Vikki Slade Portrait

Vikki Slade

Liberal Democrat - Mid Dorset and North Poole

1,352 (2.7%) majority - 2024 General Election

First elected: 4th July 2024

Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

(since September 2024)


Division Voting information

During the current Parliament, Vikki Slade has voted in 160 divisions, and never against the majority of their Party.
View All Vikki Slade 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
Jim McMahon (Labour (Co-op))
Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
(15 debate interactions)
Hamish Falconer (Labour)
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
(15 debate interactions)
Lindsay Hoyle (Speaker)
(13 debate interactions)
View All Sparring Partners
View all Vikki Slade's debates

Mid Dorset and North Poole 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

We believe the government should change legislation to make it easier for trans people of all ages to change their legal gender without an official diagnosis of gender dysphoria.

We think that changing inheritance tax relief for agricultural land will devastate farms nationwide, forcing families to sell land and assets just to stay on their property. We urge the government to keep the current exemptions for working farms.


Latest EDMs signed by Vikki Slade

6th May 2025
Vikki Slade signed this EDM on Wednesday 25th June 2025

Safe sleep standards in early years settings

Tabled by: Tom Morrison (Liberal Democrat - Cheadle)
That this House expresses its heartfelt condolences to the family of nine-month-old Genevieve (Gigi) Meehan, who tragically died in May 2022 while in the care of a nursery in Cheadle, Greater Manchester; pays tribute to her mother Katie Wheeler and father John Meehan for their courage and determination in campaigning …
38 signatures
(Most recent: 26 Jun 2025)
Signatures by party:
Liberal Democrat: 34
Independent: 2
Democratic Unionist Party: 1
19th June 2025
Vikki Slade signed this EDM on Monday 23rd June 2025

Shared Lives Carers

Tabled by: Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat - Newton Abbot)
That this House recognises the exceptional work of Shared Lives Carers across the UK, particularly through services such as Shared Lives South West, which supports over 450 people across Cornwall, Devon, Plymouth, Torbay, and Somerset through long-term placements, respite care, and day support in family settings; acknowledges that Shared Lives …
21 signatures
(Most recent: 26 Jun 2025)
Signatures by party:
Liberal Democrat: 18
Democratic Unionist Party: 1
Green Party: 1
Independent: 1
View All Vikki Slade's signed Early Day Motions

Commons initiatives

These initiatives were driven by Vikki Slade, 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.


Vikki Slade has not been granted any Urgent Questions

Vikki Slade has not been granted any Adjournment Debates

Vikki Slade has not introduced any legislation before Parliament

Vikki Slade 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
19th May 2025
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the Supreme Court ruling of [2025] UKSC 16, 16 April 2025, on levels of provision of (a) services, (b) healthcare and (c) workplace facilities for trans people; and what steps she is taking to support trans people who cannot access those services.

The Government has set out our expectation that organisations follow the clarity the Supreme Court ruling provides. The EHRC has committed to support organisations with its updated statutory Code of Practice for Services, Public Functions and Associations which they are consulting on. We encourage people to ensure their views are heard by submitting a response to the consultation which launched on Tuesday 20th May.

Trans people should have access to the services and facilities they need. It is also vitally important that trans people receive the care and support they need when accessing NHS services, and that they are treated with dignity and respect.

Nia Griffith
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Wales Office)
12th Mar 2025
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, whether she plans to complete the Pay Transparency pilot, launched on 8 March 2022.

We are a mission-led government and women’s equality is at the heart of all our missions.

This means tackling the gender pay gap, where we are taking action much wider than just pay transparency. We are taking the first steps towards requiring employers to publish action plans alongside their figures, detailing the steps they are taking to narrow their gender pay gap and support employees during the menopause, as well as introducing stronger protections against sexual harassment.


Our plan to Make Work Pay will move further and faster to tackle the gender pay gap, improve access to flexible working and provide stronger protections at work. We are also expanding access to high-quality, accessible early years education with more free hours for working families.

Many employers understand that when women succeed, so does their business. As women’s equality and economic growth go hand in hand we need to ensure that every organisation is harnessing the talent, creativity and brilliance of women in their workforce.

Nia Griffith
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Wales Office)
17th Jun 2025
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what discussions the Office for National Statistics has had with local government stakeholders on the 2031 census.

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.

A response to the Hon Lady’s Parliamentary Question of 17th June is attached.

Georgia Gould
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
10th Jun 2025
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether his Department has made an assessment of the accuracy of the 2021 census, in the context of covid-19 lockdown measures.

