Written questions by Snowden.

Pursuant to the Answer of 12 June 2025 to Question 56537 on Long Covid, how many long COVID clinics are operational in (a) Fylde constituency and (b) Lancashire; and he plans to open further clinics in 2025.

Since April 2024, the commissioning of long COVID services has been the responsibility of local integrated care boards, following the closure of the national long COVID programme. For the Fylde constituency and Lancashire more widely, this is the Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board (ICB).From 1 May 2025, the long COVID services in Lancashire and South Cumbria will no longer be commissioned as stand-alone services. These services have now closed to new referrals, and the way in which patients with long COVID access support will change.This decision was taken by the ICB on 26 March 2025 due to a significant drop in referrals, and a change to the national funding from 1 April 2025.The average number of referrals per month over the last 12 months across Lancashire and South Cumbria was 47. This is in comparison to an average of 72 referrals per month in 2023, 146 per month in 2022 and 172 per month in 2021.Anyone currently accessing the long COVID service in Lancashire and South Cumbria will be contacted directly by their provider to let them know what will happen next and how they can continue to be supported.People with long COVID symptoms should see their general practitioner, who will be able to refer them to alternative existing services depending on their clinical needs.

Pursuant to the Answer of 12 June 2025 to Question 56537 on Long Covid, whether his Department is taking steps to help ensure equitable access to long COVID (a) diagnosis and (b) treatment services in (i) rural and (ii) coastal Lancashire.

Since April 2024, the commissioning of long COVID services has been the responsibility of local integrated care boards, following the closure of the national long COVID programme. For the Fylde constituency, and Lancashire more widely, this is the Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board.From 1 May 2025, the long COVID services in Lancashire and South Cumbria will no longer be commissioned as stand-alone services. These services have now closed to new referrals, and the way in which patients with long COVID access support will change.Anyone currently accessing the long COVID service in Lancashire and South Cumbria will be contacted directly by their provider to let them know what will happen next and how they can continue to be supported.People with long COVID symptoms should see their general practitoner, who will be able to refer them to alternative existing services depending on their clinical needs.Examples of alternative services, dependent on individual patient need, include:talking therapies;pain management services;respiratory/pulmonary rehabilitation services; andcommunity therapies, such as occupational therapy and physiotherapy.Referrals can also be made to:other specialties, including cardiology, rheumatology, gastroenterology, neurology;local wellbeing and support organisations; andlocal social prescribing services.

What steps she is taking to ensure bachelors degree courses represent value for money.

Students and the taxpayer rightly expect a good return on their significant investment in higher education (HE). However, the Student Academic Experience Survey report 2025, published this month by the Higher Education Policy Institute and Advance HE, shows that only 37% of students think they are getting ‘good’ or ‘very good’ value for money.Value for money is also about ensuring graduates contribute to the economy and society through the skills they acquire, and we know from the September 2024 report from Skills England, ‘Driving Growth and Widening Opportunities’, that many of England’s businesses are dependent on graduate skills. Yet the latest release of the Graduate Labour Market Statistics shows that only 67.9% of working age graduates are in high skilled employment.This government is determined to change this and to ensure that our HE system delivers value for money. Sir David Behan’s Independent Review of the Office for Students (OfS) recommended that the OfS refocus its work on four key priorities: the quality of HE, the financial sustainability of HE providers, acting in the student interest, and protecting how public money is spent. The government has accepted the Review’s recommendations and will continue to work with the OfS to hold providers to account for the quality of students’ experiences and the outcomes they achieve.

Media and Sport, with reference to the Written Statement of 9 June 2025 on Grassroots Sport Facilities, HCWS689, how many projects have been funded by the Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities Programme in (a) Fylde constituency and (b) Lancashire.

The Government is committed to ensuring that everyone, regardless of where they live, has access to and benefits from quality sport and physical activity opportunities.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.Our Muli-Sport Grassroots Facilities Programme invests in new and upgraded facilities across the UK to benefit communities and help get people active. In 2024/25, Fylde received £10,108 across three projects, and Lancashire received £1,872,565 across 49 projects. In March, DCMS confirmed an additional £100 million investment over the coming year (of which £98m falls in Financial Year 2025/26). .Beneficiaries of this 2025/26 funding are still to be confirmed and will be announced in due course.

How many and what proportion of eligible families are receiving support through the Healthy Start scheme in (a) Fylde and (b) Lancashire.

