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Written Question
Schools: Concrete
Wednesday 27th March 2024

Asked by: Ian Lavery (Labour - Wansbeck)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many and what proportion of schools affected by reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete have had remedial work completed in the last 12 months.

Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)

A list of education settings with confirmed RAAC and the funding route to remove RAAC was published on 8 February. This is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/reinforced-autoclaved-aerated-concrete-raac-management-information.

The government is funding the removal of RAAC either through grants, or through the School Rebuilding Programme (SRP). The longer-term requirements of each school or college will vary depending on the extent of the issue and nature and design of the buildings. Permanently removing RAAC may involve refurbishment of existing buildings or rebuilding affected buildings.

Schools joining the SRP will be prioritised for delivery according to the condition need of their buildings, readiness to proceed, and efficiency of delivery. The department will also take into account the suitability and longevity of the temporary accommodation they are using. The department has committed to responsible bodies that it will confirm when works are expected to start by the end of the summer term.

For schools and colleges receiving grants, the department is working with responsible bodies to support them to agree the scope of works they are procuring. In some cases, this may involve undertaking technical assessments to inform the design of building works and in other cases the removal of RAAC is already underway and will be completed in the coming months.


Written Question
Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage
Monday 18th March 2024

Asked by: Lord Morrow (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask His Majesty's Government, following their announcement of the proposed ratification of the 2003 UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, what is their reason for not proposing a threshold of longevity for recognition of a cultural practice.

Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

HM Government has taken on board guidance from UNESCO which defines Intangible Cultural Heritage as ‘traditional, contemporary, and living at the same time’. In line with this, we want to ensure that newer practices of Intangible Cultural Heritage can be recognised as well as more long-standing ones.


Written Question
Police: Finance
Thursday 8th February 2024

Asked by: Alistair Strathern (Labour - Mid Bedfordshire)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether his Department plans to complete its review of the police funding formula before the end of this Parliamentary session.

Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Government is clear on the need to review the distribution of funding across forces in England and Wales, which is why we are undertaking a review of the formula. We have engaged closely with the policing sector on an evidence-based assessment of policing demand and the relative impact of local factors on forces, and this work remains ongoing.

Our priority is to deliver a robust, future-proofed funding formula that allocates funding in a fair and transparent manner. Although we are working to introduce new funding arrangements as soon as feasible, their quality and longevity is our focus.


Written Question
Roads: Repairs and Maintenance
Monday 18th September 2023

Asked by: Matthew Offord (Conservative - Hendon)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate his Department has made of the cost to the public purse of maintenance per mile on (a) motorways, (b) the strategic road network and (c) the local road network in the 2022-23 financial year.

Answered by Richard Holden - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)

The plans for maintaining and renewing the Strategic Road Network (SRN) are set as part of a five-year Road Investment Strategy and are aimed at sustaining the availability, safety, performance, operation, reliability, and longevity of the SRN’s physical assets to deliver value to road users.

National Highways are responsible for the management of the Strategic Road Network which includes motorways and some major A roads, and their expenditure on Maintenance and Renewals is published online in its annual report and accounts:

https://nationalhighways.co.uk/media/0k1mwvsp/nh_ar23_interactive.pdf.

This reflects that in the financial year 2022/23 National Highways spent £240 million on maintenance of the SRN and £908 million on renewals (replacement or refurbishment of assets as they reach the end of their service life).

The Annual Report and Accounts also outlines that NH oversees 4,541 miles of road across its network. On average more is spent on maintaining each mile of the SRN compared to each mile of the local road network, which reflects the considerably higher traffic volumes carried.

On the local road network, local authority expenditure data is collected by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC). Total expenditure data is only available up until 2021/22, where total maintenance expenditure for local authority roads was £4.168 billion.


Written Question
Teachers: Workplace Pensions
Monday 12th June 2023

Asked by: Lloyd Russell-Moyle (Labour (Co-op) - Brighton, Kemptown)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of the level of Teachers’ Pensions Scheme employer contributions on (a) the budgets of Higher Educational institutions and (b) the number of academic jobs in the higher education sector.

Answered by Robert Halfon

The Teachers’ Pension Scheme (TPS) is one of the best pension schemes available. It is a defined benefit scheme, which means that members receive an index-linked income in retirement, that it has a large employer contribution element, and that it is underwritten by HM Treasury.

The arrangements for valuing public service pension schemes, like the TPS, recognise that there are a wide number of factors that affect the cost of providing the benefits involved, and those factors are subject to regular change, including longevity, member behaviour and economic performance. Reviewing those factors every four years, which is in line with practice for similar pension schemes, is necessary to ensure that the contribution rate employers pay reflects a reasonably up-to-date view of costs, including for higher education (HE) providers. There would be limited value in seeking to forecast likely costs beyond that because of the potential for the wide range of factors involved to change, and therefore there are no plans to make such forecasts currently.

