Tom Morrison Portrait

Tom Morrison

Liberal Democrat - Cheadle

12,235 (24.1%) majority - 2024 General Election

First elected: 4th July 2024

Liberal Democrat Deputy Chief Whip

(since September 2024)

Select Committees
Procedure Committee (since October 2024)
Committee of Selection (since April 2025)
Courts (Remote Hearings) Bill (since June 2025)
Committee of Selection
14th Oct 2024 - 21st Jan 2025


Division Voting information

During the current Parliament, Tom Morrison has voted in 158 divisions, and 3 times against the majority of their Party.

29 Nov 2024 - Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill - View Vote Context
Tom Morrison voted No - against a party majority and against the House
One of 11 Liberal Democrat No votes vs 61 Liberal Democrat Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 330 Noes - 275
20 Jun 2025 - Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill - View Vote Context
Tom Morrison voted No - against a party majority and against the House
One of 15 Liberal Democrat No votes vs 56 Liberal Democrat Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 314 Noes - 291
20 Jun 2025 - Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill - View Vote Context
Tom Morrison voted No - against a party majority and against the House
One of 12 Liberal Democrat No votes vs 51 Liberal Democrat Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 274 Noes - 224
View All Tom Morrison 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
Darren Jones (Labour)
Chief Secretary to the Treasury
(4 debate interactions)
Anneliese Dodds (Labour (Co-op))
(4 debate interactions)
Yvette Cooper (Labour)
Home Secretary
(2 debate interactions)
View All Sparring Partners
Department Debates
Department for Work and Pensions
(5 debate contributions)
HM Treasury
(5 debate contributions)
Department of Health and Social Care
(3 debate contributions)
View All Department Debates
Legislation Debates
Great British Energy Act 2025
(1,409 words contributed)
Universal Credit Bill 2024-26
(1,205 words contributed)
Football Governance Act 2025
(996 words contributed)
View All Legislation Debates
View all Tom Morrison's debates

Cheadle 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).

Petitions with highest Cheadle signature proportion
Petitions with most Cheadle signatures
Petition Debates Contributed

Raise the income tax personal allowance from £12570 to £20000. We think this would help low earners to get off benefits and allow pensioners a decent income.


Latest EDMs signed by Tom Morrison

21st July 2025
Tom Morrison signed this EDM as a sponsor on Tuesday 22nd July 2025

Carers and social care reform

Tabled by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
That this House believes that everyone deserves high-quality care when they need it and that unpaid carers are the unsung heroes of our social care system; regrets that hundreds of thousands of people are waiting for care and many remain in hospital beds simply because there is no care available, …
27 signatures
(Most recent: 22 Jul 2025)
Signatures by party:
Liberal Democrat: 26
Democratic Unionist Party: 1
21st July 2025
Tom Morrison signed this EDM as a sponsor on Tuesday 22nd July 2025

Funding and support for SEND

Tabled by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
That this House recognises the urgent need to properly fund and maintain special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) schools, including increasing the number of specialist spaces and building new SEND schools, especially in rural areas such as West Dorset, to relieve pressure on mainstream schools and provide children with SEND …
23 signatures
(Most recent: 22 Jul 2025)
Signatures by party:
Liberal Democrat: 20
Independent: 2
Democratic Unionist Party: 1
View All Tom Morrison's signed Early Day Motions

Commons initiatives

These initiatives were driven by Tom Morrison, 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 Morrison has not been granted any Urgent Questions

Tom Morrison has not been granted any Adjournment Debates

Tom Morrison has not introduced any legislation before Parliament

Tom Morrison 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
2 Other Department Questions
18th Jul 2025
To ask the Right hon. Member for Kenilworth and Southam, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, what assessment the Electoral Commission has made of trends in the level of racism faced by hon. Members during the 2024 election.

The Electoral Commission’s report on the 2024 UK Parliamentary general election found that during the campaign many candidates, including those from ethnic minority backgrounds, experienced unacceptable levels of intimidation and harassment. The Commission’s research showed that 34% of candidates from an ethnic minority background reported having a serious problem with intimidation compared to 14% of candidates overall. The Commission did not collect data on this issue prior to 2024 so has not made an assessment of trends in the data.

The Commission has welcomed the first report from the Speaker’s Conference on the impact of abuse and intimidation. The Commission is considering how it can support implementation of the report’s proposals for all candidates, including those from an ethnic minority background, ahead of the elections in May 2026.

