Written questions by Snowden.

Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to support park home residents.

I refer the hon. Member to the answers given to Questions UIN 115901 on 9 March 2026, UIN 63787 on 4 July 2025, UIN 114577 on 2 March 2026, UIN 110494 on 11 February 2026, and UIN 110492 on 11 February 2026.

What steps her Department is taking to ensure new school meals guidance encourages use of local suppliers.

The government is committed to half of all food served in public settings being either locally sourced or certified to higher environmental standards.The School Food Standards allow school chefs and cooks creative freedom to adapt to the preferences of the children at their school, source seasonal or local food, and take advantage of price fluctuations.We are consulting on proposed changes to the School Food Standards in England until 12 June 2026. We will consider guidance for the new standards in due course. Presently, schools can voluntarily follow the Government Buying Standards for Food and Catering, which includes advice around sourcing their school food.The department is working closely with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs as they develop the Good Food Cycle vision.

Communities and Local Government, what criteria are used to determine when central government intervention in a local authority is warranted in relation to standards or governance failures.

The Secretary of State must be satisfied that a local authority is failing to carry out its functions in compliance with the Best Value Duty before intervening on a statutory basis under section 15 of the Local Government Act 1999. The Secretary of State’s decision to intervene, when, and what form that intervention takes relies on the analysis of a complex set of data and circumstances. This assessment is based on the standards set out in statutory guidance for the local government sector on how to fulfil the Best Value Duty.

How many staff members have left their roles working in 10 Downing Street in each of the last 12 months; and how many of those received a redundancy payment in each of the last 12 months.

Data on the number of officials in the Cabinet Office is published monthly at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cabinet-office-workforce-management-data-2023-to-2024. Business Unit level data including for Business Units in Number 10 Downing Street is published quarterly at https://www.data.gov.uk/dataset/ff76be1f-4f37-4bef-beb7-32b259413be1/organogram-cabinet-office. We do not routinely comment on individual HR matters.

If she will make an assessment of the impact of the war in Iran on household budgets in Fylde.

The Government keeps the impact of global developments on household budgets under close review. The economic impact of the situation in the Middle East will depend on its severity, duration and the extent of disruption to energy supplies. The Government does not produce constituency level assessments of the impact of specific geopolitical events on household budgets. Official forecasts are published by the independent Office for Budget Responsibility. Living standards have now risen 2.1% this Parliament, after falling over the last Parliament, and real household disposable income per capita is £700 higher in the last 12 months compared to the final year of the last Parliament. More of the decisions the Government has made to ease pressures on the cost of living have now come into effect this month. The energy price cap fell, taking £117 off the average household bill. The National Minimum and Living Wage both went up – worth up to £1,500 a year for full-time young workers. Millions of pensioners are now getting up to a £575 boost on their State Pension thanks to our Triple Lock commitment. The two-child limit has been scrapped, lifting half a million children out of poverty.

Communities and Local Government, whether the government has any plans to amend the Localism Act 2011 in this Parliament.

The Localism Act 2011 covers a broad range of local government and community empowerment matters, and the government keeps this legislative framework under review. The government is committed to widening and deepening devolution across England, rebuilding and reforming local government and giving communities stronger tools to shape their local areas. The government is delivering on this through the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill, by devolving powers to local leaders across areas such as transport, skills, housing and growth, and by enhancing community empowerment, including greater influence over local decision-making and control over local assets.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of sanctions available to local authorities under the Localism Act 2011 in ensuring compliance with councillors’ Codes of Conduct.

The current local authority standards and conduct regime is in certain key aspects ineffectual, inconsistently applied, and lacking in adequate powers to effectively sanction members found in serious breach of their codes of conduct. This is why, in November 2025, we announced our intention to legislate to introduce a clearer and consistently applied conduct system that will help local elected members to hold themselves and their colleagues to account. We will do this when Parliamentary time allows.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of postal delays on the delivery of postal ballots for 2026 local elections.

Local Returning Officers undertake stringent risk assessments and contingency planning as part of running elections, including the monitoring of known or emerging postal issues. Officials in the Ministry of Housing and Communities and Local Government meet regularly with suppliers to discuss matters relating to elections including capacity, capability and contingency planning, and I will meet with senior representatives of Royal Mail to discuss preparedness ahead of the May elections.

