Tom Gordon Portrait

Tom Gordon

Liberal Democrat - Harrogate and Knaresborough

8,238 (15.8%) majority - 2024 General Election

First elected: 4th July 2024



Division Voting information

During the current Parliament, Tom Gordon has voted in 326 divisions, and 5 times against the majority of their Party.

25 Mar 2025 - Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill (Twenty-ninth sitting) - View Vote Context
Tom Gordon voted No - against a party majority and against the House
One of 1 Liberal Democrat No votes vs 2 Liberal Democrat Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 12 Noes - 11
25 Mar 2025 - Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill (Twenty-ninth sitting) - View Vote Context
Tom Gordon voted No - against a party majority and against the House
One of 1 Liberal Democrat No votes vs 2 Liberal Democrat Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 22 Noes - 1
2 Jul 2025 - Prevention and Suppression of Terrorism - View Vote Context
Tom Gordon voted No - against a party majority - in line with the party majority and against the House
One of 6 Liberal Democrat No votes vs 6 Liberal Democrat Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 385 Noes - 26
9 Jul 2025 - Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill - View Vote Context
Tom Gordon voted No - against a party majority - in line with the party majority and in line with the House
One of 2 Liberal Democrat No votes vs 2 Liberal Democrat Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 35 Noes - 469
3 Sep 2025 - Property Taxes - View Vote Context
Tom Gordon voted No - against a party majority - in line with the party majority and in line with the House
One of 1 Liberal Democrat No votes vs 1 Liberal Democrat Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 98 Noes - 335
View All Tom Gordon Division Votes

Debates during the 2024 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
Lucy Powell (Labour (Co-op))
(30 debate interactions)
Stephen Kinnock (Labour)
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
(12 debate interactions)
Naz Shah (Labour)
(11 debate interactions)
View All Sparring Partners
Department Debates
Ministry of Justice
(31 debate contributions)
Department of Health and Social Care
(30 debate contributions)
Department for Education
(30 debate contributions)
Department for Transport
(29 debate contributions)
View All Department Debates
Legislation Debates
Bus Services Act 2025
(712 words contributed)
View All Legislation Debates
View all Tom Gordon's debates

Harrogate and Knaresborough 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

Support in education is a vital legal right of children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). We ask the government to commit to maintaining the existing law, so that vulnerable children with SEND can access education and achieve their potential.

I believe joining the EU would boost the economy, increase global influence, improve collaboration and provide stability & freedom. I believe that Brexit hasn't brought any tangible benefit and there is no future prospect of any, that the UK has changed its mind and that this should be recognised.

We believe social media companies should be banned from letting children under 16 create social media accounts.


Latest EDMs signed by Tom Gordon

25th June 2025
Tom Gordon signed this EDM on Tuesday 28th October 2025

Naloxone

Tabled by: Adam Dance (Liberal Democrat - Yeovil)
That this House recognises the importance of naloxone as a lifesaving medication that temporarily reverses the effects of an opioid overdose; expresses alarm at the broad rise of deaths involving opioids in recent years; acknowledges that an addiction to drugs is not a lifestyle choice, nor a moral flaw, but …
63 signatures
(Most recent: 28 Oct 2025)
Signatures by party:
Liberal Democrat: 42
Labour: 8
Scottish National Party: 4
Independent: 3
Green Party: 2
Democratic Unionist Party: 2
Ulster Unionist Party: 1
Social Democratic & Labour Party: 1
Alliance: 1
20th October 2025
Tom Gordon signed this EDM on Tuesday 21st October 2025

Council elections in areas pursuing devolution reform

Tabled by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
That this House notes with deep concern reports that elections in council areas included in the Government’s devolution priority programme, including in Surrey, may be delayed for a second consecutive year; further notes that such a delay would extend the terms of sitting county councillors beyond their democratic mandate, thereby …
26 signatures
(Most recent: 28 Oct 2025)
Signatures by party:
Liberal Democrat: 22
Independent: 2
Democratic Unionist Party: 1
Green Party: 1
View All Tom Gordon's signed Early Day Motions

Commons initiatives

These initiatives were driven by Tom Gordon, 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.


Tom Gordon has not been granted any Urgent Questions

3 Adjournment Debates led by Tom Gordon

Thursday 10th July 2025
Thursday 3rd April 2025
Friday 6th December 2024

Tom Gordon has not introduced any legislation before Parliament

1 Bill co-sponsored by Tom Gordon

Youth Mobility Scheme (EU Countries) Bill 2024-26
Sponsor - James MacCleary (LD)


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
6th Mar 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of bringing forward legislative proposals to protect delivery drivers from exploitative working practices.

Our Plan to Make Work Pay represents the biggest upgrade of workers' rights in a generation.

The Government does not condone the exploitation of workers in any form and we are committed to strengthening protections for workers. Individuals' entitlement to employment rights is determined by their employment status. Delivery drivers can fall under any one of the three statuses: employee, limb (b) worker, or self-employed.

This Government recognises the complexity of the current employment status framework and we remain committed to reviewing it.

6th Mar 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what recent discussions he has had with delivery firms on ensuring that delivery drivers are adequately compensated.

This Government believes that hard work deserves fair pay and is determined to deliver a genuine living wage for all that takes account the impact on business, competitiveness, the labour market, the wider economy and the cost of living.

