Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much funding her Department plans to provide to Dorset Council for (a) cycling and (b) walking infrastructure in each of the next three financial years.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

On 12 February, the Department announced the funding allocations for the Combined Active Travel Fund (CATF), the dedicated revenue and capital funding round for 2025/26. Dorset Council was awarded £774,233 and it will be for the authority to decide on infrastructure projects it may wish to progress with this funding.

Decisions on future Government funding for active travel will be a matter for the Spending Review, which is considering all transport expenditure in the round. Specific funding allocations to Dorset Council for 2026/27 and 2027/28 will be agreed after the Spending Review concludes.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she plans to request funds for (a) cycling and (b) walking as part of the upcoming Comprehensive Spending Review.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Future government funding for cycling and walking is being considered alongside all other transport priorities as part of the Spending Review. On 28 March, I informed Parliament of my intention to publish a third Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy following the conclusion of the Spending Review. This will allow us to say more on the long-term funding for active travel, as required by the 2015 Infrastructure Act.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what support is available for traditional boat building skills' educational programmes in coastal communities.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The department supports all learners in coastal areas who wish to have a career in boatbuilding through its technical education offer, with a range of high-quality qualifications and apprenticeship opportunities available.

This includes specific qualifications and apprenticeships in boatbuilding together with apprenticeships and qualifications, including T levels, in such subjects as marine engineering, carpentry, design, construction and welding, all of which provide knowledge and skills that support careers in boatmaking.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to support (a) education and (b) training in traditional boat building skills in West Dorset constituency.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The department supports all learners in coastal areas who wish to have a career in boatbuilding through its technical education offer, with a range of high-quality qualifications and apprenticeship opportunities available.

This includes specific qualifications and apprenticeships in boatbuilding together with apprenticeships and qualifications, including T levels, in such subjects as marine engineering, carpentry, design, construction and welding, all of which provide knowledge and skills that support careers in boatmaking.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to provide (a) education and (b) training opportunities to support women to pursue careers in traditional boat building.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The department supports all learners in coastal areas who wish to have a career in boatbuilding through its technical education offer, with a range of high-quality qualifications and apprenticeship opportunities available.

This includes specific qualifications and apprenticeships in boatbuilding together with apprenticeships and qualifications, including T levels, in such subjects as marine engineering, carpentry, design, construction and welding, all of which provide knowledge and skills that support careers in boatmaking.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the potential return on investment of increasing funding for (a) cycling and (b) walking.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Investment in active travel supports the Government’s economic growth, health and net zero missions, and generally has a very positive benefit-to-cost ratio. Walking and cycling are among the cheapest and most accessible forms of physical activity and some of the most cost-effective interventions to meet the Chief Medical Officer’s recommended physical activity levels. The Department announced the details of almost £300 million of funding for active travel in 2024/5 and 2025/6 on 12 February. This will deliver 300 miles of brand new pavements and cycle routes to enable 30 million more journeys by walking and cycling every year. It will lead to 43,000 less sick days a year to ease pressure on the NHS.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent estimate his Department has made of the levels of respiratory diseases in West Dorset constituency.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

In the West Dorset area, which includes the Sherborne, Mid Dorset, and Jurassic primary care networks, there are 8,617 patients with asthma, and 2,490 patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). A systematic review published in 2021 highlighted the global variation in the diagnosis of pulmonary fibrosis, and it is estimated that NHS Dorset could have between five and 25 people who suffer from pulmonary fibrosis.

The Dorset Respiratory Network has made significant progress in improving care for people with asthma, COPD, and other respiratory conditions, over the last few years. With Respiratory Champions now supporting 15 of the 18 primary care networks, local expertise has been strengthened, ensuring better access to care. A key focus has been enhancing diagnosis and management, which includes the increased use of fractional exhaled nitric oxide testing and a targeted drive to reduce over-reliance on short-acting reliever inhalers. These efforts have led to better outcomes for patients and a reduction in unnecessary hospital visits.

