Written questions by Snowden.

Pursuant to the Answer of 3 April 2025 to Question 42350 on General Practitioners: Employers' Contributions, how much and what proportion of the £889 million will be spent on (a) staffing, (b) technology, (c) patient access and (d) other services.

We are investing an additional £889 million in general practices (GPs) 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, and we are pleased that the General Practitioners Committee England is supportive of the contract changes. GPs are independent contractors, so the application of any non-ringfenced funding they receive via the contract is at their discretion, to best meet the demand of their patients. Some elements of the £889 million investment have been specified or ringfenced. £228 million has been made available for pay uplifts. A further £176 million has been provided for Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme staff, which now includes GPs and practice nurses, and is worth £1.7 billion in 2025/26. In addition, we estimate that £13.2 million will be used to uplift locum reimbursement rates, which were agreed as part of the contract. Additionally, we are accepting the Doctors’ and Dentists’ Pay Review Body’s recommendation of a 4% increase to the pay element of the GP Contract, backdated to 1 April 2025. This will mean an increase in the £889 million contract investment, which was based on a 2.8% pay assumption. £17.8 million has been used to increase the item of service fee for routine childhood vaccinations, and in addition to the £889 million, a further £80 million has been provided to support patient services through the advice and guidance enhanced service.

How many young people have Education, Health, and Care Plans in (a) Fylde constituency, (b) Lancashire and (c) England.

The department publishes annual statistics on the number of pupils with education, health and care (EHC) plans. These are available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/special-educational-needs-in-england/2023-24. The latest published data is from the January 2024 school spring census.

What steps she is taking to increase the number of apprenticeships in (a) construction and (b) social care sectors; and what steps she is taking to ensure that these will be targeted at disadvantaged communities.

The government is committed to breaking down barriers to opportunity. To support this, the department is reforming the apprenticeships offer into a new growth and skills offer, providing greater flexibility for employers and learners.From August 2025, the offer will include new foundation apprenticeships for young people, as well as shorter-duration apprenticeships, helping more individuals, including those from disadvantaged backgrounds, gain high-quality skills. Construction and social care will be among the first sectors to benefit, with the introduction of four new apprenticeship standards, as well as shorter apprenticeships including the level 2 healthcare support worker and level 2 smart meter installer. These measures, backed by a record £3 billion English apprenticeship budget for 2025/26, will open up opportunities for careers the country vitally needs to prosper.To improve access to apprenticeships, the department provides £1,000 to employers and training providers for apprentices aged 16 to 18, and up to age 24 for apprentices with an education, health and care plan. Apprentices under 25 who have been in local authority care are also eligible for a £3,000 bursary to help them transition into employment. Employers will receive £2,000 for each foundation apprentice they hire and retain, to support them to transition into employment.

What steps he is taking to ensure the sustainability of funding for general practice beyond 2025/26 in the context of (a) rising demand for services and (b) increasing operational costs.

Departmental budgets beyond 2025/26 will be set through Phase 2 of the Spending Review, which will conclude and be published in June.The Department is committed to ensuring that primary care services receive appropriate support and resources. Every year the Department and NHS England consult with the General Practitioners’ Committee of the British Medical Association to discuss the services practices are expected to provide, and the funding they will receive in return. The operating costs for practices are taken into account as a part of this process.

What steps he is taking to support schools to improve neurodiversity inclusion in areas not selected for the current expansion of the PINS programme.

The department is committed to taking a community-wide approach, improving inclusivity and expertise in mainstream schools, as well as ensuring special schools cater to children and young people with the most complex needs. We are working at pace to develop plans for reform to the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system and will set these out in due course.In November 2024, the department established the Neurodivergence Task and Finish Group, which includes clinicians, scientists, academics, education experts and third sector organisations.The department also provides continuing professional development to the school and further education (FE) workforce through the Universal Services programme, led by the National Association for Special Educational Needs. This programme helps the school and FE workforce to identify and meet the needs of children and young people with SEND earlier and more effectively. It will also help them to successfully prepare children and young people for adulthood, including employment.From September 2025, the new initial teacher training and early career framework (ITTECF) will set out a minimum entitlement to training for all new teachers. The ITTECF contains significantly more content related to adaptive teaching and SEND which was tested with SEND educational experts to ensure new teachers are equipped to support pupils with a range of additional learning needs.

