Written questions by McIntyre.

Under the universal service obligation what requirement does Royal Mail have to report and monitor the delivery of second class post.

Awaiting answer.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the High Street Organised Crime Unit and the associated £30 million enforcement package on levels of (a) money laundering, (b) illega

The Government’s £30million crackdown to tackle cash intensive businesses such as barber shops, vape stores, mini-marts and sweet shops is empowering law enforcement agencies, local authorities and community partners to protect our high streets. This incl...

What recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of Police Officer numbers in Gloucester constituency.

The Government’s Safer Streets Mission sets a clear expectation for policing to deliver safer communities and improved public confidence. An effective, well-supported police service is central to achieving this. Published statistics show that Gloucestersh...

What recent steps his Department has taken to support student nurses into full time employment in Gloucester constituency.

Decisions on recruitment and employment are a matter for individual National Health Service trusts, which manage their recruitment at a local level, ensuring they have the right number of staff in place, with the right skill mix, to deliver safe and effec...

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the expanded Turnaround programme funding on youth reoffending rates in Gloucester constituency.

A pre-evaluation assessment was conducted by the Youth Endowment Fund (YEF) to examine the feasibility of different evaluation designs for assessing the efficacy of the Turnaround Programme. It was concluded that despite considerable efforts it would not ...

Food and Rural Affairs, what proportion of the additional £45 million enforcement funding allocated to the Environment Agency under the Waste Crime Action Plan will be directed toward tackling illegal fly-tip

Local authorities are responsible for handling fly-tipped waste on public land that is less than 20 tonnes or a tipper load of waste.The Environment Agency focuses on large-scale illegal waste activity and will use the £45 million to strengthen enforcemen...

What recent steps her Department has taken to help improve bus services in Gloucester constituency.

The Government understands the importance of reliable bus services in enabling people to stay connected and access education, work and vital services. We are committed to delivering better bus services and the Bus Services Act 2025 puts passenger needs, r...

What recent steps her Department has taken to support parents with childcare costs in Gloucester constituency.

In 2026/27, we expect to provide over £9.5 billion for the early years entitlements, more than doubling annual public investment in the early years sector compared to 2023/24, as we have successfully rolled-out the expansion of government-funded childcare...

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the Lifelong Learning Entitlement on (a) mature student enrolment numbers and (b) local upskilling opportunities in Gloucester constituency.

The lifelong learning entitlement (LLE) will replace and transform the existing student finance system for higher education at Levels 4-6. It will support this ambition by making modular provision eligible for funding for the first time.An equality analys...

What estimate his Department has made of the number of young people starting Apprenticeships in Gloucester constituency in the last year.

Apprenticeship starts in Gloucester so far for the 2025/26 academic year (August 2025 to January 2026), along with earlier full academic year data, can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/cb43461e-e56d-...

What recent steps he has taken to support people living with cancer in Gloucester constituency.

The Government and the National Health Service are taking steps to ensure that all people in England living with cancer can access timely and quality care, including in Gloucester.NHS England aims to empower individuals with choice and control over their ...

What assessment her Department has made of the level of SEND support available in primary schools in Gloucester constituency.

The department is investing to expand support for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) across the system, with a focus on strengthening inclusive mainstream provision. This includes £1.6 billion over three years...

What recent steps his Department has taken to support women with Endometriosis in Gloucester constituency.

The Government acknowledges the challenges faced by women with endometriosis and the impact it has on their lives, their relationships, and their participation in education and the workforce.Endometriosis is identified as a priority condition in the Renew...

How many people aged 16 to 24 in Gloucester constituency are not in employment, education or training.

With over 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 over the next three years into the Youth Guara...

What assessment he has made of the feasibility of the deployment of tidal energy in the River Severn estuary.

We are grateful for the Severn Estuary Commission’s work, and we recognise the potential benefits that tidal range can bring to our energy system. For now, the Government remains open to considering well-developed proposals for harnessing the tidal range ...

