Asked by: David Simmonds (Conservative - Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will make an estimate of the proportion of bricks required to meet his target to build 1.5 million homes by the end of this Parliament that will be (a) manufactured in the UK and (b) imported.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
In 2023, 1,626 million bricks (81%) were produced in the UK and 329 million bricks (19%) were imported, according to data from DBT’s Building Materials and Components publication and HMRC’s UK Trade Info service respectively.
ONS House building data indicates 190,000 UK dwellings were completed in 2023.
Given variables over specific materials that will be used to construct new homes and the extent to which domestic brick production capacity would need to be scaled-up to meet the level of increased demand necessary to meet the target, it is not possible to give more precise estimates than those provided above
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he plans to take to support homeless veterans in Ashfield constituency.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
This is a Government of service that will always stand up for those who serve our country. I am working across government to ensure veterans across the UK have access to the support they need on housing, as well as health, employment and other areas.
The Government will develop a new cross-Government strategy, working with Mayors and Councils across the country, to put Britain back on track to ending homelessness. The MOD will support that work to take a long-term approach and to tackle the root causes of homelessness.
Veterans in need of housing support can contact Op FORTITUDE, a single referral pathway to connect veterans with help and support. This system provides housing guidance and assistance to veterans experiencing or at risk of homelessness across the UK. As of September 2024, over 2,400 referrals have been made and over 700 veterans have been supported into housing.
Asked by: Luke Charters (Labour - York Outer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking with (a) universities and (b) other higher education institutions to help ensure that the UK remains an attractive place for international students to study.
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The government recognises that international students enrich our university campuses, forge lifelong friendships with our domestic students and become global ambassadors for the UK, as well as making a significant economic contribution to the higher education (HE) sector and our country as a whole.
The government expects the UK to remain a highly attractive study destination. The UK has four universities in the top ten, and 15 in the top 100 and we offer international students the opportunity to remain in the UK on a graduate visa for two to three years after their studies come to an end.
The department regularly engages with the HE sector to understand the emerging picture of international students’ admission for the 2024/25 academic year.
Asked by: Sarah Champion (Labour - Rotherham)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make it his policy to end the use of snare traps by 1st January 2025.
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 will introduce the most ambitious programme for animal welfare in a generation. As outlined in our manifesto, we will bring an end to the use of snare traps. We are considering the most effective way to deliver this commitment and will be setting out next steps in due course.
Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the cost to her Department was of Ministerial severance payments during each year from 19 December 2019 to 30 May 2024; which Ministers received a severance payment; and how much each Minister received.
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The provision of severance payments for Ministers is set out in legislation.
Details of the severance payments made to ministers when leaving office are published in the Departments’ Annual Reports and Accounts.
Asked by: James Naish (Labour - Rushcliffe)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will take steps with local authorities to broaden holiday club access to SEND children and families during holiday periods.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
This government is determined to ensure that there is high quality, accessible childcare for all children and families, including children with additional needs. The holiday activities and food (HAF) programme funding is primarily for school-aged children from reception to year 11 (inclusive) who receive benefits-related free school meals (FSM).
The majority of funding that local authorities receive should be used for holiday club places for children in receipt of FSMs. However, local authorities have discretion to use up to 15% of their funding to provide free or subsidised holiday club places for children who are not in receipt of benefits-related free school meals, but who the local authority believe could benefit from HAF provision, which could include children with special educational needs. Local authorities are responsible for understanding the needs of the children and families in their area and ensuring that the programme reaches those who need it the most.
Asked by: John Glen (Conservative - Salisbury)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 30 July 2024 to Question 939 on Civil Service, whether he has a target size for the Civil Service in headcount or full-time equivalent terms relative to the planned reductions of the previous government.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
Decisions on the future size of the Civil Service will form a key part of the comprehensive Spending Review.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he is taking steps to waive dependent visa fees for (a) foreign and (b) Commonwealth veterans.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 25 July 2024 to Question 121 to the hon. Member for South Suffolk (Mr Cartlidge).
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will take steps with Cabinet colleagues to reduce the number of civil servants.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
Decisions on the future size of the Civil Service will form a key part of the comprehensive Spending Review.
Asked by: Damian Hinds (Conservative - East Hampshire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many children of secondary school age are (a) resident and (b) on the roll in (i) the North West, (ii) Salford Local Authority, (iii) secondary planning area 3550101, (iv) secondary planning area 3550102 and (v) secondary planning area 3550103; and how many school places are unfilled in state secondary schools in those areas.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
The department does not hold information on all children and young people by residence.
Information on unfilled state secondary school places, as at May 2023, is published in the School Capacity statistics publication, which can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-capacity. This is available at region and local authority level here for the North West and Salford: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/fb3975cc-0ccd-4aee-b241-08dccd7b0275. School level information is also available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-catalogue/data-set/5f26c269-bf72-41ab-8292-e17b58ed7c98 and can be aggregated to planning area level.
This publication also contains information on the number of pupils on roll as at May 2023, to allow comparisons with data on unfilled places. However, this is not the latest data for numbers on roll. The latest published data on secondary age pupils on roll in state funded secondary schools is for January 2024 and is published in the ‘Schools, pupils and their characteristics’ publication, which can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-pupils-and-their-characteristics. This is available at a region and local authority level here for the North West and Salford: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/11b17d43-58a5-4ff9-e0d5-08dccd7b577b. School level information is also available here: https://content.explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/api/releases/6a45c262-aaca-4bda-a548-cc9d1dc63137/files/6a137329-83ce-4e2e-8043-1f15ab5c7101 and can be aggregated to planning area level.
For secondary planning area 3550101, there were 5,647 secondary pupils on roll in May 2023, with 343 secondary school places unfilled (5.8%). In January 2024, there were 5,609 pupils on roll.
For secondary planning area 3550102, there were 3,316 secondary pupils on roll in May 2023, with 212 secondary school places unfilled (6.2%). In January 2024, there were 3,364 pupils on roll.
For secondary planning area 3550103, there were 4,162 secondary pupils on roll in May 2023, with 189 secondary school places unfilled (4.4%). In January 2024, there were 4,235 pupils on roll.