Tobias Ellwood Portrait

Tobias Ellwood

Conservative - Bournemouth East

First elected: 5th May 2005


3 APPG memberships (as of 24 Jan 2024)
Aid Match, Bereavement Support, Slovakia
National Security Strategy (Joint Committee)
11th May 2020 - 14th Nov 2023
Defence Committee
29th Jan 2020 - 14th Sep 2023
Defence Sub-Committee
5th Mar 2020 - 14th Sep 2023
Liaison Committee (Commons)
20th May 2020 - 14th Sep 2023
Committees on Arms Export Controls
6th Jul 2020 - 14th Sep 2023
Liaison Sub-Committee on Scrutiny of Strategic Thinking in Government
22nd Jun 2023 - 14th Sep 2023
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
14th Jun 2017 - 27th Jul 2019
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign and Commonwealth Office)
15th Jul 2014 - 14th Jun 2017
Armed Forces Bill Committee
17th Jan 2011 - 8th Mar 2011
Shadow Minister (Culture, Media and Sport)
2nd Jul 2007 - 6th May 2010
Opposition Whip (Commons)
10th May 2005 - 2nd Jul 2007
Environmental Audit Committee
12th Jul 2005 - 23rd Jan 2006


Division Voting information

During the current Parliament, Tobias Ellwood has voted in 639 divisions, and 6 times against the majority of their Party.

9 Feb 2021 - Trade Bill - View Vote Context
Tobias Ellwood voted No - against a party majority and against the House
One of 31 Conservative No votes vs 318 Conservative Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 318 Noes - 303
19 Jan 2021 - Trade Bill - View Vote Context
Tobias Ellwood voted No - against a party majority and against the House
One of 34 Conservative No votes vs 319 Conservative Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 319 Noes - 308
30 Dec 2020 - Sittings of the House - View Vote Context
Tobias Ellwood voted No - against a party majority and against the House
One of 13 Conservative No votes vs 328 Conservative Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 335 Noes - 212
23 Nov 2021 - Health and Care Bill - View Vote Context
Tobias Ellwood voted Aye - against a party majority and against the House
One of 18 Conservative Aye votes vs 276 Conservative No votes
Tally: Ayes - 219 Noes - 280
7 Dec 2021 - Nationality and Borders Bill - View Vote Context
Tobias Ellwood voted Aye - against a party majority and against the House
One of 15 Conservative Aye votes vs 289 Conservative No votes
Tally: Ayes - 251 Noes - 296
14 Dec 2021 - Public Health - View Vote Context
Tobias Ellwood voted No - against a party majority and against the House
One of 97 Conservative No votes vs 224 Conservative Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 369 Noes - 126
View All Tobias Ellwood 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
Ben Wallace (Conservative)
(40 debate interactions)
Lindsay Hoyle (Speaker)
(25 debate interactions)
James Heappey (Conservative)
Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
(24 debate interactions)
View All Sparring Partners
Department Debates
Ministry of Defence
(99 debate contributions)
Cabinet Office
(43 debate contributions)
Home Office
(16 debate contributions)
View All Department Debates
View all Tobias Ellwood's debates

Bournemouth East 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).

Petition Debates Contributed

Being the first to close and still no clue as to when we can open, this seasonal industry is losing its summer profits that allows them to get through the first quarter of next year.

Even if we are allowed to open in December, 1 months profit won't be enough to keep us open in 2021. We need help

The UK hospitality industry. Responsible for around 3m jobs, generating £130bn in activity, resulting in £38bn in taxation. Yet, unlike the Arts or Sports, we do not have a dedicated Minister.

We are asking that a Minister for Hospitality be created for the current, and successive governments.


Latest EDMs signed by Tobias Ellwood

Tobias Ellwood has not signed any Early Day Motions

Commons initiatives

These initiatives were driven by Tobias Ellwood, 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.


5 Urgent Questions tabled by Tobias Ellwood

Tuesday 18th April 2023
Monday 31st October 2022
Tuesday 20th April 2021
Monday 24th February 2020

1 Adjournment Debate led by Tobias Ellwood

Wednesday 11th January 2023

Tobias Ellwood has not introduced any legislation before Parliament

Tobias Ellwood has not co-sponsored any Bills in the current parliamentary sitting


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
9th Jan 2024
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many teams within his Department are involved in tackling coordinated inauthentic behaviour online.

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology is the lead department for tackling coordinated inauthentic behaviour online and works across departments to deliver HMG’s objectives.

A number of teams in the Cabinet Office, including the National Security Secretariat and Government Security Group contribute to efforts to tackle different aspects of coordinated inauthentic behaviour online. For example, teams in the Cabinet Office are actively involved where online activity constitutes a cyber or state threat, or targets government institutions or elected officials.

Work to counter threats to UK democracy and democratic institutions, including from coordinated inauthentic behaviour is led by the Defending Democracy Taskforce.

Alex Burghart
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
8th Jan 2024
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of artificial intelligence on productivity in the Civil Service.

Government is accelerating AI adoption and seeking to deliver benefits at scale. In the Autumn Statement the Chancellor noted that there are significant opportunities presented by making greater use of AI across the public sector.

On 20 November, the Deputy Prime Minister announced an investment of £5m and the creation of the new ‘Incubator for AI’ (i.AI), an elite team of technical experts at the heart of government, that will help departments to harness the potential of AI to improve lives and the delivery of public services.

The Central Digital and Data Office, in the Cabinet Office, is undertaking analysis of its potential opportunities and impact on Civil Service productivity. This includes ongoing work to identify areas for automation of manual processes and uncover efficiency savings in the Civil Service and the wider public sector.

I refer the Rt Hon Member for Bournemouth East to my answer on 22nd June 2023 (UIN 190884).

Alex Burghart
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
20th Mar 2023
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what estimate he has made of the potential costs of amending the Principal Civil Service Pensions Classic Scheme to grant full survivors pensions rights to those who retired before 1 October 2002.

The pensions of widows, widowers and surviving civil partners, under the Classic section of the Principal Civil Service Pension Scheme (PCSPS), cease if they remarry or cohabit. In 2018, the Government Actuary’s Department estimated the extra cost of paying all survivor pensions, regardless of remarriage or cohabitation and when it occurred. The estimated extra cost in 2018 was around £550m for reinstating pensions that had already ceased and an annual future cost of around £30m for stopping the practice going forward. The estimate was a simplified approximation based on an earlier estimate done in 2006.

Under the Classic section of the PCSPS, survivors’ pensions are only payable to a widow, widower or surviving civil partner. The cost of extending survivor benefits to unmarried partners under Classic has not been estimated explicitly but, in 2018, the Government Actuary's Department estimated that the total capital cost of extending such benefits across all public service pension schemes (including the PCSPS) would be £2.5 - 4.5bn.

