Written questions by Gardner.

What steps his Department is taking to help improve the supply of liquid potassium chloride.

The Department is aware of supply issues affecting potassium chloride 375mg/5ml syrup (Kay-Cee-L® syrup). We issued comprehensive communications to healthcare professionals which includes guidance on how to manage affected patients during the shortage.Alternative formulations of potassium effervescent tablets remain available, and the Department has reached out to specialist importers who have sourced unlicensed potassium chloride oral solution for patients.The Department is aware that this product has been divested to another manufacturer. We are working closely with the new manufacturer and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency to expedite regulatory procedures where possible to ensure that supplies of licensed potassium chloride syrup are made available as soon as possible.

Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to help support local planning authorities to improve the (a) capacity and (b) resourcing of their planning enforcement teams in North Staffordshire.

Enforcement is at the discretion of local planning authorities. They have a wide range of powers with strong penalties for non-compliance and it is for them to decide how and when they use those powers depending on the circumstances of each case. The government has no plans to amend local planning authorities’ enforcement powers at this time. We will, however, continue to keep the operation of the enforcement system under review. With regard to capacity and capability, I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to question UIN 67508 on 14 July 2025.

Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to improve enforcement of agreements under section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990.

Enforcement is at the discretion of local planning authorities. They have a wide range of powers with strong penalties for non-compliance and it is for them to decide how and when they use those powers depending on the circumstances of each case. The government has no plans to amend local planning authorities’ enforcement powers at this time. We will, however, continue to keep the operation of the enforcement system under review. With regard to capacity and capability, I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to question UIN 67508 on 14 July 2025.

Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to help tackle the use of retrospective planning applications to regularise unauthorised development; and whether she plans to close loopholes that may undermine the effectiveness of local planning enforcement.

Enforcement is at the discretion of local planning authorities. They have a wide range of powers with strong penalties for non-compliance and it is for them to decide how and when they use those powers depending on the circumstances of each case. The government has no plans to amend local planning authorities’ enforcement powers at this time. We will, however, continue to keep the operation of the enforcement system under review. With regard to capacity and capability, I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to question UIN 67508 on 14 July 2025.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to the press release entitled Vulnerable people given greater access to social housing, published on 19 June 2025, whether the new regulations will apply to victims of (a) child abuse and (b) parent-on-child violence.

The regulations in question will apply to domestic abuse victims over the age of 16, as defined by the Domestic Abuse Act 2021. Only those aged over the age of 16 can hold a social housing tenancy.The regulations will also apply to care leavers within the scope of the corporate parenting duty. These include eligible children, relevant children, and former relevant children.Local authorities have the discretion to exempt and support those not covered by these regulations, considering local need and special circumstances.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the (a) adequacy of the performance of Severn Trent Water and (b) potential impact of water pollution on the environment.

Severn Trent has delivered a 4-star EPA performance for the past 5 years which is sector-leading. However, 2024 data demonstrated an increase in pollution incidents. The EA demands improved performance by implementing their action plans to improve their Water Resources and Waste License compliance. The EA assesses compliance against environmental permits and takes enforcement action where failures occur. Severn Trent’s AMP8 WINEP 2025-2030 will invest £6.4 billion into environmental schemes, which is significantly larger than other water companies. They are investing £566 million in their Green Recovery programme in innovative projects to improve the environment.

What progress her Department has made on (a) preventing discrimination in (i) agencies and (ii) small recruiters when hiring disabled applicants and (b) monitoring employers' compliance with the Equal Opportunities Act.

The Government is clear that equality and opportunity for all are at the heart of our programme of national renewal. The Equality Act 2010 protects disabled people from discrimination in the workplace, including in recruitment. Guidance has been published by the Equality and Human Rights Commission and Acas, to help employers - including agencies and small businesses - follow the law and for employees and applicants to understand their rights.The Equality and Human Rights Commission is responsible for monitoring compliance with the legislation and providing guidance on reasonable workplace adjustments. Duties and protections under the Equality Act are ultimately enforceable through the courts, and anybody who meets the Act’s definition of a disabled person and who thinks that they have been discriminated against can take legal action to seek to resolve the issue, at an employment tribunal.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of ensuring that new build estates include adequate provision of (a) bungalows, (b) ramp access and (c) other accessible housing needs.

I refer the hon. Member to the answers to Questions UIN 50375 on 23 May 2025 and UIN 53184, on 27 May 2025.

Whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of changes to (a) PIP eligibility and (b) the Daily Living component on claimants in Stoke-on-Trent South constituency.