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to help reduce water bills in Gloucester constituency.

The Government committed to reforming the WaterSure affordability scheme and published its response to the public consultation on 6 March 2026.  Proposed changes will expand eligibility to include disability benefits – meaning a further 53,000 low-income households will see significant savings. The reforms will also alter the way the price cap is determined, with most existing recipients seeing further savings of up to £100. Together the changes will mean around 300,000 households will see substantial help with their bills. Water companies are also more than doubling social tariff support for vulnerable customers by 2030 and Government is working with industry to keep their schemes under review to ensure vulnerable customers receive the support they need. We are considering ways to drive more consistency and increase awareness of the support consumers can access. Defra also expects companies to hold themselves accountable for their public commitment to end water poverty by 2030.

Media and Sport, what recent steps she has taken to support grassroots Rugby in Gloucester constituency.

The Government is committed to ensuring that everyone has access to and can benefit from quality sport and physical activity opportunities, including rugby. We provide the majority of support for grassroots sport through our Arm’s Length Body, Sport England, which annually invests over £250 million in Exchequer and Lottery funding. Sport England provides long term investment of £16.9 million to the Rugby Football Union and £15.7 million to the Rugby Football League between 2022 and 2029, the National Governing Bodies for rugby to support grassroots participation. It also supports grassroots clubs and projects around the country, which has included support for rugby facilities at Spartans RFC in Gloucester in 2024/25. Since summer 2024, the Government has also provided £6.7 million into the Women’s Rugby World Cup Legacy Programme Impact 25, which has benefited 850 clubs across the country . These clubs have received investment which goes towards supporting girls of all ages to get involved in rugby. This includes clubs in the Gloucester constituency such as Drybrook RFC who received £10,000 towards improving facilities at the club.

What improvements have been made to ambulance response times in Gloucester constituency between 2024 and 2025.

Gloucester is served by the South-Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SWASFT). In the year 2023/24, average Category 2 response times were 42 minutes and 50 seconds. In the year 2024/25, average Category 2 response times worsened, to 45 minutes and 25 seconds.However, the most recent National Health Service performance figures for SWASFT show that the year-to-date, from April 2025 to February 2026, the average Category 2 response time has been 34 minutes and 50 seconds, showing considerable improvement this financial year.

What assessment she has made of the adequacy of the performance of secondary schools in Gloucester constituency.

Data shows that a significant Attainment 8 gap between selective grammar schools in Gloucester and non-selective schools, with a 30+ point gap between the highest (Denmark Road, 72.9) and lowest scoring (Gloucester Academy, 36.6) schools. Grammar schools drive the locally authority average (50.3 compared to the national average of 46). Schools with lower attainment 8 scores serve more disadvantaged populations locally.Overall secondary attendance trend in the Gloucester constituency is improving, increasing from 90.4% in 2023/24 to 90.9%, in 2024/25. Note the national average is 90.9% and local authority average is 91.5%.Overall, Ofsted ratings demonstrate an improvement trend in schools in Gloucester. Holmleigh Park and Gloucester Academy have improved from an ‘Inadequate’ Ofsted judgement, to ‘Good’. The department continues to work closely with local partners to closely monitor this continuing trend of improvement.

What recent steps he has taken to help tackle homelessness among veterans in Gloucester constituency.

This Government is fully committed to ensuring that veterans in Gloucester and across the UK have access to the support they need on housing. That is why we have committed an additional £12 million to ensure the continuation of the Reducing Veteran Homelessness programme. Op FORTITUDE has also been extended, putting the service that has already supported over 1,000 veterans on a sustainable footing. These programmes will deliver three years of support services across the UK for veterans at risk of or experiencing homelessness.In December last year, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government published A National Plan to End Homelessness. The Ministry of Defence contributed to this strategy including committing to ensuring that all councils are aware of service provision in their area to support veterans at risk of homelessness.