Written questions by Snowden.

Whether the Government plans to provide financial support to voluntary blood bike charities undertaking urgent medical transport services for the NHS.

Currently, there are no plans at a national level to provide financial support to voluntary blood bike charities undertaking urgent medical transport services, and NHS Blood and Transplant does not use the service of blood bikes.Decisions to commission support for local services are taken at an integrated care board and trust level. Hospitals can, on occasion, choose to arrange their own transport for blood using contractors, couriers, or charity volunteers, such as the blood bikes, which currently deliver 2% of the blood products used by hospitals across England.

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of providing Lancashire Police an uplift in support to increase capability of defending civilian defence manufacturers.

Defence Industry sites are protected under the National Security Act 2023 which provides police additional powers in responding to incidents at these sites.We also maintain proactive communications with our Defence industry partners, ensuring that they are provided with up-to-date advice and guidance on the protection of their facilities and increasing vigilance of their staff to mitigate potential threats.

Pursuant to the Answer of 20 June 2025 to Question 60125 on Armed Forces: Buildings, how many of those properties are in Fylde.

The information is not held in the format requested and could only be provided by retrieving and interrogating large amounts of data which could only be completed at disproportionate cost.

What military support his Department provides to protect (a) buildings owned by and (b) personnel working for civilian defence contractors.

Contractor buildings and personnel located within the Defence Estate are covered by the security arrangements of the site at which they are situated. Depending on the outputs of the site this may include the use of military support to provide the security arrangements. For those contractor buildings and personnel not based on the Defence Estate, the Minstry of Defence (MOD) do not provide military support. Defence has well established mandated security policies and processes to ensure Defence Industry security controls and measures meet with MODs risk appetite.

Media and Sport, whether she is providing additional funding for local authorities to help (a) maintain and (b) develop leisure facilities.

The Government recognises the importance of ensuring public access to leisure facilities which are vital spaces for people of all ages to stay fit and healthy, and which play an important role within communities.The ongoing responsibility of providing access to public leisure facilities lies at local authority level with funding levels set by MHCLG as part of the Local Government Finance Settlement. The Government encourages local authorities to make investments which offer the right opportunities and facilities for the communities they serve, investing in sport and physical activity with a place-based approach, to meet the needs of individual communities.The majority of Government funding for grassroots sport clubs is through our Arm’s Length Body, Sport England, which invests over £250 million in Exchequer and Lottery funding each year.On 20 June 2025, the Culture Secretary announced that following the Spending Review, at least £400 million is going to be invested into new and upgraded grassroots sport facilities in communities right across the UK, supporting the Government's Plan for Change. We will now work closely with sporting bodies and local leaders to establish what each community needs and then set out further plans.

Media and Sport, whether her Department has made funding available for the repair of public amenities damaged during Storm Arwen.

We have not made specific funding available for public amenities damaged during Storm Arwen, but responsibilities for public amenities fall to many departments, each of which has different arrangements for repairs. DCMS, for instance, funds Arts Council England to deliver the Museum Estate and Development Fund, which is open to accredited museums across England and has distributed over £87m since 2021, with a further £25m due to be allocated in 25/26.

Pursuant to the Answer of 20 June 2025 to Question 60125 on Armed Forces: Buildings, whether there is a standard process for vetting (a) tenants or (b) leaseholders of Ministry of Defence properties.

Before a lease is granted to a third party, their financial and general reliability is investigated by Ministry of Defence (MOD) Officials, via references from banks and, where possible, from a previous landlord, solicitors, or via a professional background checking service. In addition, as part of the vetting process for civilian sublet tenancies, the following checks are completed by a third party, Let Alliance, on behalf of MOD’s contractor, Pinnacle: the undertaking of an income, credit, a Right to Rent and Sanctions check and obtaining work references.

Food and Rural Affairs, if his Department will make an assessment of the potential impact of introducing booking systems at Household Waste Recovery Centres on fly tipping.

This Government has no plans to undertake an assessment of the impact of introducing booking systems at Household Waste Recovery Centres (HWRCs) on fly-tipping.

Whether his Department is taking steps to monitor the (a) physical and (b) mental health outcomes of women who act as surrogates.

