Manuela Perteghella

The department’s home to school travel policy aims to make sure that no child is prevented from accessing education from a lack of transport. Local authorities must arrange free home to school travel for children of compulsory school age, 5 to 16, who attend their nearest school and would not be able to walk there because of the distance, their special educational needs, disability or mobility problem, or because the nature of the route means it would be unsafe for them to do so. There are extended rights to free travel for children from low-income families.

Parents are responsible for making travel arrangements for children who are not eligible for free home to school travel. Good local bus services are an essential part of prosperous and sustainable communities, providing access to schools and other services. This government has set out an action plan to deliver better bus services, grow passenger numbers and drive opportunity to under-served regions. As announced in the King’s Speech, the government will pass the Better Buses Bill to put the power over local bus services back in the hands of local leaders to ensure networks can meet the needs of the communities who rely on them, including in rural areas. The government also plans to empower local transport authorities by reforming bus funding to give local leaders more control and flexibility over their funding so they can plan ahead to deliver their local transport priorities.

High-quality teaching is the factor that makes the biggest difference to a child’s education. There are now 468,693 full-time equivalent teachers in state-funded schools in England, but we must do more to ensure we have the workforce needed to provide the best possible education for every child in all parts of the country, which is why the government has set out the ambition to recruit 6,500 new expert teachers.

The first crucial step towards achieving this is to ensure teaching is once again an attractive and respected profession and that teachers get the pay they deserve. This is why the department has accepted, in full, the School Teachers’ Review Body’s recommendation of a 5.5% pay award for teachers and leaders in maintained schools from this September.

The department is providing schools with almost £1.1 billion in additional funding, in the 2024/25 financial year, to support schools with overall costs. This matches what the department has calculated is needed to fully fund, at a national level, the teacher pay award, and the support staff pay offer in the 2024/25 financial year, after accounting for the overall available headroom in schools’ existing budgets.

Alongside teacher pay, financial incentives are one of the most effective ways to increase teacher supply, and the department is continuing to support teacher trainees with tax-free bursaries of up to £28,000 and scholarships of up to £30,000 in shortage subjects. To help with retention, new teachers of mathematics, physics, chemistry and computing, in the first five years of their careers, also receive retention payments if they are working in disadvantaged schools. In the 2023/24 academic year, two schools in the Stratford-on-Avon constituency were eligible for these retention payments.

To further help teachers stay and thrive in the profession, the department is also addressing teacher workload and wellbeing and supporting schools to introduce flexible working practices.

The department has also established Teaching School Hubs across the country, which provide approved high-quality professional development to teachers at all stages of their careers. Tudor Grange Teaching School Hub is a centre of excellence supporting teacher training and development across Bromsgrove, Redditch, Solihull and Stratford-on-Avon.

Following the last Ofsted inspection, departmental officials have been working with Warwickshire County Council (WCC) to closely monitor progress against the areas for improvement identified by inspectors.

The areas were:

(i) Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) waiting times, assessments and support following diagnosis.

(ii) Co-production.

(iii) Placement of children and young people with an Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plan.

(iv) Uptake of training for school staff working with children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

(v) And the quality of the online local offer.

The department has appointed a SEND Advisor to support and work alongside WCC and the local area partnership.

This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with SEND or in alternative provision receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life. The department is committed to taking a community-wide approach in collaboration with local area partnerships, improving inclusivity and expertise in mainstream schools, as well as ensuring special schools cater to those with the most complex needs.

The overall core schools budget will total £61.8 billion in the 2024/25 financial year. The average per pupil funding in England, as allocated through the schools block of the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG), is £5,957.

In the 2024/25 financial year, the average per-pupil funding for Warwickshire, as allocated through the schools block of the DSG, is £5,634.

The DSG is allocated at local authority level, and as such the equivalent figures are not available for the Stratford-on-Avon constituency. The allocations that schools within a constituency receive are determined by the local funding formula in their area.

The figures provided include premises funding but exclude growth funding. The figures do not include the additional grant funding that schools across the country have received to support pay and pensions increases in 2024/25.

One reason why the per pupil funding figure in Warwickshire is lower than the average in England is that schools in Warwickshire have a lower proportion of pupils who attract deprivation funding through the NFF than the national average.

The department continues to consider the various funding formulae used at national and local levels to ensure that we have a fair education funding system that directs funding to where it is needed.

Following the last Ofsted inspection, officials have been working with Warwickshire County Council (WCC) to closely monitor progress against the area for improvement identified by inspectors.

