Written questions by Snowden.

What steps his Department is taking to help reduce health inequalities experienced by deaf people.

It is for individual National Health Service organisations, including NHS trusts and integrated care boards, to comply with the Equality Act 2010. Under the Equality Act 2010, organisations have a legal duty to make changes in their approach or provision to ensure that services are as accessible to disabled people, including deaf people, as they are for everybody else. This includes responsibility for ensuring that there is adequate provision of British Sign Language (BSL) interpreters to support deaf patients.Health and social care organisations must make reasonable adjustments to ensure that disabled people are not disadvantaged. The Reasonable Adjustment Digital Flag was developed in the National Repository, a digital system within the NHS where key patient information is stored to enable health and care workers to record, share and view details of reasonable adjustments, across the NHS and social care, wherever the person is seen or treated.Following the launch of the Reasonable Adjustment Digital Flag Information Standard, published in September 2023, the flag went live in the National Care Record Service and is being rolled out across England.Since 2016, all NHS organisations and publicly funded social care providers are expected to meet the Accessible Information Standard (AIS), which details the approach to supporting the information and communication support needs of people with a disability, impairment or sensory loss.NHS England published a revised AIS on 30 June 2025. NHS England is working to support implementation of the AIS with awareness raising, communication and engagement, and a review of the current e-learning modules on the AIS. The intention is to ensure that staff and organisations in the NHS are aware of the AIS and the importance of meeting the information and communication needs of disabled people using services.

Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment her Department has made of the quality of coastal waters around England.

Defra assessed the quality of coastal waters around England in 2024, publishing these assessments as part of the UK Marine Strategy Part One Update and good environmental status consultation in June 2025.

If he will make an assessment of the potential merits of expanding the services available at job centres to (a) community organisations and (b) sports groups.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) supports customers through our job centre network and a range of venues within local communities such as community centres and sports venues. These services allow DWP to help harder to reach customers in an environment that suits their needs and will be a core principle of the jobs and careers service.

What progress her Department has made in reducing delays in issuing Education, Health and Care Plans.

The department knows that parents have struggled to get the right support for their children, particularly through long and difficult education, health and care (EHC) plan processes. We want to ensure that local authorities complete EHC needs assessments promptly, and high quality plans are issued in line with statutory deadlines, so that children and young people can access the support they need.The department continues to monitor and work closely with local authorities that have issues with EHC plan timeliness. Where there are concerns about a local authority’s capacity to make required improvements, the department will help them identify barriers and develop an effective recovery plan, including support from special educational needs and disabilities advisers where needed.

What the Department’s target date is for ensuring that all schools and colleges in England are free from reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete.

​​The government has set out its plans to permanently remove reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) from schools and colleges.​By the end of this Parliament, every school and college in England that is not being fully or substantially rebuilt will be RAAC-free.​Alongside this, every school needing to be rebuilt through the School Rebuilding Programme, will be in delivery, with half having started already.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of early language intervention on educational outcomes for deaf children.

Every child deserves the best start in life, including those who are deaf or hard of hearing. Early language skills at age five strongly predict future academic success, and timely access to specialist support is critical. From April 2026, funding for home learning environment and parenting support within Best Start Family Hubs will focus on evidence-based interventions for 3-4-year-olds, including Auditory Verbal Therapy, for children who are deaf or use hearing technology.The department funds proven programmes like the Nuffield Early Language Intervention which improves oral language and literacy. Independent evaluation found children made four months’ additional progress, rising to seven months for those eligible for free school meals. Whilst not a substitute for specialist therapy, many children benefit from such interventions, including some deaf children. We have also updated the early years foundation stage profile handbook, ensuring children can use their preferred mode of communication, such as signing, across all early learning goals. Alongside this, the Early Language Support for Every Child programme trials new approaches to identify and support speech, language, and communication needs, with evaluation due autumn 2026.

If he will take steps with the Chancellor of the Exchequer to remove VAT on defibrillators.

Tax policy is a matter for HM Treasury. The Government provides VAT reliefs to aid the purchase of automated external defibrillators through VAT refunds on purchases made by local authorities, including parish councils, and VAT reliefs for purchases made through voluntary contributions where a defibrillator is donated to eligible charities or the National Health Service.

What data his Department holds on the prevalence of cleft palate syndrome in the UK; and what steps his Department is taking to raise awareness among (a) healthcare professionals and (b) the general public.

The Cleft Registry and Audit Network (CRANE) is a national register and clinical audit funded by NHS England to evaluate and report on the delivery of cleft services to children born with a cleft lip and/or palate in England, Wales, Northern Ireland, and Scotland. The 2024 Annual Report states that cleft lip and/or palate is a common condition, affecting one in 660 births and between 2021 and 2023, as 2,609 children were registered on CRANE, which is approximately 870 per year.As part of their development activities, CRANE has previously linked with national educational data in England and found that attainment gaps exist between those with a cleft and the general population.The Department, through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), is currently funding a £2 million study to improve outcomes for individuals with cleft lip and/or palate by addressing variation in unmet needs.This study aims to understand, and subsequently develop a tool to help address, the clinical, psychosocial, educational, and patient-reported needs of young adults with cleft lip and/or palate when they move from child to adult health services. The NIHR continues to welcome funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including cleft palate.

