Every parliamentary written question tabled by Matt Vickers this session, with the full answer and department. Back to the MP page.
Showing 621–640 of 769 · this parliament
What estimate she has made of school attendance levels by region.
The department publishes figures on pupil attendance using daily data submitted by state-funded schools. The latest data for the 2024/25 academic year to date, including regional breakdowns, is published here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/pupil-attendance-in-schools/2025-week-29.
What recent assessment her Department has made of trends in the level of (a) literacy and (b) numeracy rates among pupils in the North East of England.
The most recent data shows that in the 2023/24 academic year, 75% of pupils met the expected standard in reading at key stage 2 in the North East. This matches the national average in 2023/24.In the 2023/24 academic year, 73% of pupils met the expected standard in mathematics at key stage 2 in the North East. This compares to the national average of 74% in 2023/24.In the 2023/24 academic year, 62.3% of pupils achieved grades 4 or above in English and maths GCSEs in the North East. This compares to 65.4% of pupils achieving grades 4 or above in English and mathematics GCSEs in England.
What recent estimate she has made of the number of unqualified teachers working in maintained schools.
Information on the school workforce in England, including numbers of teachers with and without qualified teacher status (QTS) by school type, is published in the ‘School workforce in England’ statistical publication, which can be accessed here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-workforce-in-england.
What progress she has made on expanding T-level course availability in colleges in the Tees Valley.
The department is investing in the future of T Levels, boosting their expansion through £28 million of capital funding in 2025 so that students have access to industry-standard equipment. We are increasing industry placement provision with a targeted Employer Support Fund and changes to delivery approaches to unlock opportunities for students and employers.Nationally over 25,500 students started a T Level in the 2024/25 academic year, a significant increase of nearly 60% from the previous year, and 21 T Levels are now available. A new T Level in marketing launches this September.Further education colleges across Tees Valley, including those in Middlesbrough, Darlington and Hartlepool, are now delivering T Levels in a range of subjects, from construction to health and engineering and manufacturing to accounting.
What steps she is taking to improve post-16 education pathways for students not choosing higher education.
As announced in the spending review, the department is making over £1 billion of additional investment per year in skills by 2028/29. This will support and grow the wide range of technical routes and work-based training available for people of all ages across the country. This includes:Widening the apprenticeships offer into a growth and skills offer, including new foundation apprenticeships, which will give more young people a foot in the door at the start of their working life.T levels, which are a high quality technical education option for young people, including a valuable workplace industry placement which prepares them work.Higher Technical Qualifications, which are occupation-focused level 4-5 qualifications, approved and quality marked as providing the skills demanded in the workplace by employers.Skills Bootcamps, giving learners the chance to build sector-specific skills with a job interview on completion and free courses for jobs, giving learners the chance to access high value level 3 qualifications.The department has also strengthened legislation to ensure all secondary pupils have multiple opportunities for meaningful encounters with providers of technical education and apprenticeships.
What plans her Department has to support apprenticeships in green industries in the Tees Valley.
Upskilling the country’s workforce is vital to meet the government’s clean energy by 2030 mission, with apprenticeships playing a key role in supporting employers to develop the skills they need.Employers across England, including Tees Valley, can benefit from over 40 apprenticeships that directly relate to delivering the government’s clean energy mission. This includes the level 3 low carbon heating technician and the level 4 corporate responsibilities and sustainability practitioner apprenticeships. We are also reducing the apprenticeship minimum duration to eight months so that shorter apprenticeships are possible from August 2025. This includes the level 2 dual fuel smart meter installers apprenticeship, which can be completed in eight months, enabling learners to achieve occupational competence more quickly.In addition, Skills England continues to work with employers to ensure that new and existing apprenticeships reflect green skills.
Whether she has had recent discussions with police forces on expressions of support for (a) Hamas and (b) Hezbollah at universities.
The investigation and prosecution of criminal offences, including determining whether an offence has been committed or not, is a matter for the police and Crown Prosecution Service, which are operationally independent.
