/.
Asked by: Stuart Andrew (Conservative - Daventry)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what financial support she plans to provide to the Early Years sector to help manage the impact of proposed changes to employer National Insurance contributions.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
I refer the right hon. Member for Daventry to the answer of 11 November 2024 to Question 12804.
Asked by: Stuart Andrew (Conservative - Daventry)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to increase investment into the children's mental health system to (a) reduce waiting times for and (b) increase access to support.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
It is unacceptable that too many children and young people are not receiving the mental health care they need, and we know that waits for mental health services are far too long. That is why we will recruit 8,500 additional mental health workers across both adult and children and young people’s mental health services. We are discussing our future investment in children and young people’s mental health services.
The Department of Health and Social Care is working with the Department for Education to consider how to deliver our manifesto commitment of accessing a specialist mental health professional in every school. We need to ensure any support meets the needs of young people, teachers, parents, and carers. This includes considering the role of existing programmes of support with evidence of a positive impact, such as Mental Health Support Teams in schools and colleges.
Alongside this we are working toward rolling out Young Futures hubs in every community, offering open access mental health services for young people.
The Mental Health Bill currently before Parliament will deliver the Government’s commitment to modernise the Mental Health Act 1983, so that it is fit for the 21st century. The Bill will amend the Act, which applies to England and Wales, and give patients detained under the Act greater choice, autonomy, rights, and support.
Asked by: Stuart Andrew (Conservative - Daventry)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department will continue to support the continuation of the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme which is due to expire in March 2025.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Departmental settlements have been set following the Budget announcement on October 30. Individual programmes, such as the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme, will now be assessed during the departmental Business Planning process.
Asked by: Stuart Andrew (Conservative - Daventry)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she plans to extend the lease on the Motorway Service Area at Watford Gap.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
I am able to confirm that lease extension options at the Motorway Service Areas in which the Secretary of State has an interest are the subject of current, detailed discussions with the third parties concerned, including Roadchef who operate Watford Gap Service Area. However, because these are sensitive, on-going commercial negotiations in which value for the taxpayer is being sought, I can share no further details at this time.