Written questions by Ballinger.

If he will take steps to increase statutory parental leave.

The Government is aware that the parental leave system requires improvement and action to deliver this has already begun. The Employment Rights Bill will make Paternity Leave and Unpaid Parental Leave ‘day one’ rights, increasing the flexibility of parental leave and helping parents to better balance work and family responsibilities. The Government has also committed to conduct a review of the parental leave system. This will focus on ensuring that parental leave offers the best possible support to working families. Work is already underway on planning for its delivery.

What the total number of passes for the AM moped licence was in 2024; and what assessment she has made of the potential merits of conducting a review of user licensing for powered light vehicles.

The Government is considering plans to review existing requirements for motorcycle training, testing and licensing, taking account of long-standing Department for Transport and Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency plans and recent sector proposals.Those wishing to ride a moped will first need to pass a theory test. After which they will need to pass an off-road riding test (known as the ‘module 1 test’) and an on-road riding test (known as the ‘module 2 test’).The table below show the number of Module 1 and Module 2 AM category practical riding tests conducted by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency and the number of tests passed between 1 January and 31 December 2024.Test typeTests conductedTests passedAM Module 11813AM Module 2178

Whether she plans to consult on introducing licence upgrade courses for powered light vehicles.

The Government is considering plans to review existing requirements for motorcycle training, testing and licensing, taking account of long-standing Department for Transport and Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency plans and recent sector proposals.Those wishing to ride a moped will first need to pass a theory test. After which they will need to pass an off-road riding test (known as the ‘module 1 test’) and an on-road riding test (known as the ‘module 2 test’).The table below show the number of Module 1 and Module 2 AM category practical riding tests conducted by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency and the number of tests passed between 1 January and 31 December 2024.Test typeTests conductedTests passedAM Module 11813AM Module 2178

If she will make an assessment of the potential implications for her policies of the Motorcycle Industry Association’s publication entitled A Licence to Net Zero, published in October 2023.

My Department will be meeting the Motorcycle Industry Association at the Motorcycle Strategic Focus Group later this month to discuss the A Licence to Net Zero plan, alongside other ideas put forward by the motorcycle industry.

What recent discussions she has had with the Motorcycle Industry Association on user licensing for powered light vehicles.

My Department will be meeting the Motorcycle Industry Association at the Motorcycle Strategic Focus Group later this month to discuss the A Licence to Net Zero plan, alongside other ideas put forward by the motorcycle industry.

What steps her Department is taking to tackle issues related to falsified (a) driving licences and (b) other transport-related documents created by AI.

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) has processes in place to identify fake and forged documents including genuine documents that may have been altered. These measures help to make original documents difficult to counterfeit and forgeries easier to identify. DVLA documents, including the driving licence, contain a number of security features to prevent misuse. These features are regularly reviewed and periodically updated to help keep documents secure and to help tackle fraud. The DVLA also provides the police with information about these security features to help them to identify genuine documents.

What steps his Department is taking to tackle medication shortages.

We have inherited ongoing global supply problems that continue to impact medicine availability. We know how frustrating and distressing this can be for patients, and we are working closely with industry, the National Health Service, manufacturers, and other partners in the supply chain to resolve issues as quickly as possible, to make sure patients can access the medicines they need.Medicine supply chains are complex, global, and highly regulated, and there are a number of reasons why supply can be disrupted, many of which are not specific to the United Kingdom and outside of Government control, including manufacturing difficulties, access to raw materials, sudden demand spikes or distribution issues, and regulatory issues. There are approximately 14,000 licensed medicines and the overwhelming majority are in good supply.While we can’t always prevent supply issues from occurring, we have a range of well-established processes and tools to manage them when they arise and mitigate risks to patients. These include close and regular engagement with suppliers, use of alternative strengths or forms of a medicine to allow patients to remain on the same product, expediting regulatory procedures, sourcing unlicensed imports from abroad, adding products to the restricted exports and hoarding list, use of Serious Shortage Protocols, and issuing NHS communications to provide management advice and information on the issue to healthcare professionals, including pharmacists, so they can advise and support their patients.

What steps his Department is taking to reduce medication wastage.

Medicine wastage can be reduced by ensuring that medicines are not overprescribed and those that are prescribed are taken as intended, resulting in the best outcomes for patients.Overprescribing can be addressed by taking a shared decision-making approach and optimising a person's medicines, ensuring that patients are prescribed the right medicines, at the right time, in the right doses. The National Health Service is driving changes in this area by:improving the repeat prescription processes, as this will reduce the oversupply of medicines which contributes to waste;implementing the National Medicines Optimisation Opportunities for integrated care boards, with further information available at the following link: https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/national-medicines-optimisation-opportunities-2023-24/;addressing problematic polypharmacy; anddelivering Structured Medication Reviews, with further information available at the following link: https://www.england.nhs.uk/primary-care/pharmacy/smr/. In addition, the New Medicines Service in Community Pharmacy supports patients with newly prescribed medication for long term conditions in understanding how to take the medication effectively, and improves adherence and health gains.

What steps her Department is taking to enforce stricter penalties for (a) unsafe driving and (b) speeding.

Since the general election, the Department has begun work on a new Road Safety Strategy, the first in over a decade. The Department will share more details in due course.

What steps her Department is taking to reduce the number of road fatalities.

Since the general election, the Department has begun work on a new Road Safety Strategy, the first in over a decade. The Department will share more details in due course.

What steps his Department is taking to improve early detection of breast cancer in women under 50 who do not routinely undergo mammogram screenings.

Improving early diagnosis of cancer, including breast cancer, is a priority for NHS England. We will improve cancer survival rates and hit all National Health Service cancer waiting time targets, so that no patient waits longer than they should.Screening is also crucial to improving early diagnosis, and current United Kingdom guidelines recommend that women with a moderate or high risk of breast cancer because of their family history should start having screening mammograms every year in their forties. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s guidance on the management of people with a family history of breast cancer was introduced in 2004, and has changed over time. The current version of this guidance is available at the following link:https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg164We currently do not screen those younger than 50 years old for breast cancer due to the lower risk of women under this age developing breast cancer, and the fact that women below 50 years old tend to have denser breast tissue, which reduces the ability of getting an accurate mammogram. It may also increase the risk of overtreatment and distress for women who do not have breast cancer, but would be subject to invasive and painful medical treatments and diagnostic tests.

What plans her Department has to consult (a) teachers and (b) students in relation to its planned phase-out of BTEC qualifications.

This government has not set out plans to phase out applied general qualifications.In July, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, announced the review of qualifications reform. The rapid review is focused on Level 3 qualifications currently scheduled to have funding removed on 31 July 2025.The department has an extensive programme of engagement underway, to ensure that the views of colleges, schools and teachers are fed into the review of qualifications reform. The department has already held a Ministerial chaired round table with key leaders in the college sector and is undertaking a series of focus groups and interviews with colleges, schools and other organisations to ensure that the views of stakeholders are fully considered. These events include key leaders from across the further education sector, as well as subject teachers and leaders of curriculum in institutions. In addition, departmental officials are using the latest student data and information available to inform the review.