Written questions by Snowden.

What recent assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of GP surgeries in Lancashire no longer conducting (a) hospital and (b) specialist-requested blood tests on patients.

We understand the pressures that general practices (GPs) are facing, which is why we are investing an additional £889 million into GPs, to reinforce the front door of the National Health Service, in 2025/26. The independent review body on Doctors’ and Dentists’ Remuneration (DDRB) has recommended an uplift of 4% to the pay ranges for salaried GPs, and to GP contractor pay. As with last year, we are accepting the DDRB’s pay recommendation, and we will provide a 4% uplift to the pay elements of the GP Contract on a consolidated basis, on top of the provisional 2.8% uplift already provided, to bring it up to 4%. 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. The Red Tape Challenge, launched by my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care and NHS England’s Chief Executive Officer, will also aim to address challenges seen by services between primary and secondary care interface. This work and investment will support the move from the hospital to the community, one of the three fundamental shifts set out in the 10-Year Health Plan. Local enhanced services, such as blood tests, are negotiated and agreed locally, and are commissioned by integrated care boards to fit the needs of the local population. GPs can choose whether or not they would like to participate in directly providing these services. These services can vary in scope and funding across the country. Community diagnostic centres (CDCs) are supporting one of the Government’s top priorities for health, to shift care from the hospital to the community. CDCs offer local populations a wide range of diagnostic tests, including phlebotomy, closer to home and allow for greater choice on where and how they are undertaken, whilst also reducing pressure on the system. We will deliver additional CDC capacity in 2025/26 by expanding a number of existing CDCs and building up to five new ones, as well as increasing the number of CDCs offering services 12 hours per day, seven days a week.

If he will meet with representatives from Unite the Union at BAE Systems Warton to discuss the impact of not purchasing new Typhoon jets for use by the Royal Air Force.

The Secretary of State has met with the General Secretary of Unite the Union over the last three months to discuss a range of issues including this.

Whether his Department has received representations from GP practices on workload for non-primary care blood tests.

We understand the pressures that general practices (GPs) are facing, which is why we are investing an additional £889 million into GPs, to reinforce the front door of the National Health Service, in 2025/26. The independent review body on Doctors’ and Dentists’ Remuneration (DDRB) has recommended an uplift of 4% to the pay ranges for salaried GPs, and to GP contractor pay. As with last year, we are accepting the DDRB’s pay recommendation, and we will provide a 4% uplift to the pay elements of the GP Contract on a consolidated basis, on top of the provisional 2.8% uplift already provided, to bring it up to 4%. 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. The Red Tape Challenge, launched by my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care and NHS England’s Chief Executive Officer, will also aim to address challenges seen by services between primary and secondary care interface. This work and investment will support the move from the hospital to the community, one of the three fundamental shifts set out in the 10-Year Health Plan. Local enhanced services, such as blood tests, are negotiated and agreed locally, and are commissioned by integrated care boards to fit the needs of the local population. GPs can choose whether or not they would like to participate in directly providing these services. These services can vary in scope and funding across the country. Community diagnostic centres (CDCs) are supporting one of the Government’s top priorities for health, to shift care from the hospital to the community. CDCs offer local populations a wide range of diagnostic tests, including phlebotomy, closer to home and allow for greater choice on where and how they are undertaken, whilst also reducing pressure on the system. We will deliver additional CDC capacity in 2025/26 by expanding a number of existing CDCs and building up to five new ones, as well as increasing the number of CDCs offering services 12 hours per day, seven days a week.

What steps her Department is taking to tackle county lines gangs operating in Lancashire.

To deliver our pledge to halve knife crime in the next decade, it is crucial that we tackle the drug gangs that run county lines through violence and exploitation. That is why we are investing more than £43m this financial year (25/26) in the County Lines Programme, to target exploitative drug dealing gangs whilst breaking the organised crime groups behind this trade.While the majority of lines originate from the areas covered by the Metropolitan Police Service, West Midlands Police, Merseyside Police, West Yorkshire Police and Greater Manchester Police, county lines is a national issue which affects all forces.That is why, through the County Lines Programme, we fund the National County Lines Co-ordination Centre (NCLCC) to monitor the intelligence picture and co-ordinate the national law enforcement response. The County Lines Programme taskforces regularly conduct joint operations with other forces, and we have established a dedicated fund which provides local forces with additional funding to tackle county lines, including Lancashire Police.The NCLCC also regularly coordinates weeks of intensive action against county lines gangs, which all police forces take part in. The most recent of these took place 23-29 June 2025 and resulted in 241 lines closed, as well as 1,965 arrests, 1,179 individuals safe-guarded and 501 weapons seized.

What discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Education on tackling county lines gangs in schools.

The Home Office works closely with the Department for Education to tackle knife crime and the criminal exploitation of children.Ministers from both Departments met recently for a targeted conversation on tackling child criminal exploitation and county lines.

Innovation and Technology, whether his Department has plans to expand regional tech clusters in the North West of England; and what assessment he has made of the potential merits of locating new innovation hubs in Fylde constituency.

