Written questions by Dance.

What discussions she has had with parent-led organisations in (a) Yeovil constituency and (b) Somerset on the planned Special Educational Needs and Disabilities white paper.

The department funds the Participation and Family Support programme, which ensures we can gather lived experience and insights from children, young people, parents and carers within the special educational needs and disabilities system from across England. A key aim of the work is to strengthen the involvement of parent carers and improve communication between local authorities and families, which is why we fund annual grants to all parent carer forums (PCFs) across England.The National Network of Parent Carer Forums is the strategic voice of PCFs across England. The steering group is made up of 9 regional PCF leads, which includes the south west, working strategically in co-production with government departments.The department is continuing to engage closely with children, parents and experts as we develop plans to ensure all children get the outcomes and life chances they deserve.

What steps she is taking improve the experience of parents and carers when using the Special Educational Needs and Disability system in Yeovil constituency.

A local area inspection of Somerset’s special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) services, undertaken by Ofsted and Care Quality Commission (CQC) in March 2020, identified nine areas of significant weakness. They revisited in November 2022 and confirmed that seven had made sufficient progress. To address the remaining two areas, Somerset developed an accelerated progress plan, supported by the department and NHS England (NHSE) SEND Advisors. Progress was closely monitored and, by February 2025, the plan was stepped down following sufficient improvement.The department and NHSE continue to engage with the Somerset SEND Partnership to discuss the local SEND system. Somerset Parent Carer Forum (PCF) representatives are valued strategic members at these meetings, which ensures their voices are heard, support to families continues, their issues are addressed, and true co-production takes place. We also engage with the regional and national PCF Networks to share information, escalate concerns and celebrate success.

Whether he plans to review the adequacy of the £30,000 grant cap for the Disabled Facilities Grant in England.

In England, the Government continues to fund the locally administered Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) which helps eligible older and disabled people on low incomes to adapt their homes.We have provided an additional £172 million across the current and previous financial years to uplift the DFG, which could provide approximately 15,600 home adaptations to give older and disabled people more independence in their homes. This brings the total funding for the DFG to £711 million in 2024/25 and 2025/26.We continue to keep all aspects of the DFG under consideration. Recently, we carried out a review of the upper limit for the DFG. We are currently considering the findings.

Whether he is taking steps to establish a specialised service for people with very severe myalgic encephalomyelitis or chronic fatigue symptom in Yeovil constituency.

We published the final myalgic encephalomyelitis, also known as chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), delivery plan on 22 July, which focuses on boosting research, improving attitudes and education, and bettering the lives of people with this debilitating disease.The commissioning of ME/CFS services is the responsibility of local integrated care boards (ICBs), including the NHS Somerset ICB, which covers the Yeovil constituency, based on their local population. The ME/CFS final delivery plan includes an action for the Department and NHS England to explore whether a specialised service should be prescribed by my Rt. Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, for very severe ME/CFS.

What steps she is taking to support schools to better identify pupils' range of additional needs outside of the classroom.

This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) receive the right support to succeed in their education.Schools, further education colleges, sixth form colleges, and 16 to 19 academies are required to identify and address the special educational needs (SEN) of the pupils they support and, in the case of mainstream settings, to use their ‘best endeavours’ to make sure that a child or young person who has SEN gets the support they need.All schools should apply the ‘graduated approach’ that is outlined in the ‘SEND code of practice: 0 to 25 years’, which means identifying a child’s needs, planning appropriate support, implementing and reviewing the support regularly to ensure it continues to meet the identified needs. Through this, schools should develop personalised approaches to supporting the unique needs of individual pupils. The code of practice can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/send-code-of-practice-0-to-25.To support settings to identify need early, we are strengthening the evidence base of what works to improve early identification in mainstream settings. For example, evidence reviews from University College London have recently been published. These will help to drive inclusive practices as they highlight what the best available evidence suggests are the most effective tools, strategies and approaches for teachers and other relevant staff in mainstream settings to identify and support children and young people with different types of needs.

What recent assessment he has made of the potential impact of (a) clinical oncology workforce shortages and (b) staffing levels on the adoption of innovative cancer treatments by NHS Trusts.