Estimates of the volumes of PIP claimants affected by the reform in the future are forecast for England and Wales only and therefore have not been broken down by Parliamentary Constituency or any other geographic area. There will be no immediate changes. Changes to PIP eligibility aren’t coming into effect immediately. Our intention is these changes will start to come into effect from November 2026 subject to parliamentary approval. PIP changes will only apply at to current claimants at the next award review after November 2026. The average award review period is about three years. At the award review, claimants will be seen by a trained assessor or healthcare professional and assessed on individual needs and circumstances. After taking account of behavioural changes, OBR predicts that 370,000 people who will be receiving PIP at the point of implementation of the four point requirement in November 2026, will have lost their PIP Daily Living entitlement by 2029/30. Of all PIP recipients at the point of implementation, 9 in 10 will not lose PIP during the subsequent 3 years from this change. Even with these reforms, the overall number of people on PIP and DLA is expected to rise by 750,000 by the end of this parliament and spending will rise from £23bn in 24/25 to £31bn in 29/30. The proportion of people in receipt of Personal Independence Payment daily living component who were awarded fewer than four points in all daily living activities, by Parliamentary Constituency, is available as part of the Pathways to Work Evidence Pack in Chapter 2, table 2.26. The number of people currently on PIP who did not score 4 points in one category in their last assessment should not be equated with the number who are likely to lose PIP in future. It’s important to make a clear distinction between the two, not least because we don’t want constituents to be unnecessarily fearful about their situation, when we understand many are already anxious. Someone who did not score 4 points in an activity in a previous assessment may well score 4 points in a future assessment as conditions change over time. We are consulting on how best to support those who are affected by the new eligibility changes, including how to make sure health and eligible care needs are met. PIP is not based on condition diagnosis but on functional disability as the result of one or more conditions, and is awarded as a contribution to the additional costs which result. We also intend to launch a wider review of the PIP assessment which I am leading, and we will bring together a range of experts, stakeholders and people with lived experience to consider how best to do this and to start the process as part of preparing for a review. We will provide further details as plans progress.

What assessment he has made of the adequacy of workplace disability adjustments for visually impaired employees.

The Equality Act 2010 (the Act) provides protection against disability discrimination. This protection ensures any person with a condition that meets the Act’s definition of disability - that is, “a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on a person’s ability to carry out normal day-day activities” will be covered. As is with all provisions under the Act, it is for a person who feels that they have been discriminated against (including an alleged failure to make a reasonable adjustment) to make a claim against a service provider or employer.

Whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of auto-enrolling eligible children on to free school meals in Stoke-on-Trent South constituency.

This government is committed to breaking down barriers to opportunity and tackling child poverty. We have now announced that we are extending free school meals (FSM) to all children from households in receipt of Universal Credit from September 2026. It will lift 100,000 children across England out of poverty and put £500 back in families’ pockets, supporting parents in decisive action to improve lives ahead of the Child Poverty Strategy coming later this year.Providing over half a million children from the most disadvantaged backgrounds with a free, nutritious lunchtime meal every school day will also lead to higher attainment, improved behaviour and better outcomes, meaning children get the best possible education and chance to succeed in work and life.To support take-up, the department provides an Eligibility Checking System so that eligibility can be checked as quickly and straightforwardly as possible. The department is pressing ahead with an upgraded Eligibility Checking System which will allow parents to check their own eligibility, making it quicker and easier for both families and local authorities, including in Stoke-on-Trent South, to register eligible children for FSM.The department is aware of locally led approaches to boost take-up of free lunches. To support these approaches, we are working with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology to explore options on data sharing that will make it easier to identify families who are eligible to make a claim. We expect to have these in place well ahead of the 2026 academic year.Departmental officials are also working with the Department for Work and Pensions to consider how enrolment may be supported through the Universal Credit claims process.The department will monitor the impact of these policies and engage with local authorities to assess the impact that these changes are having on uptake of FSM.

What discussions his Department has had with businesses on investment in technology in Northern Ireland.

I am a passionate advocate for Northern Irish tech companies and for investment by international tech companies in Northern Ireland.I recently attended the Big Data New York Conference – a spin off of Big Data Belfast – to highlight the international investment opportunities in Northern Ireland's well established and fast growing Cyber and Digital sectors.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he plans to take to ensure that the opinions of people on (a) low and (b) middle incomes are adequately heard in the development of the food strategy.

A key priority for the food strategy is to improve access to healthy food for everyone, including children and those on low and middle incomes, in order to give all children the best start in life and help adults live longer healthier lives. We are forming a coalition with the food sector, academics and charities and key thinkers to pool our collective ideas, influence and effort, and ensure that a range of voices are heard as we develop the strategy. We are developing a programme of stakeholder engagement that will include civil society and consumer group representatives. The Food Strategy Advisory Board, announced on 21 March, includes representatives from civil society organisations such as Anna Taylor from the Food Foundation and Ravi Gurumurthy of NESTA. This collaboration will ensure a systems-wide approach and a comprehensive food strategy.