What mechanisms are in place currently to monitor (a) gang-related content and (b) violence scoreboards on social media platforms.

We are continously working to enhance our understanding of how social media platforms are being used by gangs, and how content translates to ‘real-world’ violence. We are investing in targeted law enforcement capabilities to disrupt online gang operations and reduce the crime and violence they bring to our communities. The National Crime Agency is working in partnership with policing colleagues across the UK and internationally to map and target key offenders operating online, including the darknet markets. The Online Safety Act 2023 is a key mechanism to monitor and tackle illegal content online. It requires providers within the scope of the Act to implement measures to remove illegal content, including that related to inciting violence. If providers fail to abide by their duties under the Act, Ofcom, as the independent regulator, can now enforce against the illegal content duties and have already launched several enforcement programmes to monitor compliance with the regime. The Government is closely monitoring the implementation and effectiveness of the Online Safety Act and is committed to ensuring it delivers the necessary protections to ensure a safer online environment and tackles illegal content. Exposure to violent content online, including knife-sales material, can have real-world impacts. Following the independent end-to-end review of online knife sales conducted by Commander Steve Clayman, we are working to tackle the impacts of online knife-sales content on ‘real-world’ knife crime.

Communities and Local Government, what progress her Department has made on implementing Investment Zones in the North West.

Investment Zones in England reflect the unique strengths and opportunities in each place and day-to-day delivery is led by accountable Mayoral Combine Authorities (MCAs). There are two Investment Zones in the North West, both of which entered delivery in April 2024. Good progress has been made by the accountable MCAs to mobilise the programmes, with a range of projects approved and launched over 2024/25.In Greater Manchester, growth of the region’s advanced materials manufacturing clusters is being accelerated through the use of grant funding support for research and innovation, to grow the knowledge economy and to unlock laboratory and manufacturing space.In the Liverpool City Region, growth of the region’s life sciences clusters is being accelerated through the use of both tax reliefs and grant funding to lever private investment and develop new world-class research, innovation and manufacturing facilities and capabilities.

What steps he is taking to ensure that the rise in employers’ National Insurance contributions does not disproportionately impact (a) smaller GP practices and (b) independent contractors.

We have made the necessary decisions to fix the foundations of the public finances in the Autumn Budget. Resource spending for the Department will be £22.6 billion more in 2025/26 than in 2023/24, as part of the Spending Review settlement. The employers’ National Insurance rise was implemented in April 2025. General practices (GPs) are valued independent contractors who provide over £13 billion worth of National Health Services. Every year we consult with the profession about what services GPs provide, and the money providers are entitled to in return under their contract, taking account of the cost of delivering services. The global sum allocation formula, which underpins capitation payments to GPs, is designed to ensure that resources are directed to practices based on an estimate of their patient workload and unavoidable practice costs. This takes into account factors such as age and sex composition of registered patients, and additional pressures caused by factors such as geographical location and patient turnover. We are committed to ensuring that primary medical services receive appropriate support and resources. We are investing an additional £889 million in GPs to reinforce the front door of the NHS, bringing total spend on the GP Contract to £13.2 billion in 2025/26. This is the biggest increase in over a decade, and we are pleased that the General Practitioners Committee England is supportive of the contract changes.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to consult with (a) farmers and (b) agricultural stakeholders from Fylde constituency in advance of the implementation of the new Higher Level Stewardship payment rates.

There are no live Higher Level Stewardship (HLS agreements in the Fylde constituency. HLS payment rates have stayed the same for more than 10 years. In that time, they have fallen behind the rates offered through other schemes, including Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier (CSHT) and the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI). On that basis we have taken the opportunity to reduce the difference by investing £30 million to increase payment rates so farmers in HLS agreements can continue to restore habitats, support rare species, preserve historic features and maintain traditional landscape features in our iconic countryside. We consulted with national stakeholders including the NFU, CLA and TFA in advance of making these changes.