What recent discussions she has had with police forces on antisemitism at universities.
The Government is committed to tackling antisemitic hate crimes and supports the police in taking robust action, wherever those crimes occur and whoever is responsible.
What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the Bank of England's decision to retain interest rates at 4.25 per cent on the cost of public sector borrowing.
The Treasury does not publish forecasts of the economy or public finances; the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) is the UK’s official forecaster and provides independent analysis of the UK’s public finances. In March 2025 it was forecast by the OBR that debt interest spending would reach £111.2bn in 2025-26. At the Budget last Autumn, the government set out a clear fiscal strategy to stabilise the public finances and underpin growth. The fiscal rules, which provide stability, help to keep interest rates low and prioritise investment to support long-term growth, are non-negotiable. This is the responsible choice – to reduce our levels of borrowing in the years ahead, so we can spend more on our public services, more on the priorities of working people and less on servicing debt. The OBR will publish an updated forecast later this year.
What steps his Department is taking to encourage foreign direct investment.
The Government has launched a modern Industrial Strategy, removing barriers to investment and improving access to finance to drive nationwide growth.The expanded Office for Investment (OfI) now offers enhanced commercial expertise and a broader regional presence, working closely with Mayors and Devolved Administrations to connect investors with high-potential opportunities across the UK.Additionally, UK Export Finance has strengthened its support for international investment through its new ‘Invest-to-Export’ Guarantee, helping overseas firms establish UK-based exporting facilities. These initiatives aim to create a more dynamic, attractive environment for strategic investment and long-term economic development.
How many businesses have accessed the Help to Grow programme in the latest period for which data is available.
The Department for Business and Trade publishes data on participant enrolments and completions on the Help to Grow: Management course among transparency documents on gov.uk linked here. Up to the end of March 2025, the programme has supported 11,850 business people since its launch in June 2021.
What recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the export credit schemes run by UK Export Finance.
The recently-published UK Export Finance (UKEF) Annual Report and Accounts (ARA) for the last financial year show that it provided a record £14.5 billion of support for exports, supported up to 70,000 UK jobs, and contributed up to £5.4 billion to the UK economy. The report is available online, along with those from previous years, at: UK Export Finance annual reports and accounts - GOV.UK.
What steps he is taking to support jobs in the hospitality sector.
We recognise the vital role hospitality businesses play in driving economic growth and strengthening community cohesion across the country. We also increased the Employment Allowance to £10,500, meaning 865,000 employers will pay no National Insurance Contributions (NICs) next year. This allows businesses to employ up to four full-time staff on the National Living Wage and pay no employer NICs and we’re committed to introducing permanently lower business rates for Retail, Hospitality and Leisure businesses with rateable values of less than £500,000. We have recently launched Sector-based Work Academy Programmes (SWAPs), which help jobseekers move quickly into hospitality roles through flexible training and support. In addition the Hospitality Fund is backing projects that will include addressing skills gaps in the sector and boosting productivity.
What recent assessment he has made of the barriers to business growth in rural areas.
Rural areas offer significant potential for growth and are central to our economy. Addressing the needs of businesses in rural areas is at the heart of our policymaking and we continue to revisit and improve our support offers. The upcoming Business Growth Service will unify existing core services nationally while delivering locally, collaborating with local and devolved governments and Growth Hubs.All businesses, including rural enterprises, can access Local Growth Hubs for tailored support throughout their development journey. Growth hubs customise their offerings based on specific community needs, whether in towns or rural locations.
Whether her Department has made as assessment of the potential merits of reviewing the non-domiciled tax regime.
The Government has removed the outdated concept of domicile status from the tax system and implemented a new residence-based regime from 6 April 2025. The new residence-based regime is more competitive for new arrivals than the previous rules.
What plans her Department has to review tax reliefs and their effectiveness.
