Written questions by Snowden.

Pursuant to the Answer of 3 June 2025 to Question 54086 on Active Travel: Lancashire, what funding her Department has approved for improving (a) safety and (b) accessibility through the Fylde Coast’s Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan.

Following the conclusion of the Spending Review, the Department will publish a third cycling and walking investment strategy (CWIS3). This will set out the long-term funding for active travel including infrastructure and programmes such as Bikeability. Since 2020 Lancashire County Council has been awarded over £10.5 million of funding to improve the safety and accessibility of infrastructure through the Active Travel Fund. While it is for local authorities to decide where investment is prioritised in their local transport networks, Active Travel England (ATE) works with them through the Design Assurance Process which uses tools, checks and other processes to ensure quality and safety are designed into new and existing infrastructure. ATE is regularly engaged with the Council through our regional engagement managers. Earlier this year ATE published best practice guidance for authorities on how to engage communities on the prioritisation and delivery of schemes. Guidance on monitoring and evaluation has been provided to support authorities in transparently tracking the impact of their funding.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help support businesses affected by the drought announced on 29 May 2025.

The Secretary of State has regular discussions with Cabinet colleagues on a range of issues. Defra requires water companies to have robust plans to manage droughts and protect customer supplies. This includes early actions such as enhanced leakage management, appropriate balancing of supplies, and effective communications to enable customers to use water wisely.

How many cases of online fraud and scams were reported in (a) Fylde constituency and (b) Lancashire in the last 12 months.

A constituency level breakdown is unavailable. However, 5,991 fraud incidents, of all types, were reported to Action Fraud in Lancashire in the year ending May 2025, totalling £30m in reported losses. 67% of these were cyber-enabled, meaning there were approximately 4,000 frauds reported in Lancashire with an online component in the year ending May 2025 (this includes both individuals and businesses).Lancashire Constabulary receive support from the National Economic Crime Victim Care Unit (NECVCU) at a level 1 and 2 service (Level 1: appropriate support to less complex cases where there is no indication of vulnerability, Level 2: more complex and difficult cases, where an indication of vulnerability has been identified). Since the inception of the NECVCU service in 2018, 13,169 victims of fraud and cyber crime from Lancashire have been through the service across levels 1 and 2.All victims who report to Action Fraud, including those in Lancashire, will receive a response and advice on how to protect themselves from fraud. If a victim’s case is being investigated, they receive support from the investigating force. If the case is not disseminated for investigation, it will be triaged for vulnerability and referred to the NECVCU. Cases with the highest level of vulnerability and those outside of the scope of the NECVCU (e.g. under 18s and businesses) will be sent to local police forces for safeguarding advice.Funding for the NECVCU services is allocated at a national level and is not broken down by number of victims per force. Home Office investment in the NECVCU for the last five financial years (FY) is set out below. The table sets out actual spend in financial years 2021/22-2024/25, and the indicative budget allocation for financial year 2025/26. All figures are provided to 1 decimal place:FY 2021/22 Actual SpendFY 2022/23 Actual SpendFY 2023/24 Actual SpendFY 2024/25 Actual SpendFY 2025/26 Indicative Budget5-year total£2.2m£2.2m£3.2m£3.3m£4.1m£15.0m The NECVCU endeavours to make victims feel safer and more confident, whilst assisting them to recover from the crime and reduce the likelihood of repeat victimisation. We do not hold data on force or constituency level revictimisation rates, but less than 1% of all the victims who engaged with the NECVCU at either level 1 or level 2 returned to the service.We do not hold data on response times by forces, however 74% of level 2 victims are contacted by the NECVCU within 12 days of their initial report. However, there have been instances where the NECVCU have responded within 72 hours for those victims who present as extremely vulnerable.

Pursuant to the Answer of 3 June 2025 to Question 54074 on Fraud: Lancashire, whether her Department has assessed the effectiveness of the National Economic Crime Victim Care Unit in reducing repeat victimisation in (a) Fylde constituency and (b) Lancashire.

