Written questions by Cooper.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what funding his Department plans to allocate (a) to international programmes primarily focused on preventing novel pandemics at source and (b) through multilateral and bilateral initiatives where pandemic preparedness is a secondary or cross-cutting objective from 2025 to 2028.

We will publish Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office's final 2025/26 Official Development Assistance (ODA) programme allocations in the Annual Report & Accounts in July. Over the coming months, we will work through detailed decisions on how the ODA budget will be used in future years, informed by internal and external consultation and impact assessments, ahead of publishing indicative multi-year allocations in the autumn. We continue to work across Government and with our international partners to strengthen pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response.

What assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of administrative capacity to manage the volume of transitions from Employment and Support Allowance to Universal Credit; and what steps she is taking to ensure that vulnerable claimants do not experience prolonged delays or shortfalls in payment due to outstanding actions as a result of these transitions.

Adequate resourcing for the transition is an important priority for the department. The department has identified a small number of cases where the payments due have not all been paid in full in the first assessment period, due to delays in the process. The problem has been addressed by introducing additional automation, and increasing the resources to deal with these cases. DWP has also enhanced the identity verification identity process, reducing the requirement for customers to attend the office or receive a home visit. We have robust plans in place to support the safe migration of cases onto UC. We will continue to monitor the position on these cases carefully through to the end of the migration activity, responding quickly if difficulties arise.

With reference to the Government response to the Child Maintenance: Improving the collection and transfer of payments consultation, published on 23 June 2025, what her planned timetable is for publishing further information on next steps.

Primary legislation is required to make the change to remove Direct Pay and reform the collection fee structure, meaning these changes will be subject to detailed parliamentary scrutiny. Our intention is to implement these changes as soon as parliamentary time allows.

When he plans to publish the revised School Food Standards; and what steps he is taking to consult (a) schools, (b) public health experts and (c) other stakeholders in the process.

To ensure quality and nutrition in meals for the future, the department is acting quickly with experts across the sector to revise the School Food Standards, so every school is supported with the latest nutrition guidance. We are currently engaging with a range of stakeholders to help us understand the challenges around school food.We intend to consult on these revisions and further details will be available in due course. We understand the importance of hearing from schools as part of this work and will ensure there are appropriate opportunities for their engagement.

What plans his Department has to support global health workforce development as part of the UK’s international health security agenda.

Strong, resilient health systems are essential for the delivery of the United Kingdom’s wider global health objectives of strengthening global health security, including tackling the threat of anti-microbial resistance and the spread of disease, and ending the preventable deaths of new-borns and children. The UK thus recognises the need to support developing countries with their health workforce.Since 2022, the Department has committed £20 million in Official Development Assistance funding to the Global Health Workforce Programme. The programme aims to support the development of the health workforce in six African countries and regions, aiding them to build stronger, resilient health systems for health security and to make progress towards universal health coverage. It is aligned to the World Health Organization’s Working for Health Action Plan 2022-2030.The Department’s Global Health Workforce Programme will conclude at the end of this financial year on the completion of its current grant. However, the UK will continue to support Global Health and Global Health Security including through key health multilaterals such as Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, and the World Health Organization. We also support the development of a global workforce for health security preparedness through technical assistance offered by the International Health Regulations Strengthening Programme, and in outbreak response through the UK Public Health Rapid Support Team.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that global development and health partnerships remain central to foreign policy objectives.

Work on international development, including global health, remains a priority for this Department. The Minister of State for International Development made this clear at the International Development Committee hearing on 12 May 2025, we will sharpen our focus on humanitarian, health and climate and nature. Making progress on our health and development agenda not only supports our broader foreign policy objectives but also contributes to the Government's health and economic growth missions.At the UK-EU summit on 19 May, we affirmed our shared commitment to increasing our cooperation on health security, including to prevent and better mitigate against future pandemics and health crises. Later this year, the UK will co-host the replenishment of the Global Fund with South Africa.At the Gavi Global Summit in Brussels on 25 June 2025 the Foreign Secretary announced that the UK will invest an additional £1.25 billion in support of Gavi's 2026 - 2030 programme. This commitment, alongside contributions from international partners, will help deliver Gavi to partner with countries such as yours to immunise up to 500 million more children, save up to 9 million more lives, and generate over $100 billion in economic benefits. The Minister of State for International Development also announced the UK will be investing a further £25 million in Gavi's Matching Fund to grow their work. Meeting investments from the private sector.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the 6.9% reduction in the FCDO's resource budget on the ability to respond to global health threats.