The Classic section was costed, and contribution rates set, on the basis of provisions which reflected social attitudes in 1972. Changes to the survivor pension arrangements from 1 October 2002, when the Premium section of the PCSPS was introduced, were paid for by active members. It would not be appropriate to extend these to members who retired before that date, as successive Governments have concluded that retrospective improvements of this kind to public service pensions should not be made at taxpayers expense.

Alex Burghart
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
4th Jul 2022
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what recent progress his Department has made on implementing the Veterans’ Strategy Action Plan.

Since the Veterans Strategy Action Plan was published in January, we have delivered 24% of the over 60 cross-government commitments.


Recent achievements delivered through the Strategy Action Plan include;

  • Provision of £150k in grant funding to charities to aid the development of best practice to ensure that veteran charities are inclusive and promote accessibility to female veterans

  • Appointment of the first Veterans Commissioner for Wales, Colonel James Phillips

  • Completion of a scoping study looking into the design of a service offering the digital verification of veteran status, with a further investment of £1m provided to develop this project further

  • Continued support to phase 4 of the King’s Centre for Military Health Research longitudinal study through over £1.2m in funding being provided over the next two years. This study looked at the health and wellbeing of UK Armed Forces Personnel and for the first time, this will also look at topics including social mobility, taking the insights beyond health and wellbeing.

Johnny Mercer
Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Minister for Veterans' Affairs)
4th Jul 2022
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he is taking to review and amend retained EU law to help reduce costs for businesses and consumers.

The Government is carrying out a major cross-government drive to reform, repeal and replace outdated retained EU law, that will aim to cut £1 billion of red tape for UK businesses, ease regulatory burdens and contribute to the Government’s mission to unite and level up the country.

We are also reforming our regulatory framework to ensure we only regulate where absolutely necessary and where it is likely to be the most impactful intervention.

7th Mar 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether (a) she and (b) other Ministers in her Department plan to visit Bournemouth in the next six months.

The ministerial team within the Department for Business and Trade do not have any visits currently scheduled to visit Bournemouth in the next 6 months. We are still planning a forward look for this period of time, however, so this is subject to change.

Nusrat Ghani
Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade) (jointly with the Cabinet Office)
5th Jan 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of UK business support for the reconstruction of Ukraine.

UK businesses mobilised quickly in support of Ukraine and have become an effective partner for Ukraine’s reconstruction.

The Department for Business and Trade works in partnership with British Businesses and the Government of Ukraine on their reconstruction priorities in the immediate, medium and long term.

The UK has received repeated praise and thanks from the Government of Ukraine for its innovative approach, agility and commitment. Successful examples include the London Conference Framework on war risk insurance to underpin reconstruction and an energy partnership to provide long-term sustainable support to a critical sector in Ukraine.

Nusrat Ghani
Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade) (jointly with the Cabinet Office)
21st Nov 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps her Department is taking to support and encourage small businesses in (a) Bournemouth East constituency and (b) the South West.

The Department supports small businesses in the South-West through Help to Grow: Management, the Business Support Helpline and Growth Hubs.

The Dorset Growth Hub supports small businesses in Bournemouth East through services such as bid-writing support and a business innovation programme.

The Start Up Loans Company, part of the Government-owned British Business Bank, is also supporting regional businesses. As of October 2023, 12 SMEs in Bournemouth East have received start up loans to the value of £150,200, and 493 SMEs in the South-West have received start up loans to the value of £6,270,084.

Kevin Hollinrake
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
21st Nov 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps the Government is taking to help support women in business.

The Government has set an ambition to increase the number of female entrepreneurs by half by 2030, equivalent to 600,000 new entrepreneurs. The Government is delivering on this ambition through a range of initiatives working with the private sector, including the Investing in Women Code, Investing in Women Hub, and the Angel Investment Taskforce. In 2022, a record 150,000 women-led companies were started, representing 20% of new incorporations.

The Start Up Loans Company, part of the Government-owned British Business Bank, has provided over 100,000 loans to entrepreneurs since the programme started in 2012. Of these, 40% have been to women.

Kevin Hollinrake
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
9th Jan 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, when the Government expects the first modular nuclear reactor to operate in the UK; and what stages must be passed through to achieve that.

In 2023 Great British Nuclear launched a technology selection process for Small Modular Reactors, with the aim of identifying those technologies best able to facilitate a project Final Investment Decision by the end of the next Parliament and operational projects in the mid-2030s, potentially releasing billions of pounds of private and public investment.

In October 2023 six technology vendors were down-selected and announced.

The next stage of the competitive selection process will be launched within weeks. The ambition is to announce in 2024 which of the six companies the Government will support.

Andrew Bowie
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
9th Jan 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how much and what proportion of the UK's energy needs are met by gas imports; and what is the source of those imports (a) by volume and (b) as a proportion of the total.

Gas imports were equivalent to 18 per cent of total gross energy supply (production + imports), and 56 per cent of total gross gas supply in the last five years (2018-2022) (DUKES 1.1).

Gas imports by origin are published in Energy Trends 4.4.

Graham Stuart
Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
17th May 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, for what reason Band E properties in (a) England will be excluded from the Great British Insulation Scheme and (b) Scotland and Wales will be included in that scheme.

The Government chose to offer support to households in Council Tax bands A-D in England and A–E in Scotland and Wales. These Council Tax bands capture a similar proportion of eligible homes in each nation, around 81%, 86%, and 87% for England, Scotland and Wales respectively.

These Council Tax bands serve as a proxy for income, ensuring the scheme proportionately captures low- to mid-income households in each nation. Such households are more likely to be at risk of struggling to pay their energy bills and are ineligible for support through other energy efficiency schemes.

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 support the commencement of production of small modular reactors in the UK as soon as possible.

The Government has awarded up to £210m to support development of the Rolls Royce Small Modular Reactor (SMR) design. The Rolls-Royce SMR entered the Generic Design Assessment process in April becoming the first SMR to begin UK nuclear regulation.

The Government has also announced the Future Nuclear Enabling Fund (FNEF) of up to £120m to support future nuclear projects, including SMRs, addressing barriers to entry.

The British Energy Security Strategy sets out the Government’s intention to take two Final Investment Decisions on new nuclear projects in the next parliament and to initiate a selection process for projects in 2023, including SMRs.

Greg Hands
Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
13th Jul 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether his Department is taking steps to encourage business investment to (a) Bournemouth East constituency and (b) the South West.