What assessment she has made of trends in (a) shop theft, (b) mobile phone theft and (c) drug offences over the past 12 months.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) publishes official statistics on the offences recorded by the police in England and Wales on a quarterly basis, including shop theft and drug offences. The most recent data available is for the year ending September 2025, which can be accessed here:https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/crimeandjustice/datasets/crimeinenglandandwalesappendixtablesTheft offences recorded by the police where a mobile phone was stolen are not separately identifiable in the police recorded crime data published by the ONS.The ONS does collect data on the number of people who have been victims of mobile phone theft, as part of the Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW). The most recent data available is for the year ending March 2025, which can be accessed here:https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/crimeandjustice/datasets/focusonpropertycrimeappendixtablesThe Metropolitan Police publish the number of incidents of theft from the person and personal robbery which involved the theft if a mobile phone. This data is available on the Metropolitan Police’s Crime Dashboard, which can be accessed here:https://public.tableau.com/app/profile/metropolitan.police.service/viz/MonthlyCrimeDataNewCats/Coversheet

What proportion of the 3,123 additional neighbourhood officers represent (a) new recruits and (b) redeployed officers from other roles.

On 7 April 2026, the Home Office published an ad-hoc statistical release on the growth in neighbourhood policing personnel in England and Wales, as at 28 February 2026, compared with 31 March 2025. This information is based on provisional management information, and is available broken down by Police Force Area here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/neighbourhood-policing-programme-as-at-28-february-2026This ad-hoc statistical release is based on limited management information, meaning it is not possible for the Home Office to determine what proportion of the additional 3,123 neighbourhood policing personnel (at the 28 February 2026 snapshot) are new recruits or redeployed officers from other roles.Police forces have been able to approach the neighbourhood policing programme in a way that best achieves local needs and varied crime demands. Therefore, the precise mix of redeployment and recruitment has been for forces to decide.Finalised statistics will be published in the Accredited Official ‘Police Workforce, England and Wales’ statistics in July 2026.

If he will make an estimate of the number of appointments that were cancelled as a result of doctor strikes in Lancashire.

On 22 March 2026, the Government made a formal offer to the British Medical Association (BMA) Resident Doctors Committee (RDC) to seek to resolve their dispute. This was the product of joint negotiation with the BMA RDC officers. This offer was rejected by the committee on 25 March and the BMA RDC immediately called industrial action for 7 to 13 April 2026. In the last year, the BMA RDC have called four rounds of strike action in England.NHS England records the number of rescheduled appointments and workforce absences during strike actions, including those in Lancashire. The latest data for April is pending, but data on the from the previous three rounds in 2025 is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/preparedness-for-potential-industrial-action-in-the-nhs/Due to the dedication of National Health Service staff, the NHS delivered almost 95% of planned activity during the five days of strike action in December 2025, similar to the levels of activity during the November strikes and surpassing levels in July.

How many of the additional neighbourhood policing personnel announced since April last year have been recruited to (a) Lancashire Constabulary and (b) each police force in England and Wales.

On 7 April 2026, the Home Office published an ad-hoc statistical release on the growth in neighbourhood policing personnel in England and Wales, as at 28 February 2026, compared with 31 March 2025. This information is based on provisional management information, and is available broken down by Police Force Area here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/neighbourhood-policing-programme-as-at-28-february-2026This ad-hoc statistical release is based on limited management information, meaning it is not possible for the Home Office to determine what proportion of the additional 3,123 neighbourhood policing personnel (at the 28 February 2026 snapshot) are new recruits or redeployed officers from other roles.Police forces have been able to approach the neighbourhood policing programme in a way that best achieves local needs and varied crime demands. Therefore, the precise mix of redeployment and recruitment has been for forces to decide.Finalised statistics will be published in the Accredited Official 'Police Workforce, England and Wales' statistics in July 2026.

Innovation and Technology, what steps her Department is taking to prevent websites from imitating legitimate digital services in order to mislead consumers into entering paid subscriptions.

The Online Safety Act lists certain fraud offences as ‘priority offences’, meaning regulated services must prevent users encountering user-generated fraudulent content, swiftly remove it when appearing, and mitigate and manage the risk of their services facilitating fraud. Ofcom has robust powers to act where services are failing in their regulatory duties.Online platforms must comply with The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024, which clarifies that online platforms must exercise professional diligence in relation to consumer transactions promoted or made on their platforms.  The legislation carries criminal penalties and is enforced by Trading Standards officers and the Competition and Markets Authority.

What assessment he has made of the potential merits of exemptions and higher mileage allowances for Motability Scheme users with significant healthcare travel needs, including applying the previous average annual allowance of 12,000 miles per annum.

