Every parliamentary written question tabled by Liz Jarvis this session, with the full answer and department. See how every department answers, or back to the MP page.
Showing 301–320 of 531 · this parliament
Whether he has had discussions with (a) tea industry representatives, (b) Fairtrade organisations and (c) international partners on ensuring that tea (i) farmers and (ii) other workers receive a living wage in (A) Kenya and (B) other producing countries.
No, we have had no such specific discussions, but we actively engage with Kenyan counterparts and remain committed to promoting fair trade and workers' rights, including decent working conditions and living wages.
What steps her Department is taking to ensure that schools have access to speech and language specialists.
The government is committed to ensuring that every child has the best start in life. This includes all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), including speech, language and communications needs such as Developmental Language Disorder.We know that continuing to build the pipeline of speech and language therapists (SaLT) is essential. The department is working closely with the Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England to improve access to community health services, including speech and language therapy, for children and young people with SEND.In addition to the undergraduate degree route, SaLTs can now also train via a degree apprenticeship. This route is entering its fourth year of delivery and offers an alternative pathway to the traditional degree route into a successful career as a SaLT.In partnership with NHS England, the department has extended the Early Language and Support for Every Child programme, trialling new ways of working to better identify and support children with speech, language and communication needs in early years settings and primary schools.
What assessment she has made of the adequacy of the level of funding for the Music and Dance Scheme.
The government fully supports the arts and the development of a skills pipeline into the creative industries.The department is providing £36.5 million for the Music and Dance Scheme this academic year.Any introduction of multi-year funding agreements will be considered in due course.
What assessment she has made of trends in the level of school meal debt; and whether she plans to take steps to support families to reduce that debt in the child poverty strategy.
To help break down barriers to opportunity and tackle child poverty, the government will be extending free school meals to all children from households in receipt of Universal Credit from September 2026. This will lift 100,000 children across England out of poverty and put £500 back in families’ pockets, supporting parents in decisive action to improve lives ahead of the Child Poverty Strategy.The Child Poverty Strategy in the autumn will deliver measures to tackle the structural and root causes of child poverty. The Taskforce is considering all available levers to reduce child poverty and recognises the importance of financial resilience for low-income families. Increasing financial resilience is one of the four key themes for the strategy, and in February the Taskforce met with external experts to discuss this topic specifically.
What assessment she has made of the adequacy of the availability of mental health support within universities.
This government is committed to ensuring students in higher education (HE) have access to effective mental health support. This is why my noble Friend, the Minister for Skills, has recently appointed a new HE Student Support Champion to lead a reconvened HE Mental Health Implementation Taskforce. Full details of the new champion will be announced shortly.The taskforce is instrumental in assessing and driving improvements in mental health support across the sector, including taking forward recommendations from the recent national review of HE student suicides.The government also strongly supports the University Mental Health Charter Programme and Award, run by Student Minds. This programme provides a robust framework for universities to improve their mental health provision and is a valuable tool for driving sector-wide change.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of the human rights situation in Eswatini.
Since reopening our High Commission in Eswatini in 2019, the UK has been active in promoting good governance and the rule of law, through engagement with trade unions, political groups and civil society organisations as well as with the three branches of government. The UK supports the Swazi people indirectly through programmes delivered by UN agencies (including the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP)), their implementing partners and the Global Fund, as well as through advocacy and engagement with local Human Rights Defenders and state authorities.
When Horizon redress claimants where no evidence of shortfalls can be established will have their claims assessed.
We are aware that some postmasters are waiting for their Horizon Shortfall Scheme Fixed Sum Offer due to a lack of available data to verify that shortfalls occurred. To help address this, the Post Office is conducting further investigations using branch files to identify potential Horizon-related shortfalls. Where evidence is found, fixed sum payments are being issued as quickly as possible.In cases where additional information is needed, the Post Office will reach out to these individuals for further information about the shortfalls that they experienced.
Media and Sport, what recent discussions she has had with the BBC on digitising the BBC archives.
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport meets regularly with representatives of the BBC on a range of matters.With regard to the digitisation of the BBC archives, the BBC has an obligation under their Framework Agreement to both maintain an archive, and give the public reasonable opportunities to visit the archive and view material kept there. As the BBC is operationally and editorially independent of the Government, decisions on how it discharges its obligations in relation to its Archive Services are a matter for the BBC.
What assessment she has made of the potential impact of changes to (a) inheritance tax and (b) business property relief on family-owned manufacturing businesses.
I refer the Honourable Member to the answer given to UIN 56360.
Media and Sport, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of enabling access to BBC iPlayer for license fee payers while abroad.
Under the Charter the BBC is required to act in the public interest, serving all audiences through the provision of impartial, high-quality and distinctive output and services which inform, educate and entertain. With regard to the provision of services internationally, as the BBC is operationally independent, decisions on whether and how the BBC makes its content available to licence fee payers abroad are therefore for the BBC to make independent of government.DCMS has not made an assessment of the potential merits of enabling access to BBC iPlayer for license fee payers while abroad. However, it is worth noting that the ability of the BBC to make content available is limited in large part due to rights agreements. The BBC does not hold the international rights to many of the programmes it carries on iPlayer, and therefore cannot provide audiences outside the UK with access to the iPlayer service.