This Department is committed to supporting business investment across Bournemouth East and the South West. The Government provided over £3bn in business covid grants to the South West alone and continues to support Bournemouth-based businesses through the investment of £231,000 in the Dorset Gateway which provides fully funded business support including helping businesses look at inward investment opportunities. The Government is also investing £375,000 in Dorset’s Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) in 2022/23 to support and incentivise local businesses in Bournemouth and across Dorset.

20th Jun 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to support local businesses in (a) Bournemouth and (b) England.

The Government is investing £375,000 in Dorset’s Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) to support local businesses in Bournemouth and across Dorset. We have also invested £231,000 in the Dorset Gateway to provide fully funded business support for a range of businesses including SMEs and start-ups. During Covid, we provided nearly £27 billion to local authorities across England through a package of business support including the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, business rates relief, grants and loans. Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council received £240m of business grant support and reported making over 34,000 payments worth £167m to their businesses.

17th Jun 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department is providing funding to Bournemouth Tourism Centre.

The Bournemouth Tourist Information Centre forms part of the Destination Management Organisation (DMO) for Bournemouth. Bournemouth engages with the DCMS’s arms-length body and the national tourist board, VisitEngland.

DMO funding varies greatly but generally they receive their funding from or a combination of local authority and private sector funding and membership fees.

During the pandemic, VisitEngland ran the Destination Management Resilience Fund. Funding from this was awarded to Bournemouth through their Coastal Business Improvement District, with the aim of alleviating the financial pressure many DMOs in all regions of England were facing.

Nigel Huddleston
Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
17th Jun 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department has plans to increase tourism in Bournemouth East constituency.

As set out in the government’s Tourism Recovery Plan, we are committed to supporting the tourism industry’s return to pre-pandemic levels across England including Bournemouth East and other coastal destinations.

DCMS’s arms-length body and the national tourist board, VisitBritain, promotes Bournemouth and other coastal destinations on their websites and social media.

VisitBritain works with Bournemouth’s Destination Management Organisation who attend their best practice calls and have engaged in discussions related to marketing activity. Bournemouth engaged with VisitBritain’s Escape the Everyday campaign to create dedicated content and itineraries. VisitBritain has also supported specific initiatives, such as the Beach Check App, which was aligned to responsible travel.

Nigel Huddleston
Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
1st Sep 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, to make a statement about the department's relationship with the War Grave's Commission.

The Department does not currently have a direct relationship with the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, however Historic England and the Commission have recently published a Joint Policy Statement that establishes a shared understanding of how the Commission cares for and manages memorials in cemeteries and churchyards to servicemen and women who have lost their lives in service for this country. The statement also establishes a common understanding of the Commission’s on-going responsibilities towards this aspect of our heritage.

Nigel Huddleston
Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
15th Jan 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to help reduce school absences in Bournemouth.

The government understands how important regular school attendance is for children’s education, wellbeing and life chances. The department has a national strategy for tackling absence which will impact all schools, including those in Bournemouth.

At the heart of this strategy are clearer and more consistent expectations, which are set out in guidance and seek to promote both a ‘support first’ ethos and one in which attendance is everybody’s business. Through the guidance, schools are now expected to publish an attendance policy, appoint an attendance champion, and use data to identify and then support pupils at risk of becoming persistently absent. This guidance will ensure there is greater consistency for managing attendance across all schools and different local authority areas.

The department has established a daily data pilot that provides near real-time attendance data to schools, trusts and local authorities to help them target their efforts most effectively. The department has employed ten expert attendance advisers who are working with every local authority in the country and several multi-academy trusts to put in place effective plans to deliver the new attendance expectations.

The department has also formed an Attendance Action Alliance, comprised of national leaders from critical sectors like health, social care and policing who are taking action to promote stronger attendance through their workforces. Through this alliance, the department has launched a series of attendance hubs to enable schools with excellent attendance levels to share resources and advice with other schools in similar circumstances. These have recently expanded to 32 in number, which will support improvements across 2,000 schools who are responsible for the attendance of over 1 million pupils.

Alongside this work, the department is also hoping to improve the existing evidence base on effective interventions to improve attendance. The department recently announced a plan to launch a new £15 million pilot next academic year supporting at least 10,800 pupils across ten new priority education investment areas. This programme will be evaluated and the effective practice shared with schools and local authorities.

The attendance strategy is also underpinned by significant wider investment. This includes £5 billion worth of direct investment in education recovery, including £400 milion on teacher training opportunities and up to £1.5 billion on tutoring. Furthermore, the government is spending £2.9 billion annually on the pupil premium, on top of £1.3 billion on recovery premium. Schools must spend the pupil premium on evidence informed approaches, including attendance strategies and attendance. Recent analysis by the Education Endowment Foundation of school strategy statements found that 75% of schools in England identified poor attendance as a priority.

The government has also invested an extra £200 million on the Supporting Families programme increasing the budget to £695 million by 2024/25, to help an additional 300,000 families facing multiple problems. Sustained good attendance is a key outcome of the programme.

Damian Hinds
Minister of State (Education)
5th Jan 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to (a) promote inclusivity in schools, (b) assist (i) schools and (ii) teachers to provide support for children with special educational needs and disabilities and (c) reduce exclusions of such children.

The Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and Alternative Provision (AP) Improvement Plan set out a vision for an inclusive system categorised by high-quality mainstream provision where children and young people have their needs identified early and can access prompt, evidence-based, targeted support. Alongside this, the department will improve access to timely, high-quality specialist provision, where this is appropriate for the child or young person.

High-quality teaching is central to ensuring that pupils with SEND are given the best possible opportunity to achieve in their education. To support all teachers, the department is implementing teacher training reforms which begins with initial teacher training and continues into early career teaching, through to middle and senior leadership. These reforms are designed to ensure teachers have the skills to support all pupils to succeed, including those with SEND.

Reaching over 70% of schools and further education colleges, the Universal Services programme will help the school and further education workforce to identify and meet the needs of children and young people with SEND, earlier and more effectively.

The department knows that if needs and behaviours that present a barrier to learning were addressed earlier, more children could be supported to thrive in their mainstream school. That is why the department’s reforms will see AP settings working closely in partnership with mainstream schools to provide high-quality targeted support and one-to-one interventions. This will build capacity in mainstream schools to identify and support needs early, reducing the numbers of preventable exclusions and expensive long-term placements, as well as lead to improvements in children’s wellbeing and outcomes.

Good behaviour in schools is essential to ensure that all pupils can benefit from the opportunities provided by education. The government supports head teachers in using suspension and permanent exclusion as a sanction where warranted as part of creating calm, safe and supportive environments where both pupils and staff can work in safety and are respected.

