theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-17)

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Ian Roome:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much his Department has (a) spent and (b) committed to spend on Life Extension refits of Royal Navy Type 23 Frigates since October 2014. \p Maria Eagle: £941.2 million has been spent on the delivery of T23 upkeeps completed since 2014. A further £63.7 million is currently contractually committed for the delivery of T23 upkeeps. These are a planned series of upkeep periods in order to maintain ship condition and to introduce, where appropriate, capability updates.

It should be noted that the figure given includes upkeeps undertaken to two ships that started prior to 2014. Because of the length of time passed it is not possible to break down the figures further.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-17)

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Callum Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to support (a) apprenticeships and (b) skills development in the defence manufacturing sector. \p Maria Eagle: This Government recognises the critical importance of supporting the defence sector in order to benefit from the skilled workforce needed to sustain a vibrant, innovative and competitive defence industrial base.

Defence supports Defence Industry apprenticeships and graduate opportunities, including national apprenticeship awards, National Apprenticeship Week, the Apprenticeship Ambassador Network, and university careers fairs.

There is also ongoing engagement between defence and industry to address sector-wide issues, including recruitment and retention challenges. A dedicated joint MOD-industry working group is collaborating to identify and address skills gaps, including around UK defence sector STEM challenges.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-17)

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Preet Kaur Gill:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent assessment he has made of the contribution of the defence sector in (a) Birmingham, Edgbaston, (b) Birmingham and (c) the West Midlands to the UK economy. \p Maria Eagle: The Ministry of Defence generally holds data at a regional level and, therefore, cannot make this kind of assessment for either Edgbaston or Birmingham specifically.

However, the defence sector in the West Midlands makes a significant contribution to the UK economy. In 2023-24, Ministry of Defence expenditure with UK industry and commerce totalled £1.6 billion , including a spend of £137 million with small and medium sized enterprises, in the West Midlands. In 2022-23, Ministry of Defence expenditure supported approximately 7,100 direct jobs with industry in the West Midlands.
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James Cartlidge:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent progress he has  made on Project CABOT. \p Maria Eagle: Project CABOT is the Royal Navy’s plan to develop remotely operated and autonomous Anti-Submarine Warfare capabilities, aiming for a “Digitalisation of the North Atlantic”.

Project CABOT was launched on 5 of March 2025, and the Royal Navy is now working with industry, academia, allies and Defence partners to seek out potential technologies that could provide a suitable capability. Scaling of any capability identified under Project CABOT is dependent on the outcome of the Strategic Defence Review.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-17)

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Callum Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to support the growth of UK-base defence (a) start-ups and (b) small businesses. \p Maria Eagle: Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), including start-ups, make a vital contribution to economic growth and are a valuable source of technical innovation in defence. This is recognised in the Defence Industrial Strategy Statement of Intent, as well as the Department’s Social Value policies. We work with our largest suppliers through a network of their SME Champions, trade associations and SME representatives to ensure that SMEs have fair access to opportunities in our supply chain and that our prime contractors are adopting policies, such as fair payment practices, that support small businesses working in defence.

We have announced the launch of a new hub to provide SMEs with better access to the defence supply chain and have committed to set direct SME spending targets for the Ministry of Defence by June this year, ensuring that thousands of small businesses in the UK will benefit from the decision to increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP. This is a chance for small, often family-owned, firms to bring their innovations, agility and their expert workforce to the task of strengthening Britain’s defences.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-17)

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Callum Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of increasing the levels of UK-produced components in defence procurement programmes. \p Maria Eagle: This Government is committed to supporting UK based manufacturers, including producers of the vital components used within our defence programmes, and will bring forward a new Defence Industrial Strategy later this year to align the imperatives of national security and a high-growth economy.

The Government has been clear that it will use the additional investment in defence announced by the Prime Minister on 25 February 2025 to maximise jobs, growth, skills and innovation in the UK. This investment in defence will protect UK citizens from threats and also create a secure and stable environment in which businesses can thrive, supporting the Government’s number one mission to deliver economic growth.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-17)

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James Cartlidge:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has placed orders for M500 remote operated vehicles for the Royal Navy. \p Maria Eagle: The Royal Navy (RN) purchased one M500 Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) to support the initial capability investigation into autonomous mine hunting concepts leading into Project WILTON in 2015. WILTON informed the capability requirements for the RN's transformation of Mine Countermeasures, under the Mine Hunting Concept (MHC); the first elements of MHC will enter service this year.
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James Cartlidge:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many housing officers were employed by the Ministry of Defence as of 10 March 2025. \p Maria Eagle: Currently, 15 Joint Office Areas are operational in the United Kingdom. The Ministry of Defence continues to review the number to ensure we best support the families we serve.

