Written questions by Snowden.

Innovation and Technology, what assessment he has made of trends in the level of (a) resources and (b) personnel required by Ofcom to protect users of online platforms from content promoting gang violence.

The Online Safety Act gives user-to-user platforms and search services duties to take steps to protect all users from illegal content and children from harmful or age-inappropriate content. This includes duties to take down illegal content which provokes violence, and to protect children from content which encourages or promotes violence.The Government has ensured Ofcom has the funding it needs to deliver online safety regulation effectively, with £72.6 million allocated for online safety spend in 2025/26. This is an increase from last year and means that Ofcom is increasing its personnel year on year.

What steps he is taking to ensure that the transition to clean power does not increase levels of (a) energy poverty and (b) regional inequalities.

The Government believes that our mission to deliver clean power by 2030 is the best way to break our dependence on global fossil fuel markets and protect billpayers permanently. This, combined with our Warm Homes Plan to upgrade millions of homes to make them warmer and cheaper to run is how we will drive down energy bills and make cold homes a thing of the past. Alongside the Warm Homes Plan we are developing an updated fuel poverty strategy for England, which aims to accelerate progress to alleviate fuel poverty across all regions this decade. This recognises that we need to support households struggling with bills whilst we transition to clean power by 2030. This is why we delivered the £150 Warm Home Discount to around 3 million eligible low-income households last winter. In February, we published a consultation on expanding the Warm Home Discount which would bring around 2.7 million households into the scheme, pushing the total number of eligible households up to 6 million.

Whether her Department plans to (a) cap rail fares and (b) provide targeted concessions to (i) young people, (ii) students, and (iii) people in rural areas disproportionately affected by fare rises.

The Government caps the amount by which regulated fares can increase each year. Regulated fares make up around 45% of rail fares and include commuter fares, such as season ticket and shorter-distance peak singles and returns, alongside longer-distance off-peak singles and returns. Whilst the fares increase cap applies to regulated fares only, train operators have typically adopted a very similar approach for non-regulated fares. Young people and students (as well as senior citizens, disabled people, veterans and other groups) are offered discounted rail fares from existing railcard schemes. Regarding the impact of fares increases on people in rural areas, low income commuters and key workers, any long-term changes to rail fares policy requires balancing against the potential impacts on passengers, taxpayers and the railway.

Whether he plans to publish an impact assessment of the increase in most regulated fares on 2 March 2025 on (a) low-income commuters and (b) key workers who rely on rail travel.

The Government caps the amount by which regulated fares can increase each year. Regulated fares make up around 45% of rail fares and include commuter fares, such as season ticket and shorter-distance peak singles and returns, alongside longer-distance off-peak singles and returns. Whilst the fares increase cap applies to regulated fares only, train operators have typically adopted a very similar approach for non-regulated fares. Young people and students (as well as senior citizens, disabled people, veterans and other groups) are offered discounted rail fares from existing railcard schemes. Regarding the impact of fares increases on people in rural areas, low income commuters and key workers, any long-term changes to rail fares policy requires balancing against the potential impacts on passengers, taxpayers and the railway.

Pursuant to the Answer of 20 April 2025 to Question 46934 on Energy: Prices, what his Department's timetable is for publishing its response to the consultation entitled Expanding the Warm Home Discount Scheme, 2025 to 2026, published on 25 February 2025.

The Government will publish its response to the consultation on expanding the Warm Home Discount Scheme in due course.

What steps Great British Energy plans to take to support projects in Lancashire.

On 21 March 2025, the government announced £180 million of funding for rooftop solar panels for schools and hospitals delivered through Great British Energy (GBE). Five NHS trusts within Lancashire will be fitted with solar panels under this scheme. Successful schools will be announced in due course. GBE will strategically develop, invest in, and own clean energy projects across the UK. It will also create thousands of good jobs and build supply chains in every region of the UK through the projects that it supports.

If he will have discussions with the Secretary of State for Education on the availability of skilled workers in (a) technical and (b) engineering roles in (i) Fylde constituency and (b) Lancashire.