The government agrees with the Timpson Review of school exclusion conclusion that there is no ‘right’ number of exclusions, but the department is clear that permanent exclusion should only be used as and when absolutely necessary, as a last resort and this should not mean exclusion from education.

All decisions to exclude a pupil must be lawful, reasonable, and fair. The Behaviour in Schools guidance and the updated statutory Suspension and Permanent Exclusion guidance (2023) sets out that, when considering excluding a pupil, schools should consider any contributing factors that are identified after an incident of misbehaviour has occurred, which could include where the pupil has Special Educational Needs. Initial intervention measures should include an assessment of whether appropriate provision is in place to support any SEND that a pupil may have.

David Johnston
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
5th Jan 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure that children with special educational needs and disabilities have adequate educational support to achieve (a) GCSEs and (b) other qualifications.

The department wants all children and young people to be able to reach their full potential and receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life.

Under the Children and Families Act 2014, mainstream schools and colleges must use their best endeavours to make sure a child or young person who has Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) gets the special educational provision they need. This includes monitoring the progress of children and young people ahead of formal examinations and providing support where needed, including arranging diagnostic tests where appropriate.

Access arrangements can be agreed with exam boards before an assessment for candidates with specific needs, including SEND, to help them access assessments to show what they know and can do without changing the demands of the assessment. The intention behind an access arrangement is to meet the needs of an individual candidate without affecting the integrity of the assessment.

​​The Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCo) or equivalent for a school or college must lead on the access arrangements process, fully supported by teaching staff and members of the senior leadership team. SENCos are responsible for taking appropriate steps to gather an appropriate picture of need, demonstrate normal ways of working for candidates, and ensure that approved access arrangements are put in place for internal school tests, mock examinations and examinations.

David Johnston
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
28th Nov 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to support parents of primary-aged children with childcare outside of school hours.

In the Spring Budget 2023, the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced a transformative set of childcare reforms aimed at increasing labour market participation. This included the largest ever investment in childcare, including expansions of early years entitlements and wraparound childcare.

The government’s ambition for wraparound childcare is that, by 2026, all parents and carers of primary school-aged children who need it will be able to access term time childcare in their local area from 8am-6pm. This will help to ensure that parents have enough childcare to work full time, more hours and with flexible hours.

To support this ambition, the government announced that it will provide up to £289 million of start-up funding over two academic years from September 2024 to support local authorities and providers in England to introduce or expand childcare provision on either side of the school day, which parents of primary school-aged children will be able to pay to access.

This programme will focus on primary school-aged children from reception to year 6, Monday to Friday during term time. The department’s expectation is that all wraparound provision is 8am-6pm, enabling parents to work a full day with travel time, unless data shows that local demand is for different hours, for example reflecting local labour market patterns.

Parents should expect to see an expansion in the availability of wraparound care from September 2024, with every parent who needs it able to access term-time wraparound childcare by September 2026.

David Johnston
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
28th Nov 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to provide (a) activities and (b) food support for children over school holiday periods.

The department has invested over £200 million every year since 2022 in free holiday club places for children from low-income families, through the Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) Programme, with all 153 local authorities in England delivering in the Easter, summer and Christmas holidays.

The HAF Programme supports disadvantaged children and their families with enriching activities, providing them with healthy food, helping them to learn new things, and improving socialisation.

While the Programme is targeted primarily towards children in receipt of benefits-related free school meals, local authorities also have flexibility to use up to 15% of their funding to target and support other children and families that align with the local authorities’ own priorities.

Since 2022, the HAF programme has provided 10.7 million HAF days to children and young people in this country. The expansion of the programme year-on-year has meant a total of 5.4 million HAF days provided between Christmas 2022, Easter and summer 2023. Based on reporting from local authorities, over 680,000 children and young people attended the holiday activities and food programme in the 2023 summer holidays, including over 5,900 children and young people from Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole.

Over Easter 2023, local authorities reported that over 394,000 children attended the programme across the country, of which over 4,400 young people attended from Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole.

Over Christmas 2022, local authorities reported over 315,000 children attended the programme across the country, of which 1,800 young people attended from Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole.

David Johnston
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
2nd Jun 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make it her policy to legislate for an additional statutory duty of care for students in higher education.

It is a departmental priority that students are provided with the mental health support they need so that everyone, regardless of the challenges they face, is given the opportunity to thrive.

The department understands the arguments for a statutory duty of care and shares the aims of those calling for this, which are to protect those who study at university and to prevent future tragedies. If creating a statutory duty of care in this space was the right way to achieve this, it would have the government’s full backing. However, the department believes creating such a duty for higher education (HE) providers is not the most effective way to improve outcomes for students.

Currently, a duty of care exists in common law as part of the law of negligence. This legal position is recognised in Universities UK guidance. The department is aware that the decision in Abrahart v. University of Bristol is being appealed in the High Court and will be monitoring this closely.

There are other relevant legal protections that already apply. The Equality Act 2010 imposes a duty on providers to make reasonable adjustments where students with a mental health disability would otherwise be put at a substantial disadvantage. Providers must also fully observe health and safety obligations and requirements to safeguard vulnerable adults, as well as contractual obligations.

There may be unintended consequences of legislating at this time. There is a risk that a one-size-fits-all prescriptive approach might stifle new and innovative practices, given there is no consensus yet on which interventions are most effective. While HE providers need to provide excellent pastoral services, we must be careful not to place a duty on them which requires them to provide services the NHS has more specialism in delivering.

The department believes there are more effective solutions to improve outcomes for students in the near term. Our approach is focussed on three pillars:

  • Funding and resourcing vital services
  • Spreading and implementing best practice
  • Clear responsibilities for providers and protection for students.

As part of the first pillar, the department has asked the Office for Students (OfS) to distribute £15 million this academic year so support can be targeted towards students who are starting university for the first time. This funding will also enable effective partnerships between providers and local NHS services so students can better navigate the pathways for mental health provision.

Through our second pillar, we are challenging the sector to deliver on supporting student mental health, including by setting a target for all eligible universities to sign up to the Mental Health Charter by September 2024. The department is confident the sector will rise to the challenge, having made great progress with the production of robust frameworks for best practice over recent years If we do not see a proactive and positive response from the sector, the department will not hesitate to ask the OfS to explore targeted regulation to protect student interests.

We have also made clear to the sector that we expect all relevant providers to follow broader best practice guidance shared with them by Universities UK and mental health experts.

