Written questions by Hack.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of inadequate winter clothing, including the absence of an adequate coat, on students.

Awaiting answer.

Whether his Department has any plans to make Defibrillators accessible with universal codes to maximise emergency availability.

There are no plans to introduce universal access codes for public-access automated external defibrillators (AEDs). Some charities which supply AEDs do so with cabinets that have a universal code, some communities choose to leave their cabinets unlocked, whereas others do not due to the risk of damage or theft. It is for local communities to determine what security arrangements are appropriate for their AEDs.However, phoning 999 in an emergency allows access to a defibrillator if it is registered on the Circuit. Over 110,000 AEDs are now registered on The Circuit, and the Department continues to encourage voluntary installation and registration.

What assessment he has made of the potential merits of bringing forward legislative proposals on the mandatory registration of newly installed public-access defibrillators on The Circuit database.

According to the British Heart Foundation, who operates The Circuit, there are now over 110,000 registered defibrillators in the United Kingdom. This is an increase of 30,000 since September 2023.Many charities which supply defibrillators through a fund require those defibrillators to be registered on The Circuit. Many defibrillator charities also promote The Circuit on their website.The Government considers introducing legislation to require publicly accessible automated external defibrillators (AEDs) to be registered on The Circuit or other independently owned AED databases at this time to be disproportionate. Local communities obtaining AEDs do so on a voluntary basis and introducing legal requirements could disincentive this voluntary action. Therefore, there are currently no plans to bring forward such legislation.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure that publicly accessible defibrillators are registered on The Circuit Database.

According to the British Heart Foundation, who operates The Circuit, there are now over 110,000 registered defibrillators in the United Kingdom. This is an increase of 30,000 since September 2023.Many charities which supply defibrillators through a fund require those defibrillators to be registered on The Circuit. Many defibrillator charities also promote The Circuit on their website.The Government considers introducing legislation to require publicly accessible automated external defibrillators (AEDs) to be registered on The Circuit or other independently owned AED databases at this time to be disproportionate. Local communities obtaining AEDs do so on a voluntary basis and introducing legal requirements could disincentive this voluntary action. Therefore, there are currently no plans to bring forward such legislation.

What consideration he has made of research published by Cardiac Risk in the Young on the importance of cardiac screening in young people.

The Government is guided by the independent scientific advice of the UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC). The UK NSC makes its recommendations based on internationally recognised criteria and a rigorous evidence review and consultation process. Where the committee is confident that offering screening provides more good than harm, they recommend a screening programme.The UK NSC will open a public consultation to seek comments from members of the public and stakeholders on screening for the conditions associated with sudden cardiac death this spring.While the committee is aware of the research recently published by Cardiac Risk in the Young, any evidence published in February 2026 will not be included in the current UK NSC consultation document, as the literature review commissioned by the committee must be completed and analysed before a consultation is published. However, the public consultation provides an opportunity for members of the public and stakeholders to draw the committee’s attention to any relevant questions or evidence that may not have been captured by the review, and which could inform its recommendation.

Food and Rural Affairs, who is the Minister responsible for the implementation of the Animals (Low-Welfare Activities Abroad) Act 2023.

Baroness Hayman of Ullock was appointed Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs with responsibility for animal welfare for England.

What discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero regarding transitional funding proposals to support workforce continuity between ECO and the Warm Homes Plan.

We recognise closing ECO presents immediate challenges for the supply chain. In the Warm Homes Plan, we committed to supporting the workforce to access opportunities through £15 billion of funding and through regulations in the rented sector and for future homes, benefitting millions of households. The government has established the Warm Homes Plan Workforce Taskforce with trade unions and industry to facilitate transition to clean energy sectors. The Taskforce will consider how to build workforce resilience to meet evolving demand, including assessing the knock-on effects of ECO4 closure. I also chaired a task and finish group which discussed how to unblock barriers to SMEs and local supply chains accessing additional work under the Warm Homes Plan.

Whether his department has made any impact assessment on the relationship between intermittent funding cycles and the quality of retrofit delivery outcomes.