I have met with UK Statistics Authority / Office of National Statistics leadership regarding the future of the census and the 2031 census twice: in October 2024 and April 2025. As is longstanding practice, we do not publish minutes of such meetings.

The Office for Statistics Regulation published a report on Thursday 12 June setting out its post publication findings on the 2021 England and Wales Census, including the impact of the pandemic on the census.

Georgia Gould
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
10th Jun 2025
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what meetings Ministers in his Department have had with the UK Statistics Authority on (a) the future of the census and (b) the 2031 census; and if he will publish the minutes of those meetings.

I have met with UK Statistics Authority / Office of National Statistics leadership regarding the future of the census and the 2031 census twice: in October 2024 and April 2025. As is longstanding practice, we do not publish minutes of such meetings.

The Office for Statistics Regulation published a report on Thursday 12 June setting out its post publication findings on the 2021 England and Wales Census, including the impact of the pandemic on the census.

Georgia Gould
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
3rd Feb 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the requirement in the Economic and Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 to publish full lists of shareholders on (a) survivors of domestic abuse who own shares in private residential property management companies as a by-product of owning their own home and (b) shareholders in private residential property management companies who cannot afford the cost of applying to have their details redacted.

Requiring certain companies to provide a one-time full shareholder list will allow Companies House to present shareholder information that is already displayed on the register in a more user-friendly way.

The Government aims to strike the right balance between transparency and privacy. New measures will enable those whose details appear on the register (including people at increased risk of harm such as domestic abuse survivors) to apply to have more personal information protected from public disclosure than currently possible. Any fees payable will adhere to HM Treasury’s cost recovery principles.

Justin Madders
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
24th Feb 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of pausing the current government subsidies for Drax’s power generation until the Public Accounts Committee reports on its inquiry on Government support for biomass.

The Government has agreed new Heads of Terms with Drax for short term support from 2027 to 2031. It halves the subsidy paid to Drax, strengthens the sustainability arrangements to require 100% sustainable biomass, and reduces Drax’s generation so that it only operates when absolutely necessary on the system.

Michael Shanks
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
19th Jun 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps his Department is taking to ensure the effective roll out of broadband infrastructure in rural areas.

Project Gigabit is designed to deliver gigabit-capable broadband to premises that will not be built to by the market without subsidy. The significant majority of these premises will be in rural areas.

More than £2.3 billion of Project Gigabit contracts have already been signed to connect over 1 million more premises with gigabit-capable broadband. This includes two contracts being delivered by Wessex Internet benefiting the Mid Dorset and North Poole constituency.

Chris Bryant
Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
17th Jun 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of duplicate fibre broadband cabling on the (a) distribution of fibre coverage nationally, (b) environment and (c) infrastructure for residents on roads with duplicate cabling.

Competition in the broadband market leads to positive outcomes for consumers, including widespread coverage and competitive pricing. We do not intervene in commercial deployment decisions.

We are aware that having multiple operators can mean deployment of overlapping networks. The sharing of ducts and poles between operators can minimise the disruption this can cause. To support, this Ofcom has put regulations in place to require Openreach to give access to its physical infrastructure to other networks. The Access to Infrastructure (ATI) Regulations 2016 also gives operators the right to request access to another operator’s physical infrastructure to facilitate sharing across utility, transport and communications sectors.

Chris Bryant
Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
10th Jun 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether his Department plans to resume the Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme in Mid Dorset and North Poole constituency.

As part of Project Gigabit, broadband suppliers are delivering contracts designed to connect a greater number of premises than the Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme. Nonetheless, the voucher scheme is still being used on a targeted basis. Building Digital UK (BDUK) will continue to engage with suppliers on where they could use the scheme effectively. I would encourage the hon. Member to contact BDUK if she believes there are communities in Mid Dorset and North Poole which would be best served by the voucher scheme.

Chris Bryant
Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
29th Apr 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what estimate he has made of the (a) quality and (b) total area coverage area for (i) 5G and (ii) other wireless data reception in Mid Dorset and North Poole constituency; and what steps he is taking to help improve 5G coverage in those areas.

According to Ofcom’s Connected Nations report (published on 5 December 2024) 92% of the Mid Dorset and North Poole constituency has 4G geographic coverage from all four mobile operators, while 85% of the constituency has 5G geographic coverage from at least one operator. I have raised my concerns about the accuracy of their coverage reporting with Ofcom and I welcome their continuing efforts to make improvements.

The government wants all areas of the UK to benefit from good quality mobile coverage. Our ambition is for all populated areas, including communities in Mid Dorset and North Poole constituency, to have higher-quality standalone 5G by 2030.

