Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps the Government is taking to improve the finances of fire and rescue services.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

Government funding for fire and rescue services is provided by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) through the Local Government Finance Settlement in the form of revenue support grant (RSG) and retained business rates.

MHCLG published the Final Local Government Finance Settlement for 2025/26 on 3 February 2025 which sets out grant allocations for all local authorities including fire and rescue. Standalone fire and rescue authorities will see an increase in core spending power of up to £65.5 million in 2025/26. Including the National Insurance Contribution Grant, this is an increase of 3.6 per cent in cash terms compared to 2024/25.

Officials will continue to work closely with stakeholders across the sector to ensure fire and rescue services have the resources they need to protect communities.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has plans to allocate additional funding to fire and rescue services to improve their wildfire and flood response rates.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

Government funding for fire and rescue services is provided by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) through the Local Government Finance Settlement in the form of revenue support grant (RSG) and retained business rates.

As a recommendation in phase 2 of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, the Prime Minister has announced a Machinery of Government change, which will see all responsibility for fire and rescue transfer to MHCLG from 1st April.

Overall, fire and rescue authorities will receive around £2.87 billion in 2024/25. Additionally, Government supports fire and rescue authorities in responding to flood incidents by providing national resilience High Volume Pump (HVP) capability comprising 45 HVPs. These are available to be used by fire & rescue services across the country during major flood incidents.

The Government maintains regular engagement with the National Fire Chiefs Council to monitor and review sector led improvements to wildfire response and mitigation. In addition, the Government will continue to work closely with stakeholders across the sector to ensure fire and rescue services have the resources they need to protect communities.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to support (a) farmers and (b) landowners wishing to restore wild beavers on their land.

Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

This is a devolved matter, and the information provided therefore relates to England only.

Farmers and landowners who would like to reintroduce wild beavers on their land must first submit an Expression of Interest, which will be assessed by Natural England (NE). Projects likely to meet the licensing criteria will be invited to make a full application.

A licence is needed to release any beavers into the wild. Applications will be considered against comprehensive wild release criteria. These criteria have been designed to ensure only high-benefit, low-risk projects are licenced, and that beavers are reintroduced at a measured pace in a well-managed way.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to encourage participation in the wild beaver reintroduction program in (a) areas prone to downstream flooding and (b) England; and whether he plans to provide additional (i) support and (ii) resources to farmers in those regions.

Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

This is a devolved matter, and the information provided therefore relates to England only.

The Government recognises that beavers can bring many benefits for the environment including reducing downstream flooding.

A licence is needed to release any beavers into the wild. Applications will be considered against comprehensive wild release criteria. These criteria have been designed to ensure only high-benefit, low-risk projects are licenced, and that beavers are reintroduced at a measured pace in a well-managed way.

Support for farmers, landowners and local communities will be provided through a rigorous risk assessment in the application process and the existing management framework laid out in our 5-step beaver management approach.

This will be backed up by support through local beaver management groups and Environmental Land Management options.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of reducing funding for level 7 healthcare apprenticeships on skills shortages in the NHS; and what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Education on that funding.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Skills England and the Department for Education are reviewing the growth and skills offer, including whether employers will fund level 7 apprenticeships outside of the levy. Ministers, officials, NHS England, and a range of stakeholders across the sector have been feeding into this review and will continue to work closely with Skills England to ensure that the National Health Service has access to the skilled workforce patients need, as we rebuild the NHS and make sure it is there for us all when we need it.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps the Government is taking to ensure households who have installed solar panels are benefitting from the wholesale rise in energy.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Households with solar panels benefit through significantly reduced electricity bills. They can also export the excess energy they generate to the grid, and receive payment for doing so, via the Smart Export Guarantee (SEG). The SEG is a market-led mechanism that captures the value of small-scale exported electricity and was introduced to help meet net zero commitments at the lowest cost to consumers and businesses.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to increase access to accredited online schools for pupils with (a) special educational needs and (b) mental health conditions who are unable to attend mainstream education.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

The department introduced the Online Education Accreditation Scheme (OEAS) in April 2023 to ensure high standards of education and protect pupils receiving a full-time education online. Providers must meet online education standards to become accredited. The scheme is non-statutory. The department encourages all eligible providers to engage with the scheme and for commissioners to use accredited providers only.