DfE continues to make available education and training opportunities in technical and engineering sectors across the country including in Fylde and Lancashire.DfE’s levy-funded growth and skills offer, with apprenticeships at the heart, is aligned with the industrial strategy, creating routes into good, skilled jobs in growing industries such as in engineering and technical sectors.DBT is working with DfE, following the announced additional £625 million for construction skills training, to support the industry led Construction Skills Mission Board to collaboratively secure the workforce needed to meet future demand and deliver the government’s infrastructure and built environment commitments.

How many households were in receipt of the Warm Home Discount in Fylde constituency on 30 May 2025; and what estimate his Department has made of the number of households in Fylde constituency that would be eligible for the Warm Home Discount under its proposals.

The latest published Warm Home Discount statistics are for 2023-24 and use the constituency boundaries operating prior to the 2024 General Election. Most (85%) of the residential premises in the current Fylde constituency come from the Fylde constituency under the previous boundaries, in which 3,919 households received the Warm Home Discount rebate in 2023-24. The Warm Home Discount statistics for 2024-25 will be published on 26th June 2025. The statistics only cover receipt of the Warm Home Discount and estimates of eligibility are not available.

Food and Rural Affairs, how many prosecutions have been brought against waste operators in (a) Fylde and (b) Lancashire since July 2024; and how many resulted in custodial sentences.

The Environment Agency (EA) has brought prosecutions against six waste operators in Lancashire since July 2024. In one of these cases, illegal activity at a site in Fylde was part of the case. None of these prosecutions resulted in custodial sentences. This information only relates to action taken by the EA.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department plans to allocate additional funding to the Environment Agency to support the enforcement of waste crime legislation.

Defra works closely with the Environment Agency to ensure it is equipped to carry out its functions effectively and deliver for the public and the environment.

Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 6 May 2025 to Question 50256 on Farms: Lancashire, what steps he plans to take to ensure that British produce is prioritised in catering contracts; and whether this will include steps to support local farms in (a) Fylde and (b) Lancashire.

The national procurement policy statement sets out requirements for Government contracts, including food, and favouring high-quality products that we believe British producers, including those in Fylde, and Lancashire more broadly, are well-placed to supply. This will aid our ambition for half of food supplied into public sector catering to be from local producers or those certified to higher environmental standards.

Pursuant to the Answer of 3 April 2025 to Question 42350 on General Practitioners: Employers' Contributions, what assessment he has made of the merits of feedback received from the General Practitioners Committee England during the consultation on GP services; and what steps he has taken to incorporate this feedback into the new contract.

Every year the Department and NHS England consult with the General Practitioners’ Committee (GPC), of the British Medical Association (BMA), to discuss the services general practitioners (GPs) will be expected to provide and the funding they will receive in return under the GP Contract. Feedback from the GPC is considered as part of this process and we are pleased that the GPC is supportive of the changes made to the 2025/26 GP Contract.

Pursuant to the Answer of 22 May 2025 to Question 51548 on Primary Care: Lancashire, what steps his Department is taking to increase the number of GPs in Fylde constituency.

We have committed to training thousands more general practitioners (GPs) across the country, including in Fylde, which will increase capacity and take the pressure off those currently working in the systemThe Government committed to recruiting over 1,000 recently qualified GPs through an £82 million boost to the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme (ARRS) over 2024/25, as part of an initiative to secure the future pipeline of GPs, with over 1,000 doctors otherwise likely to graduate into unemployment in 2024/25. Data on the number of recently qualified GPs for which primary care networks are claiming reimbursement via the ARRS shows that since 1 October 2024, over 1,700 GPs were recruited through the scheme.We are investing an additional £889 million through the GP Contract to reinforce the front door of the National Health Service, bringing total spend on the GP Contract to £13.2 billion in 2025/26. This is the biggest increase in over a decade.

Pursuant to the Answer of 3 April 2025 to Question 42350 on General Practitioners: Employers' Contributions, what steps he plans to take to monitor the effectiveness of the £889 million increase in funding for the GP Contract; and what criteria he plans to use to measure the effectiveness of of the GP contract for (a) patient care and (b) GP satisfaction.

