Ayoub Khan

The West Midlands has been a key participant in the Destination Development Partnership (DDP) pilot, led by VisitEngland. The DDP pilot is testing a new model of collaborative working between national and local tourism bodies to strengthen destination management, improve the visitor offer, and drive sustainable growth in the sector. The West Midlands pilot has brought together local and regional partners to align strategies, build capacity, and promote the region more effectively to domestic and international visitors.

DCMS continues to work closely with VisitEngland and local stakeholders to build on this progress and ensure the West Midlands visitor economy continues to thrive.

The government’s Plan for Change sets out a commitment to give every child the best start in life. Progress on this commitment will be measured by assessing whether 75% of five-year-olds are reaching a good level of development in the Early Years Foundation Stage assessment, which looks at children’s development across areas such as language, personal, social and emotional development, and mathematics and literacy, by 2028.

Delivering this will require strengthening and co-ordinating family services to improve support through pregnancy and early childhood. This includes continuing to invest in and build up Family Hubs and Start for Life programmes.

75 local authorities with some of the highest levels of deprivation have received funding and there are now more than 400 Family Hubs open across those local authorities. The department is investing a further £126 million in the 2025/26 financial year to give every child the best start in life and deliver on the Plan for Change. Future funding decisions are subject to the multi-year spending review.

The department is committed to delivering on our pledge to provide free breakfast clubs in every state-funded school with primary-aged children, starting with more than 750 early adopter schools from April 2025.

The School Food Standards statutory guidance, which regulate the food and drink provided at school, already apply to breakfasts. Compliance with the Standards is mandatory for maintained schools, academies and free schools.

Alongside the existing School Food Standards, in January, the department published guidance for the early adopter schools which provides additional helpful guidance on which foods should be served at breakfast clubs.

The government does not set or recommend pay in further education (FE). This remains the responsibility of individual colleges who are free to implement pay arrangements in line with their local needs.

The government recognises the vital role that FE teachers play in developing the skills needed to drive our missions to improve opportunity and economic growth. That is why the department is investing around £600 million in FE across the financial years 2024/25 and 2025/26. This includes extending retention payments of up to £6,000 after tax to eligible early career FE teachers in key subject areas. The department also continues to support recruitment and retention with teacher training bursaries worth up to £30,000 tax-free in certain key subject areas and with support for industry professionals to enter the teaching workforce through our Taking Teaching Further programme.

My right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, has announced a Budget on 30 October, to be followed by a multi-year Spending Review in the spring of next year. Decisions about future post-16 funding and capital programmes will be subject to the outcomes of these fiscal events.

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.

Local authorities are responsible for transport to education and training for 16-19 year olds. Post-16 transport guidance requires local authorities to make the necessary transport arrangements or provide financial support to ensure young people can participate in education or training. The needs of young people with SEND should be specifically considered and the arrangements put in place for each group must be documented in local authority transport policy statements.

In addition to their statutory responsibilities, many local authorities do offer some form of subsidised transport which, combined with the 16-19 bursary, has been intended to provide financial support to students from low-income households. These decisions are best made locally, in consideration of local needs, the resources available and other local circumstances.

The UK maintains high standards on the information that is provided on food labels so that consumers can have confidence in the food that they buy.

The fundamental principle of food labelling rules is that information provided to the consumer must not mislead.    All food sold on the UK market, including that which is imported, must comply with food labelling rules. The government continues to review existing legislation through post implementation reviews.

Country of Origin labelling is compulsory for prepacked unprocessed beef, veal, lamb, mutton, pork, goat and poultry meat and most unprocessed fresh fruit and vegetables.

Where origin information is not required, it can still be provided as long as it does not mislead. We support accurate labelling of settlement goods, so as not to mislead the consumer.

Food labelling rules are enforced by local authorities. Concerns that a specific food does not comply or is otherwise misleading, should be raised with a local trading standards officer who will be able to investigate and take necessary action.

The UK maintains high standards on the information that is provided on food labels so that consumers can have confidence in the food that they buy.

The fundamental principle of food labelling rules is that information provided to the consumer must not mislead.    All food sold on the UK market, including that which is imported, must comply with food labelling rules. The government continues to review existing legislation through post implementation reviews.

Country of Origin labelling is compulsory for prepacked unprocessed beef, veal, lamb, mutton, pork, goat and poultry meat and most unprocessed fresh fruit and vegetables.

Where origin information is not required, it can still be provided as long as it does not mislead. We support accurate labelling of settlement goods, so as not to mislead the consumer.

Food labelling rules are enforced by local authorities. Concerns that a specific food does not comply or is otherwise misleading, should be raised with a local trading standards officer who will be able to investigate and take necessary action.

The UK maintains high standards on the information that is provided on food labels so that consumers can have confidence in the food that they buy.

