Every parliamentary written question tabled by Luke Myer this session, with the full answer and department. See how every department answers, or back to the MP page.
Showing 41–60 of 84 · this parliament
Whether her Department plans to allow people to (a) pay additional Class 3A voluntary National Insurance contributions to increase State Pension entitlement beyond the last six years of working lives and (b) make back-payments to 1975.
The rules for Class 3 voluntary National Insurance Contributions allow individuals to fill gaps in their National Insurance record for the past 6 tax years. There are no plans to change these rules.
What plans her Department has to increase funding for public transport infrastructure in Teesside.
Investment in the North’s transport infrastructure continues to be a priority for this government and has a key role to play in unlocking regional growth. The Government has already committed £310m in capital grants to Tees Valley in the current financial year, via the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlements (CRSTS). We are currently examining all future spending commitments through a Spending Review, and any future funding will be confirmed in due course.
What steps her Department plans to take to help (a) improve local bus services, (b) increase routes and (c) reduce fares in rural parts of Teesside.
Good reliable and affordable local bus services are an essential part of prosperous and sustainable communities. The Government introduced the Bus Services (No.2) Bill on 17 December as part of its ambitious plan for bus reform. The Bill puts the power over local bus services back in the hands of local leaders and is intended to ensure bus services reflect the needs of the communities that rely on them right across England, including in rural parts of Teesside. In addition, the Government has confirmed £955 million for the 2025 to 2026 financial year to support and improve bus services in England outside London. This includes £243 million for bus operators and £712 million allocated to local authorities across the country. Local authorities can use this funding to introduce new bus routes, make services more frequent, protect crucial bus routes or introduce initiatives to reduce fares for local communities. Tees Valley Combined Authority has been allocated £7.2 million of this funding.
Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to support (a) cooperatives, (b) community land trusts and (c) other community-led initiatives to (i) support local ownership and (ii) reduce inequality.
The government is committed to supporting communities. The Devolution White Paper, published on 16 December 2024, outlines plans for a new Community Right to Buy, allowing locals to acquire valued community spaces. The £1.5 billion Plan for Neighbourhoods will provide up to £20 million in funding over the next decade to 75 of the most deprived communities, partnering with residents, businesses, and local authorities to drive renewal. On 25 March, we announced a £20 million support package for community-led housebuilding groups, including housing co-operatives and community land trusts. This investment, managed by Resonance Ltd, will support the construction of over 2,500 new homes in the next decade, addressing local needs. Following a consultation on the National Planning Policy Framework, we have also strengthened support for community-led housing by changing size limits on exception sites and broadening the definition of eligible organisations. Our Long-Term Housing Strategy will further support this sector's growth.
Communities and Local Government, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of mandating the inclusion of swift bricks in new residential developments; and whether she plans to include such a mandate in future updates to national planning policies.
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 22080 on 15 January 2025.
What steps her Department is taking to (a) reduce net migration and (b) promote social integration and community cohesion.
I refer my Hon Friend to the Statement made by the Home Secretary on 12 May accompanying publication of the Government’s Immigration White Paper.
What steps he is taking to reduce the disparity in healthy life expectancy between the North East and South East.
Tackling health inequalities is central to our Health Mission, which is why the Government has committed to halve the healthy life expectancy gap between the richest and poorest regions by addressing the social determinants of health. Work is currently underway across the Department and with NHS England and the regional Directors of Public Health to develop approaches to address regional health inequalities.In line with the Health Mission, we will also be launching a 10-Year Health Plan with the core focus of addressing healthcare inequity, ensuring the National Health Service is there for anyone who needs it, whenever they need it.
What plans she has for reform of Capital Gains Tax.
At Autumn Budget 2024, the Government increased the main CGT rates to 18% and 24%. The new CGT rates strike the right balance between raising revenue to repair the public finances and improve public services, while remaining internationally competitive, with lower headline rates than France, Germany and Italy.
Whether her Department is taking steps to increase funding for (a) vocational education and (b) apprenticeships for young people in Teesside.
