Asked by: David Simmonds (Conservative - Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner)
Question
To ask the Right hon. Member for Kenilworth and Southam, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, what guidance or advice the Electoral Commission has given to local authorities on whether employees of a district or county council can serve as a councillor of a shadow unitary authority for that area.
Answered by Jeremy Wright
The Electoral Commission outlines the disqualification criteria at each relevant election in its guidance for candidates and agents. Due to the complexity of the rules, it does not provide direct advice on whether someone is qualified or disqualified from standing. Instead it recommends that candidates seek their own legal advice if in doubt about their eligibility.
In its role supporting Returning Officers to deliver well-run elections, it has advised them to raise any queries about the matter with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many (a) Notices to Improve and (b) written instructions her Department issued to train operating companies for which the Department is the operator in relation to (i) service performance and (ii) financial control in January 2026 and each subsequent month.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department has not issued any Notices to Improve on any of the DfT Operator train operating companies in January 2026 and in each subsequent month because none have been in breach of their formal contractual terms.
The DfT regularly engages with all operators on service performance and financial management, aligned with this Government's priorities on improving performance and reducing subsidy.
Asked by: Mike Wood (Conservative - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the Answer of 2 March 2026 to Question 113919 on Equality: Gender and Intersex, what the timetable is for the Gender Identity and Intersex Policy Package review following the publication of the Equality Act 2010: Draft Code of Practice for services, public functions and associations.
Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
New model Policy and Guidance: Supporting Trans and Non-binary Employees was issued to departments on 22 May 2026. These may be used by departments as templates for their own departmental guidance.
Asked by: David Simmonds (Conservative - Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner)
Question
To ask the Right hon. Member for Kenilworth and Southam, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, whether the Electoral Commission has made an assessment of the average cost to a local authority of holding and administering a (a) Parliamentary, (b) combined authority mayoral and (c) local council ward by-election.
Answered by Jeremy Wright
The Electoral Commission has not made an assessment on the average cost of holding and administering elections, as it is not responsible for funding elections. The UK Government, through the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, provides funding for the administration of parliamentary by-elections. The Combined authority and local authority will fund the cost of running their own by-elections respectively.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 26 May 2026 to Question 2251 on Railways, what the intended date is for Great British Railways' day-one stand-up.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Great British Railways (GBR) design process is underway. We expect to stand up GBR within 12 months of the Railways Bill receiving Royal Assent.
Asked by: Alison Griffiths (Conservative - Bognor Regis and Littlehampton)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department has made an assessment of the extent to which the additional funding for apprentices aged under 25 offsets changes in the level of (a) employer National Insurance contributions, (b) the National Minimum Wage and (c) employment regulation.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The government has committed a further £1 billion investment in young people, taking total additional investment into the Youth Guarantee and the Growth and Skills Levy to £2.5 billion over the next three years. This investment will support almost one million young people and create up to 500,000 opportunities to earn and learn.
We are transforming the Apprenticeships Levy into a new Growth and Skills Levy in England, backed by £1 billion of additional investment, which will support 50,000 more young people into apprenticeships, give employers greater flexibility to develop the workforce they need, and support the industrial strategy.
We are providing considerable financial support to employers, particularly smaller employers who play such a vital role in creating apprenticeship opportunities for young people. Employers of all sizes are not required to pay anything towards employees’ National Insurance for all apprentices aged up to age 25 (when the employee’s wage is below £50,270 a year).
We are introducing a new apprenticeship hiring payment of £2,000 for non-levy paying employers (typically SMEs) that take on 16–24-year-old apprentices as new employees. Employers hiring apprentices aged 18-24 who have been on Universal Credit for over six months will also be eligible for the new £3,000 Youth Jobs Grant from June 2026.
Additionally, the government provides £1,000 to both employers, of all sizes, and training providers when they take on apprentices aged under 19, or 19-to-24-year-old apprentices who have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHC) or have been, or are, in care.
These payments can be stacked together where the employer and/or apprentice are eligible.
In addition, from August 2026, we will fully fund apprenticeship training for non-levy paying employers for eligible people aged 16-24, to boost small business starts and prioritise funding to young people. At the moment, this only happens for apprentices aged 16-21 and apprentices aged 22-24 who have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) or have been, or are, in local authority care.
Asked by: Adam Dance (Liberal Democrat - Yeovil)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to align apprenticeship policy with youth employment patterns.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
This Government is investing in young people’s futures and reversing the sharp decline in apprenticeship starts amongst young people – which have fallen by 40% over the last decade. Over half of all apprenticeship starts are now for learners aged 25 and over.