Our Ministers value feedback received from businesses across the country, details of the meetings held by Ministers of the Department for Business and Trade and its predecessor the Department for International trade are available on transparency pages of gov.uk and are released as part of the Government's transparency agenda.

10th Jun 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his Department plans to take steps to help reduce variations in fuel prices between regions.

The Government will implement Fuel Finder, a statutory open data scheme for fuel prices, to increase price transparency and help drivers make more informed decisions on where to buy petrol and diesel. This will increase pressure on retailers to compete strongly to attract consumers by lowering prices. Subject to legislation and Parliamentary time, we aim to launch Fuel Finder by the end of 2025.

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) received statutory information gathering powers on 1 January 2025 through the Digital Markets, Competition & Consumer Act 2024 so it can monitor and scrutinise fuel prices. Once launched, Fuel Finder will provide the CMA with the appropriate data to adequately consider issues such as regional pricing variations.

Miatta Fahnbulleh
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
10th Jun 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what information his Department holds on when the Competition and Markets Authority plans to publish its assessment of regional road fuel pricing.

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) addressed variation in regional road fuel pricing as part of their Road Fuel Market Study which was published in July 2023. The CMA published its latest report on 31 March 2025 and plans to release a more comprehensive report in the future, which will focus extensively on regional pricing differences.

Miatta Fahnbulleh
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
10th Jun 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether he is taking steps to help increase (a) competition and (b) the transparency of road fuel pricing.

The Government will implement Fuel Finder, a statutory open data scheme for fuel prices, to increase price transparency and help drivers make more informed decisions on where to buy petrol and diesel. This will increase pressure on retailers to compete strongly to attract consumers by lowering prices. Subject to legislation and Parliamentary time, we aim to launch Fuel Finder by the end of 2025.

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) received statutory information gathering powers on 1 January 2025 through the Digital Markets, Competition & Consumer Act 2024 so it can monitor and scrutinise fuel prices. Once launched, Fuel Finder will provide the CMA with the appropriate data to adequately consider issues such as regional pricing variations.

Miatta Fahnbulleh
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
2nd Dec 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether he will take steps to provide redress to people whose (a) property values or (b) access to mortgage finance has been impacted by spray foam insulation installed using a Green Homes Grant Voucher.

The Department has worked with the insulation industry and lending community to address concerns relating to spray foam. Protocols were published in March 2023 to support surveyors to assess spray foam, provide reassurance to lenders, and inform consumers.

While the Department cannot comment on the decisions made by individual lenders, the presence of spray foam should not automatically prevent lending. Decisions should be made on a case-by-case basis following a survey. Recent indications are that most mortgage lenders no longer have blanket policies on spray foam insulation.

Any borrower seeking to take out a mortgage may find it useful to shop around and speak to a mortgage broker to find the best possible product for them.

Miatta Fahnbulleh
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
2nd Dec 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what proportion of complaints to the Trustmark scheme in relation to the Green Homes Grant scheme have been upheld; how much compensation has been paid to Green Homes Grant recipients due to upheld complaints to the Trustmark scheme in total; and how many Green Homes Grant recipients have since received compensation due to an upheld complaint.

The department does not hold the Trustmark complaint data regarding the Green Homes Grant Voucher Scheme.

Miatta Fahnbulleh
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
2nd Dec 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the (a) voucher approval, (b) issuance and (c) payment processes for the Green Homes Grant.

An evaluation of the Green Homes Grant Voucher Scheme was published in November 2023 under the previous Government. It can be found on GOV.UK: www.gov.uk/government/publications/green-homes-grant-voucher-scheme-evaluation.

Further evaluation of the scheme will support the delivery of future schemes under the Warm Homes Plan, which will be upgrading up to 300,000 homes next year alone.

Miatta Fahnbulleh
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
2nd Dec 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department has taken to (a) identify and (b) notify people who may have had spray foam installed through a Green Homes Grant about (i) potential damage caused by spray foam to their property and (ii) the potential impact of spray foam installation on their ability to secure a mortgage.

The Green Homes Grant Voucher Scheme required that consumers seek advice from a suitably qualified TrustMark registered installer before they applied for a voucher. It also required that installations meet Publicly Available Standard (PAS) 2035.

If a homeowner believes that any installation work carried out in their home under a government scheme is faulty, they should first contact the installer. The TrustMark website contains further guidance on steps consumers can take if things go wrong (https://www.trustmark.org.uk/homeowners/if-things-go-wrong). If a product has been installed to the standard it should not require removal.

A surveyor should be able to use the published inspection protocol (https://www.property-care.org/resources/spray-foam-insulation-inspections) to make an assessment as part of the mortgage lending process.

Miatta Fahnbulleh
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
12th Sep 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking to support the development of off-grid energy infrastructure.

We are taking a strategically planned approach to build a larger, modern and efficient energy grid. We will use a holistic design coordinating and balancing on and off grid infrastructure.

Support is currently available for off-grid households which provides energy efficiency upgrades and low-carbon heating measures to low-income households.

Our Warm Homes Plan will go further to transform homes across the country.

Michael Shanks
Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
14th Oct 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what progress her Department has made on implementing the reforms outlined in the white paper entitled High stakes: gambling reform for the digital age, published in April 2023; and what her planned timeline is for the full implementation of the proposals.

We are committed to reviewing the best available evidence from a wide range of sources and working with all stakeholders in order to support the sector and ensure there are robust protections in place to protect those at risk. We will provide further updates to the House soon.

