Written questions by Snowden.

What estimate her Department has made of the number of employees who work alone in retail environments; and what steps her Department is taking to monitor trends in lone working practices.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has the policy lead for workplace health and safety in Great Britain. However, the primary responsibility for managing risk to health and safety lies with employers. An employer is the person or organisation that is legally responsible, under health and safety law, for managing and controlling risks created by their work activities. It is for the employer to determine the best way to manage those risks taking account of the circumstances of their business and work activity and to take appropriate action if employees report any health and safety concerns. Local authorities are responsible for the regulation of health and safety in most retail businesses. They can use criteria such as injury rates, trends, numbers and demographics of people at risk and implementation of effective control measures to inform their interventions, and ensure compliance with regulations. HSE does not collect this data centrally. There may be greater risks for lone workers without direct supervision or someone to help them if things go wrong, and an employer must identify the risks to lone workers and put control measures in place to protect them. HSE provide guidance on lone working: Lone working: Protect those working alone - HSE which includes advice on violence in the workplace. This guidance was updated in 2022 and remains fit for purpose. HSE has no plans to commission a review or discuss with retailers the safety of lone workers in stores.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential health and safety risks associated with increased lone working in retail.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has the policy lead for workplace health and safety in Great Britain. However, the primary responsibility for managing risk to health and safety lies with employers. An employer is the person or organisation that is legally responsible, under health and safety law, for managing and controlling risks created by their work activities. It is for the employer to determine the best way to manage those risks taking account of the circumstances of their business and work activity and to take appropriate action if employees report any health and safety concerns. Local authorities are responsible for the regulation of health and safety in most retail businesses. They can use criteria such as injury rates, trends, numbers and demographics of people at risk and implementation of effective control measures to inform their interventions, and ensure compliance with regulations. HSE does not collect this data centrally. There may be greater risks for lone workers without direct supervision or someone to help them if things go wrong, and an employer must identify the risks to lone workers and put control measures in place to protect them. HSE provide guidance on lone working: Lone working: Protect those working alone - HSE which includes advice on violence in the workplace. This guidance was updated in 2022 and remains fit for purpose. HSE has no plans to commission a review or discuss with retailers the safety of lone workers in stores.

What the average waiting time is for a first appointment with a consultant in NHS trusts in Lancashire.

Tackling waiting-lists is a top priority for the Government. We have exceeded our pledge to deliver over two million more elective care appointments. More than double that number, 4.9 million more appointments, have now been delivered in England.On 6 January 2025, NHS England published the new Elective Reform Plan, which sets out a whole system approach to delivering on the commitment that 92% of patients will wait no longer than 18 weeks from referral to consultant-led treatment, in line with the National Health Service constitutional standard, by March 2029.Across trusts in Lancashire, 67.1% of people are waiting for first attendance within 18 weeks as of 27th July 2025. This includes the Lancashire and South Cumbria Community Trust, at 93.8%, Morecambe Bay, at 76.3%, Mersey and West Lancashire, at 73.7%, East Lancashire, at 64.3%, Blackpool, at 61.0%, and Lancashire Teaching, at 60.7%.

Whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of the consumption of high caffeine energy drinks on health services in Lancashire.

On 3 September 2025, the Government published its consultation on banning the sale of high-caffeine energy drinks to children under 16 years in England, an important step towards fulfilling our Plan for Change commitment to create the healthiest generation of children ever.We estimate the proposals could reduce childhood obesity rates by the equivalent of 40,000 children and deliver health benefits worth £7.7 billion through improved health outcomes. In addition, we estimate the proposals could provide NHS savings of £127 million, social care savings of £84 million, and reduced premature mortality is expected to deliver an additional £1.2 billion of economic output.The Department of Health and Social Care has not assessed the potential impact of the consumption of high-caffeine energy drinks on health services in Lancashire.The consultation and accompanying impact assessment are available at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/banning-the-sale-of-high-caffeine-energy-drinks-to-children.

Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to help tackle fraud in car parks.

The government is aware of concerns about the poor practice and behaviour of some parking operators and is determined to drive up standards in the private parking sector. The Parking (Code of Practice) Act 2019 requires the Secretary of State to prepare a code of practice containing guidance about the operation and management of private parking facilities. My department is currently consulting on standards within the new Code and its compliance framework. The Private Parking Code of Practice Consultation is available on gov.uk here. The consultation closing date has recently been extended to 26 September 2025. Fraud investigations, however, are matter for the police.

What the scope of Operation Beaconport is.

Operation BEACONPORT is the name assigned by operational partners to the National Police Operation, overseen by the NCA, as recommended by Baroness Casey in her report that followed her Independent Audit of Group Based Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (GBCSEA), published in June this year.The operation will address the elements identified by Baroness Casey in recommendations 2 and 8, by bringing together all the relevant policing partners under one operation, to ensure a swift and specialist law enforcement response to GBCSEA.Further details on Operation BEACONPORT will be provided by operational partners shortly.

What steps his Department is taking to help prevent the (a) sale and (b) production of skimming devices used fraudulently steal card details.

The Home Office announced that an expanded fraud strategy will be published later this year, as part of the government’s Plan for Change, with a key focus of the strategy being combatting tech-enabled fraud.

What criteria her Department used to allocate the funding for the national expansion of the TOEX Capabilities Environment.

The Home Office is providing the Tackling Organised Exploitation (TOEX) programme with £8.8 million this year to increase law enforcements capability to respond to organised exploitation, including by providing dedicated intelligence, analytical and technical expertise.In August 2025, the Minister for Safeguarding and Violence Against Women and Girls announced an additional £426,000 this year, which will enable all forces in England and Wales to access the cutting-edge digital tools that TOEX have developed to support police in detecting and investigating organised exploitation. This includes child sexual exploitation, alongside other organised exploitation crimes including modern slavery, organised immigration crimes, and criminal exploitation.The additional funding will allow for the expedited roll out of the of the Capabilities Environment, to ensure all police investigators in England and Wales have access to the full array of TOEX’s AI-enabled and time-saving toolsThe TOEX programme has already contacted all forces in England and Wales to provide information on how they can access the TOEX tools. In addition to the 15 police forces which are already utilising TOEX tools, since the Minister’s announcement in August, a further 10 forces are currently onboarding. TOEX will continue to engage with additional forces.TOEX is also a critical component in supporting the delivery of Baroness Casey’s recommendation to establish a new national police operation for group-based child sexual exploitation and abuse (Operation Beaconport).

By what date she expects all police forces in England and Wales to have full operational access to the TOEX Capabilities Environment.

The Home Office is providing the Tackling Organised Exploitation (TOEX) programme with £8.8 million this year to increase law enforcements capability to respond to organised exploitation, including by providing dedicated intelligence, analytical and technical expertise.In August 2025, the Minister for Safeguarding and Violence Against Women and Girls announced an additional £426,000 this year, which will enable all forces in England and Wales to access the cutting-edge digital tools that TOEX have developed to support police in detecting and investigating organised exploitation. This includes child sexual exploitation, alongside other organised exploitation crimes including modern slavery, organised immigration crimes, and criminal exploitation.The additional funding will allow for the expedited roll out of the of the Capabilities Environment, to ensure all police investigators in England and Wales have access to the full array of TOEX’s AI-enabled and time-saving toolsThe TOEX programme has already contacted all forces in England and Wales to provide information on how they can access the TOEX tools. In addition to the 15 police forces which are already utilising TOEX tools, since the Minister’s announcement in August, a further 10 forces are currently onboarding. TOEX will continue to engage with additional forces.TOEX is also a critical component in supporting the delivery of Baroness Casey’s recommendation to establish a new national police operation for group-based child sexual exploitation and abuse (Operation Beaconport).

Whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of the consumption of high caffeine energy drinks on (a) schools and (b) educational outcomes.

The government has committed to raising the healthiest generation of children ever to provide them with a better and more prosperous future. That is why the government’s manifesto committed to a ban on the sale of high-caffeine energy drinks to children under 16 in England, and we are consulting on bringing this into effect. We know they can have a detrimental impact on educational outcomes by lowering educational wellbeing and negatively impacting school attendance and academic achievement.Energy drinks are not permitted within the school food standards. School governing boards are responsible for setting their school food policies, including on food and drinks brought in from home. We encourage schools to have a whole-school approach to healthy eating, and some schools already ban energy drinks brought in from home.

What recent assessment has the government made of the impact of increasing the cap on a single bus fare from £2 to £3 on bus journeys across England.

The Department is currently undertaking an evaluation of the £3 single bus fare cap and its impacts. This will include analysis of bus usage. The evaluation will focus on understanding the national impacts of the scheme. The final monitoring and evaluation report into the impact of the £2 bus fare cap, including analysis on bus usage, was published on 12 February. Trends in bus usage will continue to be monitored and reported through the Department’s national statistics which are published annually.  The Department also publishes statistics on daily bus passenger journeys across local authorities in England outside London. This can be found on GOV.UK at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/developing-faster-indicators-of-transport-activity.

Whether she has had recent discussions with the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport on taking steps to help ensure that transport links are adequate to support funding for cricket facilities at The Dome in Farrington.

The Department provides funding to local authorities to deliver their local transport priorities. For Lancashire Combined County Authority, this includes over £257 million through the Local Transport Grant between 2025/26 – 2029/30. It is for local leaders to decide how to use this funding for transport maintenance and enhancements. The Local Transport Grant is additional to bus, active travel and highways maintenance funding.

Innovation and Technology, if his Department will issue guidance to retailers on ethical standards for the use of facial recognition technology.

The use of live facial recognition technology (LFRT) in retail is governed by multiple legal frameworks, including data protection, employment, equalities, and human rights law. The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), the data protection regulator, has issued guidance clarifying that retailers may use FRT to prevent crime, such as shoplifting, if it is necessary, proportionate, and lawful. The guidance also clarifies that, where FRT captures personal or sensitive data, it is regulated under UK’s data protection framework. Using FRT in this way will require retailers to be aware and comply with key principles such as fairness, transparency, accuracy and retention. DSIT continues to monitor developments in this space and supports the ICO’s role in providing guidance to organisations to help their compliance.

Innovation and Technology, whether his Department has had discussions with civil liberties organisations on the use of facial recognition technology in commercial settings.

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology engages with a range of stakeholders, including civil society organisations, regarding privacy and data protection matters. The government recognises the benefits of deploying FRT systems in commercial settings, where these are used proportionately, responsibly, and in compliance with the UK’s data protection framework, as well as other relevant legal frameworks. The Information Commissioner’s Office has also issued guidance to support organisations in complying with data protection law, and this can be found here.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to develop an effective vaccine for bluetongue virus serotype 3.

Defra began working with vaccine manufacturers in 2024 to ensure BTV-3 vaccines were available at the earliest opportunity, and three vaccines have been available in England since September 2024. These vaccines are widely available through normal veterinary wholesalers.

With reference to her Department's press release entitled Justice Secretary introduces democratic lock over Sentencing Council, published on 2 September 2025, what plans she has for enabling Parliament to (a) scrutinise and (b) influence future Sentencing Council guidelines.

The Lord Chancellor has brought forward measures in the Sentencing Bill to ensure that there is stronger democratic and judicial oversight of sentencing guidelines the Sentencing Council produces.The Council will be placed under a statutory obligation to obtain approval from both the Lord Chancellor and Lady Chief Justice for all guidelines. This means that no guidelines can be issued without the Lord Chancellor and Lady Chief Justice each explicitly approving it. The Council will also be required to obtain Lord Chancellor approval of its annual business plan.The Sentencing Council has an existing statutory obligation to consult with the Justice Select Committee on draft sentencing guidelines, which is unaffected by the measures we are taking forward in the Sentencing Bill.

