Written questions by Cooper.

What steps she is taking to help reduce waiting times for driving tests for first-time applicants aged under 25 in Mid Cheshire constituency.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s (DVSA) main priority is upholding road safety standards while it works hard to reduce car practical driving test waiting times. On the 23 April, the Secretary of State for Transport appeared before the Transport Select Committee and announced that DVSA will take further actions to reduce waiting times for all customers across Great Britain. Further information on these actions and progress of DVSA’s plan to reduce driving test waiting times, which was announced in December 2024, can be found on GOV.UK. DVSA continues with recruitment at driving test centres (DTCs) that serve customers in Mid Cheshire. From recent recruitment campaigns, DVSA has had four new entrant driving examiners (DE), which allow more deployments into Northwich DTC. A current recruitment campaign is ongoing and will close later this month. DVSA is committed to providing its customers, including those in rural areas, with the best service possible. DVSA continually reviews its estate to ensure it represents good value for money and is efficient. The Department for Transport (DfT), or any of its agencies, has no mechanism for providing financial support to help young people, including those in rural areas, with the cost of learning to drive. DVSA does not employ driving instructors and so has no power or control over what they charge for their services, including lessons.

What steps her Department is taking to help improve public transport access to sports stadia for young people.

The government knows that public transport is vital to keeping communities connected, and able to access venues including sports stadia. The government introduced the Bus Services (No.2) Bill on 17 December to put the power over local bus services back into the hands of local leaders. In addition, the government has confirmed £955 million for the 2025 to 2026 financial year to support and improve bus services in England outside London. Cheshire East Council and Cheshire West and Chester Council have been allocated £5.4 million and £5.8 million of this funding respectively. This funding can be used in whichever way local authorities wish to improve services for passengers, including improving bus services connecting sports stadia. Rail services are supported by requirements on train operators to plan services and design timetables to meet both current and future passenger demand, while also ensuring value for money for the taxpayer. The government commitment to public ownership through Great British Railways will also help to deliver a unified system that focuses on reliable, affordable, high-quality, and efficient transport services, whilst also ensuring safety and accessibility. Under public ownership, passenger services can be operated in the interests of passengers, not shareholders, including by helping to improve access to sports stadia.

What steps her Department is taking to improve access to driving tests for young people in Mid Cheshire constituency, in the context of levels of (a) waiting times and (b) local availability.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s (DVSA) main priority is upholding road safety standards while it works hard to reduce car practical driving test waiting times. On the 23 April, the Secretary of State for Transport appeared before the Transport Select Committee and announced that DVSA will take further actions to reduce waiting times for all customers across Great Britain. Further information on these actions and progress of DVSA’s plan to reduce driving test waiting times, which was announced in December 2024, can be found on GOV.UK. DVSA continues with recruitment at driving test centres (DTCs) that serve customers in Mid Cheshire. From recent recruitment campaigns, DVSA has had four new entrant driving examiners (DE), which allow more deployments into Northwich DTC. A current recruitment campaign is ongoing and will close later this month. DVSA is committed to providing its customers, including those in rural areas, with the best service possible. DVSA continually reviews its estate to ensure it represents good value for money and is efficient. The Department for Transport (DfT), or any of its agencies, has no mechanism for providing financial support to help young people, including those in rural areas, with the cost of learning to drive. DVSA does not employ driving instructors and so has no power or control over what they charge for their services, including lessons.

Media and Sport, what recent discussions she has had with sporting bodies on the affordability of ticket prices for major sporting events.

The Government is keen to see as many people as possible benefit from and enjoy the spectacle of live sport. Ultimately, the matter of ticket prices is a commercial decision for individual clubs, leagues, and governing bodies to take. However, the Government remains in ongoing conversation with many of these stakeholders on a variety of issues, including fan engagement and access.In relation to those events that benefit from Government and/or UK Sport funding to facilitate, the Gold Framework guidance on bidding for and staging major sporting events is clear that any bids to host such events should provide evidence that accessibility in all its forms has been considered from the earliest stage. Whilst the ticket pricing strategy for individual major sporting events is a matter for the respective organisers of those events, particularly their international rights’ holders, the Government will always seek to work with partners to ensure that ticketing is as accessible as possible, and balances the need to ensure audience reach and commercial viability. For example, England is hosting the 2025 Women's Rugby World Cup this summer, which has an inclusive and affordable range of tickets available, with tickets starting at £10 for adults and £5 for children.

Media and Sport, whether her Department is taking steps to support affordable access to sporting events for young people.

