Asked by: Llinos Medi (Plaid Cymru - Ynys Môn)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the oral contribution of the Minister for Children and Families during the debate on Universities: Statutory Duty of Care of 13 January 2026, Official Report, column 302WH, what the evidential basis is for the statement that introducing a statutory duty of care in higher education “risks becoming a ceiling rather than a floor” in institutional standards.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.
The government recognises the importance of ensuring that higher education (HE) providers maintain high standards of student safety and wellbeing. The department’s position is that HE providers already owe a general duty of care to deliver educational and pastoral services to the standard of an ordinarily competent institution and, in carrying out these services, they are expected to act reasonably.
Such a duty of care may already arise in certain circumstances, depending on the facts of individual cases.
The department has considered a range of evidence on variation in student support, including official statistics, coroners’ reports, case reviews, and engagement with providers, students and experts, as well as the National Review of Higher Education Student Suicide Deaths.
This evidence, alongside stakeholder and legal input, has informed concerns about potential unintended consequences of a statutory duty, including increased legal uncertainty, more risk averse practice, and unclear responsibilities between HE providers and other services.
The department recognises that statutory duties of care operate in other sectors, such as health and schools, but differences in context, particularly that HE students are adults, and the unique settings of universities, limit direct comparability. The government continues to strengthen protections through the existing regulatory framework, including work by the Office for Students to develop a Statement of Expectations covering disability and mental health.
Asked by: Llinos Medi (Plaid Cymru - Ynys Môn)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what comparative analysis of sectors subject to statutory duties of care has been undertaken to support her Department’s assessment of the likely impact of such a duty in higher education.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.
The government recognises the importance of ensuring that higher education (HE) providers maintain high standards of student safety and wellbeing. The department’s position is that HE providers already owe a general duty of care to deliver educational and pastoral services to the standard of an ordinarily competent institution and, in carrying out these services, they are expected to act reasonably.
Such a duty of care may already arise in certain circumstances, depending on the facts of individual cases.
The department has considered a range of evidence on variation in student support, including official statistics, coroners’ reports, case reviews, and engagement with providers, students and experts, as well as the National Review of Higher Education Student Suicide Deaths.
This evidence, alongside stakeholder and legal input, has informed concerns about potential unintended consequences of a statutory duty, including increased legal uncertainty, more risk averse practice, and unclear responsibilities between HE providers and other services.
The department recognises that statutory duties of care operate in other sectors, such as health and schools, but differences in context, particularly that HE students are adults, and the unique settings of universities, limit direct comparability. The government continues to strengthen protections through the existing regulatory framework, including work by the Office for Students to develop a Statement of Expectations covering disability and mental health.
Asked by: Llinos Medi (Plaid Cymru - Ynys Môn)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the evidential basis is for her Department’s concerns regarding unintended consequences of introducing a statutory duty of care in higher education.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.
The government recognises the importance of ensuring that higher education (HE) providers maintain high standards of student safety and wellbeing. The department’s position is that HE providers already owe a general duty of care to deliver educational and pastoral services to the standard of an ordinarily competent institution and, in carrying out these services, they are expected to act reasonably.
Such a duty of care may already arise in certain circumstances, depending on the facts of individual cases.
The department has considered a range of evidence on variation in student support, including official statistics, coroners’ reports, case reviews, and engagement with providers, students and experts, as well as the National Review of Higher Education Student Suicide Deaths.
This evidence, alongside stakeholder and legal input, has informed concerns about potential unintended consequences of a statutory duty, including increased legal uncertainty, more risk averse practice, and unclear responsibilities between HE providers and other services.
The department recognises that statutory duties of care operate in other sectors, such as health and schools, but differences in context, particularly that HE students are adults, and the unique settings of universities, limit direct comparability. The government continues to strengthen protections through the existing regulatory framework, including work by the Office for Students to develop a Statement of Expectations covering disability and mental health.
Asked by: Llinos Medi (Plaid Cymru - Ynys Môn)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has conducted an impact assessment of introducing a statutory duty of care in higher education.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.
The government recognises the importance of ensuring that higher education (HE) providers maintain high standards of student safety and wellbeing. The department’s position is that HE providers already owe a general duty of care to deliver educational and pastoral services to the standard of an ordinarily competent institution and, in carrying out these services, they are expected to act reasonably.
Such a duty of care may already arise in certain circumstances, depending on the facts of individual cases.