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, 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 and does not currently hold the data on the number of people eligible for Healthy Start. The following table shows the number of people on the digital scheme as of 23 May 2025 in Fylde:Local authorityNumber of people on the digital schemeFylde304 In addition, the following table shows the number of people on the digital scheme in the local authorities within Lancashire:Local authorities within LancashireNumber of people on the digital schemeBurnley1014Chorley489Fylde304Hyndburn870Lancaster774Pendle782Preston1109Ribble Valley98Rossendale410South Ribble409West Lancashire610Wyre510

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the covid-19 pandemic on the (a) management and (b) outcomes of people with diabetes in (i) Fylde constituency and (ii) Lancashire.

Annual diabetes reviews are associated with reduced emergency admissions, amputations, retinopathy, and mortality. Following a significant decrease in routine care delivery that was associated with the pandemic, the proportion of people with type 1 diabetes receiving all eight care processes in England had recovered back to 43.3%, and 62.3% for type 2 diabetes, in 2023/24, compared to 27% and 37%, respectively, in 2020/21. Information has been provided at the national level as it is not available at the constituency level.NHS England is supporting integrated care boards (ICBs), including Lancashire and South Cumbria ICB, to improve treatment and care for their populations and reduce variation by supporting systems’ awareness of national data and insights, through benchmarking and by promoting good practice. NHS England has provided £3 million of funding to systems to provide clinical leadership to ensure that clinical diabetes metrics, such as care processes and treatment targets, are reviewed at an ICB level, so that unwarranted variation can be identified. A resource hub of materials has been set up on Future NHS, which includes examples of innovation and best practice for the improvement of care process delivery, and for the achievement of treatment targets.

Whether she has had discussions with the British Holiday & Home Parks Association on proposed changes to agricultural property relief and business property relief.

The Government has received a number of representations about inheritance tax changes from business organisations since the Autumn Budget. The Government has been listening to the different views on this subject and continues to believe its reforms to agricultural property relief and business property relief from 6 April 2026 get the balance right between supporting businesses and fixing the public finances in a fair way. The Government is not abolishing either agricultural property relief or business property relief. The reforms reduce the inheritance tax advantages available to owners of agricultural and business assets, but still mean those assets will be taxed at a much lower effective rate than most other assets. The Government has set out that around 1,500 estates only claiming business property relief are expected to be affected in 2026-27, with around 1,000 of these expected to only hold shares designated as “not listed” on the markets of recognised stock exchanges, such as the Alternative Investment Market. The remaining 500 estates will include business assets from sectors across the economy, that are eligible for business property relief. These reforms mean that around three-quarters of estates claiming business property relief in 2026-27 (excluding those only relating to holding shares designated as “not listed”) will not pay any more inheritance tax in 2026-27. The independent Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) certified the costing of these changes at Autumn Budget 2024 and it does not expect the reforms to have a significant macroeconomic impact.

What estimate she has made of the number of jobs at risk in the holiday parks sector as a result of the proposed changes to inheritance tax reliefs.

The Government has received a number of representations about inheritance tax changes from business organisations since the Autumn Budget. The Government has been listening to the different views on this subject and continues to believe its reforms to agricultural property relief and business property relief from 6 April 2026 get the balance right between supporting businesses and fixing the public finances in a fair way. The Government is not abolishing either agricultural property relief or business property relief. The reforms reduce the inheritance tax advantages available to owners of agricultural and business assets, but still mean those assets will be taxed at a much lower effective rate than most other assets. The Government has set out that around 1,500 estates only claiming business property relief are expected to be affected in 2026-27, with around 1,000 of these expected to only hold shares designated as “not listed” on the markets of recognised stock exchanges, such as the Alternative Investment Market. The remaining 500 estates will include business assets from sectors across the economy, that are eligible for business property relief. These reforms mean that around three-quarters of estates claiming business property relief in 2026-27 (excluding those only relating to holding shares designated as “not listed”) will not pay any more inheritance tax in 2026-27. The independent Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) certified the costing of these changes at Autumn Budget 2024 and it does not expect the reforms to have a significant macroeconomic impact.

Whether she has made an assessment of the impact of the proposed changes to agricultural property relief and business property relief on family-run holiday parks in (a) rural and (b) coastal communities.

The Government has received a number of representations about inheritance tax changes from business organisations since the Autumn Budget. The Government has been listening to the different views on this subject and continues to believe its reforms to agricultural property relief and business property relief from 6 April 2026 get the balance right between supporting businesses and fixing the public finances in a fair way. The Government is not abolishing either agricultural property relief or business property relief. The reforms reduce the inheritance tax advantages available to owners of agricultural and business assets, but still mean those assets will be taxed at a much lower effective rate than most other assets. The Government has set out that around 1,500 estates only claiming business property relief are expected to be affected in 2026-27, with around 1,000 of these expected to only hold shares designated as “not listed” on the markets of recognised stock exchanges, such as the Alternative Investment Market. The remaining 500 estates will include business assets from sectors across the economy, that are eligible for business property relief. These reforms mean that around three-quarters of estates claiming business property relief in 2026-27 (excluding those only relating to holding shares designated as “not listed”) will not pay any more inheritance tax in 2026-27. The independent Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) certified the costing of these changes at Autumn Budget 2024 and it does not expect the reforms to have a significant macroeconomic impact.

