Asked by: Mary Glindon (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on steps to increase access to sport for children from low income households.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
I regularly meet with Ministerial counterparts on a range of issues, including young people’s engagement in sport and the barriers around this for those from lower socio-economic groups.
In the 2024/25 Financial Year, Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend constituency received £102,947 from Sport England, our Arm’s Length Body responsible for physical activity and sport participation in England, to increase sport and physical activity opportunities for local communities. Sport England also recently announced Gateshead and South Tyneside as two of their new 53 Place Partnerships, which will receive support to tackle inactivity levels through community-led solutions, including for children and young people.
More widely, the Government recently announced £100 million additional funding for the UK-wide Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities Programme which funds new and upgraded pitches, facilities, and equipment ensuring a more inclusive and sustainable offer for local communities, including children and young people.
Asked by: Esther McVey (Conservative - Tatton)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department has updated guidance on the use of single-sex facilities in response to the Supreme Court judgement in the case of For Women Scotland v The Scottish Ministers of 16 April 2025.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
We will review and update policy wherever necessary to ensure it complies with the latest legal requirements. We aim to ensure appropriate facilities are available for all staff.
Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of the provision of financial education in schools in Fylde constituency.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
I refer the hon. Member for Fylde to the answer of 9 April 2025 to Question 43513.
Asked by: Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat - Newton Abbot)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if his Department will amend section 172 of the Companies Act 2006 to require company directors to balance the duty to promote the success of the company with duties to (a) employees and (b) the environment.
Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Section 172 of the Companies Act 2006 requires company directors to have regard in their decision-making to the interests of their employees and to the impact of the company's operations on the community and the environment. All large companies must report annually on how their directors have fulfilled this duty. Section 172 enshrines in statute the "enlightened shareholder value" principle, which recognises that the long-term success of a company depends in part on the ongoing consideration of wider stakeholder interests. This contrasts with the "shareholder maximisation" principle underpinning directors' duties in some other jurisdictions, in which directors owe their duty only to shareholders.
The Government welcomes suggestions on how to ensure companies consider wider stakeholder interests alongside the needs of stakeholders. I look forward to considering the clauses of the Company Directors (Duties) Bill when available.
I would be pleased to meet with the Honourable Member for Newton Abbot to discuss his Private Member's Bill.
Asked by: Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat - Newton Abbot)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will meet with (a) the hon. Member for Newton Abbot and (b) members of the business community to discuss expanding the duties of company directors.
Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Section 172 of the Companies Act 2006 requires company directors to have regard in their decision-making to the interests of their employees and to the impact of the company's operations on the community and the environment. All large companies must report annually on how their directors have fulfilled this duty. Section 172 enshrines in statute the "enlightened shareholder value" principle, which recognises that the long-term success of a company depends in part on the ongoing consideration of wider stakeholder interests. This contrasts with the "shareholder maximisation" principle underpinning directors' duties in some other jurisdictions, in which directors owe their duty only to shareholders.
The Government welcomes suggestions on how to ensure companies consider wider stakeholder interests alongside the needs of stakeholders. I look forward to considering the clauses of the Company Directors (Duties) Bill when available.
I would be pleased to meet with the Honourable Member for Newton Abbot to discuss his Private Member's Bill.
Asked by: Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat - Newton Abbot)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will support the (a) passage and (b) principle of the Company Directors (Duties) Bill.
Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Section 172 of the Companies Act 2006 requires company directors to have regard in their decision-making to the interests of their employees and to the impact of the company's operations on the community and the environment. All large companies must report annually on how their directors have fulfilled this duty. Section 172 enshrines in statute the "enlightened shareholder value" principle, which recognises that the long-term success of a company depends in part on the ongoing consideration of wider stakeholder interests. This contrasts with the "shareholder maximisation" principle underpinning directors' duties in some other jurisdictions, in which directors owe their duty only to shareholders.
The Government welcomes suggestions on how to ensure companies consider wider stakeholder interests alongside the needs of stakeholders. I look forward to considering the clauses of the Company Directors (Duties) Bill when available.
I would be pleased to meet with the Honourable Member for Newton Abbot to discuss his Private Member's Bill.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment he has made of the implications for his Department’s policies of the document by the Food and Drug Administration entitled Roadmap to Reducing Animal Testing in Preclinical Safety Studies, published on 10 April 2025, and the announcement by the National Institutes of Health on 29 April 2025 on animal testing.
Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Government has reviewed the FDA roadmap and is engaging with the MHRA on how to accelerate the science-led adoption of alternatives to the use of animals for drug development and testing. The Government will publish a strategy later this year that will support this ambition and accelerate the development, validation and uptake of alternative methods across the biosciences.
Asked by: Gideon Amos (Liberal Democrat - Taunton and Wellington)
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 bring sections (a) 143 and (b) 144 of the Building Safety Act into force in the current parliament.
Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Section 144 of the Building Safety Act (2022) created a power to mandate a requirement for all new build homes to be sold with a new build warranty. No decision has been made by the government on commencement of this power.
In the meantime, most new build warranties cover damages caused by structural defects for a 10-year term, while the developer is often held accountable for the first two years of this period.
In October 2024 the previous government published its response the Competition and Market's Authority's housebuilding study. This included a commitment to bring forward a new consumer code for housebuilders and a New Homes Ombudsman service which will empower homeowners to rightly challenge developers for any quality issues they face in their home which the current government is also committed to.
Asked by: James Cartlidge (Conservative - South Suffolk)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many (a) ships and (b) submarines are currently (i) in-build and (ii) on order.
Answered by Maria Eagle - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
There are currently eight ships in build, with a further eight on order. These include the next-generation Type 31 General Purpose Frigates, Type 26 Anti-Submarine Frigates, and the Fleet Solid Support ships, to be crewed by the Royal Fleet Auxiliary.
There are currently five submarines in build, and one on order. This includes the Dreadnought class, the replacement for the Royal Navy’s current Vanguard-class ballistic missile submarines, and Astute-Class attack submarines.
The above figures do not include programmes that are in development but not yet contracted for, such as SSN-AUKUS submarines, Multi Role Strike Ships and the Type 83 Air Defence Destroyer.
These ships and submarines, together with other capabilities, are a vital part of achieving the new hybrid navy as outlined recently in the Strategic Defence Review.
Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to support local authorities to provide safe walking routes for children to schools in Surrey Heath constituency.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
It is for local authorities to decide on where to prioritise investment in their local transport networks. Surrey County Council is in the process of developing Local Cycling and Walking Investment Plans (LCWIPs) across the county, including one for Surrey Heath Borough. LCWIPs help local authorities to make a strong case for future investment in active travel infrastructure.
Active Travel England recently announced funding allocations to local authorities through the Consolidated Active Travel Fund. Surrey County Council’s has been awarded almost £4.4 million in revenue and capital funding to support the delivery of high-quality walking, wheeling and cycling infrastructure as well as capability building measures and behaviour changes activities.