We are investing an additional £2.5 billion into the Youth Guarantee and the Growth and Skills Levy to support nearly one million 16–24-year-olds into work, education or training. Over the next three years, this investment will deliver up to 300,000 opportunities for workplace experience and training ,and unlock up to 200,000 jobs, including through the £3,000 Youth Jobs Grant and guaranteeing jobs for long-term unemployed young people on Universal Credit.
We have introduced foundation apprenticeships for 16-21-year-olds and recently expanded these into the hospitality and retail sectors which traditionally recruit significant numbers of young people. These are entry-level, paid jobs with structured training designed for young people aged 16-21 and come with a £2,000 payment for employers.
We will launch a new level 2 administrative assistant apprenticeship from August and at the same time, will make apprenticeship training for all eligible under 25s at non-levy paying employers (typically SMEs) completely free of charge. In addition, we are introducing a new apprenticeship hiring payment of £2,000 for non-levy paying employers that take on 16–24-year-old apprentices as new employees.
We have also announced £140 million to test, with Mayoral Strategic Authorities, the best ways of brokering more apprenticeship opportunities for young people at the local level.
Asked by: James Naish (Labour - Rushcliffe)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she plans to allow local authorities to sell spare seats on school-only transport services without triggering full Public Service Vehicles Accessibility Regulations compliance requirements.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
This Government strongly supports the aims of PSVAR and breaking down the barriers to opportunity. We believe that children and young people should be able to choose to travel to and from school with their classmates if they wish to. However, progress with PSVAR compliance has been slower than hoped in respect of home-to-school services.
Closed door home-to-school services serve pupils whose needs are known in advance. Many disabled pupils also either attend specialist education settings or are provided with door-to-door transport and would struggle to access mainstream services even if they were PSVAR compliant.
As current exemptions were due to cease in July 2026, and following careful consideration, I decided to introduce new four-year special authorisations for paid for, closed door home-to-school services.
On 5 June I wrote to the coach sector informing them of this decision noting that as with the current Medium-Term-Exemptions (MTE’s), exemptions will be offered subject to operators meeting specific conditions which will be laid out in full when eligible operators are invited to apply. The conditions, which place the needs of disabled children and young people at the core, include maintaining a minimum number of PSVAR compliant coaches and providing a compliant coach on request at no extra cost.
The sale of spare seats on school-only services is a matter for local authorities.
Asked by: Liz Saville Roberts (Plaid Cymru - Dwyfor Meirionnydd)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what impact assessment has been carried out on (a) public safety, (b) recruitment, (c) retention, (d) emergency response capability and (e) operational availability of Coastguard Rescue Officers as a result of the removal of hourly remuneration and intention to implement a revised volunteer model by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
A Court of Appeal ruling found that the current remuneration model could not legally continue.
Public safety remains our priority, and careful consideration was given to the options for a revised operating model. The legal position, the operational implications, and the wider organisational impact have all been looked at in detail, as well as the views of current Coastguard Rescue Officers (CRO). They were clear that serving their community was a major reason why they volunteer. Protecting volunteering preserves a valuable form of public service. The revised model protects choice, flexibility and the ability for people to serve alongside their primary employment.
As a result, the decision was made to move to a new model with expenses but no hourly remuneration. This will be implemented in September 2026.
Recruitment into membership of the CRS continues as it has previously. Alongside the Coastguard Rescue Service, HM Coastguard will continue to draw upon the full UK Search and Rescue system, including HM Coastguard aviation assets, RNLI and independent lifeboats, independent rescue teams, lifeguards and other emergency services as they do today.
Asked by: Liz Saville Roberts (Plaid Cymru - Dwyfor Meirionnydd)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what contingency plans are in place to maintain operational resilience of HM Coastguard if significant numbers of experienced Coastguard Rescue Officers leave the service as a result of the removal of hourly remuneration and intention to implement a revised volunteer model by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
A Court of Appeal ruling found that the current remuneration model could not legally continue.
Public safety remains our priority, and careful consideration was given to the options for a revised operating model. The legal position, the operational implications, and the wider organisational impact have all been looked at in detail, as well as the views of current Coastguard Rescue Officers (CRO). They were clear that serving their community was a major reason why they volunteer. Protecting volunteering preserves a valuable form of public service. The revised model protects choice, flexibility and the ability for people to serve alongside their primary employment.
As a result, the decision was made to move to a new model with expenses but no hourly remuneration. This will be implemented in September 2026.
Recruitment into membership of the CRS continues as it has previously. Alongside the Coastguard Rescue Service, HM Coastguard will continue to draw upon the full UK Search and Rescue system, including HM Coastguard aviation assets, RNLI and independent lifeboats, independent rescue teams, lifeguards and other emergency services as they do today.