Ensuring that women are healthy during their pregnancy is important for ensuring good outcomes for women and babies. This includes surrogates, also known as gestational carriers. The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority’s Scientific and Clinical Advances Advisory Committee reviews the published evidence of health outcomes for those having fertility treatment, including surrogates. The last 10 years of evidence were recently reviewed, and further information on the findings of this review can be found at the following link:https://www.hfea.gov.uk/about-us/our-authority-committees-and-panels/scientific-and-clinical-advances-advisory-committee-scaac/#hidden-text-79513bc0-43bb-4f5d-8aa7-fb3fe2c792e0-1General practitioners are contractually required to offer a maternal consultation between six and eight weeks postnatally which all women, including surrogates, are entitled to. This consultation should be holistic and balance how physical and mental issues can impact each other. The consultation’s focus includes a review of the mother’s mental health and general wellbeing, and the return to physical health following childbirth and pregnancy.

Pursuant to the Answer of 20 June to Question 60125 on Armed Forces: Buildings, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing formal (a) criteria and (b) guidelines for leasing its properties to third parties.

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) has formal criteria and guidelines for the leasing of properties to third parties. Criteria and guidelines for Service Family Accommodation (SFA) leased to non-military personnel is set out in the MOD’s contract with Pinnacle Service Families. A separate process is in place for SFA that is utilised under the Afghan Resettlement Programme. The remaining leases criteria and guidelines are set out in Joint Service Publication 850.

What assessment she has made of the number of households that will become eligible for the Warm Home Discount following her Department's planned changes to the eligibility criteria in (a) Fylde constituency and (b) Lancashire.

The Warm Home Discount statistics for 2024-25 were published on 26th June 2025. These statistics cover receipt of the WHD for winter 2024/25. Estimates of future eligibility are not available at county or constituency level. Across Great Britain, we will be extending the WHD to an estimated additional 2.7 million households and bringing the overall number of households supported to around 6 million.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what support his Department is providing to residents of Fylde constituency who are attempting to evacuate from Israel.

As the Foreign Secretary announced in the House of Commons our first flight departed Tel Aviv on 23 June. Further flights departed on 24 June, 25 June, 26 June, and 29 June.The situation in the Middle East remains very grave and volatile. Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) teams are working around the clock to support British nationals. Our staff have also reinforced this capacity by rapidly deploying specialist staff from London. Across the region FCDO embassy staff are focused on this crisis.We have updated our travel advice to advise against all travel to Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs), and Royal Air Force flights are departing from Israel to transport vulnerable British nationals and their dependents safely back to the UK. We are working around the clock to secure more flights and bring more people home based upon demand and the prevailing security situation. British nationals should continue to register their presence in Israel and the OPTs to be contacted with further guidance on these flights.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure NHS trusts provide consistent (a) care and (b) guidance to intended (i) parents and (ii) surrogates.

The Government supports surrogacy as a part of assisted conception options, to help people who have difficulty starting their own family. To support intended parents and surrogates, the Department has published the guidance Care in surrogacy: guidance for the care of surrogates and intended parents in surrogate births in England and Wales, which can be found at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/having-a-child-through-surrogacy/care-in-surrogacy-guidance-for-the-care-of-surrogates-and-intended-parents-in-surrogate-births-in-england-and-wales

What support is available to local authorities to meet demand for SEND provision.

The statutory duty to provide sufficient school places for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities or who require alternative provision sits with local authorities.The department provides local authorities with capital funding to support them to meet this duty and has published allocations for £740 million in High Needs Provision Capital Allocations for the 2025/26 financial year.Of this £740 million, Lancashire County Council has been allocated £19.6 million.This funding can be used to adapt schools to be more accessible, to create specialist facilities within mainstream schools that can deliver more intensive support adapted to suit the pupils’ needs and to create special school places for pupils with the most complex needs.

Media and Sport, what funding is available for (a) local authorities and (b) other organisations to (i) maintain and (ii) develop (A) heritage and (B) leisure buildings.

