This Government is transforming the apprenticeships levy into a new growth and skills levy in England, backed by £1 billion of additional investment. This will support 50,000 more young people into apprenticeships, give employers, including in the manufacturing sector, greater flexibility to develop the workforce they need, and support the industrial strategy.

We know that small businesses are more likely to offer apprenticeships to young people but recognise that they don’t have the economies of scale or HR resources of larger employers.

To support them, we have introduced a new apprenticeship hiring payment of £2,000 for non-levy paying employers (who are typically SMEs) when they take on 16–24-year-old apprentices as new employees. Employers hiring apprentices aged 18-24 who have been on Universal Credit for over six months will also be eligible for the new £3,000 Youth Jobs Grant.

This is on top of the £1,000 we provide to both employers and training providers when they take on apprentices aged under 19, or 19-to-24-year-old apprentices who have an EHCP or have been, or are, in care.

In addition, the government now fully funds apprenticeship training for all eligible under 25s at employers of all sizes, as we prioritise funding toward young people.

Alongside this, employers benefit from not being required to pay anything towards employees’ National Insurance for all apprentices aged up to age 25, when the employee’s wage is below £50,270 a year.

The government also facilitates and funds the Apprenticeship Ambassador Network (AAN), which comprises around 3,000 employer and apprentice volunteers, to promote the benefits of apprenticeships. It operates across all parts of England through nine regional networks which provide buddying and mentoring support to small businesses to help them recruit and retain apprentices.

With around one million young people not in education, employment and training, this Government will not leave an entire generation of young people behind. The Government is investing an additional £2.5 billion by 2029 into the Youth Guarantee and the Growth and Skills Levy.

This investment will create up to 500,000 opportunities. This includes around 300,000 opportunities to gain workplace experience and training, alongside up to 200,000 employment opportunities through a new £3,000 Youth Jobs Grant for employers hiring 18 to 24-year-oldst who have been on Universal Credit for over six months. Also, a new £2,000 apprenticeship hiring payment for non-levy employers hiring 16 to 24-year-olds, and the Jobs Guarantee scheme, providing long-term unemployed 18 to 24-year-olds with a fully funded six-month job.

DWP's Strategic Relationship Team works with manufacturing employers to promote apprenticeships, work experience, careers events and employability activity for young people, including those who are NEET. This includes aligning employer recruitment activity with Jobcentre support, developing pathways into engineering and advanced manufacturing careers, and working with employers to address skills shortages and increase opportunities for young people entering the sector.

The Department has also supported activity around National Manufacturing Day to raise awareness of careers in modern manufacturing, challenge outdated perceptions of the sector and promote opportunities including apprenticeships and work experience. In addition, manufacturing employers are making use of the Youth Job Grant, helping more young people who have been unemployed for longer periods move into sustained work.

This government wants the UK to be one of the best places in the world to invest, build and grow a business – and that starts with a tax system that is competitive, predictable and stable. This government has maintained the lowest rate of corporate tax in the G7, topped the rankings for OECD countries in terms of capital allowances for plant and machinery due to our generous full expensing offer, and led a flexible and competitive regime for intangible assets.

Through delivery of our 10-year Advanced Manufacturing sector plan, this government also aims to nearly double annual business investment in the advanced manufacturing sector to £39bn by 2035.

That’s why we backed our Advanced Manufacturing sector with up to £4.3 billion in funding out to 2030, including up to £2.8 billion in R&D. Alongside this, we have provided a further £2 billion of R&D and capital funding available for automotive from 2030 to 2035 and up to £2.3bn for the UK’s aerospace industry over the 10 year period.

The government’s ‘Suicide prevention in England: 5-year cross-sector strategy’ identifies children and young people as a priority group for suicide prevention. The plan sets out a range of actions to improve mental health support, strengthen early intervention and ensure that children and young people can access appropriate support when needed.

Home educated children and young people are included within the strategy’s focus on children and young people and can access the wider mental health and suicide prevention support available through health services, local suicide prevention arrangements and voluntary and community sector organisations.

More broadly, the government is committed to improving mental health support and preventing suicide among all children and young people. This includes action across education, health and community services, as well as investment in earlier intervention through the development of Young Futures Hubs.