Local pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) teams have expanded their reach, delivering more PR classes across a wider range of locations in Dorset. This is helping more people manage their condition effectively, improve their quality of life, and reduce hospitalisation risks. Alongside this, an online platform has been launched, providing healthcare professionals with resources, training, and updates, ensuring the latest guidance is easily accessible. A new quarterly newsletter keeps clinicians informed of National Health Service updates, best practice, and innovations in respiratory care.

As part of the Reducing Hospital Admissions and Enhancing Care initiatives, targeted projects have employed a review of medication use to ensure the most effective treatments are available. There is also work on improving diagnosis rates through better access to essential tests and exploring digital solutions to help people manage their conditions at home.

Smoking cessation is one of the most effective ways to reduce respiratory disease and improve long-term health. In the first three quarters of 2024/25, over 6,000 people in Dorset quit smoking through support from the Council's smoking cessation programmes, the National Swap to Stop initiative and the NHS Treating Tobacco Dependency offer.

By expanding innovation, improving accessibility, and strengthening collaboration across healthcare teams, the Dorset Respiratory Network is delivering tangible improvements in respiratory health. Their work is helping people across the county breathe easier, stay healthier, and reduce their reliance on hospital care, ensuring better outcomes for patients and a more sustainable NHS for the future.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to help reduce the incidence of respiratory diseases in West Dorset constituency.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

In the West Dorset area, which includes the Sherborne, Mid Dorset, and Jurassic primary care networks, there are 8,617 patients with asthma, and 2,490 patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). A systematic review published in 2021 highlighted the global variation in the diagnosis of pulmonary fibrosis, and it is estimated that NHS Dorset could have between five and 25 people who suffer from pulmonary fibrosis.

The Dorset Respiratory Network has made significant progress in improving care for people with asthma, COPD, and other respiratory conditions, over the last few years. With Respiratory Champions now supporting 15 of the 18 primary care networks, local expertise has been strengthened, ensuring better access to care. A key focus has been enhancing diagnosis and management, which includes the increased use of fractional exhaled nitric oxide testing and a targeted drive to reduce over-reliance on short-acting reliever inhalers. These efforts have led to better outcomes for patients and a reduction in unnecessary hospital visits.

Local pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) teams have expanded their reach, delivering more PR classes across a wider range of locations in Dorset. This is helping more people manage their condition effectively, improve their quality of life, and reduce hospitalisation risks. Alongside this, an online platform has been launched, providing healthcare professionals with resources, training, and updates, ensuring the latest guidance is easily accessible. A new quarterly newsletter keeps clinicians informed of National Health Service updates, best practice, and innovations in respiratory care.

As part of the Reducing Hospital Admissions and Enhancing Care initiatives, targeted projects have employed a review of medication use to ensure the most effective treatments are available. There is also work on improving diagnosis rates through better access to essential tests and exploring digital solutions to help people manage their conditions at home.

Smoking cessation is one of the most effective ways to reduce respiratory disease and improve long-term health. In the first three quarters of 2024/25, over 6,000 people in Dorset quit smoking through support from the Council's smoking cessation programmes, the National Swap to Stop initiative and the NHS Treating Tobacco Dependency offer.

By expanding innovation, improving accessibility, and strengthening collaboration across healthcare teams, the Dorset Respiratory Network is delivering tangible improvements in respiratory health. Their work is helping people across the county breathe easier, stay healthier, and reduce their reliance on hospital care, ensuring better outcomes for patients and a more sustainable NHS for the future.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of changes in the number of firefighters on fire and rescue response times in Dorset and Wiltshire.

Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

It is the responsibility of Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Authority (FRA) to decide how the authority’s resources, including staff, are best deployed to meet core functions. This includes determining crewing levels and appropriate targets for local response times. Decisions are based on analysis of risk and local circumstances within local Community Risk Management Plans.