Improving 5G coverage is primarily the responsibility of the mobile network operators, but we continue to challenge and work with the mobile industry and are committed to ensuring we have the right policy and regulatory framework to support investment and competition in the market.

Chris Bryant
Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
25th Apr 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what progress he has made on the Shared Rural Network (SRN) since July 2024; and what SRN projects are underway in Mid Dorset and North Poole constituency.

Since July 2024, we have activated 40 government funded masts under the Shared Rural Network, providing new 4G coverage to rural communities across Great Britain. At the end of 2024 Ofcom confirmed that the programme had also hit its objective of helping to deliver 95% coverage a year ahead of schedule. In Mid Dorset and North Poole, outdoor 4G coverage from all four operators has increased to 92% up from 85% since the programme begun in March 2020. There will not be any further coverage improvements from the Shared Rural Network in Mid Dorset and North Poole.

Chris Bryant
Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
23rd Apr 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps he is taking to ensure that ongoing work under the digital identities framework to digitise (a) sex and (b) other personal information incorporates safeguards to guarantee the information used is accurate where it might be recorded differently on (i) passports, (ii) driving licences and (iiI) other documents.

Digital identities do not offer a new way to determine sex or gender. As with physical verification, individual organisations are responsible for determining what precise information it is appropriate to verify in a particular case and how they verify that to meet their requirements. The UK digital identity and attributes trust framework creates rules for how digital identity services operate. It does not set requirements for how government departments record sex and other personal information. Under data protection law, personal data which is processed must be accurate for the purposes for which it is processed.

Feryal Clark
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
10th Jun 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department plans to require (a) tree houses, (b) shepherds huts, (c) farm buildings and (d) other properties not suitable for (i) long-term and (ii) residential letting to be added to the national mandatory register for short-term lets.

Decisions on the specific scope of accommodation types covered by the registration scheme are still being finalised. Now that the second phase of development is underway, the Government is collaborating with industry leaders, including platforms, local authorities, and trade bodies, to create a robust scheme. Secondary legislation will be required to enact the scheme, and we aim to roll this out as efficiently as possible. Further details on which accommodation types will be included will be confirmed when an Impact Assessment has been completed.

Chris Bryant
Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
2nd Jun 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department plans to set a limit on the number of holiday lets on the national mandatory register for short-term lets within each local authority area.

The registration scheme will provide local authorities with valuable data to identify short-term lets in their area and help them address community and housing impacts. We continue to work closely with the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government to create a balanced, thriving accommodation market that supports local economic growth and enables communities to benefit from both tourism opportunities and sustainable housing options. The government is considering what further powers might be given to local authorities to enable them to respond to the pressures that can be created by short-term lets.

Chris Bryant
Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
2nd Jun 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, when she plans to begin public testing of the digital platform for the national mandatory short-term let registration scheme.

DCMS has commenced the second phase of digital development for the short-term lets registration scheme legislated for in the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act 2023. During this phase, we will test the user interface with a small number of users to ensure our systems and processes are robust and effective. Public testing is planned to start in the Autumn.

Chris Bryant
Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
30th Apr 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether the Office for Students will be required to provide a third category for registration; and whether this will take into account the specialised environments of small specialist providers.

I refer the hon. Member for Mid Dorset and North Poole to the answer of 18 March 2025 to Question 36617.

Janet Daby
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
30th Apr 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much funding her Department plans to provide for (a) dance, (b) drama, (c) music and (d) musical theatre higher education courses in each of the next three years.

The department is determined that the higher education (HE) funding system should deliver for our economy, for universities and for students. The HE sector needs a secure financial footing, which is why, after seven years of frozen fee caps under the previous government, we took last year the difficult decision to increase maximum tuition fee limits for the 2025/26 academic year by 3.1%, in line with the forecast rate of inflation.

In return for the increased investment we are asking students to make we expect the sector to deliver the very best outcomes, both for those students and for the country.

Additionally, the government provides annual funding to the HE sector through the Strategic Priorities Grant (SPG), which supports teaching of expensive-to-deliver subjects, access and participation and world-leading specialist providers.

My right hon. Friend, The Secretary of State for Education will shortly issue guidance to the Office for Students, setting out SPG funding for the 2025/26 academic year and her priorities for it. Funding for subsequent years will be agreed following the government’s spending review.

Janet Daby
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
25th Apr 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate she has made of the savings to her Department from the withdrawal of funding for non-specialist assistive software through the Disabled Students' Allowance.

Funding under the Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA) is in general not available for goods and services that may be needed by the general student population, whether disabled or not. The department has withdrawn funding for non-specialist software as this falls outside the scope of the DSA. We will monitor the savings from the implementation of this policy.

