Every parliamentary written question tabled by Shaun Davies this session, with the full answer and department. Back to the MP page.
Showing 101–120 of 330 · this parliament
What estimate she has made of the outstanding profit share from asylum hotel providers owed to the home office, broken down by provider.
The Home Office has to date received £45.9m in excess profits from its Asylum Accommodation and Support Contract Providers.Discussions are currently underway with providers in relation to the return of remaining excess profits under the contractual terms.It is not possible to give any further breakdown.
If she will publish a breakdown of a) the number of claims and b) the total value of statutory paternity pay and shared parental pay between the public and private sectors for each of the last three years.
HMRC collects data on statutory paternity and shared parental pay. HMRC also holds data on the legal status of organisations and their Pay As You Earn schemes, which does include whether the organisation is a private sector or public sector organisation. However, to match the two together would be a significant analytical task and so the relevant data could only be collated and verified for the purpose of answering this question at disproportionate cost.
Communities and Local Government, what extra resource his department is providing those wards within the governments pride in place program.
On 25 September, the Government launched its overarching Pride in Place Strategy, committing up to £5 billion in funding and support to 339 communities. The flagship Pride in Place Programme will provide up to £20 million in flexible funding and support to 244 places over the next decade. This will serve as the cornerstone of this Government’s support for communities, incorporating the existing 25 trailblazer areas announced at Spending Review and the 75 Phase 1 Plan for Neighbourhoods programme areas that were announced in March. The neighbourhoods selected to receive funding and support from the Pride in Place Programme include Woodside in Telford and 28 places in the West Midlands. In addition, 7 local authorities across the West Midlands have been awarded funding through the Pride in Place Impact Fund, with each receiving up to £1.5m over two years. In total, the Government is investing up to £570.5 million across the West Midlands through the Pride in Place Programme and the Pride in Place Impact Fund.Each area selected through the Pride in Place Programme will receive dedicated delivery support from the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government to ensure the successful delivery of the programme. This support will be provided by the Communities Delivery Unit, which will work in partnership with Pride in Place Boards and local authorities, and will include access to place-specific data, guidance and capability support tailored to local needs.The Communities Delivery Unit in the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government will also work with the Department for Work and Pensions and other government departments to identify relevant programmes, data and support that Pride in Place neighbourhoods can draw on as they develop their local plans.
Communities and Local Government, what resources his department is providing to those wards within the government Pride in Place program in a) Telford, b) West Midlands and c) England.
On 25 September, the Government launched its overarching Pride in Place Strategy, committing up to £5 billion in funding and support to 339 communities. The flagship Pride in Place Programme will provide up to £20 million in flexible funding and support to 244 places over the next decade. This will serve as the cornerstone of this Government’s support for communities, incorporating the existing 25 trailblazer areas announced at Spending Review and the 75 Phase 1 Plan for Neighbourhoods programme areas that were announced in March. The neighbourhoods selected to receive funding and support from the Pride in Place Programme include Woodside in Telford and 28 places in the West Midlands. In addition, 7 local authorities across the West Midlands have been awarded funding through the Pride in Place Impact Fund, with each receiving up to £1.5m over two years. In total, the Government is investing up to £570.5 million across the West Midlands through the Pride in Place Programme and the Pride in Place Impact Fund.Each area selected through the Pride in Place Programme will receive dedicated delivery support from the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government to ensure the successful delivery of the programme. This support will be provided by the Communities Delivery Unit, which will work in partnership with Pride in Place Boards and local authorities, and will include access to place-specific data, guidance and capability support tailored to local needs.The Communities Delivery Unit in the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government will also work with the Department for Work and Pensions and other government departments to identify relevant programmes, data and support that Pride in Place neighbourhoods can draw on as they develop their local plans.
How much her department has recovered from asylum hotel providers in excess profits in each year since the creation of the contract, broken down by provider.
Since the creation of the Asylum Accommodation and Support Contracts the Home Office has recovered £45.9m in excess profits.It is not possible to give a yearly breakdown of the amounts. This breakdown covers the period to August 2024.
Communities and Local Government, what resources his department is directing to support those wards within the governments Pride in Place program in a) Telford, b) West Midlands and c) England.
