Written questions by Snowden.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the suspension of the Sustainable Farming Incentive on farmers in (a) Fylde constituency and (b) Lancashire.

We do not produce constituency level assessments. We publish regular statistics on Farm Business Income broken down in various ways. The latest data currently available are for 2023/24, 2024/25 data will be published on the 20 November 2025. Farming evidence packs have been recently updated including key statistics and farm performance. These set out an extensive range of data to provide an overview of agriculture in the UK. We will continue to carry out appropriate and timely assessments of our interventions to inform policy development. Across England, 50,000 farm businesses are already in agri-environmental schemes.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the increased landfill tax on housebuilding in the Fylde constituency.

The government consulted on proposals for reform of Landfill Tax on 28 April following a call for evidence in 2021 under the previous government, to ensure the regime remains effective in encouraging waste diversion from landfill and to support our environmental goals. The consultation closed on 28 July and the government is considering responses and will set out next steps, including a summary of responses, in due course. As part of the consultation, the Government has received a wide range of views from stakeholders, including representatives from the construction sector. HM Treasury is working across government to assess potential impacts on housing delivery. This government is committed to delivering 1.5 million homes over 5 years as set out in the Plan for Change. Any final proposals will be designed to maintain the environmental effectiveness of the tax while supporting these plans.

What assessment he has made of the adequacy of recruitment levels of pilot trainees for meeting the RAF’s future operational requirements.

A full and ongoing assessment has been made by the Royal Air Force (RAF) to ensure that there are adequate pilot recruits entering the Service to meet future operational requirements. The RAF has sufficient pilots to meet its current front line operational requirements.

What recent discussions he has had with (a) private and (b) allied training providers on increasing pilot training capacity.

The Royal Air Force (RAF) Directorate of Flying Training continues to engage on a regular basis with private and allied training providers regarding pilot training capacity. There have been recent discussions with private training providers, in line with the Strategic Defence Review 2025, recommendation 48d. These discussions have been focused on assessing the cost-effectiveness and viability of private training providers for elements of multi-engine pilot training to meet a short-term increase in front-line demand for multi-engine pilots due to the introduction of new Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance (ISTAR) platforms within the RAF. For allied training providers, military engagement is conducted through the NATO Flight Training Europe (NFTE) high visibility project, as well as Air Staff talks with strategic partner nations, Due to the commercial tender process and pending defence engagement technical agreements, it is not possible to disclose more specific details of discussions with specified private and allied training providers.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of an International Student Levy on the ability for universities to deliver on the Industrial Strategy.

In the Industrial Strategy we recognised the critical role of universities as engines for innovation and skills and announced that the Strategic Priorities Grant will be more effectively targeted towards provision which supports future skills needs in the Industrial Strategy.On the International Student Levy, we will set out further details including an impact analysis in the Autumn Budget. This will include setting out the amount of the levy and the way in which proceeds will be reinvested into our higher education and skills system through targeted means-tested maintenance grants for students studying courses that support our missions and Industrial Strategy.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of an International Student Levy on the ability for universities to deliver (a) high-priority and (b) high-cost courses.

This government is committed to supporting the aspiration of every person who meets the requirements and wants to attend higher education. We must, therefore, reform the higher education system to better support disadvantaged students. That is why the government will reintroduce targeted maintenance grants before the end of this Parliament. The grants will support students from low-income households studying courses aligned with the government’s missions and the Industrial Strategy, funded by a levy on international student fees.We will set out further details on the levy and targeted means-tested maintenance grants at Autumn Budget.The government provides funding through the Strategic Priorities Grant (SPG) on an annual basis to support teaching of expensive-to-deliver subjects. For the 2025/26 academic year, more than two thirds of the £1.3 billion SPG recurrent budget allocated to providers will support the provision of high-cost subjects, for example medicine, dentistry, science, engineering and technology.

How many fully qualified RAF pilots are available for front-line deployment; and how many pilots would be required for full operational capability.

I am withholding the information requested as its disclosure would, or would be likely to prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the Armed Forces.

What steps her Department is taking to reduce the time taken in the (a) processing and (b) payment of pension lump sums for teachers retiring at the end of the academic year.