Currently, there are 120 Housing Officers and 16 Senior Housing Officers employed by Pinnacle on behalf of the Ministry of Defence.
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James Cartlidge:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 10 March 2025 to Question 34904 on Defence: Procurement, whether he plans to publish the target for direct SME spending separately from the Defence Industrial Strategy. \p Maria Eagle: The Ministry of Defence is required, along with all other Government Departments, to agree and publish a target for direct spend with Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) by June 2025. The Department is committed to publishing a stretching but achievable target to meet this requirement. Work on the SME direct spend target is being undertaken separately but in parallel with development of other departmental publications and the spending review.
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Sir John Hayes:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Royal Navy service personnel (a) retired and (b) left the profession for other reasons in each of the last ten years. \p Al Carns: The number of Royal Navy service personnel who retired and left the profession for other reasons by Calendar Years 2015 to 2019 can be found in the table below:

Calendar Year

End of Engagement

All Other Outflow

2015

1200

1500

2016

1150

1480

2017

1180

1460

2018

1170

1450

2019

1160

1430

2020

1140

1420

2021

1130

1410

2022

1120

1400

2023

1110

1390

2024

1100

1380
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Sarah Gibson:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of ensuring that all Armed Forces Personnel are entitled to the same pension scheme. \p Al Carns: As of 1 April 2022, all Serving personnel are members of the Armed Forces Pension Scheme 2015 (AFPS 15). AFPS 15 is the only open pension scheme for both Regular and Reserve personnel, having replaced all existing prior legacy schemes.
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Cameron Thomas:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of asbestos on sites owned by his Department on (a) local communities and (b) surrounding infrastructure. \p Al Carns: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) has robust policies in place to safely manage asbestos in accordance with relevant legislation and Health and Safety Executive guidance.

Where asbestos is being remediated and/ or removed from MOD sites, we notify local residents in accordance with the appropriate legislation.
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Derek Twigg:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the most frequent reasons were for new applicants to the Army being refused on medical grounds in each year since 2020. \p Al Carns: It is taking time to interrogate the data and therefore it has not been possible to provide the answer in the time available. I will write to the hon. Member as soon as practical and will place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.
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Cameron Thomas:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of the presence of asbestos at Ashchurch military barracks since 2019. \p Al Carns: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is committed to the health and safety of our people and we have robust policies in place to safely manage asbestos in Defence in accordance with relevant legislation and Health and Safety Executive guidance. MOD complies with its legal obligation not to construct any new infrastructure containing asbestos and to maintain a risk register for legacy asbestos, treating it as appropriate.

In 2019 routine sampling identified asbestos within buildings on the Ashchurch site. The MOD immediately implemented measures and controls to reduce exposure risk and provide additional safeguards on site. Significant amounts of asbestos have now been removed and work continues to ensure any remaining asbestos is removed or made safe.
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James Cartlidge:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he plans to implement the Modernised Accommodation Offer. \p Al Carns: This Government is clear that our people are our greatest strength, and provision of Service accommodation is essential to their operational effectiveness. An attractive accommodation offer helps deliver military capability and contributes to retaining Service personnel.

Changes to family accommodation entitlements under the Modernised Accommodation Offer are still under review and will be confirmed in due course. The Ministry of Defence remains committed to widening the entitlement to family accommodation to maintain a mobile, deployable, and winning force, whilst also meeting the varying needs of all its people. This includes widening entitlement to those personnel with children resident over 80 nights per year.
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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential suitability of developing a capability similar to the USAF’s Light Attack Experiment to provide close air support in operations characterised by UK air dominance for the (a) Royal Air Force or (b) Army Air Corps. \p Maria Eagle: The ongoing Strategic Defence Review is considering our combat air and Armed Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance (ISTAR) force mix in an increasingly contested world.  The Protector RG (Reconnaissance/Ground-Attack) Mk1 is currently entering service to replace Reaper as the next generation Medium Altitude, Long Endurance - Remotely Piloted Air System - in the Armed ISTAR role.
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James Cartlidge:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he plans to expand the deployment of Peregrine on naval vessels beyond HMS Lancaster. \p Maria Eagle: The performance of the Peregrine system has been continuously monitored since it was deployed on HMS Lancaster, and it continues to be assessed. There is a significant focus on improving integration and maximising performance as the crew's operating experience of the Peregrine system grows.