A constituency level breakdown is unavailable. However, 5,991 fraud incidents, of all types, were reported to Action Fraud in Lancashire in the year ending May 2025, totalling £30m in reported losses. 67% of these were cyber-enabled, meaning there were approximately 4,000 frauds reported in Lancashire with an online component in the year ending May 2025 (this includes both individuals and businesses).Lancashire Constabulary receive support from the National Economic Crime Victim Care Unit (NECVCU) at a level 1 and 2 service (Level 1: appropriate support to less complex cases where there is no indication of vulnerability, Level 2: more complex and difficult cases, where an indication of vulnerability has been identified). Since the inception of the NECVCU service in 2018, 13,169 victims of fraud and cyber crime from Lancashire have been through the service across levels 1 and 2.All victims who report to Action Fraud, including those in Lancashire, will receive a response and advice on how to protect themselves from fraud. If a victim’s case is being investigated, they receive support from the investigating force. If the case is not disseminated for investigation, it will be triaged for vulnerability and referred to the NECVCU. Cases with the highest level of vulnerability and those outside of the scope of the NECVCU (e.g. under 18s and businesses) will be sent to local police forces for safeguarding advice.Funding for the NECVCU services is allocated at a national level and is not broken down by number of victims per force. Home Office investment in the NECVCU for the last five financial years (FY) is set out below. The table sets out actual spend in financial years 2021/22-2024/25, and the indicative budget allocation for financial year 2025/26. All figures are provided to 1 decimal place:FY 2021/22 Actual SpendFY 2022/23 Actual SpendFY 2023/24 Actual SpendFY 2024/25 Actual SpendFY 2025/26 Indicative Budget5-year total£2.2m£2.2m£3.2m£3.3m£4.1m£15.0m The NECVCU endeavours to make victims feel safer and more confident, whilst assisting them to recover from the crime and reduce the likelihood of repeat victimisation. We do not hold data on force or constituency level revictimisation rates, but less than 1% of all the victims who engaged with the NECVCU at either level 1 or level 2 returned to the service.We do not hold data on response times by forces, however 74% of level 2 victims are contacted by the NECVCU within 12 days of their initial report. However, there have been instances where the NECVCU have responded within 72 hours for those victims who present as extremely vulnerable.

Pursuant to the Answer of 3 June 2025 to Question 54074 on Fraud: Lancashire, whether the National Economic Crime Victim Care Unit has a (a) presence and (b) partnership with local police forces in (i) Fylde constituency and (ii) Lancashire.

A constituency level breakdown is unavailable. However, 5,991 fraud incidents, of all types, were reported to Action Fraud in Lancashire in the year ending May 2025, totalling £30m in reported losses. 67% of these were cyber-enabled, meaning there were approximately 4,000 frauds reported in Lancashire with an online component in the year ending May 2025 (this includes both individuals and businesses).Lancashire Constabulary receive support from the National Economic Crime Victim Care Unit (NECVCU) at a level 1 and 2 service (Level 1: appropriate support to less complex cases where there is no indication of vulnerability, Level 2: more complex and difficult cases, where an indication of vulnerability has been identified). Since the inception of the NECVCU service in 2018, 13,169 victims of fraud and cyber crime from Lancashire have been through the service across levels 1 and 2.All victims who report to Action Fraud, including those in Lancashire, will receive a response and advice on how to protect themselves from fraud. If a victim’s case is being investigated, they receive support from the investigating force. If the case is not disseminated for investigation, it will be triaged for vulnerability and referred to the NECVCU. Cases with the highest level of vulnerability and those outside of the scope of the NECVCU (e.g. under 18s and businesses) will be sent to local police forces for safeguarding advice.Funding for the NECVCU services is allocated at a national level and is not broken down by number of victims per force. Home Office investment in the NECVCU for the last five financial years (FY) is set out below. The table sets out actual spend in financial years 2021/22-2024/25, and the indicative budget allocation for financial year 2025/26. All figures are provided to 1 decimal place:FY 2021/22 Actual SpendFY 2022/23 Actual SpendFY 2023/24 Actual SpendFY 2024/25 Actual SpendFY 2025/26 Indicative Budget5-year total£2.2m£2.2m£3.2m£3.3m£4.1m£15.0m The NECVCU endeavours to make victims feel safer and more confident, whilst assisting them to recover from the crime and reduce the likelihood of repeat victimisation. We do not hold data on force or constituency level revictimisation rates, but less than 1% of all the victims who engaged with the NECVCU at either level 1 or level 2 returned to the service.We do not hold data on response times by forces, however 74% of level 2 victims are contacted by the NECVCU within 12 days of their initial report. However, there have been instances where the NECVCU have responded within 72 hours for those victims who present as extremely vulnerable.