17th Apr 2025
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, if her Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of supporting public education campaigns to raise awareness of (a) the presence of toxic substances in period products and (b) safer alternatives to period products.

Period products are regulated by the General Product Safety Regulations 2005, which requires all products to be safe and for consumers to be provided with information on the potential risks of a product. Through the Product Regulation and Metrology Bill, the Government has committed to consult on this matter to ensure that any changes to the safety provisions of these products are robust and consistent.

Studies carried out in the EU on chemicals in period products found that the chemicals identified in these products were present only in low concentrations, with no evidence of significant risks to human health. If a product were identified as unsafe, the Office for Product Safety and Standards would seek to remove it from the market, rather than run a public awareness campaign.

More widely, UK Health Security Agency is considering the information available to members of the public with respect to chemicals, and looking to publish a new website to give consumers access to more information on the chemicals they use in their everyday lives.

Seema Malhotra
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
24th Apr 2025
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of trends in levels of (a) customer service and (b) phone call response times across Government departments on people seeking to engage with Government departments.

Departmental contact lines are not managed or run centrally. Therefore, each department is responsible for their own contact line, as well as customer service and response times.

Georgia Gould
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
2nd Jun 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what permits his Department has issued to UAV Tactical Systems Ltd for the export of (a) hardware, (b) software and (c) technical support to Israel since October 2023.

From 1 October 2023 to 31 December 2024, the latest date covered by our most official statistics release, UAV Tactical Systems LTD have been issued 3 export licences covering exports to Israel.

Each licence has been assessed to ensure that the items were not for use by the Israeli military in military operations in Gaza, pursuant to the decision on 2 September 2024 to suspend exports of equipment to Israel that might be used by the Israeli military in operations in Gaza.

Licences for military equipment which is not for use in operations in Gaza or which relate to components for products which are ultimately for re-export to other countries were not included in the scope of the suspension.

Douglas Alexander
Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
30th May 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what information his Department holds on how exports made by UAV Tactical Systems Ltd to Israel since October 2023 have been used.

Three export licences have been issued to this company since October 2023, but each licence has been assessed to ensure that the items were not for use by the Israeli military in military operations in Gaza.

This is pursuant to the decision on 2 September 2024 when we suspended export licences for the Israeli Defence Forces covering equipment that might be used in military operations in Gaza, based on our assessment that these could be used to commit or facilitate serious violations of international humanitarian law.

Licences for military equipment which is not for use in operations in Gaza or which relate to components for products which are ultimately for re-export to other countries were not included in the scope of the suspension.

Douglas Alexander
Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
30th May 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of halting arms licences for export to foreign governments for which there is a demonstrable risk of complicity in international law violations.

All export licence applications are reviewed against the UK’s Strategic Export Licensing Criteria (SELC). These state that the Government will not issue export licences if there is a clear risk that the items might be used to commit or facilitate serious violations of International Humanitarian Law (IHL).

We also keep all our extant licences (which typically last for two years) under continual review on this basis.

This government will take whatever action is appropriate in the specific circumstances, including amending, suspending or revoking export licences.

Douglas Alexander
Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
24th Apr 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the appointment of the interim chair of the Competition Markets Authority on the regulation of (a) technology and (b) other large corporations.

The Secretary of State is grateful for the leadership Doug Gurr, the Interim Chair of the Competition and Markets Authority (“CMA”), has shown since his appointment.

Businesses of all sizes and types are required to comply with competition law. The CMA has published its prioritisation principles which set out the factors the CMA takes into consideration when deciding how to use its resources as effectively as possible.

Justin Madders
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
17th Apr 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing legislation that mandates full ingredient disclosure for all menstrual products.

Period products are regulated by the General Product Safety Regulations 2005, which requires all products to be safe and for consumers to be provided with information on the potential risks of a product. Through the Product Regulation and Metrology Bill, the Government has committed to consult on this matter to ensure that any changes to the safety provisions of these products are robust and consistent.

Justin Madders
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
11th Mar 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he has made an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of allegations of human rights violations by Israel, in the context of free trade negotiations between the UK and Israel.

The UK is a leading advocate for human rights around the world. We remain committed to the promotion of universal human rights. We will draw on our full range of tools and levers, including our independent global human rights sanctions regime, to hold to account those involved in serious human rights violations and abuses.

