Written questions by Stephenson.

Whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of apprenticeship levy reforms on Chartered Town Planner Level 7 Apprenticeships.

I refer the hon. Member for Mid Bedfordshire to the answer of 20 January 2025 to Question 23140.

Pursuant to the Answer of 24 January 2025 to Question 24312 on Health Services: Pensioners, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of holding that data centrally.

The Department does not intend to collect this data. Annual budgets given to integrated care boards cover most National Health Service spending. The allocations process uses a statistical formula to make geographic distribution fair and objective, so that it reflects local healthcare need, including demand for services during the winter period. In addition, there are no plans to link NHS activity data to data on whether an individual is drawing a pension.

Innovation and Technology, what steps he is taking to support university-partnered venture capital investment companies outside the Oxford, Cambridge and London triangle; and whether Ministers in his Department have met with those companies.

The Government is committed to driving innovation and economic growth across the UK. DSIT Ministers regularly meet with investors in science and technology sectors. Research England’s Connecting Capabilities Fund (CCF) has supported university collaborations, leading to the Northern Gritstone and Midlands Mindforge venture capital funds, and the Northern Accelerator. Innovate UK’s Investor Partnerships programme supports investors like Northern Gritstone and Qantx with R&D funding for their companies. The government supports venture capital through tax reliefs such as the Enterprise Investment Scheme and programmes from the British Business Bank who are an investor in Northern Gritstone. Government continues to assess opportunities to strengthen the UK’s leadership in innovation-led investment.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to her Department's press release entitled Bureaucratic burden lifted to speed up building in growth agenda, published on 10 March 2025, whether there will be a dedicated statutory consultee assessing the potential impact of development on historic (a) parks, (b) gardens and (c) designed landscapes following the removal of the Gardens Trust.

I refer the hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 10 March 2025 (HCWS510).

Pursuant to the Answer of 12 February 2025 to Question 28608 on Employers' Contributions: Public Sector, whether the funding provided will offset the full impact.

At Autumn Budget 2024, the Government set aside funding to support the public sector with the additional cost of employer National Insurance Contributions. This support funding amounts to £4.7 billion in 2025-26, inclusive of Barnett consequentials. This funding was based on an estimate of the proportion of employer NICs receipts paid by public sector organisations, using the Office for National Statistics (ONS) classification of the public sector boundary. This funding has since been allocated to departments and other public sector employers, with shares based on data covering headcount, wage and salary costs, with the Barnett formula applying in the usual way. The Government plans to publish the allocations for departments alongside departmental budgets for 2025/26 as part of Mains estimates.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to her Department's press release entitled Bureaucratic burden lifted to speed up building in growth agenda, published on 10 March 2025, which statutory consultees she plans to consult on removing.

I refer the hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 10 March 2025 (HCWS510).

Pursuant to the Answer of 13 February 2025 to Question 29193 on Hospitality Industry: Employment, whether her Department has done a sector specific analysis of the projected impact of the Autumn Budget 2024 on employment in hospitality.

The Government has taken a number of difficult but necessary decisions on tax, welfare, and spending to fix the public finances and fund public services.The Government has set out the impacts of the policy changes from Autumn Budget 2024 in the usual way.For example, a Tax Information and Impact Note (TIIN) was published alongside the introduction of the Bill containing the changes to employer NICs. The TIIN sets out the impact of the policy on the exchequer, the economic impacts of the policy, and the impacts on individuals, businesses, and civil society organisations, as well as an overview of the equality impacts.As set out previously, the Office for Budget Responsibility also published the Economic and Fiscal Outlook (EFO), which sets out a detailed forecast of the economy and public finances.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to her Department's press release entitled Bureaucratic burden lifted to speed up building in growth agenda, published on 10 March 2025, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the removal of Sport England as a statutory consultee on new sports facilities.

I refer the hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 10 March 2025 (HCWS510).

Pursuant to the Answer of 17 February 2025 to Question 29957 on Bank Services and Banking Hubs, if her Department will direct the Financial Conduct Authority to require the creation of banking hubs in new towns without banking services.

Banking has changed significantly in recent years with many customers benefiting from the ease and convenience of remote banking. However, the Government understands the importance of face-to-face banking to communities and high streets in new towns and across the UK and is committed to championing sufficient access for all as a priority. This is why the Government is working closely with industry to roll out 350 banking hubs across the UK. The UK banking sector has committed to deliver these hubs by the end of this Parliament. Over 220 hubs have been announced so far, and over 135 are already open. The Financial Services and Markets Act 2023 granted the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) the responsibility and powers to seek to ensure the reasonable provision of cash withdrawal and deposit facilities. Under the FCA’s regime, LINK, the operator of the UK’s largest ATM network, is responsible for undertaking access to cash assessments. When a cash access facility such as a bank branch closes, or if LINK receives a request directly from a community, including in new towns, LINK independently assesses a community’s access to cash needs and can recommend a new service, such as a banking hub. A community request can be submitted to LINK via its website. Alternative options to access everyday banking services can be via telephone banking, through digital means such as mobile or online banking and via the Post Office.