The fundamental principle of food labelling rules is that information provided to the consumer must not mislead.    All food sold on the UK market, including that which is imported, must comply with food labelling rules. The government continues to review existing legislation through post implementation reviews.

Country of Origin labelling is compulsory for prepacked unprocessed beef, veal, lamb, mutton, pork, goat and poultry meat and most unprocessed fresh fruit and vegetables.

Where origin information is not required, it can still be provided as long as it does not mislead. We support accurate labelling of settlement goods, so as not to mislead the consumer.

Food labelling rules are enforced by local authorities. Concerns that a specific food does not comply or is otherwise misleading, should be raised with a local trading standards officer who will be able to investigate and take necessary action.

I refer the hon. Member to the response given to PQ 4272 on 12 September 2024.

In England, we have committed to halting the decline in species abundance by 2030. The UK Government is also committed to protecting 30% of the UK’s land and sea by 2030, and to playing our part in achieving the global 30by30 target adopted at the UN Biodiversity Summit COP15 in December 2022.

Delivering these targets sits at the heart of our mission to ensure nature’s recovery. To meet our species abundance target we will create, restore and connect wildlife-rich habitat, reduce pressures on species including from pollution and climate change and take targeted action to recover specific species, working in partnership with civil society, communities and business. Delivering 30by30 on land in England means ensuring that our most important and wildlife-rich habitats are benefiting from effective, long-term conservation and management. This will require a collaborative approach, and all sectors have a role to play.

We have launched a rapid review of the Environmental Improvement Plan to complete before the end of the year to make sure it is fit for purpose to deliver our ambitious targets. This review is an important step in turning the page on nature recovery and will provide the foundations for delivering these targets. This includes the Government’s manifesto promise to expand nature-rich habitats such as wetlands, peat bogs and forests so people can enjoy and wildlife can thrive, including on public land.

We have also commissioned an overarching evaluation framework for our 2030 species target and wider biodiversity targets programme. This will strengthen our understanding of our progress towards meeting our biodiversity targets and will follow Magenta Book guidance.

DfT Operator of Last Resort Holdings Limited has not brought any private prosecutions in the last three years as prosecutions are carried out by its subsidiary train companies.

We expect operators to ensure their policy on ticketing is clear and fair for passengers at all times and have instructed an urgent review of the cases in question, with a view to resolving them.

Ticketing has become far too complicated, which is why we plan to simplify it as part of the biggest overhaul of our railways in a generation.

We expect Northern to ensure their policy on fare evasion and prosecutions is clear and fair for passengers at all times and have instructed the operator to review the details of the prosecution cases in question urgently.

Both the 16-25 and 26-30 Railcards are subject to a £12 minimum fare during the morning peak. Changes to the terms and conditions of Railcards are for industry to propose and would need to balance the benefits to certain groups against the impacts on taxpayers.

I am aware of the recent coverage of a number of prosecutions undertaken by one rail operator.

We expect operators to ensure their policy on ticketing is clear and fair for passengers at all times and have instructed an urgent review of the cases in question, with a view to resolving them.

Ticketing has become far too complicated, which is why we plan to simplify it as part of the biggest overhaul of our railways in a generation.

I am aware of the recent coverage of a number of prosecutions undertaken by one rail operator. We expect operators to ensure their policy on ticketing is clear and fair for passengers at all times and have instructed an urgent review of the cases in question, with a view to resolving them.

Ticketing has become far too complicated, which is why we plan to simplify it as part of the biggest overhaul of our railways in a generation.

There are currently no plans to publish all recorded responses to the forthcoming Green Paper consultation on health and disability benefits.

After the consultation period, we will review and analyse consultation responses and we will set out our response in a White Paper later this year.

Tackling child poverty is at the heart of this Government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity, and the Ministerial Child Poverty Taskforce is working to publish a Child Poverty Strategy to deliver lasting change.

The Strategy will look at levers across four key themes of increasing incomes, reducing essential costs, increasing financial resilience; and better local support especially in the early years. This will build on the reform plans underway across government and work underway in Devolved Governments. As part of the Strategy's development, the Taskforce is considering the potential impact of policies across government.

We are committed to reforming the system of health and disability benefits so that it promotes and enables employment among as many people as possible. The system must also work to support disabled people to live independently and be financially sustainable in the long term. We will set out our proposals for reform in a Green Paper ahead of the Spring Statement later this year.

As with all policies, we will ensure that considerations about their impact are at the heart of the policy making process.

We will consider the publication of any future Equality Impact Assessments on a case by case basis as usual.

UK State Pensions are payable worldwide, without regard to nationality, based on a person’s National Insurance record. People move abroad for many reasons and may have access to their host country’s benefit system or other sources of income such as an occupational pension.

Information about the impact on State Pensions of moving abroad is available on Gov.uk.