The Government understands the value of providing long-term certainty wherever possible to support the supply chain, local authorities, and social housing providers to invest, train, and plan accordingly. That’s why, as part of the £15 billion Warm Homes Plan, low-income grant funding will continue to be delivered through the Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund (WH:SHF) and Warm Homes: Local Grant (WH:LG) as planned, honouring existing funding agreements. We have also increased delivery windows, with the WH:LG and WH:SHF running for three years or more (2025-2028), representing the longest delivery window for these types of schemes to date, moving away from short, stop start funding cycles that previously constrained delivery. We will say more about the evolution of low-income schemes in Spring 2026.

What guidance his Department has issued on SME participation, risk allocation and quality assurance within procurement frameworks for the Warm Homes Plan.

DESNZ officials are currently working on detailed delivery arrangements for the Warm Homes Plan. This includes scheme design and how the implementing entities will be identified and managed for overseeing schemes, commissioning works and delivering installation activity. Identification of implementing entities and establishment of any frameworks by public authorities will be in accordance with the Procurement Act. This includes the Government’s duty to have regard to the obstacles SMEs face when participating in procurement and to consider how these barriers can be removed or reduced. This will duly be considered during any future regulated commissioning activity. We have established a new Warm Homes Plan Workforce Taskforce to facilitate the transition, creation and growth of a diverse, skilled and resilient workforce for existing workers and new entrants. Through the Taskforce, we are working with trade unions and the energy and construction industry to improve job quality so that the Warm Homes Plan sectors offer good jobs which are attractive to enter and stay in, and workers benefit from fair work conditions such as good wages and job stability, as well as progress in varied and sustained careers. I also chaired a task and finish group which discussed how to unblock barriers to SMEs and local supply chains accessing additional work under the Warm Homes Plan.

What steps he is taking to support people with health conditions into work.

This Government is committed to championing the rights of, and helping, disabled people and people with health conditions. More people with health conditions will be supported to enter and stay in work through our Pathways to Work offer which includes the Connect to Work Supported Employment programme, and through the expansion across England of our groundbreaking programme WorkWell.

Communities and Local Government, whether his Department has considered banning the issuance of Penalty Charge Notices on Airport land.

Penalty charge notices are reserved for local authorities, not the private land to which you refer. The Parking (Code of Practice) Act 2019 requires the government to introduce a Code of Practice containing guidance about the operation and management of private parking facilities. Private parking facilities means facilities for the parking of vehicles on ‘Relevant Land’. ‘Relevant Land’ is defined at paragraph 3 schedule 4 of the Protection of Freedom Act 2012. Landowners, including airports, will be responsible to check if their land is in scope.

Whether the Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of setting up a whistleblowing route or digital hotline to allow driving instructors to report those who are reselling tests for profit.

To ensure fairness for everyone wanting to book a practical driving test, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) continues to work hard to combat the unscrupulous practice of reselling tests across the country. DVSA has zero tolerance for those who exploit learner drivers.There are already various avenues through which individuals might raise concerns to the DVSA. For example, people can contact DVSA’s instructor conduct team if they have concerns about the service or behaviour of an individual approved driving instructor. People might also raise concerns to DVSA’s intelligence unit via enquiries@dvsa.gov.uk.The nature of any concerns received can vary, for example some might be about an individual whereas others might be regarding businesses. When any intelligence is received DVSA will initially assess this to fully understand the nature of the matter being raised. This ensures the matter is then passed to the relevant team to take forward.

What steps he is taking to (a) improve multi-disciplinary team care for people with Huntington’s disease and (b) encourage the use of specialist inpatient units, community multi-disciplinary teams and advisory services.

The 10-Year Health Plan for England sets out the Government’s ambition to establish Neighbourhood Health Centres in every community. Neighbourhood health will bring more care into local communities, tailoring services to meet those needs through local co-ordinated teams, addressing not just clinical needs but wider support needs, and ensuring that services can be accessed as easily as possible for each individual. The NHS England revised Specialised Neurology Services (Adults) – service specification is due to be implemented from 2026 onwards and also outlines a comprehensive model of care, detailing the requirements for specialised neurology services and outlining the expectations of a system-wide approach. This includes access to specialist inpatient units for those patients with the most complex presentations, as well as multi-disciplinary team working and advice and guidance. The document is available at the following link: https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/specialised-neurology-services-adults-service-specification-august-2025.pdf NHS England Neurology Transformation Programme is developing a neurology transformation toolkit, including a document outlining a model of care for integrated neurology care. This document outlines the impact of care coordination and case management functions in supporting more equitable and efficient care for people with long-term neurological diseases, including Huntington’s disease.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the use of road closures to prevent vehicles disturbing standing water that has collected after heavy rainfall on properties at risk of flooding.

