Written questions by Snowden.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of pre-examination checklists on the time taken to (a) examine and (b) adopt local plans.

The government is committed to achieving a more efficient and consistent local plan examination process. The pre-examination checklist was introduced this month to assist Local Planning Authorities in identifying and resolving potential problems with emerging plans at an earlier stage. This reduces the risk of protracted examinations that result in local plans that cannot be adopted because they cannot be found sound.

What steps he plans to take through the benefit system to incentivise young people to work additional hours in Lancashire.

Extended periods of unemployment at a young age can have long-lasting consequences, including limiting of future employment prospects and reduced lifetime earnings. Early intervention is therefore critical. That is why our plan to Get Britain Working includes a new Youth Guarantee for all young people to ensure that they can access quality training opportunities, an apprenticeship or help to find work. Eight Youth Guarantee Trailblazers were launched earlier this year, and the insights gained will inform the future design and delivery of the Youth Guarantee.Universal Credit is designed to make work pay by gradually reducing support at a steady rate allowing all Universal Credit customers to keep more of what they earn, therefore strengthening incentives to move into work and progress in work.To support this, we apply a single taper rate of 55% to net earnings. This means that for every £1 earned, customers keep 45p, helping them see a clear financial benefit from working.In addition, some young customers may qualify for a work allowance – the amount they can earn before the taper is applied. This is available to those responsible for children or who have limited capability for work.Eligible young people who need childcare support can claim back up to 85% of their registered childcare costs up to the maximum amount each month. The Universal Credit childcare support is available to all eligible lone parents and couples, regardless of the number of hours they work.

Whether the Government plans to conduct a post-implementation review of the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Bill in consultation with stakeholders from the (a) events, (b) hospitality and (c) security sectors.

The Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act, received Royal Assent on 3 April 2025. The new Act will ensure the public are better protected from terrorism by requiring certain public premises and events to be prepared and ready to keep people safe in the event of an attack.It is expected that the implementation period will be at least 24 months from April 2025, to allow for the set-up of the regulator (Security Industry Authority) and to ensure sufficient time for those responsible for premises and events in scope to understand their new obligations, and to plan and prepare accordingly.As detailed in the Act’s Impact Assessment of July 2024, a post-implementation review (PIR) will be undertaken, which will assess whether the new Act delivers the Government’s policy objectives and as detailed in the Impact Assessment, this will include analysis of the costs and impacts on qualifying premises and events.To support delivery of the PIR, the Government has developed a Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Programme to: assess whether the Act is meeting its stated objectives; demonstrate its ongoing and long-term impact; evidence how it works in practice; and enhance ongoing delivery of supporting activities. This will incorporate all sectors in scope of the Act, including qualifying events and qualifying premises that amongst other criteria are used for one or more uses set out in Schedule 1, such as for entertainment and leisure, for retail or for visitor attractions. The M&E programme will continue throughout the Act’s implementation period and after commencement.

What (a) resources and (b) support her Department plans to provide to (i) public authorities and (ii) businesses to support compliance with the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Bill.

The Government is committed to providing dedicated guidance to support those responsible for qualifying premises and events to comply with the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act.The Government has committed to an implementation period of at least 24 months, during which the Act requires the production of two separate pieces of guidance: statutory guidance for those responsible for premises and events in scope to understand how they might meet the requirements of the legislation; and operational guidance which will set out how the regulator will discharge its duties. These will be published in good time, ahead of commencement, to ensure that those in scope have the required information on what to do and how best to do it.We are continuing to raise awareness through communications and engagement campaigns, helping people to understand the purpose of this legislation and how to meet these new requirements. The Government will continue to consider how and where it can otherwise support those in scope.

Whether he has had recent discussions with medical researchers on the development of histotripsy treatments.

Histotripsy is a non-invasive ultrasound treatment that destroys tumours without the need for surgery or radiation. HistoSonics developed the Edison System to deliver histotripsy, and this was one of eight transformative technologies supported through the Government’s Innovative Devices Access Pathway pilot. This programme aimed to streamline patient access to medical devices that address an unmet clinical need in the National Health Service.In August 2024, my Rt. Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, met with clinicians and researchers at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust to discuss their pioneering work in histotripsy research and trials, including the world’s first kidney tumour procedure and the HOPE4LIVER and CAIN studies.In June 2025, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health and Social Care (Baroness Merron) met with clinicians and researchers at Cambridge University Hospitals to announce the conditional use of histotripsy in the NHS for patients with liver tumours. NHS treatments will begin in October 2025 as a first in Europe, strengthening the United Kingdom’s position as a global leader in medical innovation. The Government continues to work closely with clinical and research experts to accelerate evidence generation of this transformative technology.