The Royal Navy's transition to uncrewed systems is expected to be addressed in the Strategic Defence Review.
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James Cartlidge:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what progress he has made on Project Tiquila. \p Maria Eagle: Project TIQUILA is delivering next-generation Remotely Piloted Air Systems (RPAS) that will enhance decision superiority and enable the delivery of kinetic effects on the modern battlefield. Project TIQUILA has delivered VXE30 and INDAGO 4 equipment to front-line units, who are currently being trained on them ahead of reaching Initial Operating Capability (IOC).

The VXE30 RPAS will reach IOC in April 2025, and the INDAGO 4 RPAS will reach IOC in June 2025.

The Desert Hawk III Mini-Uncrewed Aerial System exited service at its Out of Service Date in March 2023.
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James Cartlidge:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the £1.6bn funding for air defence missiles announced on 2 March 2025, whether he has held discussions with relevant stakeholders on a potential expansion of the Belfast manufacturing site. \p Maria Eagle: Any expansion of the Thales manufacturing site in Belfast would be a matter between the company and the local authorities in Northern Ireland.
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James Cartlidge:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether there have been any changes to the process of issuing security clearances to representatives of defence businesses by his Department since 5 July 2024. \p Maria Eagle: UKSV (Cabinet Office) is the sole provider of National Security Vetting and is responsible for issuing security clearances. Ministry of Defence (MOD), including Defence suppliers accredited by MOD to act as a sponsor for National Security Vetting, is a customer of UKSV.

There have been no changes to the process of issuing security clearances to representatives of Defence businesses since 5 July 2024.
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Sir John Hayes:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what proportion of food procured by his Department is sourced in the UK. \p Maria Eagle: Under the terms of Ministry of Defences’ (MOD) food contracts, the procurement of all produce is the is the responsibility of the prime contractors.

Although the contracts do not specify the use of British produce, the MOD encourages contractors to source locally wherever possible.

All food procured for MOD personnel must comply with MOD food quality standards, which, in turn, comply with all UK and EU production standards, Farm Assurance or equivalent.
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Derek Twigg:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he plans to produce a National Defence Plan. \p Luke Pollard: Defence is supporting the Cabinet Office on the design and implementation of an internal-to-government Home Defence Programme. This will further enhance UK national security and resilience through bolstering civilian-military coordination and HMG’s overall preparedness.

The upcoming Strategic Defence Review will reflect the importance of strengthening national resilience and reinforcing the UK’s homeland security to keep the country safe and protect its citizens.
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James Cartlidge:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has had discussions with the Prime Minister on the publication date for the Strategic Defence Review since 25 February 2025. \p Luke Pollard: The Strategic Defence Review is well advanced, but not yet complete. As soon as it is completed the Prime Minister will put it before the House.
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Sir Desmond Swayne:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to protect Royal Navy war graves in international waters. \p Al Carns: The term “war graves” is one which applies to the final resting places of fallen soldiers on land, and locations designated as a war grave by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

However, as a matter of customary international law, all naval warships, state vessels and associated artefacts are afforded protection through the principle of Sovereign Immunity. The UK is of the view that, unless expressly relinquished or abandoned by the Flag State, the Sovereign Immunity of the wreck of any Crown vessel remains in place, regardless of where the wreck in question is located, and those who lost their lives in service of our country should be left in situ and undisturbed.