Pursuant to the Answer of 3 June 2025 to Question 54074 on Fraud: Lancashire, how many victims of online fraud and scams have received support from the National Economic Crime Victim Care Unit in (a) Fylde constituency and (b) Lancashire since its inception in 2018.

A constituency level breakdown is unavailable. However, 5,991 fraud incidents, of all types, were reported to Action Fraud in Lancashire in the year ending May 2025, totalling £30m in reported losses. 67% of these were cyber-enabled, meaning there were approximately 4,000 frauds reported in Lancashire with an online component in the year ending May 2025 (this includes both individuals and businesses).Lancashire Constabulary receive support from the National Economic Crime Victim Care Unit (NECVCU) at a level 1 and 2 service (Level 1: appropriate support to less complex cases where there is no indication of vulnerability, Level 2: more complex and difficult cases, where an indication of vulnerability has been identified). Since the inception of the NECVCU service in 2018, 13,169 victims of fraud and cyber crime from Lancashire have been through the service across levels 1 and 2.All victims who report to Action Fraud, including those in Lancashire, will receive a response and advice on how to protect themselves from fraud. If a victim’s case is being investigated, they receive support from the investigating force. If the case is not disseminated for investigation, it will be triaged for vulnerability and referred to the NECVCU. Cases with the highest level of vulnerability and those outside of the scope of the NECVCU (e.g. under 18s and businesses) will be sent to local police forces for safeguarding advice.Funding for the NECVCU services is allocated at a national level and is not broken down by number of victims per force. Home Office investment in the NECVCU for the last five financial years (FY) is set out below. The table sets out actual spend in financial years 2021/22-2024/25, and the indicative budget allocation for financial year 2025/26. All figures are provided to 1 decimal place:FY 2021/22 Actual SpendFY 2022/23 Actual SpendFY 2023/24 Actual SpendFY 2024/25 Actual SpendFY 2025/26 Indicative Budget5-year total£2.2m£2.2m£3.2m£3.3m£4.1m£15.0m The NECVCU endeavours to make victims feel safer and more confident, whilst assisting them to recover from the crime and reduce the likelihood of repeat victimisation. We do not hold data on force or constituency level revictimisation rates, but less than 1% of all the victims who engaged with the NECVCU at either level 1 or level 2 returned to the service.We do not hold data on response times by forces, however 74% of level 2 victims are contacted by the NECVCU within 12 days of their initial report. However, there have been instances where the NECVCU have responded within 72 hours for those victims who present as extremely vulnerable.

Pursuant to the Answer of 3 June 2025 to Question 54074 on Fraud: Lancashire, what the average response time is for victims of online fraud and scams to receive support from the National Economic Crime Victim Care Unit after reporting an incident.

A constituency level breakdown is unavailable. However, 5,991 fraud incidents, of all types, were reported to Action Fraud in Lancashire in the year ending May 2025, totalling £30m in reported losses. 67% of these were cyber-enabled, meaning there were approximately 4,000 frauds reported in Lancashire with an online component in the year ending May 2025 (this includes both individuals and businesses).Lancashire Constabulary receive support from the National Economic Crime Victim Care Unit (NECVCU) at a level 1 and 2 service (Level 1: appropriate support to less complex cases where there is no indication of vulnerability, Level 2: more complex and difficult cases, where an indication of vulnerability has been identified). Since the inception of the NECVCU service in 2018, 13,169 victims of fraud and cyber crime from Lancashire have been through the service across levels 1 and 2.All victims who report to Action Fraud, including those in Lancashire, will receive a response and advice on how to protect themselves from fraud. If a victim’s case is being investigated, they receive support from the investigating force. If the case is not disseminated for investigation, it will be triaged for vulnerability and referred to the NECVCU. Cases with the highest level of vulnerability and those outside of the scope of the NECVCU (e.g. under 18s and businesses) will be sent to local police forces for safeguarding advice.Funding for the NECVCU services is allocated at a national level and is not broken down by number of victims per force. Home Office investment in the NECVCU for the last five financial years (FY) is set out below. The table sets out actual spend in financial years 2021/22-2024/25, and the indicative budget allocation for financial year 2025/26. All figures are provided to 1 decimal place:FY 2021/22 Actual SpendFY 2022/23 Actual SpendFY 2023/24 Actual SpendFY 2024/25 Actual SpendFY 2025/26 Indicative Budget5-year total£2.2m£2.2m£3.2m£3.3m£4.1m£15.0m The NECVCU endeavours to make victims feel safer and more confident, whilst assisting them to recover from the crime and reduce the likelihood of repeat victimisation. We do not hold data on force or constituency level revictimisation rates, but less than 1% of all the victims who engaged with the NECVCU at either level 1 or level 2 returned to the service.We do not hold data on response times by forces, however 74% of level 2 victims are contacted by the NECVCU within 12 days of their initial report. However, there have been instances where the NECVCU have responded within 72 hours for those victims who present as extremely vulnerable.