What recent assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of current funding levels for the music and dance scheme to ensure access for children from lower socio-economic backgrounds.

The government fully supports the arts and the development of a skills pipeline into the creative industries.The department is providing £36.5 million for the Music and Dance Scheme this academic year.

If he will make an assessment of the effectiveness of histotripsy treatment in the NHS.

Early clinical evidence shows that histotripsy, a non-invasive focused ultrasound treatment, can safely and precisely destroy liver tumours without the need for surgery or radiation. Histotripsy remains under evaluation, and the Government continues to monitor real-world outcomes, including its effectiveness in the National Health Service. The Government is working with clinical and research experts to accelerate United Kingdom-based evidence generation to support wider NHS adoption of histotripsy.HistoSonics developed the Edison System to delivery histotripsy, and this was selected as one of eight transformative technologies supported through the Government’s Innovative Devices Access Pathway (IDAP) pilot, which streamlines patient access to medical devices addressing unmet clinical needs in the NHS.Through the IDAP, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) granted HistoSonics an Unmet Clinical Need Authorisation (UCNA), exempting the manufacturer from certain regulatory requirements under strict conditions, allowing early market access. This authorisation is reserved for technologies that address a critical unmet clinical need and demonstrate sufficient data for safety and early effectiveness, with evidence that the manufacturer is working towards full regulatory approval. The UCNA requires ongoing reporting to the MHRA to monitor safety and performance.

What steps his Department is taking to raise public awareness on (a) the signs of anaphylaxis and (b) the appropriate use of EpiPens.

Since October 2017, the Human Medicines (Amendment) Regulations 2017 has allowed all schools to buy adrenaline auto-injectors (AAIs) without a prescription, for emergency use on children who are at risk of anaphylaxis but whose own device is not available or not working. The Department has published non-statutory guidance to accompany this legislative change, which is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/using-emergency-adrenaline-auto-injectors-in-schoolsThis guidance advises schools on the recognition and management of an allergic reaction and anaphylaxis, and outlines when and how an AAI should be administered for pupils. The guidance makes clear that any AAIs held by a school should be considered as a spare device and not a replacement for a pupil’s own AAI. It also states that children at risk of anaphylaxis should have their own prescribed AAIs at school for use in an emergency, and that they should carry two devices at all times.There are many implications that would need to be given careful consideration if AAIs were to be located in public places such as shopping centres, sports venues, or transport hubs. For example, we would need to consider the impacts on the supplies of AAIs for patients who are currently prescribed them.In June 2023, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), with the support of allergy awareness advocates, launched a safety campaign to raise awareness of anaphylaxis and to provide advice on the use of AAIs. The MHRA produced a toolkit of resources for health and social care professionals to support the safe and effective use of AAIs.Ambulance staff are trained in how to treat a range of conditions, including anaphylaxis. Treatment options may include a dose of adrenalin via a syringe or use of AAIs. The Community First Responder (CFR) programme enables volunteers trained by the ambulance service to attend certain types of emergency calls in the area where they live or work. CFRs have had first aid training but are not medically trained. CFRs are trained in the administration of a patient’s own AAI, which would ensure the correct medication and dose for that patient. In general, CFRs do not carry medication.

How much funding his Department has allocated to research on aplastic anaemia in each of the last five years.

The Department funds research on health and social care through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health and care including aplastic anaemia.Applications to the NIHR are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money, and scientific quality. Topics for new research can be proposed to the NIHR at the following link:https://www.nihr.ac.uk/get-involved/suggest-a-research-topicThe NIHR has not allocated funding to research on aplastic anaemia in the last five years, neither directly nor through its research programmes or career development awards, because no applications were received that were deemed fundable by the NIHR.The NIHR also works closely with other Government funders, including UK Research and Innovation, which is funded by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and includes the Medical Research Council, to fund research into a range of conditions, including aplastic anaemia.

Whether first responders are (a) trained and (b) equipped to administer EpiPens in emergency situations; and what guidance is in place on their use.

