Asked by: Tom Morrison (Liberal Democrat - Cheadle)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her Department has allocated funding towards the future of Cheadle Train Station.
Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
My department approved the business case confirming £8.3 million of funding for Cheadle Train Station in 2022. This project forms part of the broader £13.9 million Cheadle Town Deal agreed in March 2021. I am pleased to confirm we will continue to honour existing Town Deal commitments. Officials will continue to work closely with Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council and the Department for Transport to progress the delivery of the Cheadle Train Station project.
Asked by: Tom Morrison (Liberal Democrat - Cheadle)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when he plans to publish the 48 local nature recovery strategies; and what steps he is taking with local authorities to help deliver those strategies.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Local Nature Recovery Strategies (LNRSs) are currently being prepared across England. Responsible Authorities are developing them in collaboration with other public bodies, planning authorities, local partnerships, landowners and managers, as well as Defra group bodies who are providing specialist local support and helping plan for delivery on the ground. LNRSs will be published by responsible authorities. The first LNRS is expected to be published this year with the remainder following in the first half of 2025. Delivery of LNRSs will be encouraged through a combination of legal duties and incentives.
Asked by: Tom Morrison (Liberal Democrat - Cheadle)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to prevent trail hunting on land (a) owned and (b) managed by his Department.
Answered by Maria Eagle - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
This Government was elected on a mandate to introduce the most ambitious plans to improve animal welfare in a generation, including the banning of trail hunting. Licenses to trail hunt on Ministry of Defence (MOD) land are currently under Ministerial review. To date, no licenses to trail hunt on MOD land have been granted for the 2024-25 hunting season, pending Ministerial review.
Asked by: Tom Morrison (Liberal Democrat - Cheadle)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what his timetable is for providing Bramhall High School with details of (a) funding and (b) a start date for as under the School Rebuilding Programme.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Bramhall High School is currently in the ‘feasibility’ stage of the School Rebuilding Programme. The feasibility will determine the scope of the project, programme and the budget. Once the feasibility is concluded, the department will procure a contractor to undertake the detailed design of the scheme and secure planning permission.
The department currently anticipates appointing a contractor in spring 2025 with construction beginning from summer 2026.
Asked by: Tom Morrison (Liberal Democrat - Cheadle)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the review into the hospital building programme will include hospitals not placed on the original list but still in urgent need of (a) investment and (b) repair.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We are reviewing the New Hospital Programme (NHP) in order to put it on a sustainable footing, including a realistic timetable for delivery, and clarity on the funding required.
The scope of the review is limited to those schemes already within the NHP. However, we recognise the importance of strategic, value for money investments in capital projects, such as new healthcare facilities, significant upgrades, and other targeted capital investments. The Department is currently reviewing capital requirements in line with the Government’s Missions. Any further support for National Health Service trusts seeking new hospital infrastructure will be considered as part of the forthcoming Spending Review.
Asked by: Tom Morrison (Liberal Democrat - Cheadle)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the proposed removal of the VAT exemption for private school fees will include tuition centres that provide (a) only after school and weekend services and (b) full time services.
Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
On 29 July, the Government announced that, as of 1 January 2025, all education services and vocational training provided by a private school in the UK for a charge will be subject to VAT at the standard rate of 20 per cent. This will also apply to boarding services provided by private schools.
All institutions that meet the definition of a private school set out in the draft legislation are within scope of this policy. The draft legislation can be found online here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/66a7a1f8a3c2a28abb50d8c1/Private_Schools_Draft_Legislation_-_DIGITAL.pdf
This definition includes music schools, dance schools, Centres for Advanced Training, and tuition centres where they charge fees for full-time education for pupils of compulsory school age. Institutions that charge fees for full-time education suitable for people over compulsory school age but under 19 (such as sixth forms) are also within scope of this policy.
All education services, vocational training, and boarding services provided by institutions that meet this definition of a private school will be subject to VAT, including extracurricular classes. The VAT treatment of Special Educational Needs therapies will depend on the type of therapy and who it is provided by. If the therapy is a means of supporting the education delivered to and is provided by the private school, it will likely be subject to VAT. If it is a type of therapy that qualifies for the health and social care VAT exemptions (for instance, occupational therapy), it will remain exempt from VAT. This policy does not affect the VAT treatment of services provided by an unconnected third-party who carries out their services on a private school’s premises.
The full fees of pupils in receipt of funding through the Music and Dance Scheme will be subject to VAT. The right time to consider any changes to schemes such as the Music and Dance Scheme is at the Spending Review.
The Government does not expect fees to go up by 20% as a result of this policy change, and the Government expects private schools to take steps to minimise fee increases.
Further details on this policy can be found in the technical note published alongside the legislation. The technical note can be found online here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/66a7a1bdce1fd0da7b592eb6/Technical_Note_-_DIGITAL.pdf
HMRC will also be publishing bespoke guidance for schools, and holding support sessions to help them understand their liabilities as a VAT-registered business.
Asked by: Tom Morrison (Liberal Democrat - Cheadle)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether the proposed train station in Cheadle will continue.
Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The proposed train station in Cheadle forms part of the £13.9 million Cheadle Town Deal agreed by the previous government. All Town Deal business cases have been approved and all funding is fully committed, with the expectation that funding recipients will have invested the entirety of their allocation by March 2026. The Chancellor has set out a path to confirming plans for this year and next at the forthcoming Budget on October 30th. We understand that this will have caused uncertainty about the status of some projects and the challenge that it presents locally; however, this Government must be sure to make responsible decisions on public spending. During this time my officials will continue to work with local authorities and across government to help resolve any delivery issues that may arise, including with the Stockport Council and the Department for Transport (DfT).