Written questions by Cooper.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has made recent progress on implementing section 42 of the Flood and Water Management Act 2010.

This Government inherited a broken water system. These systemic issues require a proper reset with a reformed water sector in a new partnership with the Government to bring in the investment that is needed. The Government is committed to using legislation to reform the water sector and will continue to do so where necessary. The Government recognises that current arrangements of sewer adoption need to be reviewed, which is why private sewerage has been included in the terms of reference of the ongoing review of the water sector, chaired by Sir Jon Cunliffe to recommend reforms to reset the water sector regulatory system.

Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to support councils in (a) Mid Cheshire constituency, (b) Cheshire and (c) England to reduce homelessness.

Homelessness levels are far too high. This government recognises the devastating impact this can have on those affected.We must address this and deliver long term solutions. The Government is looking at these issues carefully and will develop a new cross government strategy, working with mayors and councils across the country to get us back on track to ending homelessness once and for all. This includes a dedicated Inter-Ministerial Group, chaired by the Deputy Prime Minister, bringing together ministers from across government.The Government is also tackling the root causes of homelessness, including the delivery of the biggest increase in social and affordable housebuilding in a generation and building 1.5 million new homes over the next parliament.There is £1.2 billion committed through the Homelessness Prevention Grant from 2022 to 2025, of which Chesire East, Cheshire West and Chester received a combined total of £6,442,462.48. Basildon received £3,743,552.85 and Thurrock £3,340,472.94. And, as announced at the Budget, funding for homelessness services is increasing next year by £233 million compared to this year (2024/25). This increased spending will help to prevent rises in the number of families in temporary accommodation and help to prevent rough sleeping.The budget committed nearly £1 billion total spend on homelessness services in 2025/26 and is the first step to getting us back on track to ending homelessness. We expect to publish allocations for funding for 2025/26 alongside the provisional Local Government Finance Settlement.

Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help increase the supply of affordable housing in (a) Mid Cheshire constituency, (b) Cheshire and (c) England.

I refer my hon Friend to the answer I gave to Question UIN 11383 on 31 October 2024.

What steps he is taking to support the development of carbon capture and storage technology.

Carbon Capture has a fundamental role to play in our clean energy future. That’s why we’ve committed £21.7bn to kickstart the industry. And last week, we saw an historic deal signed to get the UK’s first project, the East Coast Cluster, off the ground. That project will create thousands of jobs across the northeast, ensuring our industrial communities, particularly in Teesside, benefit from new opportunities in the industries of the future.

What steps she plans to take to help improve living standards in (a) Mid Cheshire constituency, (b) Cheshire and (c) England.

The Government knows UK living standards, as measured by Real Household Disposable Income (RHDI) per capita, have not grown at the pace many would have hoped for in recent years. If it had grown at the same rate between 2010 and 2023 as it did between 1997 and 2010, it would have been £4,000 higher in 2023.The Government is taking a comprehensive approach—supporting those in immediate need while addressing the structural changes necessary to fix the country's foundations. Boosting economic growth is the Government's top priority, underpinned with our ambition to raise the employment rate to 80%. To support those most in need, we have introduced a Fair Repayment Rate on debt deductions in Universal Credit and we have also extended the Household Support Fund in England, and Discretionary Housing Payments in England and Wales. Taken together, we will help families by boosting wages and putting more money in people’s pockets.At Autumn Budget 2024, the Government set out the next steps in delivering our strategy for regional growth through: devolution, investment and reform; empowering local leaders, rolling out integrated settlements which provide Mayors with more control over their funding; and investing in programmes important to growth, such as the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. This is ahead of wider local growth funding reform to be announced in the Spring. This will benefit people across the country, including in Cheshire, and the Mid Cheshire constituency.

Communities and Local Government, what progress her Department has made on ending rough sleeping in (a) Mid Cheshire constituency, (b) Cheshire and (c) the rest of England.