Over the coming months, we will work through detailed decisions on how the Official Development Assistance budget will be used in future years, informed by internal and external consultation and impact assessments.The Minister for Development was delighted to attend the Gavi Global Summit in Brussels on 25 June 2025 and announce that the UK will invest an additional £1.25 billion in support of Gavi's 2026 - 2030 programme. This commitment, alongside contributions from international partners, will help deliver Gavi to partner with countries such as yours to immunise up to 500 million more children, save up to 9 million more lives, and generate over $100 billion in economic benefits.The UK's commitment to supporting both humanitarian aid and development across the world remains steadfast, despite the reduction to the UK's aid budget. We continue to work across Government and with international partners to deliver on our global health agenda, including how we best mitigate the risks of a range of global health threats. The UK's role in helping secure consensus in May this year on a legally-binding Pandemic Agreement underlines our commitment to tackling these threats.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has considered introducing further regulations on establishing (a) dog and (b) cat rescue organisations.

Companion animal rescue and rehoming organisations in England must comply with statutory welfare requirements set out in the Animal Welfare Act 2006. Members of the public can also check if the rescue centre they use is a member of the Association of Dogs and Cats Homes, which has set clear standards for animal assessments, neutering and rehoming procedures that all members adhere to. More broadly, the Department is developing an overarching approach to animal welfare and has initiated a series of meetings with key animal welfare stakeholders as part of this work. It will be outlining more detail of plans in due course.

Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to ensure that new homes promote positive health outcomes for residents.

This Government is committed to delivering 1.5 million quality homes over this Parliament, to ensure people have access to the high-quality housing they need.The Building Regulations are intended to protect people’s safety, health, and welfare. Building Regulations set minimum performance standards for new building work, including when a building is being designed, constructed, or subject to major re-design. The Building Safety Act 2022 also requires the Building Safety Regulator to keep the safety and standard of buildings under review, which includes advising government on updates on Approved Documents. In December 2021, the previous government introduced an uplift in energy efficiency and ventilation standards for new homes and buildings, which came into force in June 2022. These changes will help to ensure that new homes and buildings are warm and comfortable, with high indoor air quality. As part of the 2021 uplift, the previous government also introduced a new overheating requirement to reduce the risk of overheating in new residential buildings. The Government plans to publish the Future Homes Standard in autumn this year. Homes built to the Future Homes Standard will be future proofed with low carbon heating and high levels of energy efficiency. This will contribute to ensuring that new homes are both warm and comfortable. To further reinforce standards, we remain committed to introducing a statutory New Homes Ombudsman scheme that developers will have to join, with an accompanying Code of Practice about the standards of conduct and standards of quality of work expected of members.

How the 10 year plan for the NHS will ensure that the NHS shifts from sickness to prevention.

The 10-Year Health Plan will set out broader actions for how we shift the health and care systems in England towards preventing ill-health rather than treating sickness. Through the 10-Year Health Plan we want to take action to reduce the causes of the biggest killers and ensure that the National Health Service uses its relationship with patients to help patients improve and protect their own health.We are already taking action, for instance enabling a smoke free generation through the Tobacco and Vapes Bill and continuing the rollout of the NHS Health Check. We will build on the success of our vaccination and screening programmes and work with communities to understand what is preventing uptake.

What discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on the health impact of high street regeneration.

The design of places where people live, work, and play have a significant role in shaping physical and mental health and wellbeing. Departmental minsters meet with Government colleagues to discuss cross-Government efforts to improve the public’s health, including the impact of the local built and natural environment on health. For example, ministers at the Department of Health and Social Care have met with ministers at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to specifically discuss the relationship between health, towns and planning.

How many and what proportion of eligible families receive Healthy Start in Worthing West constituency.

The NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) operates the Healthy Start scheme on behalf of the Department. Monthly figures for the number of people on the digital Healthy Start scheme are published on the NHS Healthy Start website, which is available at the following link:https://www.healthystart.nhs.uk/healthcare-professionals/The NHSBSA does not hold data on the number of families receiving Healthy Start and does not currently hold data on the number of people eligible for Healthy Start. The NHSBSA does not hold data on local constituencies. The table below shows the number of people on the digital scheme in the relevant local authorities as of 23 May 2025:Local authorityNumber of people on the digital schemeBlackpool1,434City of Bristol2,778County of Herefordshire736Southampton1,677Worthing348Brighton and Hove1,041East Suffolk1,129

Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to support local authorities to improve high streets.

