Written questions by Snowden.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential economic impact of avian influenza on poultry producers in (a) Fylde and (b) Lancashire since 2022.

There have been no confirmed cases of HPAI H5N1 in Fylde or Lancashire since the start of the outbreak. Following the detection of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in poultry and other captive birds in the UK, Defra and the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) together with the Devolved Governments and their delivery agencies have stood up their well-established outbreak structures to control and eradicate disease, restore normal trade, and assist local communities’ recovery. Defra’s disease control measures seek to contain the number of animals that need to be culled, either for disease control purposes or to safeguard animal welfare. Our approach aims to reduce adverse impacts on the rural and wider economy, the public, rural communities and the environment (including impact on wildlife), whilst protecting public health and minimising the overall cost of any outbreak. In response to the unprecedented outbreaks of avian influenza in October 2022 Defra’s approach to compensation was updated to involve earlier assessment of the number of healthy birds and swifter calculation of compensation. This allows Defra to provide earlier certainty about entitlement to compensation; better reflects the impact of outbreaks on premises; and leads to swifter payments to help stem any cash flow pressures for producers directly affected.

What recent assessment she has made of trends in the level of waiting times for driving licence renewals in (a) Fylde constituency and (b) Lancashire.

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA)’s online services are the quickest and easiest way to renew a driving licence. There are no delays in successful online applications and customers should receive their driving licence within a few days. There are also no delays in straightforward paper driving licence applications which are being processed within normal turnaround times and drivers should receive their driving licence within three weeks.Driving licence applications where a medical condition must be investigated before a licence can be issued can take longer. The length of time taken depends on the condition(s) involved and whether further information is required from third parties, for example doctors or other healthcare professionals, before a decision on whether to issue a licence can be made.

Media and Sport, whether she plans to increase funding levels for grassroots sports facilities in (a) Fylde and (b) other rural areas.

The Government is committed to ensuring that everyone, regardless of where they live, has access to and benefits from quality sport and physical activity opportunities.The Government provides the majority of funding for grassroots sport through our Arm’s Length Body, Sport England - which annually invests over £250 million in Exchequer and Lottery funding in areas of greatest need to tackle inactivity levels through community-led solutions.In March, DCMS confirmed an additional £100 million investment in new and upgraded facilities across the UK as part of our Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities Programme. Our delivery partner for the programme in England is the Football Foundation, who plan their investment pipeline using Local Football Facility Plans (LFFPs), which are developed in partnership with local authorities so as to understand the needs of each community. These plans are currently being updated to better reflect demand in 2025.Future funding is subject to the ongoing Spending Review process, with further details to follow in due course.

What recent steps she has taken to ensure that the hospitality sector has adequate access to (a) seasonal, (b) international and (c) other labour.

The Government’s Immigration White Paper, published on 12 May 2025, sets out how relevant sectors will need to develop workforce strategies to reduce their reliance on international labour, including the hospitality sector. Further details will be set out in due course.

Media and Sport, what recent assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the pub sector on tourism to the UK.

DCMS recognises that pubs are an integral part of the UK’s cultural heritage and tourism offer. While no recent assessment has been made, pubs supports local economies particularly in rural and historic areas, by encouraging longer stays and increased visitor spending. In the Autumn Budget in October 2024, the Government announced an extension of the business rate relief scheme for retail, hospitality, and leisure worth over £1.5 billion in 2025/26. DCMS continues to work closely with the industry to ensure support for such an important part of our nation's history.

Food and Rural Affairs, what support his Department is providing to farmers and agricultural businesses in (a) Fylde, (b) Lancashire and (c) the North West impacted by the drought conditions.

The Environment Agency (EA) in the North West is meeting regularly with the National Farmers Union, in relation to the water situation (most recently last week). The EA released an updated Area Irrigation Prospect Report to inform the agriculture community of the current water resources situation to help farmers plan their water needs for the summer. The prospects for water resources irrigation availability in Cumbria and Lancashire are currently moderate, meaning controls on abstractions are possible. Abstractors must operate in accordance with licence conditions issued, an important mechanism to protect water rights. There are currently no concerns regarding irrigation from groundwater. Defra recognises the need to support water resources resilience of the agricultural sector. Government have funded Water Resources West to help create Water Abstractor Groups (WAG), which work collaboratively to find water resources solutions. The government are funding Local Resource Option screening studies, with the latest funding launched on 4 June, supporting farmers to collaborate on water resources resilience. Studies will assess shared options such as multi-farm reservoirs, water trading, or rainwater harvesting for the farmer groups, enabling future delivery.

