Written questions by Brewer.

What (a) safeguards and (b) other provisions her Department has put in place to help protect (i) police officers and (ii) the public from exposure to asbestos during (A) operational duties when attending incidents in (1) older and (2) derelict buildings where asbestos contamination may be present and (B) other circumstances; and what guidance her Department has issued to the police on ensuring appropriate (a) risk assessments and (b) protective measures are undertaken in such environments.

All police forces in England and Wales are subject to the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 (HSWA) which requires employers to ensure the health, safety and welfare at work of their employees and to ensure their activities do not adversely affect the health and safety of other people. Since 1998, Chief Constables are deemed the employers of police officers and police staff and it is therefore their responsibility to ensure their force complies with the HSWA.The HSWA places a duty on the police to carry out robust risk assessments which identify significant risks to both policing personnel and the public and set out safe systems of work which specify appropriate control measures, equipment and competencies. This duty applies to police operations in older and derelict buildings where asbestos may be present.

What assessment she has made of the value for money of patching potholes rather than providing a permanent fix.

The department published a review into the value for money of investment in local highways maintenance, which also set out the cost benefits of proactive and preventative maintenance. The review is available online, at: www.gov.uk/government/publications/economic-appraisal-for-investing-in-local-highways-maintenance This year, the Government made available an additional £500 million for local highway authorities to maintain their highway network, bringing the total to a record investment of £1.6 billion. 25% of the additional funding is contingent upon local highway authorities complying with certain criteria aimed at driving best practice and continual improvement in highways maintenance. This includes local highway authorities having to demonstrate to Government how much they are spending on highways maintenance, incl. the balance of spend between preventative and reactive maintenance. In this context, the department has written to all local highway authorities to emphasise that when determining the balance between preventative and reactive maintenance, authorities should adopt the principle that prevention is better than cure, as also set out in the Code of Practice for well-managed highway infrastructure, available online, at: https://www.ciht.org.uk/ukrlg-home/code-of-practice/.

What steps she is taking to support collaboration between police forces.

We are making sure that every penny spent within policing delivers improvement for the public through a Collaboration and Efficiencies Programme. Force-to-force collaboration remains an important part of this work.In addition, an ambitious White Paper published later this year will outline significant reforms to allow policing to collaborate further to deal with the changing threats we face.

What steps her Department is taking to protect vulnerable consumers from disproportionate online insurance price increases.

Insurers make commercial decisions about the terms on which they will offer cover following an assessment of the relevant risks. This is usually informed by the insurer’s claims experience and other industry-wide statistics. The government does not usually intervene in these decisions. However, the government is committed to ensuring that insurers treat their customers fairly and insurance companies are required to do so under Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) rules. The FCA requires firms to ensure their products offer fair value (i.e. if the price a consumer pays for a product or service is reasonable compared to the overall benefits they can expect to receive). The FCA monitors firms to make sure they provide products that are fair value, and, where necessary, it will take action.

What steps his Department is taking to tackle shortages of medications used to treat Parkinson’s disease.

Medicine supply issues are global in their nature and, while we cannot always prevent them, we have a range of well-established processes and tools to manage them when they arise and to mitigate risks to patients. There is a team in the Department that deals with medicine supply problems by working closely with the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, the pharmaceutical industry, NHS England and others operating in the supply chain. We also work with partners to ensure alternative treatments are available to patients until their usual treatments are back in stock.The Department has been notified of a discontinuation of apomorphine (APO-go PFS) 50mg/10ml pre-filled syringes from September 2025 used in the management of Parkinson’s Disease. Alternative formulations of apomorphine remain available for patients and management guidance has been issued to the National Health Service.On 11 August, we published a policy paper titled Managing a robust and resilient supply of medicines. This marks the beginning of a new phase of work planned and aims to provide greater transparency of the further actions that the Department and NHS England are taking to protect patients from medicines shortages and strengthen medicines supply chain resilience. The paper is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/managing-a-robust-and-resilient-supply-of-medicines/managing-a-robust-and-resilient-supply-of-medicines

What steps his Department is taking to support newly qualified midwives in securing employment following the completion of their training placements.

On 11 August 2025, the Government announced the Graduate Guarantee for nurses and midwives. The guarantee will ensure that there are enough positions for every newly qualified midwife in England. The package of measures will unlock thousands of jobs and will ensure thousands of new posts are easier to access by removing barriers for National Health Service trusts, creating opportunities for graduates and ensuring a seamless transition from training to employment.Vacant maternity support worker posts will be temporarily converted to Band 5 midwifery roles, backed by £8 million to create new opportunities specifically for newly qualified midwives, to further ease the recruitment strain.These new measures aim to tackle graduates’ concerns about job availability and ensure the NHS has the right staff to provide the best possible care to patients everywhere.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of housebuilding targets on the availability of school places in North East Hampshire constituency.