Tax reliefs are an important feature of the UK tax system. Many tax reliefs help to define the scope of the tax and make sure that the tax system operates fairly while simplifying and reducing administrative burdens for businesses and individuals (structural reliefs). Others are aimed at encouraging certain behaviours or activities to support economic or social objectives (non-structural reliefs). HMRC has invested significant resources in improving understanding of the cost and effectiveness of tax reliefs. Since 2019 it has produced:costings for 268 non-structural reliefs (of 344) and 82 structural reliefs;detailed analysis of the 38 largest non-structural reliefs that cost more than £500 million per year.In addition, 24 evaluations covering 27 unique reliefs have been published since 2020.HMRC’s approach to improving transparency around reliefs is proportionate, making the best use of resources.
What estimate her Department has made of the potential impact of the changes to business rates relief on (a) leisure, (b) hospitality and (c) retail businesses.
Retail, hospitality and leisure (RHL) business rates relief has been extended year-by-year by previous governments since the pandemic, creating uncertainty for businesses and an unsustainable fiscal pressure for Government.Without any Government intervention, RHL relief would have ended entirely in April 2025, creating a cliff-edge for businesses. Instead, the Government decided to provide a 40 per cent discount to RHL properties up to a cash cap of £110,0000 per business in 2025/26, ahead of intending to introduce permanently lower rates for RHL properties with rateable values below £500,000 from 2026/27. This permanent tax cut will ensure that RHL businesses benefit from much-needed certainty and support.The rates for these new RHL multipliers will be set at Budget 2025 so that the Government can take into account the upcoming revaluation outcomes, as well as the economic and fiscal context. When the new multipliers are set, HM Treasury intends to publish analysis of the expected effects of the new multiplier arrangements.
What information her Department holds on the number of people with non-domiciled status who have left the UK in each of the last five years.
The Government has removed the outdated concept of domicile states from the tax system and implemented a new residence-based regime from 6 April 2025. The new residence-based regime is more compatible for new arrivals than the previous rules. The Government published a Tax Information and Impact Note for this policy on 30 October. This can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/tax-changes-for-non-uk-domiciled-individuals/reforming-the-taxation-of-non-uk-domiciled-individuals. There have always been relatively large flows of non-doms in and out of the UK every year. The latest HMRC statistics can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/statistics-on-non-domiciled-taxpayers-in-the-uk/statistical-commentary-on-non-domiciled-taxpayers-in-the-uk--2. These show the number of non-domiciled taxpayers in each tax year up to 2023/24. We anticipate that some non-doms ineligible for the new regime will exit the UK in response to the changes. Taking this migration response into account, the OBR expects the non-dom reforms to raise £33.8 billion over the next five years to help fund the public services and investment projects needed to drive growth.
What recent assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of changes to non-domiciled tax status on the number of high-net-worth people living in the UK.
The Government has removed the outdated concept of domicile states from the tax system and implemented a new residence-based regime from 6 April 2025. The new residence-based regime is more compatible for new arrivals than the previous rules. The Government published a Tax Information and Impact Note for this policy on 30 October. This can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/tax-changes-for-non-uk-domiciled-individuals/reforming-the-taxation-of-non-uk-domiciled-individuals. There have always been relatively large flows of non-doms in and out of the UK every year. The latest HMRC statistics can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/statistics-on-non-domiciled-taxpayers-in-the-uk/statistical-commentary-on-non-domiciled-taxpayers-in-the-uk--2. These show the number of non-domiciled taxpayers in each tax year up to 2023/24. We anticipate that some non-doms ineligible for the new regime will exit the UK in response to the changes. Taking this migration response into account, the OBR expects the non-dom reforms to raise £33.8 billion over the next five years to help fund the public services and investment projects needed to drive growth.
What recent discussions she has had with business groups on economic policy.
Government Ministers and Senior Officials regularly meet with businesses and business representation organisations. These meetings provide an opportunity for the Government to hear the views of the business community to aid in the formation of policy, including fiscal policy. These engagements are ongoing and will continue to be so. Further information on previous meetings held by HM Treasury Ministers and can be found on the gov.uk website via this link: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hmt-ministers-meetings-hospitality-gifts-and-overseas-travel