This policy change relates to non-specialist spelling and grammar software only. The decision to remove non-specialist spelling and grammar software from DSA funding was made on the grounds that there are now free to access versions available with the required functionality to meet students’ disability-related support needs, and it is therefore not an effective use of public money to continue to fund this type of software through the DSA.

Janet Daby
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
25th Apr 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, which groups were consulted on the withdrawal of funding for non-specialist assistive software through the Disabled Students' Allowance.

The department engaged with individual disability experts with relevant experience to gather feedback on the proposals. These experts were consulted in a personal capacity, and the department is therefore not able to provide their personal information.

This policy change relates to non-specialist spelling and grammar software only. The decision to remove non-specialist spelling and grammar software from Disabled Students' Allowance (DSA) funding was made on the grounds that there are now free to access versions available with the required functionality to meet students’ disability-related support needs, and it is therefore not an effective use of public money to continue to fund this type of software through DSA.

Janet Daby
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
20th Mar 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to increase funding rates for early years provision of three and four year olds.

As usual, the hourly funding rates will vary between local authorities reflecting the different communities that local authorities serve. However, for the 2025/26 financial year, the national average three and four year-old hourly funding rate of local authorities is increasing by 4.1%. On top of this, eligible children can also attract additional funding through the early years pupil premium.

Early education gives all children, especially disadvantaged children, the best start in life. That is why the department is delivering the largest ever uplift to the early years pupil premium, increasing the rate by over 45% from 68p per hour in 2024/25 to £1 per hour in 2025/26, equivalent to up to £570 per eligible child per year.

Future spending decisions beyond 2025/26 will be announced following the next spending review.

Stephen Morgan
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
20th Mar 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment she has made of trends in the level of areas without childcare providers in England; and what estimate her Department has made of the number of early years providers that have closed since September 2024.

The government is committed to ensuring children have the best start in life, and has set a target of a record number of children starting school ready to learn as part of the government’s Plan for Change.

Local authorities are responsible for ensuring that the provision of childcare is sufficient to meet the requirements of parents in their area. They are required to report annually to elected council members on how they are meeting this duty, and to make this report available to parents. The department regularly discusses sufficiency with each local authority in England, and where there are challenges, the necessary actions to take and provision of support via our childcare sufficiency support contract is explored. We do not currently have any reports of sufficiency issues in any local authority.

The latest available figures on early years providers show that, between 31 August and 31 December 2024, 1,275 providers joined Ofsted’s Early Years Register and 1,581 providers left the Register. In the same period, the number of registered places grew slightly from 1,275,264 to 1,277,932.

His Majesty's Treasury has been working on a fundamental review of business rates in the UK. The latest update indicates that the final report of this review will be published in autumn 2025. This review aims to reduce the overall burden on businesses, improve the current business rates system and consider more fundamental changes in the medium-to-long term. Childcare providers are being considered as part of this, and the review acknowledges the unique challenges faced by nurseries and other childcare providers.

Stephen Morgan
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
20th Mar 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the (a) changes to employer National Insurance contributions, (b) increase in the National Minimum Wage, (c) removal of the ability to charge for (i) consumables and (ii) compulsory extras and (d) requirement to extend funded hours of childcare provision to younger children as a standard rate on early years providers.

This government believes giving children the best start in life is the foundation of the mission to break down barriers to opportunity. We have set a milestone of a record proportion of children starting school ready to learn in the classroom. We will measure our progress through 75% of children reaching a good level of development in the early years foundation stage profile assessment by 2028. This assessment takes place at the end of reception.

In the 2025/26 financial year alone, this government plans to spend over £8 billion on early years entitlements, which is a £2 billion increase on the previous year. The department is providing an additional £75 million expansion grant to support the sector in providing the additional places and staff needed ahead of the September 2025 expansion to 30 hours of childcare and early education from when a child is nine months old. The grant is focused on the 2 year-old and under-2s cohort to target the extra costs involved in delivering the entitlements to younger children.

The department will also deliver the largest ever uplift to the early years pupil premium, increasing the rate by over 45% compared to the 2024/25 financial year, which is equivalent to up to £570 per eligible child per year. On top of this, we are providing £25 million through the National Insurance contributions grant for public sector employers in early years.

In determining funding rates for 2025/26, the department will be reflecting forecasts of average earnings and inflation next year, including the National Living Wage. In line with a recent High Court judgment, any charges providers seek to levy must not be mandatory or a condition of accessing a funded place.