The changes to the contract will improve services for patients and make progress towards the Government’s Health Mission, supporting the three key shifts the Government wants to achieve, from analogue to digital, from sickness to prevention, and from hospital to community care. Patient satisfaction with general practice (GP) services is measured through the annual GP Patient Survey (GPPS), and the Office for National Statistics’ monthly Health Insight Survey (HIS). The most recent HIS results show that 73.3% of respondents describe their experience with their GP as good, up from 67.4% when the survey was launched in August 2024. In the 2024 GPPS, 73.9% of patients reported a good overall experience with their practice. GP satisfaction is measured by the GP Worklife Survey, led by the University of Manchester. The results of the twelfth edition of the survey have not yet been published.

If he will make an assessment of the potential merits of expanding the number of skincare conditions that can be treated through Pharmacy First.

The Pharmacy First service allows for referrals from NHS111, general practitioners and accident and emergency for advice on a minor illness, which includes a number of skin conditions and may also include the sale of over-the-counter medicines.Currently the clinical pathways element of the service that allows for the supply of prescription-only medicines covers seven common health conditions, including sinusitis, sore throat, earache, impetigo, shingles, infected insect bites and uncomplicated urinary tract infections in women aged between 16 and 64 years old. NHS England is keeping the clinical scope of this part of the service under review.

What steps she is taking to support construction companies to take on apprenticeships.

To address skills shortages within the construction industry, this government will invest £600 million over this Parliament to deliver up to 60,000 skilled construction workers.The department is introducing new foundation apprenticeships for young people as part of our reformed growth and skills offer. Construction will be one of the key sectors to benefit from foundation apprenticeships, with the introduction of three new apprenticeship standards from August. This will provide employers with the opportunity to reach young people and support their transition into full-time employment within high-priority sectors, including construction, giving them the tools they need for a rewarding career. As part of the offer, employers will receive £2,000 for every foundation apprentice they take on and retain. This offer is backed by a record £3 billion English apprenticeship budget for 2025/26.To support employers within the construction industry to recruit and retain apprentices, an industry investment of £140 million will establish 32 pioneering new homebuilding hubs. The purpose-built hubs will deliver fast-track training in critical areas such as bricklaying, groundwork and site carpentry, to boost housebuilding and drive forward the government’s growth mission. This will create up to 5,000 more construction apprenticeship places per year by 2027/28.

What steps she is taking to protect people whose criminal histories were made public as a result of the recent Legal Aid data breach.

To reach as many potentially impacted individuals as possible, the Ministry of Justice published a notice at 08:15 on 19 May on GOV.UK. The statement provides information about the cyber-attack and directs concerned members of the public to the National Cyber Security Centre’s webpage.Further, the Legal Aid Agency (LAA) has set up a dedicated helpline that will be available from Tuesday 27 May for members of the public who are concerned they may have been affected by the LAA data breach. HM Courts and Tribunal Service (HMCTS) is working with the LAA to facilitate this by standing up an operational call centre team to handle telephone calls.In the days following the discovery, we took immediate action to inform all legal aid providers that some of their details, including financial information, may have been compromised. Further updates, including the decision to temporarily take the LAA's portal offline and contingency measures implemented have been provided by email and a dedicated information page relating to the cyber-attack has been set up: Legal Aid Agency cyber-security incident - GOV.UK.The cyber-attack is subject to an ongoing investigation and the LAA continues to work closely with the National Crime Agency and National Cyber Security Centre. Appropriate actions have been taken to mitigate the impact of the attack and contingency measures have been put in place to ensure those most in need of legal support and advice can continue to access the help they need during this time, as outlined on LAA’s dedicated information page.At the current time, no information about previous or current legal aid service users, such as criminal histories, has been made public as a result of the cyber attack.This data breach is the result of heinous criminal activity, but it was enabled by the long years of neglect and mismanagement of the justice system under the last Conservative Government. The previous Government knew about the vulnerabilities of the Legal Aid Agency digital systems, but did not act. By contrast, since taking office, this Government have prioritised work to reverse the damage of over a decade of under-investment. That includes the allocation of over £20 million in extra funding this year to stabilise and transform the Legal Aid Agency digital services. This investment will make the system more robust and resilient in the face of similar cyber-attacks in future.

