Asked by: Luke Myer (Labour - Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to support (a) cooperatives, (b) community land trusts and (c) other community-led initiatives to (i) support local ownership and (ii) reduce inequality.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
The government is committed to supporting communities. The Devolution White Paper, published on 16 December 2024, outlines plans for a new Community Right to Buy, allowing locals to acquire valued community spaces. The £1.5 billion Plan for Neighbourhoods will provide up to £20 million in funding over the next decade to 75 of the most deprived communities, partnering with residents, businesses, and local authorities to drive renewal.
On 25 March, we announced a £20 million support package for community-led housebuilding groups, including housing co-operatives and community land trusts. This investment, managed by Resonance Ltd, will support the construction of over 2,500 new homes in the next decade, addressing local needs. Following a consultation on the National Planning Policy Framework, we have also strengthened support for community-led housing by changing size limits on exception sites and broadening the definition of eligible organisations. Our Long-Term Housing Strategy will further support this sector's growth.
Asked by: Mel Stride (Conservative - Central Devon)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what proportion of the additional defence expenditure she announced at the Spring Statement falls under capital departmental expenditure limits; what proportion falls under resource departmental expenditure limits; and for what reason these allocations were arrived at.
Answered by Darren Jones - Minister for Intergovernmental Relations
The Chancellor’s Spring Statement document, published on 26 March, set out the Resource DEL and Capital DEL uplifts to defence spending over the scorecard period.
A greater proportion of the uplift will be Capital DEL funding. This reflects the needs of defence, and will enable the accelerated the adoption of cutting-edge capabilities, and rebuild stockpiles, munitions, and other essentials depleted after a period focussed on international terrorism and global crises. This Capital DEL focus also supports the Chancellor’s mission to boost growth, enabling greater spending on novel and innovative technologies.
The allocation of this uplift and the MOD budget will be confirmed as part of the Spending Review 2025, which will conclude on 11 June 2025.
Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether she has considered raising the Aarhus Convention cost limits on judicial reviews of development and infrastructure.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The Government remains committed to protecting access to justice in environmental cases, while supporting the timely delivery of infrastructure projects under the Government’s Growth Mission. The issue of cost caps relating to Judicial Review in the planning context was considered by Lord Banner in his independent review published in October 2024. He did not recommend any change to the default cost caps in Aarhus cases. Judges already have the power to vary costs caps upwards or downwards according to the particular circumstances in a case.
In addition, between September and December 2024, the Government ran a Call for Evidence on access to justice in relation to the Aarhus Convention. This Call for Evidence considers the recommendations of the Aarhus Convention Compliance Committee (ACCC) regarding whether changes are required to the Environmental Costs Protection Regime (ECPR).
The Government intends to publish a response to the Call for Evidence in the coming months.
Asked by: Lord Johnson of Marylebone (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the change in total fee incomes to all higher education providers resulting from the increase in undergraduate tuition fees for the 2025–26 academic year.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The government recognises that UK higher education (HE) creates opportunity, is an engine for growth in our economy and supports local communities. The 3.1% increase to tuition fee limits for the 2025/26 academic year will provide additional financial help for HE providers after seven years of no increases to maximum tuition fees, which has meant that fees have not kept pace with inflation. The department plans to publish an assessment of impacts, including on equality, of the planned tuition fee and student finance changes shortly.
The department is aware that HE providers will have to pay increased National Insurance contributions. As my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer set out in the Autumn Budget 2024 statement, raising the revenue required to fund public services and restore economic stability requires difficult decisions, which is why the government has asked employers to contribute more.
The Office for Students (OfS) is responsible for monitoring and reporting on the financial sustainability of the HE sector. The OfS has made its own estimate of the impacts in their update published on 15 November 2024, and the update is attached.
The department also understands the financial pressures that the sector is currently facing, which is why my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education has already taken the first step of appointing Sir David Behan as interim Chair of the OfS to oversee the important work of refocussing the OfS’s role to concentrate on key priorities, including the HE sector’s financial sustainability. The department continues to work closely with the OfS as the independent regulator of HE in England to understand the changing financial landscape.
The department knows how vital securing a sustainable future for the HE sector is for the success of students. We will set out our longer term plans for HE reform by next summer.
Asked by: Lord Johnson of Marylebone (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the financial impact of the increase in employer National Insurance contributions announced in the Autumn Budget on higher education providers.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The government recognises that UK higher education (HE) creates opportunity, is an engine for growth in our economy and supports local communities. The 3.1% increase to tuition fee limits for the 2025/26 academic year will provide additional financial help for HE providers after seven years of no increases to maximum tuition fees, which has meant that fees have not kept pace with inflation. The department plans to publish an assessment of impacts, including on equality, of the planned tuition fee and student finance changes shortly.
The department is aware that HE providers will have to pay increased National Insurance contributions. As my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer set out in the Autumn Budget 2024 statement, raising the revenue required to fund public services and restore economic stability requires difficult decisions, which is why the government has asked employers to contribute more.
The Office for Students (OfS) is responsible for monitoring and reporting on the financial sustainability of the HE sector. The OfS has made its own estimate of the impacts in their update published on 15 November 2024, and the update is attached.
The department also understands the financial pressures that the sector is currently facing, which is why my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education has already taken the first step of appointing Sir David Behan as interim Chair of the OfS to oversee the important work of refocussing the OfS’s role to concentrate on key priorities, including the HE sector’s financial sustainability. The department continues to work closely with the OfS as the independent regulator of HE in England to understand the changing financial landscape.