Homelessness levels are far too high. This can have a devastating impact on those affected.We are already taking the first steps to get back on track to ending homelessness. As announced at the Budget, funding for homelessness services is increasing next year by £233 million compared to this year (2024/25). This increased spending will help to prevent rises in the number of families in temporary accommodation and help to prevent rough sleeping. This brings total spend to nearly £1 billion in 2025/26.The Government is also taking action by setting up a dedicated Inter-Ministerial Group which the Deputy Prime Minister will chair, bringing together ministers from across government to develop a long-term strategy to put us back on track to ending homelessness.Two unitary authorities in Cheshire received funding to tackle rough sleeping through the Rough Sleeping Initiative in 2024/25:Cheshire East UA received £222 thousand; andCheshire West & Chester UA received £661 thousand.Future allocations to local authorities will be announced in due course and made available on gov.uk.

What steps his Department is taking to support high streets in (a) Mid Cheshire constituency, (b) Cheshire and (c) England.

Revitalising our high streets is a priority for this government. We are taking active steps towards creating better conditions for high street businesses to thrive, including addressing anti-social behaviour and crime, reforming business returns, working with the banking industry to roll out 350 banking hubs, stamping out late payments, empowering communities to make the most of the vacant properties, strengthening the Post Office network, reforming the apprenticeship levy, and business rates. Our Small Business Strategy Command Paper, to be published in 2025, will set out this Government’s intentions on supporting small businesses across key areas, including thriving high streets. This will build on targeted high street support from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government that is already being delivered in Cheshire.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of school libraries on pupils' (a) attainment and (b) wellbeing.

Reading for pleasure is hugely important and is associated with a range of academic, social and emotional benefits. The 2021 Progress in International Reading and Literacy Study data for England showed that the pupils who said they liked reading the most scored, on average, 34 points more than those who said they did not like reading.As well as strong links between reading for pleasure and attainment, pupils who read regularly report heightened levels of social and emotional wellbeing. For many, reading is a form of relaxation, a place to escape everyday challenges, a source of entertainment. Reading allows readers to adopt new perspectives, develop empathy and become more socially conscious. Further, wide recreational reading expands pupils’ knowledge about the world and about language, as well as their understanding of subject-specific academic and technical vocabulary.School libraries complement public libraries in giving pupils access to a range of books and other kinds of texts, both in and out of school. School funding can be used to fund book corners, school libraries and librarians.In July 2023, the department published an updated version of the reading framework. It provides guidance for schools on improving reading teaching provision and how to create a school reading culture, where every child is not only able to read proficiently, but also develops a genuine love of reading. It also includes guidance for schools on how to organise their school library, book corner or books stock to make reading accessible and attractive to readers. It suggests ways of organising and promoting books, so that pupils are well supported to choose them by and for themselves.The department acknowledges the work of the National Literacy Trust and other organisations in this area. The National Literacy Trust’s 2024 Annual Literacy Survey found that children’s reading enjoyment levels have declined, across all social grades. We will continue to engage with the sector on this important issue.

Whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential implications for its policies of the National Literacy Trust's report entitled Children and Young People's Reading in 2024, published in November 2024.

​​High and rising school standards, with excellent foundations in reading, writing and mathematics, are at the heart of the government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity and give every child the best start in life.​We know that reading for pleasure is hugely important and brings a range of benefits. As well as strong links with attainment, wide recreational reading expands pupils’ knowledge about the world and about language, as well as their understanding of subject-specific academic and technical vocabulary.​Further, pupils who read regularly report heightened levels of social and emotional wellbeing. For many, reading is a form of relaxation, a place to escape everyday challenges, a source of entertainment. Reading allows readers to adopt new perspectives, develop empathy and become more socially conscious.​In recognition of this, the department has implemented a range of measures to support reading for pleasure.​Schools are supported with the teaching of phonics, early language development and reading for pleasure with a further £23 million committed for the 2024/25 academic year to support this work. Further, the government’s reading framework provides guidance on improving reading teaching provision to ensure that every child is not only able to read proficiently, but also develops a genuine love of reading.​The current national curriculum states that teachers are expected to encourage pupils to develop the habit of reading widely and often, for both pleasure and information. The programmes of study for English make clear the importance of reading for pleasure.​The government has established an independent Curriculum and Assessment Review, covering ages 5 to 18, chaired by Professor Becky Francis CBE, an expert in education policy.​The Review will look closely at the key challenges to attainment for young people, in line with the government’s ambition for a curriculum that delivers excellent foundations in reading, writing and mathematics, and ensures every young person gets the opportunity to develop creative, digital, and speaking and listening skills particularly prized by employers.We recognise the important work of organisations such as the National Literacy Trust in promoting reading and will continue to engage with them on this important issue.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of primary school libraries on social disadvantage.

