Asked by: Simon Opher (Labour - Stroud)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to support orchestras.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Government is proud to champion our world-class orchestras and musicians, and help them to thrive. Through Arts Council England’s (ACE) 2023–26 National Portfolio Investment Programme, more money is going to more orchestral organisations in more parts of the country than ever before.The National Portfolio is supporting 139 organisations classed as ‘music’ by investing around £65 million of public funding per annum. ACE investment in classical music remains high, in particular in orchestral music organisations, with 23 such organisations being funded to the tune of around £21 million per annum. We are also supporting orchestras through the tax system, confirming from April 2025 that Orchestra Tax Relief on production costs would be set at the generous rate of 45 per cent.
Over the course of this Parliament, we will also make a £1.5 billion capital investment into fulfilling our Arts Everywhere ambitions. This funding package includes £425 million for the Creative Foundations Fund, revitalising and renewing performing arts buildings across England, including resident venues and key stops on orchestral tours. We will also, for the first time, provide £80 million of capital funding to the National Portfolio Investment Programme over the next four years. This means that Arts Council England will be able to give around 1,000 cultural organisations a 5% uplift in their regular funding; the single biggest uplift to an existing Portfolio in decades.
Asked by: Simon Opher (Labour - Stroud)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she plans to keep the Gaza medical evacuation scheme operating.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We have supported a number of sick and injured children to leave Gaza and receive treatment in the UK. We continue to seek the most effective ways to deploy the UK's resources to meet healthcare needs in Gaza and the region and will update on this in due course.
Asked by: Simon Opher (Labour - Stroud)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many Integrated Care Boards include further education colleges as partner institutions in their place-based partnerships, clinical strategic plans and Neighbourhood Health Plans; and if he will publish that list.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The information requested is not held centrally.
Asked by: Simon Opher (Labour - Stroud)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Association of Colleges' report entitled From treatment to prevention: how colleges can build a healthier society, published in December 2025, what discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on supporting further education colleges to deliver programmes for young people not in education, employment or training due to health reasons.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department consults with Cabinet colleagues on a range of policies, and we are determined to break down barriers to opportunity for all young people, including those with specific needs.
We have introduced the Youth Guarantee to tackle the number of those who are not in education, employment or training and improve access to opportunities.
Colleges are responsible for ensuring that their provision is designed, delivered, and continuously improved to meet the needs of all students and are subject to statutory duties and responsibilities in the area of special educational needs and disabilities. This underpins our commitment to providing all young people with learning difficulties and disabilities with the opportunities they need.
The department also continues to work closely with the further education (FE) sector to promote and support providers to develop mental health and wellbeing approaches. This is supported by the FE student support champion, Polly Harrow, who is improving colleges' ability to give learners the full opportunity to succeed and progress.
Asked by: Simon Opher (Labour - Stroud)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to support (a) small and (b) start-up businesses.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Government is committed to supporting small and start-up businesses through the Small Business Plan - the most comprehensive package of support for small and medium size businesses in a generation.
Start-ups play a crucial role in fostering competition and innovation, and we are improving access to finance for start-ups through Start Up Loans provided by the British Business Bank.
Last year, we launched a new Business Growth Service to make it easier for small businesses to access the right advice and support and we are boosting SME growth through new digital and AI Adoption initiatives.
Asked by: Simon Opher (Labour - Stroud)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer to UIN 94508, how many of these unique applications were made by people currently outside the UK, compared to those already based in the UK.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department has not undertaken an analysis of the information collected as part of the 2025 medical specialty training programme to assess the location of applicants at the point of application.
Asked by: Simon Opher (Labour - Stroud)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when her Department will resume approvals for applications made by schools to attain purchasing power agreements for the installation of solar panels.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
A temporary pause in Summer 2025 was quickly lifted and the programme is continuing as normal. Schools wishing to take forward solar projects via a Power Purchase Agreement should apply in the usual way following available guidance.
Asked by: Simon Opher (Labour - Stroud)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Association of Colleges' report entitled From treatment to prevention: how colleges can build a healthier society, published in December 2025, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of access to further education colleges' adult community learning programmes on supporting public health outcomes for local people, including on the level of demand for primary care services.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The primary purpose of Tailored Learning, which includes what used to be called Community Learning, is to support learners into employment and to progress to further learning, in line with the overall purpose of the Adult Skills Fund.
It plays a vital role within adult learning provision of supporting those furthest from the workplace and in improving wider outcomes, such as the health and well-being of learners and equipping parents/carers to support their child’s learning.
It is an important stepping stone for learners, including disadvantaged learners, who are not ready for formal accredited learning or who would benefit from learning in a more informal way.
In the 2024/25 academic year, 62,390 learners participated in learning to improve their health and well-being.
Asked by: Simon Opher (Labour - Stroud)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the modelled projections in the 10 Year Workforce Plan will include projections for medical specialties.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The 10 Year Workforce Plan will ensure the National Health Service has the right people in the right places, with the right skills to care for patients, when they need it. It will include modelling of the potential size and shape of the future workforce and implications for major professions. We are working through how the plan will articulate the changes for different professional groups.
Asked by: Simon Opher (Labour - Stroud)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to support international non-governmental organisations that have been deregistered in Gaza and the West Bank by the Israeli government.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the statement I made on 5 January.