Steve Darling Portrait

Steve Darling

Liberal Democrat - Torbay

5,349 (11.6%) majority - 2024 General Election

First elected: 4th July 2024

Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (Work and Pensions)

(since September 2024)

Public Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) Bill
12th Feb 2025 - 18th Mar 2025
Employment Rights Bill
13th Nov 2024 - 16th Jan 2025


Division Voting information

During the current Parliament, Steve Darling has voted in 189 divisions, and 6 times against the majority of their Party.

16 May 2025 - Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill - View Vote Context
Steve Darling voted Aye - against a party majority and against the House
One of 12 Liberal Democrat Aye votes vs 54 Liberal Democrat No votes
Tally: Ayes - 243 Noes - 279
16 May 2025 - Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill - View Vote Context
Steve Darling voted No - against a party majority and against the House
One of 10 Liberal Democrat No votes vs 55 Liberal Democrat Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 288 Noes - 239
13 Jun 2025 - Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill - View Vote Context
Steve Darling voted Aye - against a party majority and in line with the House
One of 27 Liberal Democrat Aye votes vs 34 Liberal Democrat No votes
Tally: Ayes - 259 Noes - 216
20 Jun 2025 - Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill - View Vote Context
Steve Darling voted No - against a party majority and against the House
One of 15 Liberal Democrat No votes vs 56 Liberal Democrat Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 314 Noes - 291
20 Jun 2025 - Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill - View Vote Context
Steve Darling voted Aye - against a party majority and against the House
One of 12 Liberal Democrat Aye votes vs 50 Liberal Democrat No votes
Tally: Ayes - 208 Noes - 261
20 Jun 2025 - Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill - View Vote Context
Steve Darling voted Aye - against a party majority and against the House
One of 12 Liberal Democrat Aye votes vs 52 Liberal Democrat No votes
Tally: Ayes - 223 Noes - 269
View All Steve Darling Division Votes

Debates during the 2024 Parliament

Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.

Sparring Partners
Greg Smith (Conservative)
Opposition Whip (Commons)
(29 debate interactions)
Lindsay Hoyle (Speaker)
(21 debate interactions)
Justin Madders (Labour)
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
(17 debate interactions)
View All Sparring Partners
Department Debates
Department for Work and Pensions
(80 debate contributions)
Department for Business and Trade
(60 debate contributions)
Cabinet Office
(18 debate contributions)
Department of Health and Social Care
(14 debate contributions)
View All Department Debates
Legislation Debates
Employment Rights Bill 2024-26
(11,661 words contributed)
Universal Credit Bill 2024-26
(967 words contributed)
Pension Schemes Bill 2024-26
(616 words contributed)
View All Legislation Debates
View all Steve Darling's debates

Torbay Petitions

e-Petitions are administered by Parliament and allow members of the public to express support for a particular issue.

If an e-petition reaches 10,000 signatures the Government will issue a written response.

If an e-petition reaches 100,000 signatures the petition becomes eligible for a Parliamentary debate (usually Monday 4.30pm in Westminster Hall).

Petition Debates Contributed

As a first step to end animal testing, we want an immediate ban for dogs. They are commercially bred in what we see as bleak and inhumane factory-like conditions. We believe there is evidence suggesting that dogs are left being unattended for extended periods in a Government-licenced establishment.


Latest EDMs signed by Steve Darling

11th July 2025
Steve Darling signed this EDM as a sponsor on Monday 14th July 2025

Reform of the special educational needs and disabilities system

Tabled by: Munira Wilson (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
That this House notes with deep concern the persistent crisis in the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system, following years of neglect; welcomes the Government’s acknowledgement of the urgent need for reform; further notes the widespread anxiety among parents, carers and professionals that forthcoming changes may undermine the rights …
39 signatures
(Most recent: 15 Jul 2025)
Signatures by party:
Liberal Democrat: 37
Green Party: 1
Independent: 1
11th July 2025
Steve Darling signed this EDM as a sponsor on Monday 14th July 2025