Douglas Alexander
Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
10th Mar 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will take steps to prohibit the import of goods produced in illegal Israeli settlements under the terms of proposed UK-Israel free trade agreement.

Goods originating from illegal Israeli settlements are not entitled to tariff and trade preferences under either the agreement between the UK and Israel, or in our agreement with the Palestinian Authority.

The UK will not compromise on any of our longstanding positions on the Middle East Peace Process through the FTA negotiation, including with respect to settlements.

Douglas Alexander
Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
10th Mar 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department has taken to consult with civil society organizations on the potential impact of the proposed UK-Israel free trade agreement on (a) human rights and (b) compliance with international law.

The Department regularly engages with stakeholders on the Free Trade Agreement programme and I have held several such sessions, including with civil society leaders. The strategic approach to negotiations has been published on gov.uk, including an overview of negotiation objectives and a response to the call for input which ran in early 2022.

The government will continue to stand up for human rights and international law around the world, providing support to open societies and drawing on our full range of tools and levers.

Douglas Alexander
Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
10th Mar 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department plans to include a chapter on human rights in the proposed UK-Israel trade agreement.

The UK is a leading advocate for human rights around the world. We remain committed to the promotion of universal human rights. We will draw on our full range of tools and levers, including our independent global human rights sanctions regime, to hold to account those involved in serious human rights violations and abuses.

Douglas Alexander
Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
10th Mar 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will make it his policy to suspend trade negotiations with Israel pending the outcomes of ongoing investigations by the International Court of Justice into allegations of human rights violations in that country.

The government respects the independence of the International Court of Justice, and we are carefully considering the Court's advisory opinion with the seriousness and rigour it deserves.

We are of the clear view that Israel should bring an end to its presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territories as rapidly as possible, but this must be done in a way that creates the conditions for negotiations towards the two-state solution. On 29 July 2024, the Secretary of State announced the Government's intention to deliver negotiations with the Gulf Cooperation Council, India, Israel, South Korea, Switzerland and Turkey.

Douglas Alexander
Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
10th Mar 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will review the terms of the UK/Israel: Trade and Partnership Agreement, in the context of allegations of human rights violations in Israel.

We believe that having strong diplomatic and economic relationships with partners allows us to have frank discussions on important issues. The UK Government continues to work with our allies and partners, including across the region, to find a path towards permanent peace.

Douglas Alexander
Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
27th Feb 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department has made an assessment of the competitiveness of the UK creative industry.

As set out in the Industrial Strategy Green Paper published in 2024, the UK's creative industries are world-leading, with the UK, according to UN Trade and Development statistics, being the third largest creative services exporter globally (behind Ireland and the United States).

While the Department for Business and Trade has not made a formal assessment of the competitiveness of the UK creative industry, in 2023, the UK, according to UN Trade and Development statistics, was the tenth largest exporter of creative goods and according to Department for Culture, Media and Sport statistics contributed an estimated £124 billion to the UK economy, accounting for 5.2 per cent of UK gross value added.

The forthcoming Industrial Strategy aims to leverage the sector's global comparative advantages to unlock private investment, boost exports and develop its highly skilled workforce.

Sarah Jones
Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
13th Feb 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of allowing extended paternity leave when the mother has been through a traumatic birth and is medically unable to properly care for the child alone after the two weeks of paternity leave.

This Government is committed to ensuring that employed parents receive the best possible support in balancing their work and home lives. Eligible fathers or partners can plan to take a longer period of leave by using Shared Parental Leave or Unpaid Parental Leave. We recognise that parental leave can be improved. Work on this has already begun. The Employment Rights Bill will make Paternity and Unpaid Parental Leave 'day one' rights, accessible to all employees.

Government has also committed to a review of the parental leave system to ensure that it best supports working families. Planning work is already underway.

Justin Madders
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
23rd Apr 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the Stockport District Heat Network on energy costs for households in fuel poverty.

Stockport Council have applied for support from our Green Heat Networks Fund for their district heating network. To be eligible for support from the scheme, applicants must demonstrate that their networks will cause no detriment to domestic customers. This means that householders in fuel poverty should be no worse off.

We are also taking action to strengthen consumer protection by introducing Ofgem regulation of heat networks from January 2026, providing protections for vulnerable customers, and ensuring fairer pricing.