Some warships are also afforded additional protection under the Protection of Military Remains Act 1986.
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Mr Paul Kohler:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress she has made on providing full-step free access at Haydons Road station. \p Lilian Greenwood: Following a recent nomination for step free upgrades at Haydons Road station, the Department and rail industry unfortunately identified limited passenger benefits. As such, limited funding is being prioritised to progress other stations which will deliver greater passenger benefits. Wimbledon station is already fully accessible and less than a mile from Haydons Road station and the TfL bus network in the local area is also fully accessible for wheelchair users.
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Mr Paul Foster:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an estimate of the number of road traffic accidents leading to a fatality on the M6 motorway within Lancashire since 2022. \p Lilian Greenwood: The number of fatal road collisions reported to police which occurred on the M6 within Lancashire was 2 in 2022 with none in 2023. 2023 is the latest year for which figures are available.
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Laurence Turner:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Office of Rail and Road's letter to Network Rail of 11 February 2025, entitled Management of structures – structures examination and assessment noncompliance, what recent assessment she has made of Network Rail's capability to (a) identify and (b) remedy infrastructure failings; and when the Independent Reporter commission that is referred to in that letter will conclude. \p Simon Lightwood: The Office of Rail and Road (ORR), in its capacity as the independent rail safety regulator for Great Britain, is responsible for assessing the adequacy of the measures taken by Network Rail to examine, assess and evaluate the safety of the structural assets it owns, and for deciding on any appropriate regulatory action. ORR expects the Independent Reporter commission to conclude in approximately 9-12 months.

Safety remains our top priority for the railways, and it is important the independent rail regulator can act proactively to ensure high standards are maintained. We will look to Network Rail to work closely with the ORR to agree a plan for prioritising delivery of its planned structures examinations and assessments.
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Mr Paul Kohler:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to increase the number of pre-booked passenger assists. \p Simon Lightwood: There was an increase of 22 per cent in the number of bookings for passenger assistance in 2023/2024. We want to see further increases in the number of people who are able to pre-book assistance by making improvements to the assistance that is offered as we know it can still too often fall short of expectations. In November 2024, the Government announced over £10 million in funding to improve the Passenger Assist scheme – the service that enables disabled passengers, or other people who may require help, to book and receive assistance to enable them to make a journey by rail. The improvements, to be delivered over the next two years, will see a step-change in how assistance is provided. For example, the ability for customers to communicate directly with staff on arrival and as they travel, as well as a help function to connect customers to staff in the event of feeling stranded or unsafe.
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Mr Paul Kohler:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of train overcrowding on access to railway stations for wheelchair users. \p Simon Lightwood: We know that overcrowding can have an additional impact on those requiring assistance to complete their journeys. The Department for Transport publishes statistics on passenger numbers and overcrowding. The latest release was in September 2024. The Office of Rail and Road is responsible for making sure passengers are protected by train and station operators from any health and safety risks, such as crowding, and operators are responsible for managing the numbers and flow of passengers using their services. They must also ensure passengers are informed about potential overcrowding.
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Mr Paul Kohler:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what proportion of railway stations have level boarding for passengers. \p Simon Lightwood: The Government is strongly committed to making the oldest railway in the world accessible. We will continue to take the Access for All programme forward as fast as funds allow. The Government programme of rail reform will end years of fragmentation – bringing together track and train to deliver for passengers with more reliable, better-quality services and improved accessibility. Shadow Great British Railways (SGBR) will start to provide the opportunity to take joined up, whole system decisions that improve performance for the benefit of all passengers and taxpayers with accessibility of stations and trains always in mind.
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Daisy Cooper:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to (a) the consultation Managing Pavement Parking, published 31 August 2020 and (b) the update on 29 June 2023 that feedback was being evaluated, whether she plans to publish further information on the findings of that consultation. \p Lilian Greenwood: The Department has been considering all the views expressed in response to the consultation in 2020 and is currently working through the policy options and the appropriate means of delivering them. As soon as the Government has decided its preferred way forward, we will announce the next steps and publish our formal response.  In the meantime, local authorities can make use of existing powers to manage pavement parking.
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Mr Paul Kohler:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans she has to mitigate potential health inequalities from air pollution as a result of Heathrow expansion; and whether her Department has developed modelling on the health impact of Heathrow expansion on Heathrow staff by salary band. \p Mike Kane: The Government has invited proposals for a third runway at Heathrow to be brought forward by the summer. Once proposals have been received, the government will review the Airports National Policy Statement, which provides the basis for decision making on granting development consent for a new runway at Heathrow. The Government has been clear that any airport expansion proposals need to demonstrate that they contribute to economic growth, can be delivered in line with the UK’s legally binding commitments on carbon and meet strict environmental requirements on air quality and noise pollution.
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Mr Paul Kohler:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of Heathrow expansion on road traffic composition. \p Mike Kane: The Government has invited proposals for a third runway at Heathrow to be brought forward by the summer. Once proposals have been received, the government will review the Airports National Policy Statement, which provides the basis for decision making on granting development consent for a new runway at Heathrow. The Government has been clear that any airport expansion proposals need to demonstrate that they contribute to economic growth, can be delivered in line with the UK’s legally binding commitments on carbon and meet strict environmental requirements on air quality and noise pollution.
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Tom Morrison:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of ride-hailing firms setting fares below local taxi tariff rates; and what assessment she has made of the potential impact this has on road safety due to excessive working hours. \p Simon Lightwood: All private hire vehicle journeys must be booked in advance, which enables passengers to compare prices. The setting of fares by private hire vehicle operators is a commercial matter for the company in question. As passengers may engage taxi services immediately in the street or at a rank, the 263 licensing authorities in England can set maximum fares to protect passengers.