The department knows how vital securing a sustainable future for the HE sector is for the success of students. We will set out our longer term plans for HE reform by next summer.
Asked by: Lord Johnson of Marylebone (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government, for the purposes of increases in undergraduate tuition fees in the 2025–26 academic year, which higher education providers in the Approved (fee cap) category of registration with the Office for Students are providers without a Teaching Excellence Framework award but with an Access and Participation Plan.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The government recognises that UK higher education (HE) creates opportunity, is an engine for growth in our economy and supports local communities. In recognition of the financial challenges the sector is facing, the government has made the difficult decision to increase tuition fee limits for the 2025/26 academic year in line with the forecast rate of inflation of 3.1%. This will provide additional financial help for HE providers in 2025/26 after seven years of no increases to maximum tuition fees, meaning that fee limits have not kept pace with inflation.
Maximum fees for approved (fee cap) providers without a Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) award and with an access and participation plan will increase by £275 in the 2025/26 academic year from £9,000 to £9,275.
This 3.1% increase is in line with the same percentage uplift to maximum fees for approved (fee cap) providers with a TEF award and with an access and participation plan from £9,250 to £9,535.
There are 58 providers in the approved (fee cap) category of the Office for Students (OfS) Register that do not have a TEF award but do have an access and participation plan for 2024/25. The OfS Register, with these providers, can be viewed here: https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/for-providers/regulatory-resources/the-ofs-register.
Asked by: Lord Johnson of Marylebone (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what is the reason for limiting higher education providers without a Teaching Excellence Framework award but with an Access and Participation Plan to undergraduate tuition fee increases of only £25 for full-time courses in the 2024–25 academic year.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The government recognises that UK higher education (HE) creates opportunity, is an engine for growth in our economy and supports local communities. In recognition of the financial challenges the sector is facing, the government has made the difficult decision to increase tuition fee limits for the 2025/26 academic year in line with the forecast rate of inflation of 3.1%. This will provide additional financial help for HE providers in 2025/26 after seven years of no increases to maximum tuition fees, meaning that fee limits have not kept pace with inflation.
Maximum fees for approved (fee cap) providers without a Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) award and with an access and participation plan will increase by £275 in the 2025/26 academic year from £9,000 to £9,275.
This 3.1% increase is in line with the same percentage uplift to maximum fees for approved (fee cap) providers with a TEF award and with an access and participation plan from £9,250 to £9,535.
There are 58 providers in the approved (fee cap) category of the Office for Students (OfS) Register that do not have a TEF award but do have an access and participation plan for 2024/25. The OfS Register, with these providers, can be viewed here: https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/for-providers/regulatory-resources/the-ofs-register.
Asked by: Saqib Bhatti (Conservative - Meriden and Solihull East)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if he will make an assessment of the potential contribution of a digital inclusion strategy to (a) stopping the spread of misinformation and (b) increasing public trust in social media.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Digital inclusion is a key priority for the government and it is shocking that the previous government’s out-of-date digital inclusion strategy was published a full decade ago, despite clear evidence that digital exclusion limits economic growth and harms individuals’ chances to study, work and participate fully in society and the modern economy.
Alongside the duties the Online Safety Act places on social media platforms to minimise harmful content, including illegal disinformation, we need to enhance media literacy, so that users are more resilient online. Part of having the requisite skills to navigate the online world safely is the ability to engage critically with misleading content.
Asked by: Tom Hayes (Labour - Bournemouth East)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will introduce annual limits to in-tenancy rent increases linked to (a) inflation and (b) real median income growth.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Government has no plans to do so. Our recently introduced Renters’ Rights Bill includes provisions designed to empower private renters to challenge unreasonable rent increases.
Asked by: Feryal Clark (Labour - Enfield North)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many and what proportion of schools in (a) Enfield North constituency, (b) the London Borough of Enfield and (c) London received school improvement grants in (i) 2010-2017 and (ii) 2017-2023; how many grants were received in each period; and what the total amount for each school was in each period.
Answered by Damian Hinds
Departmental records show that:
(a) In the Enfield North constituency, no schools received or benefited from specific school improvement grants between 2010 and 2017. Between 2017 and the end of December 2023, 11 schools (c.21%) received or benefited from those specific school improvement grants.
(b) In the London Borough of Enfield, four schools (c.3%) received or benefited from specific school improvement grants between 2010 and 2017. Between 2017 and the end of December 2023, 23 schools (c.19%) received or benefited from specific school improvement grants.
(c) In London, 157 schools (c.4%) and nine academy trusts received or benefited from specific school improvement grants between 2010 and 2017. Between 2017 and the end of December 2023, 290 schools (c.10%) and 35 academy trusts received or benefited from specific school improvement grants.
The following specific grants have been included in this analysis:
The department has limited this analysis to state-funded schools or establishments. The department has also included grants allocated for sponsored academy conversions as a result of government intervention between 2010 to date, as well as grants for transferring academies between academy trusts between 2012 to date, because these grants may include elements for school improvement activities.
This analysis has been limited to these grants as they can be quantified for some of the time periods requested. The department's policy of retaining financial records for seven years limits access to data before the 2016/17 financial year. Older data included in this analysis may be incomplete. Other grants by the department may contribute less directly to wider school improvement. In addition, many of these and other grants are allocated via academy trusts or other organisations and so schools may benefit indirectly without being the designated recipient from the department. Finally, not all grant programs have been operational throughout the entire 2010 to 2023 period.
For a summary of the grants awarded, please refer to Tables 1a-1c attached. For detailed grant awards to schools, where available, please see attached Tables 2a-2c.