Written questions by Snowden.

Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 6 May 2025 to Question 50256 on Farms: Lancashire, whether his Department plans to consult (a) farmers and (b) industry stakeholders on the reformed Sustainable Farming Incentive before announcing further details.

Defra is working closely with farmers and industry stakeholders to design a future SFI offer that fairly and responsibly directs funding. Further details about the reformed SFI offer will be announced following the spending review in summer 2025.

Innovation and Technology, how much funding had been (a) allocated in total, (b) spent on and (c) forecast for the Project Gigabit contract in Lancashire on 30 May 2025.

Openreach is delivering a £149.7 million contract to bring gigabit-capable broadband to 54,300 premises in Lancashire, North Wiltshire, South Gloucestershire, West and Mid Surrey, Staffordshire, West Berkshire and Hertfordshire. This funding is allocated to all areas listed in this contract and is not explicitly allocated at a regional or constituency level.Openreach has only recently started its build in Lancashire under this contract, so no funding has yet been paid to the supplier for its work there.

Innovation and Technology, pursuant to the Answer of 20 May 2025 to Question 51546 on Broadband: Lancashire, what steps he is taking to ensure that the remaining (a) homes and (b) businesses in (i) Fylde and (ii) the rest of Lancashire will be connected by the end of the rollout.

As part of Project Gigabit, Openreach is currently delivering a contract to bring gigabit-capable broadband to homes and businesses in Lancashire that are not expected to be reached via the commercial market, including in Fylde. This contract is due to run until 2030.For any premises that cannot be connected via this contract, and remain outside of commercial plans, the government is exploring options for where support might be required to accelerate the deployment of appropriate technologies, including fixed wireless access.

With reference to the White Paper entitled Get Britain Working, published 26 November 2024, what metrics her Department is using to measure progress in increasing employment among (a) disabled people and (b) people with health conditions.

The Government has a clear ambition to raise the employment rate to 80% and has published a set of key indicators that it will monitor closely as it carries out this work. These will build on aims set out in the Prime Minister’s Plan for Change and the Get Britain Working White Paper and recognise that there are many components of a sustained improvement to the workforce. These indicators include the disability employment gap and the health-related economic inactivity rate. DWP will shortly be publishing an update on progress in delivering the reforms outlined in the Get Britain Working White Paper over the last six months. The disability employment gap is the difference between the employment rates of disabled and non-disabled people aged 18 to 66. Disability is measured using the Government Statistical Service (GSS) Harmonised Standard definition which classes as disabled, anyone who reports a physical or mental health condition that has lasted, or is expected to last, 12 months that reduces their ability to carry out day-to-day activities. The health-related economic inactivity rate is the number of people aged 18 to 66 who are economically inactive and give long-term sickness as the main reason (most of which will also be classed as disabled) divided by the 18 to 66 population.

Whether she has had discussions with her US counterpart on (a) tax exemptions and (b) relief measures for UK-based SMEs that rely on Chinese manufacturing.

The Chancellor regularly speaks with her counterpart, the US Treasury Secretary.This government will continue to act in Britain’s national interest – for workers, for businesses and for families.The Chancellor welcomes areas of collaboration such as the recently announced UK-US economic deal of 8 May.The agreement of 8 May is the first step towards a legally binding Economic Prosperity Deal with the US which will look at increasing digital trade, enhancing access for our world-leading services industries, and improving supply chains.

What assessment he has made of the adequacy of (a) targeted relief and (b) export support for the (i) creative and (ii) publishing industries affected by changes to international trade policy.

My department has a dedicated exports promotion programme for the creative industries to grow their exports. We will continue to use trade and economic partnership agreements to reduce trade barriers for creative industries businesses.

What steps his Department is taking to help ensure that nuclear energy contributes to the resilience of the UK’s energy supply.

The Clean Power 2030 Action Plan makes clear that nuclear will play an important role in our future energy system, providing low-carbon, baseload power to the grid. Sizewell C continues to make good progress, while Great British Nuclear is driving forward its Small Modular Reactor competition, with final decisions to be taken shortly. The Nuclear Regulatory Task Force set up by the Prime Minister is working to identify reforms to better enable speedier, safe deployment of nuclear technology.

If she will make an assessment of the effectiveness of the guidance entitled EAPC standards and legal requirements, published on 10 December 2024, in relation to preventing the sale of illegally modified electric bikes.

The Department believes that there is no need for such an assessment. The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) market surveillance unit inspects vehicles, trailers and equipment to ensure they meet safety and environmental standards. This includes surveillance of the market for Electrically Assisted Pedal Cycles (EAPCs). The DVSA is empowered to take enforcement action against retailers selling non-compliant EAPCs, including electric bikes which have been modified and not meeting regulatory standards.

What steps his Department is taking to (a) automatically enroll eligible households on and (b) inform eligible households about the Warm Home Discount Scheme.