All road users are required to comply with road traffic law, in the interests of their own safety and that of other road users. Rule 91 of the Highway Code states “Driving when you are tired greatly increases your risk of collision…Do not begin a journey if you are tired”. If road users do not adopt a responsible attitude or if their use of the highway creates an unsafe environment, or causes nuisance, they may be committing a number of offences that can make them liable for prosecution.

The Department issues Best Practice guidance to taxi and private hire vehicle licensing authorities in England. The increased risk that factors such as fatigue can play in road traffic collisions is highlighted in the Best Practice Guidance. As professional drivers, an appreciation of the effect of distractions and pressures which can negatively influence their driver behaviours is recognised and the guidance recommends that licensing authorities should require drivers to undertake training and/or assessment focussed on attitudes and behaviours.
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Zöe Franklin:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of prioritising active transport schemes. \p Simon Lightwood: The Government recognises the merits of prioritising investment in active travel schemes to support its economic growth, health and net zero missions. Active travel can help to revitalise high streets, enable people to live longer, healthier lives and reduce transport emissions. The Department announced the details of almost £300 million of funding for active travel in 2024/25 and 2025/26 on 12 February.
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Ellie Chowns:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make it her policy to remove time limits on disabled persons concessionary bus passes to improve access to (a) education, (b) work and (c) other opportunities. \p Simon Lightwood: The English National Concessionary Travel Scheme (ENCTS) provides free off-peak bus travel to those with eligible disabilities and those of state pension age. The ENCTS costs around £700 million annually and any changes to the statutory obligations, such as extending the travel time criteria, would therefore need to be carefully considered for its impact on the scheme’s financial sustainability.  The Government recently conducted a review of the ENCTS, which included considering travel times for disabled passholders and is currently considering next steps.

Currently, local authorities in England have the power to go beyond their statutory obligations under the ENCTS and offer additional discretionary concessions, such as extending the travel time criteria for the ENCTS.

The government has confirmed £955 million for the 2025 to 2026 financial year to support and improve bus services in England outside London. This includes £243 million for bus operators and £712 million allocated to local authorities across the country. Herefordshire Council has been allocated £3.2 million of this funding. Funding allocated to local authorities to improve services for passengers can be used in whichever way they wish. This could include extending the discretionary concessions available in the local area.
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Stuart Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to improve transport infrastructure within rural communities. \p Simon Lightwood: The government is committed to delivering the better, more reliable bus services that passengers deserve. In the Budget, the government confirmed investment of over £1 billion to support and improve bus services and keep fares affordable in England outside London, including in rural areas. Shropshire Council has been allocated over £4.4 million for the 2025 to 2026 financial year to support and improve bus services.

Local authorities can use this funding to improve bus infrastructure and make services more frequent for local communities. We have also committed to reforming bus funding to give local leaders more control and flexibility to allow them to plan ahead to deliver their local transport priorities.