Media and Sport, what criteria her Department plans to use to determine the eligibility of arts and cultural organisations applying for funding through the Creative Foundations Fund.

The Creative Foundation Fund (CFF) will support arts and cultural organisations across England to resolve urgent issues with their estates. This is part of this government’s ongoing commitment to ensure arts and culture are fit for the future and to ensure everyone has access to high quality institutions in the places they call home. The fund will support organisations to continue delivering creative or cultural activity, support growth and increase opportunities to develop creative skills and engage in high-quality creative work. Funding will be distributed to arts and cultural organisations across England following an open application process led by Arts Council England (ACE). All applicants will be notified of the outcome of their full application and funding committed by Arts Council England by 31 March 2026. The fund has been designed to address the varying scales of need being experienced by different organisations, with funding being distributed to ensure maximum impact across the country. We expect the fund to support a mix of projects of varying sizes across the English regions, subject to applications received. This fund is specifically designed to support not-for-profit arts organisations within the funding remit of Arts Council England. Eligible organisations must be not-for-profit and show that their primary aims are cultural and their activities fall within the remit of ACE. They must have delivered cultural activity in the last 12 months and be able to demonstrate that the investment is business-critical to delivering creative or cultural activity. Full eligibility details in the guidance can be found on ACE’s website.We understand that there are varying needs across the music sector, and the Creative Foundations Fund is one of the ways that we are supporting music venues. We are continuing to support ACE’s Supporting Grassroots Music Fund by providing £2.5 million funding in 2025-26. This provides grants to grassroots music organisations, including those that host or promote electronic music.

Media and Sport, what support her Department plans to make available through the Creative Foundations Fund for grassroots music venues; and how she plans to consider their needs in funding decisions.

The Creative Foundation Fund (CFF) will support arts and cultural organisations across England to resolve urgent issues with their estates. This is part of this government’s ongoing commitment to ensure arts and culture are fit for the future and to ensure everyone has access to high quality institutions in the places they call home. The fund will support organisations to continue delivering creative or cultural activity, support growth and increase opportunities to develop creative skills and engage in high-quality creative work. Funding will be distributed to arts and cultural organisations across England following an open application process led by Arts Council England (ACE). All applicants will be notified of the outcome of their full application and funding committed by Arts Council England by 31 March 2026. The fund has been designed to address the varying scales of need being experienced by different organisations, with funding being distributed to ensure maximum impact across the country. We expect the fund to support a mix of projects of varying sizes across the English regions, subject to applications received. This fund is specifically designed to support not-for-profit arts organisations within the funding remit of Arts Council England. Eligible organisations must be not-for-profit and show that their primary aims are cultural and their activities fall within the remit of ACE. They must have delivered cultural activity in the last 12 months and be able to demonstrate that the investment is business-critical to delivering creative or cultural activity. Full eligibility details in the guidance can be found on ACE’s website.We understand that there are varying needs across the music sector, and the Creative Foundations Fund is one of the ways that we are supporting music venues. We are continuing to support ACE’s Supporting Grassroots Music Fund by providing £2.5 million funding in 2025-26. This provides grants to grassroots music organisations, including those that host or promote electronic music.

Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to ensure that (a) rural and (b) small arts venues will be able to apply to the Creative Foundations Fund.

The Creative Foundation Fund (CFF) will support arts and cultural organisations across England to resolve urgent issues with their estates. This is part of this government’s ongoing commitment to ensure arts and culture are fit for the future and to ensure everyone has access to high quality institutions in the places they call home. The fund will support organisations to continue delivering creative or cultural activity, support growth and increase opportunities to develop creative skills and engage in high-quality creative work. Funding will be distributed to arts and cultural organisations across England following an open application process led by Arts Council England (ACE). All applicants will be notified of the outcome of their full application and funding committed by Arts Council England by 31 March 2026. The fund has been designed to address the varying scales of need being experienced by different organisations, with funding being distributed to ensure maximum impact across the country. We expect the fund to support a mix of projects of varying sizes across the English regions, subject to applications received. This fund is specifically designed to support not-for-profit arts organisations within the funding remit of Arts Council England. Eligible organisations must be not-for-profit and show that their primary aims are cultural and their activities fall within the remit of ACE. They must have delivered cultural activity in the last 12 months and be able to demonstrate that the investment is business-critical to delivering creative or cultural activity. Full eligibility details in the guidance can be found on ACE’s website.We understand that there are varying needs across the music sector, and the Creative Foundations Fund is one of the ways that we are supporting music venues. We are continuing to support ACE’s Supporting Grassroots Music Fund by providing £2.5 million funding in 2025-26. This provides grants to grassroots music organisations, including those that host or promote electronic music.

