Every parliamentary written question tabled by Perran Moon this session, with the full answer and department. See how every department answers, or back to the MP page.
Showing 201–220 of 265 · this parliament
Food and Rural Affairs, if he would make it his policy to create exemptions for Extender Producer Responsibility depending on (a) a producer’s sustainability and (b) B-Corp status.
There are no exemptions planned for producers with B-Corp status. While private ESG schemes like B-Corp certification can play an important role in driving sustainability, they are complementary to, rather than a replacement for regulatory measures like pEPR.
Whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of removing 90 day termination convenience clauses from charge point operator contracts.
The Department has worked extensively with stakeholders including industry to develop procurement guidance for local authorities which encourages private investment in electric vehicle charging infrastructure. This includes recommendations around the appropriate termination clauses, where termination at convenience is explicitly excluded.Local authorities are the contracting authorities responsible for their procurements, who need to make the assessment and determination on termination clauses in their contracts.
What plans her Department has to increase funding through the Dedicated Schools Grant to areas with (a) below average allocations and (b) deficits.
The schools national funding formula (NFF) distributes core funding for 5-16 year old pupils in mainstream state-funded schools in England. The NFF allocates funding based on schools’ and pupils’ characteristics. In the current NFF, the vast majority of funding is allocated based on pupil numbers and characteristics.It is not the purpose of the NFF to give every school the same level of per-pupil funding. It is right that schools with lots of pupils with additional needs – such as those indicated by measures of deprivation, low prior attainment, or English as an additional language – receive extra funding to help them meet the needs of all their pupils. In addition, schools in more expensive areas, like London, attract higher funding per pupil than other parts of the country to reflect the higher costs they face.The department does not fund schools based on their reserves or deficits. Schools who do find themselves in financial difficulty should contact their local authority if they are a maintained school and the department if they are an academy to see what additional support might be available.
Communities and Local Government, whether her Department plans to take into account (a) remoteness and (b) peripherality of areas such as Cornwall when determining funding settlements for deprived areas.
Building on the measures in the 2025-26 Local Government Finance Settlement, the Government is committed to introducing an improved and updated approach to funding local authorities from 2026-27. We sought views on our principles and objectives for funding reform through a consultation which ran from 18 December 2024 - 12 February 2025. This consultation and engagement will inform the development of our detailed proposals, on which we will further consult following the multi-year Spending Review concluding later this year. We are keen to develop these reforms in partnership with the sector and to understand views from across local government on factors affecting the demand and need for services, including in rural areas like Cornwall.
What plans her Department has to increase guidance available to parents on SEND (a) provision and (b) support.
The Children and Families Act 2014 requires local authorities to publish a special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) local offer, setting out in one place information about provision they expect to be available across education, health and social care for children and young people in their area who have special educational needs (SEN) or are disabled, including those who do not have education, health and care (EHC) plans.The local offer has two key purposes:To provide clear, comprehensive, accessible and up-to-date information about the available provision and how to access it.To make provision more responsive to local needs and aspirations by directly involving disabled children and those with SEN and their parents, and disabled young people and those with SEN, and service providers in its development and review.In developing and reviewing the SEND local offer, the local authority must work in collaboration with a wide range of partners. The SEND local offer must be co-produced with parents and young people, and information on their feedback and how it has been taken into account must be published. The local authority must also work with its statutory EHC partners, including schools, colleges and early years settings and the Integrated Care Service.Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Information, Advice and Support Services (SENDIASS) offer information, advice and support for parents, carers children and young people with SEND. Under the Children and Families Act 2014 it is a legal requirement that all local authorities have a SENDIASS.The department additionally supports participation by parents in local and national decision making, this has included £2.66 million in grant payments direct to local parent carer forums, and funding to maintain a national helpline providing advice and support for parents and carers.
What assessment she has made of the potential impact of changes to the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund on children with foetal alcohol spectrum disorder.