Providers must offer reasonable alternatives to parents that enable them to access the entitlements for free if they wish, however we know that many parents prefer to purchase consumables from their provider and will continue to be able to do so.

The department is grateful for the fantastic work the sector is doing to deliver the expanded entitlements and prepare for the final phase from September 2025. We are engaging closely with the sector through provider roadshows and engagement with representative bodies and will continue to listen to any concerns around costs and ensure the sector is financially sustainable going forward.

Stephen Morgan
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
20th Mar 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to take steps to identify alternative sources of funding for the university sector.

The higher education (HE) sector needs a secure financial footing to face the challenges of the next decade and ensure that all students can be confident they will receive the world-class HE experience they deserve.

The government is also determined to work with the sector to transition to sustainable research funding models, including by increasing research grant cost recovery, as announced by UK Research and Innovation last week. However, universities will also need to take their own steps to ensure they are working as efficiently as possible and, where necessary, make difficult choices.

Ultimately, HE providers are independent from government and as such must continue to make the necessary and appropriate financial decisions to ensure their long-term sustainability.

The department has set out five priorities for reform of the HE system, which relate to access and outcomes for disadvantaged students, economic growth, the civic role of HE providers, teaching standards and efficiency, transparency and reform.

The department will publish our plan for HE reform this summer, and work with the sector and the Office for Students to ensure the system delivers these priorities.

Janet Daby
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
24th Feb 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has made an assessment of the potential benefits of creating an agency for supply teachers to standardise pay and conditions.

Supply teachers perform a valuable role and the department is grateful for their important contribution to schools across the country.

Schools and local authorities are currently responsible for the recruitment of their supply teachers and are best placed to make decisions on their approach to recruitment.

A supply teacher’s pay and working conditions will depend on who employs the supply teacher.

Supply teachers employed directly by a state maintained school or local authority must be paid in accordance with the statutory arrangements for teachers laid down in the School Teachers’ Pay and Conditions Document.

If a supply teacher is employed by a private agency or non-maintained school, the employer can set the rate of pay and conditions of employment.

The department does not have plans at this time to assess the potential benefits of creating an agency for supply teachers to standardise pay and conditions. Instead, we are focused on our central mission to break down barriers to opportunity and boost life chances for every child by recruiting an additional 6,500 new expert teachers across our schools, both mainstream and specialist, and our colleges over the course of this parliament.

The department is already making progress towards this key pledge, including by accepting a 5.5% pay award for teachers and leaders in maintained schools, announcing a £233 million Initial Teacher Training financial incentives package for the 2025/26 recruitment cycle, and confirming targeted retention incentives for shortage subjects worth up to £6,000 after tax. We will continue to work alongside the sector as we seek to re-establish teaching as an attractive profession that existing teachers want to remain in, former teachers want to return to, and new graduates wish to join.

Catherine McKinnell
Minister of State (Education)
3rd Jan 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of changing the funding for built environment Level 7 apprentices on the Government's commitment to build 1.5 million homes.

The government is committed to 1.5 million homes being built across this Parliament while spreading opportunities and economic growth supported by a strong skills system.

The department is working closely with industry and across Whitehall on this ambition, including with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, the Department for Business and Trade and the Department for Work and Pensions to understand skill needs and how to address them.

The department has made early progress on expanding the skills offer with the announcement of Construction and Industry Training Board and National Housebuilding Council funding worth £140 million, to deliver up to 32 Homebuilding Skills Hubs and to make 5,000 more construction apprenticeships available, making use of existing flexibilities in our apprenticeships system to help businesses get the skilled workers they need more quickly.

There are 96 high quality apprenticeship standards in the construction and the built environment sector approved for delivery across levels 2 to 6 to support employers and apprentices to develop the skills they need, with three apprenticeship standards in the sector approved for delivery at level 7.

This government had a dire fiscal inheritance with a £22 billion blackhole in the nation’s finances. We are taking difficult decisions to fix the foundations of our economy and prioritise government spending where it can be most impactful, including in order to generate opportunities for young people that enable them to make a start in good, fulfilling careers. The department will therefore be asking more employers to step forward and fund a significant number of level 7 apprenticeships themselves outside of the levy-funded growth and skills offer.

The department is taking advice from Skills England, who have been engaging with employers and sector-representative organisations, including in construction, and expects to make a final decision on affected apprenticeships shortly. Learners who have started these apprenticeships will be funded through to completion and employers will continue to be able to offer these apprenticeships where they choose to do so.

Janet Daby
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
3rd Jan 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has made a recent assessment of the potential merits of including grief education in the relationships and sex education curriculum.