Communities and Local Government, if her Department will make an assessment of the adequacy of green space maintenance standards by developers after the construction of new housing developments.

National design guidance supports the National Planning Policy Framework and emphasises the importance of considering management and maintenance regimes, including for open and public spaces, from the early stages of the design process, set out in a management plan.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to her Department's press release entitled Bureaucratic burden lifted to speed up building in growth agenda, published on 10 March 2025, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of removing the Theatres Trust as a statutory consultee on the creative industries.

I refer the hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 10 March 2025 (HCWS510).

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of expanding the Forest of Marston Vale community forest to the south.

Any assessment of the potential merits of expanding the Forest of Marston Vale would be made by the Forest of Marston Vale Trust and its local partners. This is one of a national network of fifteen Community Forests funded by Defra to plant thousands of hectares of new trees and woodland. Suitable sites for woodland creation are identified within agreed boundaries that encompass 61 square miles between Bedford and Milton Keynes.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to clause 49(7)(b) of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, whether development would be considered on a first-come-first-served basis up to the maximum amount specified.

The government would expect Environmental Delivery Plans to operate on a first-come-first-served basis.

Communities and Local Government, whether Environmental Delivery Plans will support the development of (a) community forests and (b) the forest of Marston Vale.

When preparing Environmental Delivery Plans, Natural England will consider relevant strategies and plans. These may include strategies or plans for community forests.

Communities and Local Government, whether any measures within the Planning and Infrastructure Bill relate to (a) flooding and (b) sustainable drainage.

Hard copies of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill are available from the Vote Office and an electronic copy of Bill can be found online here.

Communities and Local Government, whether Natural England will be expected to consult Internal Drainage Boards in the preparation of Environmental Delivery Plans.

Environmental Delivery Plans (EDPs) will be subject to public consultation, providing relevant organisations and bodies with the opportunity to comment on their content. Natural England will be able to proactively seek the views of any public authority it considers necessary when consulting on an EDP. This may include Internal Drainage Boards where appropriate.

If she will make it her policy to publish an impact assessment on the impact of the increase in class one employer National Insurance contributions on the charity sector within the first six months of the introduction of that change.

A Tax Information and Impact Note (TIIN) was published alongside the introduction of the Bill containing the changes to employer National Insurance contributions. The TIIN sets out the impact of the policy on the exchequer, the economic impacts of the policy, and the impacts on individuals, businesses, civil society organisations, as well as an overview of the equality impacts. The Office for Budget Responsibility also published the Economic and Fiscal Outlook (EFO), which sets out a detailed forecast of the economy and public finances.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to clause 49(7)(b) of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, who will be responsible the ongoing maintenance of conservation projects implemented through environmental delivery plans at the end of the specified period.

Natural England will secure and deliver conservation measures as part of an Environmental Delivery Plan (EDP) to address the environmental impact of the development in question. When preparing an EDP, Natural England will give consideration to the lifespan of the development to which the EDP applies and the period over which conservation measures need to be secured and managed.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to clause 49(7)(b) of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, whether environmental delivery plans would be (a) replaced and (b) lapse at the end of the specified period.

Developments coming forward after the expiry of Environmental Delivery Plan (EDP) will not be able to utilise the Nature Restoration Fund. Where an Environmental Delivery Plan is due to expire, the Secretary of State may make the decision to either update or replace it following the process set out in the Bill. Whether an environmental delivery plan is replaced at the end of its duration will depend on the context and specific circumstances. Where an environmental impact has been resolved, such as securing the restoration of a Habitats Site to a favourable condition, the need for an Environmental Delivery Plan may fall away as development may not be having a negative effect.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to paragraph 49.5 of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, whether development will be permitted beyond the maximum amount specified by Environmental Delivery Plans.

An Environmental Delivery Plan (EDP) would only enable development up to the maximum amount specified in the EDP. Where an EDP is reaching the maximum capacity, the Secretary of State would be able to request that Natural England amend the EDP or put a new EDP in place to address additional demand following the procedure set out in the Bill. Where the full capacity of an EDP has been utilised, development would be required to come forward under the existing system.