Communities and Local Government, what recent assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of high annual ground rents on the ability of leaseholders to sell their properties in (a) Fylde and (b) Lancashire.

The government remains firmly committed to its manifesto commitment to tackle unregulated and unaffordable ground rents, and we will deliver this in legislation.

What assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of Carer’s Allowance for unpaid carers.

Many people will care for friends or family members at some point in their life, and it is right that we recognise the vitally important role of carers. Carer’s Allowance (CA) provides a measure of financial support and recognition for unpaid carers who are unable to work full time due to their caring responsibilities. The DWP provides over £4 billion of financial support per year through CA to unpaid carers. Between 2025/26 and 2029/30 real terms expenditure on CA is forecast to rise by over 6% - around £285 million. By 2029/30, the Government is forecast to spend over £4.7 billion a year on CA. Further CA caseload and expenditure information can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/benefit-expenditure-and-caseload-tables-2025 In addition to CA, carers on low incomes can claim income-related benefits, such as Universal Credit and Pension Credit. These benefits can be paid to carers at a higher rate than those without caring responsibilities through the carer element and the additional amount for carers respectively. Currently, the Universal Credit carer element is £201.68 per monthly assessment period. The additional amount for carers in Pension Credit is £46.40 a week. These are worth £2400 a year in additional benefit.

What plans his Department has to ensure that local authorities meet statutory duties on carer assessments under the Care Act 2014.

Local authorities have duties to support people caring for their family and friends. The Care Act 2014 requires local authorities to deliver a wide range of sustainable, high-quality care and support services, including support for carers.To ensure local authorities are delivering adult social care to an acceptable standard, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) is assessing how local authorities in England are delivering their duties under Part 1 of the Care Act 2014, including their duties relating to unpaid carers. This means that the CQC is looking at how all 153 local authorities with adult social care responsibilities are conducting carers needs assessments and supporting unpaid carers in their area. To date, the CQC has published over 40 formal assessments, with ratings of Outstanding, Good, and Requires Improvement.

What steps his Department is taking to support the mental health needs of unpaid carers.

The Government is committed to ensuring that families have the support that they need. We want to ensure that people who care for family and friends are better able to look after their own physical and mental health and wellbeing.We have invested in expanding and transforming National Health Service mental health services with a focus on improving mental health support for individuals and carers.Carers experiencing common mental health conditions, including depression and anxiety, can self-refer to NHS Talking Therapies services or can be referred by their general practitioner. In addition, carers experiencing a mental health crisis can speak to a trained NHS professional at any time through the mental health option on NHS 111. This service gives people the chance to be listened to by a trained member of staff who can help direct them to the right place.We are also recruiting 8,500 more mental health workers, expanding mental health support teams to cover 100% of pupils by 2029/30, introducing community-based Young Futures hubs, and modernising the Mental Health Act.Further, we have launched an independent commission into adult social care as part of our critical first steps towards delivering a National Care Service. The commission will start a national conversation about what care and support working age adults, older people, and their families expect from adult social care, including exploring the needs of unpaid carers, who provide vital care and support.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of increasing service frequency and electrification on the Lytham to Preston line on the local (a) economy and (b) environment.

Fylde Council’s business case found there was some potential to increase frequency. Economic benefits were assessed as part of the study, which also recommended further development of infrastructure options including electrification. It is now for the Local Transport Authority to decide if this project should go forward.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential economic impact of proposed changes to Business Property Relief and Agricultural Property Relief on the holiday parks sector.

The Government has received a number of representations about inheritance tax changes from business organisations since the Autumn Budget. The Government has been listening to the different views on this subject and continues to believe its reforms to agricultural property relief and business property relief from 6 April 2026 get the balance right between supporting businesses and fixing the public finances in a fair way. The Government is not abolishing either agricultural property relief or business property relief. The reforms reduce the inheritance tax advantages available to owners of agricultural and business assets, but still mean those assets will be taxed at a much lower effective rate than most other assets. The Government has set out that around 1,500 estates only claiming business property relief are expected to be affected in 2026-27, with around 1,000 of these expected to only hold shares designated as “not listed” on the markets of recognised stock exchanges, such as the Alternative Investment Market. The remaining 500 estates will include business assets from sectors across the economy, that are eligible for business property relief. These reforms mean that around three-quarters of estates claiming business property relief in 2026-27 (excluding those only relating to holding shares designated as “not listed”) will not pay any more inheritance tax in 2026-27. The independent Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) certified the costing of these changes at Autumn Budget 2024 and it does not expect the reforms to have a significant macroeconomic impact.