The Government is keen to see as many people as possible benefit from and enjoy the spectacle of live sport. Ultimately, the matter of ticket prices is a commercial decision for individual clubs, leagues, and governing bodies to take. However, the Government remains in ongoing conversation with many of these stakeholders on a variety of issues, including fan engagement and access.In relation to those events that benefit from Government and/or UK Sport funding to facilitate, the Gold Framework guidance on bidding for and staging major sporting events is clear that any bids to host such events should provide evidence that accessibility in all its forms has been considered from the earliest stage. Whilst the ticket pricing strategy for individual major sporting events is a matter for the respective organisers of those events, particularly their international rights’ holders, the Government will always seek to work with partners to ensure that ticketing is as accessible as possible, and balances the need to ensure audience reach and commercial viability. For example, England is hosting the 2025 Women's Rugby World Cup this summer, which has an inclusive and affordable range of tickets available, with tickets starting at £10 for adults and £5 for children.

What steps she is taking to help reduce the cost of car insurance for drivers aged between 17 and 25.

The setting of premiums is a commercial decision for insurers based on their underwriting experience. Age and experience are factors that insurers use to price policies and there is evidence to suggest that younger drivers and those with less experience carry a higher risk. However, the motor insurance market is competitive, and we recommend consumers shop around to get the best deal. This Government is committed to tackle the high costs of motor insurance. The cross-Government motor insurance taskforce, launched in October, is comprised of ministers from relevant government departments and the Financial Conduct Authority and Competition and Markets Authority. The taskforce is supported by a separate stakeholder panel of industry experts representing the insurance, motor, and consumer sector. This Taskforce has a strategic remit to set the direction for UK Government policy, identifying short- and long-term actions for departments that may contribute to stabilising or reducing premiums. It will look at the increased insurance costs on consumers and the insurance industry, including how this impacts different demographics, geographies, and communities.

What assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the Thalidomide Health Grant in meeting the health and care needs of survivors as they age.

The Thalidomide Health Grant exists to meet the health and wellbeing needs, present and future, of thalidomide survivors living in England.In 2023, the Department put in place a new four-year grant agreement with the Thalidomide Trust, to administer the grant of approximately £40 million over four years. The agreement was made in recognition of the complex and highly specialised needs of people affected by thalidomide in England, particularly as they approach old age. The funding helps beneficiaries to maintain control over their own health, enabling them to personalise the way their health and care needs are met, maintain independence, and minimise any further deterioration in their health.To understand how well the current grant agreement operates, the Department has commissioned an independent evaluation of the Thalidomide Health Grant through the National Institute for Health and Care Research. The evaluation began in October 2024 and aims to understand the health and care needs of people affected by thalidomide, particularly as they age, what funded resources produce the most tangible benefits to this group, how best to distribute financial support to them, and the extent to which their needs are met by the current grant.This independent, external research will help us to ensure that the Government supports the needs of people affected by thalidomide as they age. Funding beyond the current grant agreement will be subject to the outcome of future spending reviews.

Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to consult (a) community groups and (b) local authorities on the design and implementation of the strengthened Community Right to Buy.

The Government is committed to giving communities real power to secure assets that are important to them and will introduce Community Right to Buy as part of the English Devolution Bill. We are currently finalising the policy and have consulted a range of groups including community organisations and local authorities on its design. We will continue this engagement as the powers are implemented.The Government appreciates that securing funding to purchase community assets can be challenging and we want to ensure that community groups have the right support to do this under Community Right to Buy.

Communities and Local Government, whether she has made an assessment of the adequacy of the funding requirements for community organisations to make effective use of the proposed Community Right to Buy.

The Government is committed to giving communities real power to secure assets that are important to them and will introduce Community Right to Buy as part of the English Devolution Bill. We are currently finalising the policy and have consulted a range of groups including community organisations and local authorities on its design. We will continue this engagement as the powers are implemented.The Government appreciates that securing funding to purchase community assets can be challenging and we want to ensure that community groups have the right support to do this under Community Right to Buy.

Communities and Local Government, what progress her Department has made in preparing the strengthened Community Right to Buy proposals ahead of the introduction of the English Devolution Bill.

The Government is committed to giving communities real power to secure assets that are important to them and will introduce Community Right to Buy as part of the English Devolution Bill. We are currently finalising the policy and have consulted a range of groups including community organisations and local authorities on its design. We will continue this engagement as the powers are implemented.The Government appreciates that securing funding to purchase community assets can be challenging and we want to ensure that community groups have the right support to do this under Community Right to Buy.

Whether his Department has considered (a) alternative and (b) long-term funding models for supporting people affected by thalidomide after the current health grant period has ended.