Miatta Fahnbulleh
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
11th Mar 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of trends in the sale of fossil fuels in international energy markets on his Department’s support for North Sea oil operations.

Oil and gas is traded on international markets, therefore domestically produced oil and gas does not mean cheaper prices and leaves British consumers exposed to unstable fossil fuel markets. On 5 March the Government launched a consultation that progresses the commitment to not issue new licences to explore new oil and gas fields while managing existing fields for their lifespan. It also sets out the next steps to make the North Sea a world leading example of an offshore clean energy industry, which is vital for delivering the best outcomes for workers and communities, energy security, and sustainable economic growth.

Michael Shanks
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
10th Mar 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking to support a just transition for workers in the oil and gas sector; and what steps he has taken to support (a) retraining and (b) reskilling them for jobs in the renewable energy industry.

The Office of Clean Energy Jobs (OCEJ) is engaging widely with industry, experts, and trade unions for a clear assessment of the skills opportunities and challenges. It is working closely with Skills England to ensure that skills systems reforms support the clean energy transition.

The OCEJ will also set out targeted interventions to support specific skills needs in the clean energy workforce. It has recently launched the initial version of the Energy Skills Passport to support oil and gas workers into new roles in the clean energy sector like offshore wind. In phase two, we are exploring opportunities to expand it into other clean energy sectors such as CCUS and Hydrogen.

Sarah Jones
Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
14th Jul 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how many and what proportion of telecommunications have been buried underground since the introduction of the Electronic Communications Code (Conditions and Restrictions) Regulations 2003.

While the 2003 Regulations require operators to use underground lines where reasonably practicable, with certain exceptions, this will not always be possible due to costs or if existing infrastructure is not suitable for sharing.

The method of network deployment in commercially viable areas is a commercial decision made by network operators.

Therefore the Department does not actively monitor the proportion of telecommunications infrastructure buried underground since the introduction of the Electronic Communications Code.

However, Ofcom’s Connected Nations 2024 Report indicated that Openreach has deployed 496,000 km of ducts and 4.1 million telegraph poles across the UK.

Chris Bryant
Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
14th Jul 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps his Department is taking to assess the effectiveness of part (a) 11 and (b) 12 of the Electronic Communications Code for ensuring that infrastructure developments for new mobile telecommunications equipment are suitable.

Parts 11 and 12 of the Electronic Communications Code provide rights to fly lines over land and set out when and how someone can object to these installations. The aim is to balance the efficient deployment of overhead networks with the interests of those affected by them. The provisions under Parts 11 and 12 relate primarily to fixed-line infrastructure deployment.

Part 11 was amended through the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Act 2022 to support greater infrastructure sharing, providing alternatives for network expansion. The measures in that Act received Parliamentary scrutiny and were subject to a published De Minimis Impact Assessment.

A separate assessment of these provisions has not been completed, but the impact of all the 2022 changes will be assessed in due course.

Chris Bryant
Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
14th Jul 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of Part 11 of the Electronic Communications Code in providing flexibility to improve the network.

Parts 11 and 12 of the Electronic Communications Code provide rights to fly lines over land and set out when and how someone can object to these installations. The aim is to balance the efficient deployment of overhead networks with the interests of those affected by them. The provisions under Parts 11 and 12 relate primarily to fixed-line infrastructure deployment.

Part 11 was amended through the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Act 2022 to support greater infrastructure sharing, providing alternatives for network expansion. The measures in that Act received Parliamentary scrutiny and were subject to a published De Minimis Impact Assessment.

A separate assessment of these provisions has not been completed, but the impact of all the 2022 changes will be assessed in due course.

Chris Bryant
Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
19th Jun 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps his Department is taking to help protect intellectual property rights in the training of AI models.

The Government recently consulted on the use of copyright material in AI model development.

The Government is currently analysing responses to that consultation, to help inform policy development. The Government will continue to engage extensively on this issue and proposals will be set out in due course.

We have committed to report on progress to Parliament by December.

Feryal Clark
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
14th May 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps he has taken to hold operators to account on their progress since the UK Network Operator industry roundtable discussion on 12 September 2024.

The Electronic Communications Code provides rights and obligations intended to facilitate the installation and maintenance of electronic communications networks, subject to conditions and restrictions set out in the Electronic Communications Code (Conditions and Restrictions) Regulations 2003. Ofcom, the independent regulator, has powers to take enforcement action against any breaches of the 2003 Regulations.