What support his Department provides to help small and micro food businesses to (a) understand and (b) comply with food hygiene certification requirements.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has developed and published many materials on the FSA website to support businesses to meet the requirements set out in food hygiene legislation. The website is available at the following link:http://www.food.gov.uk/We know that small and micro businesses can face additional challenges when trying to access and understand legal requirements, so there are several free tools which have been designed to guide small and micro businesses including Safer Food Better Business (SFBB), as well as Safe Catering Guidance for Northern Ireland.The practical and easy-to-use packs will help small businesses to:- comply with food hygiene regulations;- show what they need do to make and store food safely including how to clean effectively;- train staff and support them to use good hygiene practices;- protect business's reputation; and- improve food hygiene rating scores. There are also additional supplementary packs for SFBB available to support sectors such as childminders, residential care homes, retailers, and businesses serving Indian and Chinese cuisines.In addition, the FSA website has a dedicated Business Guidance section which provides information such as how to start a food business safely, starting a food business from home and selling food for delivery. It hosts free online food safety courses on allergen management and root cause analysis.The FSA regularly runs campaigns across various social media platforms to inform food businesses of the available materials to support their compliance with hygiene requirements.

Whether he is planning new trade (a) agreements and (b) partnerships with countries other than (i) the US and (ii) China to help UK SMEs offset tariffs on goods manufactured in those counties.

The UK's Trade Strategy will mark a reset in our approach to international trade and set out the future priorities for our trade policy. This strategy will also set out how trade can stimulate economic growth through delivery of targeted business benefits in a rapidly changing global landscape. We will continue to support SMEs through future agreements, including measures that will help offset tariffs and access global markets.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will commission research on the effectiveness of the Farmer Welfare Grant (a) overall and (b) in improving mental health outcomes for farmers.

Defra routinely assesses the effectiveness of all grants and funds it finances. Recipients of the Farmer Welfare Grant are required to submit interim reports in line with their funding agreements, as well as final reports upon completion of the grant. Defra undertakes a range of in-house evaluation and is researching the overall effectiveness of this grant by reviewing recipient’s interim reports. We use a range of mechanisms, including feedback from farming welfare charities, to monitor the mental health outcomes of farming communities.

Food and Rural Affairs, what his policy is on long-term strategies for mental health support in agriculture beyond the period that funding has been allocated for current policies.

The physical and mental wellbeing of farmers, farm workers and their families underpins our food system and food security. We will work to improve mental and physical health outcomes for the agricultural community to ensure Defra’s wider strategic plans for the farming sector are deliverable and sustainable.Defra’s is working in consultation with communities, farming support organisations and experts across government with the aim of improving mental and physical health outcomes for the agricultural community. Delivery of mental health interventions sits with the Department for Health and Social Care, who are investing in mental health to ensure it receives the same attention as physical health. This includes the hiring of 8,500 new mental health support workers, which will reduce delays and provide faster treatment closer to people’s homes – including in rural communities. The Government is also building a national network of Young Futures hubs, which will be present in every community and will deliver support for young people facing mental health challenges.

Innovation and Technology, what steps he is taking to ensure the affordability of gigabit-capable broadband for (a) residents and (b) businesses in Fylde constituency.

The affordability of gigabit-capable broadband depends on access to fibre, the costs of connection and the price of suitable devices. The government works closely with industry and Ofcom, the independent regulator of telecommunications, to ensure the highly competitive market works in the interests of consumers. The government continues to subsidise the rollout of gigabit-capable broadband. In addition, the government published the Digital Inclusion Action Plan in February 2025, which sets out the first steps we are taking towards our ambition of delivering digital inclusion for everyone across the UK.

Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 22 May 2025 to Question 52734 on Night-time Economy, how much funding from the Creative Foundations Fund has been allocated to listed nightclubs.

The Creative Foundation Fund (CFF) will support arts and cultural organisations across England to resolve urgent issues with their estates. This is part of this government’s ongoing commitment to ensure arts and culture are fit for the future and to ensure everyone has access to high quality institutions in the places they call home. The fund will support organisations to continue delivering creative or cultural activity, support growth and increase opportunities to develop creative skills and engage in high-quality creative work. Funding will be distributed to arts and cultural organisations across England following an open application process led by Arts Council England (ACE). All applicants will be notified of the outcome of their full application and funding committed by Arts Council England by 31 March 2026. The fund has been designed to address the varying scales of need being experienced by different organisations, with funding being distributed to ensure maximum impact across the country. We expect the fund to support a mix of projects of varying sizes across the English regions, subject to applications received. This fund is specifically designed to support not-for-profit arts organisations within the funding remit of Arts Council England. Eligible organisations must be not-for-profit and show that their primary aims are cultural and their activities fall within the remit of ACE. They must have delivered cultural activity in the last 12 months and be able to demonstrate that the investment is business-critical to delivering creative or cultural activity. Full eligibility details in the guidance can be found on ACE’s website.We understand that there are varying needs across the music sector, and the Creative Foundations Fund is one of the ways that we are supporting music venues. We are continuing to support ACE’s Supporting Grassroots Music Fund by providing £2.5 million funding in 2025-26. This provides grants to grassroots music organisations, including those that host or promote electronic music.

Food and Rural Affairs, what criteria were used to select the four charities providing health and wellbeing support under the Farmer Welfare Grant; and whether he plans to increase (a) the number of charities and (b) the geographic coverage.

Applicants for the Farmer Welfare Grant in 2024 were required to submit their proposals following a set pro-forma. Each applicant had to demonstrate the project’s suitability and feasibility, outline the key beneficiaries and outputs, explain their approach to monitoring and evaluation, outline their costs, and explain the projects’ value for money. Grant recipients operate in Lincolnshire (Lincolnshire Rural Support Network), and across Cumbria, Durham, Lancashire, Northumberland, and Yorkshire (The Farmer Network, Field Nurse, UTASS, and the Yorkshire Agricultural Society). We will be evaluating the existing Welfare Grant.

Media and Sport, whether her Department has set targets in relation to increasing (a) creative opportunities and (b) skills development for the Creative Foundations Fund.

The Creative Foundation Fund (CFF) will support arts and cultural organisations across England to resolve urgent issues with their estates. This is part of this government’s ongoing commitment to ensure arts and culture are fit for the future and to ensure everyone has access to high quality institutions in the places they call home. The fund will support organisations to continue delivering creative or cultural activity, support growth and increase opportunities to develop creative skills and engage in high-quality creative work. Funding will be distributed to arts and cultural organisations across England following an open application process led by Arts Council England (ACE). All applicants will be notified of the outcome of their full application and funding committed by Arts Council England by 31 March 2026. The fund has been designed to address the varying scales of need being experienced by different organisations, with funding being distributed to ensure maximum impact across the country. We expect the fund to support a mix of projects of varying sizes across the English regions, subject to applications received. This fund is specifically designed to support not-for-profit arts organisations within the funding remit of Arts Council England. Eligible organisations must be not-for-profit and show that their primary aims are cultural and their activities fall within the remit of ACE. They must have delivered cultural activity in the last 12 months and be able to demonstrate that the investment is business-critical to delivering creative or cultural activity. Full eligibility details in the guidance can be found on ACE’s website.We understand that there are varying needs across the music sector, and the Creative Foundations Fund is one of the ways that we are supporting music venues. We are continuing to support ACE’s Supporting Grassroots Music Fund by providing £2.5 million funding in 2025-26. This provides grants to grassroots music organisations, including those that host or promote electronic music.