Reading for pleasure is hugely important and is associated with a range of academic, social and emotional benefits. The 2021 Progress in International Reading and Literacy Study data for England showed that the pupils who said they liked reading the most scored, on average, 34 points more than those who said they did not like reading.As well as strong links between reading for pleasure and attainment, pupils who read regularly report heightened levels of social and emotional wellbeing. For many, reading is a form of relaxation, a place to escape everyday challenges, a source of entertainment. Reading allows readers to adopt new perspectives, develop empathy and become more socially conscious. Further, wide recreational reading expands pupils’ knowledge about the world and about language, as well as their understanding of subject-specific academic and technical vocabulary.School libraries complement public libraries in giving pupils access to a range of books and other kinds of texts, both in and out of school. School funding can be used to fund book corners, school libraries and librarians.In July 2023, the department published an updated version of the reading framework. It provides guidance for schools on improving reading teaching provision and how to create a school reading culture, where every child is not only able to read proficiently, but also develops a genuine love of reading. It also includes guidance for schools on how to organise their school library, book corner or books stock to make reading accessible and attractive to readers. It suggests ways of organising and promoting books, so that pupils are well supported to choose them by and for themselves.The department acknowledges the work of the National Literacy Trust and other organisations in this area. The National Literacy Trust’s 2024 Annual Literacy Survey found that children’s reading enjoyment levels have declined, across all social grades. We will continue to engage with the sector on this important issue.

Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to increase the supply of social housing in (a) Mid Cheshire constituency, (b) Cheshire and (c) England.

I refer my Hon Friend to my answer to Question UIN 11383 on 31 October 2024.

What estimate she has made of the number of young people out of work, education and training in (a) Mid Cheshire constituency, (b) Cheshire and (c) England.

The department publishes statistics on those not in education, employment or training (NEET) for England from the labour force survey (LFS) for young people aged 16 to 24. This can be accessed at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/neet-statistics-annual-brief.The number of 16 to 24-year-olds considered as NEET in England at the end of 2023 is estimated to be 709,600, 11.9% of the population. However, these estimates are only published at national level due to limitations with sample sizes for lower-level geographies. Therefore, NEET rates for young people aged 16 to 24 in the Mid Cheshire constituency and Cheshire cannot be provided.However, local authorities are required to encourage, enable or assist young people’s participation in education or training and return management information for young people aged 16 and 17. This data is published at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/neet-and-participation-local-authority-figures.These figures show that of the 7,716 young people aged 16 and 17-years-old who were known to Cheshire East local authority, at the end of 2022, 205 were NEET or their activity was not known. This comprises 193 young people who were known to be NEET and 12 young people whom the local authority could not confirm their activity. This data is an average of December 2022, January 2023 and February 2023.In Cheshire West and Chester local authority, of the 7,263 young people aged 16 and 17-years-old who were known to the local authority at the end of 2022, 329 were NEET or their activity was not known. This comprises of 274 young people who were known to be NEET and 55 young people whom the local authority could not confirm their activity. These statistics are published as transparency data, so some caution should be taken if using these figures. Data is not available for Mid Cheshire constituency.In addition, 16 to 18 destination measures are published. These official statistics show the percentage of pupils not continuing to a sustained education, apprenticeship or employment destination in the year after completing 16 to 18 study, that is six months of continual activity. This can be used as a proxy for NEET at age 18. As Mid Cheshire was re-established as a constituency in 2024, no data is currently available, as the latest publication includes destinations in 2022/23. Data at parliamentary constituency level for 2022/23 can be found at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/819215d3-4c06-40ac-0f95-08dd167ca495.