In recognition of the cost pressure a potential increase to employer contribution rates would bring to existing departmental budgets, on 30 March 2023 the Government announced its commitment to providing funding for employers whose employment costs are centrally funded. HE providers are not covered by this commitment. This is consistent with the decision to not fund a similar TPS cost increase in 2019. The Department expects the 2020 TPS valuation to be completed and revised employers’ contribution rates to be confirmed in September 2023. At this point it will be possible for HE providers to accurately assess how any changes in employers’ contribution rates may affect budgets.

The Department recognises that, while the Office for Students’ annual report on financial sustainability finds that university finances generally remain in good shape, there remains a wide spread of financial performance across the sector. The Department, along with HM Treasury, recognise the importance of this issue, and will continue discussions about the implications for HE providers. The Government will confirm its position on this issue in due course.


Written Question
Teachers: Workplace Pensions
Monday 12th June 2023

Asked by: Lloyd Russell-Moyle (Labour (Co-op) - Brighton, Kemptown)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of expanding the scope of Teachers' Pension Employer Contribution Grants to include Higher Education institutions in the context of increases in Teachers’ Pensions Scheme employer contributions.

Answered by Robert Halfon

The Teachers’ Pension Scheme (TPS) is one of the best pension schemes available. It is a defined benefit scheme, which means that members receive an index-linked income in retirement, that it has a large employer contribution element, and that it is underwritten by HM Treasury.

The arrangements for valuing public service pension schemes, like the TPS, recognise that there are a wide number of factors that affect the cost of providing the benefits involved, and those factors are subject to regular change, including longevity, member behaviour and economic performance. Reviewing those factors every four years, which is in line with practice for similar pension schemes, is necessary to ensure that the contribution rate employers pay reflects a reasonably up-to-date view of costs, including for higher education (HE) providers. There would be limited value in seeking to forecast likely costs beyond that because of the potential for the wide range of factors involved to change, and therefore there are no plans to make such forecasts currently.

In recognition of the cost pressure a potential increase to employer contribution rates would bring to existing departmental budgets, on 30 March 2023 the Government announced its commitment to providing funding for employers whose employment costs are centrally funded. HE providers are not covered by this commitment. This is consistent with the decision to not fund a similar TPS cost increase in 2019. The Department expects the 2020 TPS valuation to be completed and revised employers’ contribution rates to be confirmed in September 2023. At this point it will be possible for HE providers to accurately assess how any changes in employers’ contribution rates may affect budgets.

The Department recognises that, while the Office for Students’ annual report on financial sustainability finds that university finances generally remain in good shape, there remains a wide spread of financial performance across the sector. The Department, along with HM Treasury, recognise the importance of this issue, and will continue discussions about the implications for HE providers. The Government will confirm its position on this issue in due course.


Written Question
Teachers: Workplace Pensions
Monday 12th June 2023

Asked by: Lloyd Russell-Moyle (Labour (Co-op) - Brighton, Kemptown)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of providing Higher Education institutions with transitional relief subsidies to help cover the cost of rises in Teachers' Pensions Scheme employer contributions.

Answered by Robert Halfon

The Teachers’ Pension Scheme (TPS) is one of the best pension schemes available. It is a defined benefit scheme, which means that members receive an index-linked income in retirement, that it has a large employer contribution element, and that it is underwritten by HM Treasury.

The arrangements for valuing public service pension schemes, like the TPS, recognise that there are a wide number of factors that affect the cost of providing the benefits involved, and those factors are subject to regular change, including longevity, member behaviour and economic performance. Reviewing those factors every four years, which is in line with practice for similar pension schemes, is necessary to ensure that the contribution rate employers pay reflects a reasonably up-to-date view of costs, including for higher education (HE) providers. There would be limited value in seeking to forecast likely costs beyond that because of the potential for the wide range of factors involved to change, and therefore there are no plans to make such forecasts currently.

In recognition of the cost pressure a potential increase to employer contribution rates would bring to existing departmental budgets, on 30 March 2023 the Government announced its commitment to providing funding for employers whose employment costs are centrally funded. HE providers are not covered by this commitment. This is consistent with the decision to not fund a similar TPS cost increase in 2019. The Department expects the 2020 TPS valuation to be completed and revised employers’ contribution rates to be confirmed in September 2023. At this point it will be possible for HE providers to accurately assess how any changes in employers’ contribution rates may affect budgets.

The Department recognises that, while the Office for Students’ annual report on financial sustainability finds that university finances generally remain in good shape, there remains a wide spread of financial performance across the sector. The Department, along with HM Treasury, recognise the importance of this issue, and will continue discussions about the implications for HE providers. The Government will confirm its position on this issue in due course.