The department always considers the impact of decisions on vulnerable children, including those with foetal alcohol spectrum disorder. The level of funding per child in 2025/26 will allow adoptive and kinship families to access a significant package of therapeutic support. Where needed, local authorities and Regional Adoption Agencies can use their own funding to increase the amount of therapy.
Whether his Department plans to help support the adoption of smart technologies in environmental (a) data collection and (b) monitoring involved in the (i) construction and (ii) development of offshore wind infrastructure.
The Clean Power Action Plan (CPAP) committed to delivering clean power by 2030 whilst enabling nature recovery. A key action in the CPAP is to consider options for harmonising the offshore wind environmental data and modelling used for assessing environmental impacts of offshore wind projects. The use of new and innovative smart technologies will be key in collecting, monitoring, analysing and harmonising environmental data for offshore wind development and the Government has partnerships in place to facilitate development of these technologies.
If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of implementing the UN Global Technical Regulation No. 22 battery regulations in the second hand electric vehicle market.
The Government is currently analysing options for the implementation of GTR No.22 regulations in the UK.
Communities and Local Government, what plans her Department has to increase clarity in the process of allocating funding to local areas through (a) consultation on their development and (b) publication of detailed methodology.
Building on the measures in the 2025-26 Local Government Finance Settlement, the Government is committed to introducing an improved and updated approach to funding local authorities from 2026-27. We sought views on our principles and objectives for funding reform through a consultation which ran from 18 December 2024 - 12 February 2025. The government set out its six key guiding principles for funding reform, of which one is transparency. This consultation and engagement will inform the development of our detailed proposals, on which we will further consult following the multi-year Spending Review concluding later this year. We will publish and seek views on methodologies as part of this consultation.
Communities and Local Government, whether her Department plans to take into account low wages in rural areas when determining funding settlements for deprived areas.
Building on the measures in the 2025-26 Local Government Finance Settlement, the Government is committed to introducing an improved and updated approach to funding local authorities from 2026-27. We sought views on our principles and objectives for funding reform through a consultation which ran from 18 December 2024 - 12 February 2025. This consultation and engagement will inform the development of our detailed proposals, on which we will further consult following the multi-year Spending Review concluding later this year. We are keen to develop these reforms in partnership with the sector and to understand views from across local government on factors affecting the demand and need for services, including in rural areas like Cornwall.
Communities and Local Government, whether her Department plans to take into account non-resident population seasonal increases due to tourism when determining funding settlements for deprived areas.
Building on the measures in the 2025-26 Local Government Finance Settlement, the Government is committed to introducing an improved and updated approach to funding local authorities from 2026-27. We sought views on our principles and objectives for funding reform through a consultation which ran from 18 December 2024 - 12 February 2025. This consultation and engagement will inform the development of our detailed proposals, on which we will further consult following the multi-year Spending Review concluding later this year. We are keen to develop these reforms in partnership with the sector and to understand views from across local government on factors affecting the demand and need for services, including in rural areas like Cornwall.
What assessment he has made of the potential merits of Behind the Metre energy systems for energy-intensive industries.
There are increasingly greater opportunities for energy-intensive industries to make use of behind-the-meter energy systems. Demand flexibility, often in tandem with on-site generation and energy storage, enables industrial consumers to be financially rewarded for shifting their energy consumption to periods where energy is cheap, green and abundant, without compromising their commercial functions. The Department is continuing to build its evidence base on how demand flexibility, on-site generation and energy storage can be deployed to support our mission to deliver Clean Power by 2030 and beyond. This includes improving visibility of the complex challenges and barriers faced by energy-intensive industries to participating in and benefiting from demand flexibility.
What assessment she has made of the adequacy of funding through the National Funding Formula for (a) small schools and (b) 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.All small and rural schools have benefited from the increase to core factors in the NFF in 2025/26 financial year, 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.Schools can attract additional funding through the sparsity factor in the NFF if they are both small and remote. Eligible primary schools attract up to £57,400, and all other eligible schools attract up to £83,400, in sparsity funding in the 2025/26 financial year. The department is providing £100 million in total through the sparsity factor in the 2025/26 financial year.
