Written questions by Snowden.

What recent assessment she has made of trends in the level of drop-outs from vocational courses in Fylde constituency; and what steps she is taking to help improve course completion rates.

The department's guidance on qualification achievement rates (QARs) includes official statistics on levels of achievement for a range of qualifications, including vocational learning. QARs are not published by parliamentary constituency, but full-year data for adult (19+) further education and skills in Fylde shows that there were 2,100 learner achievements in 2023/24, up from 1,810 in 2022/23. This does not split down by vocational courses. The data can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/introduction-to-qualification-achievement-rates-qars.Nationally, we have seen that retention rates are improving. QARs within the 19+ education and training cohort have increased from 86.8% in 2022/23 to 87.4% in 2023/24.​At ages 16 to 18, the retained and assessed rate for students who finished their T Level across 16 subjects in summer 2024 was up 5 percentage points from the previous year, over 10 subjects. The rate for large Vocational Technical Qualifications (VTQs) was up 3 percentage points.The statistics can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/provisional-t-level-results/2023-24.​The department continues to develop and improve qualifications to ensure that they meet the needs of learners. Newly reformed qualifications will become available for delivery at levels 2 and 3 at the start of the next academic year. These are high-quality, aligned to occupational standards in technical routes, and offer clear routes to higher education or skilled employment.

What recent assessment she has made of the effectiveness of fiscal incentives for the uptake of electric vehicles.

Plug-in Vehicle Grants have been a key driver of zero emission vehicle (ZEV) uptake since they were introduced in 2011. Grants remain available for vans, trucks and wheelchair accessible vehicles. Favourable tax rates, including the lowest first year rates of Vehicle Excise Duty and preferential Benefit in Kind rates, have likewise been a key driver of ZEV adoption. The recently announced Electric Car Grant will further encourage purchases of low cost zero emission cars by providing discounts of up to £3,750.

What guidance his Department provides to the public and healthcare providers on the treatment and prevention of horsefly bites.

The National Health Service provides advice on insect bites, including those from horseflies, which can be found at the following link:https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/insect-bites-and-stings/

What steps he is taking to increase access to care in the community in (a) Fylde constituency and (b) Lancashire.

As part of the 10-Year Health Plan, the Government is committed to building a Neighbourhood Health Service that will embody our new preventative principle that care should happen as locally as it can, digitally by default, in a patient’s home if possible, in the community when needed, and only in a hospital if necessary.Neighbourhood Health Services will bring together teams of professionals closer to people’s homes, including nurses, doctors, social care workers, pharmacists, health visitors, and more, to work together to provide comprehensive care in the community.In addition, over the course of the plan, our aim is to have one Neighbourhood Health Centre in each community that brings together National Health Service, local authority, and voluntary sector services in one building, to help create a holistic offer that meets the needs of local populations.Moreover, in the future, there will also be neighbourhood health plans drawn up by local government, the NHS, and its partners. The integrated care board will bring together these plans into a population health improvement plan for their footprint, which they will use to inform commissioning decisions.We will transform access to primary and community care services, including general practice, NHS dentistry, and community pharmacy, and provide more urgent care and outpatient appointments in the community, to ensure better value for money and to reduce unnecessary attendances and stays in hospital.

What assessment he has made of the capacity of the electricity grid to meet projected demand from increased uptake of electric vehicles by 2030.

The Government is working closely with Ofgem to ensure that its price control framework supports the necessary investment in the electricity network to deliver our clean energy superpower and growth missions. This includes ensuring that the distribution network has sufficient capacity to meet projected demand from electric vehicles by 2030. The current price control, RIIO-ED2 (2023–2028), enables forward-looking investment aligned with net zero goals and incorporates uncertainty mechanisms to allow networks to respond flexibly to rising demand. The next price control, RIIO-ED3 (2028–2033), will be informed by Regional Energy Strategic Plans to support more strategic and coordinated investment.

Communities and Local Government, whether her Department has considered creating a national register of trees with legal protection status.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 35438 on 12 March 2025.

What steps he has taken to coordinate cross-departmental efforts to secure defence infrastructure supply chains.

The Cabinet Office works closely with the Ministry of Defence to track and monitor risks to national security supply chains. The forthcoming Defence Industrial Strategy will set out the government's approach to defence supply chain security and resilience.

What recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Defence on increasing funding for the resilience of defence infrastructure supply chains.

The Government is committed to ensure a strong defence sector and resilient supply chains across the whole of the UK, including for defence infrastructure. The forthcoming Defence Industrial Strategy, due for publication in Autumn, will set out how we will establish long-term partnerships between business and government, promote innovation, and improve resilience. Following Spending Review 2025 further detail on how the Ministry of Defence will spend its budget will be set out in the Defence Investment Plan, which is also scheduled to complete in the Autumn.