Responsibility for the terms and administration of the Scheme sits with Motability Foundation and its Board of Governors. The changes to the leasing package were announced on 26 March and include reducing the mileage allowance from 20,000 per year to 10,000 per year. Changes only apply to new leases and there are no changes to the mileage allowance of existing leases. Motability Foundation have advised that approximately 75% of customers on the Scheme already use less miles than the proposed new mileage allowance. They have acknowledged that there will be an impact on some customers and are considering if the impact can be mitigated in some limited circumstances.

Whether he plans to introduce safeguards to ensure that patients presenting with symptoms indicative of serious conditions, including heart arrhythmias, are prioritised appropriately in GP triage systems.

General practices (GPs) are independent contractors to the National Health Service and are responsible for the safe operation of their appointment and triage arrangements, including ensuring that patients with symptoms suggestive of any serious conditions are identified and prioritised appropriately.It is for individual practices to decide how triage systems are configured and overseen within local workflows, and we are clear that GPs must be able to exercise their own clinical judgement when triaging patients, so that those with potentially serious symptoms are identified promptly and directed to the right care.

What assessment she has made of the potential merits of requiring banks to implement stronger safeguards or alerts for recurring payments initiated after free trials.

The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act (DMCCA) 2024 sets out new consumer protection rules for subscription contracts. Once the rules are in force, traders will have to provide clear information about subscription contracts before a consumer signs up, ensure that arrangements to exit the contract are straightforward, and provide a 14-day cooling-off period after a 12month+ contract or trial auto-renews. Secondary legislation is required to implement the regime. We consulted on proposals and the Government Response can be found here: Consultation on the implementation of the new subscription contracts regime - GOV.UK The new protections will save the average consumer £14 per month for every unwanted subscription they cancel. The Department for Business and Trade published an Impact Assessment alongside the DMCCA: Subscription traps: annex 2 impact assessment The DMCCA requirements will apply to traders offering subscriptions and the Government currently has no plans to introduce new requirements on banks to tackle subscription traps. The Government will keep the effectiveness of the new rules under review.

What recent discussions he has had with NHS England on improving continuity of care between secondary care and primary care following A&E attendance.

My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, set out clear ambitions as part of the 10-Year Health Plan around moving the National Health Service from analogue to digital, harnessing technology to allow patients to better manage their own care. The Medium Term Planning Framework reiterates this focus, including achieving full compliance with the minimum standards set out in the Digital Capabilities Framework.NHS England is supporting integrated care boards and providers to improve information sharing and coordination at discharge from urgent and emergency care, so primary care teams have timely access to relevant clinical information and can arrange appropriate follow‑up.This includes continued rollout of the NHS Federated Data Platform, which supports integrated care systems to connect data across urgent, acute, and community services, helping to improve care transitions and follow‑up after accident and emergency attendance.We are continuing to work across Government to cut red tape and improve ways of working, including work to improve the patient experience at the interface of primary and secondary care.

What estimate has been made of the costs incurred by councils for the provision of the services outlined in the Funding instruction for local authorities: Asylum Dispersal Grant 2026-2027.

The Asylum Dispersal Grant supports local authorities with a contribution to the costs and pressures of accommodating asylum seekers across all eligible accommodation types in their area. The grant is not intended to meet full costs, but to provide a contribution towards costs incurred by councils, consistent with affordability, value for money and the Local Government Funding Doctrine.The Home Office does not hold a single estimate of the total costs incurred by councils in delivering the services outlined in the Asylum Dispersal Grant Funding Instruction, as costs vary significantly by local authority. Each local authority is free to determine how best to utilise the funding but for monitoring and evaluation purposes must be able to demonstrate that they have fulfilled the eligibility conditions in supporting Asylum Seekers in their area.

What assessment she mas made of the performance of the Border Security Command since it was established in July 2024; and on what metrics she judges its performance.

Since the Border Security Command was established in July 2024, we have brought together a wide range of partners to organised immigration crime (OIC) and reduce small boat crossings. We have already delivered a significant amount of activity; in 2025, there were 3,625 law enforcement disruptions of OIC, 37% more than in 2024 (2,648).The Border Security Command has a monitoring and evaluation strategy in place which seeks to robustly assess the performance and impact of the Command against its priorities and outcome framework. As is required by the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Act 2025, the Border Security Commander will publish an annual report later this year reflecting on the system's performance for the previous financial year.

What assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of safety regulations governing dockless e-bike hire schemes operating in urban areas.

Shared cycle schemes can have huge benefits but for them to be a success across the country we must minimise negative impacts such as obstructive parking or antisocial behaviour. I know that these negative impacts are not just an inconvenience for many people, but rather a real safety issue. That is why the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill will enable our local leaders to license these schemes and why all licences will include minimum standard conditions set by the Secretary of State, with safety being a core consideration.