Written questions by Robertson.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to reduce compliance costs for agricultural subsidies.

“Compliance costs” are the costs of complying with Government regulation. Our Environmental Land Management Schemes provide farmers and land managers with the support they need to help restore nature, which is vital to safeguard our long-term food security, support productivity and build resilience to climate change. Participation in these schemes is discretionary, and so they do not of themselves carry compliance costs.

What the total expenditure on electric vehicles through the Motability scheme was in the most recent year for which data is available.

The Department works closely with Motability Foundation and is responsible for the disability benefits that provide a passport to the Motability Scheme. Motability Foundation is an independent charitable organisation that is wholly responsible for the terms and the administration of the Scheme, along with oversight of Motability Operations. The Department does not hold figures on the expenditure on electric vehicles provided through the Motability Scheme

Whether the review of postgraduate medical training will be carried out in full.

The postgraduate medical training review announced by the Chief Medical Officer for England and National Medical Director of NHS England is underway and on track. NHS England launched an extensive engagement and listening exercise to consider the future of postgraduate medical training in February 2025. This engagement exercise will run through to June, with findings evaluated and reported in the summer.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of (a) the Autumn Budget 2024 and (b) Extended Producer Responsibility on inflation in 2025.

The independent Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) publish their Economic and Fiscal Outlook (EFO) where they assess inflation, including the impact of policy. In their October 2024 EFO they assessed policies announced at Autumn Budget 2024. Since then, they have released an updated forecast on 26th March, this forecast takes Government policy, regulation, and external factors into account as well. There is an impact assessment of the Extended Producer Responsibility system published, where the systems impact on inflation can be found. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/623efc968fa8f5276d1f9ec0/epr-final-impact-assessment.pdf

What assessment he has made of the potential merits of publishing year-round data on the number of patients treated in temporary care environments.

We continue to keep the data which is available and published to support improvements to urgent and emergency care services under review.NHS England has been working with trusts since last year to put in place new reporting arrangements related to the use of temporary escalation spaces, like corridors, in order to drive improvement. Subject to a review of data quality, this information will be published later this year, and we will consider how this data could be published on a more regular basis.

What (a) financial and (b) other support her Department provides to local authorities to help maintain small rural schools.

I refer the hon. Member for Isle of Wight East to the answer of 28 March 2025 to Question 40354.

If she will ensure that the proposed higher business rates multiplier for properties with a rateable value of £500,000 or more is index-linked.

The Government intends to introduce permanently lower tax rates for retail, hospitality, and leisure properties, with rateable values below £500,000, from 2026-27. This tax cut must be sustainably funded, and so the Government intends to apply a higher rate from 2026-27 on the most valuable properties - those with a rateable value (RV) of £500,000 and above. These represent less than one per cent of all properties, but cover the majority of large distribution warehouses, including those used by online giants. The Government will confirm the rates for the new multipliers at Budget 2025, taking account of the outcomes of the 2026 revaluation as well as the broader economic and fiscal context.

If his Department will conduct a value for money assessment of the funding provided as part of the Motability Scheme.

The Motability Scheme is open to claimants who are in receipt of an eligible benefit. If a claimant elects to join the Scheme, the Department directly transfers the mobility allowance to Motability Operations on behalf of the eligible claimant. The Motability Scheme does not receive any direct funding from the Department for Work and Pensions. A range of external bodies scrutinised the Scheme between 2018 and 2020, and the Government responded to each of the reports. The Motability Foundation is independent of government, and regulated by the Charity Commission, so is wholly responsible for the terms and the administration of the Scheme. The department does however work closely with Motability and is responsible for the disability benefits that provide a passport to the Motability Scheme. Department officials have regular meetings with Motability and will continue to do so.As the Minister for Social Security and Disability, I met with Motability Foundation in November 2024 to discuss the Scheme and its strategic objectives.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the proposed higher business rates multiplier on larger stores.

As set out at Autumn Budget 2024, the Government intends to introduce permanently lower tax rates for retail, hospitality, and leisure (RHL) properties, including those on the high street, from 2026-27. This permanent tax cut will ensure that they benefit from much-needed certainty and support. The Government intends to fund this by introducing a higher multiplier on all properties with a rateable value (RV) of £500,000 and above. These represent less than one per cent of all properties. The Government will confirm the rates for the new multipliers at Budget 2025, taking account of the outcomes of the 2026 revaluation as well as the broader economic and fiscal context. Tax policy and legislation is not subject to the Better Regulation Framework Guidance which requires an Impact Assessment to accompany policy decisions. Nevertheless, when the new multipliers are set at Budget 2025 – to take effect in the 2026-27 billing year – HM Treasury intends to publish analysis of the effects of the new multiplier arrangements.

Whether she plans to amend local housing allowance rates to reflect actual rental market costs (a) on the Isle of Wight and (b) in other areas.

Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rates are reviewed annually, usually at an Autumn fiscal event. Rates are set based on the area of the country a person lives and their bedroom entitlementThe Secretary of State’s decision at last year’s Autumn Budget to maintain LHA rates at current levels for 2025/26 considered a range of factors including: rental data in areas across the country, the impacts of LHA rates, the challenging fiscal environment and the rate increases the previous April which cost an additional £7bn over 5 years.Any future decisions on the LHA policy will be taken in the context of the Government’s missions, goals on housing and the fiscal context. Discretionary Housing Payments (DHPs) are available from local authorities to those who face a shortfall in meeting their housing costs.

What steps her Department is taking to provide longer-term support for local services via the Household Support Fund.

This Government is committed to a sustainable, long-term approach to drive up opportunity and drive down poverty across the UK. That is why we are providing £742 million in England to extend the Household Support Fund (HSF) by a further year, from 1 April 2025 until 31 March 2026. This will enable Local Authorities to continue to provide vulnerable households with immediate crisis support towards the cost of essentials, and develop their schemes to help prevent poverty locally and build local resilience. To support Local Authorities, we have clarified what is meant by both crisis and preventative support, updating the schemes’ objectives to include both types of support, and providing definitions and examples of each eligible spend category in the guidance. We encourage Local Authorities to consider how their provision of crisis support could have a longer-term, sustainable impact, and to offer some level of preventative support to stop vulnerable households from falling into, or falling further into, crisis.

How frequently performance management statistics are (a) reviewed and (b) reported in the civil service.

Departments are responsible for collating, and monitoring their performance management. For Senior Civil Service, this is normally collated annually. For grades below the Senior Civil Service (SCS), each department has delegated responsibility for monitoring and reporting via their internal governance arrangements. The Civil Service People Survey, which is reported annually, captures data on civil servants’ views on the performance management systems in their department. In March, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster announced that the Government will be strengthening performance processes for the SCS.

What estimate she has made of the number of shops with increased business rates under proposed reforms to that system.

As set out at Autumn Budget 2024, the Government intends to introduce permanently lower tax rates for retail, hospitality, and leisure (RHL) properties, including those on the high street, from 2026-27. This permanent tax cut will ensure that they benefit from much-needed certainty and support. The Government intends to fund this by introducing a higher multiplier on all properties with a rateable value (RV) of £500,000 and above. These represent less than one per cent of all properties. The Government will confirm the rates for the new multipliers at Budget 2025, taking account of the outcomes of the 2026 revaluation as well as the broader economic and fiscal context. Tax policy and legislation is not subject to the Better Regulation Framework Guidance which requires an Impact Assessment to accompany policy decisions. Nevertheless, when the new multipliers are set at Budget 2025 – to take effect in the 2026-27 billing year – HM Treasury intends to publish analysis of the effects of the new multiplier arrangements.

What steps he is taking to reduce the use of temporary care environments in patient care.

The Government recognises that long waits in accident and emergency departments are unacceptable and lead to worse patient outcomes. Patients should expect and receive the highest standard of service, and we are determined to tackle the issue of corridor care.NHS England published guidance in September 2024 regarding the use of temporary escalation spaces, which is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/principles-for-providing-safe-and-good-quality-care-in-temporary-escalation-spaces/In January 2025, the NHS England mandate and operational planning guidance for 2025/26 were published. These set out the priorities and actions to be taken to reform and improve urgent and emergency care services. This includes increasing the proportion of patients admitted, discharged, and transferred from emergency departments within 12 hours across 2025/26 compared to 2024/25.We will shortly set out the further improvements and actions to be taken to support urgent and emergency care services this year.

Whether she plans to (a) review and (b) adjust the national funding formula to reflect additional (i) staffing, (ii) maintenance, (iii) transport and (iv) other costs for small rural schools.

The 2025/26 schools national funding formula (NFF) uses the same factors as the 2024/25 NFF. This continuity from the previous year minimises disruption to local authorities and schools.The government is undertaking a review of the schools NFF to consider potential changes for 2026/27 and future years, recognising the importance of a fair funding system that directs funding where it is needed. The department will consider the operation of the ‘sparsity’ factor, which targets revenue funding for small and rural schools, as part of that review.Funding for capital expenditure sits outside of the NFF. The department expects responsible bodies, such as local authorities, multi-academy trusts, and dioceses, to ensure that their schools are well maintained. In addition to the schools NFF, responsible bodies, such as local authorities and academy trusts, have access to capital funding each year to improve the condition of their buildings through either a school condition allocation or the Condition Improvement Fund. Schools are also directly allocated devolved formula capital funding which allows schools to invest in small-scale capital projects. Capital funding to improve the condition of the school estate is increasing to £2.1 billion for the2025/26 financial year, up from £1.8 billion in the 2024/25 financial year.Funding for pupils’ home to school transport is also outside of the schools NFF, which is funded through the local government finance settlement, administered by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government’s allocations to local authorities.