We are building our cancer workforce. As of June 2025, there are over 1,800 full time equivalent (FTE) doctors working in the speciality of clinical oncology in National Health Service trusts and other core organisations in England. This is almost 440, or 31.5%, more than 2020.Following additional investment through recent spending review settlements, trainees across 16 cancer-related specialties, including clinical and medical oncology, increased from 623 to 773 per year, a 24% increase.To grow the workforce, NHS England has been expanding specialty training places in key cancer professions. Targeted national campaigns and outreach activities, for example in clinical oncology, also promote cancer career pathways, with a focus on increasing applications to under-supplied professions.Training Academies in Imaging, Endoscopy, and Genomics are being delivered across regions to provide intensive skills development and support new models of care, including for cancer patients. Ongoing investment in practice education enhances clinical supervision, education and training across cancer and diagnostic workforces, increases placement capacity, supports staff retention, and contributes to high-quality patient care.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the NHS (a) funding and (b) commissioning structures on Stereotactic Ablative Body Radiotherapy provision in South West England.

The National Health Service keeps under review the range of services it offers patients. The use of stereotactic ablative body radiotherapy is thought to prolong overall survival and improve quality of life. NHS England provides the treatment to those eligible across England.Our £70 million investment in new radiotherapy machines will ensure that the most advanced treatment is available and accessible to patients across the country. By March 2027, up to 27,500 additional treatments per year will be delivered, including up to 4,500 receiving their first treatment for cancer within 62 days of referral, helping to treat more cancer patients in faster time.Adiditionally, the Department is working closely with NHS England to make sure we have the right workforce with the right skills up and down the country. This includes cancer care and radiotherapy treatment services.

What steps NHS England is taking to raise awareness of Type 1 Diabetes and Eating Disorders among healthcare professionals in diabetes and eating disorder services in (a) Somerset and (b) England.

NHS England is currently funding five Type 1 Disordered Eating (T1DE) pilots, with the aim of increasing understanding of the characteristics and care needs of people with T1DE, assessing the feasibility of the service delivery model and build the evidence base for an integrated diabetes and mental health pathway.Pilot sites are delivering a national high level service specification alongside testing local novel approaches to improving care including to awareness raising of the condition amongst both diabetes and eating disorder health care professionals. A national evaluation is currently underway to assess the impact of the five current pilot services. NHS England will review the evaluation findings to understand further opportunities to promote awareness of T1DE amongst healthcare professionals beyond the five pilot areas.NHS England works alongside its partners to support the delivery of key messages around diabetes education and awareness. This includes through a digital diabetes platform which is developing educational resources for T1DE.

Whether he plans to require Integrated Care Boards to provide sustainable funding to enable (a) the continuation of successful pilot projects on Type 1 Diabetes and Eating Disorders and (b) those projects to become regional centres of excellence.

NHS England has provided up to £1.5 million a year for the five current Type 1 Disordered Eating pilots for three years. This funding is transferred to integrated care boards on an annual basis and in 2025/26 has been ringfenced.Decisions on funding for future years have yet to be taken.

Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 11 September 2025 to Question 75506 on the National Federation of Young Farmers Clubs: Finance, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of delivering funding beyond 2025-26 to the National Federation of Young Farmers Clubs.

My officials continue to work closely with the National Federation of Young Farmers Clubs in delivering the 25/26 grant. Any assessment of the potential merits of providing further funding beyond 25/26 will form part of future spending decisions.

Whether he has made a recent assessment with Cabinet colleagues of the potential merits of providing NHS standard eye tests to children in primary school in (a) Yeovil constituency and (b) England.

The UK National Screening Committee recommends vision screening in school for children aged between four and five years old to look for reduced vision in one or both eyes.Free National Health Service sight tests are also widely available for children under 16 years old and under 19 years old in full time education from high street optical practices. To address challenges with access to high street NHS sight testing services faced by children with learning disabilities and/or autism, integrated care boards are now able to commission NHS sight tests in special educational settings across England.

Whether he has made a recent assessment with Cabinet colleagues of the potential merits of providing NHS standard hearing tests to children in primary schools in (a) Yeovil constituency and (b) England.

The UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) is an independent scientific advisory committee advising Ministers and the National Health Service about all aspects of population and targeted screening. It reviewed screening children for hearing problems in 2019 and did not recommend school age screening unless already implemented in an area. A summary of the recommendations conclusions is available at the following link:https://view-health-screening-recommendations.service.gov.uk/hearing-child/We would encourage anyone with concerns about their child’s hearing to speak with their general practitioner.The NHS does, however, run a national newborn hearing screening programme offering screening to all babies in England ideally within the first four to five weeks after they are born. The test can be done for babies up to the age of three months old. Newborn hearing screening aims to identify permanent moderate, severe and profound deafness and hearing impairment in newborn babies.

What steps she is taking to support (a) schools and (b) local authorities to provide education, care and health plans for children with special educational needs in Yeovil constituency.

The duty to conduct education, health and care (EHC) needs assessments, and to issue EHC plans if required, rests with the local authority.The department monitors and works closely with local authorities that have issues with the EHC needs assessment and plan process. Where there are concerns about a local authority’s capacity to make improvements, we ensure that the cause of problems is identified and an effective recovery plan is implemented.A joint local area inspection of Somerset’s special educational needs and disabilities services, undertaken by Ofsted and Care Quality Commission (CQC) in March 2020, identified nine areas of significant weakness. Following actions taken, the CQC and Ofsted revisited in November 2022 and confirmed that sufficient progress had been made in seven areas, including the timeliness and quality of EHC plans. Somerset produced an Accelerated Progress Plan to address the two remaining areas. With specialist support from special educational needs and disabilities advisors, sufficient progress was made on these areas and the plan was stepped down in February 2025.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of removing discretionary grant funding for the National Federation of Young Farmers' Clubs on the farming industry in (a) Yeovil constituency (b) Somerset and (c) England.

Encouraging more young people into farming and land-based careers is vital to ensure a skilled workforce is in place and the longer-term viability of the sector. Defra works closely with the National Federation of Young Farmers’ Clubs (NFYFC). Defra provides funding of up to £30,000 per year for specific project-based activity which supports skills development and training. My officials continue to work very closely with the NFYFC to deliver the 2025-26 grant to ensure value for money.

What steps he is taking to address geographic variations in (a) access and (b) efficacy of treatment for multiple sclerosis in (i) the South West and (ii) England.

Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for commissioning services for their local population, including for multiple sclerosis (MS), across England, including in the South West. The Government expects ICBs to assess the demand for service provision in designing their local services.At a national level, to reduce variation in access and treatment for patients with MS, there are initiatives to support better care for patients with neurological conditions such as MS across England. These include the Getting It Right First Time Programme for Neurology, which aims to improve MS care by supporting the National Health Service to address variations in care and promoting best practice.The Progressive Neurological Conditions Toolkit, published by NHS England’s RightCare Programme, supports healthcare systems in improving the care of individuals living with progressive neurological conditions, including MS. It aims to enhance local services and reduce hospital admissions by focusing on preventative care and optimising the delivery of services. NHS England’s Neurology Transformation Programme (NTP) is a multi-year programme to develop a new model of integrated care for neurology services. The NTP has collaborated with clinicians and patient groups to create specific pathways for MS, aiming to improve the quality and coordination of care. Last month, NHS England published its updated Specialised Neurology Service Specification for Adults, which includes MS. Service specifications define the standards of care expected from organisations funded by NHS England to provide specialised care.The three shifts outlined in the recently published 10-Year Health Plan will support people with long-term conditions, including those with MS, to better manage their condition and access services closer to home. For example, it will empower them to access their medical history and allow them to book and manage their appointments and medication.

Whether his Department is taking steps to help (a) increase recruitment and (b) tackle staffing shortages in the hospitality sector in (a) towns, (b) rural communities and (c) other places in (i) Somerset and (ii) other regions.

Hospitality businesses, including those in Somerset and across other regions, play a vital role in driving economic growth and strengthening community cohesion across the country.We work closely with the Hospitality Sector Council to improve the productivity and resilience of hospitality businesses by co-creating solutions to the issues impacting business performance, including in addressing jobs shortages and building the sector’s talent pipeline.As part of this, we are expanding Hospitality Sector-based Work Academy Programmes (SWAPs) which fast track individuals into hospitality vacancies by providing flexible training and support. SWAPs have already seen 10,000 starts in the sector in less than two years.

What assessment he has made of the potential links between hypermobility and neurodivergence.