What the barriers are to delivering a half hourly service on the Mid Cheshire line between Northwich and Manchester.

I am aware of the aspiration for increased services on the Mid-Cheshire Line, and we will continue to discuss how additional services might be provided, with stakeholders including Transport for Greater Manchester and local MPs. Any increase in services would require additional infrastructure, including to address capacity constraints between Manchester Piccadilly and Stockport.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the (a) adequacy of the condition of the canal towpath network and (b) potential merits of enabling higher levels of use of the canal towpath network for (i) walking and (ii) cycling.

Use of towpaths by walkers and cyclists is an operational matter for individual navigation authorities, and Government does not have a role in that. However, Defra provides an annual grant of £52.6 million to the Canal and River Trust, which is the largest navigation authority in England and Wales with 2,000 miles of waterways. The Trust reports that towpath user satisfaction in 2023/24 was 91%.

How much funding her Department allocated to (a) primary and (b) secondary schools in (i) Mid Cheshire constituency, (ii) Cheshire and (iii) England in each of the last 10 years.

The department cannot provide comparable funding back to 2010 due to the changes in the funding system since that time. The scope of the per pupil funding before and after the 2018/19 financial year are not directly comparable. In particular, funding for the central services provided by local authorities was split out from the schools block funding in the 2018/19 financial year, and instead funded separately through the central school services block from that year onwards. The department has therefore provided the links to the published dedicated schools grant (DSG) tables from the 2018/19 financial year to the 2024/25 financial year. In these tables we provide total allocations and average per pupil funding amounts, split by primary and secondary phase, for each local authority and at national level. The department has also provided the link to the recently published schools national funding formula (NFF) allocations for the 2025/26 financial year. In these tables we provide total allocations and per pupil funding amounts for each local authority and at national level. These per pupil figures will be used to calculate final allocations for 2025/26 through the DSG in December, based on updated pupil numbers. The department does not provide school funding figures at constituency level. The individual allocations that schools within Mid Cheshire constituency receive are determined, each year, by the local funding formula set by Cheshire local authority. Links to the published DSG tables from 2018/19 onward are below.The 2018/19 financial year DSG: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dedicated-schools-grant-dsg-2018-to-2019.The 2019/20 financial year DSG: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dedicated-schools-grant-dsg-2019-to-2020.The 2020/21 financial year DSG: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dedicated-schools-grant-dsg-2020-to-2021.The 2021/22 financial year DSG: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dedicated-schools-grant-dsg-2021-to-2022.The 2022/23 financial year DSG: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dedicated-schools-grant-dsg-2022-to-2023.The 2023/24 financial year DSG: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dedicated-schools-grant-dsg-2023-to-2024.The 2024/25 financial year DSG: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dedicated-schools-grant-dsg-2024-to-2025. The NFF table for the 2025/26 financial year: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-funding-formula-tables-for-schools-and-high-needs-2025-to-2026.

What the average (a) primary and (b) secondary school class size was in (i) Mid Cheshire constituency, (ii) Cheshire and (iii) England in each of the last five years.

The department publishes annual statistics on class sizes in state-funded schools in England here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-pupils-and-their-characteristics. The England averages for the most recent five years are available in the ‘Class size’ section of the publication. Comparable figures for local authorities can be found in files in the data catalogue or displayed via the interactive table tool. Figures for parliamentary constituencies can be calculated from the school level files listed under the heading ‘Additional supporting files’ for each annual publication. Data on parliamentary constituencies use boundaries as they were when the statistics were last published for January 2024. Statistics using new boundaries will be available in the next publication of the series in June 2025.

What the average per-pupil funding was that her Department allocated to (a) primary and (b) secondary schools in (i) Mid Cheshire constituency, (ii) Cheshire and (iii) England in each year since 2010.