Recognition of Wiltshire schools achieving the Dyslexia-Friendly Quality Mark

Tabled by: Sarah Gibson (Liberal Democrat - Chippenham)
That this House congratulates the fifteen schools across Wiltshire, including several in the Chippenham constituency, that have been awarded the British Dyslexia Association’s prestigious Dyslexia-Friendly Quality Mark; celebrates this landmark achievement as a powerful step towards inclusive education that supports all children, regardless of how they learn; applauds the commitment …
6 signatures
(Most recent: 15 Jul 2025)
Signatures by party:
Liberal Democrat: 6
View All Steve Darling's signed Early Day Motions

Commons initiatives

These initiatives were driven by Steve Darling, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.

MPs who are act as Ministers or Shadow Ministers are generally restricted from performing Commons initiatives other than Urgent Questions.


1 Urgent Question tabled by Steve Darling

Steve Darling has not been granted any Adjournment Debates

Steve Darling has not introduced any legislation before Parliament


Latest 50 Written Questions

(View all written questions)
Written Questions can be tabled by MPs and Lords to request specific information information on the work, policy and activities of a Government Department
2 Other Department Questions
30th May 2025
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what steps her Department is taking to tackle age discrimination in the workplace.

Equality and opportunity for all are at the heart of the Government’s programme of national renewal and the UK has a strong history of protecting against direct and indirect discrimination. The Equality Act 2010 has protections that enable people to challenge age discrimination across a range of fields, including in the provision of services, employment and recruitment processes. Where age discrimination cannot be objectively justified and is unlawful, individuals can seek redress in the courts or, where relevant, at an employment tribunal.

Stephen Timms
Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
6th Nov 2024
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Equality Act 2010 in improving services for people with disabilities.

It is crucial that we ensure everyone is treated fairly when accessing services, so that they can thrive and reach their full potential, including people with disabilities.

We believe that the Equality Act 2010 is effective in ensuring service providers make anticipatory reasonable adjustments to facilitate access for people with disabilities and where they do not, it offers a means of redress. The way it operates is kept under review, and the EHRC’s Code of Practice for services, public functions and associations, is under consultation currently.

30th May 2025
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of a signer being present at Government news conferences.

This Government is strongly committed to making our communications accessible and inclusive, and to reducing the barriers Deaf people face in their everyday lives.

Since we have come into power, we have endeavoured to ensure as many of the Prime Minister's speeches as possible have BSL interpretation in vision during live streams. This can be found on the Prime Minister’s social media channels - X (formerly Twitter) and YouTube. Where speeches do not have political content, the interpretation is also made available afterwards on gov.uk.

I pay tribute to the outstanding work of the Government’s BSL Advisory Board. We will continue to work with them, and with other members of the Deaf community, on how we can improve further the accessibility of our communications.

Stephen Timms
Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
30th Jul 2024
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will take steps to relocate Government (a) departments and (b) agencies to the South West.

The government is committed to ensuring that the Civil Service workforce operates across the country, including in the South West, to improve policy making and outcomes for UK citizens.

Georgia Gould
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
30th May 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to support small manufacturing businesses.

This Government will continue to support the advanced manufacturing sector, including SMEs, through our forthcoming Industrial Strategy, where advanced manufacturing has been selected as one of eight growth-driving sectors.

Support is available through our Made Smarter Programme where manufacturing SMEs will be able to adopt industrial digital technologies like robotics and autonomous systems to boost their productivity and competitiveness.

Later this year the government will publish its Small Business Strategy, including policies on creating thriving high streets, accessing finance, opening up overseas and domestic markets, building business capabilities, and providing a strong business environment.

Gareth Thomas
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
30th May 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of developing a dedicated support strategy for smaller manufacturers.

This Government will continue to support the advanced manufacturing sector, including SMEs, through our forthcoming Industrial Strategy, where advanced manufacturing has been selected as one of eight growth-driving sectors.

Support is available through our Made Smarter Programme where manufacturing SMEs will be able to adopt industrial digital technologies like robotics and autonomous systems to boost their productivity and competitiveness.