The Gambling Commission is responsible for the implementation of a number of the regulatory reforms set out in the white paper, such as introducing new regulations to make online games safer and financial vulnerability checks aimed at reducing cases of unaffordable losses. It has consulted on and implemented the majority of these reforms.

Stephanie Peacock
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
16th Sep 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, on what date she decided to reduce the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund fair access limit to £3,000 in 2025-26.

The decision to set the adoption and special guardianship support fund (ASGSF) fair access limit at £3,000 for 2025/26 was taken as part of departmental business planning decisions in the spring, following the announcement to Parliament on 1 April that the ASGSF would be continuing into 2025/26.

Josh MacAlister
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
8th Apr 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will introduce a statutory definition of restraint in the context of education.

​The government recognises that the misuse of reasonable force and restrictive interventions can have a significant and long-lasting effect on pupils, staff members and parents.

The department is currently consulting on revisions to the ‘Use of reasonable force’ guidance, published in 2013. The consultation is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/use-of-reasonable-force-and-other-restrictive-interventions-guidance-proposed-amendments. The revised guidance will provide advice for schools on creating environments that minimise the use of reasonable force and restrictive interventions, and, where necessary, support staff to use reasonable force and restrictive interventions safely, appropriately and within the law.

The revised draft guidance defines reasonable force and other restrictive interventions, and outlines the general risks associated with their use. This approach ensures that the guidance can be applied regardless of specific terminology that a school may use and allows school staff to confidently apply the advice in order to minimise the use of restrictive practices.

The department recognises the importance of recording and reporting the use of force. This is why we will be enacting Section 93a of the Education and Inspections Act 2006, making recording and reporting incidents of reasonable force to parents a legal duty. This will be enacted to coincide with the publication of the updated ‘Use of reasonable force’ guidance, to ensure that schools have adequate advice on how they should be recording and reporting any incidents where reasonable force, including restrictive interventions, is used.

Stephen Morgan
Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
8th Apr 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will introduce a statutory duty on all educational settings to record and report each incident of physical restraint to parents and relevant authorities.

​The government recognises that the misuse of reasonable force and restrictive interventions can have a significant and long-lasting effect on pupils, staff members and parents.

The department is currently consulting on revisions to the ‘Use of reasonable force’ guidance, published in 2013. The consultation is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/use-of-reasonable-force-and-other-restrictive-interventions-guidance-proposed-amendments. The revised guidance will provide advice for schools on creating environments that minimise the use of reasonable force and restrictive interventions, and, where necessary, support staff to use reasonable force and restrictive interventions safely, appropriately and within the law.

The revised draft guidance defines reasonable force and other restrictive interventions, and outlines the general risks associated with their use. This approach ensures that the guidance can be applied regardless of specific terminology that a school may use and allows school staff to confidently apply the advice in order to minimise the use of restrictive practices.

The department recognises the importance of recording and reporting the use of force. This is why we will be enacting Section 93a of the Education and Inspections Act 2006, making recording and reporting incidents of reasonable force to parents a legal duty. This will be enacted to coincide with the publication of the updated ‘Use of reasonable force’ guidance, to ensure that schools have adequate advice on how they should be recording and reporting any incidents where reasonable force, including restrictive interventions, is used.

Stephen Morgan
Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
27th Mar 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what information her Department holds on the number of families that have experienced adoption breakdown in the last 12 months.

The department does not collect information centrally on families that have experienced adoptions that break down.

The department publishes information on whether children starting to be looked after in any given year were known to have been previously adopted. The latest information available relates to the year ending 31 March 2024 and is in the table ‘CLA starting during the year by characteristics – National’ of the ‘Children looked after in England’ statistical release which can be found at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/92f77d0d-7e95-45a1-f1db-08dd5cc661f7. This includes information on any known previous permanence arrangement for a child starting to be looked after.

Information for the year ending 31 March 2025 will be published in autumn 2025.

26th Mar 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure that local authorities provide sufficient support for foster carers.

​As part of my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer’s Transformation Fund announced in the Spring Statement and building on the £15 million investment in the Autumn Budget 2024, the department will provide an additional £25 million over two years, beginning in the 2026/27 and 2027/28 financial years, for foster care as part of Children’s Social Care Reform. We expect this funding to help recruit an additional 400 fostering families, provide better peer to peer support for foster carers, and ensure more children in care have stability through ensuring a foster care placement is available to them when needed.

​Currently, there are ten fostering regional programmes active across England, collaborating with 64% of all local authorities to recruit, retain and support foster carers. The department plans to move towards full national roll-out in the next financial year. This supports retention and support for carers through the recruitment of short break foster carers, who provide high quality care for children while their usual foster carers take a break.

This programme also includes an expansion of ‘The Mockingbird Family Model’, an innovative evidence-based approach involving six to ten families grouped into a constellation around a hub home carer. Mockingbird includes peer support, respite and training. It was found to substantially improve retention by an independent evaluation, which showed that participating households were 82% less likely to deregister than households who did not participate.

The department also funds Fosterline, a free independent source of advice and support to current and prospective carers.

To improve retention, the department is also acting on areas that matter to foster carers. The allegations process is a key contributor to high levels of foster carer deregistration, and the department is committed to improving practice and guidance in this area. The department has also begun conversations with the sector about proposed changes to delegated authority, ensuring that all foster carers have delegated authority by default in relation to day-to-day parenting of the child in their care.