Media and Sport, how much funding her Department allocated for the preservation of historic sites in Fylde in the last 12 months.

Over the past five years Historic England, an Arms Length Body of DCMS, has provided a total of £1,545,946 to support the Kirkham High Street Heritage Action Zone, delivered by. The final payment of £358,835 was made in July 2024.The Kirkham programme revitalised the town's historic center by restoring 7 traditional shopfronts, conservation of a historic building, and enhancing the high street’s visual character. The programme also fostered community engagement through 5 events, and delivered 2 construction skills training training activities sessions to support local skills development, and created 3 town guides and heritage trails to help residents and visitors explore Kirkham’s unique heritage.13 claims have been paid to 7 Listed Places of Worship in the Fylde constituency area through the Listed Places of Worship Grant scheme between June 2024 to May 2025 totalling £42,778.43.The National Lottery Heritage Fund has not made any awards in Fylde in the last 12 months. However, since 1994, the Heritage Fund has awarded a total of £6.7m to 36 projects of all types in the constituency of Fylde.

Pursuant to the Answer of 3 June 2025 to Question 54086 on Active Travel: Lancashire, what measures her Department has put in place to help ensure that the funding allocated to Lancashire County Council for projects in (a) Fylde constituency and (b) other areas is transparently (i) tracked and (ii) reported on.

Following the conclusion of the Spending Review, the Department will publish a third cycling and walking investment strategy (CWIS3). This will set out the long-term funding for active travel including infrastructure and programmes such as Bikeability. Since 2020 Lancashire County Council has been awarded over £10.5 million of funding to improve the safety and accessibility of infrastructure through the Active Travel Fund. While it is for local authorities to decide where investment is prioritised in their local transport networks, Active Travel England (ATE) works with them through the Design Assurance Process which uses tools, checks and other processes to ensure quality and safety are designed into new and existing infrastructure. ATE is regularly engaged with the Council through our regional engagement managers. Earlier this year ATE published best practice guidance for authorities on how to engage communities on the prioritisation and delivery of schemes. Guidance on monitoring and evaluation has been provided to support authorities in transparently tracking the impact of their funding.

Pursuant to the Answer of 3 June 2025 to Question 54086 on Active Travel: Lancashire, whether she plans to increase (a) capital and (b) revenue funding for active travel schemes in Lancashire after the 2025-26 financial year.

Following the conclusion of the Spending Review, the Department will publish a third cycling and walking investment strategy (CWIS3). This will set out the long-term funding for active travel including infrastructure and programmes such as Bikeability. Since 2020 Lancashire County Council has been awarded over £10.5 million of funding to improve the safety and accessibility of infrastructure through the Active Travel Fund. While it is for local authorities to decide where investment is prioritised in their local transport networks, Active Travel England (ATE) works with them through the Design Assurance Process which uses tools, checks and other processes to ensure quality and safety are designed into new and existing infrastructure. ATE is regularly engaged with the Council through our regional engagement managers. Earlier this year ATE published best practice guidance for authorities on how to engage communities on the prioritisation and delivery of schemes. Guidance on monitoring and evaluation has been provided to support authorities in transparently tracking the impact of their funding.

Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 3 June 2025 to Question 54446 on Environmental Land Management Schemes: Lancashire, when his Department plans to publish detailed (a) eligibility criteria and (b) payment rates for the reformed Sustainable Farming Incentive offer following the 2025 spending review.

We expect to publish more information about the reformed Sustainable Farming Incentive offer in summer 2025.

Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 3 June 2025 to Question 54446 on Environmental Land Management Schemes: Lancashire, which (a) stakeholder groups and (b) representative farming organisations his Department has consulted on the development of the future Sustainable Farming Incentive offer.

Defra is working closely with farmers and industry stakeholders, including the National Farmers Union, the Country Land and Business Association, the Tenant Farmers Association, the Nature Friendly Farming Network, the Agricultural Industries Confederation, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, National Trust and the Green Alliance and a further group of 30 industry stakeholders, to design a future Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) offer that fairly and responsibly directs funding. Further details about the reformed SFI offer will be announced later in the summer.

What steps she is taking to support the teaching of local history in schools.

The national curriculum provides a broad framework within which schools have the flexibility to develop the content of their own curricula. Local history is a compulsory element of the history curriculum across key stages 1 to 3, enabling schools to explore topics relevant to their communities. Historic England’s Heritage Schools Programme, funded by the Department for Culture Media and Sport, provides continuous professional development support and resources to help schools teach their local history.The government has established an independent Curriculum and Assessment Review, chaired by Professor Becky Francis CBE. The Review wants to ensure a rich, broad, inclusive and innovative curriculum that readies young people for life and work. The Review Group published an interim report on 18 March, accessible at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/curriculum-and-assessment-review-interim-report.The Review’s final report with recommendations will be published in the autumn.

Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 3 June 2025 to Question 54446 on Environmental Land Management Schemes: Lancashire, how much and what proportion of the £5 billion of funding in the farming budget will be allocated to support for farmers in (a) Fylde and (b) Lancashire in the next two years.

The budget for 2025/26 is £2.4 billion. Spending on farming in future financial years will be confirmed as part of the government’s spending review. The farming budget is not ring fenced according to area but will depend on which schemes and grants farmers have agreements for and/or apply for.

Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to encourage young people to engage with (a) Scouts, (b) Girlguiding and (c) other youth organisations in Fylde.

This Government recognises the transformative role that youth services play in young people’s lives, including the important role that Scouts and Girlguiding play in providing young people with opportunities to take part in new activities, make new friends and build skills for life. I have met with both organisations in my capacity as Minister for Youth.In a written statement on 15 May 2025, the Secretary of State announced DCMS’ commitment to provide over £28 million to increase access to more and better enriching activities for young people. This includes £7.5 million funding to increase access to uniformed youth groups in areas of unmet demand and reach more young people from harder to reach communities, who are underrepresented in these organisations. Over £2.4 million of this funding has been awarded to the Scouts and over £1.4 million to Girlguiding in 2025/2026. It is the organisation's decision on how best to allocate the funding to meet objectives.We are also co-producing a new National Youth Strategy with young people and the sectors that support them. The strategy will allow us to put young people back in charge of their own destiny, provide them with meaningful choices and chances and rebuild a thriving and sustainable sector. The Strategy will be published in the summer.

With reference to figure 4 on page 52 of the Strategic Defence Review, published on 2 June 2025, whether he considered including BAE Systems in Wharton in Fylde constituency in that map of the nationwide defence industry.

Figure 4 is an indicative map of the representation of the defence industry across the United Kingdom, intended to highlight a range of companies and organisations, equipment and technologies, and regional presence. The final examples of industrial and research sites were drawn from a long list of sites, including in Lancashire.

With reference to section 7.4.6 of the Strategic Defence Review 2025, published on 2 June 2025, which aircraft will replace the Typhoon.

The Government is committed to upgrading Typhoons and driving exports of Typhoons abroad. The Strategic Defence Review does not recommend reductions in fast jets for the RAF, but it confirms the Government's commitment to GCAP, to upgrade Typhoons and no reductions in the number of F35sBs and F35As.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to support households impacted by drought.