Later this year the government will publish its Small Business Strategy, including policies on creating thriving high streets, accessing finance, opening up overseas and domestic markets, building business capabilities, and providing a strong business environment.

Gareth Thomas
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
30th May 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to support small and medium-sized manufacturing enterprises in the UK.

This Government will continue to support the advanced manufacturing sector, including SMEs, through our forthcoming Industrial Strategy, where advanced manufacturing has been selected as one of eight growth-driving sectors.

Support is available through our Made Smarter Programme where manufacturing SMEs will be able to adopt industrial digital technologies like robotics and autonomous systems to boost their productivity and competitiveness.

Later this year the government will publish its Small Business Strategy, including policies on creating thriving high streets, accessing finance, opening up overseas and domestic markets, building business capabilities, and providing a strong business environment.

Gareth Thomas
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
30th May 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps the Government is taking to improve access to finance for small manufacturers.

Our October 2024 call for evidence on access to finance for small advanced manufacturing firms sought views and evidence on the challenges faced in this area. Since that time, the Government has been considering how best to support more advanced manufacturing scale-ups to access the capital they need. Further details will be contained in the forthcoming Industrial Strategy and the Advanced Manufacturing Sector Plan within it.

Sarah Jones
Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
1st May 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to support independent hospitality businesses.

Hospitality businesses are at the heart of our communities and play a vital role in supporting economic growth and social cohension across the UK.

We recently launched a licensing taskforce to reduce red tape and barriers that too often hold businesses back. In addition, the Government intends to introduce permanently lower business rates for retail, hospitality and leisure properties with a rateable value less than £500,000


We have also recently announced a £1.5 million Hospitality Support Scheme to co-fund projects that align with Department of Business & Trade and Hospitality Sector Council Priorities. I am working with Council Members to maximise the benefits of this funding.

Gareth Thomas
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
11th Feb 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will list the consultations his Department is undertaking in connection with the Employment Rights Bill; and what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of each listed consultation.

The department launched an initial package of three public consultations last October covering: the application of zero hours contracts measures to agency workers; creating a modern framework for industrial relations; and, strengthening remedies against abuse of rules on collective redundancy and fire and rehire. These consultations closed in December and the department will publish responses in due course. The department does not routinely collate information on the specific cost of running such consultations.

We have committed to full consultation on the implementation of this legislation, and expect this to begin this year, ensuring reforms work for employers and workers alike.

Justin Madders
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
14th Jan 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to support the hospitality industry.

Hospitality businesses are at the heart of our communities and are vital for economic growth.

This is why the Government is creating a fairer business rate system, reducing alcohol duty on qualifying draught products and transforming the apprenticeship levy to support business and boost opportunities. This work will be supported by the publication of The Small Business Strategy Command Paper which will be published later this year.

Through the Hospitality Sector Council, we are addressing strategic issues for the sector related to high street regeneration, skills, sustainability, and productivity.

Gareth Thomas
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
12th Dec 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of enhancing the banking offer within Post Offices.

Post Office continues to provide vital banking services through the Banking Framework to communities and businesses alike and protect access to cash for those who choose to use it. Government understands the importance of face-to-face banking to communities and high streets, and is committed to championing sufficient access for all. Customers can pay in cash, pay cheques, make cash deposits, withdraw money and check their balance at all branches as well as at Banking Hubs operated by the Post Office. Government has committed to work closely with banks to roll out at least 350 banking hubs, which will provide individuals and businesses across the country with critical cash and banking services.

Gareth Thomas
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
4th Nov 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will review support for parents who will not be entitled to Neonatal Care Leave and Pay because they (a) are self-employed and (b) have another ineligible employment status.

The Government recognises the challenges and worry facing parents whose babies are admitted to neonatal care; we will set out more information on our plans in this area shortly.

The Government is committed to reviewing the parental leave system so that it best supports working families.

Justin Madders
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
23rd Oct 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he plans to introduce (a) the right to paid employment leave and (b) legal safeguarding for kinship carers.