The areas were:

(i) Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) waiting times, assessments and support following diagnosis.

(ii) Co-production.

(iii) Placement of children and young people with an Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plan.

(iv) Uptake of training for school staff working with children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

(v) And the quality of the online local offer.

The department appointed a SEND advisor to support and work alongside WCC and the local area partnership.

This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with SEND or in alternative provision (AP) receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life. The department is committed to taking a community-wide approach in collaboration with Local Area Partnerships, improving inclusivity and expertise in mainstream schools, as well as ensuring special schools cater to those with the most complex needs.

The department recognises the financial pressures on local authorities due to rising costs in the SEND system. The Core Schools Budget Grant (CSBG) will provide over £140 million, at a national level, in additional funding for special and AP schools in the 2024/25 academic year, to cover increased costs from the 2024 teachers' pay award and the outcome of the support staff negotiations. This is in addition to the £10.75 billion allocated this year for high needs provision and teacher-related costs. Local authorities’ allocations of the CSBG will be confirmed this autumn.

The previous Government weakened the regulators and failed to hold water companies to account.

The new Government’s water (Special Measures) Bill will give Ofwat tough new powers to hold water companies to account where they do not deliver for customers and the environment.

This Bill is just the start of the fundamental and much broader transformation that the Government will lead for the water industry.

The Government will carry out a review to shape further legislation that will fundamentally transform how our water system works and clean up our rivers, lakes and seas for good.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) is committed to providing its customers with the best service possible. DVSA continually reviews its estate to ensure it represents good value for money and is efficient. It currently has no plans to increase the number of practical driving test centres.

The government knows that Britain needs a modern transport network to help kickstart economic growth. The government wants everyone to have access to public transport and is committed to improving the system so it is more inclusive and enables disabled people to travel safely, confidently and with dignity.

Good local bus services are an essential part of prosperous and sustainable communities. As announced in the King’s Speech, the Government will introduce a Buses Bill to put the power over local bus services back in the hands of local leaders right across England, to ensure networks can meet the needs to the communities who rely on them, including in rural areas.

We also plan to empower local transport authorities through reforming bus funding. By giving local leaders more control and flexibility over bus funding they can plan ahead to deliver their local transport priorities. The Department will work closely with local leaders and bus operators to deliver on the government’s ambitions.

Information on number of pensioners whose income is less than 10% above the threshold for pension credit who will not qualify for the Winter Fuel Allowance during Winter 2024-25 is not held.

The Government took account of the equality impacts in reaching its decision to link Winter Fuel Payments to receipt of Pension Credit and other qualifying income-related benefits in England and Wales from winter 2024-25.

We know there are low-income pensioners who aren’t claiming Pension Credit, and we urge those people to apply. This will passport them to receive Winter Fuel Payment alongside other benefits – hundreds of pounds that could really help them. We will ensure that the poorest pensioners get the support they need.

Carers over State Pension age on low incomes can claim income-related benefits, such as Pension Credit. This can be paid to carers at a higher rate than those without caring responsibilities through the additional amount for carers. The additional amount for carers in Pension Credit is £45.60 a week, around £2,400 a year, and around 100,000 carers receive it as a part of their Pension Credit award.

We know there are low-income pensioners who aren’t claiming Pension Credit, and we urge those people to apply. This will passport them to receive Winter Fuel Payment alongside other benefits – hundreds of pounds that could really help them.

As a newly formed Government we will need time to review and consider the Ombudsman’s report along with the evidence provided during the investigation.

This Government respects the work of the Ombudsman. Now the election has concluded we need to consider the views that have been expressed on all sides.

The issues outlined in the report are significant and complex, as such they require serious deliberation. Once this work has been undertaken, the Government/we will be in a position to outline its approach.

Since 2020, the National Health Service in England has invested significantly in supporting people with long COVID. This includes setting up specialist post-COVID services nationwide for adults, and children and young people, as well as investing in ensuring general practice (GP) teams are equipped to support people affected by the condition.

As of 1 April 2024, there are over 90 adult post-COVID services across England, along with an additional 10 children and young people’s hubs. These services assess people with long COVID and direct them into care pathways which provide appropriate support and treatment. GPs will assess patients that have COVID-19 symptoms lasting longer than four weeks, and refer them into a long COVID service where appropriate. Referral should be via a single point of access, which is managed by clinician-led triage.

