Written questions by Griffiths.

Whether local highway authorities may propose phased or deferred delivery timetables for proposed Structures Fund schemes where concurrent strategic infrastructure works would otherwise create significant cumulative disruption on the local road network.

There is no specified date for the commencement of schemes funded through the Structures Fund. However, the Department intends for all funded schemes to be completed and reopened to traffic by 31 March 2030.The Department will assess proposed schemes in alignment with the Green Book’s 5-case model. Local highway authorities are expected to engage with local and regional stakeholders and set out the level of support from them when putting schemes forward for investment. Letters of endorsement from neighbouring highway authorities and where relevant Network Rail, National Highways and the combined authority, are encouraged. The Department will take account of these views when making funding decisions, including when these relate to the cumulative impacts of infrastructure schemes in the same area.

Whether her Department permits local highway authorities to seek alternative funding or delivery mechanisms for critical bridge infrastructure projects where concurrent delivery through the Structures Fund would risk significant disruption to strategic transport routes.

Local highway authorities are not required to utilise the Structures Fund for bridge infrastructure schemes. The Fund is only for those structures where repair or replacement is unaffordable from the local highway authority’s existing budgets and which require repair or replacement now or are likely to before 31 March 2030.

Whether the assessment of Structures Fund bids includes consideration of cumulative traffic impacts, emergency diversion routes, and wider network resilience during concurrent infrastructure works.

There is no specified date for the commencement of schemes funded through the Structures Fund. However, the Department intends for all funded schemes to be completed and reopened to traffic by 31 March 2030.The Department will assess proposed schemes in alignment with the Green Book’s 5-case model. Local highway authorities are expected to engage with local and regional stakeholders and set out the level of support from them when putting schemes forward for investment. Letters of endorsement from neighbouring highway authorities and where relevant Network Rail, National Highways and the combined authority, are encouraged. The Department will take account of these views when making funding decisions, including when these relate to the cumulative impacts of infrastructure schemes in the same area.

Whether her Department will assess the interaction of proposed Structures Fund schemes with existing Major Road Network and National Highways programmes affecting the same transport corridor.

There is no specified date for the commencement of schemes funded through the Structures Fund. However, the Department intends for all funded schemes to be completed and reopened to traffic by 31 March 2030.The Department will assess proposed schemes in alignment with the Green Book’s 5-case model. Local highway authorities are expected to engage with local and regional stakeholders and set out the level of support from them when putting schemes forward for investment. Letters of endorsement from neighbouring highway authorities and where relevant Network Rail, National Highways and the combined authority, are encouraged. The Department will take account of these views when making funding decisions, including when these relate to the cumulative impacts of infrastructure schemes in the same area.

Whether schemes supported through the Structures Fund are required to commence by a fixed deadline.

There is no specified date for the commencement of schemes funded through the Structures Fund. However, the Department intends for all funded schemes to be completed and reopened to traffic by 31 March 2030.The Department will assess proposed schemes in alignment with the Green Book’s 5-case model. Local highway authorities are expected to engage with local and regional stakeholders and set out the level of support from them when putting schemes forward for investment. Letters of endorsement from neighbouring highway authorities and where relevant Network Rail, National Highways and the combined authority, are encouraged. The Department will take account of these views when making funding decisions, including when these relate to the cumulative impacts of infrastructure schemes in the same area.

Pursuant to the Answer of 13 March 2026 to Question 117219 on NHS, whether changes to services at Zachary Merton Hospital had been notified to his Department under Schedule 10A of the National Health Service Act 2006.

The Department has not received a notification under Schedule 10A of the National Health Service Act 2006 about changes to services at Zachary Merton Hospital and has not undertaken an assessment of potential impacts.My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, has been asked by the Hon. Member for Bognor Regis and Littlehampton to intervene in this matter and will consider and respond to that request in due course.

Further to the Answer of 13 March 2026 to Question 117218 on NHS, whether his Department assessed the potential merits of exercising the call-in power under Schedule 10A of the National Health Service Act 2006 for proposed changes to services at Zachary Merton Hospital.

The Department has not received a notification under Schedule 10A of the National Health Service Act 2006 about changes to services at Zachary Merton Hospital and has not undertaken an assessment of potential impacts.My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, has been asked by the Hon. Member for Bognor Regis and Littlehampton to intervene in this matter and will consider and respond to that request in due course.

Whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of a proposed reduction in community inpatient capacity at Zachary Merton Hospital on the level of (a) the use of virtual wards, (b) care at home, and (c) provision at other community hospital sites in West Sussex.

The Department has not received a notification under Schedule 10A of the National Health Service Act 2006 about changes to services at Zachary Merton Hospital and has not undertaken an assessment of potential impacts.My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, has been asked by the Hon. Member for Bognor Regis and Littlehampton to intervene in this matter and will consider and respond to that request in due course.

What proportion of heart valve disease cases were diagnosed at an advanced stage in (a) England and (b) West Sussex; and what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the role of primary care in achieving early detection.