Further to the answer provided on 16 February in response to Question HL14539, I can confirm that, over the current Spending Review period, £136 million has been earmarked for community water fluoridation, but I am unable at this stage to provide the Hon. Member with the specific requested breakdown of that spending. Further information on feasibility studies is published at the following links:

https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/001947-2026

https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/056982-2026

https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/002996-2026

National guidance and service specifications recognise the importance of early parent-infant relationships and helping parents understand and respond to their baby’s needs. The refreshed Healthy Child Programme guidance and Best Start Family Hubs and Healthy Babies guidance promote evidence-based support for parent-infant relationships, including practitioner observation of interactions between babies and their parents and carers. The Healthy Child Programme guidance and the Best Start Family Hubs and Healthy Babies guidance are available at the following two links:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6a2965046d178a6fb7e32098/Best_start_family_hubs_and_healthy_babies_-_guidance_for_local_authorities.pdf

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6a2965046d178a6fb7e32098/Best_start_family_hubs_and_healthy_babies_-_guidance_for_local_authorities.pdf

Through Healthy Babies, we are investing in national workforce development initiatives to increase practitioner skills and confidence in supporting parent-infant relationships in 75 local authorities with high levels of deprivation. These local authorities are expected to train their workforce in evidence-based approaches, such as Video Interaction Guidance.

NHS England also routinely identifies and disseminates best practice and learning across National Health Services and clinical networks to support local delivery of parent-infant relationship support.

Decisions on the use of specific observational approaches, including tools such as Newborn Behavioural Observations and the Neonatal Behavioural Assessment Scale, are made locally by services and appropriately trained practitioners.

It has historically been difficult to gather accurate and comprehensive data on miscarriages. While data is collected on those miscarriages that occur during hospital stays, the majority occur outside of healthcare settings, and it is the choice of the woman affected whether she discloses that information to healthcare professionals.

The Single Patient Record (SPR) aims to provide a more joined-up view of a patient’s health and care history, reducing the need for the same information to be recorded multiple times across different systems. Maternity is one of the priority care pathways for the roll out of the SPR, with early implementation starting in 2027.

The SPR will help to address the lack of miscarriage data by better enabling the National Health Service and supporting organisations to record miscarriages wherever they may be reported across different care settings. We will continue to consider this as implementation progresses.

It is not currently mandatory for trusts to record second trimester miscarriage through the Maternity Services Data Set (MSDS). The requirements for the next iteration of the MSDS include more detailed data collection around pregnancy outcomes, including on miscarriage.

Timescales for this next iteration will be confirmed in due course. We will also consider what changes may be required to the Digital Maternity Record Standard as part of wider maternity data architecture design work, which will also support the MSDS and the SPR.

It has historically been difficult to gather accurate and comprehensive data on miscarriages. While data is collected on those miscarriages that occur during hospital stays, the majority occur outside of healthcare settings, and it is the choice of the woman affected whether she discloses that information to healthcare professionals.

The Single Patient Record (SPR) aims to provide a more joined-up view of a patient’s health and care history, reducing the need for the same information to be recorded multiple times across different systems. Maternity is one of the priority care pathways for the roll out of the SPR, with early implementation starting in 2027.

The SPR will help to address the lack of miscarriage data by better enabling the National Health Service and supporting organisations to record miscarriages wherever they may be reported across different care settings. We will continue to consider this as implementation progresses.

It is not currently mandatory for trusts to record second trimester miscarriage through the Maternity Services Data Set (MSDS). The requirements for the next iteration of the MSDS include more detailed data collection around pregnancy outcomes, including on miscarriage.

Timescales for this next iteration will be confirmed in due course. We will also consider what changes may be required to the Digital Maternity Record Standard as part of wider maternity data architecture design work, which will also support the MSDS and the SPR.

It has historically been difficult to gather accurate and comprehensive data on miscarriages. While data is collected on those miscarriages that occur during hospital stays, the majority occur outside of healthcare settings, and it is the choice of the woman affected whether she discloses that information to healthcare professionals.

The Single Patient Record (SPR) aims to provide a more joined-up view of a patient’s health and care history, reducing the need for the same information to be recorded multiple times across different systems. Maternity is one of the priority care pathways for the roll out of the SPR, with early implementation starting in 2027.

The SPR will help to address the lack of miscarriage data by better enabling the National Health Service and supporting organisations to record miscarriages wherever they may be reported across different care settings. We will continue to consider this as implementation progresses.

It is not currently mandatory for trusts to record second trimester miscarriage through the Maternity Services Data Set (MSDS). The requirements for the next iteration of the MSDS include more detailed data collection around pregnancy outcomes, including on miscarriage.

