Written questions by Bennett.

How many and what proportion of the new surgical hubs will be focused solely on orthopaedic procedures.

There are no plans for any of the new hubs to focus solely on orthopaedic procedures, but five of the new surgical hubs will focus on orthopaedics procedures in addition to other specialties.The Elective Reform Plan committed to providing quicker access for patients to common surgical procedures by opening 14 new and three expanded surgical hubs by June 2025, and ramping up the number of hubs over the next three years, so more operations can be carried out. They focus on driving improvements in six high volume specialties: ophthalmology; general surgery; trauma and orthopaedics, which includes spinal surgery; gynaecology; ear, nose and throat; and urology.

What steps his Department is taking to provide mental health support for people waiting for joint replacement surgery.

The Government is committed to putting patients first, including those waiting for joint replacement surgery.We understand the impact long waits can have on patients’ mental health, and we are committed to ensuring that people can access high quality mental health support when they need it. As part of this, we will recruit 8,500 mental health workers to ease pressure on busy mental health services. Separately, in the Government’s Plan for Change we have committed to return to the 18-week Referral to Treatment standard, which has not been met for almost a decade.We will ensure that patients are not only seen on time but also have the best possible experience of care. Our Elective Reform Plan, published on 6 January 2025, has committed us to working with patients and their carers to co-develop minimum standards for their experience of care.Dedicated and protected surgical hubs are helping to reduce elective surgery wait times by focusing on high volume low complexity surgeries, such as joint replacement surgery. As of March 2025, there are 114 elective surgical hubs that are operational across England.The Elective Reform Plan has committed to providing quicker access for patients to common surgical hub procedures by opening 17 new and expanded surgical hubs by June 2025 and ramping up the number of hubs over the next three years, so even more operations can be carried out near where patients live.

What assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of her Department’s estimate that the lost output due to working age carers caring for working age sick is £37 billion.

This Government recognises and values the vital contribution made by carers every day in providing significant care and continuity of support to sick and disabled family and friends. Without the support they provide there would be more pressure on formal social care services, whether provided by local authorities or through other routes.The Casey Commission, announced recently by this government, will start a national conversation about what care and support working age adults, older people, and their families should expect from adult social care, including exploring the needs of unpaid carers. Furthermore, the Government’s plans to reform and modernise the NHS will see reduced waiting times and improved care, helping people to remain in work and economically active. And the Government is reviewing the implementation of the Carer’s Leave Act, which gave employed carers a right to time off work for the first time. We will also explore the benefits of paid leave, while being mindful of the impact of any changes on small employers. Through the Employment Rights Bill, we will make sure that flexible working – which can play such an important role in helping carers balance their work and caring responsibilities - is available to all workers except where it is genuinely not feasible.With respect to support from DWP, unpaid carers on low incomes can receive support through Universal Credit. This can respond flexibly to variations in earnings and caring responsibilities and includes a carer element worth £2,400 a year for those providing unpaid care of 35 hours a week or more. Full-time carers are also exempt from requirements to seek or prepare for paid work, although they can request employment support if they wish to do so. For those providing unpaid care of less than 35 hours a week, Universal Credit seeks to balance paid work and unpaid care by tailoring the number of hours people are expected to work or search for work to take account of their caring responsibilities. Part-time unpaid carers receive personalised employment support through their Jobcentre Plus work coach. This can include access to skills provision, referral to an employment support programme such as Restart, careers advice, job search support, volunteering opportunities, and access to the Flexible Support Fund to aid job entry.For those in England and Wales who are providing care of 35 hours or more a week to a disabled or elderly person with care needs, Carer’s Allowance is available. This is subject to a weekly earnings limit, which since 7 April 2025 has been linked to 16 hours work at National Living Wage (NLW) levels. This government has increased the threshold by the biggest amount ever, meaning it is currently £196 a week of net earnings (after allowable costs, including costs related to care), compared to £151 in 2024/25. The increase means that over 60,000 additional people will be able to receive Carer’s Allowance between 2025/26 and 2029/30. This is the largest ever increase in the earnings limit since Carer’s Allowance was introduced in 1976 and is the highest percentage increase since 2001.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure that people who need joint replacement surgery are able to access treatment in all regions.