How many and what proportion of Child Maintenance Service cases lapse each year due to failure to trace the paying parent.
The statistical information specific to the scenario you have given is not collated centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost to the Department. The Government is committed to ensuring parents meet their financial obligations to their children. Where a paying parent fails to take responsibility for paying their child maintenance and cannot be traced, the Child Maintenance Service (CMS) will take immediate action and do everything within its powers to trace the paying parent. The CMS have a range of enforcement powers that can be used against those parents who consistently refuse to meet or evade their obligations to provide financial support to their children. We are committed to using these powers fairly and in the best interests of children and separated families to ensure compliance.
Food and Rural Affairs, whether she plans to review the regulatory requirements of sewage treatment works that serve fewer than 2,000 people.
Through the recommendations made by the Independent Water Commission, Defra is embarking on a review of regulations as part of the Government’s wider commitment to regulatory reform.
Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions she has had with the Environment Agency on the enforcement of water quality standards in national parks.
The Environment Agency (EA) regulates to protect water quality standards across England, including within national parks. National parks often contain sensitive area designations such as bathing waters, Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) or protected habitats, which afford higher levels of protection and regulation. Any environmental offences in national parks, such as pollution incidents and breaches of permits or regulations, are investigated and enforcement taken in line with the EA’s Enforcement and Sanctions Policy. Protecting the natural environment remains a priority, and we continue to work closely with the Environment Agency to ensure high standards are upheld.
What proportion of people with a Parkinson’s diagnosis were diagnosed by a specialist; and what assessment he has made of the adequacy of that proportion.
Guidance on Parkinson’s disease in adults published by the National Institute for Care Excellence (NICE) recommends that people with suspected Parkinson's disease are referred for an expert clinical diagnosis by a specialist without delay, and that the diagnosis should be reviewed regularly by a specialist.While a formal diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease should always be undertaken by a specialist, NHS England does not hold information centrally to audit this.
Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to support UK-based broadcasters in adapting to changes in consumer behaviour associated with moving away from satellite television and towards streaming services.
We recognise the shift in audience habits to watching more television over internet-based platforms and the pressure this places on broadcasters. Through the Government’s Future of TV Distribution project, we’re exploring how people access television now and over the next decade, including assessing the future role of satellite in our distribution ecosystem. Ensuring that distribution costs are reasonable for broadcasters and that television continues to be universally available for audiences is key. As discussed in greater detail by Minister Peacock in the recent Future of Terrestrial Television debate, we are engaging a wide range of industry and audience voices through a ministerially chaired stakeholder forum to help understand these pressures.
Media and Sport, with reference to her Department's policy paper entitled Creative Industries Sector Plan, published on 23 June 2025, when she plans to publish the video games skills strategy.
The Video Games Skills Strategy is being developed by an industry-led UK Games Skills Network and is due to be published later in 2025. This will build on findings from the Creative Industries Council Skills Audit, giving video games skills organisations and delivery partners a clear remit for tackling persistent skills gaps.
Communities and Local Government, whether his Department holds information on the level of homelessness in Eastleigh constituency.
The Government publishes homelessness statistics by local authority in England on gov.uk here.
What steps his Department is taking to support veterans' services in Eastleigh constituency.
This is a Government of service that will always stand up for those who serve our country, no matter which community they are based in. In Eastleigh and across the country, the Government is ensuring a wide range of support is available for veterans. At the 2021 census, 3,518 people in Eastleigh reported that they had previously served in the UK Armed Forces, representing 4.6% of the population aged 16 and over. The Ministry of Defence runs the Veterans Welfare Service, which provides advice and support to veterans and their families. For support with employment, the Career Transition Partnership is the initial point of provision for those leaving military Service and Op ASCEND is the employment pathway for veterans. In England Op RESTORE and Op COURAGE provide physical and mental health specialist services. Housing support is available across the United Kingdom via Op FORTITUDE, a single referral pathway connecting veterans with support. In May this year, we also announced VALOUR, a new commitment, backed by £50 million, to establish the first-ever UK-wide approach to veteran support, which will ensure easier access to essential care and support for veterans across the country. A new regional approach, based on a network of VALOUR support centres and regional field officers, will help to ensure that services are designed to meet the needs of their local communities.
What steps his Department is taking to support the growth of the night-time economy in Eastleigh constituency.
The Government recognises the vital role that night-time venues, including those in Eastleigh constituency play in supporting local economies.In April, the Government established the Licensing Taskforce, bringing together representatives from the hospitality industry to help shape reform. The Government’s response, published on 31 July, set out proposals for a new National Licensing Policy Framework designed to simplify outdated licensing rules and protect long-standing venues from noise complaints, which are particularly relevant to the night-time economy.Additionally, we are reforming the business rates system to support high street investment, including permanently lower rates for retail, hospitality and leisure properties with a rateable value under £500,000.
What proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals achieved a grade 5 or above in English and Maths GCSEs in the 2024-25 academic year .
The data for the 2024/25 academic year is not yet available and is intended for release in October 2025, when it will be available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/key-stage-4-performance/.