What data his Department collects on the outcomes of performance management procedures.

Cabinet Office staff, except those on career breaks or new joiners, are allocated a performance marking at mid-year and end of the year. All line managers are instructed to upload these performance markings onto our HR system, which is called SOP. In March, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster also announced that the Government will be strengthening performance processes for the SCS.

Whether she plans to extend universal free school meals to children in (a) Isle of Wight East constituency and (b) other areas of high child poverty.

The government has a central mission to break down barriers to opportunity for every child, having inherited a trend of rising child poverty. That is why the government is committed to delivering an ambitious strategy to reduce child poverty, tackling the root causes and giving every child the best start at life. Additionally, the government is committed to introducing free breakfast clubs in every primary school, to set children up for the day and ensure they are ready to learn, while supporting parents and carers to work.The department spends around £1.5 billion annually on free lunches for 2.1 million school pupils under benefits-based free school meals, over 90,000 disadvantaged students in further education, and around 1.3 million infants under universal infant free school meals. On the Isle of Wight, 24.7% benefit from free school meals.

What assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of (a) the sparsity factor and (b) other elements of the national funding formula in supporting small rural schools.

The government recognises the essential role that small schools play in their communities, many of which are in rural areas. The schools national funding formula (NFF) accounts for the particular challenges faced by small schools in rural areas through the lump sum and sparsity factor. This recognises that some schools are necessarily small because they are remote and do not have the same opportunities to grow or make efficiency savings as other schools, and that such schools often play a significant role in the rural communities they serve.Schools attract sparsity funding through the NFF if they are both small and remote. In this calculation, the size of the school is calculated on the basis of the average year group size in the school. To measure a school’s remoteness, the department uses data on the pupils for whom that school is their nearest ‘compatible’ school, in terms of, for example, the correct phase of education. We then look at how far each of those pupils lives from their second nearest compatible school. Further details on this calculation are published here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/674ed7f48b522bba9d991a75/Schools_block_NFF_technical_note.pdf.Eligible primary schools will attract up to £57,400, and all other schools will attract up to £83,400, in sparsity funding in 2025/26.All small schools have benefited from the increase to core factors in the NFF in 2025/26, including the NFF lump sum, which is set at £145,100. This provides a fixed amount of funding that is unrelated to pupil-led factors. The lump sum is particularly beneficial to small schools more reliant on an element of funding that is not driven by pupil numbers.

How the sparsity factor in the national funding formula is (a) calculated and (b) applied to small rural schools for 2025-26.

The government recognises the essential role that small schools play in their communities, many of which are in rural areas. The schools national funding formula (NFF) accounts for the particular challenges faced by small schools in rural areas through the lump sum and sparsity factor. This recognises that some schools are necessarily small because they are remote and do not have the same opportunities to grow or make efficiency savings as other schools, and that such schools often play a significant role in the rural communities they serve.Schools attract sparsity funding through the NFF if they are both small and remote. In this calculation, the size of the school is calculated on the basis of the average year group size in the school. To measure a school’s remoteness, the department uses data on the pupils for whom that school is their nearest ‘compatible’ school, in terms of, for example, the correct phase of education. We then look at how far each of those pupils lives from their second nearest compatible school. Further details on this calculation are published here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/674ed7f48b522bba9d991a75/Schools_block_NFF_technical_note.pdf.Eligible primary schools will attract up to £57,400, and all other schools will attract up to £83,400, in sparsity funding in 2025/26.All small schools have benefited from the increase to core factors in the NFF in 2025/26, including the NFF lump sum, which is set at £145,100. This provides a fixed amount of funding that is unrelated to pupil-led factors. The lump sum is particularly beneficial to small schools more reliant on an element of funding that is not driven by pupil numbers.

Whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of the closure of small village schools on the sustainability of rural communities.

The government recognises the essential role that small schools play in their communities, many of which are in rural areas. The schools national funding formula (NFF) accounts for the particular challenges faced by small schools in rural areas through the lump sum and sparsity factor. This recognises that some schools are necessarily small because they are remote and do not have the same opportunities to grow or make efficiency savings as other schools, and that such schools often play a significant role in the rural communities they serve.There is a presumption against the closure of all rural maintained schools and departmental guidance states that both the department and the local authority need to agree the closure of a rural academy. Rural schools are at the heart of their communities, and we expect all proposers to have regard to alternatives to closure first.The presumption against closure does not mean that rural schools will never close, but it does ensure that the case for closure is strong and that the proposals are clearly in the best interests of educational provision in the area. Even in a rural authority, there will be cases where redeploying resources currently allocated to a small school is judged appropriate to provide a richer educational experience for all young people in the area. Nevertheless, the case must be clearly in the best interests of educational provision in the area.