Shropshire Council will also receive a share of the £650 million-plus funding for local transport announced in the Budget. This funding aims to support everyday journeys and improve transport connections in our towns, villages, and rural areas.
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Olly Glover:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the estimated cost of the Great British Railways livery rebrand is. \p Simon Lightwood: We're delivering a once in a generation overhaul of the railways and will establish Great British Railways, a new body bringing track and train together, delivering reliable services for passengers and freight customers, and catalysing growth across the country.

We’re looking at options for GBR branding and what the roll out options are, taking into account value for money for taxpayers and ensuring minimal disruption to services.
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Sir John Hayes:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions she has had with East Midlands Railways on the feasibility of increasing the frequency of train services to and from Spalding. \p Simon Lightwood: East Midlands Railway’s proposed new regional timetable for December 2025 includes one additional service every weekday and four additional services every Saturday calling at Spalding.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-17)

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Dr Rupa Huq:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking with local authorities to make public transport more affordable. \p Simon Lightwood: Delivering reliable and affordable public transport services is one of the government’s top priorities and we know how important this is for passengers and for local growth.

The government is investing over £150 million to deliver a new £3 cap on single bus fares in England outside London from 1 January until 31 December 2025 to help millions access better opportunities and promote greater bus use by passengers. In addition, the government has confirmed £955 million for the 2025 to 2026 financial year to support and improve bus services in England outside London. This includes £243 million for bus operators and £712 million allocated to local authorities. Local authorities can use this funding to introduce new fares initiatives, introduce new bus routes, make services more frequent and protect crucial bus routes for local communities.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-17)

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Lee Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, for what reason she agreed to the recent increase in train fares. \p Simon Lightwood: The recent 4.6 per cent increase to the cap on regulated rail fares, announced in last autumn's budget, supports the Government's long-term plan to achieve financial sustainability of the railway and is the lowest absolute increase in three years. Any long-term changes or concessions made to rail fares policy require balancing against the potential impacts on passengers, taxpayers and the railway.
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Mike Martin:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of allowing local councils to review applications by utility firms for emergency roadworks in order to determine when the roadworks should take place. \p Lilian Greenwood: Emergency works are defined in legislation as works needed to deal with dangers to life and property and so must be carried out urgently. For these, and other urgent works needed to restore customer connections or deal with leaks, permits must be submitted to the relevant highway authority within two hours of works starting on site. The authority can assess these permits and request works are completed by a particular time.

Authorities are also required to evaluate the operation of their permit schemes, annually for the first three years of operation and then every three years after that.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-17)

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Alex Mayer:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether Network Rail’s debt will move to the balance sheet of Great British Railways. \p Simon Lightwood: The public consultation for the government’s upcoming Railways Bill was launched in February. This consultation sets out our proposals for the most comprehensive reform of Britain’s railways in 30 years.

This included the plan to establish Great British Railways (GBR) as the directing mind in charge of Britain’s railway, bringing responsibility for train services and rail infrastructure together into one integrated organisation.

GBR will accordingly be designed in an appropriate manner so that it can efficiently and effectively carry out its intended functions. The future of Network Rail’s legacy debt will be considered as part of the detailed design process.
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Mark Garnier:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has considered designating public electric vehicle charger sites as Critical National Infrastructure. \p Lilian Greenwood: Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) is defined as those facilities, systems, sites, information, people, networks and processes judged to be critical to the functioning and security of the UK. Loss or compromise of these could result in risk to life or have a significant impact on our national security, national defence, or the functioning of the state.

CNI designation within each sector, including transport, is assessed using a criticalities scale. While the rollout of public electric vehicle charging infrastructure continues at pace, it is currently not classed as CNI. The Government will continue to review this status, as the number of electric vehicle chargepoints increases.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-17)

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Michael Wheeler:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what information her Department holds on the cost of a standard-class annual rail season ticket from (a) Eccles, (b) Moorside, (c) Patricroft and (d) Swinton to (i) Deansgate, (ii) Manchester Oxford Road, (iii) Manchester Piccadilly, and (iv) Manchester Victoria in 2010. \p Simon Lightwood: The price of standard class annual season tickets in 2010 for journeys from the requested stations to these Manchester stations was £741.50.
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Adam Dance:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans she has to improve specialist teacher training on supporting dyslexic students in the post-16 education sector. \p Janet Daby: We are the department for opportunity. As part of this we are committed to help every learner to achieve and thrive, through excellent teaching and high standards. This includes a focus on children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

The department has put measures in place to support students with SEND. All publicly funded further education (FE) teacher training routes are required to support trainees to achieve the learning and skills teacher occupational standard. The standard requires trainee teachers to actively promote equality of opportunity and inclusion by responding to the needs of all students, including children and young people with SEND and/or dyslexia.

