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 241–260 of 265 · this parliament
What plans her Department has to promote training opportunities for (a) mineral processing, (b) metallurgical skills and (c) other critical minerals skills.
I refer my hon. Friend, the Member for Camborne and Redruth to the answer of 25 February 2025 to Question 30538.
What assessment she has made of the adequacy of funding for children with SEND in rural areas.
This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life and we will set out plans for reforming the SEND system later this year. The mainstream schools’ national funding formula accounts for the particular challenges faced by small schools in rural areas through the lump sum and sparsity factors. These factors recognise that some smaller schools are remote, limiting their ability to grow or make efficiency savings. Such schools often play a significant role in the rural communities they serve, not least in their provision for pupils with SEND. Eligible primary schools attract up to £57,400, and all other schools up to £83,400, in sparsity funding in 2025/26. The government will also take the time needed to consider changes to the funding formulae used by the department to allocate funding for schools and for children and young people with complex SEND.
What assessment he has made of the potential merits of exempting Ground Source Heat Pumps from blowout prevention permitting requirements in Mining Remediation Authority Areas.
The Mining Remediation Authority are responsible for safely managing the effects of past coal mining and will request a risk assessment as part of the permit to drill phase and the heat access agreement application for projects with groundworks in or near to coal (including mine workings) to help ensure works are undertaken safely. Guidance on managing the risk of hazardous gases when drilling or piling near coal can be found on GOV.UK. The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero is not currently exploring exempting Ground Source Heat Pumps from coal mining risk assessments.
Whether he has considered implementing a licencing regime similar to the Petroleum Exploration and Development Licence to help clarify the (a) rights and (b) responsibilities of developers of geothermal energy.
The Government is considering various indirect support measures for the development of geothermal energy including regulatory approaches. However, a specific licensing regime like the Petroleum Exploration and Development Licence has not been established in the UK, and at this time the Government is not currently considering implementing a licencing regime for geothermal energy.
What assessment she has made of the potential impact of not continuing the Adoption and Special Guardian Support Fund beyond March 2025 on eligible adoptive families and special guardianship order families.
I refer my hon. Friend, the Member for Camborne and Redruth, to the answer of 12 March 2025 to Question 35389.
Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to direct funding from fees through the Extended Producer Responsibility Scheme towards recycling (a) infrastructure and (b) awareness campaigns.
pEPR makes packaging producers responsible for the costs incurred by UK Local Authorities in managing household packaging waste, including the fees they pay to recycling facilities. This will provide around 1.5 billion pounds of new funding in the UK in 2025-26, including 1.1 billion in England. This funding will underpin the Simpler Recycling reforms in England and stimulate investment in associated recycling infrastructure. The scheme administrator, PackUK, is also obliged to provide information to the public and to businesses concerning packaging re-use, recycling, recovery, and disposal, as well as the prevention of packaging litter. The cost of providing this information is covered by producer fees.
What steps she is taking to increase the (a) transparency and (b) accountability of animal testing facilities.
The Government publishes a detailed Operational Guidance document on how the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 is administered and enforced and also a Code of Practice for care and accommodation requirements.An annual statistics publication provides full details on the number of licensed procedures carried out, the species of animals and the purposes for which the procedures have been undertaken.The Animals in Science Regulator publishes an annual report which contains information on licensing, the audit programme, and management of non-compliance.
What recent discussions he has had with OFGEM on funding for shared ground loops under the Energy Company Obligation Scheme.
There is provision within the rules of ECO4 for shared ground loops to be delivered. ECO4 is not funded by government. Rather, the government requires energy suppliers to deliver energy efficiency measures to eligible households. The energy suppliers fund those measures and recoup the costs from their customers’ energy bills.
What steps his Department is taking to help increase the production of cathode active materials for use in the (a) critical minerals and (b) battery supply chain.
Our vision is to achieve a domestic battery supply chain by 2030 by accelerating the growth of domestic capabilities, collaborating with international partners, and enhancing international markets. The UK National Wealth Fund (NWF) announced in January an investment of £28m in Cornish Metals. This recognises the crucial role of a domestic supply of raw materials for electric vehicles and other technologies in the nation's transition to net zero.We are also working on regulatory levers to incentivise reuse, repurposing, and recycling infrastructure for all battery chemistry types, including lithium-based technologies.
If he will make an assessment of the potential merits of approving Givinostat for use to treat Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy in (a) Royal Cornwall Hospital Trust and (b) other NHS trusts.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) makes recommendations for the National Health Service on whether new licensed medicines should be routinely funded by the NHS independently based on an assessment of their costs and benefits. The NHS in England is legally required to fund medicines recommended by NICE, normally within three months of the publication of final guidance. NICE is currently evaluating givinostat for the treatment of Duchenne muscular dystrophy and its Appraisal Committee will meet to consider its recommendations in May 2025.Ahead of NICE’s evaluation, ITF Pharma UK, the United Kingdom’s marketing authorisation holder for givinostat, is providing access to givinostat through a type of compassionate use scheme called an Early Access Programme (EAP). Under the EAP, givinostat is free to both patients taking part in it and to the NHS, but the trusts must still cover the cost of administering it to patients. Only Duchenne muscular dystrophy clinicians can make requests for givinostat for their patients. Decisions are made on a case-by-case basis for individual named patients aligned to eligibility criteria.
