Asked by: Kerry McCarthy (Labour - Bristol East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the oral answer of 29 April 2024 by the Minister for Children, Families and Wellbeing to Question 902545, Official Report, columns 32-33, if she will publish an update on the Youth Endowment Fund's schools-based work to reduce children's involvement in crime following the Minister's meeting with the Director of that Fund on 30 April 2024.
Answered by David Johnston - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Engagement in education provides an important opportunity to identify and support children and young people at risk of serious violence. Through the department’s Support, Attend, Fulfil, Exceed (SAFE) Taskforce and Alternative Provision Specialist Taskforce (APST) programmes, the department is investing over £50 million to fund specialist support in mainstream schools and alternative provisions in the areas where serious violence is most prevalent.
The SAFE taskforce programmes are underpinned by evidence-based approaches to tackling serious violence, including utilising the Youth Endowment Fund’s (YEF) Toolkit for how to put these approaches into action. The department continues to work closely with YEF as they build up their evidence base for 'what works' in preventing serious violence, and as they fund the evaluations of the department's taskforce programmes. Updates to the YEF’s school-based work can be found on their website.
Asked by: Kerry McCarthy (Labour - Bristol East)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of implementing a cross-departmental strategy to end youth homelessness.
Answered by Felicity Buchan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
This Government is committed to tackling all forms of homelessness including youth homelessness.
The Government’s ‘Ending Rough Sleeping for Good’ Strategy, published in 2022 and backed by £2.4 billion, recognises young people face particular challenges. The strategy confirmed a £200 million investment in the Single Homelessness Accommodation Programme (SHAP) which will deliver homes for people at risk of or experiencing homelessness and rough sleeping, including young people. In addition, £2.5 million of Rough Sleeping Initiative funding for 2022-2025 supports youth services in local areas.
The department will continue to work with local authorities and partners in the voluntary and community sector and private sector to tackle youth homelessness.
Asked by: Kerry McCarthy (Labour - Bristol East)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make an estimate of the cost to the public purse of the assessment of lead ammunition restrictions by the Health and Safety Executive between March 2021 and 2024.
Answered by Paul Maynard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
For the period 1 March 2021 to 31 March 2024 the Health and Safety Executive full economic cost estimate is £500,000 which includes the costs of both HSE and independent scientific experts engaged in this work but excludes work undertaken by the Environment Agency.
Asked by: Kerry McCarthy (Labour - Bristol East)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what the (a) dates and (b) agenda items are for future meetings of the Net Zero Council.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Meetings of the Net Zero Council are currently scheduled to take place on 3 July 2024, 9 October 2024 and 15 January 2025.
Asked by: Kerry McCarthy (Labour - Bristol East)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to the Prime Minister's speech on Net Zero on 20 September 2023, whether the Prime Minister had discussions with the Net Zero Council on the content of that speech prior to its delivery.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Net Zero Council is co-chaired by myself and CEO of the Co-operative Group, Shirine Khoury-Haq. Minutes of its meetings can be found on gov.uk at https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/net-zero-council
Ministers and officials have regular discussions with 10 Downing Street on a range of issues across our departmental responsibilities, including net zero.
Asked by: Kerry McCarthy (Labour - Bristol East)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to the minutes of the meeting of the Net Zero Council on 9 November 2023, which member of the Net Zero Council has been nominated to lead its public engagement workstream; and what steps the Council has taken to encourage consumer engagement.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
A public engagement working group has been convened under the Net Zero Council, meeting an ask from businesses for consumer-facing information on net zero to support their own engagement. The group is chaired by Council member Chris Hulatt, Co-founder of Octopus Investments, and includes representatives from key business sectors, behaviour change experts and public engagement specialists. The group is working with trade bodies to develop resources to support businesses to communicate effectively on the net zero transition, and advising the UK Government as it delivers on the public engagement commitments set out in Powering Up Britain: Net Zero Growth Plan.
Asked by: Kerry McCarthy (Labour - Bristol East)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to the minutes of the Net Zero Council's meeting on 9 November 2023, what steps her Department is taking to support the first pillar of the Net Zero Council's SME workstream on net zero messaging.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Delivery of net zero relies on strong business action. The Council supported the re-launch of the UK Business Climate Hub, which provides information and resources to SMEs. The Hub highlights the benefits of reducing carbon emissions, setting out the opportunities offered by net zero and empowering businesses to act. The Council remains committed to further developing the UK Business Climate Hub.
The Council is also supporting SMEs through its Public Engagement workstream, which is developing resources to support businesses when communicating with staff, customers and supply chains on both the broader net zero transition and decarbonisation within their sector.
Asked by: Kerry McCarthy (Labour - Bristol East)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether the Net Zero Council has consulted (a) industry associations and (b) sector-wide bodies during the development of business sector roadmaps.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Net Zero Council developed guidelines to help businesses create tailored action plans to reduce emissions across their sector. These were published last year and provide a robust, credible and consistent set of criteria for business sector roadmaps.
Industry-led roadmaps have been developed in line with this guidance for priority sectors of the economy, with input from both industry associations and sector-wide bodies.
Asked by: Kerry McCarthy (Labour - Bristol East)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to the oral Answer by the Minister for Energy Security and Net Zero of 27 February 2024, Official Report, column 123, what her planned timescale is for publishing the Net Zero Council business sector roadmaps.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Net zero business sector roadmap guidelines were published in August 2023, providing a robust, credible and consistent set of criteria to support businesses in developing tailored action plans to reduce emissions.
Industry representatives have led the development of roadmaps in priority sectors, which have been discussed by the Council to catalyse action across the economy and identify dependencies across sectors. This workstream is coordinated on behalf of the Council by the Broadway Initiative, who are exploring options for publication following the conclusion of the Council’s review.
Asked by: Kerry McCarthy (Labour - Bristol East)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what (a) barriers to achieving net zero and (b) solutions the Net Zero Council has identified; and what steps the Government is taking to support the council's work.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Net Zero Council has met four times since it was established in 2023. As a strategic partnership between government, business and finance it has catalysed action across the economy. Under its leadership, industry-led roadmaps representing around 80% of UK territorial emissions have been produced in line with clear, consistent guidelines developed by the Council. The Council has also taken action to tackle issues and address barriers, including supporting the re-launch of the UK Business Climate Hub which provides information and resources to SMEs.