The Warm Home Discount Scheme uses data matching between the Government and energy suppliers to provide rebates automatically to the majority of eligible households (around 95%). These households will receive a letter informing them of their eligibility automatically with no further action required. Where it is not clear from the data-matching process if a household is eligible for a rebate, for instance where we have not been able to match them with a participating energy supplier or certain Government-held data on property characteristics is missing, they are sent a letter explaining that they may contact a helpline to check their eligibility. For more information on the Warm Home Discount and eligibility for the scheme, please visit GOV.UK: https://www.gov.uk/the-warm-home-discount-scheme.

Pursuant to the Answer of 22 May 2025 to Question 51548 on Primary Care: Lancashire, if he will define the term most at need in relation to those targeted by the integrated dental access programme.

The responsibility for commissioning primary care services, including National Health Service dentistry, to meet the needs of the local population has been delegated to integrated care boards (ICBs) across England.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, we will reform the dental contract with the sector, with a shift to focus on prevention and the retention of NHS dentists.

Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the policy paper entitled Plan for Change, published on 5 December 2024, what steps his Department plans to take to evaluate the effectiveness of measures to deter waste crime.

The Resources and Waste Policy Programme Evaluation is running to 2027 and is designed to help Defra understand what has and has not been successful about the design and delivery of objectives and commitments within the policy programme, including waste crime. Link to Impact Evaluation Baseline Report.

Communities and Local Government, what steps she plans to take to ensure that SMEs in Fylde can access (a) the National Housing Delivery Fund and (b) other financial support mechanisms.

With regard to support for small and medium-sized housebuilders, I refer the hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 2 June 2025 (HCWS673).With regard to the National Housing Delivery Fund, the government will set out further details at the Spending Review.

Communities and Local Government, what criteria she plans to use to allocate National Housing Delivery Fund funding to SME housebuilders in Fylde.

With regard to support for small and medium-sized housebuilders, I refer the hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 2 June 2025 (HCWS673).With regard to the National Housing Delivery Fund, the government will set out further details at the Spending Review.

Communities and Local Government, what steps she plans to take to ensure adequate (a) transparency and (b) accountability in the (i) allocation and (ii) use of National Housing Delivery Fund funding.

With regard to support for small and medium-sized housebuilders, I refer the hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 2 June 2025 (HCWS673).With regard to the National Housing Delivery Fund, the government will set out further details at the Spending Review.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to the reforms announced in her Department's press release entitled Government backs SME builders to get Britain building, published on 28 May 2025, what steps she is taking to support SME housebuilders in Fylde.

With regard to support for small and medium-sized housebuilders, I refer the hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 2 June 2025 (HCWS673).With regard to the National Housing Delivery Fund, the government will set out further details at the Spending Review.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department plans to publish annual updates of regional waste crime heatmaps produced by the Environment Agency.

The Environment Agency have had a positive response to their recent article that included regional waste crime heatmaps and have committed to publishing future updates.

What steps she is taking to help support children with SEND following the application of VAT to private school fees in Fylde constituency.

The majority of children with special educational needs (SEN), including most with education, health and care (EHC) plans, are already educated in mainstream state-funded schools where their needs are met. The department works to support local authorities to ensure that every local area has sufficient places for children that need them, including pupils with SEN requiring places at state-funded schools.The government is providing an almost £1 billion uplift in high needs revenue funding for the 2025/26 financial year. The government has also announced £740 million of high needs capital funding for 2025/26 to invest in places for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities, or who require alternative provision.Local authorities fund pupils’ places in private schools where their needs can only be met in a private school. Where this is the case, local authorities will be able to reclaim that VAT on the fees from HMRC.

Innovation and Technology, pursuant to the Answer of 20 May 2025 to Question 51546 on Broadband: Lancashire, whether he has made an assessment of the adequacy of broadband access in (a) rural and (b) urban parts of Fylde constituency.

According to Ofcom’s most recent Connected Nations report, in the Fylde constituency, 93% of rural premises and 100% of urban premises can access superfast broadband speeds (>= 30 Mbps). This is above the UK average of 89% of rural premises and 99% of urban premises.In the Hon. Member’s constituency, 79% of rural premises and 94% of urban premises have access to a gigabit-capable broadband connection (>1000 Mbps). This is also above the UK average of 57% of rural premises and 89% of urban premises.These figures are as of January 2025.

What assessment she has made of the effectiveness of tax relief to mitigate the impact of tariffs introduced within the same tax year in Fylde constituency.

The Government recently announced the UK-US Economic Prosperity Deal, which is a major milestone for our special relationship The agreement of 8 May is the first step towards a legally binding Economic Prosperity Deal with the US which will look at increasing digital trade, enhancing access for our world-leading services industries, and improving supply chains.

How many homes had been upgraded under the Warm Homes Plan in Fylde constituency by 30 May 2025; and what targets his Department has for upgrading homes in Fylde constituency in the next two years.

The Government has committed an initial £3.4 billion as part of the 2024 Spending Review over the next 3 years towards heat decarbonisation and household energy efficiency, with £1.8 billion of grant funding allocated to the Warm Homes Plan to upgrade up to 170,000 homes by 2028. We will partner with combined authorities, local authorities, and social housing providers to roll out this plan, delivering warmer, more energy efficient homes in communities across England. Successful applicants and grants allocated to the Warm Homes: Local Grant, and Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund are listed on GOV.UK.