What estimate she has made of the future level of skills needed to attract and train young people in the responsible extraction and recycling of critical minerals in the UK.
In February, the Critical Minerals Association, in partnership with the Department for Business and Trade, will host a workshop focusing on the challenges and opportunities in developing skills for critical mineral domestic midstream and recycling capabilities. The workshop will bring together stakeholders from across the UK critical minerals value chain to identify actionable recommendations for how the government can best support skills and development.Skills England refers to critical minerals in its September 2024 report ‘Driving growth and widening opportunities’, where it highlights the need for physical scientists and engineers to support the UK’s clean energy sectors. In the report, Skills England also commits to providing an authoritative assessment of skills needs, gathering insights from sector stakeholders including employers, sector-owning departments, and unions. This will inform priorities for technical education funding and decision-making. In November, Skills England undertook extensive engagement with over 700 stakeholders including employers in manufacturing and clean energy industries.There is a range of skills products which help meet the skills needs of critical minerals industries, including apprenticeships and higher education courses. These include, for instance, degree apprenticeships in mine management and geoscience, as well as the level 2 material processing plant operator apprenticeship, which can be used for mining activities. The Camborne School of Mining also offers the UK’s only Bachelor of Engineering in mining engineering.
If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of establishing a scrappage scheme for older higher polluting vehicles.
The Government is committed to cleaning up our air and protecting the public from the harms of pollution. We review the various policy levers available to us on an ongoing basis.
If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of re-allocating a proportion of the National Wealth Fund for a new mineral exploration fund.
The National Wealth Fund (NWF) is a publicly owned investor which provides a range of financing tools across the capital structure, including loans, guarantees and equity investments for projects which align with its mandate.The NWF’s investment decisions are based on the Investment Principles set out in its Framework Document. Investments from the NWF focus on areas where an undersupply of private finance exists. It targets opportunities to crowd-in three times as much private capital as its own investment committed across its portfolio. Allocating grants is not within the remit of the NWF.Earmarking investment amounts for certain sectors is not within the remit of the NWF either. Maintaining a broad balance sheet, allows the NWF to remain flexible and adapt to market requirements.The critical minerals sector is a key market for the NWF, as seen with its equity investments in Cornish Lithium, and in Cornish Metals.
Media and Sport, what steps she plans to take to help increase the (a) production and (b) programming of Cornish language content.
The Government wants broadcasters to commission content in every part of the country and for British storytelling to reflect the full diversity of people, communities and experiences across the UK so that more people can see themselves reflected on screen and as part of our national story.The Media Act makes clear in legislation the importance of the UK's indigenous regional and minority languages - including Cornish - by including their provision in the public service remit for television.The BBC additionally has an obligation to reflect, represent and serve the diverse communities of all the UK’s nations and regions, set out in its current Royal Charter.The forthcoming Charter Review is a key opportunity to set the BBC up for success long into the future. It will look at a range of issues and, as a priority for this Government, will start a national conversation to make sure the BBC truly represents and delivers for every person in this country.
Whether her Department plans to amend the chemical classification assessments for (a) lithium carbonate, (b) lithium hydroxide, and (c) lithium chloride products.
These three lithium substances (lithium carbonate, lithium hydroxide and lithium chloride) do not currently have mandatory classification and labelling in Great Britain (GB). Health and Safety Executive (HSE) specialists are considering the need to evaluate the available data using the Article 37A process under the GB Classification, Labelling and Packaging Regulation following publication of the Agency Opinion by HSE in August 2023 to determine whether mandatory classification and labelling is warranted.
What progress she has made on the development of a standardised tender structure for local authorities to submit to charge point operators for public access electric vehicle charging infrastructure.
The Department provides significant support to local authorities under the Local EV Infrastructure (LEVI) Fund, including resource funding which can support procurement, alongside central procurement advice through the LEVI Support Body. The Department has also been working with the Crown Commercial Service to assist local authorities with their procurement. This includes developing a suite of customisable procurement documents, which have been shared with the industry and local authorities for feedback and are now being finalised.
Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of amending the classifications of waste to help ensure that critical minerals in (a) used batteries and (b) other e-waste are used as (i) feedstock for connected and automated mobility research and development and (ii) other (A) recycling and (B) circular economy projects.
We will consider the evidence for action right across the economy and evaluate what further interventions may be needed in the Waste Electronic and Electrical Equipment (WEEE) sector as we develop a Circular Economy Strategy for England.
Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of raising the Cornish language from Part II to Part III of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages.
The Government has received a request from Cornwall Council to extend the protection of the Cornish language from Part II to Part III of the European Charter for Regional and Minority Languages. The request is currently being considered and a formal response will be issued in due course.
Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the report entitled REview24, published by the Association for Renewable Energy and Clean Technology on 14 November 2024, what steps he plans to take to tackle the po
This is a devolved matter, and the information provided therefore relates to England only. Defra is aware of the issue raised in the REview24 report. We are actively engaging with the Association for Renewable Energy and Clean Technology (REA) and the lan...
Whether her Department has consulted with all local schools in the Perranporth area as part of the review of the Perranporth Academy project; and when she expects the review to be concluded.
A top priority for the government is to drive high and rising education standards for children across the country. The department is reviewing mainstream free school projects to ensure that they continue to meet localised need for places, offer value for ...