Written questions by Thompson.

If the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Veterans and People will meet with (a) survivors, (b) relatives and (c) friends of people affected by the sinking of RMS Lancastria during the Second World War to discuss recognition of this matter.

The sinking of the HMT Lancastria remains the United Kingdom's worst maritime disaster. Although it occurred almost 85 years ago, the loss of several thousand servicemen and civilians, and the fortitude of those who were saved that day, must never be forgotten. A number of memorials commemorate the sinking, and loss of life, most notably in England at the National Memorial Arboretum, at St Nazaire in France, and at the former Dalmuir shipyard at Clydebank, Scotland. The HMT Lancastria Association also has its own memorial in the Church of St. Katherine Cree in the City of London, which is the site of an annual memorial ceremony. Unfortunately, it is impractical to commemorate the anniversaries of all wartime tragedies with a bespoke Government-led event and thus I have no plans to discuss further recognition.

If he will make an assessment of the potential merits of expanding NHS prenatal care to include three ultra-sound scans.

The Government is committed to ensuring that all women and babies receive safe, personalised, equitable, and compassionate care. We are supporting NHS England as it delivers its three-year plan to improve maternity and neonatal care for women and babies. As part of this, all trusts are rolling out version three of the Saving Babies Lives Care Bundle which includes interventions for risk assessment, surveillance, and management of foetal growth restriction.In 2021, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) undertook an evidence review on routine third-trimester ultrasound for foetal growth. This concluded that there is no evidence of benefit to routinely scanning all women in the third trimester, compared to a more selective approach. Instead, the NICE recommends targeted scanning based on clinical need. Further information on the NICE’s evidence review is available at the following link:https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng201/evidence/q-routine-third-trimester-ultrasound-for-fetal-growth-pdf-331305934364There are no plans at this time to make a further assessment of the potential merits of expanding NHS England’s maternity care to include three ultra-sound scans.

What discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Education on financial support available for mature students with caring responsibilities.

Successive Governments have held the principle that the benefit system does not normally support full-time students. Rather, they are supported by the educational maintenance system. Part-time students can receive Carer’s Allowance if they meet the entitlement conditions. Certain students when they have additional daily living costs that are not met by the student finance system may be eligible for Universal Credit (UC) and carer element of UC. If a student with the consent of the educational establishment ceases the course temporarily to care for someone and they are not eligible for a student grant or loan, they may be eligible for UC for that period. The Department works very closely with other departments and stakeholders, to help ensure young carers get the help and support they need and deserve. How we can best identify and support young carers to combine study with their caring responsibilities where they can, including taking account of changes in the education system, will form an important strand of our future work.

What assessment she has made of the adequacy of the financial support available through University Credit for students in full-time higher education with dependents.

Whilst students are not normally entitled to Universal Credit (UC), if they are responsible for a child, either as a single person or as a couple there is an exception. Depending on their circumstances, they may also be eligible for additional Universal Credit elements, including for children. Special Support Loans or Grants may be awarded to lone parent students who are in receipt of benefits, this is disregarded in calculations for UC.  Where a student receives a grant only, some of the income may be disregarded over and above the £110 limit in each assessment period if the payment is for childcare costs.

What steps his Department is taking to (a) help prevent and (b) increase early intervention for mental ill health.

The Shared Outcomes Fund Early Support Hubs project aims to increase the Government's understanding of the effectiveness of early intervention and prevention support for children and young people's mental health delivered in a community setting and strengthen the evidence base for early intervention. By evaluating the Early Support Hubs as a delivery model for early intervention, the project aims to build a strong evidence base, assess the impact of these services, and inform potential future expansion of the model. The evaluation of the project aims to report its findings by Summer 2025.There are currently approximately 65 locally funded early support hubs in England offering early easy access mental health interventions to thousands of children and young people aged 11 to 25 years old, including those from low-income families.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, we will recruit an additional 8,500 mental health workers across child and adult mental health services in England to reduce delays and provide faster treatment.Additionally, Every Mind Matters is a campaign run by NHS England, which features the mental health tool My Mind Plan at the heart of their resources and advice for those facing mental health problems.

What steps his Department is taking with the (a) NHS and (b) voluntary sector to introduce (i) clinical and (ii) non-clinical responses for young people with mental health needs.

We are committed to delivering a range of support, both clinical and non-clinical, to improve children and young people’s mental health. This includes recruiting an additional 8,500 mental health workers across child and adult National Health Service mental health services, to reduce delays and provide faster treatment, helping to ease pressure on busy mental health services.Nearly 500 NHS-funded mental health support teams were operational in approximately 8,500, or 34%, of schools and colleges across England as of the end of March 2024, covering 4.2 million, or 44%, of pupils or learners. These teams work with young people and parents to manage mild to moderate mental health conditions like anxiety and depression, while also assisting schools to develop a whole-school approach to positive mental health and wellbeing.We will provide access to a specialist mental health professional in every school in England and roll out Young Futures hubs in every community. The national network of Young Futures hubs is expected to bring local services together, and deliver support for teenagers at risk of being drawn into crime or facing mental health challenges. They will provide open access mental health support for children and young people in every community.