On 25 September, the Government launched its overarching Pride in Place Strategy, committing up to £5 billion in funding and support to 339 communities. The flagship Pride in Place Programme will provide up to £20 million in flexible funding and support to 244 places over the next decade. This will serve as the cornerstone of this Government’s support for communities, incorporating the existing 25 trailblazer areas announced at Spending Review and the 75 Phase 1 Plan for Neighbourhoods programme areas that were announced in March. The neighbourhoods selected to receive funding and support from the Pride in Place Programme include Woodside in Telford and 28 places in the West Midlands. In addition, 7 local authorities across the West Midlands have been awarded funding through the Pride in Place Impact Fund, with each receiving up to £1.5m over two years. In total, the Government is investing up to £570.5 million across the West Midlands through the Pride in Place Programme and the Pride in Place Impact Fund.Each area selected through the Pride in Place Programme will receive dedicated delivery support from the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government to ensure the successful delivery of the programme. This support will be provided by the Communities Delivery Unit, which will work in partnership with Pride in Place Boards and local authorities, and will include access to place-specific data, guidance and capability support tailored to local needs.The Communities Delivery Unit in the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government will also work with the Department for Work and Pensions and other government departments to identify relevant programmes, data and support that Pride in Place neighbourhoods can draw on as they develop their local plans.
What resources i) his department and ii) the NHS is providing to support those wards within the government Pride in Place program in a) Telford, b) West Midlands and c) England.
Pride in Place is funded and led by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG). Neither the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) nor NHS England holds the information requested. However, our 10-Year Health Plan sets out our vision for a Neighbourhood Health Service, delivering truly integrated, proactive and personalised care closer to where people live and work.We have launched wave 1 of the National Neighbourhood Health Implementation Programme (NNHIP) in 43 places across England, including in the West Midlands. The NNHIP supports systems across the country in driving innovation and integration at a local level to improve the care they provide to their communities.As announced at Autumn Budget 2025, the NHS Neighbourhood Rebuild programme will deliver 250 Neighbourhood Health Centres, with 120 delivered in 2030. Rollout will be progressive over this Parliament, with early sites focused on areas of greatest need.Neighbourhood Health Centres will bring together National Health Service, local authority and voluntary sector services in one building to help create a holistic offer that meets the needs of local populations.DHSC continues to work closely with MHCLG on relevant policies and programmes including Pride in Place. I recently met with the Minister for Devolution, Faith and Communities on this topic to discuss synergies between Neighbourhood Health and Pride in Place.
What steps his Department is taking to use digital technology to help improve access to primary care.
We are shifting from analogue to digital with a transformed NHS App that will become the digital front door to the NHS. For the first time more people are contacting their GP online than by phone, and NHS App users have increased by 33% since last year. More patients can now request general practice appointments online, a huge step in delivering our commitment to end the 8am scramble.
What data her Department holds on the (a) number of claims and (b) value of payments made for statutory paternity leave and shared parental leave each year by economic sector and industry.
HMRC does not collect data on statutory paternity leave or shared parental leave. HMRC does collect data on statutory paternity pay and shared parental pay which may closely approximate leave in both cases. HMRC also holds data on economic sector, but to match the two together would be a significant analytical task and so the relevant data could only be collated and verified for the purpose of answering this question at disproportionate cost.
Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to help increase skills in the agriculture, food and farming sectors.
The Government’s skills white paper sets out our ambition for an employer focussed skills employment system. This means equipping individuals with life and work skills, while ensuring businesses also invest in developing the current future workforce. The Farming Roadmap will set out how farming can evolve in response to changing markets, technologies, and environmental pressures, and how the Government will support this transition.
How many people claimed (a) Statutory Maternity Leave, (b) Statutory Paternity Leave and (c) Statutory Parental Leave by income decile in the 2024/25 financial year.
Numbers of individuals in receipt of statutory payments, including breakdowns by income decile, are published here:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/parental-leave-and-pay-evidence-hmrc-data-covering-april-2014-to-march-2025
What data his Department holds on (a) the number of claimants and (b) the total value of payments of (i) Statutory Maternity Leave, (ii) Statutory Paternity Leave, and (iii) Shared Parental Leave by occupation for each of the last three years.
