Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to ensure the continuity of Adult Skills Fund allocations to further education colleges in Hampshire during the transition to the devolved skills settlement.

Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

We are committed to investing in education and skills training for adults and are investing over £1.4 billion in the Adult Skills Fund (ASF) this academic year. The principal purpose of the ASF is to engage adults and provide the skills and learning they need to equip them for work, an apprenticeship or further learning.

As of August 2025, approximately 68% of the ASF has been devolved to 12 Strategic Authorities and the Greater London Authority. These authorities are responsible for the provision of ASF-funded adult education for their residents and allocation of the ASF to learning providers. The Department for Work and Pensions provides the remaining funding for learners who live in non-devolved areas.

Hampshire is currently a non-devolved area, meaning the Department funds the providers including further education colleges who decide what provision to offer. Until powers are transferred, the Department will continue to fund providers in Hampshire directly.

We believe that local areas should have more of a say and control over adult education in their areas. As such Government agreed a devolution deal with Hampshire and the Solent including, from academic year 27/28, the devolution of the ASF. This will provide the area with the ability to commission adult education for Hampshire and the Solent residents.

Under the arrangements set out in devolution deals, local areas assume the duties set out in statute around providing free courses for adults. These national statutory entitlements ensure a level of consistency across the country. By honouring our commitments to combine and further devolve adult skills funding, we give those with local knowledge the power they need to make decisions that are best for their areas and their residents.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to her Department's joint publication entitled Post-16 education and skills white paper, published on 20 October 2025, whether it remains her policy to increase 16–19 funding in real terms for the next academic year.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

In recent years, the number of students in 16 to 19 education and the funding to support them have risen rapidly. In the 2026/27 academic year, the government will provide nearly £9 billion in 16 to 19 funding. We have made significant increases to the average funding per student since the 2024/25 academic year, an expected per student increase of 10.5%. We expect that the average per student funding in 2026/27 will stand at £6,874, compared to £6,219 in the 2024/25 academic year.

The expected funding per student in 2026/27 will be an increase of 1.66% compared with the 2025/26 academic year, meeting the White Paper commitment by reflecting forecast inflation at the time the Spending Review was settled and the White Paper published. This increase does not include the new Inclusive Mainstream Fund which will provide £83 million per year in additional funding for mainstream settings delivering 16 to 19 provision over the next three years, to boost capacity in mainstream settings to meet a greater proportion of special educational needs and disabilities needs.

These increases in funding contribute to the financial sustainability of further education colleges. We will continue to fund the demographic increase in 16 to 19-year-olds, providing significant investment to ensure there are valuable and high-quality post-16 places for every student that wants one, supporting our economy and enabling young people to be able to progress and thrive. However, the lagged funding model for 16 to 19 provision will be kept under review and we will announce the position on in-year growth for the 2025/26 academic year in due course.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the increase in funding for 16 to 19 education in 2026-27 on the financial sustainability of further education colleges.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

In recent years, the number of students in 16 to 19 education and the funding to support them have risen rapidly. In the 2026/27 academic year, the government will provide nearly £9 billion in 16 to 19 funding. We have made significant increases to the average funding per student since the 2024/25 academic year, an expected per student increase of 10.5%. We expect that the average per student funding in 2026/27 will stand at £6,874, compared to £6,219 in the 2024/25 academic year.

The expected funding per student in 2026/27 will be an increase of 1.66% compared with the 2025/26 academic year, meeting the White Paper commitment by reflecting forecast inflation at the time the Spending Review was settled and the White Paper published. This increase does not include the new Inclusive Mainstream Fund which will provide £83 million per year in additional funding for mainstream settings delivering 16 to 19 provision over the next three years, to boost capacity in mainstream settings to meet a greater proportion of special educational needs and disabilities needs.

These increases in funding contribute to the financial sustainability of further education colleges. We will continue to fund the demographic increase in 16 to 19-year-olds, providing significant investment to ensure there are valuable and high-quality post-16 places for every student that wants one, supporting our economy and enabling young people to be able to progress and thrive. However, the lagged funding model for 16 to 19 provision will be kept under review and we will announce the position on in-year growth for the 2025/26 academic year in due course.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to review the lagged funding model for 16–19 provision, in the context of trends in the level of demographic growth and the inability of further education colleges to receive full in‑year funding for additional learners.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

In recent years, the number of students in 16 to 19 education and the funding to support them have risen rapidly. In the 2026/27 academic year, the government will provide nearly £9 billion in 16 to 19 funding. We have made significant increases to the average funding per student since the 2024/25 academic year, an expected per student increase of 10.5%. We expect that the average per student funding in 2026/27 will stand at £6,874, compared to £6,219 in the 2024/25 academic year.

The expected funding per student in 2026/27 will be an increase of 1.66% compared with the 2025/26 academic year, meeting the White Paper commitment by reflecting forecast inflation at the time the Spending Review was settled and the White Paper published. This increase does not include the new Inclusive Mainstream Fund which will provide £83 million per year in additional funding for mainstream settings delivering 16 to 19 provision over the next three years, to boost capacity in mainstream settings to meet a greater proportion of special educational needs and disabilities needs.