The Government greatly values kinship carers who care for children who cannot live with their parents. The Government has committed in the Plan to Make Work Pay to review the system of parental leave to ensure that it best supports all working families. We will set out more information in due course

In relation to legal safeguarding, the Law Commission will carry out a review into the legal statuses and orders for kinship carers, to ensure that the legislative framework is fair, modern, and meets the needs of its users.

Justin Madders
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
4th Oct 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what plans he has to (a) stop the import of oil products refined from Russian-origin crude oil and (b) require proof of origin for such products entering the UK market.

The UK has worked closely with international partners to constrain Russian oil revenues while maintaining energy market security. The Government does not speculate on future sanctions measures as to do so could reduce their impact. We continue to monitor the effectiveness of our sanctions.

Douglas Alexander
Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
30th Jul 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will make an assessment as part of his next spending review of the potential economic merits of double British Summer time.

The Government has no current plans to change the approach to Daylight Savings.

Justin Madders
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
25th Jun 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of refusing new (a) oil and (b) gas developments at (i) Rosebank, (ii) Jackdaw and (iii) other potential oil and gas fields.

Neither the Secretary of State nor I will be commenting on the specifics of individual projects such as Rosebank and Jackdaw in order to avoid potentially prejudicing any future regulatory decisions the Secretary of State is required to make in relation to these projects.

Michael Shanks
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
30th Jan 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of fire regulations on Lithium Ion battery storage in the (a) commercial and (b) domestic sector.

There is a robust framework governing the fire safety of lithium-ion battery storage.

The Health and Safety Executive regulates commercial batteries within a framework which requires industry to act at all stages of the battery’s deployment to ensure safety. Of particular relevance, the Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations (2002) set out requirements to protect workers and others from fire risks.

Domestic-scale batteries for consumers are covered under the General Product Safety Regulations 2005, making producers responsible for ensuring product safety. The Office for Product Safety and Standards and Local Authority Trading Standards have powers to remove unsafe batteries from sale.

Michael Shanks
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
30th Oct 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of compensating commercial fishermen who are displaced from fishing grounds by offshore wind development projects.

Impacts of proposed offshore wind developments on affected stakeholders, including fishers, is considered during the development consent process. The Government encourages offshore wind developers and the fishing industry to discuss potential impacts at an early stage.

In cases where there have been monetary settlements for disruption or displacement, these have been agreed on an individual project basis between the offshore wind developer and the affected fishers.

Michael Shanks
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
24th Apr 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether his Department plans to provide capital funding to manufacturing companies in the semiconductor sector.

This government recognises the strategic importance of semiconductors as a critical technology and a significant enabler of our growth and clean energy missions. We recently secured a £250 million investment from one of the world’s largest manufacturers of semiconductors - Vishay Technologies – into the UK’s largest semiconductor facility, supported by the government’s Automotive Transformation Fund.

The forthcoming Industrial Strategy will provide further clarity on how government will boost investment in growth-driving sectors, including by mobilising capital to ensure businesses have sufficient access to finance, such as through the National Wealth Fund.

Feryal Clark
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
24th Apr 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of changing the Innovate UK technology awards to allow successful applicants to access the funds earlier in the process.

Making innovation support accessible and agile is a key goal for Innovate UK, and they will continue to experiment with new ways to improve their product offering for businesses. They deliver technology funding awards through grants, contracts, and loans. Eligible costs depend on the innovation objectives of the specific programme a business is applying for, but most technology grants allow for the recovery of equipment costs directly related to the project the grant is supporting.

They have reduced the time taken from competition close to grant award by 32% between FY 22/23 and FY 24/25. Innovate UK programmes such as New Innovators and Launchpads also allow for a significant portion of the payment upfront to support SME innovation projects.

Feryal Clark
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
24th Apr 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of changing the Innovate UK technology awards to focus more on capital funding.

Making innovation support accessible and agile is a key goal for Innovate UK, and they will continue to experiment with new ways to improve their product offering for businesses. They deliver technology funding awards through grants, contracts, and loans. Eligible costs depend on the innovation objectives of the specific programme a business is applying for, but most technology grants allow for the recovery of equipment costs directly related to the project the grant is supporting.