The Government is committed to putting patients first, including those waiting for joint replacement surgery.We understand the impact long waits can have on patients’ mental health, and we are committed to ensuring that people can access high quality mental health support when they need it. As part of this, we will recruit 8,500 mental health workers to ease pressure on busy mental health services. Separately, in the Government’s Plan for Change we have committed to return to the 18-week Referral to Treatment standard, which has not been met for almost a decade.We will ensure that patients are not only seen on time but also have the best possible experience of care. Our Elective Reform Plan, published on 6 January 2025, has committed us to working with patients and their carers to co-develop minimum standards for their experience of care.Dedicated and protected surgical hubs are helping to reduce elective surgery wait times by focusing on high volume low complexity surgeries, such as joint replacement surgery. As of March 2025, there are 114 elective surgical hubs that are operational across England.The Elective Reform Plan has committed to providing quicker access for patients to common surgical hub procedures by opening 17 new and expanded surgical hubs by June 2025 and ramping up the number of hubs over the next three years, so even more operations can be carried out near where patients live.

How many unpaid carers concurrently on Personal Independence Payments and Carers Allowance are expected to lose (a) PIP and (b) PIP and Carers Allowance.

The Department does not hold the data requested.

How many households receive multiple PIP awards.

9% of households claimed Personal Independence Payment (PIP) in 2023-2024, with 10% of these households claiming multiple awards.Notes:Figures are for Great Britain, excluding Northern Ireland.Figures are for the 2023-24 financial year.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure that all relevant medical health professionals are aware of the different manifestations of Parkinson’s disease in (a) women and (b) men.

Guidance produced by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence on Parkinson’s disease in adults does not make any reference to differences in Parkinson’s symptoms between women and men.We do know that the prevalence of Parkinson’s disease is higher in men than in women, as prevalence rates for men aged between 50 and 89 years old are more than 1.5 times higher than rates for women in the same age group. This equates to 22 in every 10,000 women and 32 in every 10,000 men diagnosed with Parkinson's disease.NHS England is updating the Neurosciences specialised neurology (adults) service specification, which includes Parkinson’s. The revised service specification also includes an annex which articulates minimum service requirements for both specialised and non-specialised neurology services, including movement disorder services. We are expecting the revised specification and standards to be published later in 2025.NHS England will publish an Equality and Health Inequalities Impact Assessment alongside the specification. This will summarise the different incidence and impacts of neurological disease on protected characteristic groups, drawing on published evidence as appropriate.

Whether people who started therapy funded by the Adoption and special guardianship support fund in 2024-25 will be permitted to carry over unused funds to fund therapy during the 2025-26 financial year.

The adoption and special guardianship support fund (ASGSF) supports children previously in care who are under special guardianship orders, residency orders or child arrangements orders. We are not proposing wider eligibility changes at this point. The ASGSF does not allow unused funds to be carried over from one financial year to the next. However, where applications were agreed and therapy started prior to April 2025, that therapy may continue under previously agreed transitional funding arrangements.

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of changing the eligibility criteria for the Adoption and special guardianship support fund to include (a) kinship carers with informal childcare arrangements and (b) people under Special Guardianship Orders from 2025-26.

The adoption and special guardianship support fund (ASGSF) supports children previously in care who are under special guardianship orders, residency orders or child arrangements orders. We are not proposing wider eligibility changes at this point. The ASGSF does not allow unused funds to be carried over from one financial year to the next. However, where applications were agreed and therapy started prior to April 2025, that therapy may continue under previously agreed transitional funding arrangements.

What steps she is taking to help decarbonise schools.

The department is committed to supporting the UK net zero carbon targets. Since 2021, our own building standards require that all new school buildings we deliver are net zero carbon in operation and are adapted to climate change.The department is providing support for all schools and colleges to start on their journey towards net zero via our new online sustainability support for education platform and our climate ambassador programme. Where schools are considering options to become more sustainable, including considering decarbonisation of their energy supply, our ‘Get help for buying’ service provides support to ensure that schemes procured are of high quality and value to the sector. More information can be found at: https://gethelpbuyingforschools.campaign.gov.uk/.Additionally, the department recently announced the £80 million Great British Energy Solar Accelerator Programme in partnership with GB Energy that will install solar and other technologies such as electric vehicle chargers in 200 targeted schools and colleges, prioritising those in areas of deprivation, to start in the 2025/26 financial year.Details of other government funding available to public bodies for sustainability, prepared by the Crown Commercial Service can be found at: https://www.crowncommercial.gov.uk/social-value/carbon-net-zero/funding-and-grants.Capital funding allocated to the school sector each year can also be used for projects that improve the energy efficiency and sustainability of school buildings, as well as improving the condition of the estate to keep schools safe and operational.The department has allocated £2.1 billion in condition funding for the 2025/26 financial year, which is £300 million more than the previous year.