Through work with the LEARN Network, the Student Support Champion Professor Edward Peck has identified areas for further improvement, which forms the third pillar of our approach. To deliver on this, Edward Peck will Chair a Higher Education Mental Health Implementation Taskforce, which will produce a plan for better early identification of students at risk, a University Student Commitment on dealing with students sensitively on disciplinary issues, and a set of clear targets for improvements in practice by providers. The Taskforce will include parent and students, mental health experts, and sector representatives. An interim plan is expected to be put in place later this year, with a final report to follow by May 2024.

The department wants to ensure all universities can learn from tragic instances of suicide by ensuring lessons are shared across the sector. A National Review of University Suicides will be commissioned, to be carried out by an independent organisation.

We owe it to our students to do even more to protect their mental health and wellbeing. This can only be achieved by the government, the sector, experts, parents, and students working together collectively towards this shared goal.

Robert Halfon
Minister of State (Education)
14th Apr 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has plans to fund British Sign Language classes for families with deaf children.

The department understands the great importance of British Sign Language (BSL) for bridging barriers to communication between hearing and deaf people. We also appreciate the vital need for families with deaf children to be able to access BSL courses, as early access to language is essential to help children learn and thrive.

Funding is available through the Adult Education Budget (AEB) for qualifications in or focussing on BSL, up to and including level 2. These qualifications include, for example, the Level 1 Award in BSL which allows learners to communicate in BSL on a range of topics that involve simple, everyday language use, thereby giving them the basic skills and confidence in production and reception of BSL. It will depend on an individual’s circumstances as to whether they are entitled to free provision or expected to meet part of the cost (through co-funding).

About 60% of the AEB has been devolved to Mayoral Combined Authorities and the Greater London Authority, who determine which provision to fund for learners who live in their areas. The Education and Skills Funding Agency provides the remaining funding for learners who live in non-devolved areas. Where community learning providers offer BSL courses, those providers are responsible for determining the course fees, including levels of fee remission.

For some BSL courses, Advanced Learner Loans (ALLs) are available, and parents can find more information about which qualifications are eligible here: https://www.qualifications.education.gov.uk/Search. More general information about the provision of ALLs is available at: https://www.gov.uk/advanced-learner-loan.

For parents learning BSL on an AEB funded course, there is also additional support available. The AEB provides funding to colleges and providers to help adult learners overcome barriers preventing them from accessing learning. Providers have discretion to help learners meet costs such as transport, accommodation, books, equipment, and childcare. Learning support funding also helps colleges and training providers to meet the additional needs of learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and the costs of reasonable adjustments, as set out in the Equality Act 2010.

Claire Coutinho
Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero
14th Apr 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to support parents of deaf children in Bournemouth East constituency.

The department recognises the importance of supporting parents of all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), including deaf children or those with a hearing impairment.

On 2 March 2023, the government published the SEND and Alternative Provision Improvement Plan in response to the Green Paper. The Improvement Plan outlines the department’s approach to building capacity to achieve the behaviours and culture required for the successful implementation of these policy reforms. These reforms will give families greater confidence that their child will be able to fulfil their potential through improved mainstream provision in their local setting.

For those children and young people with SEND who do require an education, health and care (EHC) plan and specialist provision, the department will ensure they get prompt access to the support they need, and that parents do not face an adversarial system to secure this.

We will strengthen accountability across the system so that everyone is held to account for supporting children and young people with SEND.

The department also works closely with Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole local authority to ensure that all children’s needs are met, including support with its written statement of action.

Claire Coutinho
Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero
22nd Mar 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when she plans to answer Question 165328 from the Rt Hon Member for Bournemouth East, tabled on 14 March for answer on 17 March.

I can confirm that a response to Question 165328 has been provided to the right hon. Member for Bournemouth East.

Claire Coutinho
Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero
14th Mar 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to support the provision of early years childcare in Bournemouth East constituency.

In the Spring Budget 2023, the government announced a number of transformative reforms to childcare for parents and children. This government will expect to be spending in excess of £8 billion every year on free hours and early education by 2027/28, helping working families with their childcare costs. This announcement represents the single biggest investment in childcare in England.

From September 2025, working parents will be able to access 30 hours of free childcare a week for 38 weeks a year, from the point their child is 9 months to when their child starts school. The department is ensuring a phased implementation of the expansion to the 30 hours offer to allow the market to develop the necessary capacity. We are working closely with the sector on the implementation of these reforms.

The government will also increase support for those parents on Universal Credit who face the highest childcare costs, by increasing the Universal Credit childcare cost maximum amount and providing support with childcare costs upfront rather than arrears.

The reforms announced build on the department’s current early education entitlements that the government offers, which includes a universal 15 hour offer for all 3 and 4-year-olds, a 15 hour offer for the most disadvantaged 2-year-olds, the existing 30 hours offer for 3 and 4-year-olds, Tax-Free Childcare, and Universal Credit Childcare.

My right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, also announced that the hourly rates for the entitlements will be substantially uplifted, on top of additional investments announced at the 2021 Spending Review and on 16 December 2022.

We will provide £204 million from September 2023, increasing to £288 million by 2024/25, or local authorities to further increase hourly funding rates to providers, with further uplifts to follow each year. This will include an average 30% increase in the national average 2-year-old hourly rate from September 2023 and means that the average hourly rate for 2-year-olds will rise from the current £6 per hour in 2023/24 to around £8 per hour. The average 3 and 4-year-old rate will rise in line with inflation to over £5.50 per hour from September 2023, with further uplifts beyond this.

This funding is in addition to the £4.1 billion that the government will provide by 2027/28 to facilitate the expansion of the new free hours offer.

The government is investing up to £180 million in a package of training, qualifications, expert guidance, and targeted support for the early years sector to support the learning and development of the youngest and most disadvantaged children.

Designed to support all areas of the early years sector, the Early Years Education Recovery Programme offers national programmes focusing on continuing professional development, with training on child development, communication and language, early maths and personal, social and emotional development, leadership of settings, supporting caregivers in their home learning environment, and speech and language skills of children in reception year.

The department will be providing additional funding for qualifications for graduate level specialist training leading to early years teacher status, accredited level 3 early years Special Educational Needs Co-ordinators qualification, and improving the Early Years level 3 qualification. We will also be providing support and guidance to early years settings through Stronger Practice Hubs and Experts and Mentors.

The department acknowledges that recruitment and retention are key issues for the early years sector. Supporting this workforce continues to be a priority for the department, and we are working proactively with the sector and local authorities to grow, develop, and support the workforce.

Claire Coutinho
Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero
15th Dec 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if the School Rebuilding Programme will include funding to any educational institutions in Bournemouth East constituency.