If her Department will make an assessment of the potential impact of pubs on (a) social cohesion and (b) economic activities.

We recognise the vital role pubs play in driving economic growth and strengthening community cohesion across the UK, I co-chair the Hospitality Sector Council to discuss matters affecting the sector and to recognise their contribution to the economy, which was around £50bn GVA in 2024, representing 2% total UK output. We've recently launched Hospitality Sector-based Work Academy Programmes (SWAPs), which fast-track individuals into hospitality vacancies by providing flexible training and support for job seekers.Additionally, we've launched a new £1.5 million Hospitality Fund to co-invest in projects that boost productivity and help community pubs adapt to local needs. We're working with the Licensing Taskforce to reduce burdens and encourage growth.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to engage with local communities impacted by drought.

The Environment Agency (EA) has been working to ensure that United Utilities follows its drought plan, as agreed by Defra Secretary of State, including its communications with the public / customers and ensuring the company engaged with local partners via Local Resilience Forums. The EA has contacted all the MPs in Cumbria and Lancashire on two occasions. The first on 13 May 2025 gave an initial update about the prolonged dry weather and MPs were advised on the actions the EA were taking. The EA updated MPs on 30 May 2025 to advise that the northwest was now in drought status. The EA has put out regular messages on social media to provide updates of the current drought situation. The EA has also carried out media interviews and provided statements to the press for any questions they had. Last week the EA issued a press release which was uploaded to gov.uk about the current dry weather / drought situation. The EA has been in regular liaison with the NFU, Canal & Rivers Trust and Fishery owners to gather intelligence on impacts, provide advice and guidance and confirm approach to regulation of licensed abstractions.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of drought on the economy of the North West; and what steps he is taking to help mitigate that impact.

We are taking action to mitigate the impacts by:Working closely with the water companies to ensure that they implement their statutory drought plans. We expect water companies to be undertaking extra leakage activity and enhanced communications with their customers to use less water.We have convened the National Drought Group which includes senior decision-makers from across Government and principal drought stakeholders. It provides a cross-sector strategic steer on drought management in EnglandPublishing irrigation forecasts for the agricultural sector and providing advice to farmers and growers so they can assess and plan their water needs this summer.Working with fishery owners to ensure plans are in place to manage dry weather.

Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to review planning regulations on the conversion of public houses to other uses.

Planning permission is always required for the material change of use of a public house to another use, and the government has no plans to change this.

Media and Sport, what (a) nightclubs and (b) electronic music organisations her Department (i) consulted in the development of the Arts Everywhere Fund and (ii) is consulting in the development of the 12-point plan for music.

The £270 million Arts Everywhere Fund is made up of multiple funds which will support arts venues, museums, libraries and the heritage sector. The Creative Foundations Fund will invest £85 million to support arts and cultural organisations across England to resolve urgent issues with their estates. This fund is specifically designed to support not-for-profit arts organisations within the funding remit of Arts Council England. Eligible organisations must be not-for-profit and show that their primary aims are cultural and their activities fall within the remit of ACE. They must have delivered cultural activity in the last 12 months and be able to demonstrate that the investment is business-critical to delivering creative or cultural activity. Full eligibility details in the guidance can be found on ACE’s website. The fund was developed in partnership with Arts Council England (ACE), drawing on its knowledge of the arts and culture sector. We are continuing to support ACE’s Supporting Grassroots Music Fund by providing £2.5 million funding in 2025-26. This provides grants to grassroots music organisations, including those that host or promote electronic music. The Government’s industrial strategy is prioritising the creative industries, and we will publish a Creative Industries Sector Plan to set out measures to drive growth in the sector. DCMS is developing a music plan which will build on the Creative Industries Sector Plan, and on which we will work in partnership with representatives from across the music sector.

Whether he has made an estimate of the prevalence of long covid in adults in (a) England and (b) Lancashire.