Timescales for this next iteration will be confirmed in due course. We will also consider what changes may be required to the Digital Maternity Record Standard as part of wider maternity data architecture design work, which will also support the MSDS and the SPR.

It has historically been difficult to gather accurate and comprehensive data on miscarriages. While data is collected on those miscarriages that occur during hospital stays, the majority occur outside of healthcare settings, and it is the choice of the woman affected whether she discloses that information to healthcare professionals.

The Single Patient Record (SPR) aims to provide a more joined-up view of a patient’s health and care history, reducing the need for the same information to be recorded multiple times across different systems. Maternity is one of the priority care pathways for the roll out of the SPR, with early implementation starting in 2027.

The SPR will help to address the lack of miscarriage data by better enabling the National Health Service and supporting organisations to record miscarriages wherever they may be reported across different care settings. We will continue to consider this as implementation progresses.

It is not currently mandatory for trusts to record second trimester miscarriage through the Maternity Services Data Set (MSDS). The requirements for the next iteration of the MSDS include more detailed data collection around pregnancy outcomes, including on miscarriage.

Timescales for this next iteration will be confirmed in due course. We will also consider what changes may be required to the Digital Maternity Record Standard as part of wider maternity data architecture design work, which will also support the MSDS and the SPR.

It has historically been difficult to gather accurate and comprehensive data on miscarriages. While data is collected on those miscarriages that occur during hospital stays, the majority occur outside of healthcare settings, and it is the choice of the woman affected whether she discloses that information to healthcare professionals.

The Single Patient Record (SPR) aims to provide a more joined-up view of a patient’s health and care history, reducing the need for the same information to be recorded multiple times across different systems. Maternity is one of the priority care pathways for the roll out of the SPR, with early implementation starting in 2027.

The SPR will help to address the lack of miscarriage data by better enabling the National Health Service and supporting organisations to record miscarriages wherever they may be reported across different care settings. We will continue to consider this as implementation progresses.

It is not currently mandatory for trusts to record second trimester miscarriage through the Maternity Services Data Set (MSDS). The requirements for the next iteration of the MSDS include more detailed data collection around pregnancy outcomes, including on miscarriage.

Timescales for this next iteration will be confirmed in due course. We will also consider what changes may be required to the Digital Maternity Record Standard as part of wider maternity data architecture design work, which will also support the MSDS and the SPR.

We recognise the vital role that learning disability nurses play in supporting people with a learning disability and reducing health inequalities.

To support recruitment, the Department provides eligible healthcare students with a non-repayable grant of at least £5,000 per academic year via the NHS Learning Support Fund. Students undertaking priority specialisms, including learning disability nursing, can receive an additional incentive payment.

NHS England has also established a learning disability nurse expert group which aims to work with stakeholders to consider how we ensure sustainability of education programmes and attract people onto learning disability nursing and grow the workforce.

More widely, the Government is investing £65 million to deliver 2,000 additional nursing degree apprenticeships over the next three years. We will prioritise areas of greatest need and ensure that communities relying most on the National Health Service benefit from a stronger, more resilient workforce. The forthcoming 10 Year Workforce Plan will set out how we ensure the NHS has the right people in the right places, with the right skills to care for patients, when they need it.

The government recognises outdoor opportunities as a valuable part of the childhood experiences we want all children and young people to have.

Participation in enrichment activities can be associated with a range of positive outcomes, including wellbeing, life satisfaction and better mental health.

Our enrichment framework, published on 15 June, sets an expectation that all schools and colleges should offer a broad and well-rounded enrichment offer. Access to nature, outdoors and adventure, including camps, is specifically identified as one of the five areas that offers should cover as a minimum and highlights examples of offers including residentials.

The department is supporting the provision of more opportunities through the £132 million ‘Every Child Can’ programme and will be supporting 400 schools in deprived areas to develop offers in line with the benchmarks through our £22.5 million Enrichment Enhancement Programme. We will also be working to grow provision in areas where access is limited, working with Baroness Grey-Thompson as enrichment ambassador for this area.

The government recognises outdoor opportunities as a valuable part of the childhood experiences we want all children and young people to have.

Participation in enrichment activities can be associated with a range of positive outcomes, including wellbeing, life satisfaction and better mental health.