Capita, as the Teachers’ Pension Scheme administrator, has confirmed that payments were completed on 1 September 2025, for those teachers who met the 18 August 2025 deadline for submitting their 2024/25 academic year retirement application.Applications received after the 18 August deadline are being processed as quickly as possible by Capita and should be paid within 10 working days of receiving the application, provided that all information is available to process.The department has contractual Service Level Agreements for the processing of these payments and continually monitors Capita’s performance to ensure that members’ pension lump sums are paid on time.

How many people have had their UK citizenship reinstated following a successful appeal since 26 February 2025.

Since 26 February 2025, there have been no cases of reinstated citizenship following a successful appeal.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of family members claiming Carer’s Allowance on the finances of the disabled people that they care for.

Carer’s Allowance, paid to a family member providing care, can affect a disabled person’s own means-tested benefit award. Family members and disabled people should carefully consider what benefit support best meets their specific circumstances.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department plans to increase funding for coastal clean-up and restoration projects.

The Government has supported schemes to clean up marine litter, such as Fishing For Litter and similar local schemes. Fishing For Litter is a voluntary, unpaid litter bycatch removal scheme by commercial fishermen, run by KIMO, which provides fishing boats with bags to dispose of marine-sourced litter collected during normal fishing operations. Defra has provided £2.5 million of investment in the Restoring Meadow, Marsh and Reef (ReMeMaRe) initiative since 2024 through the Water Environment Improvement Fund. ReMeMaRe, led by the Environment Agency, aims to restore 15% of saltmarsh, seagrass and native oyster reefs in England by 2043. Defra is also providing £168,000 funding this financial year for the ReMeMaRe Programme Office which is supporting local partners to significantly increase the scale and pace of practical estuarine and coastal habitat restoration in England.

Food and Rural Affairs, how many incidents of untreated sewage discharge into coastal waters in Lancashire were reported in each of the last five years.

Analysis of Event Duration Monitoring summary spill data is publicly available on GOV.UK. The EA routinely monitors this data to assess compliance with permits, and where non-compliances are identified the EA takes appropriate enforcement action.

What estimate her Department has made of the number of road traffic accidents caused by LED headlights affecting drivers' vision.

The Department does not hold data relating to the number of collisions caused by LED highlights specifically.The Department’s published road casualty statistics include figures for the number of collisions where ‘vision affected by dazzling headlights’ was recorded as a contributory factor by a police officer attending the scene. In 2023, the latest year for which this data is available, there were 216 reported injury collisions with this factor assigned.

Media and Sport, how much funding her Department has provided to help support deaf-led (a) arts and (b) cultural projects in the last 12 months.

The government primarily supports the arts and cultural projects through Arts Council England (ACE). While ACE does not collect data specifically on deaf-led organisations, it does track funding for D/deaf and/or disabled organisations and cultural projects. Since April 2024, these groups have received over £4 million in funding. This includes £363,718 in annual funding to Stagetext, a deaf-led charity who provide accessible captions and subtitles, so that deaf, deafened, and hard of hearing people can access creativity and culture. ACE also funds a number of projects and programmes across England that do not fall within this funding category, but which directly or indirectly benefit the D/deaf community.DCMS is also supporting ACE and the other arts councils in the UK and Ireland to develop All In - an access scheme dedicated to removing barriers and improving the experience of deaf, disabled, and neurodivergent people when attending creative and cultural events. All In aims to increase overall attendance by making it easier for people with access requirements to find and book tickets, while also developing standards for creativity and culture that promote quality and consistency across the UK and Ireland; all supported by training and skills development.

What steps her Department is taking to help ensure equal access to higher education for deaf students.

Support for people with hearing impairments in higher education (HE) is guided by legal duties under the Equality Act 2010, with tailored provisions depending on the setting and the needs of the individual.All education and training providers, including HE, and other related service providers, have a duty to make reasonable adjustments for disabled people, including those with hearing impairments, so they are not placed at a substantial disadvantage compared to non-disabled students.Reasonable adjustments can include adapting teaching methods (providing materials in accessible formats or using assistive technology), modifying assessments (offering extra time or alternative formats), ensuring physical accessibility (ramps or accessible accommodation), and offering personalised support services (including note takers, interpreters, or mental health support).In addition, Disabled Students’ Allowance is available for eligible HE students for the provision of more specialist support. This might include specialist equipment, travel costs and non-medical helpers such as British Sign Language interpreters or specialist notetakers for students who are deaf or have hearing loss.