The Thalidomide Health Grant exists to meet the health and wellbeing needs, present and future, of thalidomide survivors living in England.In 2023, the Department put in place a new four-year grant agreement with the Thalidomide Trust, to administer the grant of approximately £40 million over four years. The agreement was made in recognition of the complex and highly specialised needs of people affected by thalidomide in England, particularly as they approach old age. The funding helps beneficiaries to maintain control over their own health, enabling them to personalise the way their health and care needs are met, maintain independence, and minimise any further deterioration in their health.To understand how well the current grant agreement operates, the Department has commissioned an independent evaluation of the Thalidomide Health Grant through the National Institute for Health and Care Research. The evaluation began in October 2024 and aims to understand the health and care needs of people affected by thalidomide, particularly as they age, what funded resources produce the most tangible benefits to this group, how best to distribute financial support to them, and the extent to which their needs are met by the current grant.This independent, external research will help us to ensure that the Government supports the needs of people affected by thalidomide as they age. Funding beyond the current grant agreement will be subject to the outcome of future spending reviews.

Whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of commissioning a formal review into the historical handling of (a) thalidomide and (b) the long-term support provided to people affected by thalidomide.

The Thalidomide Health Grant exists to meet the health and wellbeing needs, present and future, of thalidomide survivors living in England.In 2023, the Department put in place a new four-year grant agreement with the Thalidomide Trust, to administer the grant of approximately £40 million over four years. The agreement was made in recognition of the complex and highly specialised needs of people affected by thalidomide in England, particularly as they approach old age. The funding helps beneficiaries to maintain control over their own health, enabling them to personalise the way their health and care needs are met, maintain independence, and minimise any further deterioration in their health.To understand how well the current grant agreement operates, the Department has commissioned an independent evaluation of the Thalidomide Health Grant through the National Institute for Health and Care Research. The evaluation began in October 2024 and aims to understand the health and care needs of people affected by thalidomide, particularly as they age, what funded resources produce the most tangible benefits to this group, how best to distribute financial support to them, and the extent to which their needs are met by the current grant.This independent, external research will help us to ensure that the Government supports the needs of people affected by thalidomide as they age. Funding beyond the current grant agreement will be subject to the outcome of future spending reviews.

What recent assessment she has made of trends in the level of (a) unlawful employment practices and (b) labour exploitation in the nail salon industry.

The Government takes all reports of labour exploitation very seriously, and we remain committed to tackling the crime of modern slavery, – in which ever sector it occurs. We do not currently hold data for the number of victims of modern slavery and human trafficking within the nail salon industry. Nonetheless, we will continue to monitor the sector closely alongside the Director of Labour Market Enforcement, to ensure we target our work effectively.The Government is establishing the Fair Work Agency, which will bring under one roof multiple agencies and bodies, including the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority, the Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate, and HMRC’s National Minimum and Living Wage Team. This will ensure a more cohesive and streamlined response to exploitation across the economy. The Fair Work Agency will have enhanced powers and resources to identify and address labour exploitation more effectively.

Whether his Department has made an assessment of the adequacy of regulation on (a) products containing acrylates linked to serious allergic reactions and (b) other aspects of the operation of nail salons.

Cosmetics sold in the UK must meet some of the strictest safety requirements in the world. For products not covered by the Cosmetic Regulation, the General Product Safety Regulations provide a baseline of safety, requiring that only safe products, in their normal or reasonably foreseeable use, can be sold.Nail salons are required to comply with various legislation including the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act. This requires operators to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare of their employees and that their clients are not exposed to risks to their health and safety.

Innovation and Technology, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of further regulation of domestic CCTV usage where cameras overlook neighbouring properties.

If domestic CCTV captures someone else's property or communal space, the UK’s data protection legislation applies, as the images and voices of other people will be captured and this is classified as personal information.The Information Commissioner's Office has published guidance on both the householder’s responsibilities under the legislation, and what people can do if they are concerned about a neighbour’s intrusive use of CCTV equipment. The government has no plans for further regulation.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of acrylate exposure from cosmetic nail treatments on (a) long-term health of people exposed and (b) NHS services.

Legislation is clear that cosmetics must be safe. To demonstrate that a product is compliant with the requirements in the Cosmetic Regulation, a safety assessment must be completed by a qualified safety assessor. This includes examining the systemic exposure to individual ingredients used. The safety assessor must be satisfied that the product is safe before it can be sold.As the regulator for product safety, OPSS is responsible for ensuring that consumer products are safe. We will take effective action where non-compliant products are identified. However, as a department we do not hold information regarding impacts to NHS services.

What steps his Department is taking to support the (a) creation and (b) growth of start-ups in (i) Mid Cheshire constituency, (ii) Cheshire and (iii) England.