They have reduced the time taken from competition close to grant award by 32% between FY 22/23 and FY 24/25. Innovate UK programmes such as New Innovators and Launchpads also allow for a significant portion of the payment upfront to support SME innovation projects.

Feryal Clark
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
14th Nov 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps his Department is taking to help tackle digital exclusion.

Digital inclusion is a priority for this Government and we have already set up a Digital Inclusion and Skills Unit to ensure that everyone has the access, skills, support and confidence to engage in our modern digital society, whatever their circumstances.

This country has been without a digital inclusion strategy for 10 years, and during that time other countries have leapt ahead of us. This Government is determined that that will no longer be the case. I hope to say more on this soon.

Chris Bryant
Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
15th May 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 3 April 2025 to Question 42101 on Holiday Accommodation: Licensing, what her planned timetable is for her Department’s publication of the short-term rental registration scheme.

The government has commenced the second phase of digital development for the short-term lets registration scheme legislated for in the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act 2023. During this phase, DCMS will test the user interface with a small number of users to ensure our systems and processes are effective, with public testing planned to start within the next 9 months.

Chris Bryant
Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
2nd Apr 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to support British musicians touring in the EU.

We are working closely with the music industry to tackle the challenges facing UK musicians and their support staff when touring in the EU. We remain in open and constructive dialogue with the EU, with a view to improve arrangements across the European continent without seeing a return to free movement. Most recently, on 7 April, I attended the Informal Meeting for EU Culture Ministers in Warsaw as a guest of the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European Union. This is the first time a UK minister has been invited since Brexit. Our aim is to identify practical solutions to ensure that UK artists can continue to perform across Europe with minimal barriers while respecting the regulatory frameworks on both sides.

Chris Bryant
Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
10th Mar 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if her Department will consider changing the terms of reference for the UK City of Culture competition to allow towns to participate.

The Government’s approach to a future City of Culture competition will be announced in due course.

The current application guidance for the UK City of Culture competition already allows towns to enter. We keep under review our competition criteria feeding in lessons from previous rounds to provide the best support to each bidding place.

Towns have great potential to benefit from culture driven development.

Chris Bryant
Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
10th Mar 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that the competition for the UK City of Culture enables all participants to enhance their cultural offer.

The Government’s approach to a future City of Culture competition will be announced in due course.

The current application guidance for the UK City of Culture competition already allows towns to enter. We keep under review our competition criteria feeding in lessons from previous rounds to provide the best support to each bidding place.

Towns have great potential to benefit from culture driven development.

Chris Bryant
Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
10th Mar 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, when she plans to launch the next Cities of Culture prospectus.

The Government’s approach to a future City of Culture competition will be announced in due course.

The current application guidance for the UK City of Culture competition already allows towns to enter. We keep under review our competition criteria feeding in lessons from previous rounds to provide the best support to each bidding place.

Towns have great potential to benefit from culture driven development.

Chris Bryant
Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
5th Dec 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many full-time-equivalent civil servants are working on the short-term let registration scheme.

Four, plus a percentage of time from senior colleagues who provide oversight, and from analytical, legal, and digital specialists.

Chris Bryant
Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
20th Nov 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, when her Department plans to introduce a short-term let registration scheme.

Parliament legislated for a registration scheme for short-term lets in the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act 2023, and we are committed to introducing such a scheme as soon as possible.

We will soon publish the government’s response to the 2023 consultation on how the scheme will work and on the legislative process that will bring the scheme to life.

Chris Bryant
Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
6th Nov 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps his Department plans to take support community-based volunteering opportunities.

Volunteering is critical to a vibrant and resilient civil society; it benefits volunteers and the organisations involving them and has transformational impacts on local communities. Government undertakes a range of policy work to enable as many people to volunteer as possible, from developing the wider volunteering ecosystem to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to take part, to supporting the sustainability of the voluntary, community, and social enterprise sector.