It is the responsibility of the integrated care boards (ICBs) to make available appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population, including support for neurodivergent people. We expect ICBs to have due regard to National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines when commissioning services, and for healthcare professionals to take these guidelines into account for the care and treatment of patients. NICE guidelines are developed by experts based on a thorough assessment of the available evidence and through extensive engagement with stakeholders. The NICE guidelines on autism and those on attention deficit hyperactivity disorder highlight that, as part of the diagnostic process, clinicians should include an assessment of the person’s needs, co-existing conditions, and physical health, including fine and gross motor skills.In April 2023, NHS England published a national framework and operational guidance for autism assessment services, which can be found at the following link:www.england.nhs.uk/publication/autism-diagnosis-and-operational-guidanceThis guidance intends to help the NHS improve autism assessment services and the experience for those referred to an autism assessment service. The guidance highlights that physical health, and needs and difficulties, should feature as themes for discussion during the assessment process.

What assessment he has made of the potential need to improve screening for hypermobility in neurodivergent individuals.

It is the responsibility of the integrated care boards (ICBs) to make available appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population, including support for neurodivergent people. We expect ICBs to have due regard to National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines when commissioning services, and for healthcare professionals to take these guidelines into account for the care and treatment of patients. NICE guidelines are developed by experts based on a thorough assessment of the available evidence and through extensive engagement with stakeholders. The NICE guidelines on autism and those on attention deficit hyperactivity disorder highlight that, as part of the diagnostic process, clinicians should include an assessment of the person’s needs, co-existing conditions, and physical health, including fine and gross motor skills.In April 2023, NHS England published a national framework and operational guidance for autism assessment services, which can be found at the following link:www.england.nhs.uk/publication/autism-diagnosis-and-operational-guidanceThis guidance intends to help the NHS improve autism assessment services and the experience for those referred to an autism assessment service. The guidance highlights that physical health, and needs and difficulties, should feature as themes for discussion during the assessment process.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of rising energy costs on small to medium sized hospitality businesses in Yeovil constituency.

The Government believes that our mission to deliver clean power by 2030 is the best way to break our dependence on global fossil fuel markets and protect billpayers permanently. The creation of Great British Energy will help us to harness clean energy with less reliance on volatile international energy markets and help in our commitment to make Britain a clean energy superpower by 2030. The Government wants to provide businesses with better protection from being locked into unfair and expensive energy contracts, and more redress when they have a complaint. Last year, the Government launched a consultation on introducing regulation of Third-Party Intermediaries (TPIs), such as energy brokers. This is aimed at enhancing consumer protections, particularly for non-domestic consumers. The consultation has now closed, and a Government response will follow in due course once all feedback has been reviewed. The Government recently published a summary of responses to the consultation which set out that we government continues to believe that the current regulations aren’t sufficient and we remain minded to directly regulate this market when parliamentary time allows. From 19 December 2024 Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) with fewer than 50 employees can now access free support to resolve issues with their energy supplier through the Energy Ombudsman. This means that 99% of British businesses can now access this service with outcomes ranging up to £20,000 in financial awards.

Whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of the level of (a) Value Added Tax rates and (b) business rates on the recovery of hospitality businesses in rural areas in Yeovil constituency.

The Government recognises the significant contribution made by hospitality and tourism businesses, including those in rural areas, to economic growth and social life in the UK. To deliver our manifesto pledge, from 2026/27, we intend to introduce permanently lower tax rates for retail, hospitality, and leisure (RHL) properties, including hotels, with rateable values below £500,000. This permanent tax cut will ensure that they benefit from much-needed certainty and support. Ahead of these new multipliers being introduced, the Government recognises that businesses will need support in 2025/26. As such, we prevented the current RHL relief from ending in April 2025, extending it for one year at 40 per cent up to a cash cap of £110,000 per business, and we froze the small business multiplier. When the new, permanently lower tax rates are set at Budget 2025, the Treasury intends to publish analysis of the effects of the new multiplier arrangements. VAT is a broad-based tax on consumption, and the 20 per cent standard rate applies to most goods and services. The UK’s VAT rate of 20 per cent is close to the OECD average of 19.3 per cent. At £90,000, the UK has a higher VAT registration threshold than any EU country and the joint highest in the OECD. This keeps the majority of businesses out of the VAT regime altogether.