We will publish our Small Business Strategy later this year with a clear ambition to promote startups and encourage entrepreneurship, built around the new Business Growth Service.Start Up Loans are available in Cheshire and across England, helping new and early-stage businesses access affordable finance. Mid Cheshire businesses have benefited from 168 of these loans between 2012 and January 2025.Existing support offers include Help to Grow: Management - UK, providing practical ways to enhance small business productivity and growth, and the British Business Bank's Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II delivering a £660 million commitment of new funding to smaller businesses across the North.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of waiving fees charged by GP surgeries for (a) medical evidence letters, (b) certificates and (c) reports that are required by HM Passport Office to show that a patient has a disability that prevents them from attending a passport interview.

There are some medical evidence letters, certificates, or reports that general practices (GPs) may charge for, and others that they must not charge patients for. The legislation that sets this out is the General Medical Services and Personal Medical Services Regulations, which form the basis of the GP Contract with the National Health Service. There is no statutory limit to the level of such fees, as this is outside of core NHS work.The Professional Fees Committee of the British Medical Association suggests guideline fees for such services, to help doctors set their own professional fees.We are continuing to work across Government to cut red tape and improve ways of working, including work to improve the patient experience, such as removing the need to request unnecessary medical evidence where possible.

What recent assessment she has made of the potential impact of social media on perpetuating violence against women and girls.

Tackling violence against women and girls (VAWG) in all of its forms, including when it takes place online, is a top priority for this Government. Our upcoming VAWG Strategy will set out the strategic direction and concrete actions to deliver our unprecedented ambition to halve VAWG in a decade.In addition, the Online Safety Act 2023 requires all in-scope companies, including social media platforms, to take swift and effective action against criminal online abuse. However, social media companies must still do more to protect women and girls. The Secretary of State for the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) has laid before Parliament the Government’s draft Statement of Strategic Priorities for Online Safety, which aim to ensure the Online Safety Act delivers improved online safety outcomes. This includes how the Act will deliver on tackling illegal and misogynistic content to ensure increased safety online for women and girls.We are also taking action on non-consensual intimate image abuse. The Online Safety Act inserted new offences of sharing or threatening to share intimate images into the Sexual Offences Act 2003. These new offences apply to a broader category of image and in a wider array of circumstances than the previous offences. We are going further by introducing offences of taking an intimate image without consent or reasonable belief in consent and installing equipment with the intent to take intimate images without consent or reasonable belief in consent, via the Crime and Policing Bill. We are also introducing new offences to create or request the creation of intimate images without consent or reasonable belief in consent, via the Data (Use and Access) Bill. This will criminalise the creation of deepfake intimate images without consent.Our efforts to tackle VAWG and child sexual abuse needs to evolve to meet changes in social media and technology head on. As such, in the dawn of an increase in AI- generated child sexual abuse (CSA), we are taking forward several measures through the Crime and Policing Bill to better safeguard children and young people at risk of sexual abuse. These measures are:CSA image generators - This offence will criminalise AI models that have been optimised to create the most severe forms of child sexual abuse material.AI paedophile manuals - This measure will ensure that offenders in possession of AI paedophile manuals – which provide guidance about using AI to abuse children sexually – will be criminalised.Moderators and administrators of CSA sites – A specific criminal offence targeting offenders who run sites dedicated to child sexual abuse. On these sites, offenders share child sexual abuse material (CSAM) content, or advice on how to groom children.CSAM at the Border - This measure will give Border Force officers the power to compel individuals reasonably suspected of posing a sexual risk to children to unlock their digital devices for inspection.This Government is committed to tackling VAWG and CSAM and will remain agile to the threats and act accordingly.

What assessment she has made of the (a) level of use of AI by students to complete assessments in (i) secondary, (ii) further and (iii) higher education and (b) the potential impact of use on the validity of academic qualifications.

The department policy paper on generative artificial intelligence (AI) in education sets out some of the opportunities and risks education establishments should be aware of when considering generative AI technologies, including use of AI in assessments. The policy paper can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/generative-artificial-intelligence-in-education/generative-artificial-intelligence-ai-in-education.The department is working to ensure teachers are equipped and supported to promote safe and appropriate use of AI.Schools, colleges and awarding organisations need to continue taking reasonable steps, where applicable, to prevent malpractice involving the use of generative AI. Teachers know their pupils best and are experienced in identifying their individual pupils’ work.A new departmental group will advise on digital, AI and technology to prepare children and young people for an AI and tech-enabled world, as well as promoting the use of AI and Edtech for better teaching and learning. Expert and evidence-informed recommendations will be produced.The Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ) has published guidance on AI use in assessments. This guidance provides teachers and exam centres with information to help them prevent and identify potential malpractice involving the misuse of AI. The JCQ guidance can be found here: https://www.jcq.org.uk/exams-office/malpractice/artificial-intelligence/.Ofsted and Ofqual both published policy papers in April 2024 outlining their approach to AI and Ofsted are currently updating their AI Strategy. The Office for Students will be including actions relating to AI in its upcoming 2025 to 2028 Strategy.