Whether her Department has issued guidance to retailers on the use of live facial recognition technology for (a) security and (b) commercial purposes.

The Home Office has not issued guidance to retailers on the use of live facial recognition technology, as systems used privately are entirely separate from law enforcement systems.However, all users of FR must comply with the law and the ICO has provided supporting guidance on the use of video surveillance.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the current Child Maintenance Service income-based model on middle-income paying parents.

The Child Maintenance Service operates on the principle that both parents have financial responsibility for their child, including their food and clothing, as well as contributing towards the associated costs of running the home that the child lives in. For a paying parent working full time on the UK minimum wage, they will pay 12% of their gross weekly income for one child, 16% for two and 19% for three or more. Those proportions remain constant for all paying parents earning a gross weekly income of between £200 and £800. Information about the paying parent's gross income is taken directly from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) for the latest tax year available. This allows calculations to be made quickly and accurately. Any income subject to income tax including bonuses and overtime received by an employed paying parent, is included within their gross weekly income when calculating a child maintenance liability.The Government is conducting a review of the child maintenance calculation to make sure it is fit for purpose. This includes updating the underlying research and considering how to ensure the calculation reflects current and future societal trends.Options for proposed reforms are currently being considered. Any changes made to the child maintenance calculation will be subject to extensive public consultation, which we plan to publish late this year, and if made, will require amendments to legislation so would be subject to Parliamentary scrutiny.

Innovation and Technology, what safeguards are in place to ensure that facial recognition technology used in supermarkets does not contribute to discriminatory outcomes based on race, gender, age, or disability.

FRT systems should not undermine people’s rights or discriminate unfairly. Under data protection law, organisations need to evaluate the risks to people and their rights deriving from the specific contexts. Supermarkets should be able to demonstrate that they have a lawful basis for the processing of personal data, and that its collection is limited to what is necessary. They must carry out Data Protection Impact Assessments, where there is a high risk to individuals’ rights and freedoms, including risks of bias or discrimination. Supermarkets must comply with the data protection principles of fairness, transparency and accountability when deploying FRT. The Information Commissioner’s Office has clarified that FRT involves the processing of biometric data which is likely to constitute special category data. The processing of such data is subject to additional safeguards under the law. If any significant decision has been made about an individual based solely on automated processing, they have a right to challenge such decision, obtain human intervention and make representations to the controller about them.

What proportion of ongoing contracts for the provision of migrant hotel services were awarded through (a) competitive tender, (b) direct award and (c) emergency procurement.

The provision of asylum accommodation is primarily delivered through the Asylum Accommodation and Support Services contracts. These were competitively tendered and awarded in 2019. These contracts are in place for a 10 year term and details can be found in the contract finder website.It is a requirement of the Asylum Accommodation and Support Contracts (AASC) that the AASC providers submit information about subcontractors in their supply chain to the Home Office.The Home Office requires its outsourced contractors to comply with the legal minimum standards of pay of their staff as set out in the Government National Living Wage legislation; again, this is a contractual obligation on the supplier and is monitored through contract compliance mechanisms.Our suppliers of Asylum Accommodation and Support Contracts (AASC) are required to deliver comprehensive training to their staff. The level of training required is dependent on the role being carried out by the staff member. Training standards are a contractual requirement and are monitored through the same mechanisms as referred to above.The Home Office undertakes rigorous performance management of contracted providers in the provision of accommodation services. This is managed directly through the provisions of the AASC contracts which set out the required service performance levels, service requirements and consequences for not delivering these services to the required standards.In addition to our contract management procedures the Home Office, through the AIRE contract with Migrant Help, provides a service for asylum seekers to raise any issues or complaints with the services they receive.