Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what initiatives her Department has considered to help encourage the conversion of buses to electric power.

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

The transition to zero-emission buses (ZEBs) represents a great opportunity for UK bus manufacturers and repowering companies, both to supply the electric buses needed here in the UK and to win export orders abroad as other countries upgrade their bus fleets.

The Government recognises the value that repower conversion can provide to advancing the decarbonisation of the bus fleet. We are encouraged by recent developments in the sector, including continued orders placed by operators for repowered buses in depots that have been electrified under ZEBRA.

Future bus funding is still being considered in the round as part of the Spending Review, including funding to support ZEBs.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of changes to employer National Insurance contributions on provisional supply teachers.

Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

Additional funding to support schools with NICs costs will be allocated through the NICs grant in 2025-26. Schools will have flexibility over how they use this grant funding to meet their costs, including those relating to supply teachers.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, when final disbursements will be made from the Woodford Equity Income Fund under the terms of the settlement scheme.

Answered by Emma Reynolds - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

In December 2023, investors in the Woodford Equity Income Fund voted to accept a settlement scheme, and in February 2024 the High Court approved the scheme to make it binding on Link Fund Solutions and all creditors. The scheme came into force on 5 March 2024, with investors having received a first redress payment by April 2024. That first payment amounted to over £185 million, out of a settlement fund of up to £230 million.

The rest of the settlement fund is being held as a reserve to enable Link Fund Solutions to meet any contingent liabilities. Any leftover money from the reserve will be distributed to investors covered by the scheme. The operation of the reserve is supervised by the scheme supervisors who are independent of Link Fund Solutions. The FCA are continuing to monitor the operation of the reserve and will monitor when and how distributions are being made.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the average cost per pupil was to construct a special educational needs school in the last five years.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

New school buildings are delivered by the department, local authorities, and other bodies.

The average cost of building a special educational needs school can be found on pages 25-29 in the national cost benchmarking study published at: https://documents.hants.gov.uk/property-services/NationalSchoolDeliveryBenchmarkingreport.pdf.

This report contains cost information on local authority delivered schools and department-delivered schools, the data has been collected since 2012.

Standards for new school buildings change over time, for example to increase sustainability requirements, so care should be taken in comparing costs directly year to year.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the average cost of building a special educational needs school was in the last five years.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

New school buildings are delivered by the department, local authorities, and other bodies.

The average cost of building a special educational needs school can be found on pages 25-29 in the national cost benchmarking study published at: https://documents.hants.gov.uk/property-services/NationalSchoolDeliveryBenchmarkingreport.pdf.

This report contains cost information on local authority delivered schools and department-delivered schools, the data has been collected since 2012.

Standards for new school buildings change over time, for example to increase sustainability requirements, so care should be taken in comparing costs directly year to year.

Mauritius Treaty

Found: _NC1 Mark Garnier Mel Stride James Wild Blake Stephenson Richard Fuller .

Found: _NC1 Mark Garnier Mel Stride James Wild Blake Stephenson Richard Fuller .

Found: Not selected_NC2 Mark Garnier Mel Stride James Wild Blake Stephenson Richard Fuller .