29 May 2026·Department for Work and Pensions·Answered
AskedWhat steps he is taking to help tackle barriers faced by Small and Medium-sized Enterprises in taking on apprentices in Yeovil constituency.
ReplyThis Government is 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 and give employers, including in Yeovil,...
29 May 2026·Department for Work and Pensions·Answered
AskedWhat steps he is taking to align apprenticeship policy with youth employment patterns.
ReplyThis 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 o...
29 May 2026·Department for Work and Pensions·Answered
AskedWhat his Department's timetable is for completing its annual business planning process.
ReplyIn accordance with planning and performance guidance issued by HMT and Cabinet Office to all government departments (detailed guidance which supplements the government’s planning and performance framework - GOV.UK), DWP have completed their annual busines...
21 May 2026·Treasury·Answered
AskedWhat her planned timetable is for the (a) production and (b) publication independent review to protect access to face-to-face banking across the UK.
ReplyThe Access to Banking Services Review will consider access to in-person banking services and whether changes to access to in-person banking services are causing consumer detriment. The Review will conclude in October 2026 so that its findings can inform t...
21 May 2026·Treasury·Answered
AskedWhether the Access to Banking Services Review will consider rurality.
ReplyThe Government recognises the importance of ensuring that communities across the UK can access the banking services they need. That is why HM Treasury has commissioned an independent Review into Access to Banking Services. Whilst there is evidence on a lo...
21 May 2026·Department for Education·Answered
AskedWhat assessment she has made of the quality of the Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills' (Ofsted) training materials that suggest children with autism are at increased risk of being
ReplyOfsted are now delivering the renewed education inspection framework, with new training for inspectors, including updates on the Prevent duty, which no longer includes reference to children with autism.
21 May 2026·Department of Health and Social Care·Answered
AskedWhat assessment he has made of trends in the number of cases of Lyme disease in (a) Yeovil constituency, (b) Somerset and (c) the United Kingdom.
ReplyLyme disease is monitored in England and Wales through routine surveillance. The UK Health Security Agency’s Rare and Imported Pathogens Laboratory provides Lyme disease laboratory testing services for England and Wales and data is published in the quarte...
20 May 2026·Treasury·Answered
AskedWhat assessment she has made of the impact of business rates on the viability of post offices in Yeovil constituency.
ReplyAt the Budget, the VO announced updated property values from the 2026 revaluation. This revaluation is the first since pandemic, which has led to significant increases in rateable values for some properties. The Government has introduced a support package...
20 May 2026·Department of Health and Social Care·Answered
AskedWhat steps he is taking to strengthen preventative care for skin cancer in (a) Yeovil constituency (b), Somerset and (c) England.
ReplyThe Government is taking action to reduce preventable cancers through the National Cancer Plan for England, which sets out action to improve cancer prevention, earlier diagnosis and reduce variation in outcomes across the country, including in Somerset an...
19 May 2026·Ministry of Justice·Answered
AskedWhat assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the Bar Council's recommendation to increase legal aid funding in family law.
ReplyThis Government recognises the vital role that legal aid plays in supporting individuals in family proceedings to have access to publicly funded legal assistance to uphold their legal rights. We know that the civil and family legal aid market faces challe...
19 May 2026·Department for Science, Innovation and Technology·Answered
AskedInnovation and Technology, what steps she is taking to ensure (a) Government departments and (b) public bodies are not reliant on ageing digital infrastructure.
ReplyDSIT is committed to addressing the ageing digital infrastructure across the UK public sector.DSIT has worked closely with HMT to ensure that organisations are receiving the funding they require to modernise their infrastructure and will monitor this prog...
19 May 2026·Department for Education·Answered
AskedWhat steps she is taking to ensure that the proposed Education for All Bill does not adversely impact (a) parents and (b) guardians' legal recourse to appeal the details of a child’s individual Special Educatio
ReplyThe department’s consultation ‘SEND reform: putting children and young people first‘ has now closed after a 12-week consultation period including over 200 engagement events, meetings and roundtables. We are carefully reviewing and taking into account all ...
19 May 2026·Department for Education·Answered
AskedEducation, what steps she is taking to ensure that the proposed Education for All Bill does not adversely impact (a) parents and (b) guardians’ legal recourse to challenge the number of hours of occupational th
ReplyAfter a 12-week consultation period including over 200 engagement events, meetings and roundtables, the department’s consultation ‘SEND reform: putting children and young people first‘ has now closed. We are carefully reviewing and taking into account all...
19 May 2026·Department for Education·Answered
AskedWhat steps she is taking to ensure that the proposed Education for All Bill does not adversely impact (a) parents and (b) guardians’ legal recourse to challenge the number of hours of speech and language therap
ReplyAfter a 12-week consultation period including over 200 engagement events, meetings and roundtables, the department’s consultation ‘SEND reform: putting children and young people first‘ has now closed. We are carefully reviewing and taking into account all...
19 May 2026·Department for Education·Answered
AskedWhat steps she is taking to ensure that the proposed Education for All Bill allows children in Yeovil constituency with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities to receive support from a teaching assistant wh
ReplyThe department’s consultation ‘SEND reform: putting children and young people first’ has now closed after a 12-week consultation period including over 200 engagement events, meetings and roundtables. We are carefully reviewing and taking into account all ...
18 May 2026·Department for Transport·Answered
AskedWhat assessment she has made of the potential impact of assigning a named approved driving instructor to monitor the progress of learner drivers on the level of safety of learner drivers.
ReplyThe Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) already provides a nationally recognised framework for learning to drive through its National Standards and the learning to drive syllabus. These set out the skills, knowledge and behaviours needed for safe a...
18 May 2026·Department for Education·Answered
AskedWhat assessment she has made of the potential merits of supporting educational settings in Yeovil constituency with the delivery of Romanian language.
ReplyDecisions about which languages are taught in schools are made locally. Individual schools are free to decide which languages to offer as part of their curriculum and the government does not prescribe which languages should be taught or how they should be...
18 May 2026·Department for Transport·Answered
AskedWhat assessment her Department has made of the potential impact a minimum learning period for driving could have on (a) cost and (b) the access to (i) employment and (ii) education of young people in rural area
ReplyA public consultation on introducing a Minimum Learning Period for learner drivers in England, Scotland and Wales was launched on 7 January and closed on 11 May. We are analysing the responses received. A Minimum Learning Period would allow learners more ...
18 May 2026·Department for Transport·Answered
AskedWhat steps she is taking to ensure the process of learning to drive places increased emphasis on (a) coaching, (b) independent decision-making, (c) hazard awareness and (c) real-world risk management in England
ReplyThe Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) already provides a nationally recognised framework for learning to drive through its National Standards and the learning to drive syllabus. These set out the skills, knowledge and behaviours needed for safe a...
18 May 2026·Department for Education·Answered
AskedWhat assessment she has made of the potential merits of extending Pupil Premium funding to support 16-19-year-olds from disadvantaged backgrounds in (a) Yeovil constituency, (b) Somerset and (c) England.
ReplyThe 16 to 19 funding formula includes extra funding for disadvantaged students across England including Yeovil constituency and Somerset. This is made up of two blocks:Disadvantage Block 1 funding recognises that there are additional costs incurred in eng...