The Government is committed to ensuring FRAs have the resources they need to do their important work keeping the public safe. In 2024/25, fire and rescue authorities received around £2.87 billion. Standalone FRAs saw an increase in core spending power of £95.4m during 2024/25.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what discussions he has had with European allies on developing joint weapon production initiatives.

Answered by Maria Eagle - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The Secretary of State for Defence continues to discuss defence capability matters, including on joint production, procurement and future development, with a range of our European Allies on a regular basis, both bilaterally and through multilateral fora. For example, the Secretary of State recently discussed our capability cooperation with France in Paris on 11 March, before discussing wider European industrial collaboration at the E5 defence ministers meeting on 12 March. I also have regular conversations with my counterparts. We continue to promote and encourage European Allies to co-design, co-develop and co-produce through a number of initiatives, including through UK-led Multinational Procurement Initiatives and DIAMOND.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to review the allocation of funding to Integrated Care Boards to address regional disparities in GP availability.

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

NHS England is responsible for funding allocations to integrated care boards. This process is independent of the Government, and NHS England takes advice on the underlying formula from the independent Advisory Committee on Resource Allocation.

We are investing an additional £889 million through the GP Contract to reinforce the front door of the National Health Service, bringing total spend on the GP Contract to £13.2 billion in 2025/26. This is the biggest increase in over a decade, and we are pleased that the General Practitioners Committee England is supportive of the contract changes.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking to support the development and implementation of carbon removal and storage technologies to achieve the UK's net-zero targets.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Greenhouse Gas Removal technologies will be important for reaching net zero. The Government has been developing Business Models to incentivise private investment into large-scale removal projects, commissioned the British Standards Institution to develop a Greenhouse Gas Removal Standard, has delivered £100 million in innovation funding, including through the Direct Air Capture and Greenhouse Gas Removal Innovation Programme and published a consultation on the inclusion of Greenhouse Gas Removals in the UK Emissions Trading Scheme. Greenhouse Gas Removal and Power Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage projects were allowed to apply to the HyNet Track-1 expansion cluster.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will meet with the hon. Member for West Dorset to discuss carbon removal.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Invitations to meet should be sent in the normal way by post or by email.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment his Department has made of the contribution of traditional boat building to the economy in West Dorset constituency.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Department for Business and Trade recognises the economic value of traditional boat building, particularly in areas like West Dorset. Training in traditional methods can contribute transferable skills for preserving cultural heritage, promoting sustainability and growing businesses.

Traditional boat building forms part of the wider leisure marine sector which contributed £1.4 billion in GVA and supported 29,000 jobs in 2019 [1]. The South West region alone generated £4 billion in turnover [2]. We continue to support the sector through events like the Southampton Boat Show and METSTRADE and promote its heritage and skills as vital to the UK’s maritime economy.

[1] State of the Maritime Nation, 2022

[2] State of the Maritime Nation, 2022

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much funding has been allocated to Dorset Council for road resurfacing projects in West Dorset for the fiscal years (a) 2023-24 and (b) 2024-25; and how this compares to the last five years for which information is available.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The main criteria used to determine the allocation of highway maintenance funding to local highway authorities are road length and road classification, along with the number of bridges and street lighting columns that each local authority is responsible for maintaining. The Department uses a bespoke formula to allocate funding to eligible authorities, including Dorset Council; details of the formula can be found on gov.uk.

It is for Dorset Council to decide how much to spend in the West Dorset constituency and how much to spend elsewhere across its network.

Funding allocations for Dorset Council for the last six years are set out in the table below.

Funding for Dorset Council 2020/21 – 2025/26

* For 2020/21, this included the £500 million Pothole Fund, allocated funding from the £100 million Challenge Fund, and the final £50 million of the previous Pothole Action Fund, totalling £650 million.