Financial support plays a role in retaining and supporting foster carers. The National Minimum Allowance (NMA) was introduced by the Labour government in 2007 and has kept pace with inflation over time. Current levels of the NMA have been uplifted by 3.55% for the 2025/2026 financial year and can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/support-for-foster-parents/help-with-the-cost-of-fostering.

Finally, we encourage fostering services to adopt the Fostering Network’s ‘Foster Carer Charter’, which sets out clear principles of what support should be available to foster carers.

Regarding ‘unsuccessful’ placements, the department publishes statistics for children looked after in England only, not Wales. Statistics for other countries in the UK are the responsibility of the devolved administrations.

The department does not collect information on whether placements for children looked after were successful or not. These placements can end for a wide range of reasons and there is no specific category recorded as an ‘unsuccessful placement’.

The latest information on the main reason for placement changes during the 2023/24 reporting year is published in the ‘Children looked after in England’ statistical release at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/c3ae926d-83e8-4ec9-3213-08dd6b9d125f.

26th Mar 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to help retain foster carers.

​As part of my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer’s Transformation Fund announced in the Spring Statement and building on the £15 million investment in the Autumn Budget 2024, the department will provide an additional £25 million over two years, beginning in the 2026/27 and 2027/28 financial years, for foster care as part of Children’s Social Care Reform. We expect this funding to help recruit an additional 400 fostering families, provide better peer to peer support for foster carers, and ensure more children in care have stability through ensuring a foster care placement is available to them when needed.

​Currently, there are ten fostering regional programmes active across England, collaborating with 64% of all local authorities to recruit, retain and support foster carers. The department plans to move towards full national roll-out in the next financial year. This supports retention and support for carers through the recruitment of short break foster carers, who provide high quality care for children while their usual foster carers take a break.

This programme also includes an expansion of ‘The Mockingbird Family Model’, an innovative evidence-based approach involving six to ten families grouped into a constellation around a hub home carer. Mockingbird includes peer support, respite and training. It was found to substantially improve retention by an independent evaluation, which showed that participating households were 82% less likely to deregister than households who did not participate.

The department also funds Fosterline, a free independent source of advice and support to current and prospective carers.

To improve retention, the department is also acting on areas that matter to foster carers. The allegations process is a key contributor to high levels of foster carer deregistration, and the department is committed to improving practice and guidance in this area. The department has also begun conversations with the sector about proposed changes to delegated authority, ensuring that all foster carers have delegated authority by default in relation to day-to-day parenting of the child in their care.

Financial support plays a role in retaining and supporting foster carers. The National Minimum Allowance (NMA) was introduced by the Labour government in 2007 and has kept pace with inflation over time. Current levels of the NMA have been uplifted by 3.55% for the 2025/2026 financial year and can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/support-for-foster-parents/help-with-the-cost-of-fostering.

Finally, we encourage fostering services to adopt the Fostering Network’s ‘Foster Carer Charter’, which sets out clear principles of what support should be available to foster carers.

Regarding ‘unsuccessful’ placements, the department publishes statistics for children looked after in England only, not Wales. Statistics for other countries in the UK are the responsibility of the devolved administrations.

The department does not collect information on whether placements for children looked after were successful or not. These placements can end for a wide range of reasons and there is no specific category recorded as an ‘unsuccessful placement’.

The latest information on the main reason for placement changes during the 2023/24 reporting year is published in the ‘Children looked after in England’ statistical release at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/c3ae926d-83e8-4ec9-3213-08dd6b9d125f.

26th Mar 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to tackle adoption breakdown.

The department has provided funding of £9 million in this financial year to Adoption England to improve adoption services in Regional Adoption Agencies (RAAs).

This includes £3 million of funding to develop more Centres of Excellence as multidisciplinary teams across the country to provide specialist and therapeutic support to families and the development of national standards for adoption support. It also includes a new framework for an early support core offer, ‘Becoming a Family’, for the first twelve to eighteen months of placement and an Adoption Support Plan to guide assessments of a family’s support needs. All are designed to improve support and reduce the risk of an adoption breakdown.

Adoption England are also planning work to develop a national protocol on how children’s services, front door services and adoption support teams work together to better support families at risk of adoption disruption.

Adoption England and RAAs work closely with adopters on all of their projects to improve adoption support services. This includes considering the latest evidence of why adoption disruptions have occurred in their agencies and across the country.

Since its inception in 2015, the department has provided over £400 million through the adoption and special guardianship support fund (ASGSF) to provide therapeutic interventions for around 52,700 children who have left care under an adoption, special guardianship or child arrangements order. The interventions are designed to help children and their families to deal with their trauma and attachment difficulties and have been independently assessed to have helped prevent adoption breakdowns. ASGSF funding for the next financial year is currently subject to business planning discussions and an announcement will be made shortly.

12th Mar 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she collects data on the number of post adoption (a) disruptions and (b) breakdowns in England.

I refer the hon. Member for Harrogate and Knaresborough to the answer of 28 March 2025 to Question 37457.

21st Jan 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of school buildings.

Ensuring schools and colleges have the resources and buildings they need is a key part of our mission to break down barriers to opportunity and give every young person the best start in life.

Responsibility for keeping school buildings safe and well-maintained lies with the institutions and their responsible bodies - typically local authorities, academy trusts or voluntary aided school bodies. We support them by providing capital funding, delivering major rebuilding programmes and offering guidance and support.