Written Question
Teachers: Workplace Pensions
Monday 12th June 2023

Asked by: Lloyd Russell-Moyle (Labour (Co-op) - Brighton, Kemptown)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of creating a long-term forecast of scheduled increases to Teachers' Pension Scheme employer contributions on Higher Education institutions.

Answered by Robert Halfon

The Teachers’ Pension Scheme (TPS) is one of the best pension schemes available. It is a defined benefit scheme, which means that members receive an index-linked income in retirement, that it has a large employer contribution element, and that it is underwritten by HM Treasury.

The arrangements for valuing public service pension schemes, like the TPS, recognise that there are a wide number of factors that affect the cost of providing the benefits involved, and those factors are subject to regular change, including longevity, member behaviour and economic performance. Reviewing those factors every four years, which is in line with practice for similar pension schemes, is necessary to ensure that the contribution rate employers pay reflects a reasonably up-to-date view of costs, including for higher education (HE) providers. There would be limited value in seeking to forecast likely costs beyond that because of the potential for the wide range of factors involved to change, and therefore there are no plans to make such forecasts currently.

In recognition of the cost pressure a potential increase to employer contribution rates would bring to existing departmental budgets, on 30 March 2023 the Government announced its commitment to providing funding for employers whose employment costs are centrally funded. HE providers are not covered by this commitment. This is consistent with the decision to not fund a similar TPS cost increase in 2019. The Department expects the 2020 TPS valuation to be completed and revised employers’ contribution rates to be confirmed in September 2023. At this point it will be possible for HE providers to accurately assess how any changes in employers’ contribution rates may affect budgets.

The Department recognises that, while the Office for Students’ annual report on financial sustainability finds that university finances generally remain in good shape, there remains a wide spread of financial performance across the sector. The Department, along with HM Treasury, recognise the importance of this issue, and will continue discussions about the implications for HE providers. The Government will confirm its position on this issue in due course.


Written Question
Teachers: Workplace Pensions
Monday 12th June 2023

Asked by: Lloyd Russell-Moyle (Labour (Co-op) - Brighton, Kemptown)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department plans to take steps to support Higher Education institutions with the cost of (a) staffing and (b) course provision to cover potential increases in Teachers' Pension Scheme employer contributions.

Answered by Robert Halfon

The Teachers’ Pension Scheme (TPS) is one of the best pension schemes available. It is a defined benefit scheme, which means that members receive an index-linked income in retirement, that it has a large employer contribution element, and that it is underwritten by HM Treasury.

The arrangements for valuing public service pension schemes, like the TPS, recognise that there are a wide number of factors that affect the cost of providing the benefits involved, and those factors are subject to regular change, including longevity, member behaviour and economic performance. Reviewing those factors every four years, which is in line with practice for similar pension schemes, is necessary to ensure that the contribution rate employers pay reflects a reasonably up-to-date view of costs, including for higher education (HE) providers. There would be limited value in seeking to forecast likely costs beyond that because of the potential for the wide range of factors involved to change, and therefore there are no plans to make such forecasts currently.

In recognition of the cost pressure a potential increase to employer contribution rates would bring to existing departmental budgets, on 30 March 2023 the Government announced its commitment to providing funding for employers whose employment costs are centrally funded. HE providers are not covered by this commitment. This is consistent with the decision to not fund a similar TPS cost increase in 2019. The Department expects the 2020 TPS valuation to be completed and revised employers’ contribution rates to be confirmed in September 2023. At this point it will be possible for HE providers to accurately assess how any changes in employers’ contribution rates may affect budgets.

The Department recognises that, while the Office for Students’ annual report on financial sustainability finds that university finances generally remain in good shape, there remains a wide spread of financial performance across the sector. The Department, along with HM Treasury, recognise the importance of this issue, and will continue discussions about the implications for HE providers. The Government will confirm its position on this issue in due course.


Written Question
Roads: Electric Vehicles
Monday 5th June 2023

Asked by: Greg Knight (Conservative - East Yorkshire)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an assessment of the potential effect of heavier electric vehicles using the public highway on the durability and longevity of existing road surfaces; if he will publish details of that assessment; and if he will make a statement.

Answered by Jesse Norman

Increasing volumes of electric vehicles (EVs) are likely to have minimal impacts on roads in general, including on deterioration and longevity. Vehicles have been increasing in weight for many years, driven by consumer choice and improving safety and environmental performance technologies. While some EVs are heavier than their internal combustion engine (ICE) equivalents, there are many examples where EVs are lighter than the heaviest ICE vehicles currently on the market.

Maximum axle weight or gross vehicle weight limits are in place to avoid excessive road wear and damage. Heavy commercial vehicles, rather than passenger vehicles, are the dominant factor determining road design and weight limits.