On 16 December 2022, the Department announced the next round of 239 schools to be included in the School Rebuilding Programme, prioritised on the basis of their condition. A list of these schools is available in the attached table.

Of the 400 schools selected so far, none are in Bournemouth East constituency. There are six schools in Bournemouth, Christchurch, and Poole Local Authorities.

2nd Sep 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent steps his Department has taken to support students' mental health following the outbreak of covid-19.

In the longer term, the department is offering all state schools and colleges a grant to train a senior mental health lead by 2025, enabling them to introduce effective, whole school approaches to mental health and wellbeing. Over 8,000 schools and colleges are already receiving grants and this year, we are providing an additional £10 million, so two thirds of state schools and colleges will have access to a grant by March 2023.

In further education, we are investing over £800 million across the next 3 academic years to fund an average of 40 additional learning hours for band 5 and T Level students in 16 to 19 education. The additional hours can be used to support areas, including mental health and wellbeing, where these are a barrier for students effectively accessing teaching and learning.

Whilst it is for higher education (HE) providers to determine what welfare and counselling services they need to provide to their students to offer that support, the government and the Office for Students (OfS) are proactive in funding and promoting effective practice in this area, ensuring that providers can access evidence to inform their approaches.

We have worked with the OfS and Student Minds to provide Student Space, which is designed to work alongside existing services, to bridge any gaps in support for students arising from the pandemic. Funded with up to £3.6 million by the OfS and the HE Funding Council Wales, Student Space has now received a funding commitment of £262,500 annually, for three years, to extend this provision of online mental health support to all students in England and Wales to 2026.

We have also asked the OfS to distribute £15 million of funding in the 2022/23 financial year to give additional support for transitions from school or college to university, and through targeting funding to support partnership working with NHS services to provide pathways of care for students.

In the Budget and Spending Review for 2021, the government announced £82 million to create a network of family hubs in 75 areas. This is part of a wider £302 million package to transform services for parents, carers, babies and children in half of council areas across England. The 75 local authorities eligible to receive the funding were announced on 2 April 2022. Information on support for vulnerable families can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/infants-children-and-families-to-benefit-from-boost-in-support.

2nd Sep 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department are taking to encourage schools to increase the number of pupils admitted on pupil premiums.

Admission arrangements are set and applied locally. Provided they are lawful and comply with the School Admissions Code, it is for the school’s admission authority to decide what admissions criteria to set, and how they are applied.

In 2014, the Code was revised to allow school admissions authorities to choose to prioritise children in receipt of pupil premium in their admissions oversubscription criteria. The Department published guidance for schools on how they can best use this criterion.

The recent School’s White Paper, ‘Opportunity for All’, made clear that trusts, as admission authorities, will be expected to act inclusively, providing the most vulnerable and disadvantaged children with the opportunity to attend the best schools.

2nd Sep 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if his Department will increase funding for schools and colleges in the context of rising inflation.

Schools and colleges will benefit from the Government’s Energy Price Guarantee, which commences on the 1 October 2022 and will be available until at least 31 March 2023. This will cap how much schools and colleges need to spend on their energy, giving greater certainty over their budgets over the winter months.

The Government is also providing schools with the largest cash boost in a decade. Following the 2021 Spending Review, core schools funding (including funding for both mainstream schools and high needs) will increase by £7 billion in 2024/25, compared to 2021/22. This includes a £4 billion increase in 2022/23 compared to the previous year which is a cash increase of 7% per pupil. A further £1.5 billion will be available in 2023/24.

The 2021 Spending Review has also made available an extra £1.6 billion for 16-19 education in the 2024/25 financial year, compared with financial year 2021/22.

The 2021 Spending Review announced a total of £19.4 billion of capital funding to support the education sector between 2022/23 and 2024/25. We are investing £6 billion in 2022/23, including £1.8 billion to help maintain and improve the condition of school buildings; over £700 million to create new places and improve facilities for children and young people with SEND or who require alternative provision; and nearly £530 million for new mainstream school places. In addition, we have announced £750 million to create new places and improve facilities for children and young people with SEND or who require alternative provision for 2024; and £940 million to create new mainstream school places needed for 2024 and 2025.

We are investing £2.8 billion of capital funding in skills over the Spending Review period, including funding to improve the condition of the further education college estate. This investment also provides funding for specialist equipment and facilities for T Levels, capital funding for more places for 16-19 year olds, and for Institutes of Technology.

Every school’s circumstances are different, and where schools are in serious financial difficulty, they should contact their local authority or the Education and Skills Funding Agency. Support for colleges is available from the Further Education Commissioner and the Education and Skills Funding Agency.

13th Jul 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to help improve post-18 education options for young people in the Bournemouth East constituency.

The department is continuing to invest in adult education for adults aged 19 and over, through the Adult Education Budget (AEB), which was £1.34 billion in each of the 2019/20, 2020/21, and 2021/22 academic years. The AEB fully funds or co-funds skills provision for eligible adults aged 19 and above, from pre-entry to level 3, to support adults to gain the skills they need for work, an apprenticeship, or further learning.

As part of the £2.5 billion National Skills Fund, Skills Bootcamps offer free, flexible courses of up to 16 weeks, giving people the opportunity to build up sector-specific skills and fast-track to an interview with an employer.

Eligible learners in Bournemouth aged 19 and over can also take advantage of the free level 3 courses for job offers. Over 400 qualifications are on offer, which have been identified for their strong wage outcomes and ability to meet key skills needs. A list of these qualifications can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/find-a-free-level-3-qualification/list-of-free-level-3-qualifications-available-to-eligible-adults.

Adults can also be supported to access qualifications not included in the free courses for jobs offer through Advanced Learner Loans. Advanced Learner Loans are income-contingent loans that provide extensive coverage of regulated level 3 to level 6 qualifications, helping to meet the up-front tuition fees.

The department also wants to see more people in Bournemouth benefit from apprenticeships that offer high-quality training and opportunities for progression. There are over 640 high-quality, employer-designed apprenticeship standards available in a variety of industries. To support the growth of apprenticeships across the country, we are increasing apprenticeships funding to £2.7 billion by 2024/25.

The department continues to work with employers and providers to develop traineeships that provide clear progression routes for 16 to 24-year-olds, providing an opportunity to further develop skills. These include English, maths, and digital skills, alongside work preparation training and a work placement. It also includes support to help them prepare for progression into an apprenticeship, or another job.

Bournemouth and Poole College is developing new post-18 options for adults and progressing younger students, including shorter higher education (HE) provision, which is more directly linked to immediate careers to support adults who might not normally engage with HE. Around two thirds of the college’s 1,900 apprentices are adults participating across a broad range of sectors. The college will be introducing two new apprenticeship programmes in 2023/24. It will also be creating new engagement and progression strands for under-skilled adults through its recent Strategic Development Fund for investing in electric vehicle charging point training.