**25% of this funding is subject to authorities adhering to incentive measures as announced on March 24, 2025.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what criteria are used to determine the allocation of funding for road resurfacing to local councils; and how these criteria have been applied to Dorset Council.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The main criteria used to determine the allocation of highway maintenance funding to local highway authorities are road length and road classification, along with the number of bridges and street lighting columns that each local authority is responsible for maintaining. The Department uses a bespoke formula to allocate funding to eligible authorities, including Dorset Council; details of the formula can be found on gov.uk.

It is for Dorset Council to decide how much to spend in the West Dorset constituency and how much to spend elsewhere across its network.

Funding allocations for Dorset Council for the last six years are set out in the table below.

Funding for Dorset Council 2020/21 – 2025/26

* For 2020/21, this included the £500 million Pothole Fund, allocated funding from the £100 million Challenge Fund, and the final £50 million of the previous Pothole Action Fund, totalling £650 million.

**25% of this funding is subject to authorities adhering to incentive measures as announced on March 24, 2025.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what plans his Department has to incentivise the adoption of low-carbon heating solutions in residential properties to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in West Dorset constituency.

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

Under the Warm Homes Plan, officials are exploring the role of incentives and private finance for households to support homeowners with the upfront costs of energy efficiency improvements and low carbon heating.

The Government has launched the ‘Warm and Fuzzy’ campaign to promote the Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS). The campaign seeks to build consumer awareness and understanding of heat pumps, as well as publicising the £7,500 government grant. The BUS is available to homeowners in England and Wales, including West Dorset.

There is also a zero-rate of VAT until March 2027 on energy saving measures, such as insulation and low-carbon heating.

Further details on the Warm Homes Plan will be set out in due course.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to help improve the (a) transparency and (b) public accessibility of water quality data for (i) rivers and (ii) lakes.

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

The Environment Agency’s Water Hub is a dedicated, easily accessible space bringing together publicly available guidance, data and news relating to water. The Environment Agency processes and publishes vast amounts of data, including bathing water data, storm overflows, catchment data, water quality data, which can be accessed via the Water Data Explorer.

This government believes that it is important that we invest in the most appropriate type of monitors to ensure we gain valuable information on sewage discharges.

Since 1 January 2025, water companies have been required to publish data related to discharges from all storm overflows within one hour of the discharge beginning. The Secretary of State has authorised Ofwat to carry out enforcement action for this duty, in accordance with the powers conferred under sections 18 and 141DA (4) of the Water Industry Act 1991. Ofwat’s enforcement powers provide for a wide range of enforcement activity, including substantial penalties.

Ofwat is monitoring compliance with the duty to report relevant data in real time. Where it detects non-compliance, it will take appropriate enforcement action. In addition to this, the Water (Special Measures) Act 2025 has introduced an equivalent duty for water companies to publish data related to discharges from all emergency overflows within one hour of the discharge beginning. Once commenced, this duty will be enforced in the same way.

During the bathing water season, 451 designated bathing waters benefit from water quality monitoring by the Environment Agency (EA) – enabling the public to make informed decisions about where to swim. This data is published on the EA’s Swimfo bathing waters website so that the public can make an informed decision before swimming here.

The Natural Capital Ecosystem Assessment programme (NCEA) is producing a statistically robust baseline assessment of the health of England’s rivers and lakes. The baseline data and outputs will be made publicly accessible, enabling the private sector, central and local governments, and third sectors to use these products to understand the condition of our ecosystems and put nature at the heart of decision-making.

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 impact of nitrogen leaching from agriculture on (a) water quality and (b) biodiversity in West Dorset constituency.

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

The levels of nitrogen losses from agriculture are unacceptable. That is why we are focused on working with farmers across the country to reduce pollution and clean up our waters. Regulations are in place to address nitrogen and wider pollution from agriculture and the Environment Agency (EA) continue to conduct over 4,000 inspections nationally each year to support farmers to comply.