Where the department is notified of a significant safety issue with a building that cannot be managed independently, the department considers additional advice and support on a case-by-case basis.

The department is working with expert groups, technical advisors and stakeholders to ensure we have an up-to-date understanding of future issues that could present themselves as the school and college estate ages. In addition to the ongoing Condition Data Collection 2, we have commissioned new research due to complete by spring 2026 which includes data analysis and field-work, with some in-depth surveys to better understand the performance of post-war education buildings.

At the Autumn Budget 2024, this government increased capital allocations to improve the condition of school buildings to £2.1 billion for 2025/26. This is £300 million more than this financial year. This is on top of targeted support for RAAC. This is part of £6.7 billion in capital overall for education in 2025/26.

We have committed £1.4 billion next year to support the current School Rebuilding Programme, which is rebuilding or significantly refurbishing buildings at 518 schools and sixth form colleges across England, prioritised on condition and safety.

We are committed to improving the condition of the estate through the department’s annual funding, the continuing School Rebuilding Programme and by fixing the problem of RAAC.

Stephen Morgan
Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
11th Dec 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the average pupil-to-teacher ratio is in (a) Harrogate and Knaresborough constituency, (b) North Yorkshire and (c) nationally.

Information on the school workforce, including the pupil to adult and pupil to teacher ratios at national, regional, local authority, parliamentary constituency (prior to 2023 boundary changes) and individual school level, is published in the ‘School workforce in England’ statistical publication, which is available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-workforce-in-england.

In the 2023/24 academic year, which is the latest data available, the ratio of pupils to teachers (qualified and unqualified) in state-funded schools was 19.2 in Harrogate and Knaresborough constituency (2024 boundary), 18.0 in North Yorkshire local authority and 18.1 nationally in England.

10th Sep 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of extending the funding period for the Harrogate College rebuild.

The Harrogate College project was awarded funding from the further education capital transformation fund (FE CTF), and the college capital loans scheme (CCLS), to improve the condition of the building. Under the terms of the FE CTF grant, projects needed to be completed by December 2024, and for the loan, final drawdowns were required by March 2025. We understand that the project will now not be able to meet these terms due to unforeseen planning delays.

The department’s capital funding for the 2025/26 financial year will be confirmed at the 30 October Budget. Capital funding beyond this period is subject to a multi-year spending review which will conclude in spring 2025.

Payment of grant and drawdown of loan funding is done in arrears, based on evidence of spend submitted by the college, so disbursement of the funding to colleges awarded grants through the FE CTF or loans through the CCLS does not begin until works start on their capital projects.

All bids to the FE CTF were assessed against a range of criteria, including whether they would support delivery of both national and local skills priorities, aligning with the local skills improvement plans.

Departmental officials have regular discussions with Luminate Education Group about their capital projects, including Harrogate College, to keep the department appraised of developments.

Stephen Morgan
Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
10th Sep 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what her planned timescale is for disbursing funding allocated to Harrogate College for the rebuild project.

The Harrogate College project was awarded funding from the further education capital transformation fund (FE CTF), and the college capital loans scheme (CCLS), to improve the condition of the building. Under the terms of the FE CTF grant, projects needed to be completed by December 2024, and for the loan, final drawdowns were required by March 2025. We understand that the project will now not be able to meet these terms due to unforeseen planning delays.

The department’s capital funding for the 2025/26 financial year will be confirmed at the 30 October Budget. Capital funding beyond this period is subject to a multi-year spending review which will conclude in spring 2025.

Payment of grant and drawdown of loan funding is done in arrears, based on evidence of spend submitted by the college, so disbursement of the funding to colleges awarded grants through the FE CTF or loans through the CCLS does not begin until works start on their capital projects.

All bids to the FE CTF were assessed against a range of criteria, including whether they would support delivery of both national and local skills priorities, aligning with the local skills improvement plans.

Departmental officials have regular discussions with Luminate Education Group about their capital projects, including Harrogate College, to keep the department appraised of developments.

Stephen Morgan
Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
10th Sep 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if her Department will make an assessment of the potential impact of the Harrogate College rebuild on (a) skills development and (b) local employment opportunities.

The Harrogate College project was awarded funding from the further education capital transformation fund (FE CTF), and the college capital loans scheme (CCLS), to improve the condition of the building. Under the terms of the FE CTF grant, projects needed to be completed by December 2024, and for the loan, final drawdowns were required by March 2025. We understand that the project will now not be able to meet these terms due to unforeseen planning delays.

The department’s capital funding for the 2025/26 financial year will be confirmed at the 30 October Budget. Capital funding beyond this period is subject to a multi-year spending review which will conclude in spring 2025.

Payment of grant and drawdown of loan funding is done in arrears, based on evidence of spend submitted by the college, so disbursement of the funding to colleges awarded grants through the FE CTF or loans through the CCLS does not begin until works start on their capital projects.

All bids to the FE CTF were assessed against a range of criteria, including whether they would support delivery of both national and local skills priorities, aligning with the local skills improvement plans.

Departmental officials have regular discussions with Luminate Education Group about their capital projects, including Harrogate College, to keep the department appraised of developments.

Stephen Morgan
Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
10th Sep 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions she has had with (a) local authorities and (b) other stakeholders on delays to the Harrogate College rebuild, in the context of the ongoing judicial review in relation to the planning application for that project.