The department has considered a range of evidence on variation in student support, including official statistics, coroners’ reports, case reviews, and engagement with providers, students and experts, as well as the National Review of Higher Education Student Suicide Deaths.
This evidence, alongside stakeholder and legal input, has informed concerns about potential unintended consequences of a statutory duty, including increased legal uncertainty, more risk averse practice, and unclear responsibilities between HE providers and other services.
The department recognises that statutory duties of care operate in other sectors, such as health and schools, but differences in context, particularly that HE students are adults, and the unique settings of universities, limit direct comparability. The government continues to strengthen protections through the existing regulatory framework, including work by the Office for Students to develop a Statement of Expectations covering disability and mental health.
Asked by: Llinos Medi (Plaid Cymru - Ynys Môn)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many non-metropolitan county councils in England are supported housing providers.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
This data is not collected centrally by the UK Government.
Asked by: Llinos Medi (Plaid Cymru - Ynys Môn)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether the Welsh Government will receive consequential funding as a result of the decision to expand Phase 2 of the Pride in Place programme to an additional 40 places, based on an England-only methodology.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh
We are already supporting 14 communities across Wales through the Pride in Place programme, each with up to £20 million of funding to unlock the potential of the place they call home. The recent programme expansion is limited to English neighbourhoods since it is funded from existing MHCLG budgets for England. The governments in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have already received their share of this funding via their respective block grant.
Asked by: Llinos Medi (Plaid Cymru - Ynys Môn)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what elements of the Warm Homes Plan will be delivered in Wales by (a) Local authorities and (b) Welsh Government.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
All eligible households in England and Wales can benefit from the expanded Boiler Upgrade Scheme, funded with £2.7 billion to 2030. The Clean Heat Market Mechanism (CHMM) applies to the whole of the UK, as will round 2 of the Heat Pump Investment Accelerator Competition.
The Heat Network Efficiency scheme is open to public, private and third sector grant applicants in England and Wales, and the Heat Network Market Framework also applies in Wales.
New minimum energy efficiency standards in the private rented sector will help to lift households out of fuel poverty in England and Wales.
The Government has also been actively engaging with the Welsh Government on the Warm Homes Agency since Spring 2025. The Agency will only operate in Wales with agreement from the Welsh Government, and discussions to secure this agreement are ongoing.
Asked by: Llinos Medi (Plaid Cymru - Ynys Môn)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of updating the Approved Mileage Allowance Payments rate.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
Approved Mileage Allowance Payments (AMAPs) are used by employers to reimburse an employee's expenses for business mileage in their private vehicle. These rates are also used by self-employed drivers to claim tax relief on business mileage (simplified motoring expenses) and can be used by organisations to reimburse volunteers who use their own vehicle for voluntary purposes.
Employees can claim up to 45p/mile for the first 10,000 miles annually, followed by 25p/mile thereafter. An additional 5p/mile can be claimed for each passenger transported.
The government recognises while AMAP rates have not changed since 2011, the motoring landscape has evolved significantly and it is an important issue for many people who claim motoring expenses. As the Chancellor announced earlier this month, the government will review this issue and will consider this matter further as part of a future fiscal event.
Asked by: Llinos Medi (Plaid Cymru - Ynys Môn)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many privately rented properties in Wales are eligible for the property‑value adjustment exemption set out in the consultation response entitled Improving the energy performance of privately rented homes.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
From 1 October 2030, private rented homes must meet the required standard of EPC C, or have a valid exemption registered, to be let. Government has committed to developing a property-value adjustment exemption for privately rented properties that are valued at less than £100,000. No properties are eligible for the property-value adjustment exemption until 1 October 2030.
Once the exemption is in place, private rented sector properties in Wales valued under £100,000 will be subject to a lower maximum spend requirement. Further guidance on exemptions will be published in due course.
Asked by: Llinos Medi (Plaid Cymru - Ynys Môn)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to pages 37 and 38 of 'Improving the energy performance of privately rented homes: impact assessment', for what reason there is no specific data for Wales.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The analysis in the impact assessment is produced using the Department’s National Buildings Model, which is based on the English Housing Survey and therefore covers England only. The results are scaled to reflect the number of dwellings in Wales, with Wales assumed to follow the overall average. Further details on the modelling approach and the National Buildings Model are set out in Annex B of the Impact Assessment.
The UK government has worked closely with the Welsh government to develop the policy.