The most recent data from the Winter COVID-19 Infection Study, a joint study carried out by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) and the UK Health Security Agency, shows that, for the period 6 February 2024 to 7 March 2024, an estimated two million people, or 3.3% of the population, in private households in England and Scotland, self-reported experiencing long COVID symptoms more than four weeks after a COVID-19 infection. The following table shows a breakdown of this figure by age group:Age groupEstimateThree to 17 years old111,81618 to 34 years old406,53835 to 44 years old294,09945 to 54 years old397,80255 to 64 years old389,97765 to 74 years old271,37475 years old and over113,467 While no estimate has been made specifically for Lancashire, the same dataset from the ONS estimated 270,939 people of all ages self-reporting experiencing long COVID symptoms in the North West of England region in that same time period.

Whether he has made an estimate of the prevalence of long covid in children and young people in (a) England and (b) Lancashire.

The most recent data from the Winter COVID-19 Infection Study, a joint study carried out by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) and the UK Health Security Agency, shows that, for the period 6 February 2024 to 7 March 2024, an estimated two million people, or 3.3% of the population, in private households in England and Scotland, self-reported experiencing long COVID symptoms more than four weeks after a COVID-19 infection. The following table shows a breakdown of this figure by age group:Age groupEstimateThree to 17 years old111,81618 to 34 years old406,53835 to 44 years old294,09945 to 54 years old397,80255 to 64 years old389,97765 to 74 years old271,37475 years old and over113,467 While no estimate has been made specifically for Lancashire, the same dataset from the ONS estimated 270,939 people of all ages self-reporting experiencing long COVID symptoms in the North West of England region in that same time period.

Communities and Local Government, how much agricultural land has been converted for solar panel use in (a) England, (b) Lancashire and (c) Fylde constituency in the last 10 years.

The government places great importance upon our agricultural land and food production. The National Planning Policy Framework is clear that planning policies and decisions should recognise the benefits of the Best and Most Versatile Agricultural Land (land in grades 1, 2 and 3a of the Agricultural Land Classification (ALC) system). Where significant development of agricultural land is demonstrated to be necessary, areas of poorer quality land should be preferred to those of a higher quality. As of the end of September 2024, ground-mounted solar PV panels covered an estimated 21,200 hectares. This amounts to around 0.1% of the land area of the UK. The government does not hold information on the number of ground-mounted solar projects that have been permitted and built on different agricultural grades, or the number of acres of grade 1 and 2 land which has been built on since 2020.

What recent assessment he has made of the affordability of weekly care home fees in (a) Fylde and (b) Lancashire.

Fee rates are set by providers of adult social care, the majority of which are in the independent sector. The Department does not have powers to set or recommend the level of fees that care homes charge. However, all businesses are required to comply with the Consumer Rights Act 2015 by ensuring that they use fair and clear terms in their standard agreements with customers.As well as self-funders sourcing their own care, local authorities also agree fees with care home providers for local authority funded placements. According to Market Sustainability Fund data, in 2023/24, Lancashire paid an average care home fee rate of £707 without nursing, and £738 with nursing. Further information is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/market-sustainability-and-improvement-fund-2024-to-2025-care-provider-fees/market-sustainability-and-improvement-fund-msif-provider-fee-reporting-2024-to-2025#main-pointsWe have launched an independent commission into adult social care as part of our critical first steps towards delivering a National Care Service. The Commission will deliver recommendations for the transformation of adult social care including how to best create a fair and affordable adult social care system.

What steps his Department is taking to help reduce the cost of care home placements in (a) Fylde and (b) Lancashire.

Fee rates are set by providers of adult social care, the majority of which are in the independent sector. The Department does not have powers to set or recommend the level of fees that care homes charge. However, all businesses are required to comply with the Consumer Rights Act 2015 by ensuring that they use fair and clear terms in their standard agreements with customers.As well as self-funders sourcing their own care, local authorities also agree fees with care home providers for local authority funded placements. According to Market Sustainability Fund data, in 2023/24, Lancashire paid an average care home fee rate of £707 without nursing, and £738 with nursing. Further information is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/market-sustainability-and-improvement-fund-2024-to-2025-care-provider-fees/market-sustainability-and-improvement-fund-msif-provider-fee-reporting-2024-to-2025#main-pointsWe have launched an independent commission into adult social care as part of our critical first steps towards delivering a National Care Service. The Commission will deliver recommendations for the transformation of adult social care including how to best create a fair and affordable adult social care system.