What information his Department holds on the long-term (a) health, (b) educational and (c) social outcomes of individuals born with cleft palate syndrome; and what steps his Department is taking to monitor these outcomes.

The Cleft Registry and Audit Network (CRANE) is a national register and clinical audit funded by NHS England to evaluate and report on the delivery of cleft services to children born with a cleft lip and/or palate in England, Wales, Northern Ireland, and Scotland. The 2024 Annual Report states that cleft lip and/or palate is a common condition, affecting one in 660 births and between 2021 and 2023, as 2,609 children were registered on CRANE, which is approximately 870 per year.As part of their development activities, CRANE has previously linked with national educational data in England and found that attainment gaps exist between those with a cleft and the general population.The Department, through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), is currently funding a £2 million study to improve outcomes for individuals with cleft lip and/or palate by addressing variation in unmet needs.This study aims to understand, and subsequently develop a tool to help address, the clinical, psychosocial, educational, and patient-reported needs of young adults with cleft lip and/or palate when they move from child to adult health services. The NIHR continues to welcome funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including cleft palate.

What plans his Department has to request that NICE begin an appraisal of the Optune Tumour Treating Fields device for the treatment of glioblastoma.

The Department has no plans to request that the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) appraise tumour treating fields (TTF), or to intervene in NICE’s established guidance prioritisation process.NICE considered the use of TTF in its guideline on brain tumours, reference NG99, published in 2018, and recommended that the treatment should not be offered for the management of newly diagnosed glioblastoma or recurrent high-grade glioma, based on an assessment of the evidence available at the time.Decisions on whether guidelines should be updated in light of new evidence are taken by the NICE prioritisation board, chaired by NICE’s Chief Medical Officer, in line with its published prioritisation framework. NICE’s prioritisation board considered TTF for glioblastoma in July 2024 where they agreed that the topic should not be prioritised but reconsidered when relevant key trials have completed.At the meeting on 15 September 2025, the topic was reconsidered. The prioritisation board noted that some trials are ongoing, including a key trial that is likely to be published in 2026, and consequently agreed that the topic should still not be prioritised at this time, but revisited once those trials have been published.

How many patients in England are receiving treatment with the Optune Tumour Treating Fields device; and at which NHS Trusts such treatment is available.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) considered the use of tumour treating fields (TTF) in its guideline on brain tumours, reference code NG99, published in 2018 and recommended that the treatment should not be offered by the National Health Service for the management of newly diagnosed glioblastoma or recurrent high-grade glioma, based on an assessment of the evidence available at the time.Decisions on whether guidelines should be updated in light of new evidence are taken by the NICE prioritisation board, chaired by NICE’s Chief Medical Officer, in line with its published prioritisation framework. NICE’s prioritisation board considered TTF for glioblastoma in July 2024, where they agreed the topic should not be prioritised but reconsidered when relevant key trials have completed.At the meeting on 15 September 2025, the topic was reconsidered. The prioritisation board noted that some trials are ongoing, including a key trial that is likely to be published in 2026, and consequently agreed that the topic should still not be prioritised at this time, but revisited once those trials have been published.

What discussions she has had with police forces on the adequacy of their capacity to investigate complex fraud cases.

The Home Office is leading cross-system efforts to tackle complex fraud, and improving law enforcement capability is a key part of this work.Having now completed recruitment of the new National Fraud Squad, we continue to work closely with key partners to ensure the delivery of a new, improved national reporting service and to enhance fraud training and skills. These measures will ensure a proactive, intelligence-based approach to investigating complex fraud cases.From 2026, we will monitor each force in England and Wales on their performance in tackling fraud through the His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) Police Efficiency Effectiveness and Legitimacy (PEEL) framework. This will provide valuable insight on investigative practices including capacity to investigate complex fraud cases.Further detail will be set out in the forthcoming Fraud Strategy.

How the independent review of stalking laws will engage with (a) survivors, (b) survivor organisations and (c) experts.

On Wednesday 22 October the Government announced that Richard Wright KC has been appointed to lead the independent Stalking Legislation Review.The review will consider whether the criminal law on stalking needs to change to ensure the police and wider criminal justice partners have the clearest possible framework for effective identification, management and prosecution of stalking cases.The views of victims and survivors will be at the heart of our approach. The review will engage with experts from specialist stalking charities, academia and across the criminal justice system alongside direct engagement with victims and survivors themselves.

Pursuant to the Answer of 22 September 2025 to Question 73115 on HM Courts and Tribunals Service: Data Protection, whether (a) financial penalties and (b) contract management actions were taken against any delivery partner.