The organisational responsibilities and operational processes for local road closures due to flooding are generally held by the Highways Department of the relevant local authority and the Emergency Services. Local private roads are the responsibility of the relevant landowner. Local highway authorities have a duty under Section 41 of the Highways Act 1980 to maintain the highways network in their area. Section 14 of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 allows for local highway authorities to close roads temporarily when there is likelihood of danger to the public or the possibility of serious damage to the highway. The Environment Agency works with local authorities in advance of potential flooding to advise them about current and predicted water levels, the local authority will then decide on whether to close roads. In many cases the extent of roads likely to be affected by flooding is well understood and arrangements to manage closures well-rehearsed.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of (a) treating stipends for PhD students as income for the purposes of calculating benefit entitlement and (b) not treating when calculating entitlement to free childcare hours on PhD students.

It is our ambition that all families have access to high quality, affordable and flexible early education and care, giving every child the best start in life and delivering on our Plan for Change. Student parents are eligible for the universal 15 hours of free early education which is available to all 3 and 4-year-olds regardless of family circumstances. Students who work in addition to studying may be eligible for 30 hours free childcare if they meet the income requirements. PhD stipends are non-taxable income and therefore do not count towards the income requirements of the 30 hours childcare entitlement.Students in full time higher education are eligible for the childcare grant to support childcare costs for children under 15, or under 17 if they have special educational needs. Further information is available here: https://www.gov.uk/help-with-childcare-costs/support-while-you-study.Parents eligible for Universal Credit childcare offer can be reimbursed up to 85% of registered childcare costs each month, up to the maximum amounts (caps).

What assessment he has made of the effectiveness of targeted interventions to improve breast cancer screening uptake among underserved groups.

The NHS Breast Screening Programme (NHSBSP) has returned to normal operation following disruption from COVID-19 and subsequent recovery measures.NHSBSP is seeing improvement in uptake nationally with annual data for 2023/24 showing the number of women who are up to date with their screening has increased to the highest on record, to 4.61 million.Breast screening uptake among those invited in 2023/24 improved to 70%, an increase from 64.6% in 2022/23, which is the first time the NHSBSP has hit its acceptable target for breast screening uptake since before the pandemic.In February 2025, NHS England launched the first ever National Health Service breast screening campaign nationally to widespread media attention. It ran across television, radio, social media, and outdoor advertising during February and March, targeting women of breast screening age, with a focus on those least likely to attend, including younger women, those in deprived areas, ethnic minorities, and disabled women.Specifically, regarding North West Leicestershire, measures to improve uptake include implementation of a timed appointment system which gives patients a specific date and time for their screening appointment, rather than asking them to contact the service to arrange one themselves. Evidence has shown that timed appointments improve participation and help reduce health inequalities. In addition, workforce structure is being reviewed to ensure a resilient staffing establishment capable of managing the higher demand from the timed appointment system.More broadly, the integrated care board works with NHS England to support an increase in breast screening across Leicester, Leicestershire, Rugby. This includes:video shared via a link in a text message outlining the benefits of breast screening, targeted at women who have not attended their previous screening appointmenta multidisciplinary project to address the requirements of women with a serious mental illness to attend for their breast screeningworking with primary care liaison nurses to support women with learning disabilities to attend for their breast screening

Whether the backlog and other impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on the breast cancer screening programme has been completed.