Pursuant to the Answer of 15 May 2025 to Question 51549 on Exercise: Older People, what metrics her Department is using to measure the success of the NHS 10 walking app.

The UK Chief Medical Officers’ (CMOs) physical activity guidelines recommend that adults accumulate at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity activity per week, such as brisk walking. The NHS Active 10 app records brisk walking minutes, supporting users to incorporate more moderate-intensity activity into their daily lives. The app rewards users for every 10-minute segment of moderate-intensity activity completed, providing motivation to increase and sustain higher activity levels over time. Metrics collected to monitor the impact of the app include downloads, daily and monthly active users, and summary data of active minutes. The app has been downloaded over 1.7 million times and supports over 95,000 monthly active users to get more active. A time series analysis conducted in 2024, pending publication, indicates that the average app user increases their daily brisk walking by nine minutes, immediately following download of the NHS Active 10 app.

Pursuant to the Answer of 26 March 2025 to Question 39631 on Armed Forces: Fylde, what assessment he has made of the potential (a) financial, (b) geographic and (c) cultural barriers to participation in the Cadet forces.

We are committed to sustaining and growing the Ministry of Defence (MOD) Cadet Forces across the UK, including in the Fylde constituency. Uplift in Cadet numbers will benefit all regions of the UK, but it will be targeted at those communities most in need. Given the fantastic benefits which can be gained from the Cadet experience we want more young people to be able to join and we aim to significantly grow both community and school Cadet numbers, expanding by 30% by 2030, with an ambition to reach 250,000 in the longer term. To encourage young people to join, the Cadet Force headquarters run national and regional marketing campaigns showcasing the benefits of personal development, adventure, and community involvement. The Cadet Forces are also very active on social media with regular posts publicising activities and further information about joining is also posted on the Cadet Forces’ websites. The Cadet Forces are inclusive organisations, committed to equality of opportunity for young people with activities heavily subsidised to ensure inclusivity. We are proud of the fact that we invest a significant amount in our Cadet Forces, and it is worth noting that if the cadet experience helps just 1% of cadets every year change their life outcomes so that they are in employment, education or training, the annual cost of the Cadet Forces is covered. Independent research shows that participation in the Cadet Forces has significant positive impacts on young people. It increases their performance at school and improves their employment and career prospects and the impact is particularly strong for those cadets that suffer economic and other disadvantages.

If she will make an assessment of the effectiveness of current regulations on the use of illegally modified electric bikes on public highways.

A modified e-cycle is only road-legal where it complies in full with the requirements set out in the Electrically Assisted Pedal Cycle Regulations 1983. Where this is not the case, the e-cycle is classed as a motor vehicle and needs to be approved and registered with the DVLA, as well as being taxed and insured. Enforcement of these requirements is a matter for the police, who already have powers to seize illegally modified e-cycles and to fine individuals who fail to stop when instructed to do so. The Government is also providing the police with more powers to make it easier for them to seize any vehicle, including illegally modified e-cycles, where it is being used in an anti-social manner. Measures contained in the Crime and Policing Bill will allow the police to seize the vehicle without first being required to provide the rider with a warning. This will help get dangerous and unsafe e-bikes off our roads for good.

What steps he is taking to provide support to business to reassess their supply chain strategies following the introduction of new tariffs to existing supply chains in Fylde constituency.

We will continue our work with businesses in the North-West and across the country to understand their assessment of the impact of US tariffs on their operations. On 8 May we concluded a landmark economic deal with the US, which cuts tariffs for UK industry and cuts costs for businesses.What we have agreed will provide the foundation for a new reciprocal trading partnership between the US and the UK, protecting businesses and jobs across the country. We are continuing talks on a wider UK-US Economic Deal which will look at increasing digital trade, enhancing access for our world-leading services industries and improving supply chains.The Government has announced a range of measures to support SMEs, including access to additional finance through the British Business Bank and sector specific measures.We are also expanding UKEF’s business support package by £20 billion, with £10 billion specifically aimed at businesses impacted by the current US tariffs.Any business which is concerned about what tariff changes mean for them can find clear guidance and support on great.gov.uk.