These increases in funding contribute to the financial sustainability of further education colleges. We will continue to fund the demographic increase in 16 to 19-year-olds, providing significant investment to ensure there are valuable and high-quality post-16 places for every student that wants one, supporting our economy and enabling young people to be able to progress and thrive. However, the lagged funding model for 16 to 19 provision will be kept under review and we will announce the position on in-year growth for the 2025/26 academic year in due course.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of trends in the pay gap between further education teachers and school teachers, and the potential impact of this gap on the level of recruitment and retention in technical subjects.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The statutory requirements for maintained schoolteachers' pay are set nationally subject to recommendations from the School Teachers’ Review Body. In 2023/24, the median full-time equivalent (FTE) salary for teachers in secondary schools was £47,666.

Further education (FE) colleges have statutory autonomy over the pay of their staff. There is value in colleges having the freedom to meet local technical skills needs within their own local circumstances, and the government does not set college teacher pay. In 2023/24, the median FTE average salary for teachers on permanent or fixed term contracts in FE colleges was £36,316 and £47,133 in sixth form colleges.

FE teachers are central to delivering high-quality technical education. Last year, we announced an additional £190 million broadly equivalent to the pay award in schools for colleges and other 16-19 providers to help them address the recruitment and retention of specialist FE teachers. Our targeted retention incentive offer is designed to retain eligible FE teachers in technical subjects with payments of up to £6,000 after tax. In its first year, nearly 6,000 teachers received a payment.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the deliverability of the Hampshire Water Transfer and Water Recycling Project within the proposed timescale.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Regulators’ Alliance for Progressing Infrastructure Development (RAPID) brings together the three water regulators Ofwat, Environment Agency and Drinking Water Inspectorate. RAPID provides a robust process to scrutinise strategic water resource options and ensure they are appropriate and deliverable. This includes the Hampshire Water Transfer and Water Recycling Scheme, which passed RAPID’s Gate 3 assessment in February 2025.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she has made an assessment of the risk of pollution to the Havant Thicket Reservoir arising from treatment failures, and what steps he is taking to ensure that such risks are fully mitigated.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Environment Agency (EA) is currently in pre‑application permit discussions with Southern Water and has advised on the evidence and data needed to support a full permit application to discharge recycled water from the advanced water treatment plant to Havant Thicket Reservoir.

As part of the permitting process, the EA will assess risks to water quality from the proposed discharge and will regulate Southern Water to ensure compliance with permit conditions.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for its designation as a best‑value solution of the increasing cost estimates for the Hampshire Water Transfer and Water Recycling Project.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Government is committed to delivering best value for customers through the water infrastructure programme, while supporting growth and ensuring a resilient water supply.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she has made an assessment of the environmental risks associated with constructing the proposed effluent recycling plant on a contaminated landfill site adjacent to Langstone Harbour SSSI.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Environment Agency has, through its role in the Nationally Significant Infrastructure planning process, assessed potential risks of constructing the proposed water recycling plant on a former landfill.

The Environment Agency considers these risks to be manageable with appropriate design and mitigation.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she has made an assessment of Southern Water’s progress against RAPID requirements at Gates 2 and 3, and what steps she is taking in response to repeated findings of outstanding actions and insufficient evidence.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Hampshire Water Transfer Water Recycling project has successfully passed RAPID gate two and gate three.

Through the RAPID assessment process, RAPID and its partner regulators can set priority actions and recommendations in areas where they determine more work is needed. All priority actions and recommendations set at both gates have been completed. Any outstanding actions will be addressed through the Gate 4 assessment process.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of Southern Water’s appraisal of alternative water resource options in its draft Water Resources Management Plan 2024, following the plan’s rejection by regulators in 2023.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Defra is currently reviewing advice provided by regulators in respect to Southern Water’s Water Resources Management Plan and the strategic water resource options included within it. Defra will make a decision on the next steps in due course.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department has had discussions with UK Sport and the British Olympic Association on the process for reviewing medal allocations in cases where athletes were retrospectively found to be ineligible under World Athletics regulations.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

Any such representations on this topic would be for the relevant governing body to make, as the domestic member of the international federation.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department has made representations to World Athletics on the (a) case of Lynsey Sharp and (b) potential impact of differences in eligibility rules between the 2016 Olympic Games and current regulations on athletes.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

Any such representations on this topic would be for the relevant governing body to make, as the domestic member of the international federation.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department has had discussions with the International Olympic Committee on the potential merits of providing retrospective recognition or medal reallocation in cases where athletes competed against people who would not meet eligibility criteria under current rules.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

Any such representations on this topic would be for the relevant governing body to make, as the domestic member of the international federation.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department is taking steps to help support athletes who may have been denied medal opportunities due to competitors later deemed ineligible under updated World Athletics rules.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

Any such representations on this topic would be for the relevant governing body to make, as the domestic member of the international federation.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to ensure that the Planning Inspectorate has full access to environmental, technical and financial risk assessments before considering the Development Consent Order for the Havant Thicket scheme.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Development Consent Order application for the Hampshire Water Transfer and Water Recycling Scheme, linked to Havant Thicket Reservoir scheme in construction, will provide interested parties a further opportunity to make representations to a Planning Inspector on this scheme.

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