Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to limit the use of smartphones in schools.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

Mobile phones have no place in our schools. Schools should prohibit the use of mobile phones and other smart technology with similar functionality to mobile phones throughout the school day, including during lessons, the time between lessons, breaktimes and lunchtime, as set out in the ‘Mobile phones in schools’ guidance, published in 2024.

The department expects all schools to take steps in line with this guidance to ensure mobile phones do not disrupt pupils’ learning.

New research from the Children’s Commissioner, with responses from nearly all schools and colleges in England, shows that the overwhelming majority of schools (99.8% of primary schools and 90% of secondary schools) already have policies in place that limit or restrict the use of mobile phones during the school day.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the proposed expansion of free school meals on levels of child poverty in North East Somerset and Hanham constituency.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

This government is committed to breaking down barriers to opportunity and tackling child poverty. We have now announced that we are extending free school meals (FSM) to all children from households in receipt of Universal Credit from September 2026.

It will lift 100,000 children across England out of poverty and put £500 back in families’ pockets, supporting parents in decisive action to improve lives ahead of the Child Poverty Strategy coming later this year.

Department for Work and Pensions data shows that 3,500 children in the North East Somerset and Hanham constituency will be eligible for FSM from September 2026.

Providing over half a million children from the most disadvantaged backgrounds with a free, nutritious lunchtime meal every school day will also lead to higher attainment, improved behaviour and better outcomes, meaning children get the best possible education and chance to succeed in work and life.

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 adequate funding for the repair of council housing stock North East Somerset and Hanham constituency.

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

I refer the hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 2 July 2025 (HCWS771).

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to reduce shoplifting in North East Somerset and Hanham constituency.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

Through our Safer Streets Mission, we are committed to key reforms to ensure people feel safe on our streets and in their communities, including reducing shop theft.

We are providing £5 million over the next three years to continue to fund a specialist analysis team within Opal, the National Policing Intelligence Unit for serious organised acquisitive crime.

We are also investing £2 million over the next three years in the National Business Crime Centre (NBCC) which provides a resource for both police and businesses to learn, share and support each other to prevent and combat crime.

Via the Crime and Policing Bill we will repeal the legislation which makes shop theft of and below £200 a summary-only offence. This will send a clear message that any level of shop theft is illegal. Also included in the Bill is a new offence of assaulting a retail worker to protect the hardworking and dedicated staff that work in stores.

I chair the Retail Crime Forum which brings together the retail sector, security providers and law enforcement agencies to ensure we understand the needs of all retailers and to promote collaboration, share best practice and to work collectively to tackle the serious issue of retail crime. This includes the development of a new strategy to tackle shop theft published by policing, retail sector representatives and industry as part of collective efforts to combat shop theft.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to help support SMEs to (a) access finance, (b) innovate and (c) grow in North East Somerset and Hanham constituency.

Answered by Gareth Thomas - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The Business Secretary's announcement of a new Business Growth Service is designed to simplify access, advice and support for Somerset businesses looking to grow, innovate and thrive.

Small and medium-sized enterprises in Hanham and across Somerset can access the West of England Growth Hub which offers specialised guidance on scaling up, entering new markets, and exploring various financial support options, including through the British Business Bank

Additionally, Innovate UK is the national innovation agency, supporting businesses across all sectors and regions through grants, loans, investor partnerships and innovation procurement.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent progress her Department has made on reform of the leasehold system.

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

The government took swift action in the early months of the Parliament to implement provisions in the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 relating to rent charge arrears, building safety legal costs and the work of professional insolvency practitioners.

On 31 October 2024, the government commenced further building safety measures.

On 31 January 2025, provisions to remove the two-year qualifying rule in relation to enfranchisement and lease extensions came into force.

On 3 March 2025, the right to manage provisions (expanding access, reforming its costs, and voting rights) came into force and we published the Commonhold White Paper, which is a crucial first step in ensuring commonhold becomes the default tenure for flats.

On 4 July 2025, we published a consultation on Strengthening Leaseholder Protections for charges and services. It can be found on gov.uk here. It can be found on gov.uk here. The consultation seeks views on how to implement the relevant measures in the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024, and includes proposals to extend aspects of it to social housing tenants.

We will publish an ambitious draft Leasehold and Commonhold reform Bill later this year.

For an overview of the government’s approach to leasehold and commonhold reform, I refer the hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 21 November 2024 (HCWS244).

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to improve access to GP appointments in North East Somerset and Hanham constituency.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government is determined to work with the National Health Service to fix the front door of our health service and to ensure that everyone can access general practice (GP) appointments and services, including in North East Somerset and Hanham. Through our 10-Year Health Plan, it will be easier and faster to see a GP. The 8:00am scramble will end, we will train more doctors, and we will guarantee digital consultations within 24 hours.

In October 2024, we invested £82 million into the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme to support the recruitment of 1,900 individual GPs into primary care networks across England, helping to increase appointment availability and improve care for thousands of patients.