Our enrichment framework, published on 15 June, sets an expectation that all schools and colleges should offer a broad and well-rounded enrichment offer. Access to nature, outdoors and adventure, including camps, is specifically identified as one of the five areas that offers should cover as a minimum and highlights examples of offers including residentials.

The department is supporting the provision of more opportunities through the £132 million ‘Every Child Can’ programme and will be supporting 400 schools in deprived areas to develop offers in line with the benchmarks through our £22.5 million Enrichment Enhancement Programme. We will also be working to grow provision in areas where access is limited, working with Baroness Grey-Thompson as enrichment ambassador for this area.

Through the Lancashire Devolution Deal, the Government is providing up to £20 million in capital funding during the current Spending Review period to support innovation-led growth across Lancashire, including assets to maximise the benefits of the National Cyber Force Headquarters at Samlesbury, which lies within Ribble Valley constituency.

UKRI funding for Lancashire increased from £97 million in 2022–23 to £107 million in 2023–24, demonstrating continued investment in the region's research and innovation strengths.

The Government is investing a record £58.5 billion in research and development between 2026/27 and 2029/30 to support growth and the creation of high-skilled jobs across the UK. This includes funding for UKRI-supported Centres for Doctoral Training in the North West, helping to develop the next generation of researchers and innovators. Around the country, UKRI is investing in around 5000 new PhD studentships each year.

Alongside this, the Government has invested £200m in the TechFirst programme that will reach one million students across every secondary school in the UK, including 400,000 students attending the most disadvantaged schools. This will also provide funding for scholarship, research and employment opportunities for thousands of young people across the country. This includes supporting a pilot in the North West that will combine AI skills training with Level 3 apprenticeships, creating a direct pathway for young people at risk of becoming NEET into skilled employment and informing future national rollout.

As part of our mission to build a National Health Service that is fit for the future and that is there when people need it, the Government has delivered on its commitment to recruit an additional 8,500 mental health workers by the end of this Parliament, three years ahead of schedule.

These new staff include over 1,200 new doctors, over 4,500 new nurses, and a range of other support staff, primarily psychological professions, which will help to ease pressure on busy mental health services.

Of the 8,532 new mental health full-time equivalent staff in post between 30 June 2024 and 30 April 2026, 1,552 were recorded in ‘Mental Health Child and Adolescent’ and ‘Child and Adolescent Psychiatry’, the equivalent to 18% of the increase. This is not a full count of all children and young people’s mental health staff, as the published data does not consistently identify where all staff work. It is therefore not possible to provide a reliable breakdown of the additional mental health workforce between child and adolescent mental health services and adult mental health services from the published data.

However, these additional staff are deployed across the system to support a range of national priorities, improving access and reducing waiting times for both adults and children and young people.

Further detail is available in NHS workforce statistics, published monthly by NHS England, available at the following link:

https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/nhs-workforce-statistics

Businesses can only recover input VAT once they are VAT registered. However, once registered, they may recover VAT on goods purchased up to four years before that date.

HMRC processes the vast majority of VAT registration applications promptly, with 95% currently processed within the service standard of 40 working days. The Government has no plans to change the VAT registration rules in this area.

The government is committed to implementing measures in the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 to make enfranchisement cheaper and easier.

The Act sets the method for calculating the price of a statutory lease extension or freehold acquisition, known as the valuation process. It removes the requirement for marriage value to be paid, caps the treatment of ground rents in the valuation calculation at 0.1% of the freehold value, and allows government to prescribe the rates used to calculate the enfranchisement premium.

Valuation rates used to calculate the enfranchisement premium will be set by the Secretary of State in secondary legislation. We will consult on valuation rates and commence the relevant provisions as soon as possible.

As per the Written Ministerial Statements made on 21 November 2024 (HCWS244) and 27 January 2026 (HCWS1278), primary legislation will be required to rectify a small number of specific flaws in the 2024 Act before the Act’s enfranchisement provisions are commenced.

It was confirmed in the King’s Speech on 13 May 2026 that fixes to these flaws will be included in the forthcoming Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill.

On 20 May, this government announced the £92 million Places of Worship Renewal Fund to support capital works keeping listed places of worship safe, open, and in public use. Community benefit is considered as part of the assessment.

We also provide the Churches Conservation Trust £3 million per annum to maintain more than 350 churches, and are providing £42 million to support communities to take on the buildings they love, including buildings that were places of worship, through the Heritage Revival Fund.