7th Mar 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to support Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council in tackling fly-tipping.

The PM’s Anti-social Behaviour Action Plan sets out how we will help councils across the country take tougher action against those who fly-tip. Last year we raised the upper limit on the fixed penalty notices councils can issue for fly-tipping to £1,000 and from 1 April 2024 income from these penalties will be ringfenced for enforcement and clean-up specifically.

With the National Fly-Tipping Prevention Group, we are also developing a toolkit to help councils and others tackle fly-tipping. This includes guides on raising awareness of the household and business waste duty of care, presenting robust cases to court and setting up effective local partnerships. The toolkit, and other resources, are available at https://www.keepbritaintidy.org/national-fly-tipping-prevention-group.

We have also published a selection of case studies from projects which have received funding through our fly-tipping intervention grant scheme so that others can learn about those interventions which were most successful. These can be found at https://www.keepbritaintidy.org/fly-tipping-intervention-grant-scheme.

Robbie Moore
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
17th Jan 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what flood defence measures his Department is putting in place to help protect agriculture.

Farmers and land managers have an increasingly important role to play in reducing the risk of flooding and coastal erosion as we adapt to climate change, through measures such as natural flood management.

In addition to protecting homes, the flood investment programme also protects agricultural land. In our six-year record £5.2 billion floods investment programme, the amount of funding a project can attract will depend on the damage it will avoid and the benefits it will deliver. A project's impact on agricultural land is included as part of the funding calculator and attracts funding. Since 2015 we have protected over 900,000 acres of agricultural land. Approximately 40% of schemes, and 45% of investment, better protects properties in rural communities. Government assistance is sometimes provided in particularly exceptional circumstances. For example, on Saturday 6th January the Government announced farmers who have suffered uninsurable damage to their land as a result of Storm Henk will be able to apply grants of up to £25,000 through the Farming Recovery Fund towards reinstatement costs for farmers adversely affected by exceptional flooding.

There are also measures that benefit flood risk mitigation under all three components of the Environmental Land Management schemes. As announced on 4th January, farmers and other land managers will be paid for a variety of land management actions that support flood risk mitigation, including new actions to manage grasslands and arable land for flood resilience and updated actions to store flood water on agricultural land. These actions will be available from later this year, through a streamlined single application process. The first round of Landscape Recovery included a focus on restoring England’s streams and rivers: the selected projects will restore water bodies, rivers, and floodplains to a more natural state, reduce of nutrient pollution, benefit aquatic species, and improve flood mitigation and resilience to climate change. Many of the Landscape Recovery Round 2 projects that are centred around rivers are also aiming to deliver similar environmental outcomes, including flood mitigation.

Robbie Moore
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
8th Jan 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help flood affected areas in (a) Bournemouth East constituency and (b) the South West.

a) Bournemouth East is at risk of flooding from the sea, Christchurch Harbour, the River Stour and Surface Water. The Environment Agency and Bournemouth, Poole & Christchurch Council are working in partnership to ensure plans are in place to reduce the flood and coastal erosion risk both now and into the future taking account of climate change. Work is underway on the Lower Stour and Christchurch Bay Flood Risk Management Strategies. These strategies will inform future investment needed to both reduce flood risk and adapt to climate change. The Environment Agency and Bournemouth Christchurch and Poole Council are capturing information from recent flood events and will build this into their Strategies and future investment plans. Both organisations are also engaging with affected communities.

As part of the Government’s 6- year £5.2 billion (2021/22-2026/27) capital investment programme £22.7m of Flood Defence Grant in Aid (FDGiA) is being invested in Bournemouth East. This will better protect 3003 properties from flooding or coastal erosion. On the coast we are investing in the Bournemouth Beach Management Programme to reduce the risk of coastal erosion. Work is underway and includes groyne replacement, beach recharge, and redevelopment of the long groyne at Hengistbury Head.

Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole Council are developing surface water management plans that will identify high risk locations and measures necessary to reduce the risk of surface water flooding, these plans will take account of recent flooding.

b) Across the South West the Environment Agency and Local Authorities are similarly working with local communities to help them recover from flooding over the last few months.

The Flood and Coastal Risk Management capital programme (2021/22 – 2026/27) has planned FDGIA capital investment of £696m for the South West ONS region*. This investment is forecast to better protect around 21,300 properties from flooding and coastal erosion.

*Please note that allocations are reviewed each year and are subject to change, and numbers for properties better protected are forecasts which are also subject to change. Totals may not include projects that are cross-boundary across multiple ONS regions.

Robbie Moore
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
8th Jan 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help rural communities prepare for the impact of adverse weather.

The Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs works closely with departments and agencies across government, including partner agencies such as the Met Office and the Environment Agency (EA), to monitor the risk from flooding. The government funds a Flood Forecasting Centre which provides a daily five-day flood forecast and informs National and Local operational flood preparedness.

The Environment Agency (EA) provides operational response to flooding across England and is prepared to act wherever and whenever it is needed with 5,000 trained staff across the country ready to respond to flooding. The EA launched its annual Flood Action Campaign on 20 November 2023 to encourage people to prepare for flooding. This promotes the steps that people can take to protect themselves, their family and homes. Members of the public can sign up to receive free flood warnings from the EA to keep them aware of expected or ongoing flood risks to their local area.

Robbie Moore
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
5th Jan 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to support farmers with rising input costs.

The Government is supporting farmers through a range of measures. We are updating prices in our environmental land management schemes with an average 10% uplift. We are making Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) simpler, with more choice about what farmers can do and more actions made available, to better reflect the full spectrum of farming interests. What is more, 50 new actions are being added to our environmental land management schemes, many of which support food production, making it easier for the Government’s support to fit into farmers’ business plans. And specific actions in the SFI, such as different cropping systems, better plant management methods and other Nutrient Management and Integrated Pest Management actions, will support farmers in improving soil health, reducing their reliance on costly inputs.

We are also keen to support farmers through technology. Later this month, Defra will be inviting farmers to apply for share of an initial £15 million for innovations, like robotic mechanical weeding technology, that can be implemented right away. More grants will be launched this year to help farmers grow more, sell more and make their businesses more sustainable and resilient for the future. We will also look at ways to make grants and schemes even easier to access, including the potential to streamline the application process for schemes. Farmers can now apply for SFI and the Countryside Stewardship Mid-Tier through one single application, meaning they’ll have the same actions and get the same support with less paperwork.

