Asked by: Patrick Spencer (Independent - Central Suffolk and North Ipswich)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of funding the construction of a Northern Bypass around Ipswich.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Ipswich Northern Bypass was a scheme developed by Suffolk County Council, who are the Local Transport Authority for this region. A decision was taken locally by Suffolk County Council to withdraw the scheme back in 2020.
Suffolk County Council did not engage with the Department on the scheme and did not submit a Strategic Outline Business Case before withdrawing it. As a result, the Department has never been in a position to assess the proposal.
The department would go through the relevant assessment process if this or other schemes were put forward and if funding became available in the future.
Asked by: Patrick Spencer (Independent - Central Suffolk and North Ipswich)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions she has had with Suffolk County Council regarding the construction of a Northern Bypass around Ipswich.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Ipswich Northern Bypass was a scheme developed by Suffolk County Council, who are the Local Transport Authority for this region. A decision was taken locally by Suffolk County Council to withdraw the scheme back in 2020.
Suffolk County Council did not engage with the Department on the scheme and never submitted a Strategic Outline Business Case to progress the scheme.
The department would go through the relevant assessment process if this or other schemes were put forward and if funding became available in the future.
Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to help tackle barriers to work for disabled people in Harpenden and Berkhamsted constituency.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Good work is good for health, so we want everyone to get work and get on in work, whoever they are and wherever they live. Backed by £240 million investment, the Get Britain Working White Paper launched in November 2024 is driving forward approaches to tackling economic inactivity.
Disabled people are a diverse group so access to the right work and health support, in the right place, at the right time, is key. We therefore have a range of specialist initiatives to support individuals to stay in work and get back into work, including those that join up employment and health systems.
Existing measures include support from Work Coaches and Disability Employment Advisers (DEAs) in Jobcentres and Access to Work grants, as well as joining up health and employment support around the individual through Employment Advisors in NHS Talking Therapies, Individual Placement and Support (IPS) in Primary Care and WorkWell. We are also rolling out Connect to Work, our supported employment programme for anyone who is disabled, has a health condition or is experiencing more complex barriers to work.
DWP is working with the NHS and Hertfordshire County Council (HCC) as part of the Get Hertfordshire Working strategic plan. DWP and the NHS co-chair the Work and Health subgroup of the plan. This group is working with local employers and key partners from the statutory, education and voluntary sectors, to support residents with health conditions to both stay in and return to work through a range of activities such as employment and skills training and providing support in managing their health conditions. The group is also developing employment pathways such as work experience, internships, and apprenticeships with partner agencies.
DEAs in the Jobcentres supporting the constituency hold in-depth Work Ability conversations that focus on strengths, suitable work options, workplace adjustments and confidence building. There is a Weekly Wednesday Job Club for Berkhamsted customers. As part of the Pathways to Work initiative DEAs work in collaboration with HCC to deliver joined up services for residents by supporting disabled people into employment through our Connect to Work programme, referrals to Employment Advisors in Talking Therapies and IPS.
We set out our plan for the Pathways to Work Guarantee in our Pathways to Work Green Paper and are building towards our guaranteed offer of personalised work, health and skills support for disabled people and people with health conditions on out of work benefits. The guarantee is backed by £1 billion a year of new, additional funding by the end of the decade. We anticipate the guarantee, once fully rolled out, will include: a support conversation to identify next steps, one-to-one caseworker support, periodic engagement, and an offer of specialist long-term work health and skills support.
The 10 Year Health Plan, published in July, builds on existing work to better integrate health with employment support and incentivise greater cross-system collaboration, recognising good work is good for health. The Plan also states the Government’s intention to break down barriers to opportunity by delivering the holistic support that people need to access and thrive in employment by ensuring a better health service for everyone, regardless of condition or service area. It outlines how the neighbourhood health service will join up support from across the work, health and skills systems to help address the multiple complex challenges that often stop people finding and staying in work.
Asked by: Ben Spencer (Conservative - Runnymede and Weybridge)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what progress her Department has made on the River Thames Scheme; what her planned timetable is for that scheme; and what the (a) current and (b) projected expenditure is for that scheme, in the context of the project’s mid-project review.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Significant progress has been made in preparing for The River Thames Scheme to undergo Statutory Consultation to inform the application of a Development Consent Order (DCO).
The mid-project review, initiated by Project Sponsors: The Environment Agency (EA) and Surrey County Council, is ensuring the scheme design is optimised before finalising the DCO.
In addition, the Sponsors commissioned the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority (NISTA) to independently assess the readiness of the project and sponsoring organisations to deliver the project. The cost of the development work up to this point has been £104 million.
The EA will be bringing forward an updated business case this Summer, which will set out the revised timetable to submit the DCO, an updated cost assessment, and any revised arrangement for delivery of the scheme.
Subject to approval of this business case, the next stage in progressing the project is to secure the DCO.