Nonetheless, I am aware of community concerns with the deployment of new broadband infrastructure. Following my meeting with the industry, the Telecommunications Poles Working Group Best Practice Recommendations have been published, which includes an industry commitment to always consider the interests of communities.

Chris Bryant
Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
8th May 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Cabinet Siting and Pole Siting Code of Practice 2016 on the number of complaints from residents about the proposed site locations of new poles and cabinets for telecommunications equipment.

The Government is aware of public concerns about the deployment of additional broadband infrastructure, despite the guidance provided in the Cabinet Siting and Pole Siting Code of Practice 2016. This is why I asked operators to consider revising the Code of Practice to take into account communities’ concerns. Operators have responded by convening the Telecommunications Poles Working Group, which has now published its best practice recommendations, setting out expectations for how operators can pay due regard to community interests. The Government will continue to monitor the impact of these recommendations on public concern about the deployment of broadband infrastructure.

Chris Bryant
Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
27th Feb 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of replicating the EU’s Artificial Intelligence Act.

The UK is committed to establishing a proportionate AI regulatory approach which is grounded in science and supports growth and innovation. As set out in the manifesto, the Government is developing legislative proposals which will establish targeted measures. This will complement work outlined in the government’s response to the AI Action Plan to support the UK's existing regulators who are responsible for governing the vast majority of AI systems at the point of use.

As we develop our approach to regulating AI, we recognise the need to engage with a range of international partners. This includes engaging with the EU, who are a key science and technology partner, to discuss our respective approaches, as well as working alongside them and other partners in the G7, OECD, UN, and other international fora. We take a close interest in how our trading partners are regulating in similar areas and have regular exchanges with the EU on regulatory developments.

Feryal Clark
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
27th Feb 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that consumers can differentiate between AI-generated and human-created content in creative industries.

Increasing transparency about the use of copyrighted works to train AI models and AI-generated content was one of the key issues explored in the Government’s recently closed Copyright and AI consultation.

The consultation also sought views on the protection for the outputs of generative AI, the labelling of AI outputs and digital replicas.

The consultation closed on 25 February and our priority now is to review the evidence from the consultation which will inform the Government response.

Feryal Clark
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
27th Feb 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether his Department plans to introduce a mandatory labelling or watermarking system to identify AI-generated creative content.

The Government’s consultation on Copyright and AI has just closed. This included questions about the protection and labelling of generative AI outputs. Various industry initiatives exist to label AI outputs, but it may need to happen more consistently.

Our priority now is to review the evidence from the consultation which will inform the Government response.

Feryal Clark
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
27th Feb 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to require generative AI developers to (a) document and (b) disclose their use of copyrighted materials.

The Government’s consultation on Copyright and AI has just closed. This included a proposal to require AI model developers to be more transparent about how they obtain and use copyright works in their training, whether from web crawlers or other forms of training for AI models.

Our priority now is to review the evidence from the consultation which will inform the Government response, including any legislative proposals.

Feryal Clark
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
30th May 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what fiscal support she is providing to local authorities to help support (a) community sports clubs, (b) swimming pools and (c) grassroot facilities in Greater Manchester.

The Government recognises the importance of ensuring public access to leisure facilities which are vital spaces for people of all ages to stay fit and healthy, and which play an important role within communities.

The ongoing responsibility of providing access to public leisure facilities lies at local authority level with funding levels set by MHCLG as part of the Local Government Finance Settlement.

The Government encourages local authorities to make investments which offer the right opportunities and facilities for the communities they serve, investing in sport and physical activity with a place-based approach, to meet the needs of individual communities.

The majority of Government funding for grassroots sport clubs is through our Arm’s Length Body, Sport England, which invests over £250 million in Exchequer and Lottery funding each year. An additional £100 million is being invested in grassroots sports facilities across the UK via the Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities Programme.

Future funding of community sports facilities will be considered as part of the forthcoming Spending Review.

Stephanie Peacock
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
14th May 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will have discussions with the Lawn Tennis Association on the implementation of the 2024–2029 padel strategy.

I have regular discussions with national governing bodies of sport, including the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA), on a range of issues including padel, and I welcome their strategic ambition to grow padel by making it accessible, welcoming, enjoyable and inspiring.