The department has also continued to offer financial incentives for those undertaking teacher training for the FE sector in priority subject areas. We confirmed that FE teacher training bursaries will be offered for a further year, the 2025/26 academic year. We have set the bursaries for SEND at £15,000.

All education and training providers, including technical colleges, and other related service providers, have a duty to make reasonable adjustments for disabled people, so they are not disadvantaged compared to non-disabled students. This includes people with a learning difficulty. This duty is set out under section 20 of the Equality Act 2010, which is available here: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2010/15/section/20.
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Matt Bishop:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she plans to take to increase recruitment in SEND services. \p Catherine McKinnell: The department knows that children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) frequently require access to additional support from a broad specialist workforce across education, health and care, including speech and language therapy and educational psychologists.

This is why the department introduced the speech and language degree apprenticeship, which is now in its third year of delivery and offers an alternative pathway to the traditional degree route into a successful career as a speech and language therapist.

The department is working closely with NHS England to improve access to community health services, including speech and language therapy, for children and young people with SEND.

The department is also investing a further £21 million to train 400 more educational psychologists from 2024, in addition to the £10 million currently being invested in the training of over 200 educational psychologists, who began their training in September 2023.
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Martin Wrigley:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will publish the waiting times for (a) SEND assessments, (b) EHCP packages, (c) places at SEND schools and (d) total SEND provision in Devon. \p Catherine McKinnell: Where a request is made, a local authority must decide within a statutory six-week deadline, unless exceptions apply, whether to conduct an education, health and care (EHC) needs assessment for a child or young person. Where appropriate, the local authority must then draw up a plan which names a setting within a statutory twenty-week deadline, unless exceptions apply. In some circumstances the local authority will name a special school on an EHC plan and the school must then admit the pupil. This is the usual way in which a pupil gets a place at such a school.

Information relating to the time between the date of a request for an assessment and the date of an assessment outcome at local authority level was released in the answer of 29 July 2024 to Question 2202.

The department publishes official statistics on EHC plans annually here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/education-health-and-care-plans. This includes data at local authority level on the rate of EHC plans issued within the statutory deadline of twenty weeks.

The department does not collect information on waiting times for placements for specialist provision.
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Ben Maguire:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of changes to the High Needs National Funding Formula on Cornwall County Council’s SEND funding for 2025/26. \p Catherine McKinnell: This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) or in alternative provision receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life.

The structure of the high needs national funding formula (NFF) is largely unchanged in the 2025/26 financial year as the government needs time to consider what changes are necessary, both to make sure that we establish a fair education funding system that directs funding to where it is needed and to support any SEND reforms.

Following the Autumn Budget 2024, the department is providing an increase of £1 billion for high needs budgets in England in the 2025/26 financial year, bringing total high needs funding for children and young people with complex SEND to £11.9 billion. Of that total, Cornwall County Council is being allocated over £86 million through the high needs funding block of the dedicated schools grant (DSG), an increase of £7.1 million on this year’s DSG high needs block, calculated using the high needs national funding formula (NFF). This NFF allocation is an 8.7% increase per head of their 2 to 18 year-old population, on their equivalent 2024/25 NFF allocation. We have also announced £740 million high needs capital funding for the 2025/26 financial year. We will confirm plans to allocate this funding to local authorities later in the spring.

In addition to the DSG, local authorities will also receive a separate core schools budget grant (CSBG), and funding in respect of the increase in employers’ National Insurance contributions, in the 2025/26 financial year. This CSBG continues the separate grants payable this year, which are to help special schools and alternative provision with the costs of teachers’ pay and pension increases and other staff pay increases. Individual local authorities’ allocations of this funding for 2025/26 will be published in due course.
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Luke Myer:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to support kinship carers in (a) financial and (b) other ways. \p Janet Daby: I refer my hon. Friend, the Member for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland to the answer of 25 February 2025 to Question 31239.