Asked by: Brian Mathew (Liberal Democrat - Melksham and Devizes)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to tackle processing delays of valuations by the Teachers’ Pension Scheme; and what steps she is taking to ensure that pensions are paid promptly once teachers have chosen how they wish to receive their benefits.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
The scheme administrator has made significant progress to reduce the backlog of Cash Equivalent Transfer Value (CETV) figures that had built up whilst the necessary guidance was developed, following the Transitional Protection (McCloud) remedy taking effect.
CETVs that could be automated have been prioritised, alongside the most sensitive cases, to reduce the backlog from 3,062 at the end of October 2024 to 473 as of 6 May. The current outstanding figure includes recent applications.
Addressing the remainder of the backlog remains a key priority for both the department and the scheme administrator. The scheme administrator is now working through the more complex cases for members who have not retired and who have scheme flexibilities, to take account of those which must be processed clerically as a result. Guidance to provide CETV calculations for members who have retired has recently been received and is being assessed by the scheme administrator.
Where members affected by Transitional Protection apply to retire, they are provided a Remediable Service Statement (RSS) which details their choices available for the remedy period. Once the member choice is completed and returned by the member, the scheme administrator will process the member’s retirement and put benefits into payment as soon as is practicable, or in line with the relevant retirement date.
Asked by: Brian Mathew (Liberal Democrat - Melksham and Devizes)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether his Department is taking steps with animal protection organisations to phase out animal experimentation.
Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Labour Manifesto includes a commitment to “partner with scientists, industry, and civil society as we work towards the phasing out of animal testing”. The government will publish a strategy to support the development, validation and uptake of alternative methods later this year, and is engaging animal welfare organisations in developing this. The Government has also recently hosted a roundtable with representatives from these organisations to discuss the strategy.
Asked by: Brian Mathew (Liberal Democrat - Melksham and Devizes)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to retrofit schools to help meet net zero targets.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department is committed to supporting the UK net zero carbon targets. Since 2021, our own building standards have required that all new school buildings we deliver are net zero carbon in operation and are adapted to climate change.
The department is also providing support for all schools and colleges to start on their journey towards net zero via our new online ‘Sustainability support for education’ platform and our climate ambassador programme. Where schools are considering options to become more sustainable, including considering decarbonisation of their energy supply, our ‘Get help buying’ service provides support to ensure that schemes procured are of high-quality and value to the sector. More information can be found at: https://gethelpbuyingforschools.campaign.gov.uk/.
Capital funding allocated to the school sector each year can also be used for projects that improve the energy efficiency and sustainability of school buildings, as well as improving the condition of the estate to keep schools safe and operational. The department has allocated £2.1 billion in condition funding for the 2025/26 financial year, which is £300 million more than the previous year.
In addition, we are working with Great British Energy, as part of their solar programme, and investing a total of £80 million to install solar and other related interventions in 200 schools and colleges in areas of deprivation.
Asked by: Brian Mathew (Liberal Democrat - Melksham and Devizes)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of levels of car use on (a) congestion and (b) road noise.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department periodically publishes the national road traffic projections. The most recent being the National Road Traffic Projections 2022. This includes a measure of congestion expressed as lost time per mile, per vehicle in seconds. This is split by vehicle type, road type and region. While no specific assessment on levels of car use and road noise has been undertaken, the Government’s methods for the Calculation of Road Traffic Noise (CRTN), however, provides a standardised approach to calculate noise impacts from existing or proposed road networks to assess and manage the noise impacts on nearby communities.
Asked by: Brian Mathew (Liberal Democrat - Melksham and Devizes)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to increase the amount of social housing in Melksham and Devizes constituency.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 41721 on 3 April 2025.
Asked by: Brian Mathew (Liberal Democrat - Melksham and Devizes)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of minimum service standards for cross county bus services.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Local Transport Authorities (LTAs) already often work closely together when tendering routes that cross shared boundaries and in delivering their Bus Service Improvement Plans (BSIP). There are also requirements set out in the Transport Act 2000 for LTAs to take account of the effect of an Enhanced Partnership on neighbouring areas and for bus policies on bus services in neighbouring LTA areas to be considered when developing their franchising arrangements.