This Government recognises the vital role that civil society plays in supporting volunteering, and is committed to resetting the relationship with civil society. Government understands the need to treat civil society as an equal, expert partner who is integral to the delivery of the Government’s vision for national renewal. The first step in rebuilding that relationship is going to be the co-creation of the recently announced Civil Society Covenant.

We currently support people to volunteer nationally through a range of programmes. These include the Know Your Neighbourhood (KYN) Fund, an up to £30 million funding package running until March 2025, designed to widen participation in volunteering and tackle loneliness in 27 disadvantaged areas across England.

We also provide funding to the #iwill Fund, a £66 million joint investment between DCMS and the National Lottery Community Fund, running since 2016, which supports the creation of new opportunities to engage young people in volunteering and community engagement in their local areas.

Stephanie Peacock
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
30th Jul 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what funding her Department plans to allocate to the Devon Local Visitor Economy Partnership.

The Department does not allocate funds to Local Visitor Economy Partnerships (LVEPs) directly, but has allocated £7.15 million in core funding to its arm’s-length body VisitEngland, plus £1.35 million for destination management organisations; and VisitEngland has accredited Devon and partners which can apply for VisitBritain/VisitEngland grant funding programmes.

Chris Bryant
Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
30th Jul 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a registration scheme for short term lets.

Short-term lets are an integral part of what the UK has to offer visitors. They can bring a range of benefits to local and national economies, but communities in tourism
destinations, particularly coastal and rural communities, must be able to reap the benefit of thriving tourism without losing the spirit of their community when the holiday season ends.

Parliament legislated for a registration scheme for short-term lets in the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act 2023 and we are working on precisely how to implement that statutory
requirement.

Chris Bryant
Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
25th Jun 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to help reduce the educational instability that children in care face.

The department is committed to ensuring that looked-after children are supported to succeed in education and achieve positive outcomes. We recognise the critical importance of continuity and stability throughout a looked-after child’s life.

Under the Care Planning, Placement and Case Review guidance and regulations, the child’s social worker should do everything possible to minimise disruption to their education. School changes should be minimised, and any transitions well-planned and supported. Where a change to a child’s educational arrangements is unavoidable, their personal education plan should set out arrangements to minimise disruption to education, especially during exam periods and other critical periods in their education.

The government is introducing measures, including through the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill, to rebalance the market, improve regulation and commissioning of placements. The department is also investing £2 billion over this parliament to give more children a safe, loving home, including expanding the children’s home estate, delivering more foster care placements and helping keep families together by providing targeted support before problems escalate.

These measures will provide greater placement availability, stability and ensure that, where it is in a child's best interests, they are placed closer to home.

Janet Daby
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
25th Jun 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of collecting data on the (a) length and (b) frequency of gaps in education for children in care that are the result of placement moves.

The department recognises the need to improve the data available about children’s social care, including making it more relevant to the experience of children and young people during periods of change.

A core part of this work includes understanding the data needs of the children’s social care sector as a whole and scoping ways in which data gaps may be addressed over time. This year the department has published new statistics on stability measures for children looked after, providing further insight on school, placement and social worker stability for these children, here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/stability-measures-for-children-looked-after-in-england/2024.

Existing statutory data is collected for children missing education, school attendance, and children in care. However, it is not yet possible to accurately link these datasets to obtain the information requested, as the children missing education data is collected at a local authority level, while data for children looked after, and school attendance is collected at a child level. Addressing data gaps in children’s social care will be a long-term endeavour due to the need to agree data standards and definitions, as well as redesign local authority and departmental systems before rolling out nationally.

Janet Daby
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
25th Jun 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make it her policy to provide financial support to (a) Eat That Frog in Torbay and (b) other community organisations which are support hubs for those who are (i) disabled and (ii) neurodivergent to ensure their long-time viability.

The relationship between the department and Eat that Frog, as with all providers, is through the funding of learners through an agreed, published funding methodology. The department does not fund institutions/providers core costs, as the funding is driven by the learner funding methodology. In this case, as a Specialist Post-16 Institution (SPI), Eat that Frog is funded through the high needs funding methodology which is a combination of funding directly from the department and funding from the learners’ local authority, through their dedicated schools grant.