What steps she is taking to support the development of the second-hand electric vehicle market.

The Government recognises the importance of the used vehicle market to our country’s transition to zero emission vehicles (ZEVs) and closely monitors its growth. We are confident that consumer interest will continue to increase as more used ZEV models approach price parity with their petrol and diesel equivalents. We already have various financial incentives to stimulate the new ZEV market and increase the supply of these vehicles feeding through to the second-hand market. Additionally, the ZEV Mandate requires manufacturers to provide a warranty of 8 years or 100,000 miles on EV batteries and provide a replacement battery if capacity falls below 70% in that period, increasing consumer confidence.

What security measures are in place to vet contractors and suppliers involved in sensitive defence infrastructure projects.

Defence has a range of mandatory physical, personnel and cyber security controls that are applied to contractor personnel, facilities and systems. These are all scalable to the sensitivity of projects being worked on and the classification of information being processed. If there is a particular risk the hon. Member is concerned about, I would be grateful if he could write to me about it.

Whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of replacing education, health and care plans on children in Fylde constituency with complex needs.

The department has not made any decisions about the future of education, health and care plans. There will always be a legal right to additional support for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) to ensure they are supported throughout their education and to enable them to move on to fulfilling adult lives.We are determined to restore confidence in the system of support for children with SEND so that every child and young person gets the chance to achieve and thrive in their education. More detail of reforms will be set out in the Schools White Paper in the autumn.As part of developing our approach, we have been engaging with a range of interested parties, including parent representatives, local authorities, SEND organisations and education settings across the country.

Whether her Department has consulted (a) families in Lancashire and (b) Lancashire County Council on the future of education, health and care plans.

The department has not made any decisions about the future of education, health and care plans. There will always be a legal right to additional support for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) to ensure they are supported throughout their education and to enable them to move on to fulfilling adult lives.We are determined to restore confidence in the system of support for children with SEND so that every child and young person gets the chance to achieve and thrive in their education. More detail of reforms will be set out in the Schools White Paper in the autumn.As part of developing our approach, we have been engaging with a range of interested parties, including parent representatives, local authorities, SEND organisations and education settings across the country.

What steps he is taking to ensure that NHS podiatry services are adequately resourced in Fylde constituency.

Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for commissioning the majority of health and care services, including podiatry services, in England. ICBs arrange healthcare services to meet the needs of their local population, within available resources, and reduce inequalities in access to, and outcomes from, healthcare services.The Lancashire and South Cumbria ICB recognises podiatry services as a vulnerable and vital service where challenges, including recruitment and retention, are reflected nationally. In response to this, it has mobilised a centralised system-wide approach looking at the range of services it provides across its integrated care system. This includes baseline review work for services, which includes the Fylde Coast services. The next steps include validating demand capacity data with provider organisations in order to support future service models that support access for our residents.

What assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of regulation of private online providers offering weight loss medications.

The Department has currently made no assessment of the adequacy of the regulation of private online providers offering weight loss medications.

Whether she has had recent discussions with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on the (a) cost to the NHS of prescribing weight loss medications and (b) the projected cost savings from reduced obesity-related illness.

The Chancellor regularly discusses a wide range of policy issues with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care.For medicines to be provided by the NHS they must meet strict cost-effectiveness thresholds set by NICE. For tirzepatide, a weightloss jab, evidence submitted by NHS England to NICE last year suggested a potential cost of £19.4bn for the drug, the patient management and the associated care over the first five years from launch if made available to all eligible patients. The NHS is working with partners, including supplies of medicines for weight management, to develop and evaluate innovative delivery models which may support more efficient implementationNICE recommended the NHS begin rolling out trizepatide, for people with a BMI of more than 35 and at least one weight-related illness. In total around 220,000 people are expected to benefit in the initial three year roll out period.The obesity crisis currently costs the NHS an estimated £11.4 billion per year and has significant wider economic and social costs, so tackling this will help to drive long term economic growth.That is why the 10 year health plan, published on 3rd July 2025, set out Government’s plans for decisive action on the obesity crisis, easing the strain on our NHS and creating the healthiest generation of children ever.The Plan sets out a commitment to support people living with obesity, doubling the number of patients able to access the NHS Digital Weight Management Programme and brokering pioneering relationships with the biggest pharmaceutical companies to expand access to weight loss services and treatments across the NHS.The Plan also committed to fulfilling manifesto commitments to restrict junk food advertising and ban sale of high-caffeine drinks. Additionally it announced new proposals to reduce obesity including for large food businesses to report against standardised metrics on healthier food sales along with new targets to increase the healthiness of sales, and updating the Nutrient Profile Model to bring the current advertising and promotion restrictions up to date and make them more impactful.