What steps his Department is taking with the voluntary sector to introduce new ways of treating mental ill health.

Ministers and Departmental officials meet regularly with voluntary, community, and social enterprise (VCSE) stakeholders in the mental health sector to discuss a range of mental health issues and current challenges.In October 2024 we launched the 10-Year Health Plan for the National Health Service to gather views from members of the public, NHS staff, VCSEs, and other organisations on their experiences and ideas to reform the NHS and make it fit for the future. The plan will set out a bold agenda to deliver on the three big shifts needed, to move healthcare from the hospital to the community, from analogue to digital, and from sickness to prevention. We are working closely with VCSEs and other mental health stakeholders to ensure the unique challenges for mental health services across England are reflected in 10-Year Health Plan.

Innovation and Technology, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of establishing an Online Safety Act fee regime through which the fees charged to individual platforms is equal to the costs to Ofcom for regulating those services.

Companies raising revenue from online services should cover the costs of regulation to keep the online environment safe for users. The Online Safety Act allows Ofcom to charge providers above a revenue threshold a justifiable and proportionate fee.The Secretary of State is considering the contents of Ofcom’s ‘Online Safety – fees and penalties’ consultation, which closes on 9 January 2025. Departmental officials have regular contact with Ofcom regarding respective responsibilities in implementing the fee regime.Parliament will be responsible for approving key aspects of the fee regime including regulations defining Qualifying Worldwide Revenue and the revenue threshold.

Innovation and Technology, with reference to the consultation document entitled Online Safety - fees and penalties: Consultation on implementing fees and penalties under the Online Safety Act 2023, published on 23 October 2024, what discussions he has had with Ofcom on the proposed fee regime for companies that (a) within scope of the Online Safety Act but are not categorised and (b) do not monetise their user-generated content.

Companies raising revenue from online services should cover the costs of regulation to keep the online environment safe for users. The Online Safety Act allows Ofcom to charge providers above a revenue threshold a justifiable and proportionate fee.The Secretary of State is considering the contents of Ofcom’s ‘Online Safety – fees and penalties’ consultation, which closes on 9 January 2025. Departmental officials have regular contact with Ofcom regarding respective responsibilities in implementing the fee regime.Parliament will be responsible for approving key aspects of the fee regime including regulations defining Qualifying Worldwide Revenue and the revenue threshold.

Innovation and Technology, with reference to the consultation document entitled Online Safety - fees and penalties: Consultation on implementing fees and penalties under the Online Safety Act 2023, published on 23 October 2024, what discussions he has had with Ofcom on the proposed fee regime for companies that do not have a close supervisory relationship with Ofcom.

Companies raising revenue from online services should cover the costs of regulation to keep the online environment safe for users. The Online Safety Act allows Ofcom to charge providers above a revenue threshold a justifiable and proportionate fee.The Secretary of State is considering the contents of Ofcom’s ‘Online Safety – fees and penalties’ consultation, which closes on 9 January 2025. Departmental officials have regular contact with Ofcom regarding respective responsibilities in implementing the fee regime.Parliament will be responsible for approving key aspects of the fee regime including regulations defining Qualifying Worldwide Revenue and the revenue threshold.

If his Department will make an assessment of the effectiveness of (a) maternal mental health services launched in 2019 and (b) maternal mental health services pregnancy and baby loss pathways in supporting bereaved mothers.

A National Institute for Health and Care Research-funded study has been commissioned to examine the effectiveness and the implementation of maternal mental health services, including the services’ provision of support for perinatal loss. The study will help identify the optimal service delivery models and context-specific barriers to implementation.The research aims to understand how effective maternal mental health services are in improving mental health for women who have experienced trauma or loss related to childbirth, and the feasibility and effectiveness of maternal mental health services in providing trauma informed training across the maternity workforce.To date, maternal mental health services have been implemented in 40 of the 42 integrated care system areas in England, and the last two are being supported by NHS England to ensure they are up and running as soon as possible.We are committed to improving the mental health support available to those in the perinatal period. We know that the National Health Service has struggled to keep up with people’s greater awareness of the challenges of poor mental health, and that waiting lists for those referred for support are too high. We will reduce waiting times, intervene earlier, and increase the workforce as quickly as possible to meet the required needs.

What steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to support victims of the Windrush scandal.

Justice and change that victims of the Windrush Scandal deserve has not been delivered.Recently, I met with the WNO and Windrush Cymru Elders as part of this Government’s fundamental reset, and am proud that since taking office, we have re-established the Windrush unit in the Home Office; improved our caseworking with the introduction of a single named caseworker; committed to appointing a Windrush Commissioner; and are bringing in £1.5mil in grants to fund additional advocacy and support for claimants.I am also pleased to hear about the excellent work of the Long Eaton Settlers Legacy Association in your constituency. Campaign groups like them do very important work in the local community, supporting victims of the Windrush Scandal to access the compensation they deserve. I will ensure that the Windrush Engagement Team is aware of their work as they continue reaching out to organisations and communities across the country.This Government is determined to right the wrongs of the Windrush Scandal.

