Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether closer co-operation on chemical regulations was discussed at the UK-EU Summit on 18 May 2025.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Co-operation with the EU on chemical regulations is provided for under the Trade and Cooperation Agreement.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of increasing the breadth of subjects students study at A-Level on (a) life chances, (b) employability and (c) the economy.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

High and rising school standards are at the heart of the government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity and give children and young people the best life chances. The government has established an independent Curriculum and Assessment Review, covering ages 5 to 18, chaired by Professor Becky Francis CBE.

The Review aims to ensure that the assessment system captures the strengths of every child and young person and the breadth of curriculum and prepare children with the skills for future life and work.

The independent Review’s interim report sets out that many areas of the curriculum and assessment system are working well, including A levels.

During the panel’s next phase of work, it is addressing subject-specific challenges, aiming to ensure a rich, broad, inclusive and innovative curriculum that readies young people for life and work.

The Review’s final report and recommendations will be published in autumn, at which point the government will respond.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure more students from less affluent areas are taught by trained maths teachers.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

Recruiting and retaining high-quality teachers is critical to the government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity. This is why the government’s Plan for Change has committed to recruiting an additional 6,500 new expert teachers in secondary and special schools and in our colleges, over the course of this Parliament.

The department has announced an initial teacher training financial incentives package for the 2025/26 recruitment cycle worth £233 million, including bursaries worth £29,000 tax-free and scholarships worth £31,000 tax-free mathematics.

For 2024/25 and 2025/26, mathematics teachers in the first five years of their careers who choose to work in disadvantaged schools will also receive a targeted retention incentive worth up to £6,000 after tax.

Our High Potential Initial Teacher Training (HPITT) programme, delivered by Teach First, specifically supports schools in disadvantaged communities to recruit the teachers they need. Over the last three cohorts in 2022, 2023 and 2024, an average of 82% of HPITT participants across all subjects have been placed in disadvantaged schools.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions his Department had with the Paymaster General regarding UK-EU trade and environmental standards prior to the UK-EU summit in London on 18 May 2025.

Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Ministerial colleagues have had and maintain regular discussions with the Cabinet Office and other relevant departments on UK-EU trade and environmental standards.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what his Department's policy is on the registration dates for industry under UK REACH.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

We are aware of stakeholder concerns about the feasibility of these dates and will provide further information in due course.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to ensure that Homes England will take a strategic approach to affordable rural housing delivery by embedding the needs of the countryside at all levels of the agency.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

I refer the hon. Members to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 2 July (HCWS771).

We are giving further consideration to how policy can better promote rural affordable housing as part of our work to produce a set of national policies for decision making this year.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will publish his Department's strategy for (a) the chemicals industry and (b) chemicals management.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Chemicals industry is noted as a key foundational sector within the Industrial Strategy which helps underpin almost all other manufacturing sectors, including priority sectors such as Advanced Manufacturing.

Delivery of a Chemicals Strategy to establish a regulatory approach and priorities for the sustainable use of chemicals was a commitment included in the Environment Improvement Plan (EIP) 2023. Defra’s future approach to chemicals management will be set out in the revised EIP, which will be published later in 2025.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when he plans to respond to the consultation on the UK REACH Alternative Transitional Registration model (ATRm) for chemicals.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Defra will set out its approach to chemicals regulation in due course. This will include explaining what approach is being taken towards the UK REACH alternative transitional registration model (ATRm), which was subject to public consultation in 2025.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that schools in (a) Newcastle-under-Lyme constituency and (b) Staffordshire are able to offer high quality music education through (i) the national curriculum and (ii) in music education.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

As part of the government’s Opportunity Mission, the department wants to widen access to music education.

Music Hubs continue to play a vital role across England, with grant funding of £76 million for the 2025/26 academic year. This includes nearly £2.2 million for the Hub partnership led by The Music Partnership, covering Shropshire, Staffordshire, Stoke-on-Trent, Telford and Wrekin, and includes support for schools in Newcastle-under-Lyme and wider Staffordshire.

The department is also investing £2 million to support the Music Opportunities Pilot over four years, helping disadvantaged children and those with special educational needs and disabilities learn to play instruments or sing to a high standard in schools across 12 pilot areas. This includes Sir Thomas Boughey Academy in Newcastle-under-Lyme. The government established the Curriculum and Assessment Review to seek to deliver a rich, broad, inclusive and innovative curriculum, including music. The final report and government response will be published this autumn. Following this, we will legislate so that academies will teach the reformed national curriculum, alongside maintained schools. This will ensure music is an entitlement for pupils in every state-funded school.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of removing the Universal Credit health element on claimants under the age of 22.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

As part of the Pathways to Work Green Paper consultation, the Government invited views on the proposal to raise the minimum age for accessing the Universal Credit (UC) health element to 22. The consultation closed on 30 June, and we are now considering responses.