The Harrogate College project was awarded funding from the further education capital transformation fund (FE CTF), and the college capital loans scheme (CCLS), to improve the condition of the building. Under the terms of the FE CTF grant, projects needed to be completed by December 2024, and for the loan, final drawdowns were required by March 2025. We understand that the project will now not be able to meet these terms due to unforeseen planning delays.

The department’s capital funding for the 2025/26 financial year will be confirmed at the 30 October Budget. Capital funding beyond this period is subject to a multi-year spending review which will conclude in spring 2025.

Payment of grant and drawdown of loan funding is done in arrears, based on evidence of spend submitted by the college, so disbursement of the funding to colleges awarded grants through the FE CTF or loans through the CCLS does not begin until works start on their capital projects.

All bids to the FE CTF were assessed against a range of criteria, including whether they would support delivery of both national and local skills priorities, aligning with the local skills improvement plans.

Departmental officials have regular discussions with Luminate Education Group about their capital projects, including Harrogate College, to keep the department appraised of developments.

Stephen Morgan
Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
26th Jul 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how she plans to work with (a) colleges and (b) employers to ensure that there are sufficient high-quality placements for T Level study programmes.

This government believes all young people and adults should have access to high-quality training that meets their needs and provides them with opportunities to thrive. T Levels are high-quality qualifications which provide young people with a firm foundation for their future. The industry placement of at least 315 hours (approximately 45 days) is a key part of T Levels and helps open the door into skilled employment, further study or a higher apprenticeship.

The department provides a programme of support for colleges and other T Level providers to help them to deliver high quality industry placements. This includes workshops, webinars, continuing professional development support and online guidance. Providers also receive £550 per industry placement student as part of their wider 16 to 19 funding allocation to support the costs of sourcing and setting up industry placements. Providers are also able to use their 16 to 19 bursary funding to support disadvantaged students to access placements.

The department is working to raise awareness of T Levels amongst employers, and the benefits of industry placements to their organisations’ talent pipelines. The department has launched the new Skills for Life “It all starts with skills” campaign. This national campaign underpins its activities to raise awareness of T Levels, with TV and cinema advertising tailored to young people and employers, alongside billboards and posters. The department also offers guidance, workshops and webinars to help employers understand the benefits of offering placements and how to do this successfully. Over 600 members of the T Level Ambassadors Network work across the country in their industries to champion T Levels and placements, via events, webinars and social media.

More information on the support available can be found at: https://support.tlevels.gov.uk/hc/en-gb and: https://employers.tlevels.gov.uk/hc/en-gb.

30th May 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many additional surveillance sites are being introduced under the Vector-Borne RADAR programme following the detection of West Nile Virus fragments.

The Vector-Borne RADAR programme includes a project run by UKHSA’s Medical Entomology and Zoonoses Ecology team undertaking country-wide surveillance for mosquitos in 2025. Pools of any female mosquitos collected will be tested for several potential mosquito-vectored viruses. The sites being surveilled are suitable mosquito breeding sites. In 2024, mosquito traps were successfully deployed in almost all 50 km2 grids across England, collecting nearly 1,000 individuals across 71 sites.

30th May 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of climate change on the range of mosquito-borne diseases in the UK.

Defra funds, with UKRI, a large research consortium looking at the effects of climate change on mosquito-borne diseases in the UK. This programme includes the Vector-Borne disease RADAR programme, but there are other equally important vector borne diseases we also accept will be impacted by changes in our climate.

Risk assessments undertaken by the Human Animal Infections and Risk Surveillance group, for mosquito-borne diseases consider the likely changes with climate change.

11th Dec 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many incidents of flooding have been reported in (a) Harrogate and Knaresborough constituency and (b) North Yorkshire in the last 12 months.

The Government inherited flood assets in their worst condition on record following years of underinvestment by the previous Government – 92.1% of the Environment Agency’s 38,000 high consequence assets are currently at required condition

Lead Local Flood Authorities undertake formal investigations after significant floods and produce Section 19 reports, which include the number of properties affected. Not all floods require a Section 19 investigation. Criteria for investigation include the number of properties internally flooded, nature of flooding, frequency of flooding, and critical infrastructure affected.

Over the last year, there have been three periods when areas of North Yorkshire have experienced significant or prolonged flooding, including one in Harrogate and Knaresborough constituency. North Yorkshire Council has 125 recorded reports of flooding since January 2024, over 50 of those in Knaresborough. Knaresborough experienced significant surface water flooding in May 2024, with over 50 homes and businesses affected.

Last winter, York and parts of North Yorkshire were affected by continued high river levels following prolonged wet weather and storms. Although widespread flooding was largely avoided, lower lying areas and communities were impacted. Storm Darragh recently affected communities in Derwent and Rye catchments in North Yorkshire, with 30-40 properties flooded. Villages such as Kirkby Mills, Kirkbymoorside and Marton were affected.

Emma Hardy
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
2nd Sep 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make it her policy to start building a third track between York and Skelton Junction during this Parliament.

The Department has worked extensively with Network Rail and stakeholders on development and design of a scheme to deliver a third line between York North Throat and Skelton Junction. As the broader strategic benefits of the project would only be realised as part of a wider package of investment on the East Coast Main Line, the decision was taken at the Spending Review to pause the project until a long-term strategy for the route can be developed further. The scheme will remain under review to ensure it can be delivered in the most effective way as part of a holistic strategy of investment.