Since October 2017, the Human Medicines (Amendment) Regulations 2017 has allowed all schools to buy adrenaline auto-injectors (AAIs) without a prescription, for emergency use on children who are at risk of anaphylaxis but whose own device is not available or not working. The Department has published non-statutory guidance to accompany this legislative change, which is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/using-emergency-adrenaline-auto-injectors-in-schoolsThis guidance advises schools on the recognition and management of an allergic reaction and anaphylaxis, and outlines when and how an AAI should be administered for pupils. The guidance makes clear that any AAIs held by a school should be considered as a spare device and not a replacement for a pupil’s own AAI. It also states that children at risk of anaphylaxis should have their own prescribed AAIs at school for use in an emergency, and that they should carry two devices at all times.There are many implications that would need to be given careful consideration if AAIs were to be located in public places such as shopping centres, sports venues, or transport hubs. For example, we would need to consider the impacts on the supplies of AAIs for patients who are currently prescribed them.In June 2023, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), with the support of allergy awareness advocates, launched a safety campaign to raise awareness of anaphylaxis and to provide advice on the use of AAIs. The MHRA produced a toolkit of resources for health and social care professionals to support the safe and effective use of AAIs.Ambulance staff are trained in how to treat a range of conditions, including anaphylaxis. Treatment options may include a dose of adrenalin via a syringe or use of AAIs. The Community First Responder (CFR) programme enables volunteers trained by the ambulance service to attend certain types of emergency calls in the area where they live or work. CFRs have had first aid training but are not medically trained. CFRs are trained in the administration of a patient’s own AAI, which would ensure the correct medication and dose for that patient. In general, CFRs do not carry medication.

What assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of NHS treatment protocols for chronic urinary tract infections.

No specific assessment has been made by the Department. The National Health Service treats patients with recurrent urinary tract infections (UTIs) and chronic UTIs using the same care pathway until it becomes evident that symptoms are not resolving. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has published guidance for the NHS on the management of recurrent UTIs, which can be found at the following link:https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng112

What assessment his Department has been of the (a) long-term health outcomes and (b) quality of life of patients who have undergone treatment for aplastic anaemia.

No such assessment has been made. The majority of the treatment pathway for aplastic anaemia is an integrated care board commissioning responsibility and data is not held centrally. Hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) is a curative treatment option for aplastic anaemia. NHS England does not directly collect data on long-term outcomes and quality of life for patients with aplastic anaemia who have received a stem cell transplant. Instead, the British Society of Blood and Marrow Transplantation and Cellular Therapy collects data on transplants performed by United Kingdom transplant centres, and reports this back to the NHS England Blood and Marrow Transplantation Clinical Reference Group (CRG). This includes individual centre annual summary reports. These reports are reviewed by the CRG and insights from the analysis are shared with local commissioners so that they can address any issues with providers. However, HSCT is performed for a number of conditions and the CRG does not routinely review long-term outcomes for individual conditions at a granular level.

What assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the availability of EpiPens in (a) schools, (b) shopping centres, (c) sports venues, (d) transport hubs and (e) other public places.

Since October 2017, the Human Medicines (Amendment) Regulations 2017 has allowed all schools to buy adrenaline auto-injectors (AAIs) without a prescription, for emergency use on children who are at risk of anaphylaxis but whose own device is not available or not working. The Department has published non-statutory guidance to accompany this legislative change, which is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/using-emergency-adrenaline-auto-injectors-in-schoolsThis guidance advises schools on the recognition and management of an allergic reaction and anaphylaxis, and outlines when and how an AAI should be administered for pupils. The guidance makes clear that any AAIs held by a school should be considered as a spare device and not a replacement for a pupil’s own AAI. It also states that children at risk of anaphylaxis should have their own prescribed AAIs at school for use in an emergency, and that they should carry two devices at all times.There are many implications that would need to be given careful consideration if AAIs were to be located in public places such as shopping centres, sports venues, or transport hubs. For example, we would need to consider the impacts on the supplies of AAIs for patients who are currently prescribed them.In June 2023, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), with the support of allergy awareness advocates, launched a safety campaign to raise awareness of anaphylaxis and to provide advice on the use of AAIs. The MHRA produced a toolkit of resources for health and social care professionals to support the safe and effective use of AAIs.Ambulance staff are trained in how to treat a range of conditions, including anaphylaxis. Treatment options may include a dose of adrenalin via a syringe or use of AAIs. The Community First Responder (CFR) programme enables volunteers trained by the ambulance service to attend certain types of emergency calls in the area where they live or work. CFRs have had first aid training but are not medically trained. CFRs are trained in the administration of a patient’s own AAI, which would ensure the correct medication and dose for that patient. In general, CFRs do not carry medication.

Media and Sport, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the introduction of Local Visitor Economy Partnerships on tourism levels in (a) England and (b) Lancashire.