The EA has also worked closely with farmers and land managers to implement a bespoke, target-led approach across the Poole Harbour catchment, support by an innovative voluntary farmer-led scheme, to improve farm practices, reduce nutrient losses and enable ecological recovery.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to help (a) preserve and (b) promote traditional boat building as a heritage craft.

Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

We recognise how important our craft industry is and we are committed to supporting future growth in the sector. The creative industries have been identified as one of the governments eight growth-driving sectors, with the craft industry a contributor.

The National Lottery Heritage Fund supports traditional craft skills and training in a variety of ways, including funding projects that train people in traditional crafts and skills. It also runs a Heritage Crafts programme which offers bursaries to help people train in heritage crafts or develop their skills.

The importance of the crafts sector was a key driver for the Government in ratifying the UNESCO 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Heritage last year. Our first step in implementing the Convention is to create inventories of living heritage in the UK which will help promote items that could include traditional boat building. We will open the public call for submissions to the inventories later this year.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will hold discussions with Great Western Railway on improving seat availability on services in West Dorset constituency.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Department officials have regular discussions with Great Western Railway (GWR) about the provision of capacity across its network, including in the West Dorset constituency. Additional capacity was added in May 2023 to ensure trains run consistently once every two hours but there are no immediate plans to increase capacity at this time.

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 introducing additional diesel multiple units to the Great Western Railway fleet on the environment; and whether she plans to take steps to help mitigate the environmental impact of diesel trains on Great Western Railway services.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Great Western Railway (GWR) is introducing additional diesel units from the end of this year. This will enable older diesel units to be retired and provide more resilience across the network. The Department continues to work with the industry to develop plans to move towards decarbonisation in the longer term.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has had recent discussions with Great Western Railway on improving customer satisfaction of services in (a) West Dorset constituency and (b) other areas.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Department officials have regular discussions with Great Western Railway (GWR) on matters related to customer satisfaction on its services, including those that run through West Dorset. The operator is held to account for its performance both at stations and on trains.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department is taking steps to help support Great Western Railway to procure additional rolling stock.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Great Western Railway and Network Rail have been working together to develop plans to replace ageing rolling stock with trains that will better meet the needs of passengers in the future. Any specific proposals are subject to both business case approval and funding being available.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if her Department will allocate 10% of the transport budget to active travel to increase cycling levels.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Decisions on future Government funding for active travel will be a matter for the Spending Review, which is considering all transport expenditure in the round. Investment in active travel supports the Government’s economic growth, health and net zero missions, and the Department announced the details of almost £300 million of funding for active travel in 2024/5 and 2025/6 on 12 February.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether his Department plans to issue formal guidance to higher education providers on assessing the eligibility of students from the Cayman Islands for home fee status under the Education (Fees and Awards) (England) Regulations 2007.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

Since 2007, persons who have settled status in the UK, and who come to the UK from specified British Overseas Territories, have been eligible for home fee status if they meet the requirement of three years’ ordinary residence in the UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man and/or specified British Overseas Territories.

Higher education (HE) providers in England are autonomous bodies, and as such are responsible for their own affairs, including the charging of fees, subject to compliance with the relevant regulations. The department expects that they will take the same approach as the Student Loans Company when awarding home fee status.

The department does not consider it appropriate for it to monitor provider decision making regarding home fee status.

The department has recently amended the relevant regulations, effective from 1 August 2024, to provide additional clarification on the criteria for home fee status, so as to assist HE providers.

Guidance is readily available online to assist providers with their decision making. It can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/student-finance-eligibility-2021-to-2022-academic-year/eligibility-rules-for-home-fee-status-and-student-finance-from-the-2022-to-2023-academic-year-onwards.

The department has, and will continue to, engage fully with all stakeholders whenever a potential issue around home fee status arises and we have provided guidance on the relevant regulations.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that British citizens from the Cayman Islands with a right of abode in the UK are not mistakenly denied access to home fee status due to administrative misinterpretation of their (a) immigration and (b) nationality status.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

Since 2007, persons who have settled status in the UK, and who come to the UK from specified British Overseas Territories, have been eligible for home fee status if they meet the requirement of three years’ ordinary residence in the UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man and/or specified British Overseas Territories.