Communities and Local Government, what plans her Department has to help tackle shortages of professional services in design and planning stages of (a) infrastructure and (b) housing.
Professional services across the built environment are vital to delivering both infrastructure and housing.A significant amount of beneficial and innovative work is being undertaken by the sector to identify and deliver the professional skills that will be needed in the future, ensuring that it can continue to offer services to further development. My answer to Question UIN 28327 on 13 February 2025 also sets out the programme in place to enable planning local authorities to access relevant skills. This will be further underpinned by the fee increases for planning services that is being implemented from April 2025 which will help improve the resourcing of planning application services, so that local planning authorities can access the skills they need.
If her Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of hypothecating revenues from the zero emission vehicle mandate for decarbonising transport.
HM Treasury expects to receive no income from the ZEV mandate, due to the mandate design framework. The Chancellor provided over £300m for EV uptake and £2bn to support domestic manufacturing at the Autumn Budget.
Communities and Local Government, whether her Department plans to take into account super-ageing demographics such as in Cornwall when determining funding settlements for deprived areas.
Building on the measures in the 2025-26 Local Government Finance Settlement, the Government is committed to introducing an improved and updated approach to funding local authorities from 2026-27. We sought views on our principles and objectives for funding reform through a consultation which ran from 18 December 2024 - 12 February 2025. This consultation and engagement will inform the development of our detailed proposals, on which we will further consult following the multi-year Spending Review concluding later this year. We are keen to develop these reforms in partnership with the sector and to understand views from across local government on factors affecting the demand and need for services, including in rural areas like Cornwall.
What plans her Department has to reduce SEND funding differentials between local authorities.
The government has indicated that it will take the time needed to consider changes to the high needs national funding formula (NFF) used by the department to allocate funding for children and young people with complex special educational needs and disabilities.It is important that there is a fair education funding system that reflects differences in the level of underlying need across the country and directs funding accordingly to support improved outcomes for children and young people.
If her Department will make an assessment of the adequacy of PAS1899 guidance for electric vehicle charge points.
PAS 1899 was developed jointly by OZEV and Motability Foundation and launched in October 2022. My Department has recently undertaken a review of this standard alongside the British Standards Institution, charging industry, disabled users, accessibility experts, consumer groups and the devolved administrations. The Department will consider the outcome of this review and potential next steps.
What assessment she has made of the potential merits of ringfencing funding for small and specialist Higher Education Institutions.
Small and specialist higher education (HE) institutions provide a highly valuable role in nurturing talent and contributing to the UK’s academic, cultural and economic landscape.The Office for Students (OfS) provides targeted funding to twenty small and specialist providers that they assessed as world leading. This is delivered through the Strategic Priorities Grant (SPG), which is funding that the government provides on an annual basis to support teaching and students in HE, including expensive-to-deliver subjects, such as science and engineering, and for students at risk of discontinuing their studies.For this 2024/25 academic year, funding from the SPG for these small and specialist providers was maintained at £58 million. Funding for the 2025/26 academic year will be announced by the OfS, following government guidance, later this year.
What plans her Department has to collaborate with training providers to increase skills levels in high voltage dynamic cables.
The skills system is designed to enable close collaboration between government, employers and training providers to equip learners with the skills they need. We encourage employers to work with providers and the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE) and, in time, Skills England, to develop the necessary training to meet the needs of crucial clean energy sectors like floating offshore wind.Training providers collaborate with IfATE and employers to ensure the training they deliver meets labour market needs. IfATE develops and maintains occupational standards which outline the skills and knowledge required for roles. Employers provide input on these standards, ensuring they reflect current industry requirements. The department supports these partnerships through its policy direction and funding.Skills England will provide an authoritative assessment of national and regional skills needs in the economy now and in the future. It will also ensure that there is a comprehensive suite of apprenticeships, training and technical qualifications for individuals and employers to access, and which are aligned with skills gaps and the needs of employers.