The department cannot provide comparable funding back to 2010 due to the changes in the funding system since that time. The scope of the per pupil funding before and after the 2018/19 financial year are not directly comparable. In particular, funding for the central services provided by local authorities was split out from the schools block funding in the 2018/19 financial year, and instead funded separately through the central school services block from that year onwards. The department has therefore provided the links to the published dedicated schools grant (DSG) tables from the 2018/19 financial year to the 2024/25 financial year. In these tables we provide total allocations and average per pupil funding amounts, split by primary and secondary phase, for each local authority and at national level. The department has also provided the link to the recently published schools national funding formula (NFF) allocations for the 2025/26 financial year. In these tables we provide total allocations and per pupil funding amounts for each local authority and at national level. These per pupil figures will be used to calculate final allocations for 2025/26 through the DSG in December, based on updated pupil numbers. The department does not provide school funding figures at constituency level. The individual allocations that schools within Mid Cheshire constituency receive are determined, each year, by the local funding formula set by Cheshire local authority. Links to the published DSG tables from 2018/19 onward are below.The 2018/19 financial year DSG: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dedicated-schools-grant-dsg-2018-to-2019.The 2019/20 financial year DSG: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dedicated-schools-grant-dsg-2019-to-2020.The 2020/21 financial year DSG: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dedicated-schools-grant-dsg-2020-to-2021.The 2021/22 financial year DSG: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dedicated-schools-grant-dsg-2021-to-2022.The 2022/23 financial year DSG: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dedicated-schools-grant-dsg-2022-to-2023.The 2023/24 financial year DSG: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dedicated-schools-grant-dsg-2023-to-2024.The 2024/25 financial year DSG: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dedicated-schools-grant-dsg-2024-to-2025. The NFF table for the 2025/26 financial year: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-funding-formula-tables-for-schools-and-high-needs-2025-to-2026.

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of including information about school libraries in the school census return.

The department has no current plans to collect any specific data about school libraries in the school census.The school census is the department’s primary source of administrative data about pupils attending schools in England. We keep the content of all our data collections, including the school census, under review to ensure that the data we collect is necessary, feasible and minimises the data collection burden placed on the sector.

What assessment she has made of the adequacy of the guidance issued to local education authorities on funding schools for in-year (a) transfers of pupils and (b) growth in pupils on roll.

The department has allocated £242 million in Growth and Falling Rolls funding to local authorities in 2024/25 through the dedicated schools grant, which local authorities can use to support schools managing significant growth in pupil numbers. We allocate this funding to local authorities based on the actual growth in pupil numbers they experienced the previous year.The department publishes guidance on the operation of growth funding at a local level, which sets out mandatory minimum requirements for local authorities in the use of this funding. This guidance is reviewed each year. The guidance for 2024/25 is published here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pre-16-schools-funding-local-authority-guidance-for-2024-to-2025/growth-and-falling-rolls-fund-guidance-2024-to-2025.The mobility factor in the schools national funding formula (NFF) also provides funding to local authorities to support schools with high levels of pupil mobility. This factor allocates funding to schools with a high proportion of pupils who have an entry date in the last three years which is not typical. In most cases this would be where a pupil’s first recorded appearance on the school’s roll was other than the October census.In addition, the department publishes guidance for local authorities on the funding arrangements relating to pupils who are permanently excluded from one school and then move to another school. This guidance is within the Schools Funding Operational Guidance, which is also updated each year. The 2024/25 guidance is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pre-16-schools-funding-local-authority-guidance-for-2024-to-2025/schools-operational-guide-2024-to-2025.

Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of requiring students studying for a royal town planning institute course to complete a 12-month placement within a local planning authority as part of their accreditation.

The government recognise the importance of town planning students getting the broadest range of knowledge and experience as they study, including an understanding of the vital work undertaken by local planning authorities. That is why the department funds the Local Government Association’s Pathways to Planning programme. This places non-planning graduates, from a variety of backgrounds and locations, into local planning authorities whilst also receiving a bursary for an RTPI fully accredited master’s course. Many universities offer a year out in industry which benefits students and readies them for work.More broadly, the government has announced a £46 million package of investment into the planning system to support capacity and capability in local planning authorities, including through the recruitment and training of 300 graduate and apprentice planners and the development of skills needed to implement reforms and unlock housing delivery.