The National Planning Policy Framework sets out that the purpose of the planning system is to contribute to the achievement of sustainable development, including the provision of supporting infrastructure in a sustainable manner. Local development plans should address needs and opportunities in relation to infrastructure and identify what infrastructure is required and how it can be funded and brought forward. When preparing a Local Plan, Planning Practice Guidance recommends that local planning authorities use available evidence of infrastructure requirements to prepare an Infrastructure Funding Statement. Such Statements can be used to demonstrate the delivery of infrastructure throughout the plan-period. The government provides financial support for essential infrastructure in areas of greatest housing demand through Land and Infrastructure funding programmes, such as the Housing Infrastructure Fund. The revised National Planning Policy Framework published on 12 December 2024 will also support the increased provision and modernisation of various types of public infrastructure. The government is also committed to strengthening the existing system of developer contributions to ensure new developments provide necessary affordable homes and infrastructure. Further details will be set out in due course. Our Planning and Infrastructure Bill includes various provisions designed to streamline the delivery of new homes and critical infrastructure. My Department engages on a regular and ongoing basis with other government departments to ensure that the planning system supports the provision of necessary infrastructure, including in respect of healthcare and education, alongside new housing development.

What assessment she has made of the prevalence of speeding in rural areas in Hampshire; and what assessment she made of the potential impact of speeding on pedestrians and cyclists' usage of roads in rural areas in Hampshire.

The Department for Transport recognises that speeding in rural areas, including those in Hampshire, can have a significant impact on road safety and the confidence of vulnerable road users such as pedestrians and cyclists. While the Department has not conducted a specific assessment of prevalence of speeding or its impact on pedestrian and cyclist road usage in rural Hampshire, the latest statistics show there were 686 speed-related collisions in the county in 2023. This represents a slight increase from 660 in 2022. (Note: Rural-specific data isn’t available.)The DfT issues best practice guidance on setting local speed limits. This is designed to make sure that speed limits are appropriately and consistently set, whilst allowing for flexibility to deal with local needs and circumstances.The guidance can be viewed at the following link: www.gov.uk/government/publications/setting-local-speed-limitsThe Government treats road safety seriously and is committed to reducing the numbers of those killed and injured on our roads. To this end, my Department is developing its Road Safety Strategy and will set out more details in due course.

What steps his Department is taking to provide support for communities that host (a) battery storage facilities and (b) other energy infrastructure.

The Government believes that communities are providing a service to the country when they host clean energy infrastructure, so there needs to be benefit for them. On 21 May, the Government published a working paper on community benefits and shared ownership of low carbon energy infrastructure and is the process of reviewing responses. We will consider the appropriate technological scope of a mandatory scheme for community benefits, including whether such a scheme should cover grid-scale battery energy storage systems (BESS).

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of heavy and large goods vehicles on (a) rural roads and (b) the surrounding natural environment.

Local traffic authorities have powers under Sections 1 & 2 of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984, which allow for the restriction or prohibition of the use of HGVs on any road, for a wide range of safety and environmental reasons. These measures can be implemented by making Traffic Regulation Orders (TROs) without reference to the Department for Transport. The Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 2016 provide various signs for authorities to consider if they choose to do this, including signs informing motorists that certain roads are unsuitable for HGVs or if a weight limit is in place. The restrictions are then enforceable by the police. Local authorities can also introduce extra controls on emissions if there are air quality problems in their area. If air quality falls below required standards, the council should declare an Air Quality Management Area (AQMA) and make plans for improvements.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of using biodigesters to convert waste materials into organic fertilisers.

The Government’s Simpler Recycling reforms require the collection of food waste in England from all workplaces from 31st March 2025, all households by 31st March 2026 and all micro-firms (with fewer than 10 staff) by 31st March 2027. These reforms will increase the quality of materials collected for recycling and make the separate collection of food waste mandatory, ensuring that food waste can be treated through composting and anaerobic digestion (AD) – producing biogas (at AD) and significant greenhouse gas savings rather than sending food waste to landfill. Anaerobic digestion plays an important role in creating a circular economy by displacing fossil-fuel based fertilisers with digestate, an organic fertiliser and by-product of the AD process. In February 2025, Defra and WRAP published the Recycling Infrastructure Capacity Analysis. This provided a forecast of investment opportunities, including the potential to invest in 1.375Mt/pa of anaerobic digestion capacity in England from 2035. The Green Gas Support Scheme (GGSS) run by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) provides tariff-support for biomethane produced via anaerobic digestion and injected into the gas grid. The scheme requires 50% of biomethane (by energy content) to be produced from wastes and residues, which is expected to support treatment of increased tonnage of food waste. In February 2024 DESNZ issued a call for evidence (CfE) to assess the barriers to growth in the sector and the options available to address them. DESNZ is considering the responses received and are developing policy options on a future framework that supports growth in the sector while managing environmental risks effectively. Furthermore, as Defra develops the Circular Economy Strategy for England, and the agrifood roadmap therein, we are considering the evidence for interventions right across the economy. That includes exploring the circularity impacts of a wide range of levers, such as how to manage biowaste and the sustainable use of digestate. The Strategy will be published for consultation in the coming autumn.