Pursuant to the Answer of 15 May 2025 to Question 51541 on Disability: Employment, what steps she is taking to promote the Disability Confident Scheme.

Internal management information suggests that as of the 1st June 2025, there are:a) 31 members signed up to the Disability Confident Scheme in Fylde.b) 368 members signed up to the Disability Confident Scheme in Lancashire.Whether a member is based in these geographies has been determined using the postcode provided by the organisation upon registration i.e., when they signed up to the scheme or renewed their membership. This will not capture Disability Confident members who operate in Fylde or Lancashire, but who have provided a postcode from outside the region. As internal management information, this data has not been fully quality assured. Any employer can join the scheme. The scheme is designed as a learning journey with all employers starting at Level 1 and encouraged to progress through the scheme to Levels 2 and 3. As they progress on their learning journey, we expect they will continue to increase and share their understanding with employees and put in place specific, effective and inclusive policies and procedures in support of disability employment. The criteria can be accessed on gov.uk using the following link: Disability Confident: guidance for levels 1, 2 and 3 - GOV.UK The strengths of the scheme lie in its ability to raise awareness, provide valuable resources, and support employers in their journey towards becoming disability confident. There are no benchmarks set to measure the success of the scheme, but in 2022, the department commissioned a survey to understand from members’ perspectives the impact that signing up to the scheme has had on their recruitment and retention attitudes and practices towards disabled people. The survey can be accessed on gov.uk using the following link: Disability Confident: survey of participating employers, May 2022 - GOV.UK. We work closely with Jobcentre Plus including the Strategic Relationship Team (SRT) who are committed to promoting Disability Confident to their network of employer contacts across the UK. This is delivered through one-to-one meetings, employer focused events and workshops, job-fairs etc. We also work closely with the Disability Confident Business Leaders Group (BLG). The BLG, comprising senior leaders from significant businesses across all sectors, is helping to increase engagement with employers. The group promotes the scheme through their sectors and network and works with DWP officials to identify any changes or developments that will improve the effectiveness of the scheme. I have been discussing ideas for making the Disability Confident scheme criteria more robust and officials will continue to discuss reform proposals with stakeholders throughout the summer.

What discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Transport on the use of illegally modified electric bikes.

Ministers and officials meet with their counterparts on a regular basis and discuss a wide range of topics.The police have powers under the Police Reform Act 2002 to deal with vehicles being used anti-socially and under the Road Traffic Act 1988 to deal with vehicles being ridden without insurance or driving licence. How the police use these powers is an operational matter.The Government announced proposals in the Crime and Policing Bill to strengthen existing powers to clamp down on vehicles, including illegally modified electric bikes, involved in anti-social behaviour, with officers no longer required to issue a warning before seizing vehicles.On 28 May, the Government launched a 6-week consultation on proposals to allow the police to dispose of seized vehicles which have been used anti-socially and which have been ridden without insurance or a driving licence from 14 days to 48 hours and 7 days respectively. Combined, these proposals will help tackle the scourge of vehicles ridden anti-socially and illegally by sending a clear message to would be offenders and local communities that this behaviour will not be tolerated.

If he will make an assessment of the potential merits of locating (a) elements of operations of and (b) supply chain functions for Great British Energy in (i) North West England and (ii) Fylde constituency.

Great British Energy's head office will be in Aberdeen recognising the city's experience in energy projects and the need to support a just and prosperous transition. GBE will develop, invest in and own clean energy projects across the UK which will mean investments in many communities. The Prime Minister announced an initial £300m for supply chain investment from GBE which will create jobs and opportunities across the country including in the North West of England. Specific projects will be announced in due course