Asked by: James Cleverly (Conservative - Braintree)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what his planned timetable is for determining the (a) principal and (b) geography of a combined authority for Surrey.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
On 28 October 2025 the government set out its position that simplifying local government in Surrey also provides a strong foundation for devolution. We have begun working with partners across Surrey, including new unitary authorities once established, to put in place a strategic authority for the area. The legislation to establish the new authorities is currently before the House and they would be the constituent authorities of a Surrey Strategic Authority. This will help ensure that relevant functions held at the county level, such as transport and adult skills, can continue to be delivered on that geographic footprint where possible. The establishment of a strategic authority would be subject to the relevant statutory tests being met and local consent.
Asked by: Liz Jarvis (Liberal Democrat - Eastleigh)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to provide funding for well-lit, connected and protected cycling infrastructure in Eastleigh.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
Active Travel England (ATE) recognises that high‑quality active travel routes must be well-designed, well-lit and safe to support walking, wheeling and cycling.
On 10 December, the Department announced £626 million of multi-year capability funding to support active travel across England. As part of this allocation, Hampshire County Council, of which Eastleigh is a part, will receive £23,094,356 for the period 2026/27 to 2029/30. Local authorities may use this funding to plan and deliver well‑designed route layouts, appropriate and inclusive lighting, and safety improvements such as segregated cycle lanes.
ATE also provides technical support and guidance to ensure local authorities deliver high‑quality schemes. National guidance, including Local Transport Note 1/20: Cycle Infrastructure Design, Manual for Streets, and Inclusive Mobility, sets clear expectations for the design of safe and accessible cycling infrastructure.
Asked by: Julia Buckley (Labour - Shrewsbury)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when she plans to lay secondary legislation enabling local authorities outside London to enforce against pavement parking.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
We will lay secondary legislation later in 2026 to give local authorities powers to issue Penalty Charge Notices for vehicles parked in a way that unnecessarily obstructs the pavement.
At the next opportunity we will then introduce the necessary primary legislation to make powers available on an opt-in basis to Local Transport Authorities to prohibit pavement parking across their whole area. They will also have powers to exempt locations where pavement parking would still be necessary to maintain traffic flow, such as in narrow streets. Where there is no Strategic Authority, Unitary Authorities and County Councils would also have the choice to opt in.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) the current elections in Myanmar, (2) the impact of those elections on human rights in Myanmar, and (3) the implications for the regions of the county that are excluded from voting in those elections.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
We continue to support the aspirations of the people of Myanmar for a peaceful, democratic future. However, there is little sign that the recent elections will achieve an end to violence, advance dialogue, or address the urgent requirements to allow access for humanitarian assistance and bring an end to human rights violations.
In December 2025, the UK convened the UN Security Council to discuss the Myanmar elections, emphasising ongoing human rights concerns and the humanitarian situation:
https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/elections-under-the-current-circumstances-in-myanmar-risk-provoking-further-violence-uk-statement-on-myanmar
We have also continued to signal concern over the election conditions, including at the UN Third Committee on Human Rights in November 2025:
https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/the-uk-is-concerned-by-the-ongoing-violence-in-myanmar-including-escalating-human-rights-violations-and-increasing-reports-of-sexual-andgender-based
We continue to support ASEAN's leadership on the crisis, including the work of the Special Envoy and the need for full implementation of the Five Point Consensus. In addition, we will continue to use our penholder role to spotlight the Myanmar crisis and raise our concerns with international allies within the UN Security Council and other international fora.
Asked by: Adam Dance (Liberal Democrat - Yeovil)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of Storm Chandra on children’s education in Yeovil constituency.
Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
The department is working closely with Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to monitor the impacts of Storm Chandra on education.
School closures are reported at local authority level, rather than at a constituency level. On 28 January 2026, Somerset Council reported on nine school closures in the county, none of which were in the Yeovil area. In addition, the local authority reported only one school closure due to flooding, in Taunton. The school reopened on 3 February 2026.
We provide guidance to schools and other childcare settings on how to prepare for and respond to emergencies, including severe weather.
Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much funding will be available for new special educational needs and disabilities schools through the Special Free Schools Programme in Surrey Heath constituency.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
There are three planned special free schools in the county of Surrey. We are making a funding package available to the local authority so they can deliver the places planned for these schools themselves more quickly and with a greater focus on mainstream inclusion where appropriate. The total funding available to Surrey is up to £27 million.
For the two schools in Surrey that are closest to delivery, the local authority has a choice about whether to continue with the school or take the funding package. The department will fund the capital delivery of schools the local authority chooses to proceed with in the usual way.
Local authorities have until 27 February 2026 to make their decisions, and we will confirm the total funding for all local authorities, as well as the schools that are going ahead, in due course after that date.
We have also confirmed that £3 billion will be invested between 2025/26 and 2029/2030 to support local authorities to create places outside of the free schools programme. Local authority allocations for 2026/27 will be published in the Spring.