If she will commission an independent audit to confirm that no structural materials are present that pose risks to the (a) safety and (b) integrity of all school and college buildings.

It is the responsibility of those who run our schools, such as academy trusts and local authorities, to collect and record information about their buildings and to ensure they are safe, well-maintained and comply with relevant regulations. The department provides guidance on this in the ’Good estate management for schools’ guidance, which is available here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/good-estate-management-for-schools.The department has undertaken extensive work to address risks associated with structural materials in the estate. We have removed Intergrid and Laingspan buildings and have committed to removing reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete, or starting rebuilding schemes to replace affected buildings, by the end of this parliament.The department is continuing this work through a £5 million research programme by leading material and engineering experts. This will identify if there are emerging structural safety risks in the post-war estate. We have regular discussions with relevant professional bodies and material specialists about evidence regarding the safety of construction types and materials.

If he will make an assessment of the potential merits of extending the period of time within which a victims' family can appeal a sentence.

Through the Unduly Lenient Sentence Scheme, a victims’ family (and members of the public) can request that the Attorney General refers a sentence to the Court of Appeal for review. Parliament intended the Unduly Lenient Sentence Scheme to be an exceptional power, and any expansion of the scheme must be carefully considered. While we understand calls for expansion, it is important for both victims and offenders that there is finality in sentencing.The Law Commission is undertaking a review of the law governing criminal appeals. They launched a public consultation which invited views on a range of reforms to criminal appeals, including the Unduly Lenient Sentence Scheme. They are now reviewing those responses and expect to publish their findings and recommendations in 2026.The Government will carefully and holistically consider the Law Commission review’s final recommendations.

What recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of current NHS staffing levels in (a) hospitals and (b) general practice.

National Health Service hospitals and healthcare providers, such as general practices, are responsible for ensuring that there are sufficient staff to provide safe care for their patients.Providers already have a duty through Regulation 18 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014 to regularly review the number of staff and range of skills needed to safely meet the needs of people using their services.We will publish a 10 Year Workforce Plan to create a workforce ready to deliver a transformed service. They will be more empowered, more flexible and more fulfilled.The 10 Year Workforce Plan will ensure the National Health Service has the right people in the right places, with the right skills to care for patients.

What recent progress the Government has made in implementing the British Sign Language Act 2022.

Everyone in our country should have access to important information from the government and should be able to engage with the government on issues that will affect them. That is why it is crucial to make sure that government communications are as inclusive and accessible as possible, including for the Deaf community and British Sign Language (BSL) users. The British Sign Language Act 2022 supports this by creating a greater recognition and understanding of BSL, and requires the government to report on what departments listed in the Act have done to promote or facilitate the use of British Sign Language in their communications with the public. The third BSL report was published on Monday 21 July 2025 and demonstrates an increase in the usage of BSL by government departments in public-facing communications since reporting started in 2023. We will continue to publish a report every year on an annual basis up to 2027, going further than the frequency required by the Act. The next report will be published in July 2026. In addition to overall reporting, each ministerial department has produced a 5 year BSL Plan, setting out how they plan to improve the use of BSL within their departments. These were published alongside the third BSL report in July 2025. Following the passage of the BSL Act, the BSL Advisory board was created to advise the Government on key issues impacting the Deaf community in their everyday life. It is the first dual language board advising the UK Government, and it meets regularly. We will continue to work with the BSL Advisory Board, Deaf people and their representative organisations, and with Ministers across government, including our Lead Ministers for Disability, to continue to make tangible improvements for the Deaf community

What recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of the accessibility of the Access to Work scheme for deaf people.

There is a variety of contact methods which customers with hearing loss can utilise. These include textphone, Video Relay Service and email as a reasonable adjustment. Where a customer would like to use email as a method of contact, they should inform the Access to Work team or Case Manager. Details can be found at Access to Work: factsheet for customers - GOV.UK