Defra requires water companies to have robust plans to manage droughts and protect customer supplies. This includes early actions such as enhanced leakage management, appropriate balancing of supplies, and effective communications to enable customers to use water wisely. In the event of temporary use bans, known as hosepipe bans, being required, Defra expect water companies to protect vulnerable customers and include exceptions for certain customers groups including those on the priority services register or blue badge holders. Water companies must set out exceptions in their drought plans and should demonstrate how they will balance the need for water savings against adverse effects on customers. Defra and the Environment Agency (EA) check water companies follow these plans appropriately when activated. Water companies must undertake an annual drought health check. During the current drier conditions, more frequent reporting is required, including through the national drought group and sub-groups convened by Defra and the EA. This helps drive active monitoring and early action to protect households from drought risks. Defra requires water companies, through water resources management plans, to increase drought resilience and ensure resilience to 1 in 500 year drought events by 2040 without the need for emergency drought orders, including standpipes.

Pursuant to the Answer of 2 June 2025 to Question 54081 on Schools: Fylde, how many schools are expected to experience a real-terms decrease in funding in 2025-26 after accounting for (a) inflation, (b) increased staffing costs and (c) energy bills in (i) Lancashire and (ii) Fylde.

The overall core schools budget is increasing by £3.7 billion in the 2025/26 financial year, which is a 6% overall increase in cash terms. The data which the department holds on the real terms increase in schools funding is at a national level. The latest schools funding statistics release was published on 30 January 2025. It showed school funding for pupils aged 5 to 16 was projected to increase by 1.2% in real terms in the 2025/26 financial year at a national level.This analysis does not include the additional funding provided to support schools with the cost of National Insurance contributions (NICs) increases in March 2025, nor the extra funding announced alongside the teacher pay award on 22 May. Schools will, on average, be expected to find approximately the first 1 percentage point of pay awards through improved productivity and smarter spending. The government will fund the pay award above this level through new and existing funding increases. The department will be further developing the current suite of initiatives to support schools with their workforce, commercial and asset management.Through the dedicated schools grant (DSG), Lancashire local authority is attracting on average, £6,348 per pupil (excluding growth and falling rolls funding) in the 2025/26 financial year. This represents an increase of 2.4% per pupil compared to the 2024/25 financial year (excluding growth and falling rolls funding) when it attracted £5,863 per pupil. These figures do not include the additional funding provided to support schools with the cost of NICs and the Schools Budget Support Grant funding alongside the teacher pay award. The actual funding that individual schools in Lancashire receive is determined by the operation of Lancashire’s local formula.We cannot provide the equivalent figures for Fylde constituency as the DSG is allocated at local authority level.The figures above are provided on a cash basis. We also publish real-terms statistics on schools funding at the national level. We use the GDP deflator to calculate real-terms funding levels.

Pursuant to the Answer of 2 June 2025 to Question 54075 on Care Homes: Fylde, what steps he is taking to improve recruitment and retention of care home staff in (a) Fylde and (b) other (i) rural and (ii) coastal areas.

English local authorities have responsibility under the Care Act 2014 to meet social care needs, and statutory guidance directs them to ensure there is sufficient workforce in adult social care (ASC).The Government recognises the scale of reforms needed to make the ASC sector attractive, to support sustainable workforce growth, and to improve the recruitment and retention of the domestic workforce. This is why we are introducing the first ever Fair Pay Agreement to the ASC sector so that care professionals are recognised and rewarded for the important work that they do.We are also supporting the professionalisation of the ASC workforce, including through the expansion of the Care Workforce Pathway to a further four roles, including registered manager and deputy manager roles. The pathway sets out how people can develop a long-term career in adult social care, with the right support and training to help attract people to join, and remain in, the sectorWe are also continuing to fund the Adult Social Care Learning Development Support Scheme to help people build their skills and careers in care. The scheme is backed by up to £12 million this financial year and includes qualifications that support skills development in the quality of care more broadly, as well as opportunities to develop leadership and management skills.The Market Sustainability and Improvement Fund (MSIF) will provide over £1 billion for ASC to local authorities over 2025/26. The MSIF is designed to support increased ASC capacity and improve market sustainability. One of the three target areas local authorities can spend their allocation on is increasing ASC workforce recruitment and retention.