Asked by: Tristan Osborne (Labour - Chatham and Aylesford)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what progress her Department has made on the construction for two special free schools in Kent, at Swanley and Whitstable that were confirmed in 2023.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The process to agree the heads of terms for the site for the Leigh Academy Birchwood School in Swanley are ongoing. Work to progress the site for the proposed special free school at Whitstable is awaiting the outcome of a village green application (VGA). In addition to the VGA, local residents have applied to have the site registered as an asset of community value, which Kent County Council would also like to consider.
The government wants to make sure all children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) receive the support they need to achieve and thrive. That is why we set out a clear ambition to improve inclusivity in mainstream schools while ensuring that special schools cater to those with the most complex needs.
As with all government investment, special and alternative provision free-school projects will be subject to value for money consideration through their development, in line with the government’s vision for the special educational needs system.
Asked by: Tristan Osborne (Labour - Chatham and Aylesford)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the guidance entitled Single-use vapes ban, published on 20 January 2025, what steps he is taking to ensure that (a) relevant enforcement authorities and (b) Trading Standards are informed of changes to the MHRA notified products list.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We are working closely with regulators and enforcing authorities, including trading standards, to ensure that they are prepared for the introduction of the single-use vapes ban on 1 June 2025 and to ensure that relevant information is shared.
Asked by: Tristan Osborne (Labour - Chatham and Aylesford)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to his Department's guidance on the single-use vapes ban, published on 20 January 2025, how the Department plans to enforce this guidance; and if he will consider placing it on a statutory footing through secondary legislation.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Trading standards will be responsible for enforcing the single-use vapes ban. The published guidance provides businesses with the information they need to know to ensure that they are complying with the requirements laid out in The Environmental Protection (Single-use Vapes) (England) Regulations 2024 legislation. It is already a legal requirement that this legislation is complied with and the current business guidance covers these new legal responsibilities.
Asked by: Tristan Osborne (Labour - Chatham and Aylesford)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to (a) review and (b) expand the types of identification required to vote to include digital ID.
Answered by Rushanara Ali - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government has recently published our response to the Electoral Commission’s reports on the 2024 General Election, and this is available here: Electoral Commission’s reports on the 2024 elections: government response - GOV.UK.
As set out in that response, we are presently undertaking a thorough review both of the list of identifications currently accepted in polling stations and of the wider voter ID policy. This will include consideration of digital IDs.
Asked by: Tristan Osborne (Labour - Chatham and Aylesford)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to facilitate the registration of postal voters.
Answered by Rushanara Ali - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Electors who wish to apply for a postal vote can choose to make their application on paper, or online for reserved elections in Great Britain.
Giving electors the choice to apply for an absent vote through a paper application or online gives electors more control over their voting arrangements, whether they choose to vote in person, via post, or via a proxy. The online postal and proxy vote application services also make the process easier and simpler for many electors. Over 1.5 million people in Great Britain made an application to vote by post or via a proxy in the run-up to the General Election last year. Between the election being called on the 22nd of May 2024 and the deadline for absent vote applications, 84% of postal vote applications and 93% of proxy vote applications were made using the online services.
Over 90% of electors who chose to apply for a postal or proxy vote online during this period found the services to be effective and said that they were satisfied with them.
These services make our democratic system more accessible for electors, and the Government is supporting work to expand their scope. The Government recently gave its full support to the Absent Voting (Elections in Scotland and Wales) Bill. If passed, the Bill will allow applications for postal and proxy voting arrangements for Welsh and Scottish Parliamentary elections, and local elections in Wales and Scotland, to be made online.
Asked by: Tristan Osborne (Labour - Chatham and Aylesford)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she is taking steps with Kent Councils to identify further financial support for the A229 Bluebell Junction improvements.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Kent County Council plans to submit an Outline Business Case to the Department in summer 2026. If this is approved, under current arrangements the Department’s maximum funding contribution would be up to a maximum of 85% of the total estimated cost at Outline Business Case stage. This would be conditional on approval by government to a Full Business Case. The Council currently forecasts works starting in spring 2029.
Asked by: Tristan Osborne (Labour - Chatham and Aylesford)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether his Department plans to introduce (a) incentives and (b) funding mechanisms to encourage businesses and public sector organisations to comply with strengthened cybersecurity requirements under the forthcoming Cyber Security and Resilience Bill.
Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The upcoming Cyber Security and Resilience Bill will strengthen our defences and ensure that more essential and digital services are protected than ever.
The Bill will require regulated entities to take proportionate steps to address vulnerabilities in our digital economy and protect our essential services against cyber attacks. We will work closely with industry, public sector organisations and regulators to support organisations in complying with their new obligations under the Bill.
By safeguarding our nation's essential services and digital infrastructure, we will create a stable environment in which investment and innovation can thrive.
Asked by: Tristan Osborne (Labour - Chatham and Aylesford)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that the public sector is adequately protected under the forthcoming Cyber Security and Resilience Bill, and whether he plans to extend regulatory requirements to public sector organisations.
Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The forthcoming Cyber Security and Resilience Bill will strengthen the UK’s existing cyber regulatory framework (the Network and Information Systems (NIS) Regulations 2018) by protecting more digital and essential services, putting regulators on a stronger footing, and increasing reporting requirements.
The NIS Regulations covers five sectors (transport, energy, drinking water, health, digital infrastructure) and some digital services (online marketplaces, online search engines, cloud computing services). Where a public body delivers these services, such as NHS Trusts, they are in scope of the NIS Regulations.
The Bill will include powers that will enable more services and sectors to be brought into scope of regulation in the future, where this is considered necessary to address emerging risks.
Asked by: Tristan Osborne (Labour - Chatham and Aylesford)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to tackle violence against women and girls.
Answered by Jess Phillips - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
This government is taking significant steps to make sure violence against women and girls is treated as the national emergency it is. Already, in the first six months of this Government, that has included:
These are just some of the crucial first steps we have taken as part of our unprecedented mission to halve violence against women and girls in a decade.
Asked by: Tristan Osborne (Labour - Chatham and Aylesford)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department plans to provide (a) funding and (b) other support to the Tranzfuser programme.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Government recently announced £5.5 million funding for the UK Games Fund (UKGF) for the financial year 2025/26 to support early-stage games studios and talent. This funding will support all existing strands of the UKGF, including the Tranzfuser programme.
The UKGF is administered by UK Games Talent and Finance Community Interest Company which works closely with DCMS on the fund’s design and delivery.