What assessment he has made of the (a) potential merits and the (b) feasibility of installing solar panels on government-owned (a) buildings and (b) land.

The Government strongly supports the installation of solar panels on public sector buildings. These can generate clean power close to demand, and bring down public spending on energy costs. This includes £180 million investment from the UK government and GBE to install rooftop solar panels on schools and hospitals in England, which could see millions invested back into frontline services.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the planned vape tax increase on (a) cigarette consumption and (b) illicit tobacco sales.

The Chief Medical Officer has been clear that vaping is not risk free and those who don't smoke shouldn't vape. The Vaping Products Duty (VPD) will take effect from 1 October 2026 at £2.20 per 10ml. This will be accompanied by an equivalent one-off increase in Tobacco Duty to maintain the financial incentive to switch from tobacco to vaping. Reducing affordability forms part of the Government’s wider strategy to influence behaviour, especially given the addictive nature of these products. VPD will also raise revenue to fund vital public services such as the NHS, defence, education and stop-smoking initiatives supporting a smoke-free UK.

Pursuant to the Answer of 7 April 2025 to Question 43700 on Access to Work Programme, what progress her Department has made on clearing outstanding payments through the streamlined process for payments for the Access to Work Plus scheme; and if she will make an estimate of the total amount of (a) outstanding payments and (b) outstanding payments for applicants in North East Hampshire constituency.

Significant progress has been made to clear outstanding payments through the streamlined payments process for the Access to Work Plus scheme. The majority of Access to Work Plus applications have been processed and awards have been made. There are two outstanding claims from 13 and 14 August 2025 currently being processed. Information on the total outstanding payments by region is not recorded, therefore estimates cannot be provided.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure people who obtain weight loss injections through (a) private providers and (b) online services are able to safely dispose of used needles.

It is important for needles to be disposed of safely, as inappropriate disposal methods create a risk of accidental needle-stick injuries to pharmacy or general practice staff, waste management operatives, and other members of the public, potentially leading to infection with blood-borne diseases. All needles should be disposed in sharps bins, which can be obtained on prescription or purchased. Local authorities are obliged to collect clinical waste, including needles bins, from householders upon request, but under section 45(3)(b) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, they may make a reasonable charge for this service. Patients can find out how to request a clinical waste collection from their local authority on the GOV.UK website.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he has taken to ensure adequate funding for Natural England to protect biodiversity on new housing developments.

For the 2025-2026 financial year, Natural England received a total of £248 million funding from Defra to deliver their strategic aim of recovering nature for growth, health and security. In addition to this the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government is due to provide up to £325,000 new funding through the New Homes Accelerator scheme, to help Natural England accelerate the processing of planning applications and secure environmental improvements.

What discussions his Department has had with NICE on the recommended frequency of infant head measurements.

Department officials have spoken to colleagues at the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) about its guidance on infant measurements following a meeting between my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care and Harry’s Hydrocephalus Awareness Trust in 2024. NICE is responsible for deciding whether its clinical guidelines should be updated in light of new evidence.

Food and Rural Affairs, how much and what proportion of the (a) fines and (b) other penalties levied on water companies will be used for projects to clean chalk streams.

The Water Restoration Fund, which launched in April 2024, was established to reinvest water company environmental fines and penalties back into projects to improve the water environment. A total of £11 million, based on fines and penalties from April 2022 until October 2023, will be invested into local projects to improve our waterways. Over the next two years, the Water Restoration Fund will invest over £795,000 of water company fines and penalties specifically into chalk streams. Going forwards, this Government has announced that over £100 million in fines and penalties levied against water companies since October 2023, as well as future fines and penalties, will be reinvested into projects across the country to clean up our rivers, lakes and seas.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of bringing forward legislative proposals on animal sentience.

The Animal Welfare (Sentience) Act 2022 already recognises vertebrate animals, decapod crustaceans and cephalopod molluscs as sentient beings. The Act created an accountability mechanism which aims to ensure that UK Ministers have due regard to their welfare needs when formulating and implementing government policy.

Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of bringing forward regulations for estate agents to help improve accountability for people who breach ethical standards.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN PQ 49125 on 7 May 2025