The NHS Breast Screening Programme (NHSBSP) has returned to normal operation following disruption from COVID-19 and subsequent recovery measures.NHSBSP is seeing improvement in uptake nationally with annual data for 2023/24 showing the number of women who are up to date with their screening has increased to the highest on record, to 4.61 million.Breast screening uptake among those invited in 2023/24 improved to 70%, an increase from 64.6% in 2022/23, which is the first time the NHSBSP has hit its acceptable target for breast screening uptake since before the pandemic.In February 2025, NHS England launched the first ever National Health Service breast screening campaign nationally to widespread media attention. It ran across television, radio, social media, and outdoor advertising during February and March, targeting women of breast screening age, with a focus on those least likely to attend, including younger women, those in deprived areas, ethnic minorities, and disabled women.Specifically, regarding North West Leicestershire, measures to improve uptake include implementation of a timed appointment system which gives patients a specific date and time for their screening appointment, rather than asking them to contact the service to arrange one themselves. Evidence has shown that timed appointments improve participation and help reduce health inequalities. In addition, workforce structure is being reviewed to ensure a resilient staffing establishment capable of managing the higher demand from the timed appointment system.More broadly, the integrated care board works with NHS England to support an increase in breast screening across Leicester, Leicestershire, Rugby. This includes:video shared via a link in a text message outlining the benefits of breast screening, targeted at women who have not attended their previous screening appointmenta multidisciplinary project to address the requirements of women with a serious mental illness to attend for their breast screeningworking with primary care liaison nurses to support women with learning disabilities to attend for their breast screening

How he plans to support areas with lower than national average attendance to breast cancer screening appointments, such as North West Leicestershire.

The NHS Breast Screening Programme (NHSBSP) has returned to normal operation following disruption from COVID-19 and subsequent recovery measures.NHSBSP is seeing improvement in uptake nationally with annual data for 2023/24 showing the number of women who are up to date with their screening has increased to the highest on record, to 4.61 million.Breast screening uptake among those invited in 2023/24 improved to 70%, an increase from 64.6% in 2022/23, which is the first time the NHSBSP has hit its acceptable target for breast screening uptake since before the pandemic.In February 2025, NHS England launched the first ever National Health Service breast screening campaign nationally to widespread media attention. It ran across television, radio, social media, and outdoor advertising during February and March, targeting women of breast screening age, with a focus on those least likely to attend, including younger women, those in deprived areas, ethnic minorities, and disabled women.Specifically, regarding North West Leicestershire, measures to improve uptake include implementation of a timed appointment system which gives patients a specific date and time for their screening appointment, rather than asking them to contact the service to arrange one themselves. Evidence has shown that timed appointments improve participation and help reduce health inequalities. In addition, workforce structure is being reviewed to ensure a resilient staffing establishment capable of managing the higher demand from the timed appointment system.More broadly, the integrated care board works with NHS England to support an increase in breast screening across Leicester, Leicestershire, Rugby. This includes:video shared via a link in a text message outlining the benefits of breast screening, targeted at women who have not attended their previous screening appointmenta multidisciplinary project to address the requirements of women with a serious mental illness to attend for their breast screeningworking with primary care liaison nurses to support women with learning disabilities to attend for their breast screening

Innovation and Technology, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of setting minimum quality standards for mobile phone connections.

There are widely recognised international technical standards for mobile telecommunications services in place, developed through the International Telecommunications Union and Third Generation Partnership Project. These standards set out technical performance requirements and metrics.Ofcom recently updated its definition of ‘good’ mobile coverage as part of the update to their mobile coverage checker tool, ‘Map Your Mobile’. This reflects the level of service required to carry out the tasks people expect to use their mobile device for today.User’s expectations of what they expect to be able to do on their mobile device evolve over time. In the recent proposed Ofcom Statement of Strategic Priorities for telecommunications, the management of radio spectrum, and postal services, therefore, government asked Ofcom to keep under review its definitions of “good” 4G and 5G.

Media and Sport, what plans she has to address the lack of (a) indoor and (b) covered tennis and facilities in North West Leicestershire.

The Government is determined to ensure that everyone has access to quality sport and physical activity opportunities. That is why we have committed another £400 million to transform facilities across the whole of the UK following the Spending Review. We are now working closely with sporting bodies and local leaders to establish what communities need and will then set out further plans. I have met with the Lawn Tennis Association, the National Governing Body for tennis and padel, along with representatives from other sports, to discuss this. I also visited Barnsley Padel Club a few weeks ago to discuss local padel provision.The Government provides the majority of support for grassroots sport through Sport England, which annually invests over £250 million in Exchequer and Lottery funding. This includes long term investment in the Lawn Tennis Association, which receives up to £10.2 million for five years from 2022 to 2027 to invest in community tennis and padel initiatives in England that will benefit as many people as possible.