The National Health Service is continuing to work to reduce waiting times for elective care as part of the Government's commitment to return to the NHS Constitution standard of 92% of patients receiving treatment within 18 weeks. The information requested on waiting times is not held in the format requested. Between January and December 2025, 73.3% of completed cardiothoracic surgery, for instance coronary artery bypass grafts, valve replacements, both aortic and mitral, lung cancer surgery, such as lobectomies, and aortic aneurysm repairs, referral to treatment pathways with a known clock start were completed within 18 weeks. This excludes 134 completed pathways with an unknown clock start date. In 2024/25, NHS England provided funding for 13 pathway improvement projects to have a positive impact on reducing the time for referral to treatment for patients with severe, symptomatic left sided valvular disease.

What is the average waiting time for diagnostic tests, including echocardiograms, for suspected heart valve disease in (a) England and (b) NHS trusts serving West Sussex for which the latest data is available.

An echocardiogram is the primary diagnostic test for suspected heart valve disease. Waiting times for echocardiograms are published in the diagnostics waiting times dataset (DM01) at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/diagnostics-waiting-times-and-activity/Data is not available in DM01 for other tests used in the diagnostic pathway, for example electrocardiograms, chest X-rays, cardiac magnetic resonance imaging/computed tomography scans, and/or stress tests.As of the end of February 2026, the latest available data, the DM01 data shows that the median time patients were waiting for an echocardiogram in England was 3.2 weeks. The median time for patients waiting for an echocardiogram at the University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust was 2.2 weeks.

What was the average time between diagnosis and treatment for heart valve disease in (a) England and (b) West Sussex in the last five years; and whether he plans to set maximum recommended timeframes on this matter.

The National Health Service is continuing to work to reduce waiting times for elective care as part of the Government's commitment to return to the NHS Constitution standard of 92% of patients receiving treatment within 18 weeks. The information requested on waiting times is not held in the format requested. Between January and December 2025, 73.3% of completed cardiothoracic surgery, for instance coronary artery bypass grafts, valve replacements, both aortic and mitral, lung cancer surgery, such as lobectomies, and aortic aneurysm repairs, referral to treatment pathways with a known clock start were completed within 18 weeks. This excludes 134 completed pathways with an unknown clock start date. In 2024/25, NHS England provided funding for 13 pathway improvement projects to have a positive impact on reducing the time for referral to treatment for patients with severe, symptomatic left sided valvular disease.

Whether he has made an assessment of the variation in diagnosis times and access to treatment for heart valve disease by (a) region and (b) demographic group in England and West Sussex.

The Department recognises that variation in the provision of heart valve disease (HVD) services exists across England is taking action to address this.NHS England is strengthening consistency in the diagnosis and treatment to reduce variation in HVD diagnosis, including in West Sussex. This included echocardiography workforce initiatives to increase diagnostic capacity for HVD referrals for 2024/25. In 2025, the Getting It Right First Time programme published new and revised cardiology pathways to reduce delays and guide clinicians through diagnostic steps and treatment planning, and enhanced recovery protocols for Aortic Stenosis (advanced HVD).In addition, the National Institute for Health and Care Research and the British Heart Foundation are partnering for the £50m Inequalities, which will fund a five-year consortium to generate research focused on tackling inequalities in ethnic minorities, deprived communities and unequal cardiovascular disease outcomes between women and men. More information is available at the following link:https://www.nihr.ac.uk/news/new-50m-funding-to-tackle-inequalities-cardiovascular-disease

What was the average time between first presentation with symptoms and confirmed diagnosis of heart valve disease in (a) England and (b) West Sussex in the last five years.

The National Health Service is continuing to work to reduce waiting times for elective care as part of the Government's commitment to return to the NHS Constitution standard of 92% of patients receiving treatment within 18 weeks. The information requested on waiting times is not held in the format requested. Between January and December 2025, 73.3% of completed cardiothoracic surgery, for instance coronary artery bypass grafts, valve replacements, both aortic and mitral, lung cancer surgery, such as lobectomies, and aortic aneurysm repairs, referral to treatment pathways with a known clock start were completed within 18 weeks. This excludes 134 completed pathways with an unknown clock start date. In 2024/25, NHS England provided funding for 13 pathway improvement projects to have a positive impact on reducing the time for referral to treatment for patients with severe, symptomatic left sided valvular disease.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of trends in the level of the use of surveillance and enforcement practices by private parking operators to issue charges based on motorists’ movements beyond car parks.

The government has not made an assessment of trends in the use of surveillance to issue charges based on motorists’ movements beyond car parks.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of signage requirements for private parking operators, including where free parking is conditional on visiting specific premises.

Parking on private land is managed under contract law. The signage on a site sets out the terms and conditions of the contract, including any conditions attached to free parking, and these are often reflective of the landowner’s requirements. When a motorist parks on the land, they are held to have accepted the contract created through the signage. The Sector Single Code states signage must be designed, applied and maintained to be visible, legible and unambiguous to drivers.In response to motorist concerns and in accordance with the Private Parking (Code of Practice) Act 2019, the government intends to lay a Code setting out standards for signage in autumn 2026.