My department is committed to enabling innovation-led growth throughout the UK.UKRI invested £903 million in the North West in 2023-24. Funded activity in the region includes the £4.9 million, Lancaster University-led Cyber Focus project, and a project by Lytham-based Helical Technology to improve fault detection on mechanical assembly production lines.Our new Local Innovation Partnership Fund will grow high potential clusters across the UK. It earmarks at least £30 million for each of the two Established Mayoral Strategic Authorities in the North West. All other places in the region will be eligible to bid into the competition.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Employment Rights Bill on trends in the level of trade union membership in (a) Fylde constituency and (b) Lancashire.

In October 2024 the government published impact assessments on the trade union-related measures within the Employment Rights Bill and these are available here: Employment Rights Bill: impact assessments - GOV.UK

Whether NHS England provides funding to GP practices to carry out blood tests requested by (a) hospitals and (b) specialists.

We understand the pressures that general practices (GPs) are facing, which is why we are investing an additional £889 million into GPs, to reinforce the front door of the National Health Service, in 2025/26. The independent review body on Doctors’ and Dentists’ Remuneration (DDRB) has recommended an uplift of 4% to the pay ranges for salaried GPs, and to GP contractor pay. As with last year, we are accepting the DDRB’s pay recommendation, and we will provide a 4% uplift to the pay elements of the GP Contract on a consolidated basis, on top of the provisional 2.8% uplift already provided, to bring it up to 4%. 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. The Red Tape Challenge, launched by my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care and NHS England’s Chief Executive Officer, will also aim to address challenges seen by services between primary and secondary care interface. This work and investment will support the move from the hospital to the community, one of the three fundamental shifts set out in the 10-Year Health Plan. Local enhanced services, such as blood tests, are negotiated and agreed locally, and are commissioned by integrated care boards to fit the needs of the local population. GPs can choose whether or not they would like to participate in directly providing these services. These services can vary in scope and funding across the country. Community diagnostic centres (CDCs) are supporting one of the Government’s top priorities for health, to shift care from the hospital to the community. CDCs offer local populations a wide range of diagnostic tests, including phlebotomy, closer to home and allow for greater choice on where and how they are undertaken, whilst also reducing pressure on the system. We will deliver additional CDC capacity in 2025/26 by expanding a number of existing CDCs and building up to five new ones, as well as increasing the number of CDCs offering services 12 hours per day, seven days a week.

What recent estimate her Department has made of the number of people engaged in county lines activity.

According to the NCLCC’s latest Strategic Threat and Risk Assessment, 13,084 individuals were identified by the police as linked to County Lines between April 2023 and March 2024.These individuals had a variety of roles, including offenders, drug users and victims.

What estimate she has made of the cost to the public purse for (a) Universal Credit and (b) Personal Independence Payment for non-British citizens in the (i) last 12 months and (ii) last five years.

The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

What steps her Department is taking to support STEM skills development in (a) secondary schools and (b) colleges in Fylde constituency.

The Spending Review announced investment of over £1 billion per year in skills by 2028/29. This aims to equip learners with the skills needed for today’s and tomorrow’s workforce, and expand technical and work-based training across all sectors and age groups. Key initiatives providing science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) opportunities include a broadened apprenticeships offer, T Levels with industry placements, Higher Technical Qualifications at levels 4–5, and Free Courses for Jobs providing access to high-value level 3 qualifications for students wherever they live, including in Fylde.The department recently announced an £8.2 million investment in the Advanced Maths Support Programme to support rising standards and progression to advanced mathematics post-16 across England, and ultimately, support the STEM and artificial intelligence pipelines of the future. We have also introduced the advanced maths premium (revised from 2024) and core maths premium (new from 2024) for 16-19 providers to support greater provision for students to achieve a mathematics qualification post-16.The department also supports a range of initiatives to support high-quality STEM teaching in schools across England, including the National Centre for Computing Education, the Maths Hubs programme and the Subject Knowledge for Physics Teachers programme.

What steps she is taking to provide training opportunities for people to upskill in the use of artificial intelligence.

​Through our Industrial Strategy, published in June 2025, this government will ensure the skills system and employment support align with strategic economic priorities, including the needs of priority sectors and transformative opportunities like artificial intelligence (AI).The government’s commitment to realising the benefits of AI was also illustrated in January, when we agreed to take forward all 50 recommendations from Matt Clifford’s AI Opportunities Action Plan.New short courses in areas such as digital, AI, and engineering will be introduced in England, funded through the Growth and Skills Levy, to support Industrial Strategy sectors like Creative Industries and Advanced Manufacturing from April 2026.From January 2027, the department will launch the Lifelong Learning Entitlement, enabling individuals to learn, upskill and retrain across their working lives. The first modular courses for approval will support progression into Industrial Strategy priority sectors.The government recently announced a joint commitment with leading technology companies to provide 7.5 million workers with essential AI skills by 2030, around 20% of the UK workforce. Companies such as Google, Microsoft and Accenture have committed to making high quality training materials widely available to workers in businesses, large and small, across the country free of charge over the next five years.

Pursuant to the Answer of 3 July 2025 to Question 63159 on South Fylde Line, what discussions she has had with local (a) communities and (b) stakeholders on future service improvements on the Lytham to Preston line.