Simon Lightwood
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
1st Jul 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make it her policy to ensure bus fares do not increase above the rate of inflation following the bus fare cap increase.

On 1 January, the government introduced a £3 cap on single bus fares in England outside London until 31 December 2025. As part of the Spending Review, the government announced further funding to extend the £3 cap to March 2027. This will ensure millions of people can continue to access affordable bus fares and better opportunities all over the country.

The current terms and conditions for the £3 cap already require operators to demonstrate that they have not raised fares any higher than inflation.

Simon Lightwood
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
1st Jul 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the bus fare cap increase on passenger numbers.

The government is investing over £150 million to deliver the new £3 cap on single bus fares in England outside London from 1 January until 31 December 2025 to help keep bus fares affordable, and as part of the Spending Review, we announced further funding to extend the £3 cap to March 2027.

Under the plans of the previous administration, the £2 cap on bus fares had been due to expire on 31 December 2024, and prior to the Budget, there was no further funding available to maintain a cap on bus fares beyond this point.

The final monitoring and evaluation report into the impact of the £2 bus fare cap was published on 12 February. An evaluation of the £3 fare cap is due to be commissioned shortly.

Simon Lightwood
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
18th Jun 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if her Department would make an estimate of the cost of extending the statutory minimum criteria to allow disabled bus pass holders to use their passes at all times on weekdays.

The Department for Transport conducted a review of the English National Concessionary Travel Scheme which considered expanding statutory travel times for all passholders. We are currently considering next steps.

Simon Lightwood
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
18th Jun 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if her Department would make an estimate of the cost of requiring all local government authorities to provide a companion pass for disabled pass holders who cannot travel alone.

The introduction of companion passes for disabled passholders under the English National Concessionary Travel Scheme would be an additional concession, introduced at the discretion of local authorities depending on their needs and circumstances. The Department for Transport therefore has no plans to produce an estimate of implementing this at a national level.

Simon Lightwood
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
4th Oct 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to help improve the availability of wi-fi on the rail network.

I have asked my officials to explore the feasibility of a range of technology options to improve passenger connectivity on the rail network. The Department is also measuring the strength of mobile signals along the rail network to fully understand where interventions are needed.

Simon Lightwood
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
30th Aug 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans she has to tackle the issue of taxis licensed by one taxi licensing authority operating in the area of another taxi licensing authority.

The Secretary of State and I are aware of the concerns about the current legislative and regulatory framework for taxi and private hire vehicle licensing, and are looking at options to improve the current regulatory position.

Simon Lightwood
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
2nd Sep 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate she has made of the number of parents who are unable to take up or remain in employment because they have children with special educational needs and disabilities that do not have access adequate educational provision and require full-time care at home.

Good work is generally good for health and wellbeing and can significantly reduce the chances of people falling into poverty, so we want everyone to get work and get on in work, whoever they are and wherever they live. Our Get Britain Working White Paper, backed by an initial £240 million investment in 25/26, will deliver the biggest reforms to employment support in a generation to help more people into work and to progress.

Children living in households where no adults work are around 4 times more likely to be in relative poverty after housing costs than those where all adults work. We are therefore considering how we can improve our support to help parents into work as part of our upcoming Child Poverty Strategy. We are listening carefully to the voices of children with disabilities and special educational needs (SEND) and their families. We have also engaged with charities and organisations like Contact, ALLFIE, and the Challenging Behaviour Foundation to discuss the experience of disabled children living in poverty.

Carers on low incomes can claim Universal Credit at a higher rate through the carer element. An unpaid carer receiving UC who meets the eligibility threshold for receiving Carers Element is not required to undertake work-related activity but can access employment support on a voluntary basis. Support offered can include access to skills provision, referral to an employment support programme, for example the Restart programme, careers advice, job search support, volunteering opportunities and access to the Flexible Support Fund to aid job entry.

Support is also available through Carer’s Allowance (CA) which provides a measure of financial support and recognition for unpaid carers who are unable to work full time as a result of their caring responsibilities.

Diana Johnson
Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
9th Oct 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she plans to review the adequacy of the level of Carer's Allowance in the context of increases in the cost of living.

Unpaid carers play a vital role in supporting elderly or disabled relatives or friends. Sometimes unpaid carers will need to turn to the benefit system for financial support, so it is right that we keep Carer’s Allowance under review, to see if it is meeting its objectives, and giving unpaid carers the help and support they need and deserve.

In addition to Carer’s Allowance, carers on low incomes can claim income-related benefits, such as Universal Credit and Pension Credit. These benefits can be paid to carers at a higher rate than those without caring responsibilities through the carer element and the additional amount for carers respectively. Currently, the Universal Credit carer element is £198.31 per monthly assessment period. The additional amount for carers in Pension Credit is £45.60 a week.

The Secretary of State undertakes a statutory annual review of benefit and pensions, and the level of Carer’s Allowance is protected by Up-rating it each year in line with the Consumer Prices Index (CPI).