Local Visitor Economy Partnerships (LVEPs) work collaboratively at local, regional and national levels on shared priorities and targets to support and grow the visitor economy. Each LVEP sets out how they measure their agreed activities in their annual growth plan. DCMS and VisitEngland continue to monitor the impact of LVEPs by collaborating with them on their identified growth priorities and sharing best practice.

How many children were eligible for free school meals in Fylde constituency in each of the last five years.

The department publishes data on school level free school meals in its annual 'Schools, pupils and their characteristics' publication, in the additional supporting files. The publication can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-pupils-and-their-characteristics/2024-25. This includes a parliamentary constituency indicator. The latest figures were published in June 2025, and the next figures will be published in summer 2026.

How many and what proportion of eligible children receive the expanded 30 hour childcare offer in each region.

The government’s Plan for Change sets out a commitment to give children the best start in life, breaking the link between background and opportunity.Due to data/sample size limitations, the department does not hold data on the number of children eligible to receive the expanded 30-hour childcare offer in each region, and as a result cannot provide figures on the proportion of eligible children receiving the expanded 30 hour offer in each region.The first early years and school censuses to collect data on the number of children registered for the expanded 30-hour entitlement since the September 2025 rollout will be based on the January 2026 period. The associated statistics have a provisional release date of July 2026. More details can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/announcements/funded-early-education-and-childcare-2026.

What support her Department provides to local police forces to identify and tackle anti-social driving behaviour in known wildlife and animal collision hot spots.

Tackling anti-social behaviour is a top priority for the Government, and a key part of our Safer Streets Mission. We are giving police the powers they need to tackle anti-social driving in both rural and urban areas so that they will be able to more easily seize these vehicles from offenders and dispose of them.The Crime and Policing Bill, which is currently making its way through Parliament, will enhance police powers to seize nuisance vehicles which are used in an anti-social manner by removing the requirement to first give a warning to the offender and allow police to put an immediate stop to offending.The Government has also recently consulted on proposals to allow the police to more quickly dispose of seized vehicles which have been used anti-socially. The consultation closed on 8 July and the Government response will be published in due course.Combined, these proposals will help tackle the scourge of vehicles ridden anti-socially and illegally by sending a clear message to would-be offenders and local communities that this behaviour will not be tolerated.

Whether she plans to increase the number of languages guidance on how to find an immigration centre is available in.

To improve the accessibility of the visitor process for immigration removal centres, the Home Office has published translated versions of the guidance on gov.uk for visiting IRCs into 20 languages.

What assessment he has made of the link between untreated Urinary Tract infections and (a) mental confusion and (b) aggression in patients with neurological injuries.

Through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), the Department has funded and supported multiple studies investigating urinary tract infections (UTIs), with some funded studies studying the link between UTIs and cognitive outcomes. For example, NIHR has funded the ‘IntraVESical Preparations for REcurrent Urinary Tract Infection Prevention’ (VESPER) study. This study aims to determine whether in-bladder treatments are more effective and cost-efficient than second-line oral antibiotics in reducing recurrent UTIs in women who have not responded to first-line preventative antibiotics. It will connect clinical outcomes with quality-adjusted life year (QALY)-based evaluations that take cognitive changes into account.NIHR infrastructure is also conducting relevant research that is investigating UTIs and considering cognitive outcomes. The NIHR Southampton Biomedical Research Centre, is leading the ‘DIagnoSing Care hOme UTI’ (DISCO UTI) study which is investigating new ways to accurately diagnose and treat UTIs in care homes, as UTIs can cause symptoms like confusion, resulting in difficulties when diagnosing UTIs in care home residents.

What steps her Department is taking to help ensure that families are able to afford school uniforms in Lancashire.

The cost of school uniform, particularly of branded items, remains a key concern for parents. Whilst uniforms play a valuable role in creating a sense of common identity among pupils and reducing visible inequalities, too many schools still require high numbers of branded uniform items despite statutory guidance stating branded items should be kept to a minimum. Currently 24% of primary and 71% of secondary schools still require five or more branded items, with some parents saying they were asked to provide ten or more.This is why the department has introduced legislation to limit the number of branded items of uniform and physical education kit that schools can require, to bring down costs for parents and remove barriers from children accessing sport and other school activities. This will give parents more choice in where to purchase uniform and allow them greater flexibility to make the spending decisions that suit their circumstances.The department intends to introduce this limit from September 2026. On 23 October, we published updated statutory guidance on the cost of school uniforms, which is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cost-of-school-uniforms.This includes draft statutory guidance to support schools in implementing any necessary changes within the proposed limit.