Online education should not be viewed as an equal alternative to attendance in school. The department expects schools to consider online education only as a last resort where the alternative would be no education and only after it has been established that the pupil is, or will be, absent from school. In such cases, remote education can have the benefit of allowing absent pupils to keep on track with their education and stay connected to their teachers and peers.

Local authority commissioners, often in conjunction with a child’s school, can use online provision as a form of alternative provision for children with a medical condition or school refusal, where necessary adjustments have not been appropriate. Local authorities can also, as a last resort, provide online education for children who are new to an area and are awaiting a school place.

Where it would not be appropriate for special educational provision to be delivered in a school, college or early years setting, a local authority may put in place education otherwise than at a school or college under section 61 of the Children and Families Act 2014. If a local authority chooses to specify education otherwise than at a school or college in an education, health and care plan, it will be statutorily responsible for securing the provision and funding it.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to (a) prevent third-party brokers from bulk-booking driving test slots via the DVSA online system and (b) to reduce waiting times for learner drivers in rural areas.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s (DVSA) main priority is upholding road safety standards while it works hard to reduce car practical driving test waiting times.

On the 18 December 2024, DVSA set out further plans to reduce driving test waiting times across the country. These steps include recruiting 450 driving examiners (DEs). Full details of these steps can be found on GOV.UK.

DVSA is committed to providing customers with the best service possible and continually reviews its estate, including in rural areas, to ensure it represents good value for money and is efficient.

To ensure fairness for everyone wanting to book a practical driving test, DVSA continues to work hard to combat the unscrupulous practice of reselling tests and has announced further measures to review the driving test booking system.

On the 18 December 2024, a call for evidence was launched, seeking views on the current rules to book tests. This will lead to consultation on improving processes, with potential future legislative changes.

On 6 January 2025, DVSA also introduced tougher terms and conditions for the service driving instructors use to book and manage car driving tests for their pupils.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the policy paper entitled Technical annex: The combined environmental land management offer, published on 19 March 2024, whether it is his policy to financially incentivise permissive access.

Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Actions for permissive access are included in the Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier offer where they will benefit from input from Natural England advisers to ensure improvements represent value for money and link into the existing PROW network. Details of the new Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier offer were announced in December 2024.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of cuts to funding for level 7 healthcare apprenticeships on the availability of Advanced Clinical Practitioners in the NHS.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

I refer the hon. Member for South Cotswolds to the answer of 28 March 2025 to Question 39189.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of cuts to funding for level 7 healthcare apprenticeships on the deliverability of the NHS long-term workforce plan.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

I refer the hon. Member for South Cotswolds to the answer of 28 March 2025 to Question 39189.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of cuts to funding for level 7 apprenticeships on the availability of Chartered Town Planners in local government.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

I refer the hon. Member for South Cotswolds to the answer of 20 January 2025 to Question 23140.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of existing regulatory mechanisms for property management companies on mixed tenure estates; and what her planned timetable is for the implementation of provisions in the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Bill designed to support freeholders seeking to change their management company.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

I refer the Hon Member to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 21 November 2024 (HCWS244).

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 14 November 2024 to Question 13418 on Countryside: Access, by when he plans to make further announcements on his policy on access to nature.

Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Government recognises the importance of providing access to the outdoors for people’s health and wellbeing and is working to ensure that this access is safe and appropriate. We are committed to increasing access to nature and have already set out several ambitious manifesto commitments to expand opportunities for the public to enjoy the outdoors, including the creation of nine new national river walks and three new national forests in England.

We are currently developing policy to improve access to nature, working closely with other government departments and key stakeholders. In addition, we are already delivering key initiatives aimed at increasing access to green spaces and the countryside, including:

• Completing the King Charles III England Coast Path, which will become the longest waymarked and maintained coastal walking route in the world. With over 2,400 miles of the route now approved and 1,430 miles already open, this will also create 250,000 hectares of new open access land within the coastal margin.
• Designating Wainwright’s Coast to Coast route as a National Trail across the north of England.
• Delivering the £16 million ‘Access for All’ programme, which is designed to make our protected landscapes, national trails, forests, and the wider countryside more inclusive and accessible to all.

In addition, the Government has made the decision to repeal the cut-off date for the registration of historic rights of way, preventing the loss of hundreds of miles of unregistered paths. This will ensure that these paths remain available to the public for future generations. This change will be formally enacted when parliamentary time allows.

Gerry Watkins

Humanitarian response to the Myanmar earthquake

Whitchurch banking hub

Radiotherapy (No. 2)