No final decisions have been made.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to ensure that people with mental health conditions are not disproportionately disadvantaged by the proposed reforms to PIP.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

As I set out in the House of Commons on 1 July 2025, the Government has listened to the concerns raised by Members from across the House about the proposed changes to Personal Independence Payment (PIP).

Clause 5 of the Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill would have amended the legal framework underpinning PIP assessments, specifically by implementing a new requirement that claimants must score a minimum of four points in at least one daily living activity to be eligible for the daily living component of PIP.

In light of the concerns raised, I confirmed during the debate that clause 5 would be removed from the Bill in Committee.

(Hansard, 1 July, col 219)

Any changes to PIP eligibility will come after a comprehensive review of the benefit, which I shall lead, co-produced with disabled people, the organisations that represent them, clinicians, experts, MPs and other stakeholders, so a wide range of views and voices are heard. This review aims to ensure that the PIP assessment is fair and fit for the future.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what plans she has to invest in (a) tennis, (b) padel and (c) court-base sports in the 2025-2026 financial year.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

The Government is determined to ensure that everyone has access to quality sport and physical activity opportunities. That is why we have committed at least £400 million to transform facilities across the whole of the nation following the Spending Review.

We will now work closely with sporting bodies - including the Lawn Tennis Association - and local leaders to establish what each community needs and then set out further plans.

The Government provides the majority of support for grassroots sport through Sport England - which annually invests over £250 million in Exchequer and Lottery funding. Sport England provides long term investment to the LTA, which receives up to £10.2 million for 5 years from 2022 to invest in tennis and padel initiatives that will benefit as many people as possible.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what plans she has to continue funding tennis facilities following the conclusion of the Park Tennis Project.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

The Government is determined to ensure that everyone has access to quality sport and physical activity opportunities. That is why we have committed at least £400 million to transform facilities across the whole of the nation following the Spending Review.

We will now work closely with sporting bodies - including the Lawn Tennis Association - and local leaders to establish what each community needs and then set out further plans.

The Government provides the majority of support for grassroots sport through Sport England - which annually invests over £250 million in Exchequer and Lottery funding. Sport England provides long term investment to the LTA, which receives up to £10.2 million for 5 years from 2022 to invest in tennis and padel initiatives that will benefit as many people as possible.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what proportion of dormant assets funds will be allocated to youth services.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

In November 2024, the government announced an even split of £350m between the four Dormant Assets causes. Since then an additional £90m has been split between Youth and Financial Inclusion.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to ensure that (a) Newcastle-under-Lyme constituency and (b) other communities have access to covered tennis facilities to enable year-round play.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

The Government is determined to ensure that everyone has access to quality sport and physical activity opportunities. That is why we have committed at least £400 million to transform facilities across the whole of the nation following the Spending Review.

We will now work closely with sporting bodies - including the Lawn Tennis Association - and local leaders to establish what each community needs and then set out further plans.

The Government provides the majority of support for grassroots sport through Sport England - which annually invests over £250 million in Exchequer and Lottery funding. Sport England provides long term investment to the LTA, which receives up to £10.2 million for 5 years from 2022 to invest in tennis and padel initiatives that will benefit as many people as possible.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of aligning the UK's PM2.5 air quality targets with the World Health Organisation’s 2021 guidelines.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The revised Environmental Improvement Plan is due to include further details on the PM2.5 air quality targets set under the Environment Act 2021. The World Health Organisation (WHO) air quality guidelines will continue to inform our evidence when considering future targets.

Found: _17 Graeme Downie Adam Jogee Chris Bloore Dr Beccy Cooper Christine Jardine Katrina Murray Patricia

Found: COMMITTEE STAGE Wednesday 9 July 2025 54 _17 Graeme Downie Adam Jogee Chris Bloore Dr Beccy Cooper

Found: Not called_17 Graeme Downie Adam Jogee Chris Bloore Dr Beccy Cooper Christine Jardine Katrina Murray

Submit Evidence (by 19 Sep 2025)

Kickstarting economic growth is the number one mission for this Government’s term in office. In this inquiry, the committee will examine plans to deliver economic growth in Northern Ireland, including the recent UK Industrial Strategy, with a particular reference to emerging sectors or ‘industries of the future’. Read our call for evidence here  for more detail about the inquiry and how to contribute your views.