Whether his Department plans to publish an implementation plan alongside the Elective Reform Plan.

There are currently no plans to publish an implementation plan alongside the Elective Reform Plan.Our Elective Reform Plan sets out the productivity and reform efforts needed to return to the 18-week constitutional standard by the end of this Parliament, and outlines how these will be implemented by National Health Service systems, including a series of milestones for delivery. We have already achieved our pledge to deliver two million extra elective appointments, as a first step to delivering on this commitment.In addition, the Planning Guidance for 2025/26 has since been published and confirmed the interim targets for 2025/26, including a target that 65% of patients wait for 18 weeks or less by March 2026, up from 58.9% as of January 2025, with every trust expected to deliver a minimum 5% improvement on current performance over that period.

How many of the new surgical hubs will be focused solely on orthopaedic procedures.

The Elective Reform Plan has committed to providing quicker access for patients to common surgical hub procedures by opening 17 new and expanded surgical hubs by June 2025 and ramping up the number of hubs over the next three years, so more operations can be carried out.In line with direction set by the Getting it Right First Time High Volume Low Complexity programme, surgical hubs focus on driving improvement in six high volume specialties: ophthalmology; general surgery; trauma and orthopaedics, which includes spinal surgery; gynaecology; ear, nose and throat; and urology. There are no plans for any of the new hubs to solely focus on orthopaedic procedures.

What steps he is taking to ensure people who need joint replacement surgery are able to access treatment where they live.

The Government is committed to putting patients first, including those waiting for joint replacement surgery. Too many people have been left in limbo, with their personal and professional lives on hold waiting for National Health Service treatment. We understand the impact that long waits can have on patients’ mental health, which is why we have committed, in the Government’s Plan for Change, to return to the 18-week Referral to Treatment standard, which has not been met for almost a decade.We will ensure that patients are not only seen on time but also have the best possible experience of care. Our Elective Reform Plan, published on 6 January 2025, has committed us to working with patients and their carers to co-develop minimum standards for their experience of care.Dedicated and protected surgical hubs are helping to reduce elective surgery wait times by focusing on high volume low complexity surgeries, such as joint replacement surgery. As of March 2025, there are 114 elective surgical hubs that are operational across England.The Elective Reform Plan has committed to providing quicker access for patients to common surgical hub procedures by opening 17 new and expanded surgical hubs by June 2025, and by ramping up the number of hubs over the next three years, so even more operations can be carried out near where patients live.

Whether he is taking steps to provide mental health support for people waiting for joint replacement surgery.

The Government is committed to putting patients first, including those waiting for joint replacement surgery. Too many people have been left in limbo, with their personal and professional lives on hold waiting for National Health Service treatment. We understand the impact that long waits can have on patients’ mental health, which is why we have committed, in the Government’s Plan for Change, to return to the 18-week Referral to Treatment standard, which has not been met for almost a decade.We will ensure that patients are not only seen on time but also have the best possible experience of care. Our Elective Reform Plan, published on 6 January 2025, has committed us to working with patients and their carers to co-develop minimum standards for their experience of care.Dedicated and protected surgical hubs are helping to reduce elective surgery wait times by focusing on high volume low complexity surgeries, such as joint replacement surgery. As of March 2025, there are 114 elective surgical hubs that are operational across England.The Elective Reform Plan has committed to providing quicker access for patients to common surgical hub procedures by opening 17 new and expanded surgical hubs by June 2025, and by ramping up the number of hubs over the next three years, so even more operations can be carried out near where patients live.

What steps she is taking to help protect (a) woodland and (b) natural habitats in the context of the construction of the lower Thames crossing.