Information provided by employers to HMRC shows that the total value of payments made to individuals in receipt of Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP), Statutory Paternity Pay (SPP) and Statutory Shared Parental Pay (SShPP) for 2024/25, the latest year for which full year data is available. The table below presents a breakdown of the value of payments made to individuals by the region, based on recipient residence. Table 1. Total value of Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP), Statutory Paternity Pay (SPP) and Statutory Shared Parental Pay (SShPP) payments by claimant resident region, 2024/25Government Office RegionTotal value of SMP paymentsTotal value of SPP paymentsTotal value of SShPP paymentsEast Midlands£213,500,000£5,200,000£2,900,000East of England£328,100,000£6,800,000£3,900,000London£631,800,000£11,100,000£8,000,000North East£109,100,000£2,600,000£1,800,000North West£350,100,000£8,000,000£4,900,000Northern Ireland£104,500,000£2,200,000£1,300,000Scotland£234,300,000£5,500,000£1,800,000South East£481,200,000£9,900,000£7,600,000South West£245,900,000£5,600,000£5,200,000Wales£132,100,000£3,100,000£2,000,000West Midlands£267,700,000£6,600,000£3,000,000Yorkshire and The Humber£242,900,000£5,900,000£3,800,000Unknown£249,600,000£4,700,000£3,300,000Total£3,590,800,000£77,200,000£49,500,000Source: HM Revenue and Customers (HMRC) Real Time Information (RTI) system 2024/25 Notes:1. All figures are based on HMRC RTI system and were extracted in Aug 2025. RTI is subject to revision and there may be small fluctuations in figures reported - these figures should not be considered “final”.2. Figures for the total value of parental payments (£m) are rounded to the nearest hundred thousand.3. Government Office Regions (GOR) are determined by matching the most recent postcode from the previous tax year with the Office for National Statistics’ postcode lookup table. If a partial postcode is provided an assumption is made based on the postcode district or area. The GOR with the most postcodes of a given district is returned. If no postcode is listed then region is marked as unknown. The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) does not hold data on the number of individuals in receipt or the value of payments of SMP, SPP and SShPP by occupation. However, the Government commissioned the Parental Rights Survey which provides the best source of data on the occupation of parents who have taken parental leave, the findings are published here - https://www.employment-studies.co.uk/resource/parental-rights-survey-2019 .
What the value was of (a) Statutory Maternity Leave, (b) Statutory Paternity Leave and (c) Statutory Parental Leave in each region in the 2024/25 financial year.
Information provided by employers to HMRC shows that the total value of payments made to individuals in receipt of Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP), Statutory Paternity Pay (SPP) and Statutory Shared Parental Pay (SShPP) for 2024/25, the latest year for which full year data is available. The table below presents a breakdown of the value of payments made to individuals by the region, based on recipient residence. Table 1. Total value of Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP), Statutory Paternity Pay (SPP) and Statutory Shared Parental Pay (SShPP) payments by claimant resident region, 2024/25Government Office RegionTotal value of SMP paymentsTotal value of SPP paymentsTotal value of SShPP paymentsEast Midlands£213,500,000£5,200,000£2,900,000East of England£328,100,000£6,800,000£3,900,000London£631,800,000£11,100,000£8,000,000North East£109,100,000£2,600,000£1,800,000North West£350,100,000£8,000,000£4,900,000Northern Ireland£104,500,000£2,200,000£1,300,000Scotland£234,300,000£5,500,000£1,800,000South East£481,200,000£9,900,000£7,600,000South West£245,900,000£5,600,000£5,200,000Wales£132,100,000£3,100,000£2,000,000West Midlands£267,700,000£6,600,000£3,000,000Yorkshire and The Humber£242,900,000£5,900,000£3,800,000Unknown£249,600,000£4,700,000£3,300,000Total£3,590,800,000£77,200,000£49,500,000Source: HM Revenue and Customers (HMRC) Real Time Information (RTI) system 2024/25 Notes:1. All figures are based on HMRC RTI system and were extracted in Aug 2025. RTI is subject to revision and there may be small fluctuations in figures reported - these figures should not be considered “final”.2. Figures for the total value of parental payments (£m) are rounded to the nearest hundred thousand.3. Government Office Regions (GOR) are determined by matching the most recent postcode from the previous tax year with the Office for National Statistics’ postcode lookup table. If a partial postcode is provided an assumption is made based on the postcode district or area. The GOR with the most postcodes of a given district is returned. If no postcode is listed then region is marked as unknown. The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) does not hold data on the number of individuals in receipt or the value of payments of SMP, SPP and SShPP by occupation. However, the Government commissioned the Parental Rights Survey which provides the best source of data on the occupation of parents who have taken parental leave, the findings are published here - https://www.employment-studies.co.uk/resource/parental-rights-survey-2019 .
When applications will open for the second round of Best Start breakfast clubs.
The government is committed to deliver on its pledge to provide a free breakfast club in every state-funded school with primary-aged children. This will ensure every child, regardless of circumstance, has a supportive start to the school day.So far, we have delivered 2.6 million breakfasts and offered places to almost 180,000 pupils across the country. Following the success of the early adopters, we will start the first phase of national rollout of the clubs from April 2026. We are investing a further £80 million into the programme to fund approximately 2,000 additional schools between April 2026 and March 2027. This will benefit around 500,000 more children.Further information, including specifics on eligibility, funding and expectations for schools will be provided later in the autumn term. This will include detailed guidance as well as a wider package of support.
Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to help tackle organised crime in the waste sector.
This Government is committed to tackling waste crime from the fly-tippers who blight our towns and villages to the serious and organised crime groups who are exploiting the waste sector. We have increased the Environment Agency’s budget for waste crime enforcement by over 50% this year to £15.6 million. We are making policy and regulatory reforms to close loopholes exploited by criminals - fundamentally reforming the waste carriers, brokers and dealers system, tightening waste permit exemptions and introducing digital waste tracking. The Environment Agency hosted Joint Unit for Waste Crime has nearly doubled in size thanks to our extra funding and its UK-wide partnership work with the Environment Agency, HMRC, National Crime Agency, the police and others continues to share intelligence, powers and resources to disrupt waste criminals. HMRC has also consulted on making mandatory tax checks required for waste sector operators to combat hidden economy activity. In addition, the Environment Agency’s Economic Crime Unit was launched in 2024 and targets the financial motivations behind waste crime using asset freezes and proceeds of crime actions.
Food and Rural Affairs, what plans her Department has for mandating digital waste tracking for (a) facilities with an environmental permit from 2026 and (b) for other operators from 2027.
From October 2026, there will be mandatory requirements on permitted or licensed operators, installations and mobile plant that receive waste to create a digital record of waste they receive, and to then enter it onto the Digital Waste Tracking Service. The waste industry involves a large number and complex array of operators. Subject to funding, additional aspects will be added to the service from 2027, drawing from our testing arising from Phase 1 of the service when it becomes available from April 2026. This will allow us to adjust as we move towards a more complete end-to-end waste tracking service.
Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the capacity of the digital waste tracking service to tackle waste crime.
Waste handled illegally and poor performing waste sites can damage the environment, blight local communities, for example by causing odour and pest issues, undermine legitimate businesses, and is estimated to cost the UK economy one billion pounds per year. Digital waste tracking will connect fragmented systems, providing comprehensive near real time data on the movement of a load of waste from production to disposal. Digitising record keeping will give clearer oversight for regulators, making it easier for waste producers and legitimate waste companies to comply with reporting requirements; and harder for rogue operators to compete in the industry and commit waste crime, from fly tipping to illegal waste sites to illegal waste exports.
Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department has allocated funding to expand the digital waste tracking service beyond sites holding an environmental permit.
From October 2026, there will be mandatory requirements on permitted or licensed operators, installations and mobile plant that receive waste to create a digital record of waste they receive, and to then enter it onto the Digital Waste Tracking Service. We recognise that waste can also be received under authorisations that are issued by regulators to ensure compliance, other than licenses or permits, such as registered exemptions. We will consider over the next few months whether there are any specific sectors or categories of operation within this group that can be sensibly included in mandatory requirements to create a digital record and enter it onto the Digital Waste Tracking Service alongside permitted and licenced operators.
Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to her Department's policy paper entitled Resources and waste strategy for England, published on 18 December 2018, what her planned timetable is for implementing reforms to the carriers', brokers' and dealers' regime.
The Resources and Waste Strategy for England was published under the previous Government. This Government has published a policy paper on gov.uk setting out its plans for reform of the waste Carrier Broker Dealer regime in England https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/reforming-the-waste-carrier-broker-and-dealer-system. Work has begun to draft the necessary legislative amendments and will be progressed when parliamentary time allows.
Whether his Department plans to (a) reform the National Careers Service and (b) review careers advice contracts.
We are reforming Jobcentre Plus and creating a new service across Great Britain that will enable everyone to access support to find good, meaningful work, and support to help them to progress in work, including through an enhanced focus on skills and careers. In England, these reforms will include bringing together Jobcentre Plus with the National Careers Service to create a greater awareness and focus on skills and careers as well as better join-up between employability and careers provision. The current National Careers Service contracts are due to expire on 30 September 2026. Therefore, a decision was required on how to deliver adult careers advice from that point. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has taken the decision to bring adult careers advice in-house into DWP from 1 October 2026. This means that National Careers Service contractors will no longer deliver this service after that date. This change is designed to ensure maximum flexibility in developing an integrated employment support and careers advice service. It will enable the service to respond more effectively to customer needs, identify and embed improved operational practices, and bring together employment and careers advice to meet the ambitions of the Get Britain Working White Paper