We have no central record of any financial penalties against any supplier/delivery partner in relation to this issue.Contract management actions are undertaken as standard; HMCTS and the Ministry of Justice engage suppliers via frameworks managed by the Crown Commercial Service and did so over the course of the HMCTS Reform Programme (for example on the Digital Outcome and Specialists and G Cloud frameworks). These frameworks are designed to enable Government Departments to procure digital and technology services in a compliant, flexible, and value-for-money manner. Both frameworks operate under pre-approved terms and conditions that set clear expectations for supplier performance, financial management, and contract governance, providing Departments with consistent mechanisms to manage delivery risk and ensure accountability across multiple suppliers.

Pursuant to the Answer of 22 September 2025 to Question 73118 on Social Security and Child Support Tribunal: ICT, whether any (a) personal and (b) sensitive information was exposed.

No personal or sensitive information was exposed as a result of the IT system bug referenced.

Media and Sport, what criteria her Department used to select the delivery areas for the Know Your Neighbourhood Fund; and how often the list of delivery areas is reviewed.

The Know Your Neighbourhood (KYN) Fund was launched in January 2023 as an up to £30 million package of funding designed to widen participation in volunteering and tackle loneliness in 27 disadvantaged areas across England. In April 2025, the KYN Fund was extended until March 2026, with an additional up to £4.5m of government funding.The list of 27 areas eligible for KYN funding was identified using the English Index of Multiple Deprivation and the Community Needs Index. To ensure a balanced distribution between area types, the nine highest-need local authorities were selected from each of the three categories: large urban areas, medium urban areas, and rural and small urban areas. Further information on the selection methodology is publicly available on gov.uk under Annex A of the application guidance for the ‘KYN Fund Intermediary Grant Maker Competition’.The Department does not review the list of KYN Fund delivery areas at specific intervals. This is because organisations within the delivery areas were eligible for funding until the original Fund end date (31 March 2025). In April 2025, the Fund was extended until March 2026, specifically making available uplifts to existing grant awards to organisations in the original 27 eligible delivery areas that had previously received KYN funding between 2022 and 2025. We recognise that we are unable to reach every area in need of support with a fund of this size. A key objective of the Fund, therefore, is learning about what works in these areas. An evaluation of the Fund will therefore be published in due course.

Media and Sport, if she will make an assessment of the risk of skin gambling on young people.

Unlicensed skins gambling websites operate illegally outside of the video game ecosystem. Earlier this year, we commissioned independent research to better understand skins gambling and its impact on children and young people. The resulting rapid evidence review on skins gambling was published in September. This review and its conclusions will form part of our consideration when determining what future policy changes may be needed around how to best protect children and young people from skins gambling related harms.

What steps his Department is taking to prevent the fraudulent registration of companies using private residential addresses through Companies House.

The Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 strengthened Companies House’s powers to query or reject inaccurate or suspicious addresses, enabling the Registrar to act swiftly and decisively against misuse of residential addresses.Many fraudulent or misused registered office addresses have been removed and replaced with default addresses and companies without appropriate addresses are struck off, protecting those whose details were used without permission.Companies House’s systems improve continuously to detect and prevent unauthorised address use. The Government is considering the Public Accounts Committee’s recommendation for increased powers to verify new and existing company addresses and will respond in November.

How many private prosecutions were brought before magistrates’ courts and Crown Courts in each of the past ten years.

Private prosecutions are brought before the same courts in England and Wales as prosecutions commenced by criminal justice agencies. The prioritisation of cases in the criminal court caseload is a matter for the independent judiciary. The Ministry of Justice published a consultation “on the oversight and regulation of private prosecutors in the criminal justice system”, between 6 March and 8 May 2025 and will set out next steps shortly.The Ministry of Justice holds management information on private prosecutions brought before the magistrates’ courts and this is shown in the table below. The definition of private prosecutions is detailed in the Department’s consultation referenced above.Table One: Defendants dealt with in private prosecutions at the magistrates’ courts in England and Wales, annually 2014 – 2024Year Quarter Defendants dealt with in private prosecutions Proportion of total defendants dealt with at the magistrates’ courts 2015All397,93226%2016All400,64727%2017All384,03727%2018All401,76729%2019All408,61129%2020All180,05718%2021All167,31215%2022All235,04219%2023All326,39926%2024All352,27627% Information on private prosecutions at the Crown Court cannot be produced robustly within costs.Notes We have defined a private prosecution as any that have not been led by the Police, Crown Prosecution Service, or British Transport Police. This definition means that prosecutions by organisations like the TV Licencing Authority and other government agencies are included as private prosecutions. This data includes cases completed at the magistrates' courts during the specified time period, where no further action was required by the magistrates' courts, and cases sent to the Crown Court. Data differs from data in the 2023 published ‘Consultation on the oversight and regulation of private prosecutors in the criminal justice system’ due to data refreshes since that report.

Innovation and Technology, what criteria his Department is using to select locations for AI Growth Zones.

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave on 24 October 2025 to Question UIN 82268.