The department is investing over £7.5 billion in 16 to 19 funding during the 2024/25 academic year, and announced an additional £100 million investment in 16 to 19 education in the 2025/26 financial year on top of the £300 million announced at the Autumn Budget 2024. This £400 million spend will ensure enough funding is available given the very significant increase in student numbers and other pressures on the system and 16 to 19-year-olds in Teesside will benefit from this.The department will provide approximately £1.4 billion in funding for the adult skills fund (ASF) in the 2025/26 academic year and will have devolved 68% of the ASF to mayoral strategic authorities. These authorities, including Tees Valley Combined Authority which covers Teesside, have autonomy in deciding how to use their funding to make decisions that are best for their areas.This government also wants to support more young people to benefit from apprenticeship training. Future spending will be subject to the outcome of the spending review.As part of the new Growth and Skills offer, the department is introducing foundation apprenticeships to provide young people with clear progression pathways into further work-based training and employment. Construction will be one of the key sectors that will benefit from this new offer, launching in August 2025, and employers will be provided with £2,000 for every foundation apprentice they take on and retain in construction.
If he will establish Health and Prosperity Improvement Zones with targeted interventions in communities with the lowest healthy life expectancy.
Tackling the gap in healthy life expectancy is at the heart of our Health Mission, which is mobilising action across all parts of the Government to address the root causes of ill health and inequality, delivering targeted interventions at every stage of life to build a healthier society. We are considering a range of options to deliver this, including proposals for targeted interventions such as Health and Prosperity Improvement Zones.
What steps he is taking to ensure that his Department's trade policies promote resilience in (a) steel, (b) energy, (c) advanced manufacturing and (c) other strategically important domestic supply chains.
This government recognises the importance of secure and resilient supply chains to the UK’s growth and economic security. DBT is strengthening the UK’s resilience both through sector programmes and the upcoming Trade and Industrial Strategies. These Strategies, which are unreservedly pro-business, will outline more on our plans for resilience-building, including in the growth and foundational sectors targeted by the Industrial Strategy.In collaboration with business, we are already acting to bolster the resilience of key UK industries, for example reviewing all options to ensure a secure future for our domestic steel industry and building a globally competitive electric vehicle supply chain through the Automotive Transformation Fund.
What steps her Department is taking with local businesses to ensure that (a) schools and (b) colleges in the north of England have adequate resources to provide effective lifelong learning opportunities.
This government recognises the value of lifelong learning and creating opportunities for individuals across their working lives. That is why the department has committed to introducing the Lifelong Learning Entitlement (LLE), a transformation to the existing higher education student finance system. The LLE will launch in the 2026/27 academic year for learners studying courses starting on or after 1 January 2027.Under the LLE, new learners will be able to access a full entitlement equal to four years of full-time tuition. This is currently equal to £38,140 based on the 2025/26 academic year fee rates.Learners will be able to use this new entitlement more flexibly than ever before to fund individual modules as well as full courses at levels 4 to 6, regardless of whether they are provided in colleges, universities or independent providers.Working closely with local and national employers to fully understand their needs is a key part of the successful delivery of the department’s ambition for the LLE. This is demonstrated through our existing piloting activity, the Modular acceleration programme, which is a two-year programme designed to accelerate the supply and delivery of individual modules of Higher Technical Qualifications. Through this programme, successful providers in the North West and Yorkshire and the Humber, seven colleges in the combined regions in this case, received funding to enable demand raising which included engagement with local employers.Schools will also play a key part in the successful delivery of the LLE by communicating key messages about the programme to leaders, career-guidance practitioners, learners and their parents. This will be key in ensuring learners are well informed about the new flexibilities offered by the LLE.In addition, local skills improvement plans, led by a designated employer representative body, are bringing together employers and providers across England to set out a clear articulation of employers’ skills needs and the priority changes required in the local area.
Communities and Local Government, what guidance her Department issues on whether bereaved families are liable for (a) rent and (b) other costs following the death of a Universal Credit claimant during an assessment period.
The liability of bereaved families of someone who may have been in receipt of Universal Credit will depend on whether they have entered into any legal agreements as a part of their relative's tenancy.If individuals are unclear on whether they, or another family member, is liable for outstanding debts, they may wish to seek independent advice from organisations such as Citizens Advice.The Renters’ Rights Bill will limit the liability of a guarantor of a tenancy agreement for rent in the tragic circumstance where a tenant related to them has died.