The statutory relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) guidance, which sets out the specific topics pupils should be taught, makes clear that teachers should be aware of common adverse childhood experiences and understand when and how these may be affecting their pupils. This will help teachers to tailor their lessons accordingly, taking decisions on appropriate resources and support to enable them to teach the curriculum effectively. Teachers are free to draw on the support and expertise of subject associations and other providers of curriculum support. The RSHE statutory guidance can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/relationships-education-relationships-and-sex-education-rse-and-health-education.

The RSHE statutory guidance is currently under review. The department is looking carefully at responses to the public consultation conducted last year, considering the relevant evidence and discussing with stakeholders before setting out next steps to make sure the guidance draws from the best available evidence. As part of this process, the department will explore whether additional content is required, including on grief education and bereavement.

Catherine McKinnell
Minister of State (Education)
25th Nov 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to introduce wraparound childcare in all schools by September 2026.

This government will build a modern childcare system that supports families from the end of parental leave, right through to the end of primary school.

Childcare needs do not stop when children start school. To support parents the government will deliver free, universal breakfast clubs in every primary school in England. Free breakfast clubs will be available in up to 750 early adopter schools from April 2025 as part of a ‘test and learn’ phase in advance of a national roll out.

The government is additionally delivering the national wraparound childcare programme which has provided local authorities with more than £160 million to deliver the expansion of new before and after school places for primary school-aged children. The government’s ambition is that, by 2026, all parents and carers of primary school-aged children who need it will be able to access term-time childcare in their local area from 8am to 6pm.

The programme is designed to support local authorities to deliver their statutory duty to ensure there are sufficient wraparound childcare places and remove the additional challenges faced in local areas with shortages. Where local wraparound provision is not available, parents can request that the school their child attends considers establishing wraparound or holiday childcare through the long-standing ‘right to request’ process.

Stephen Morgan
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
2nd Jun 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when his Department plans to respond to Eunomia's report entitled Sky Lanterns, Single-Use Barbecues and Helium Balloons Risks and Mitigation Options, published on 9 February 2024.

The Government is currently not planning a formal response to Eunomia's report on sky lanterns, single-use barbecues and helium balloons. This report was commissioned by the previous administration.

Local authorities already have powers to apply local controls to restrict or ban the use of sky lanterns, balloons or disposable barbecues on council or public land.

There are also existing powers in legislation which can be used to regulate and prohibit the lighting of fires on access land in National Landscapes and National Parks.

Mary Creagh
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
2nd Jun 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will take steps to ensure that the proposed UK-EU common veterinary agreement would allow the UK to ban the importation of foie gras produced by force-feeding.

The details of the Agreement are subject to negotiation, but the Government has been clear with the EU about the importance of being able to set high animal welfare standards.

Daniel Zeichner
Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
23rd Apr 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will take steps to ban the use of (a) cages for (i) laying hens and (ii) other animals and (b) close confinement systems for (A) sows and calves and (B) other animals in farming environments.

We remain firmly committed to maintaining and improving animal welfare and want to work closely with the farming sector to deliver high standards.

The use of cages and other close confinement systems for farmed animals is an issue which we are currently considering very carefully.

Daniel Zeichner
Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
26th Mar 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of waste incineration on (a) public health and (b) respiratory conditions.

The Environment Agency assesses the emissions from new waste incinerators, also known as Energy from Waste (EfW) plants, as part of the permitting process and consults the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) on every application received. The UKHSA’s position is that modern, well-run and regulated municipal waste incinerators are not a significant risk to public health. This view is based on detailed assessments of the effects of air pollutants on health and on the fact that EfW plants make only a very small contribution to local concentrations and overall national emissions of air pollutants.

Emma Hardy
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
26th Mar 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of an increase in waste incinerators on the UK's carbon emission reduction targets.

The Government is committed to transitioning to a circular economy. Defra published the Residual Waste Infrastructure Capacity Note and an accompanying statement on 30 December 2024, which set out that government will only back new Energy from Waste projects that meet strict conditions. Proposals for new facilities will have to demonstrate a clearly defined domestic residual waste treatment capacity need to facilitate the diversion of residual waste away from landfill, or enable the replacement of older, less-efficient facilities.

New facilities will have to maximise efficiency and support the delivery of economic growth, net zero and the move to a circular economy. This will be achieved through application of Decarbonisation Readiness requirements that come into force from February 2026, increased heat recovery, and roll-out of Carbon Capture Utilisation and Storage (CCUS). The government is developing a business model to support Waste CCUS projects and stimulate private investment. The UK Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) Authority has confirmed its intention to include waste incineration and energy from waste in the scheme from 2028. Inclusion in the ETS means the sector's emissions will be capped along with other sectors in the scheme, and that cap will reduce in line with delivery of climate targets.

