Every parliamentary written question tabled by Kim Leadbeater this session, with the full answer and department. Back to the MP page.
Showing 1–20 of 51 · this parliament
What assessment his Department has made of the accessibility and effectiveness of the Personal Independence Payment system for carers supporting disabled family members; and what steps he is taking to reduce delays, the number of repeated assessments, and improve administration, including communication with claimants on the progress of applications.
Awaiting answer.
Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure that public investment in sports facilities supports a balanced range of sports, including court-based activities such as tennis and padel, to maximise participation among women, disabled people, and inactive communities.
The Government is investing at least £400 million in new and upgraded grassroots sport facilities over the next four years, promoting health, wellbeing and community cohesion, including by removing the barriers to physical activity for under-represented groups, such as women and girls and people with disabilities. £15 million is being invested into new delivery models across England in 2026/27, to allow more people to participate in their chosen sports. At least £2.5 million of that will be invested through the Lawn Tennis Association into covered courts in England for tennis, padel and other activities, and additional funding will also enable a wider range of sporting bodies to trial innovative funding pathways.
What steps her Department is taking to help ensure that children receive a minimum of two hours of high-quality physical education per week; and are supported to be physically active for at least 60 minutes a day.
I refer my hon. Friend, the Member for Spen Valley to the answer of 29 April 2026 to Question 128860.
What steps her Department is taking to help ensure that the introduction of School Sports Partnerships and the new Enrichment Framework is supported by sustained levels of funding.
My right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister announced in June 2025 the establishment of a new PE and School Sport Partnerships Network to ensure all children and young people have access to high quality PE and extracurricular sport. Details on the PE and School Sports Partnerships funding will be confirmed in due course.The Enrichment Framework will be published this academic year, accompanied by a range of support to help schools’ enrichment offers. We will work with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on the National Youth Strategy implementation, including the £22.5 million Enrichment Expansion Programme and £132.5 million through the ‘Every Child Can’ Dormant Assets funding. This is in addition to international enrichment opportunities through the UK’s association to the EU’s Erasmus+ programme, continuing investment in our national network of Music Hubs, a new £750,000 chess support programme, and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology’s flagship ‘TechYouth’ programme.
Whether she plans to review the level of Penalty Charge Notices for parking offences outside London.
The Department for Transport recognises that there is a published report from Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council, following its August 2025 trial of higher PCN levels, as well as research carried out by the British Parking Association, the Local Government Association and other key stakeholders. The Department is looking into the issue and these findings and recommendations will be carefully considered before any decisions are taken.
What assessment he has made of the potential impact of fuel costs on the voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) sector; and what steps he is taking to support VCSE organisations delivering frontline services.
Fuel markets are governed by competition and consumer law, overseen by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). The Government and the CMA are closely monitoring fuel and heating oil prices in light of instability in the Middle East, and the Chancellor of the Exchequer and my Rt hon Friend the Secretary of State recently met with fuel retailers to set out a clear message: unfair practices will not be tolerated. We are providing over £50 million of immediate support for vulnerable heating oil customers, helping those that are most exposed. The government has also introduced the statutory Fuel Finder scheme, which will increase transparency for UK road fuel prices and the CMA have the power to take enforcement action for non-compliance.
If she will take steps to ensure the revised Equality Act code of practice for services, public functions and associations allows organisations, such as Girl Guides, to operate on a trans-inclusive basis.
We have just received the updated draft Code of Practice from the EHRC. We cannot comment on the contents of the Code during the pre-election period, but we intend to lay it as soon as practicable after the elections in May.We have always been clear that associations should set their policies in line with the law. If associations are uncertain as to how to apply the Equality Act 2010, they should obtain specialist legal advice.
What assessment she has made of the risks to trans-inclusive third sector organisations from potential increases in levels of litigation following the For Women Scotland v. The Scottish Ministers Supreme Court judgement.
It has not proved possible to respond to the Hon Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of including walking, wheeling, and cycling in policy HC1 of the draft National Planning Policy Framework.