Organisations are able to apply for funding to maintain and develop heritage buildings through the Department for Culture, Media and Sport’s Arms-Length Bodies.The National Lottery Heritage Fund awards grants ranging from £3,000 to over £5 million for projects that conserve and enhance heritage, making it accessible to everyone. Last year it invested £330 million. Historic England, the government’s statutory advisor on the historic environment, offers grants for the repair and conservation of historic buildings, monuments, and landscapes that are of national importance.In February of this year, the Secretary of State announced an additional £20 million in funding for the heritage sector, more than doubling the support for Heritage at Risk to £15 million.The Architectural Heritage Fund is delivering the £4.85m Heritage Revival Fund, which supports community organisations to take ownership of, adapt and reuse heritage assets. In addition, DCMS directly funds the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme, which provides grants towards VAT paid on repairs and maintenance to the nation's listed places of worship.The Government provides the majority of funding for grassroots sport through our Arm’s Length Body, Sport England - which annually invests over £250 million in Exchequer and Lottery funding in areas of greatest need to tackle inactivity levels through community-led solutions. Additional funding for grassroots sport facilities is also provided through the Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities Programme, which is delivering £98 million in funding across the UK in 2025/26.

If she will make an assessment of the adequacy of available bus routes for residents accessing hospital appointments in (a) Fylde constituency and (b) Lancashire.

The government recognises the importance of accessible, frequent and affordable bus services in keeping communities connected and ensuring access to vital services, including hospital appointments. Buses in England outside London were deregulated by the Transport Act 1985 and at present are largely run on a commercial basis where the operator decides on routes and provision. The government introduced the Bus Services (No.2) Bill on 17 December as part of its ambitious plan for bus reform. The Bill puts the power over local bus services back in the hands of local leaders and is intended to ensure bus services reflect the needs of the communities that rely on them, including in Fylde, Lancashire and right across England. 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. This includes £243 million for bus operators and £712 million allocated to local authorities across the country, of which Lancashire Council has been allocated £27 million. Local authorities can use this funding to introduce new bus routes, make services more frequent and protect crucial bus routes for local communities. The government has reaffirmed its commitment to bus services in this Spending Review by confirming continued funding each year from 2026/27 to maintain and improve vital bus services, including taking forward bus franchising pilots in areas including York and North Yorkshire, and extending the £3 bus fare cap until March 2027.

If he will make an assessment of the adequacy of current funding arrangements for people whose homes require adaptations for health reasons.

In England, we continue to fund the locally administered Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) which helps eligible older and disabled people on low incomes to adapt their homes. We have provided an additional £172 million across this and the last financial year to uplift the DFG, which could provide approximately 15,600 home adaptations to give older and disabled people more independence in their homes. This brings the total funding for the DFG to £711 million in 2024/25 and 2025/26.The Department of Health and Social Care and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government share policy responsibility for the DFG. We also work with other Government departments more widely on relevant issues.We continue to keep all aspects of the DFG under consideration. Recently, we carried out a review of the upper limit for the DFG and are currently considering the findings.

What recent assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of funding for SEND provision in mainstream schools.

The statutory duty to provide sufficient school places for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities or who require alternative provision sits with local authorities.The department provides local authorities with capital funding to support them to meet this duty and has published allocations for £740 million in High Needs Provision Capital Allocations for the 2025/26 financial year.Of this £740 million, Lancashire County Council has been allocated £19.6 million.This funding can be used to adapt schools to be more accessible, to create specialist facilities within mainstream schools that can deliver more intensive support adapted to suit the pupils’ needs and to create special school places for pupils with the most complex needs.

What steps her Department is taking to increase the number of places at schools equipped to accommodate special educational needs.

The statutory duty to provide sufficient school places for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities or who require alternative provision sits with local authorities.The department provides local authorities with capital funding to support them to meet this duty and has published allocations for £740 million in High Needs Provision Capital Allocations for the 2025/26 financial year.Of this £740 million, Lancashire County Council has been allocated £19.6 million.This funding can be used to adapt schools to be more accessible, to create specialist facilities within mainstream schools that can deliver more intensive support adapted to suit the pupils’ needs and to create special school places for pupils with the most complex needs.

What steps he is taking to reduce wait times for orthodontic appointments for Fylde residents.

Integrated care board (ICBs) are responsible for commissioning primary care services, including National Health Service dentistry and orthodontic services, to meet the needs of the local population. For Fylde residents, this is the NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria ICB. To support ICBs in their duties, NHS England has published a number of documents, including a clinical policy to support the commissioning of orthodontic activity, which is available at the following link: https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/clinical-standards-for-dental-specialties-orthodontics/The Government plans to tackle the challenges for patients trying to access NHS dental care with a rescue plan to provide 700,000 more urgent dental appointments and recruit new dentists to the areas that need them most. To rebuild dentistry in the long term and increase access to NHS dental care, we will reform the dental contract, with a shift to focus on prevention and the retention of NHS dentists.