Mary Creagh
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
22nd Oct 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what his planned timetable is for bringing forward legislative proposals to end fox hunting.

This is a devolved matter with regard to Scotland and Northern Ireland; hunting with dogs is a reserved matter with respect to Wales and therefore, the information provided relates to England and Wales only.

The Hunting Act 2004 makes it an offence to hunt a wild mammal with dogs except where it is carried out in accordance with the exemptions in the Act. This includes Fox Hunting.

In addition, the Government made a manifesto commitment to ban Trail Hunting as part of a set of measures to improve animal welfare. Work to determine the best approach for doing so is ongoing. Further announcements will be made in due course.

Mary Creagh
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
4th Oct 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to bring forward legislative proposals to increase protection for farmed fish.

The Animal Welfare Committee’s updated Opinion on the welfare of farmed fish at the time of killing was published last year. A GB-wide farmed trout joint Government and industry working group is now examining the issues raised in the report to explore the potential options for more detailed welfare at killing requirements. The Scottish Government are also working closely with the salmon industry.

Daniel Zeichner
Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
17th Jun 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the process for booking a driving test through the DVLA test booking system on the mental health of young people.

As part of the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s (DVSA) plan to reduce driving test waiting times, announced in December 2024, the agency launched a call for evidence seeking views and experiences of booking and managing practical car driving tests, which received almost 27,000 responses. The DVSA analysed the evidence from this and developed proposals on improving processes.

On the 23 April, the Secretary of State for Transport appeared before the Transport Select Committee and announced the consultation, following on from the call for evidence, had been fast-tracked.

As acknowledged in the announcement regarding these measures, DVSA understands the potential impact on learner drivers, including younger drivers, and the importance of helping learners pass quickly.

The consultation launched on 28 May. Views are being sought from the driver training industry, learner drivers and other interested parties. The consultation will close at 11:59pm on 23 July 2025.

The consultation has already seen a large number of responses. Once closed, and all responses analysed, DVSA will announce next steps as soon as possible.

Lilian Greenwood
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
17th Jun 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Driving and Vehicle Standards Agency's consultation entitled Improving car driving test booking rules, published on 28 May 2025, what her Department's planned timeline is for making changes to car driving test booking rules.

As part of the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s (DVSA) plan to reduce driving test waiting times, announced in December 2024, the agency launched a call for evidence seeking views and experiences of booking and managing practical car driving tests, which received almost 27,000 responses. The DVSA analysed the evidence from this and developed proposals on improving processes.

On the 23 April, the Secretary of State for Transport appeared before the Transport Select Committee and announced the consultation, following on from the call for evidence, had been fast-tracked.

As acknowledged in the announcement regarding these measures, DVSA understands the potential impact on learner drivers, including younger drivers, and the importance of helping learners pass quickly.

The consultation launched on 28 May. Views are being sought from the driver training industry, learner drivers and other interested parties. The consultation will close at 11:59pm on 23 July 2025.

The consultation has already seen a large number of responses. Once closed, and all responses analysed, DVSA will announce next steps as soon as possible.

Lilian Greenwood
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
2nd Jun 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of the DVLA self-reporting process for (a) age-related and (b) other health conditions.

The law requires all driving licence holders, regardless of age, to notify the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) of any medical condition that could affect their fitness to drive. When renewing their driving entitlement at the age of 70, licence holders must declare that they can continue to meet the relevant medical standards, including eyesight. Failure to do so is an offence.

If a driver of any age notifies the DVLA of a medical condition, an investigation will be carried out. This can involve requesting additional information from the applicant or driver’s healthcare professionals or they may be asked to attend a medical examination or driving assessment.

In 2023, the DVLA carried out a call for evidence to seek views on the current legislative basis for establishing whether a person is medically fit to drive. The evidence gathered, including the process of self-declaration, is being fully considered.

Lilian Greenwood
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
24th Apr 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment she has made of the impact of the current caps on the values of fines available to local authorities outside London on driver behaviour.

No recent assessment has been made. A number of parking sector stakeholders conducted research recently into this complex issue, and it has been submitted to the Department. Officials will be reviewing the research and its findings in due course.

Lilian Greenwood
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
24th Apr 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the ongoing e-scooter trials, what recent assessment she has made of the impact of e-scooters on (a) the modal shift of transport away from private cars and (b) reducing traffic congestion in trial areas; and what estimate she has made of the number of collisions involving e-scooters.