Some of the programmes and support provided through Eat that Frog is outside the scope of departmental funding, for example employment support, and therefore their remit is much wider than that of the department.

Janet Daby
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
23rd Jun 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department took with Torbay Unitary Authority to help ensure the adequacy of consultation to reduce the number of moderate learning disability placements at Combe Pafford School Torquay.

As the relevant local authority, Torbay Council is responsible for keeping provision for children and young people with special educational needs (SEN) in their area under review. They are also responsible for determining how many high needs places, funded at £10,000 per place, should be available at special schools in their area.

Torbay Council concluded that there is less need for special school places for children with moderate learning difficulties and asked for the number of high needs places in Combe Pafford School to be reduced for the 2025/26 academic year.

Local authorities should undertake detailed work to forecast the number of places they and neighbouring authorities will need in the forthcoming academic year. They should consult with their schools and colleges to plan where new placements will be needed, although this is not mandatory. The department understands that such consultations with Combe Pafford School commenced in January 2024.

Catherine McKinnell
Minister of State (Education)
17th Jun 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when she plans to answer Question 58706, tabled on 10 June 2025.

The response to Written Parliamentary Question 58706 was published on 20 June 2025.

Stephen Morgan
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
16th Jun 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department consulted with relevant stakeholders on the closure of the hearing units at (a) St Margaret's Primary School and (b) Spires College in Torbay.

There are separate processes for removing special educational needs (SEN) units or resourced provision at academies and maintained schools, which we expect the relevant accountable bodies to follow.

In maintained schools, such as Spires College, where a local authority decides to remove a SEN unit or resourced provision at a foundation school, they must follow the statutory prescribed alterations process. The statutory guidance on this topic is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-organisation-maintained-schools.

In academies, SEN units and resourced provision are formally recognised in a funding agreement. Closing a SEN unit or resourced provision at an academy would be a significant change and would therefore require the funding agreement between my right hon. Friend, Secretary of State for Education and the academy trust to be amended. More information on significant changes is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/making-significant-changes-to-an-existing-academy.

In this instance, the responsible bodies are St Margeret’s Academy and Torbay local authority.

Local authorities are responsible for managing the sufficiency of school places in their area, including the provision for children with SEN. The department expects local authorities to work in collaboration with parents, schools, academy trusts and other local partners to balance the supply and demand of school places to ensure a sustainable and viable educational offer.

Where it has been identified that a unit for SEN is no longer needed at a school, the processes set out above and a consultation with local stakeholders are required for removing this provision.

Catherine McKinnell
Minister of State (Education)
10th Jun 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when she plans to answer named day Questions (a) 56436 and (b) 56437, tabled on 2 June 2025.

The responses to Written Parliamentary Questions 56436 and 56437 were published on 20 June 2025.

Stephen Morgan
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
2nd Jun 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that place funding for special school pupils is increased in line with (a) inflation and (b) special educational requirements.

Special schools receive £10,000 per place, alongside high needs top-up funding, which is paid directly by local authorities to the schools in which their placements are made. It is the top-up funding which is intended to reflect the cost of special educational provision in excess of the place funding, and the department’s guidance to local authorities is that top-up funding levels should be kept under review to reflect changes in costs, such as those incurred through overall levels of inflation and changes in provision.

High needs funding for children and young people with complex needs will be £1 billion higher this financial year than last year. This £1 billion increase, and the additional funding for special schools to help with staff-related costs, will bring total high needs funding to well over £12 billion in 2025/26.

Catherine McKinnell
Minister of State (Education)
2nd Jun 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what her planned timeline is for the completion of the rebuild of St Michael’s Church of England School in Paignton.

We are aiming to enter contract later this year and are currently on track. The current planned timescale is for pupils to be in the permanent accommodation from September 2026. This is also on track, but we will need to continue to monitor this as normal throughout the build period.