More broadly, we are supporting British farmers in the marketplace. British farmers are rightly proud of producing food that meets and often exceeds our world leading animal welfare and environmental standards. And British consumers want to buy this top-quality food. This is why we will rapidly consult on clearer labelling, to protect farmers and consumers. We also want the public sector to procure more high quality, sustainable food produced by farmers, and Parliament has in fact recently passed legislation following our exit from the European Union which enables a greater emphasis on the public benefits of this public sector procurement. We will also update the government buying standards for food and catering to emphasise the importance of buying food with high environmental and welfare standards, which will further support British farmers and food producers.

Mark Spencer
Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
5th Jan 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the progress of the Sustainable Farming Incentive.

Over 8,500 farmers have applied to the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) and more than 6,000 agreement offers have been issued.

On 4 January updated payment rates were announced, with the average value of an SFI agreement increasing by 10%. Around 50 new paid-for actions will be added to the SFI and Countryside Stewardship schemes from summer 2024, giving farmers more choice and an offer for all farm types and locations.

From this summer, farmers will be able to apply for Countryside Stewardship Mid Tier and SFI actions through a single application process, making it easier for farmers and land managers to see what is available to them and access the funding in a more straightforward way.

Mark Spencer
Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
5th Jan 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to improve the quality of coastal water in Bournemouth.

The Dorset/Hampshire coastal waterbody extends from Portland Bill to the southern tip of the Isle of Wight. Its Water Framework regulations status overall is Good. It is considered ‘Probably At Risk’ due to alien species. The Environment Agency (EA) are taking no direct local action in this regard as global warming and shipping are the main risk factors.

Most bathing waters in the vicinity are classified as Excellent. Boscombe Pier bathing water is classified as Good. It was subject to an investigation by Wessex Water in the 2020 - 2025 investment round. This has been completed and no water company interventions were identified that would improve bathing water quality to a robust Excellent status.

There are a handful of storm overflows that discharge to Poole Bay. As a minimum, Wessex Water will be required to reduce spill frequencies to ensure at least Good bathing water quality at local beaches by 2035 under the requirements of the Environment Act. The EA have significantly driven up monitoring and transparency from water companies in recent years, so that everyone can see how often and for how long storm overflows are used. All the data is published online. The operation of local storm overflows are included in the Surfers Against Sewage “Safer Seas Service”. This site includes the Environment Agency Pollution Risk Forecast warnings. Further details of this service can be found at http://www.sas.org.uk/safer-seas-service/.

Robbie Moore
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
5th Dec 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to improve flood defences in (a) Bournemouth East constituency and (b) the South West.

a) In the Bournemouth East constituency, around £22m of Defra Flood Defence Grant in Aid (FDGiA) is planned to be invested between 2021 and 2027 to better protect around 3,000 properties from flooding and coastal erosion.

Work is already underway in the Bournemouth Beach Management Programme to reduce the risk of coastal erosion, and to develop Flood Risk Management strategies for the Lower Stour and Christchurch Bay. These strategies will inform future investment needed to both reduce flood risk and adapt to climate change.

Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole Council are developing surface water management plans that will identify high risk locations and measures necessary to reduce the risk of surface water flooding.

b) The Flood and Coastal Risk Management capital programme 2021-27 has planned FDGiA capital investment of around £700m* for the South West region. This investment is forecast to better protect around 21,300 properties from flooding and coastal erosion.

*Please note that allocations are reviewed each year and are subject to change, and numbers for properties better protected are forecasts which are also subject to change. Totals may not include projects that are cross-boundary across multiple regions.

Robbie Moore
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
28th Nov 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions his Department has had with local authorities on steps to improve air quality.

Defra officials have regular discussions with local authorities, including on local air quality management and supporting local action. The Joint Air Quality Unit works closely with local authorities in the NO2 Programme to develop and deliver Clean Air Plans to deliver compliance with legal NO2 limits in the shortest possible time.

The revised Air Quality Strategy published on 28 April 2023, provides a framework for local authorities to make best use of their powers in improving air quality for their communities. Building on the Strategy, in September of this year we held a national event for local authorities across England to promote the powers available to local authorities to improve air quality, raise the profile of air quality within local authorities and strengthen understanding of the impacts of air pollution.

Robbie Moore
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
30th Jan 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to fulfil the Government's manifesto pledge to ban the import of hunting trophies from endangered species.

HM Government has pledged to ban the imports of hunting trophies from thousands of species. We are committed to a ban that is among the strongest in the world and leads the way in protecting endangered animals. We are supporting the Private Member’s Bill led by the hon. Member for Crawley that will deliver this.

30th Jan 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to reduce sewage discharges in Bournemouth East constituency.

No Government has done more to tackle the issue of storm overflow discharges. Last year this Government launched The Storm Overflows Discharge Reduction Plan. This will require water companies to deliver their largest infrastructure programme in water company history – a £56 billion capital investment over 25 years.

We are taking action now. Between 2020 and 2025 water companies are investing £3.1 billion in storm overflow improvements. Wessex water are investing in a series of programme (2020-2025) for the Bournemouth East constituency. This includes installations of monitoring at 37 intermittent discharges, investment at sewage treatment works to reduce chemical contamination, alongside schemes to increase storm storage at Sewage Treatment Works and increase the amount of treated flow. There are also investigations to improve quality of surface water overflows and spill reduction schemes – one of which protects bathing waters specifically.

Rebecca Pow
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
19th Jul 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent steps his Department has taken to (a) reduce incineration and (b) promote recycling.

Through both our Resources & Waste Strategy and landmark Environment Act, we will transform our waste system.

We recently consulted on a statutory target, required under the Environment Act 2021, to cut residual waste (excluding major mineral waste) per person by 50% by 2042. It is proposed that this will be measured as a reduction from 2019 levels, estimated to be approximately 560 kg per capita. To meet this target we will drive down the amount of waste we produce, that sent for disposal and recovery (including incineration), and encourage re-use and recycling

To promote recycling, we are introducing consistent recycling collections across England, creating a deposit return scheme for drinks containers and introducing extended producer responsibility for packaging to ensure that packaging producers cover the cost of recycling and disposing of their packaging.

These reforms will reduce confusion around recycling, provide higher quality recyclate for reprocessors, increase recycling rates and reduce unnecessary and difficult-to-recycle packaging. Through these measures, our ambition is to reach a municipal waste recycling rate of 65% by 2035.

19th Jul 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to (a) reduce littering offences and (b) protect coastal areas from litter.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 25 July 2022 to PQ 38548.

19th Jul 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to protect coastal areas from litter.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 25 July 2022 to PQ 38548.