Higher education (HE) providers in England are autonomous bodies, and as such are responsible for their own affairs, including the charging of fees, subject to compliance with the relevant regulations. The department expects that they will take the same approach as the Student Loans Company when awarding home fee status.

The department does not consider it appropriate for it to monitor provider decision making regarding home fee status.

The department has recently amended the relevant regulations, effective from 1 August 2024, to provide additional clarification on the criteria for home fee status, so as to assist HE providers.

Guidance is readily available online to assist providers with their decision making. It can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/student-finance-eligibility-2021-to-2022-academic-year/eligibility-rules-for-home-fee-status-and-student-finance-from-the-2022-to-2023-academic-year-onwards.

The department has, and will continue to, engage fully with all stakeholders whenever a potential issue around home fee status arises and we have provided guidance on the relevant regulations.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether his Department has made an assessment of the adequacy of the (a) training and (b) qualifications of higher education administrative staff involved in determining eligibility for home fee status under the Education (Fees and Awards) (England) Regulations 2007.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

Since 2007, persons who have settled status in the UK, and who come to the UK from specified British Overseas Territories, have been eligible for home fee status if they meet the requirement of three years’ ordinary residence in the UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man and/or specified British Overseas Territories.

Higher education (HE) providers in England are autonomous bodies, and as such are responsible for their own affairs, including the charging of fees, subject to compliance with the relevant regulations. The department expects that they will take the same approach as the Student Loans Company when awarding home fee status.

The department does not consider it appropriate for it to monitor provider decision making regarding home fee status.

The department has recently amended the relevant regulations, effective from 1 August 2024, to provide additional clarification on the criteria for home fee status, so as to assist HE providers.

Guidance is readily available online to assist providers with their decision making. It can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/student-finance-eligibility-2021-to-2022-academic-year/eligibility-rules-for-home-fee-status-and-student-finance-from-the-2022-to-2023-academic-year-onwards.

The department has, and will continue to, engage fully with all stakeholders whenever a potential issue around home fee status arises and we have provided guidance on the relevant regulations.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of incorrectly assessing people as ineligible for home fee status on students from the Cayman Islands.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

Since 2007, persons who have settled status in the UK, and who come to the UK from specified British Overseas Territories, have been eligible for home fee status if they meet the requirement of three years’ ordinary residence in the UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man and/or specified British Overseas Territories.

Higher education (HE) providers in England are autonomous bodies, and as such are responsible for their own affairs, including the charging of fees, subject to compliance with the relevant regulations. The department expects that they will take the same approach as the Student Loans Company when awarding home fee status.

The department does not consider it appropriate for it to monitor provider decision making regarding home fee status.

The department has recently amended the relevant regulations, effective from 1 August 2024, to provide additional clarification on the criteria for home fee status, so as to assist HE providers.

Guidance is readily available online to assist providers with their decision making. It can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/student-finance-eligibility-2021-to-2022-academic-year/eligibility-rules-for-home-fee-status-and-student-finance-from-the-2022-to-2023-academic-year-onwards.

The department has, and will continue to, engage fully with all stakeholders whenever a potential issue around home fee status arises and we have provided guidance on the relevant regulations.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has made an assessment of the adequacy of the consistency of decisions made by higher education providers on the eligibility of students from the Cayman Islands for home fee status.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

Since 2007, persons who have settled status in the UK, and who come to the UK from specified British Overseas Territories, have been eligible for home fee status if they meet the requirement of three years’ ordinary residence in the UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man and/or specified British Overseas Territories.

Higher education (HE) providers in England are autonomous bodies, and as such are responsible for their own affairs, including the charging of fees, subject to compliance with the relevant regulations. The department expects that they will take the same approach as the Student Loans Company when awarding home fee status.