The Minister for Local Transport’s considerations on the Lower Thames Crossing scheme are explained in the Decision Letter, published on the Planning Inspectorate website, and this sets out the proposed mitigations regarding habitats, including woodlands. The Honourable Member will understand that during the 6-week legal challenge period the Department is unable to comment in detail, but National Highways will be able to answer further questions about the scheme.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure that farmers are not undercut by imports from countries with lower animal welfare standards.

The Government shares the public’s high regard for the UK’s environmental protections, food standards and animal welfare. This Government will uphold and protect our high environmental and animal welfare standards in future trade deals. We will promote robust standards nationally and internationally and will always consider whether overseas produce has an unfair advantage All agri-food products must comply with our import requirements in order to be placed on the UK market. This includes ensuring imported meat products have been slaughtered to animal welfare standards equivalent to our domestic standards The Government recognises farmers’ concerns about imports produced using methods not permitted in the UK. We have been clear that we will use our Trade Strategy to support economic growth and promote the highest standards of food production.

Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment of the potential implications for her policies of the report entitled Saving Lives Is Not Enough, published by the British Burn Association in August 2019.

I note this report is from 2019, my officials will discuss this further with colleagues in the Department for Health and Social Care, and the National Fire Chiefs Council.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help tackle fly-tipping.

We are seeking powers in the Home Office’s Crime and Policing Bill to provide statutory enforcement guidance to help councils make full and proper use of their fly-tipping enforcement powers. These include fixed penalty notices of up to £1000, vehicle seizure and prosecution action which can lead to a significant fine or even imprisonment. We have committed to forcing fly-tippers and vandals to clean up the mess they have created as part of a crackdown on anti-social behaviour. We will provide further details on this commitment in due course. Defra officials chair the National Fly-Tipping Prevention Group through which we work with a wide range of stakeholders, including officials from the Department for Transport, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and devolved governments, to promote good practice on preventing fly-tipping. Various practical tools are available from their webpage which can be found at: https://www.keepbritaintidy.org/national-fly-tipping-prevention-group.

What assessment he has made of the benefits of extending protections for retail workers to retail delivery drivers in the Crime and Policing Bill.

Under the previous government, shop theft soared to record highs, with more and more offenders using violence and abuse against shopworkers. We won’t stand for this because everybody has a right to feel safe at their place of work. To tackle the unacceptable surge in shoplifting and retail crime, and following years of campaigning, our Crime and Policing Bill introduces a standalone offence of assaulting a retail worker to protect the hardworking and dedicated staff that work in stores, sending a strong message to offenders and would-be offenders that violence against retail workers will not be tolerated. As introduced, the definition of a ‘retail worker’ does not include delivery drivers. Keeping a tight definition provides legal clarity and ensures there is less ambiguity for courts in identifying whether an individual is a retail worker and impacted during their job. Workers whose roles are not included are already covered under other legislation such as the Offences against the Person Act 1861, which also covers more serious violence, such as actual bodily harm (ABH) and grievous bodily harm (GBH). That said, the whole purpose of the parliamentary process is to scrutinise the provisions in the Bill and we will, of course, consider carefully any amendments and supporting evidence. Public-facing workers are also covered by the aggravating factor introduced by the Police, Crime, Courts and Sentencing Act, which ensures the courts consider the public-facing nature of a victim’s role when issuing a sentence for an offence and sends a clear message that violence and abuse towards any worker will not be tolerated. We expect those who perpetrate these damaging crimes to always face the full force of the law. Through the passage of this Bill, we will continue to engage with a number of stakeholders across relevant sectors to ensure the law is fit for purpose to protect all public-facing workers from violence and abuse.

What steps she plans to take to reduce deaths in custody.

Every death in custody is a tragedy and we continue to do all we can to improve the safety of prisoners.The Prisons and Probation Ombudsman investigates the deaths of prisoners in custody. The investigations are a vital tool to ensure lessons are learned following deaths in prison and to improve safety outcomes in the future.We provide individualised support through our case management process for people assessed as at risk of suicide and self-harm. This approach places a strong emphasis on identifying individual risks, triggers and protective factors and having effective care plans in place to record, address and mitigate risks.All new members of staff with prisoner contact receive training on suicide and self-harm prevention.We continue to work with Samaritans to provide support in the period following a self-inflicted death in order to reduce the risk of further deaths and for the delivery of the Listener scheme, through which selected prisoners are trained to provide emotional support to their fellow prisoners.