Stephen Morgan
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
2nd Jun 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when her Department plans to appoint a contractor to undertake works at St Michael’s Church of England School in Paignton.

We are aiming to enter contract later this year and are currently on track. The current planned timescale is for pupils to be in the permanent accommodation from September 2026. This is also on track, but we will need to continue to monitor this as normal throughout the build period.

Stephen Morgan
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
30th May 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what guidance her Department provides to schools on supporting (a) autistic girls (b) girls masking symptoms of autism in educational settings.

The department wants all children and young people to be able to receive the right support to succeed in their education and we recognise that children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) often require access to additional support.

The department also provides continuing professional development to the school and further education workforce through the Universal SEND Services programme, led by the National Association for Special Educational Needs (NASEN). From April 2025, NASEN are developing a new autism specific online training offer to support the workforce’s understanding of autism, which will include ‘train the trainer' packages and webinars to support teachers and leaders to deliver autism training in their settings.

The department has also invested in the Partnerships for Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools (PINS) programme, which is a national programme backed by £22 million of investment.

PINS deploys specialists from both health and education workforces to build teacher and staff capacity to identify and better meet the needs of neurodivergent children including pupils with autism.

Catherine McKinnell
Minister of State (Education)
30th May 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans her Department has to develop teacher training to recognise (a) autism presentation and (b) masking behaviours in girls.

The department wants all children and young people to be able to receive the right support to succeed in their education and we recognise that children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) often require access to additional support.

The department also provides continuing professional development to the school and further education workforce through the Universal SEND Services programme, led by the National Association for Special Educational Needs (NASEN). From April 2025, NASEN are developing a new autism specific online training offer to support the workforce’s understanding of autism, which will include ‘train the trainer' packages and webinars to support teachers and leaders to deliver autism training in their settings.

The department has also invested in the Partnerships for Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools (PINS) programme, which is a national programme backed by £22 million of investment.

PINS deploys specialists from both health and education workforces to build teacher and staff capacity to identify and better meet the needs of neurodivergent children including pupils with autism.

Catherine McKinnell
Minister of State (Education)
21st May 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to take steps to close the pay gap between (a) school teachers and (b) college teachers to achieve equity within the higher education sector.

Further education (FE) colleges, rather than government, are responsible for setting and negotiating pay within colleges. Colleges are not bound by the national pay and conditions framework for school teachers but are free to implement their own pay arrangements in line with their own local circumstances.

On 22 May, the department announced an investment of £160 million for colleges and other 16-19 providers in the 2025/26 financial year. This funding will boost opportunities for learners across the country and drive forward delivery of the critical skills needed to grow our economy.

Additional funding of over £30 million will also be included within 16-19 allocations. This funding comes from within the overall funding envelope of £615 million for 2025/26, announced alongside the 2025/26 school teachers’ pay award. Together, this means that a total additional sum of over £190 million will be available for 16-19 funding in the 2025/26 financial year.

Janet Daby
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
28th Apr 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to help support care leavers to develop (a) skills, (b) confidence and (c) opportunities to (i) find and (ii) maintain employment.

Care leavers up to age 25 are entitled to a personal advisor who works with them to develop a pathway plan. This includes advice and guidance to support career aspirations and further education, training or employment.

As part of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, the department will require local authorities to provide ‘Staying Close’ support to care leavers, helping them to find and keep safe and stable accommodation, alongside targeted, intensive support around education, training, wellbeing and living independently.

Care leavers who take up an apprenticeship can claim a £3,000 bursary.

We fund the Care Leaver Covenant, an offer of support from private, public or third sector organisations to care leavers. Over 600 organisations have signed the Covenant, offering pre-employment training, job opportunities and practical support.

The cross-government Civil Service Internship Scheme for care leavers has benefitted around 1,000 young people to date.

Care leavers will benefit from our new Youth Guarantee, which will provide tailored support to young people aged 18 to 21 to help them access high-quality education, training and employment opportunities. £45 million has been allocated to test the guarantee in eight locations.

Janet Daby
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)