Food and Rural Affairs, how many incidents involving dangerous dogs have been reported in (a) Fylde constituency and (b) Lancashire in each of the last five years.

Defra does not hold this data. This information may be collected by the NHS, individual police forces or local authorities.

Pursuant to the Answer of 14 July to Question 65165 on Business: Lancashire, if he will provide the same data for the period between 2020 to 2024.

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. A response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 14th July is attached.

Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to help improve access to sport for (a) children and (b) young people from disadvantaged backgrounds in the Fylde constituency.

Every child should have the opportunity to play sport and do regular physical activity including those from disadvantaged backgrounds.The Prime Minister recently announced a new School Sport Partnerships approach and a new Enrichment Framework for schools to ensure all young people have equal access to high-quality sport and extracurricular activity. The ongoing independent expert-led review of the curriculum will ensure that all children can engage with a broad range of subjects, including PE and sport.On 20 June 2025, the Culture Secretary announced that following the Spending Review, at least £400 million is going to be invested into new and upgraded grassroots sport facilities in communities right across the UK, supporting the Government's Plan for Change. We will now work closely with sporting bodies and local leaders to establish what each community needs, including for children and young people, and then set out further plans.In the last financial year, 2024-25, Sport England, our Arm’s Length Body for community sport, invested £11,750 into the Fylde constituency to improve access to sport and physical activity.

What steps he is taking to help reduce waiting times for patients eligible for NHS-prescribed weight loss medications.

The medicines liraglutide, under various brand names, semaglutide, brand name Wegovy, and tirzepatide, brand name Mounjaro, are already being made available for managing obesity for some patients attending National Health Service specialist weight management services, depending on factors like local pathways and clinical eligibility. From 23 June, the newest obesity medicine, tirzepatide, started to become available in primary care, meaning it can be prescribed by general practitioners, or other competent prescribers. Approximately 220,000 people could receive tirzepatide over the first three years of NHS rollout. Access will be prioritised based on clinical need. To support equitable access across the NHS in England and to help integrated care boards (ICBs) to fulfil their duty to make the medication tirzepatide available to eligible patients for treating obesity, NHS England has provided funding to ICBs, based on each area’s estimated population of people living with obesity. It has also provided guidance to ICBs and is continuing to work with them to implement the phased rollout of tirzepatide, as well as other weight loss medications where appropriate. The National Institute of Health and Care Excellence will review progress at three years. Rollout will be sped up if possible, and the NHS is developing and testing new models of care to support this. As we set out in our 10-Year Health Plan, we are committed to expanding access to weight loss medications through the NHS to ensure that people are able to access them based on clinical need, rather than ability to pay. We will build on the current plans by establishing pioneering relationships with industry and local health systems to test further innovative models of delivering weight loss services and treatments to patients effectively and safely. Additionally, we will explore a range of innovative commercial models that aim to increase patient access, whilst ensuring improved health outcomes and value for money.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure equitable access to weight loss drugs across NHS trusts.

The medicines liraglutide, under various brand names, semaglutide, brand name Wegovy, and tirzepatide, brand name Mounjaro, are already being made available for managing obesity for some patients attending National Health Service specialist weight management services, depending on factors like local pathways and clinical eligibility. From 23 June, the newest obesity medicine, tirzepatide, started to become available in primary care, meaning it can be prescribed by general practitioners, or other competent prescribers. Approximately 220,000 people could receive tirzepatide over the first three years of NHS rollout. Access will be prioritised based on clinical need. To support equitable access across the NHS in England and to help integrated care boards (ICBs) to fulfil their duty to make the medication tirzepatide available to eligible patients for treating obesity, NHS England has provided funding to ICBs, based on each area’s estimated population of people living with obesity. It has also provided guidance to ICBs and is continuing to work with them to implement the phased rollout of tirzepatide, as well as other weight loss medications where appropriate. The National Institute of Health and Care Excellence will review progress at three years. Rollout will be sped up if possible, and the NHS is developing and testing new models of care to support this. As we set out in our 10-Year Health Plan, we are committed to expanding access to weight loss medications through the NHS to ensure that people are able to access them based on clinical need, rather than ability to pay. We will build on the current plans by establishing pioneering relationships with industry and local health systems to test further innovative models of delivering weight loss services and treatments to patients effectively and safely. Additionally, we will explore a range of innovative commercial models that aim to increase patient access, whilst ensuring improved health outcomes and value for money.