The first national evaluation of the e-scooter trials was published in December 2022. This found that e-scooters increasingly replaced private motor vehicle or taxi use over time (from 12% of journeys in March 2021 to 21% in December 2021). 42% of e-scooter trips replaced walking journeys in December 2021, and 9% of e-scooter journeys in the same period would otherwise not have been made.

Statistics on road collisions are collected via data reported to the Department by police forces. Provisional estimates for the year ending June 2024 suggest that there were 1,194 casualties in collisions involving both private and rented e-scooters.

Simon Lightwood
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
27th Nov 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what meetings her officials had with the then hon. member for Mid Dorset and North Poole on flooding at Bakers Arms Roundabout on the A35 during the last Parliament; and what agreements were made to consider measures to resolve the issue.

The Department has no record of meetings on this matter during the last Parliament.

Lilian Greenwood
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
17th Jun 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the housing benefit taper rate on young people in supported housing who increase working hours.

The income taper in Housing Benefit ensures people in work are better off than someone wholly reliant on benefits. In addition to any financial advantage, there are important non-financial benefits of working. These include learning new skills, improved confidence and independence as well as a positive effect on an individual's mental and physical health.

Notwithstanding these positive outcomes from work, the Department acknowledges there is a challenge presented by the interaction between Universal Credit and Housing Benefit for those residing in Supported Housing and Temporary Accommodation and receiving their housing support through Housing Benefit. The department is considering the issue carefully in partnership with stakeholders.

Stephen Timms
Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
17th Jun 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that it conducts a full review of the requester's (a) case and (b) complaint when Access to Work reconsideration requests are made.

The Access to Work process for reviewing reconsideration requests, as well as complaints, includes a full review of the original case, including all relevant documentation and communications relating to the original decision. To help ensure impartiality, these reviews are conducted by staff there were not involved in the original decision.

Stephen Timms
Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
10th Jun 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that self-employed people are adequately supported when using the Access to Work scheme.

Access to Work is a personalised discretionary grant that provides support with workplace adjustments beyond an employer’s obligation as outlined in the Equality Act 2010, to support the recruitment and retention of disabled people into employment. In 23/24 the Access to Work Scheme supported 67,720 people with workplace adjustments to move into or stay in work. This includes a wide range of support including travel to work, support workers, and specialist aides and equipment, as well as the Mental Health support service which provides up to nine months of non-clinical support for people who need additional help with their well-being.

Access to Work is available to self-employed people.To receive it they must satisfy the standard eligibility criteria for the Scheme and meet the business viability rules as outlined in Access to Work: staff guide - GOV.UK

The support a customer will get from Access to Work is dependent upon the support needed to do their job at the time they made an application. A case manager will use the current guidance to ensure Access to Work principles are considered when making a decision. There is no set amount for an Access to Work grant. The amount awarded will depend on the specific case. More guidance and information on Access to Work applications and processes can be found on: Access to Work: factsheet for customers - GOV.UK

As part of our Plan for Change, and as set out in the Pathways to Work Green Paper published in March, we are consulting on how to improve Access to Work to help more disabled people into work and support employers, ensuring value for money for taxpayers.

Stephen Timms
Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
20th Mar 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of enabling carers receiving Carer's allowance who defer drawing state pension to receive the same uplift as those who do not.

Where a person has deferred claiming their State Pension, they cannot accumulate increments that will increase their State Pension amount if they have received certain social security benefits including Carer’s Allowance.

The underlying principle is to prevent a person earning an enhancement to their pension while drawing another benefit that would otherwise have not been payable had they been receiving their State Pension.

The Department encourages people to seek independent financial advice before making a decision not to claim their State Pension when they reach State Pension age and this is set out in GOV.UK at https://www.gov.uk/plan-retirement-income/get-financial-advice

Torsten Bell
Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
24th Feb 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to create effective information sharing processes with the Department for Health and Social Care so that people with a permanent disability are no longer required to repeatedly prove the existence of their disability for receipt of disability benefit.

Personal Independence Payment, the main disability benefit, is based on an assessment of the customer’s needs and not whether they have a particular condition or not. Award reviews are a key feature of these benefits to ensure that the level of benefit matches the customer’s current needs.

The Health Transformation Programme is modernising health and disability benefit services to improve efficiency and customer experience. By improving how we gather evidence and by enabling the re-use of information, the new service will provide DWP agents and Healthcare Professionals with easier access to relevant information. This will reduce the burden on customers to provide complex information and reduce the need for them to provide it more than once. As part of this, we are exploring the potential for data sharing between the Department for Health and Social Care and DWP.

Stephen Timms
Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)