Whether her Department plans to ensure that teaching on the climate emergency is given greater priority in the revised national curriculum; and whether existing guidance that encourages teaching of the positive impacts of climate change will be reviewed.
The government has established an independent Curriculum and Assessment Review, covering ages 5 to 18, chaired by Professor Becky Francis CBE.The Review’s interim report sets out that rapid social, environmental and technological change necessitates that the curriculum keep pace, including a greater focus on sustainability and climate science. The report can be accessed at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/curriculum-and-assessment-review-interim-report. New opportunities and challenges, including those relating to climate change, will require particular knowledge and skills to address. The Review is considering whether there is sufficient coverage of these within subjects, and how content can remain relevant and support young people to thrive in a fast-changing world. This could involve further embedding various knowledge and skills across different parts of the curriculum. The Review is looking at all subjects, including subjects that currently contain content on climate science and sustainability, such as science, geography and citizenship.The Review’s final report and recommendations will be published in autumn with the government’s response.
Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of proposed changes to the Bathing Water Regulations on (a) fish spawning sites, (b) riparian rights and (c) the rights of (i) angling clubs and (ii) fishery owners; and if he will undertake a full consultation before making changes.
The consultation on the Bathing Water Regulations 2013 closed on 23 December 2024. Many organisations have called for the Regulations to be updated to reflect the modern ways in which the public uses bathing waters so that they continue to support public health outcomes. This Government published our formal response on 12 March 2025. The consultation results show a large majority in favour of the two wider reforms to expand the definition of a ‘bather’ and introducing the use of multiple monitoring points at designated bathing sites. We are now progressing policy development and research to determine how best to implement the wider reforms. We will consider any potential environmental, societal, and access Impacts. We will work closely with local and national stakeholders, seeking their views on these reforms.
Whether he plans to bring forward a revised regulatory framework for the nuclear sector.
As the Prime Minister announced, the Nuclear Regulatory Taskforce will be undertaking a review of nuclear regulation, and it would be inappropriate to comment further until that review has concluded.
What steps her Department is taking to ensure jurors are adequately compensated for loss of earnings; and whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of jury service on jurors that receive compensation less than their usual income.
This Government has not made any specific assessment of the impact of jury service on jurors who receive compensation less than their usual income. However pursuant to my answer to PQ 36911, the Government will keep under review all support provided to jurors throughout their service. People who are not paid by their employer whilst they are on jury service can claim a loss of earnings allowance from the court. Self-employed people who lose earnings whilst doing jury service are also able to claim loss of earnings.
What steps his Department is taking to support the growth of the (a) electric vehicle and (b) lithium salts supply chains.
We support the Automotive sector via the Automotive Transformation Fund to build a globally competitive electric vehicle supply chain, including gigafactories and their supply chains. The Budget committed over £2 billion of capital and R&D funding to 2030 for zero emission vehicle manufacturing and supply chains. We will set out more information on this in due course as part of the Industrial Strategy.
Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to protect the (a) creative, (b) video game and (c) animation industries from the potential impact of AI-generated content on jobs and educational programs.
Our consultation on the impact of AI on the copyright regime, which was published on 17 December and closed on 25 February, received over 10,000 responses. We will now consider the full range of responses we have received and will continue to develop our policy approach in partnership with creative industries, media and AI stakeholders. Addressing this is an urgent priority for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, but no decisions will be taken until we are absolutely confident we have a practical plan that delivers for the creative industries.The Department for Culture Media and Sport (DCMS) also works closely with the Department for Education (DfE) on skills policy affecting the creative sector. This includes DfE’s work on the reformed growth and skills levy, which will help more people learn new high-quality skills at work, including digital skills, and create routes into good, skilled jobs in growing industries.Many video games studios already use AI tools to streamline development processes and enhance game-play experience.
What steps her Department is taking to support kinship carers in (a) financial and (b) other ways.
I refer my hon. Friend, the Member for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland to the answer of 25 February 2025 to Question 31239.