Food and Rural Affairs, if his Department will publish a breakdown of how extended producer responsibility fees will be allocated, in the context of transparency in funding for local authority waste management services.

PackUK will publish annual reports and financial statements, which will provide transparency on the allocation of funds received through the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) fees. These reports will clarify how the collected fees are distributed and used to support the scheme’s objectives.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of implementing a phased introduction of extended producer responsibility fees.

We have taken a phased approach to implementing Extended Producer Responsibility for packaging (pEPR). Reporting obligations for this scheme were introduced in 2024, and fee obligations for large producers introduced on 1 April 2025. From April 2026 PackUK will modulate fees to incentivise use of easily recyclable packaging material. The pEPR policy has been under development since 2019, with extensive engagement and consultation providing businesses with a clear indication of the scheme’s design and implementation. This policy underwent consultations in 2019, 2021, and a final consultation on reforms to the Packaging Recovery Note (PRN) system in 2022. Additionally, in 2023, the four nations of the UK consulted on the operability of the draft Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging and Packaging Waste) Regulations 2024, and further amendments were made to address stakeholder concerns prior to final regulations being introduced.

How many families are receiving support from Healthy Start in (a) Stoke-on-Trent and (b) Stafford.

The NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) operates the Healthy Start scheme on behalf of the Department. Monthly figures for the number of people on the digital Healthy Start scheme are published on the NHS Healthy Start website, which is available at the following link:https://www.healthystart.nhs.uk/healthcare-professionals/The NHSBSA does not hold data on the number of families receiving Healthy Start. The number of people receiving support from the Healthy Start scheme in March 2025 in Stoke-on-Trent was 2,592, and in Stafford was 566.

How many children are covered by the transitional protections for eligibility for free school meals; and what assessment she has made of the potential impact of ending those protections in March 2025 on the children currently protected.

As with all government programmes, including free school meals, we keep our approach under continued review. Support for children to access free school meals, has additionally been considered as part of the Child Poverty Taskforce’s consideration of how to:1. Support households to increase their income including considering social security reforms that support people into work and alleviate poverty.2. Help to bring down essential household costs, build savings and tackle problem debt.3. Alleviate the negative experience of living in poverty, including through supporting families and the role of public services.No pupil will see any change because of changes to traditional protections until after the summer and the department will communicate further with schools before that time.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of consulting on regulating the property management sector.

The government is committed to ensuring that consumers are protected from abuse and poor service at the hands of unscrupulous property agents. Property agents must belong to a government-approved redress scheme. This legislation is currently enforced by local authorities and by the National Trading Standards’ Lettings and Estate Agency Team, who have the power to issue warnings and banning orders to rogue estate and letting agents. The previous government committed to regulate the property agent sector in 2018 and asked a working group chaired by Lord Best to advise them on how best to do it. However, they failed to respond to the recommendations set out in the working group’s 2019 Regulation of Property Agents: working group report which can be found on gov.uk here. Managing agents play a key role in the maintenance of multi-occupancy buildings and freehold estates, and their importance will only increase as we transition toward a commonhold future. As a result, we are looking again at the 2019 report. As set out in the Written Ministerial Statement made on 21 November 2024 (HCWS244), the government has made clear it intends to strengthen regulation of managing agents to drive up the standard of their service. As a minimum, this should include mandatory professional qualifications which set a new basic standard that managing agents will be required to meet. We will consult on this matter this year. We will set out our full position on regulation of estate, letting and managing agents in due course.

What progress his Department has made on tackling the shortage of Pancreatic Enzyme Replacement Therapy drugs.

The Department is continuing to engage with all suppliers of pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy (PERT) to boost production to mitigate the supply issue. Increased volumes of PERT are expected for 2025, and specialist importers have sourced unlicensed stock to assist in covering the gap in the market. In December, the Department issued further management advice to healthcare professionals. This directs clinicians to unlicensed imports when licensed stock is unavailable, and includes actions for integrated care boards to ensure local mitigation plans are implemented. The Department, in collaboration with NHS England, has created a public facing page to include the latest updates on PERT availability and easily accessible prescribing advice.

What steps his Department is taking to end the difference between the treatment of military and civil compensation payments in means tests for disabled facilities grants.

We are giving older and disabled people more independence in their own homes through an immediate in-year uplift to the Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) of £86 million in 2024/25. This increase will provide approximately 7,800 additional home adaptations. This is on top of the £625 million paid to local authorities in May 2024. The Government also announced an £86 million additional investment in the DFG for the 2025/26 financial year at the Budget, bringing total funding for 2025/26 to £711 million. To ensure the DFG is as effective as possible, we will continue to keep different aspects of the grant, including the means test, under consideration.