Communities and Local Government, what data his Department holds on the number of private parking charge notices issued annually in England; and what assessment he has made of trends in those figures over the last five years.

The government uses publicly available DVLA Keeper at Data of Event Enquiry (KADOE) data as a proxy for the number of private parking charges issued annually. The following requests were made for car park management purposes. YearKADOE Requests (M)2018/196,905,3592019/208,557,0852020/214,507,3082021/228,564,7622022/2311,052,9862023/2412,772,3392024/2514,381,119

Communities and Local Government, what powers are available to local authorities to intervene where private parking arrangements are having a demonstrable negative impact on local businesses, including through compulsory purchase or other mechanisms.

No direct assessment has been made of the potential impact of private parking enforcement practices on footfall and consumer confidence in local high streets. However, the government is aware of motorist frustrations, and in accordance with the Private Parking (Code of Practice) Act 2019, intends to publish a Code which raises standard across the industry and better protects and supports motorists in autumn 2026. Under the Traffic Management Act 2004, local authorities must ensure that their parking policies are proportionate and support town centre prosperity. Local authorities have the power to compulsorily purchase land for provision of parking spaces under section 40 of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984. Local authorities also have compulsory purchase powers under the Town and County Planning Act 1990 to acquire land used for private parking to facilitate development or improvements in their areas.Compulsory purchase powers may be used where efforts to acquire the land by negotiations have failed and there is a compelling case in the public interest. More generally, local authorities have limited direct powers to intervene in private parking arrangements, and do not have powers to regulate private parking enforcement practices or charges. Private operators are self-regulated through membership of the accredited trade associations (the British Parking Associations or the International Parking Community).

Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of private parking enforcement practices on footfall and consumer confidence in local high streets.

No direct assessment has been made of the potential impact of private parking enforcement practices on footfall and consumer confidence in local high streets. However, the government is aware of motorist frustrations, and in accordance with the Private Parking (Code of Practice) Act 2019, intends to publish a Code which raises standard across the industry and better protects and supports motorists in autumn 2026. Under the Traffic Management Act 2004, local authorities must ensure that their parking policies are proportionate and support town centre prosperity. Local authorities have the power to compulsorily purchase land for provision of parking spaces under section 40 of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984. Local authorities also have compulsory purchase powers under the Town and County Planning Act 1990 to acquire land used for private parking to facilitate development or improvements in their areas.Compulsory purchase powers may be used where efforts to acquire the land by negotiations have failed and there is a compelling case in the public interest. More generally, local authorities have limited direct powers to intervene in private parking arrangements, and do not have powers to regulate private parking enforcement practices or charges. Private operators are self-regulated through membership of the accredited trade associations (the British Parking Associations or the International Parking Community).

When his Department and relevant public health bodies became aware of the recent meningitis outbreak; what guidance was issued to NHS bodies, schools, colleges and universities; and on what date that guidance was first communicated to each category of setting.

Throughout the outbreak, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has worked closely with the National Health Service, educational settings, and other partners. The UKHSA local Health Protection Team was notified of a cluster of cases on 14 March 2026. The team acted immediately, and communication to those at immediate risk took place on 14 and 15 March 2026. On 15 March a letter was sent to all University of Kent students and staff with warn and inform information to ensure rapid identification of symptomatic individuals and provided details on eligibility for antibiotic chemoprophylaxis. Further information is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/outbreak-of-meningococcal-disease-linked-to-university-of-kent-and-the-area-of-canterbury/On 17 March, upon the identification of additional cases, advice was issued to affected schools. Integrated care boards and primary care in hours and out hours trusts were also informed of the evolving situation on 18 March. They were advised about messaging to University of Kent students, and that there were no changes to the national guidance on managing suspected meningococcal disease. They were also advised that if an individual had returned home and not received prophylaxis through UKHSA coordinated clinics this should be prescribed upon request. Guidance for public health management of meningococcal disease can be found at the following link:https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/69c25a5bbb0dfe55b83e4c2a/UKHSA-meningo-disease-guidelines-dec2025.pdfIn addition, information for education settings in England regarding the meningococcal disease outbreak can be found at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/health-protection-in-schools-and-other-childcare-facilities/information-for-education-settings-in-england-regarding-the-meningococcal-disease-outbreakInformation for people on what they need to do is updated regularly on the Meningitis outbreak information hub webpages, at the following link: https://www.kmhealthandcare.uk/meningitis-information/

Whether he has met with representatives of Meningitis Now since the recent meningitis outbreak; and whether he plans to meet them to discuss their recommendations.

My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, regularly engages with charitable organisations on a variety of issues.A targeted vaccination programme has been introduced in direct response to the Kent outbreak, and he has asked the independent Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation to review the evidence on the scope of the meningococcal group B vaccine programme.The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has engaged closely with meningitis and sepsis charities throughout the outbreak. This includes Meningitis Now, the Meningitis Research Foundation, and the UK Sepsis Trust. As part of this collaboration, Meningitis Now co-badged a signs and symptoms poster developed by the UKHSA, which has been shared widely to support public awareness.