Stephen Timms
Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
10th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department are taking to improve procedures for processing gestational diabetes blood glucose tests to improve the accuracy of diagnosis.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence is responsible for setting clinical guidelines. For diabetes in pregnancy, including testing for gestational diabetes, the relevant clinical guideline is NG3 - Diabetes in pregnancy: management from preconception to the postnatal period, which is available at the following link:

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng3/chapter/Recommendations#gestational-diabetes

The Department provides funding to the National Institute for Health and Care Research for research to help improve procedures around gestational diabetes, such as the DOMINO study, with further information available at the following link:

https://fundingawards.nihr.ac.uk/award/NIHR134628

Karin Smyth
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
15th Sep 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what consideration he has given to supporting the National Screening Committee to (a) more swiftly implement innovation within screening programmes and (b) adopt innovative new programmes once proven effective.

The UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) and its secretariat have adopted several robust strategies that support responsiveness to innovation in screening.

The committee uses the expertise of its research and methodology group to help researchers focus the design of screening research to ensure it addresses questions in a way that is useful for screening policy. Where screening research trials are ongoing, the secretariat maintains close contact with researchers to ensure that we are proactive in response to the results coming out of the trial.

Where there are evidence gaps in screening research, in-service evaluations provide an innovative solution to generating high quality evidence for the UK NSC in live National Health Services. The UK NSC secretariat works closely with NHS England on upcoming work so that the NHS can optimise their preparations in their readiness for the implementation of recommendations agreed by ministers.

Networking across the healthcare landscape both nationally and internationally helps to ensure that the UK NSC keeps abreast of developments in screening and identifies viable innovations in tests and treatments that are suitable in the context of the United Kingdom. Collaboration between organisations such as the National Institute for Health and Care Research, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network, and professional bodies such as the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists supports joined up working with partners and avoids unnecessary duplication.

Ashley Dalton
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
15th Sep 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of including (a) prehabilitation and (b) rehabilitation as essential elements of cancer treatment.

The Department and NHS England are taking a number of steps to support the National Health Service to deliver cost-effective prehabilitation and rehabilitation services.

NHS England has highlighted the positive impact of efficient prehabilitation and rehabilitation on cancer outcomes and the potential to lead to cost savings. The ‘PRosPer’ cancer prehabilitation and rehabilitation learning programme, launched as a partnership between NHS England and Macmillan Cancer Support, aims to support allied health professionals and the wider healthcare workforce in developing their skills in providing prehabilitation and rehabilitation as essential elements of cancer treatment.

The National Cancer Plan, to be published later this year, will look at how to improve patient outcomes across the entirety of the cancer pathway, from referral and diagnosis to treatment and ongoing care, including prehabilitation and rehabilitation services where appropriate.

Ashley Dalton
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
15th Sep 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (a) review and (b) update clinical guidelines on (i) diagnosis and (ii) treatment of type 1 diabetes and eating disorders.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is an independent body and is responsible for determining whether its guidelines should be reviewed or updated in light of new evidence. NICE takes a proactive approach to surveillance, monitoring for changes in the evidence base that may impact on its recommendations. Topics for new or updated guidance are considered through the NICE prioritisation process. Decisions as to whether NICE will create new, or update existing, guidance are overseen by a prioritisation board, chaired by NICE’s Chief Medical Officer.

NICE intends to carry out focussed updates to all diabetes guidance to take account of changes in insulin availability, but has no current plans for further updates to its guidelines on type 1 diabetes or eating disorders.

Karin Smyth
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
15th Sep 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure the NHS lung cancer screening programme receives sufficient funding to ensure its completion by 2029.

The National Health Service will build on its recent successes, including roll-out of the National Lung Cancer Screening Programme, to diagnose cancer earlier and boost survival rates. Funding for national lung screening is set by NHS England and the timescale for full implementation of the National Lung Cancer Screening Programme will be specified in due course.

The NHS is currently rolling out the National Lung Cancer Screening Programme to people with a history of smoking. The public health functions agreement between NHS England and the Department sets out that the Lung Cancer Screening Programme has a target to invite 50% of the eligible population by the end of March 2026.

Ashley Dalton
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
11th Sep 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether Integrated Care Boards will be required to provide sustainable funding for successful pilot projects on Type 1 Diabetes and Eating Disorders to become regional centres of excellence.

NHS England has provided up to £1.5 million a year for the five current Type 1 Disordered Eating pilots for three years. This funding is transferred to integrated care boards on an annual basis and in 2025/26 has been ringfenced.

Decisions on funding for future years have yet to be taken.

Ashley Dalton
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
5th Sep 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department will ringfence funding for independent patient advocacy services after the abolition of Healthwatch.

The independent complaints advocacy service in the National Health Service is covered by a wider grant for Local Reform and Community Voices and is not a requirement of Healthwatch England or Local Healthwatch. This grant provides funding to local authorities which assists them in meeting statutory duties. This funding will continue to be provided. This grant has not been ringfenced to date and there are no plans to ringfence it, moving forward.

Zubir Ahmed
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
5th Sep 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has conducted an impact assessment of the effect of the abolition of Healthwatch on (a) patient representation, (b) accountability and (c) local authority scrutiny functions.

The abolition of Healthwatch England, the transfer of its functions and the changes to local Healthwatch require primary legislation. Timing of this is subject to the will of parliament and will happen when parliamentary time allows. A full impact assessment would be produced in line with HM Treasury's Green Book standards and published on the Government website when legislation is introduced in Parliament. No assessment has been made at this time, although the expertise of Dr Dash and her critical review of patient safiety will continue to guide the Government’s policy in this regard.

Zubir Ahmed
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)