This Government is committed to rejuvenating our high streets. At Spending Review, it announced 25 trailblazer neighbourhoods that will each receive up to £20 million over the next decade as part of a new fund. This forms part of communities funding for up to 350 places announced at the Spending Review, including the 75 places already named in the £1.5 billion Plan for Neighbourhoods in March. We have introduced High Street Rental Auctions, powers for local authorities in England to auction the leases of persistently vacant commercial properties; through the English Devolution Bill we will introduce a community ‘right to buy’.

What steps he is taking to help small businesses to improve their capacity to deliver workplace health interventions.

The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) introduced the Employment Rights Bill on 10 October which is currently passing through the House of Lords. We are also publishing an SME Strategy Paper later this year, which will result in positive and practical support to small and medium size businesses and employers across the UK.The Secretaries of State for Work and Pensions and Business and Trade have asked Sir Charlie Mayfield to lead an independent Keep Britain Working Review as a part of the plan to Get Britain Working, focusing on what employers and government can do to encourage and support people living with ill-health in work.

Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to help tackle disparities in leasehold maintenance charges for residents living in self-contained bungalows who are charged for communal amenities they cannot not use.

The government is committed to ensuring that leaseholders, including those living in self-contained bungalows, are protected from unfair practices, including in relation to service charges.Individual leases set out what services leaseholders may expect to receive and areas they can access, and what they should pay for.Overcharging through service charges is completely unacceptable.By law variable service charges must be reasonable and, where costs relate to works or services, the works or services must be of a reasonable standard.  Should leaseholders wish to contest the reasonableness of their service charges, they may make an application to the appropriate tribunal.Leaseholders may also access free, independent advice from the Leasehold Advisory Service (LEASE), which is funded by the Department and offers a range of online resources, as well as telephone and email support.We intend to consult in the very near future on the measures in the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 designed to drive up the transparency of service charges and to make them more easily challengeable if leaseholders consider them to be unreasonable.

How revised school food standards will align with (a) wider Government strategies on health and (b) the 10-Year Plan for Health.

The government is committed to raising the healthiest generation ever and it is important that schools follow the latest nutritional guidance. We are working with experts on revising the School Food Standards, to ensure they support on strategies around health. The current School Food Standards already state one or more portions of vegetables as an accompaniment and one or more portions of fruit must be provided every day and at least three different fruits and three different vegetables each week.

How much his Department has allocated for smoking cessation campaigns in the 2025-26 financial year; and whether he has made an assessment of the number of additional quit attempts that may be made as a result of these campaigns.

The 2025/26 budget for smoking cessation campaigns has not yet been confirmed.

What steps he is taking to increase the facilities available for critical adolescent mental health cases.

If children and young people do need to be admitted to inpatient services for mental health treatment, they should be accommodated in an environment that is suitable for their age. In some instances, clinically urgent situations will sometimes necessitate children and young people being placed on wards that are not specialised for children and young people’s mental health services, or away from their home and family. In these situations, patient safety, the least restrictive environment, and clinical need remains paramount.The model of provision of National Health Service funded inpatient treatment for children and young people is being re-designed to support the move to community-based provision, where children and young people are able to access appropriate support in a timely, effective, and patient-centred way, close to home and in the least restrictive environment.This transition is being supported by the introduction of provider collaboratives to support place-based commissioning and to develop local services that meet the needs of their communities. Options may include increased day provision, and the new model will see a change to how inpatient environments are best utilised.

What steps she has taken to implement a strategic plan to remove asbestos from all non-domestic buildings.

The Government is committed to working towards asbestos removal across Great Britain’s (GB) workplaces, whilst ensuring the safe management of any asbestos present. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is engaging with stakeholders about how to improve what is known about the scale and condition of asbestos remaining in GB workplaces. This will be used to develop a robust evidence base that can support or improve legacy asbestos management as part of a wider, long term strategic plan.

What steps his Department is taking to help prevent childhood obesity.

Obesity robs our kids of the best possible start in life, and is particularly concentrated in the most deprived areas. Supporting people to stay healthier for longer is at the heart of our Health Mission. We face a childhood obesity crisis and this govern...