The government has updated its bus franchising guidance to LTAs to make clear that they should consider cross-boundary services during any franchising assessment process, including in the commercial case where they should set out how they intend to facilitate cross-boundary services to deliver relevant BSIP outcomes and targets in both authorities’ areas.
The government introduced the Bus Services (No.2) Bill on 17 December which puts the power over local bus services back in the hands of local leaders, and is intended to ensure bus services reflect the needs of the communities that rely on them right across England, including services that cross local authority boundaries.
The Bill would give franchising authorities greater scope to grant service permits to operators wishing to provide non-franchised services which enter a franchising area from another area. Franchising authorities will be able to take account of these proposed cross-boundary services’ benefits in all the areas where the service would run, not just the franchising area as before. This will enable franchising authorities to better harness the additionality the market can provide in delivering these important services and take a more holistic approach to cross-boundary bus provision.
Asked by: Brian Mathew (Liberal Democrat - Melksham and Devizes)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact unrepaired potholes on (a) cyclists and (b) pedestrians.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government takes the condition of local roads very seriously and is committed to enabling local highway authorities to maintain and renew their local highway networks effectively. The Department’s highway maintenance funding is to enable local highway authorities to look after all parts of their highway networks, including cycle lanes and footways. It is up to individual local highway authorities to assess the impacts of their highway maintenance programmes on all road users, and to satisfy themselves that they are complying with their responsibilities under the Highways Act 1980.
Local highway authorities should consider the needs of all road users, especially vulnerable groups such as cyclists and pedestrians, when planning their highway maintenance programmes. Potholes, and poorly maintained pavements, have particular impacts on cyclists and pedestrians. The consequences of hitting a pothole can be far worse for a cyclist than for a driver, for example, and poorly maintained pavements can result in trips and falls as well as putting some people off walking altogether.
Asked by: Brian Mathew (Liberal Democrat - Melksham and Devizes)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking with local authorities to provide sustainable road surfacing.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government takes the condition of local roads very seriously and is committed to enabling local highway authorities to maintain and renew their local highway networks effectively. Decisions on road surfacing materials used in highway maintenance activities are a matter for each local authority based on local needs and priorities.
The Department encourages and supports innovation and best practice in road surface repairs in various ways. It has started the task of updating the Code of Practice for Well-Managed Highway Infrastructure, which will include new advice on matters such as surface treatments. The Department is also providing £30 million to the ADEPT ‘Live Labs’ research programme, enabling local authority-led consortia to trial innovative low-carbon ways of looking after their networks. One of the projects within the Live Labs programme is enabling novel resurfacing materials to be tested and evaluated through the Centre of Excellence for Decarbonising Roads, led by the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA).
Asked by: Brian Mathew (Liberal Democrat - Melksham and Devizes)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the UK Forest Risk Commodities regulations on low-income smallholder farmers in the Global South who are selling into in-scope UK supply chains.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We recognise that action to prevent UK consumption of forest risk commodities driving deforestation should minimise the impacts on low-income smallholder farmers in the Global South.
We will set out our approach to addressing deforestation in the UK’s supply chains in due course.
The UK Government works with smallholder farmers to improve sustainable practices and encourage forest-friendly businesses. For example, the Official Development Assistance funded ‘Investments in Forests and Sustainable Land Use’ programme supports the development of new business models which provide jobs and livelihoods, while protecting and restoring forests.
The UK also funds and co-chairs the Forest, Agriculture and Commodity Trade Dialogue with a specific working group focused on smallholder support, facilitating government to government dialogue to build collaboration to reduce risks of smallholder exclusion from sustainable supply chains.
Asked by: Brian Mathew (Liberal Democrat - Melksham and Devizes)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to encourage active travel in rural areas.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
We have recently announced £222.5 million to local authorities outside London for the delivery of active travel schemes and £30 million for upgrading the National Cycle Network. Much of this investment will go to rural areas. Active Travel England (ATE) also provides training for local authority staff to enable delivery of high-quality walking and cycling schemes, as well as design workshops and design assurance reviews of schemes under development.
Additionally, ATE has worked with the ten National Parks in England to help them develop better links to rural towns and villages. ATE is developing specific guidance for good practice application in rural areas and expects to publish this shortly.