Stephanie Peacock
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
17th Apr 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of (a) increasing funding for and (b) taking steps to help increase the profile of futsal.

The Football Association is the recognised National Governing Body for futsal. As they are independent of Government, it is ultimately their responsibility to address issues related to the funding and profile of the game.

To date, this Government has not had any discussions with the FA relating to futsal or its funding.

Stephanie Peacock
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
17th Apr 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she has had discussions with the Football Association on increasing funding for Futsal to pre-pandemic levels.

The Football Association is the recognised National Governing Body for futsal. As they are independent of Government, it is ultimately their responsibility to address issues related to the funding and profile of the game.

To date, this Government has not had any discussions with the FA relating to futsal or its funding.

Stephanie Peacock
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
27th Feb 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department has had discussions with AI developers on remuneration models for creatives' whose work is used to train AI models.

All these matters were addressed in the Government 10-week consultation on AI and Copyright, which was published on Tuesday 17 December and closed on 25 February. We engaged extensively with AI and creative industries stakeholders before, during and since the consultation and will respond to the consultation once we have considered the submissions in detail.

Chris Bryant
Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
27th Feb 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential economic impact of Generative AI on employment in the creative industries.

All these matters were addressed in the Government 10-week consultation on AI and Copyright, which was published on Tuesday 17 December and closed on 25 February. We engaged extensively with AI and creative industries stakeholders before, during and since the consultation and will respond to the consultation once we have considered the submissions in detail.

Chris Bryant
Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
27th Feb 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a licensing framework to ensure creators are compensated when their works are used in the development of generative AI.

All these matters were addressed in the Government 10-week consultation on AI and Copyright, which was published on Tuesday 17 December and closed on 25 February. We engaged extensively with AI and creative industries stakeholders before, during and since the consultation and will respond to the consultation once we have considered the submissions in detail.

Chris Bryant
Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
27th Feb 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will take steps to ensure that generative AI developers obtain authorisation from copyright holders before using their creative works for training AI models.

All these matters were addressed in the Government 10-week consultation on AI and Copyright, which was published on Tuesday 17 December and closed on 25 February. We engaged extensively with AI and creative industries stakeholders before, during and since the consultation and will respond to the consultation once we have considered the submissions in detail.

Chris Bryant
Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
14th Jul 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department plans to provide additional support to adoptee children in schools with learning disabilities.

I refer the hon, Member for Cheadle to the answer of 2 July 2025 to Question 62189.

Catherine McKinnell
Minister of State (Education)
14th Jul 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of reducing the individual limit for the Adoption Support Fund for therapy on (a) adoptees and (b) their families.

The new criteria for the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund will enable as many children and families as possible to access the available funding. The department always assesses the impact of changes on vulnerable children and their families. This includes reviewing the equalities impact assessment, which will be made available in the House Libraries shortly.

Janet Daby
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
14th Jul 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of providing additional support to autistic children with no other learning disabilities in mainstream schools.

This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND) or in alternative provision receive the right support to succeed and thrive in their education and as they move into adult life.

The Neurodivergence Task and Finish Group, chaired by Professor Karen Guldberg, brings together experts to make recommendations on how to best meet the needs of neurodivergent children and young people within mainstream education settings, including those who are autistic.

Additionally, the department is strengthening the evidence base of what works to improve inclusive practice in mainstream settings and have commissioned evidence reviews from Newcastle University and University College London. The 'What Works in SEND' research programme is researching tools that schools can use to identify the needs of neurodivergent children.

The department has also invested in the Partnerships for Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools (PINS) programme, which is a national programme backed by £22 million of investment. PINS deploys specialists from both health and education workforces to build teacher and staff capacity to identify and better meet the needs of neurodivergent children, including pupils with autism. The programme is being evaluated, and the learning is informing future policy development around how schools support neurodivergent children.

Catherine McKinnell
Minister of State (Education)
11th Jul 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department records and publishes statistics on the (a) number and (b) nature of serious safeguarding incidents and child deaths in early years settings.

Information on the number and nature of serious incident notification statistics is published annually in the Official Statistics release on serious incident notifications, which is available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/serious-incident-notifications/2025.

Information on the placement type at the time of the incident is available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/1c759373-93c2-4d6a-1d6e-08ddc13e16b8.