More widely, we are committed to moving to a Neighbourhood Health Service, with more care delivered in local communities, to spot problems earlier. This includes shifting resources to primary care and community services over time.

Having suffered from long COVID myself, improving services and outcomes for patients remains a priority.

Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for arranging healthcare services that meet the needs of their population, including those provided for by community hospitals in rural areas. ICBs are best placed to use local autonomy to determine the needs of their respective populations and how best to address them.

As part of the Government’s five missions, the Department will launch a 10-year plan for change and modernisation, to make the National Health Service fit for the future. The plan will set out a bold agenda to deliver on the three big shifts needed to move healthcare from hospital to the community, analogue to digital, sickness to prevention.

Both the UK and the EU allow for visa-free short-term travel in line with their arrangements for third country nationals. The UK allows EU citizens short-term visa-free travel for up to six months. Meanwhile, the Schengen Borders Code allows for third country nationals to travel within the Schengen Area for up to 90 days in any 180-day period; this is standard for third country nationals travelling to the EU. While we recognise that extending the 90-180 day period is a matter for Member States and the EU, the Government will continue to listen to and advocate for UK nationals abroad.

Approved Mileage Allowance Payments (AMAPs) are used by employers to reimburse an employee's expenses for business mileage in their private vehicle.

Voluntary organisations reimbursing volunteers can either use the AMAP rates or reimburse the actual cost incurred. Actual costs above the AMAP rate can be reimbursed without incurring a tax liability, so long as drivers can provide evidence of their costs. It is ultimately up to the voluntary organisation to determine the amount they reimburse to volunteers.

The AMAP rate is intended to reflect both running costs (such as fuel) and a proportion of standing costs (such as insurance, MOT and depreciation). Therefore, in estimating typical motoring costs per business mile the Government must consider the weighting given to each component and how to apportion certain costs.

As with all taxes and allowances, the Government will continue to keeps the AMAP rate under review. Any changes to the AMAP rates will be announced by the Chancellor at fiscal events.

The Government remains of the view that the Lifetime ISA property price cap is set at an appropriate level to support most first-time buyers across the UK while targeting households that may find it most difficult to get onto the property ladder.

Data from the latest UK House Price Index demonstrates that the average price paid by first-time buyers remains below the LISA property price cap in all regions of the UK.

The Government keeps all aspects of savings tax policy under review and considers all representations made carefully, with any changes made as part of the Budget process.

Share buybacks are already subject to taxation in the form of Stamp Taxes on Shares (STS), which raise important revenue – up to £4.4bn per year – that helps to fund our public services.

There are also rules in place to ensure that any returns that arise to shareholders as part of a buyback are treated consistently with the policies and principles that underpin the broader tax system.

The Government keeps all taxes under review.

Share buybacks are already subject to taxation in the form of Stamp Taxes on Shares (STS), which raise important revenue – up to £4.4bn per year – that helps to fund our public services.

There are also rules in place to ensure that any returns that arise to shareholders as part of a buyback are treated consistently with the policies and principles that underpin the broader tax system.

The Government keeps all taxes under review.

The Government will abolish the Furnished Holiday Lets tax regime from April 2025. Short-term lets will continue to play an important role in the UK’s tourism economy, including in rural communities, without the FHL tax regime.

The changes the Government has announced equalise the tax treatment of landlords’ property income and gains.

This new Government is committed to putting the Armed Forces Covenant fully into law as part of our drive to renew the nation’s contract with those who serve and who have served, and their families. We will work across Government to strengthen delivery of the Armed Forces covenant and improve the experience of our veterans when accessing public services.

The Government is committed to delivering economic growth across the country and is considering how to best fund long-term local funding in line with wider fiscal and economic priorities. We will begin setting these plans out Autumn Budget in October and at the Spending Review this spring.

We appreciate that those delivering UKSPF have an understandable desire for certainty about its future. We are giving full consideration to this matter, including the hard work undertaken on projects to date. We will continue to work closely with our key stakeholders and will utilise their feedback as we determine our approach going forward.

Decisions regarding funding beyond March 2025 are a matter for the next fiscal event.

We currently offer free transcripts of the judge’s sentencing remarks in some circumstances and are piloting extending this to victims of rape and serious sexual offences.

I understand transcripts may help individuals obtain closure on traumatic events.

Transcripts must be 100% accurate. Anyone who has used voice dictation technology will know mistakes can be made. I will continue to keep this under review but have to balance costs against many other competing priorities within the court budget.