Proposed draft policy HC1 already makes clear that development plans should, at the most appropriate level, identify wider opportunities to promote good health, prevent ill-health and support social interaction through their spatial strategy and land allocations, including through policies locating development where it will support walking and cycling.
Communities and Local Government, whether his Department has assessed the potential impact on tenants of the gap between the commencement of the pet provisions on 1 May and the operational launch of the Ombudsman, including the extent to which renters may need to rely on the courts during this period.
On 13 November 2025, the government published a roadmap for implementing the Renters' Rights Act, which can be found on gov.uk here.In implementation Phase 2 from late 2026, we will introduce the national Private Rented Sector Database and Private Rented Sector Ombudsman.Prior to the establishment of the new service, if a tenant thinks their landlord has unreasonably refused a request to rent with a pet, they will be able to challenge the decision in court.My Department has made no specific assessment of the impact on tenants of the period between 1 May 2026 and when the new service will be available.
Communities and Local Government, what the expected timetable is for establishing the Private Rented Sector Landlord Ombudsman; and what mechanisms will be available for tenants to challenge unreasonable refusals to keep a pet before the Ombudsman is operational.
On 13 November 2025, the government published a roadmap for implementing the Renters' Rights Act, which can be found on gov.uk here.In implementation Phase 2 from late 2026, we will introduce the national Private Rented Sector Database and Private Rented Sector Ombudsman.Prior to the establishment of the new service, if a tenant thinks their landlord has unreasonably refused a request to rent with a pet, they will be able to challenge the decision in court.My Department has made no specific assessment of the impact on tenants of the period between 1 May 2026 and when the new service will be available.
Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to protect cats and kittens from exploitation by regulating cat breeding.
The Animal Welfare Strategy was published on 22 December 2025 and sets out thepriorities for animal welfare for England. It is a comprehensive set of reforms which will improve the lives of millions of animals. As set out in the strategy, the Government’s priority is to improve compliance with the existing rules and to work collaboratively with stakeholders to further our understanding of the cat breeding sector and help to drive up standards. This will inform whether any further action is needed in the future to improve welfare practices in the cat breeding sector. Anyone in the business of selling cats and kittens as pets should already have a pet selling licence and must meet strict statutory minimum welfare standards which are enforced by local authorities who have powers to issue, refuse, vary or revoke licences.
Food and Rural Affairs, if her Department will introduce cat breeding regulations which ban the breeding of cats with extreme characteristics which could have a detrimental effect on (a) their (i) health and (ii) welfare and (b) that of their offspring.
The Animal Welfare Strategy was published on 22 December 2025 and sets out thepriorities for animal welfare for England. It is a comprehensive set of reforms which will improve the lives of millions of animals. As set out in the strategy, the Government’s priority is to improve compliance with the existing rules and to work collaboratively with stakeholders to further our understanding of the cat breeding sector and help to drive up standards. This will inform whether any further action is needed in the future to improve welfare practices in the cat breeding sector. Anyone in the business of selling cats and kittens as pets should already have a pet selling licence and must meet strict statutory minimum welfare standards which are enforced by local authorities who have powers to issue, refuse, vary or revoke licences.
What preparations her Department has made for a School Sports Strategy; and what recent steps she as taken towards the new approach announced in June 2025.
My right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister announced on 19 June 2025 that the government will establish a new PE and School Sport Partnerships Network to ensure all children and young people have access to high-quality PE and extracurricular sport, helping young people develop an interest in sport that continues beyond the school environment.To deliver this, the department is preparing to procure a national partner to lead the new PE and School Sport Partnerships Network. This partner will work with government, Sport England and national governing bodies to make links across provision for children and young people to strengthen support to schools and increase access to opportunities. We expect to have the national partner in place by autumn 2026.In parallel, we are modernising the PE curriculum. The Association for Physical Education is leading a group of expert drafters to develop a new curriculum that develops children’s physical capability and supports lifelong participation in sport and physical activity.