Stephen Morgan
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
11th Jul 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to his oral contribution in response to the hon. Member for Twickenham during the Oral Statement of 7 July 2025 on Giving Every Child the Best Start in Life, Official Report, column 687, whether inspector training for early years settings will include guidance on reviewing CCTV footage.

The safety of children is our utmost priority and we continually monitor and review the early years foundation stage (EYFS) safeguarding requirements to ensure children are kept as safe as possible. The EYFS statutory framework can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-foundation-stage-framework--2.

Currently, the decision to install and use camera surveillance equipment in a nursery is a matter for individual providers to determine based on their own risk assessment and policies.

The department works closely with Ofsted in our work monitoring and reviewing the safeguarding requirements within the EYFS. This includes ongoing discussions regarding the merits and concerns regarding the use of CCTV in early years settings.

Any proposed changes to EYFS requirements will be informed by engagement with providers, health professionals, sector stakeholders and safeguarding experts.

Stephen Morgan
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
11th Jul 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to improve (a) transparency and (b) accountability in early years provision.

As announced in the recent ‘Best Start in Life’ publication, the department wants to drive higher standards through a strengthened improvement and accountability system. From next April, Ofsted will inspect all new providers on the early years register (EYR) within 18 months of opening and move towards inspecting all providers on the EYR at least once every four years.

The government is committed to improving the current inspection system. This includes a new approach to reporting and removing overall effectiveness grades from all early years provision, as well as launching an early years report card system.

Ofsted has delivered important changes to the way it works in response to the ‘Big Listen’ consultation, improving its culture and being more open and transparent. This important work is ongoing.

Stephen Morgan
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
11th Jul 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether Ofsted plans to update its guidance to inspectors on (a) identifying and (b) responding to (i) serious and (ii) repeated safeguarding breaches in early years settings.

The department works closely with Ofsted in our work monitoring and reviewing the safeguarding requirements within the early years foundation stage statutory framework to ensure children are kept as safe as possible.

As announced in the recent Best Start in Life publication, Ofsted will receive additional investment from the department to inspect all new early years providers within 18 months of opening and move from a six to a four-year inspection cycle. It will also receive further investment for inspector training and quality assurance. All these measures will improve safeguarding across the sector.

In November 2025, Ofsted will be implementing their new inspection reporting method, the Ofsted early years report card, and will publish details in a consultation response publication in September 2025. The response will include the updated education inspection frameworks, based on consultation feedback. Ofsted will also provide new operating guidance for inspectors, and inspection information documents. Within these, there will be a focus on safeguarding in the early years.

Stephen Morgan
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
11th Jul 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to review lessons learned from child deaths and serious incidents in early years settings.

The safety of children is our utmost priority and we continually monitor and review the early years foundation stage (EYFS) safeguarding requirements. The full statutory framework is available here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/670f8c0f366f494ab2e7b93d/EYFS_statutory__framework_for_childminders.pdf.

This ongoing work includes continuous engagement with providers, health professionals, sector stakeholders and safeguarding experts. We also look closely at all serious incidents that have occurred in early years settings, taking into account advice from the aforementioned experts to assess if any changes need to be made to the EYFS safeguarding requirements to ensure children are kept as safe as possible.

From September 2025, the department is strengthening the safeguarding requirements in the EYFS, including:

  • Amendments to promote safer recruitment.
  • Creation of new requirements for providers to follow up if a child is absent for a prolonged period of time.
  • A new safer eating section.
  • A safeguarding training annex and a requirement for safeguarding training to be repeated every two years.
  • New requirements to support whistleblowing.

Stephen Morgan
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
11th Jul 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make it her policy to ensure that the majority of Ofsted inspections of early years settings are unannounced.

While Ofsted typically provides notice before an inspection, they can and do conduct inspections without prior notification, particularly when concerns have been raised about a setting or if a previous inspection resulted in a grade of ‘Inadequate’. Between 1 April 2024 and 31 March 2025, there were 1400 unannounced inspections (16%) in early years settings. We recognise the importance unannounced inspections and they will continue. However, routine announced inspections are also an important part of the system. We are committed to reforming and improving the current inspection system, including making inspection more supportive.

We are increasing inspection frequency to ensure better oversight of the setting landscape, and more regular inspections will be most effective when accompanied by improvements to inspection quality.

Stephen Morgan
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)