What steps his Department is taking to improve access to respite care for unpaid carers.

The Government is committed to ensuring that families have the support they need. The Care Act 2014 requires local authorities to deliver a wide range of sustainable, high-quality care and support services, including support for carers.The Better Care Fund includes funding that can be used for carer support, including short breaks and respite services. Local areas determine how the money is best used to support carers, depending on local need and with reference to their statutory responsibilities.

What steps her Department is taking to provide support in (a) schools and (b) colleges for young carers to help them balance educational responsibilities with caring duties.

The impact of caring responsibilities on a young person’s education has been hidden for too long. The department is using school census data to shine a light on young carer’s attendance, suspensions and exclusions, and is aiming to publish data on their educational progress and attainment this autumn.This data will support our work to break down barriers to opportunity for every child, at every stage, ensuring our reforms to both education and to children’s social care work for young carers.

What data his Department holds on disparities in diabetes outcomes in different regions of (a) England and (b) Wales.

NHS England, through the National Diabetes Audit (NDA), collects and publishes comprehensive data on diabetes care and outcomes across England. The NDA is a national clinical audit that measures the effectiveness of diabetes healthcare against National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) clinical guidelines and quality standards. It is a key resource for identifying and addressing regional disparities in diabetes services.The most recent NDA annual report, for 2023/24, was published 12 December 2024 and is available at the following link:https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/clinical-audits-and-registries/national-diabetes-audit/dashboardsData can be viewed at national, regional, integrated care board, primary care network and practice level. An example of data that can be viewed at regional level is the proportion of people receiving all eight NICE-recommended care processes. In 2023/24, 47.2% of people with type 1 diabetes in England received all eight processes. The same year, 62.4% of people with type 2 diabetes in England received all eight care processes. Regional performance varies for both type 1 and type 2 diabetes. For instance, the highest achieving regional area saw completion of type 2 eight care processes at 72.2% and the lowest 58.5%. A further example is diabetes prevalence and variation between the least and most deprived quintiles. The audit reports a general practitioner-recorded prevalence of type 2 diabetes of approximately 3.5 million adults in England, with data showing that 23.6% of this cohort are in the most deprived quintile, compared to 15% in the least deprived quintile.The NDA collects and publishes some data from Wales, which is available at the following link:https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/national-diabetes-audit/complications-and-mortality-2009-2023

Pursuant to the Answer of 10 June 2025 to Question 54073 on Anti-social Behaviour: Lancashire, what performance indicators will be used to measure the effectiveness of additional policing resources in reducing anti-social behaviour in town centres.

We are committed to monitoring and evaluating the delivery of the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee and have worked collaboratively with policing to agree a full performance framework for the Guarantee and its five pillars. To monitor the crackdown on anti-social behaviour we will be measuring public perceptions and experience of ASB in their local area, how many dedicated lead officers there are for ASB, presence of ASB action plans, police recorded incidents of ASB and police use of ASB powers. The performance framework is published here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/neighbourhood-policing-guarantee-performance-frameworkAs part of their Hotspot Action Fund grant agreement forces are required to return precise data returns outlining the times spent patrolling ASB hotspots. This data is used by Home Office analysts to understand levels of patrolling and impact on volumes of ASB. Forces are also required to return data on the work they are undertaking as part of Hotspot Action Fund to problem solve the causes of ASB in their identified hotspots.The Respect Order was introduced in the Crime and Policing Bill, to crack down on persistent anti-social behaviour and crimes blighting our high streets and town centres. We will be piloting Respect Orders in police force areas prior to national rollout. Its use will be monitored to ensure that they are as effective as possible.In addition, through the Crime and Policing Bill, the Government will be introducing a duty for key relevant agencies including local authorities to report ASB data to the Government.Following commencement, regulations will be laid to specify which data the relevant agencies should provide, and the form and regularity of submission. This will improve the national data on how powers are being used and why, allow better monitoring of targeted ASB interventions, and help to inform future government work to tackle ASB. Additionally, a wide range of police data is already collected through the Home Office’s Annual Data Requirement. From April 2025, this includes data on police use of ASB powers in the 2014 Act. This is initially on a voluntary basis and subject to data quality, will be made mandatory from April 2026.

Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to Answer of 9 June 2025 to Question 55351 on Environmental Stewardship Scheme: Fylde, whether any of the Higher Level Stewardship agreements fall within the county of Lancashire.

I refer the Honourable Member to the answer given on 9 June 2025, PQ 55343.