Asked by: Martin Rhodes (Labour - Glasgow North)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, in what ways the provisions in his Department's National Procurement Policy Statement, updated on 4 March 2025, will help the UK meet its environmental obligations in relation to supply chains.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The National Procurement Policy Statement sets out that public procurement should support the delivery of the government’s missions, including making Britain a clean energy superpower. It sets out considerations for contracting authorities around our environmental obligatoins. It also underscores the government's commitment to increasing the procurement of food that meets higher environmental standards, supporting local suppliers and upholding ethical sourcing practises across public sector contracts.
Asked by: Martin Rhodes (Labour - Glasgow North)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what discussions he has had with the Scottish Government on the implementation of the National Wealth Fund's strategic partnership with the Glasgow City Region.
Answered by Kirsty McNeill - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Scotland Office)
We meet regularly with the Scottish Government to discuss economic growth, which is this Government’s top priority. To achieve our growth mission, mobilising private investment alongside public sector financing is vital. In January, the Chancellor announced the National Wealth Fund’s Strategic Partnership with Glasgow City Region, which will provide enhanced support to help the region secure long-term investment opportunities.From 2014 to 2022, the Greater Manchester economy grew by almost 50%.
If the Glasgow City Region had achieved that same level of growth, it would be £7.7 billion larger today. The Glasgow city deal has been a success story, with over £1 billion invested by the UK, Scottish, and local government. But getting devolution right in Manchester has taken it further, and there is much that Scotland’s cities and regions can learn from that modelAsked by: Martin Rhodes (Labour - Glasgow North)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what research her Department has conducted into improving accessibility for blind people in further education colleges.
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.
The department regularly engages with a range of stakeholders to ensure that the needs of students with disabilities (including visual impairments) are understood, barriers can be addressed and support put in place.
The department collects data on learner characteristics, participation and achievements. This is regularly published online: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/special-educational-needs-in-england/2023-24.
Through the department’s grants and contracts within the further education and research sectors, we receive valuable information on the experiences of students with visual impairments. An example of this is the Accessibility in Further Education 2022 report from the Thomas Pocklington Trust, which can be accessed here: https://asset.nasen.org.uk/accessibility_in_further_education_-_2022_all-able.pdf. The report explores blind and partially sighted student access to information in further education. We also use the information provided from the ‘What Works in SEND’ resources, which is accessible here: https://whatworks-send.org.uk/. These types of research are useful as we are developing policy areas which will ensure that education is accessible for all.