Through the Rail North Partnership (RNP), my Department and Transport for the North widely engage stakeholders across the region. I have asked RNP to contact the Hon. Member about his local line. Operators must align services with demand, ensuring sustainability and value for money. I urge the Member to work with Lancashire County Council as they carry out consultation of their Local Transport Plan, and whether to prioritise schemes targeting this line for further consideration.

Pursuant to the Answer of 3 July 2025 to Question 63159 on South Fylde Line, what interim measures she is considering to improve capacity on the Lytham to Preston line before 2030.

Through the Rail North Partnership (RNP), my Department and Transport for the North widely engage stakeholders across the region. I have asked RNP to contact the Hon. Member about his local line. Operators must align services with demand, ensuring sustainability and value for money. I urge the Member to work with Lancashire County Council as they carry out consultation of their Local Transport Plan, and whether to prioritise schemes targeting this line for further consideration.

Pursuant to the Answer of 24 June 2025 to Question 60968 on Insomnia: Lancashire, what data his Department holds on the number of people who accessed NHS Talking Therapies in relation to chronic insomnia in (a) Fylde constituency and (b) Lancashire in the last five years.

The following table shows the number if patients referred to NHS Talking Therapies with insomnia in Fylde, and the number of patients referred with insomnia to NHS Talking Therapies in Lancashire, from 2021 to 2025:YearPatients referred with insomnia in FyldePatients referred with insomnia in Lancashire2021**2022**2023**2024*152025*5Source: Talking Therapies Dataset, NHS EnglandNotes:data for 2025 is from January to April; andthe data has been rounded and suppressed in accordance with standard NHS Talking Therapies suppression rules, which means that values between zero and four are suppressed, represented by an asterisk, and other values are rounded to the nearest five at sub national level.

Pursuant to the Answer of 24 June 2025 to Question 60968 on Insomnia: Lancashire, whether his Department has had discussions with Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board on its insomnia services.

No such discussions have taken place. Information on how to access NHS Talking Therapies services is available from general practitioners, National Health Service mental health providers, voluntary, community, and social enterprise organisations, and at the following link:https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/talking-therapies-medicine-treatments/talking-therapies-and-counselling/

Pursuant to the Answer of 24 June 2025 to 60968 on Insomnia: Lancashire, what steps his Department is taking to promote awareness of self-referral options to NHS talking therapies for people with insomnia.

No such discussions have taken place. Information on how to access NHS Talking Therapies services is available from general practitioners, National Health Service mental health providers, voluntary, community, and social enterprise organisations, and at the following link:https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/talking-therapies-medicine-treatments/talking-therapies-and-counselling/

If she will take steps to improve access to legal aid for residential park home residents involved in disputes with site owners.

The statutory framework governing the provision of legal aid is set out in the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012, and its supporting secondary legislation.Legal aid is available for possession, homelessness and disrepair claims (when there is a serious risk of illness or injury) subject to a financial means and a merits test. Legal aid is additionally available for people facing the loss of their home on a non-means tested basis through the Housing Loss Prevention Advice Service. Legal aid is also generally in scope for judicial reviews that have the potential to produce a benefit for the individual, a member of their family, or the environment. Proceedings related to consumer law are not in scope of legal aid.Where an issue falls outside the scope of legal aid, individuals can apply for Exceptional Case Funding (ECF), which will be granted where they can show that failure to provide legal aid will risk breaching their human rights under the European Convention on Human Rights. ECF applications are considered by the Legal Aid Agency on an individual basis and are subject to the individual qualifying on means and merits testing.

Whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of bringing forward legislative proposals to (a) restrict and (b) regulate unsolicited doorstep cold calling in residential areas.

Conducted properly, trading from door to door or conducting business in a consumer’s home can be a legitimate form of business, provided traders observe the legislation regulating the practice. The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 updates existing protections that prohibit traders from engaging in aggressive or misleading commercial practices, including harassment, high pressure-selling techniques, coercion or undue influence against consumers. Traders are banned from ignoring a request from a consumer to leave or not return to the consumer’s home. Residents can collectively ask their local Trading Standards services to set up ‘No cold calling zones’, which are designed to prohibit uninvited callers.

What assessment he has made of the potential merits of extending eligibility for energy support schemes to residential park home residents who are not connected to the gas grid.

The Warm Home Discount provides a £150 rebate off energy bills to eligible low-income households through their electricity supplier. As residential park home residents usually do not have a domestic electricity supplier, they are unable to receive this support. However, residential park home residents can apply for the £150 Charis Park Homes Warm Home Discount Scheme; the 2025/26 scheme will reopen in late August 2025. Following our recent consultation on expanding the Warm Home Discount scheme, the Charis Park Home Discount Scheme will not be changed. The Government has expanded the Household Support Fund in England for a further year until 31 March 2026 with an extra £742 million in support, with additional funding for the Devolved Governments through the Barnett formula. Park home residents struggling with their bills can contact their local authority to see if they are eligible for this support. The current Warm Home Discount scheme Regulations end in March 2026. We will consult on options for the next scheme period in the autumn.