Media and Sport, further to the announcement of £85 million in funding for football facilities, how she plans to allocate the remaining £400 million announced for new and upgraded grassroots sports facilities across the UK.
The Government is working closely with the sport sector and local leaders to develop plans for funding for a range of sports across the country based on what each community needs. This will ensure that our investment in community grassroots sports facilities reaches as many people as possible to reduce inactivity levels.The Government’s investment of £85 million will deliver new and upgraded grassroots sports facilities across the UK through the Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities (MSGF) Programme in 2026/27. An additional £15 million will be invested into innovative facilities in England, to allow more people to participate in sports they wish to.Projects funded through the MSGF Programme include artificial grass pitches, changing pavilions and floodlights, and at least 40% of funded projects have a multi-sport offer, allowing more people to participate in a wider variety of sports.
Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to help ensure that the £400 million of funding earmarked for grassroots sports facilities benefits a wide range of sports appealing to different demographics and communities.
The Government is working closely with the sport sector and local leaders to develop plans for funding for a range of sports across the country based on what each community needs. This will ensure that our investment in community grassroots sports facilities reaches as many people as possible to reduce inactivity levels.The Government’s investment of £85 million will deliver new and upgraded grassroots sports facilities across the UK through the Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities (MSGF) Programme in 2026/27. An additional £15 million will be invested into innovative facilities in England, to allow more people to participate in sports they wish to.Projects funded through the MSGF Programme include artificial grass pitches, changing pavilions and floodlights, and at least 40% of funded projects have a multi-sport offer, allowing more people to participate in a wider variety of sports.
What steps his Department is taking to support sustainable working patterns for midwives in NHS maternity services.
We want to move the National Health Service toward a culture where flexible working opportunities are much more widely available and there is support for employees to be able to work more sustainably.A number of actions have already been taken to support flexible working in the NHS including changes to terms and conditions and training for staff and line managers to help drive culture change and support uptake. NHS England continues to support organisations in the implementation of effective use of e-rostering systems. E-rostering can allocate individuals to shifts based on their working patterns and preferences, supporting more predictable shift patterns, especially when paired with a team-based rostering approach.Additionally, as set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, we will introduce a new set of staff standards for modern employment this year which will aim to ensure NHS staff feel well supported in the workplace.
What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the proposed Walshaw Moor windfarm on peatland hydrology and condition; and what steps his Department is taking to ensure that any development proposals mitigate damage to peat soils.
The Calderdale Energy Park project is at the pre-application stage of the planning process for Nationally Significant Infrastructure under the 2008 Planning Act, and is expected to be submitted to the Planning Inspectorate by June 2026, after which it will be subject to a full planning enquiry before it comes to the department for decision.Given the Secretary of State’s quasi-judicial role in taking decisions on nationally-significant energy applications for development consent, it would not be appropriate to comment on matters related to the project, as this could be seen as prejudicing the decision-making process.
Whether her Department is taking steps to produce guidance from the actuary department on the calculation that must be used to produce a Remedial Service Statement for people under a Pension Sharing Order in order for them to access the McCloud remedy.
The Government Actuary’s Department has produced the guidance required by regulations to assist public service pension schemes in implementing aspects of the McCloud remedy for members subject to a Pension Sharing Order on divorce or dissolution. This guidance covers pension schemes for the civil service, teachers, NHS, armed forces, police and firefighters. The most recent guidance on this subject was issued on 5 November 2025.
Media and Sport, if she will make an assessment of the adequacy of banking safeguards for protecting vulnerable customers, especially the use of gambling blocks and loopholes using open-banking gateways.
The Government recognises that harmful gambling can wreck the lives of individuals, families and communities. Working with the Gambling Commission, we are committed to strengthening protections for those at risk through a range of new safer gambling requirements. The vast majority of banks offer gambling bank blocks, a useful tool to help vulnerable customers control their gambling. We encourage all banks to offer gambling blocks to improve the availability of these tools and support the work of organisations, such as Money Mental Health Lab, to improve the safer gambling tools offered by the financial sector.