What discussions he has had with the UK Atomic Energy Authority on ensuring that expertise gained through the Joint European Torus (JET) experiment is (a) retained and (b) used by the UK STEP project; and what assessment he has made of the potential impact of closing the JET site.

The UKAEA has developed world-leading fusion expertise having hosted JET for 40 years. A decision was made to cease operations at the end of 2023 as major upgrades to JET’s ageing infrastructure would offer only limited scientific value. Most of the staff linked to JET are now a part of JET decommissioning or other UKAEA programmes. JET decommissioning will provide a unique opportunity to develop knowledge in the decommissioning of a fusion device and will inform the design of STEP. Furthermore, the repurposing of the estate will support ongoing growth of the cluster of fusion organisations based at the Culham campus.

How much funding (a) the Queen's Medical Centre and (b) Nottingham City Hospital received from the National Hospital Programme until the end of the 2023-24 financial year.

Up to the end of 2023/24, the total amount of funding received by Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust for the Queen’s Medical Centre and Nottingham City Hospital scheme was £7.5 million. The breakdown of how much the Trust received for their new hospital scheme is published annually as part of the Department’s Annual Reports and Accounts, with Public Dividend Capital to individual Trusts included in the Financial Assistance Report under section 40 of the National Health Service Act 2006. The 2022/23 report is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dhsc-annual-report-and-accounts-2022-to-2023All trusts in the Programme have previously received indicative funding allocations to support planning, however these are commercially sensitive. The New Hospital Programme had confirmed £3.7 billion in funding up to the end of 2024/25.

How much funding had been (a) budgeted and (b) provided for (i) the Queen's Medical Centre and Nottingham City Hospital and (ii) the New Hospital Programme in total by 2 July 2024.

Up to the end of 2023/24, the total amount of funding received by Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust for the Queen’s Medical Centre and Nottingham City Hospital scheme was £7.5 million. The breakdown of how much the Trust received for their new hospital scheme is published annually as part of the Department’s Annual Reports and Accounts, with Public Dividend Capital to individual Trusts included in the Financial Assistance Report under section 40 of the National Health Service Act 2006. The 2022/23 report is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dhsc-annual-report-and-accounts-2022-to-2023All trusts in the Programme have previously received indicative funding allocations to support planning, however these are commercially sensitive. The New Hospital Programme had confirmed £3.7 billion in funding up to the end of 2024/25.

What the (a) business case status and (b) RIBA stage is for the delivery of works on (i) Queen's Medical Centre and (ii) Nottingham City Hospital as part of the New Hospital Programme.

The standard process for confirming the total funding amount for major infrastructure projects involves the review and approval of a Full Business Case. All trusts in the programme have previously received indicative funding allocations to support planning, however these are commercially sensitive. The scheme is currently at the Pre-Consultation Business Case stage, and is at Royal Institute of British Architects Stage 0.

What estimate his Department has made of the total cost to the public purse of work on (a) the Queen's Medical Centre and (b) Nottingham City Hospital via the New Hospital programme.

The standard process for confirming the total funding amount for major infrastructure projects involves the review and approval of a Full Business Case. All trusts in the programme have previously received indicative funding allocations to support planning, however these are commercially sensitive. The scheme is currently at the Pre-Consultation Business Case stage, and is at Royal Institute of British Architects Stage 0.

What assessment she has made of the adequacy of the contribution of degree apprenticeships to the delivery of skills needs (a) locally, (b) in the East Midlands and (c) nationally.

The latest figures for the 2023/24 academic year show there have been 44,060 apprenticeship starts at degree level, including 3,540 in the East Midlands.Degree apprenticeships can provide school leavers and older learners alternative routes into degree level professions, which supports diversity and inclusion.The department will work with Skills England to ensure that degree apprenticeships continue to offer good value for money and drive economic growth.

What steps he has taken to encourage collaboration between business and universities to increase economic growth.

The Government encourages university-business collaboration through a range of incentives, funding and knowledge exchange. The Higher Education Innovation Fund, managed through Research England, providing £280m annually for knowledge exchange, including £20m specifically for business and commercialisation activity. The Government has also established Skills England, which is tasked with identifying and articulating the skills needed while working with other actors in the skills system to ensure provision is aligned with our industrial strategy. We are building a flexible and high-quality system that breaks down the barriers to opportunity and drives growth.

Innovation and Technology, if his Department will make an assessment of the potential implications for its policies of the report entitled Replacing the Research Excellence Framework published by UK Day One on 8 October 2024.

The next Research Excellence Framework (REF) is currently being developed by Research England and the three Devolved higher education funding bodies, in collaboration with the higher education sector.As development of REF 2029 proceeds, the funding bodies will continue to engage with the sector and assess the feedback and evidence received from stakeholders until final guidance for the next exercise is set in 2026.