We have also delivered the biggest boost to GP funding in years, an £889 million uplift, with GPs now receiving a growing share of NHS resources. Additionally, the new £102 million Primary Care Utilisation and Modernisation Fund will create additional clinical space within over 1,000 GPs across England. This investment will deliver more appointments and improve patient care.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the introduction of the Deposit Return Scheme on (a) job creation and (b) other economic developments.

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

The Final Impact Assessment, published in November 2025, considers the impacts of a DRS on all sectors of society - this includes costs and benefits, and any wider impacts identified.

There are external studies that look at the number of jobs created by DRS which the Impact Assessment draws upon, including the 2011 Eunomia study that estimated that the additional number of jobs created from the introduction of a DRS could be 3,000-4,300 across the UK.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the provision of 30-hours of free childcare on the finances of families in North East Somerset and Hanham constituency.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

On 7 July, the department published our ‘Best Start in life Strategy’, which sets out how we will make real change happen for families across the country.

From September 2025, eligible working parents will be able to access 30 hours of funded childcare a week, over 38 weeks of the year, from the term after their child turns nine months until they start school. This will save eligible families using all 30 hours nationally up to £7,500 on average.

According to the ‘Childcare and early years provider survey’, this would be higher (£7,900) in Bath and North East Somerset due to higher childcare fees, though these estimates are likely to be more variable due to a smaller sample size. The survey can be accessed here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/8919d3d0-fd4f-4adb-8ae2-08ddbed6edd3. To calculate this estimation the department has used local authority data from Bath and North East Somerset in the absence of constituency-level childcare fee data.

A recent Coram report shows the average cost to parents of a 25 hour nursery place for children under three in England has halved between 2024 and 2025.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help tackle high levels of sewage entering waterways.

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

For too long, water companies have discharged unacceptable levels of sewage into our rivers, lakes and seas.

That is why we are placing water companies under special measures through our landmark Water (Special Measures) Act. The Act will drive meaningful improvements in the performance and culture of the water industry as a first important step in enabling wider, transformative change across the water sector.

The Independent Water Commission, led by Sir Jon Cunliffe, will make recommendations to shape further action to transform how our water system works and clean up our waterways for good. The IWC will submit its final report later in summer 2025 with recommendations on how to reset the sector for the future.

As part of Price Review 2024 (PR24), which runs from 2025–2030, water companies will be delivering record of over £11 billion of investment to improve nearly 3,000 storm overflows across England and Wales. This investment will be targeted at those affecting the most sensitive sites for ecological and human health.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to improve school attendance in North East Somerset and Hanham constituency.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The department has a national approach to supporting all schools to improve attendance. Central to this approach are stronger expectations of local authorities and schools, as set out in the statutory guidance here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/66bf300da44f1c4c23e5bd1b/Working_together_to_improve_school_attendance_-_August_2024.pdf.

In addition, the department is improving evidence on which interventions improve attendance. Over £17 million is being invested in mentoring projects supporting at least 12,000 pupils in 15 areas.

Regional improvement for standards and excellence teams support schools by sharing best practice across areas and empowering schools to better access support and learn from one another. This includes new Attendance and Behaviour Hubs, supporting around 550 schools in the South West each year.

Attendance is also supported by broader investments, including breakfast clubs in primary schools so that children start their day ready to learn, and Mental Health Support Teams which will provide access to specialist professionals in every school.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the extension of the Warm Home Discount scheme on people living in North East Somerset and Hanham constituency.

Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Warm Home Discount statistics for 2024-25 were published on 26^th June 2025. These statistics cover receipt of the WHD for winter 2024/25. Estimates of future eligibility are not available at county or constituency level. Across Great Britain, we will be extending the WHD to an estimated additional 2.7 million households and bringing the overall number of households supported to around 6 million.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to help tackle child poverty in North East Somerset and Hanham constituency.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

Tackling child poverty is at the heart of the Government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity and improve the life chances of every child. It is unacceptable that there are almost 2500 children in relative poverty (before housing costs) in North East Somerset and Hanham. Children in low-income families' local area statistics (CiLIF) are published on Stat-Xplore. The Child Poverty Taskforce is progressing work to publish the Child Poverty Strategy in autumn that will deliver fully funded measures to tackle the structural and root causes of child poverty.

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 a significant downpayment ahead of Strategy publication, we have already taken substantive action across major drivers of child poverty through Spending Review 2025. This includes an expansion of Free School Meals that will lift 100,000 children out of poverty by the end of the parliament. Our data shows that 3,500 children in the North East Somerset and Hanham constituency will be eligible for FSM from September 2026. This data can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/free-school-meals-expansion-impact-on-poverty-levels. We are also establishing a long-term Crisis and Resilience Fund supported by £1 billion a year (including Barnett impact), investing in local family support services, and extending the £3 bus fare cap. We also announced the biggest boost to social and affordable housing investment in a generation and £13.2 billion including Barnett impact across the Parliament for the Warm Homes Plan.

Our commitments at the 2025 Spending Review come on top of the existing action we have taken which includes expanding free breakfast clubs, capping the number of branded school uniform items children are expected to wear, increasing the national minimum wage for those on the lowest incomes and supporting 700,000 of the poorest families by introducing a Fair Repayment Rate on Universal Credit deductions.