The department does not consider it appropriate for it to monitor provider decision making regarding home fee status.

The department has recently amended the relevant regulations, effective from 1 August 2024, to provide additional clarification on the criteria for home fee status, so as to assist HE providers.

Guidance is readily available online to assist providers with their decision making. It can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/student-finance-eligibility-2021-to-2022-academic-year/eligibility-rules-for-home-fee-status-and-student-finance-from-the-2022-to-2023-academic-year-onwards.

The department has, and will continue to, engage fully with all stakeholders whenever a potential issue around home fee status arises and we have provided guidance on the relevant regulations.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent discussions her Department has had with the Cayman Islands Government Office in the UK on improving access to home fees for students from the Cayman Islands.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

Since 2007, persons who have settled status in the UK, and who come to the UK from specified British Overseas Territories, have been eligible for home fee status if they meet the requirement of three years’ ordinary residence in the UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man and/or specified British Overseas Territories.

Higher education (HE) providers in England are autonomous bodies, and as such are responsible for their own affairs, including the charging of fees, subject to compliance with the relevant regulations. The department expects that they will take the same approach as the Student Loans Company when awarding home fee status.

The department does not consider it appropriate for it to monitor provider decision making regarding home fee status.

The department has recently amended the relevant regulations, effective from 1 August 2024, to provide additional clarification on the criteria for home fee status, so as to assist HE providers.

Guidance is readily available online to assist providers with their decision making. It can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/student-finance-eligibility-2021-to-2022-academic-year/eligibility-rules-for-home-fee-status-and-student-finance-from-the-2022-to-2023-academic-year-onwards.

The department has, and will continue to, engage fully with all stakeholders whenever a potential issue around home fee status arises and we have provided guidance on the relevant regulations.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department plans to implement the measures announced in the press release entitled Changes announced to better protect England’s chalk streams, published on 21 September 2023.

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

On 21 September 2023, the Government brought forward an amendment to the Levelling-up and Regeneration Bill, now Act, to add chalk streams to the definitions of 'environmental protection' and 'natural environment', so that they can be considered when setting the outcomes for a future system of environmental assessment.

The Government is committed to securing better environmental outcomes alongside securing the development we need and is considering how best to reform environmental assessment processes with this objective in mind. This includes whether to take forward the powers in the Levelling-up and Regeneration Act to introduce Environmental Outcomes Reports

We continue to direct investments to projects that will improve chalk streams. In 2024/2025, there are over 45 chalk stream projects receiving funding from the government's Water Environment Improvement Fund, each leveraging private investment, alongside that we are investing in catchment level initiatives through the Water Environment Improvement Fund where the Government is funding 45 projects (worth £2.5m of government investment) this financial year (2024/25) that improve chalk streams, each with the injection of private investment.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department plans to collaborate with (a) local communities and (b) environmental organisations to restore chalk stream (i) habitats and (ii) biodiversity.

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

This Government is committed to building stronger ties and working collaboratively on shared priorities to restore chalk streams, these unique water bodies are not just vital ecosystems, but a symbol of our national heritage.

In the financial year (2024/25), through the Water Environment Improvement Fund, the Government’s aim was to fund 45 projects (worth £2.5 million of government investment) that improve chalk streams, each with the injection of private investment, and through the Water Resources Chalk Partnership Fund, in the same financial year, the Environment Agency was aiming to deliver 21 Chalk Partnership projects, aimed at safeguarding these rare and irreplaceable habitats.

Rural bus services

Congratulating Prime Minister Mark Carney

Public Hearts defibrillator campaign

LED headlights

Sanctioning of UK Parliamentarians by Russia

UK parliamentarians sanctioned by the Russian Federation

Chalk stream river protection

Protecting children from data exploitation

Use of swift bricks

Small and medium-sized enterprises in defence procurement

Robert May’s school and STEM racing competition

Abduction of Ukrainian children