Asked by: Neil Duncan-Jordan (Independent - Poole)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will take steps to provide funding by the end of this Parliament to local authorities to enable them establish a minimum level of public transport connectivity.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The Government knows that a modern public transport network is vital to providing access to services and keeping communities connected. The Government is already providing funding to local authorities to help them deliver improved local transport and bus services. This includes over £700 million to support and improve local bus services in 2025/26 as part of over £1 billion confirmed at the Autumn 2024 Budget. Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council have been allocated £6 million of this funding.
At the Spending Review, we confirmed additional funding each year from 2026/27 to maintain and improve bus services and will announce individual multi-year allocations for local authorities later this year.
This investment sits alongside the Government’s Bus Services Act 2025, which became law on 27 October. This legislation will put the power over local bus services back in the hands of local leaders and is intended to ensure bus services reflect the needs of the communities that rely on them right across England.
The Spending Review also confirmed £2.3 billion through the Local Transport Grant over the Spending Review period for local transport improvements in places outside areas receiving Transport for City Regions settlements. Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council has been allocated nearly £20 million of this funding over the financial years 2026-2030.
Asked by: Neil Duncan-Jordan (Independent - Poole)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make an assessment with Cabinet colleagues of the potential impact of trends in the number of manufacturers using imported virgin plastic on (a) the environment and (b) revenues to the Exchequer.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
There is currently no planned assessment regarding the potential impact of trends in the number of manufacturers using imported virgin plastic on the environment.
HM Treasury and HM Revenue and Customs are currently evaluating the Plastic Packaging Tax, using analysis of environmental and tax data to assess the impact of the tax and will update in due course. Forecasts on tax revenues are published regularly by the Office for Budget Responsibility.
Asked by: Neil Duncan-Jordan (Independent - Poole)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he has had recent discussions with his Australian counterpart on uprating the UK state pension for British overseas pensioners living in Australia.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The policy on up-rating UK State Pensions paid overseas is longstanding and has been in place for over 70 years. UK State Pensions are payable worldwide, without regard to nationality, and are only uprated abroad where there is a legal requirement to do so, for example in countries with which we have a reciprocal agreement that provides for up-rating.
Asked by: Neil Duncan-Jordan (Independent - Poole)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department plans to bring forward legislative proposals to remove incentives for plastic waste collectors to export rather than process waste domestically.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We are currently considering the role of exports in dealing with the UK’s plastic waste and how they can compliment domestic recycling.
Defra is committed to building a circular economy that enhances industry competition and capitalises on the UK’s potential in plastic recycling and reprocessing, whilst realising our environmental objectives. The Government’s collection and packaging reforms will help to stimulate investment in the UK reprocessing infrastructure so we can reduce our dependency on plastic waste exports.
Asked by: Neil Duncan-Jordan (Independent - Poole)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to help reduce the volume of exported plastic waste.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We are currently considering the role of exports in dealing with the UK’s plastic waste and how they can compliment domestic recycling.
Defra is committed to building a circular economy that enhances industry competition and capitalises on the UK’s potential in plastic recycling and reprocessing, whilst realising our environmental objectives. The Government’s collection and packaging reforms will help to stimulate investment in the UK reprocessing infrastructure so we can reduce our dependency on plastic waste exports.
Asked by: Neil Duncan-Jordan (Independent - Poole)
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 removal of funding for non-specialist spelling and grammar software, on university students in receipt of the Disabled Students' Allowance.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
I refer the hon. Member for Yeovil to the answer of 9 September 2025 to Question 71715.
Asked by: Neil Duncan-Jordan (Independent - Poole)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she had discussions with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions prior to its decision to withdraw funding for non-specialist spelling and grammar software for university students receiving the Disabled Students' Allowance.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
This change is entirely within the remit of the department. My right hon. Friends. the Secretary of State for Education and the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions therefore did not meet to discuss this matter prior to the decision being made. The department has made the decision to remove non-specialist spelling and grammar software from Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA) funding on the grounds that there are now free-to-access versions available with the required functionality to meet students’ disability-related support needs. It is therefore not an effective use of public money to continue to fund this type of software through DSA.
Asked by: Neil Duncan-Jordan (Independent - Poole)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the MS Society’s report entitled A Different Path: Rethinking MS hospital care, published in September 2025, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of preventable unplanned hospital admissions for people with multiple sclerosis on (a) people with MS, (b) the NHS and (c) the economy.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
As set out in our recently published 10-Year Health Plan, the Government is determined to shift more healthcare out of hospitals and into the community, to ensure patients and their families receive personalised care in the most appropriate setting, including patients with multiple sclerosis (MS).
We recognise that preventable unplanned hospitals admissions for people with MS creates added pressure on acute services and are more costly for the National Health Service and the economy, when in fact most patients would prefer to be supported in the community.
The 10-Year Health Plan sets out our vision for a Neighbourhood Health Service, which will embody our new preventative principle that care should happen as locally as it can, digitally by default, in a person’s home if possible, in a neighbourhood health centre when needed, and only in a hospital if necessary.
The Neighbourhood Health Service will rebalance our health and care system so that it fits around peoples’ lives, not the other way round, moving away from a one-size-fits-all approach and giving people more power and choice over the care they receive.
Asked by: Neil Duncan-Jordan (Independent - Poole)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of provision of home to school transport for children with SEND.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
I refer the hon. Member for Poole to the answer of 20 October 2025 to Question 80605.
Asked by: Neil Duncan-Jordan (Independent - Poole)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has been made of the potential impact of the recent increase in National Insurance on the provision of home to school transport for children with SEND.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
I refer the hon. Member for Poole to the answer of 29 January 2025 to Question 26397.