Written questions by Maguire.

Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that the registration scheme for short-term lets will include appropriate (a) checks and (b) enforcement to ensure that holiday lets are both (i) legal and (ii) safe.

During the Short Term Lets registration process, providers of short-term lets will be reminded of their legal responsibilities and required to confirm that their properties comply with legal requirements and meet safety standards. Details of the scheme, including enforcement, are still being determined and will be announced in due course. Public testing on the register is due to start later in 2025 and a full version of the scheme is due to arrive in 2026.

Whether her Department plans to include the A30 junction at Plusha in the Road Safety Strategy.

The Department is aware of the safety issues at the junction between the A30 and B3257 at Plusha. National Highways is investigating a number of possible modest safety improvements for this stretch of the A30 as part of its A30 Kennards House to Five Lanes Safety Study, for possible delivery in a future Road Investment Strategy.

Whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of the time taken to build the new Women and Children's Hospital at Treliske on the local community.

The new Women and Children's Hospital scheme at the Royal Cornwall Hospital is in Wave 1 of the New Hospital Programme (NHP), as set out in the Plan for Implementation, and is due to commence construction between 2027 and 2028. An equality impact assessment was carried out for the review of the NHP, which included assessing the extent to which service users might be impacted by these delivery proposals, with specific reference to the impact that these might have on relevant protected characteristics. This was laid in the House Library and published on 20 January 2025, and is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/new-hospital-programme-review-outcome/new-hospital-programme-equality-impact-assessment

Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of creating a Clean Waters Forum including (a) charities, (b) NGOs and (c) representatives from (i) his Department and (ii) the Environment Agency to lay out a cohesive strategy to tackle sewage pollution.

Following a public call for evidence with over 50,000 responses, the Independent Water Commission (IWC), led by Sir Jon Cunliffe, will make recommendations to shape further action to transform how our water system works and clean up our waterways for good. The IWC published its interim findings on 03 June 2025; the report's findings can be found at Independent Water Commission publishes interim findings - GOV.UK. The IWC will submit its final report to the UK and Welsh governments later in summer 2025 with recommendations on how to reset the sector for the future. Both Governments will then respond and consult on proposals, including potential legislation. Ministers and officials have regular discussions with a range of stakeholders, including charities and NGOs, on many issues related to the water sector including on sewage pollution. As part of Price Review 2024 (PR24), which runs from 2025–2030, water companies will be delivering record of over £11 billion of investment to improve nearly 3,000 storm overflows across England and Wales. This investment will be targeted at those affecting the most sensitive sites for ecological and human health.

Communities and Local Government, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a nationwide ten minute grace period for private car parks where users cannot not be fined for non-purchase of a ticket.

On 11 July, the government published a consultation setting out its proposals for raising standards across the private parking industry ahead of preparing a code of practice and an accompanying compliance framework for private parking operators. The consultation seeks views on the minimum grace periods set out in the previously withdrawn government code.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of the provision of (a) affordable and (b) social housing for key workers in North Cornwall constituency.

The government recognises the need for social and affordable housing for key workers in North Cornwall and other areas.The revised National Planning Policy Framework published on 12 December 2024 makes clear that local planning authorities should assess the size, type, and tenure of homes needed, including for those who require affordable housing, and to reflect this in their planning policies. When identifying affordable housing need in their areas, the Framework makes clear that local planning authorities should incorporate the minimum proportion of Social Rent homes required.

Whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of allowing flexibility for term-time absences for children from families employed in the (a) agricultural and (b) tourism sectors.

The department has high expectations for all pupils’ attendance. Parents are legally responsible for ensuring regular attendance if their child is of compulsory school age and registered at a school.Taking children out of school for holidays can significantly disrupt their education. Missing one week each year, combined with typical absences for illness, can add up to two full terms missed by year 11. This also disrupts teaching and impacts the wider class.While holidays can be enriching, the school year allows ample time for breaks outside of term time. Schools do have discretion to approve leave in exceptional circumstances, but holidays generally do not qualify.The department understands some sectors face pressures at peak times, but we are not aware of any employer that prohibits leave during every school holiday. Schools also have flexibility to plan term dates and inset days to help families manage their schedules.

What steps his Department is taking to support local, independent coffee shops.

Hospitality businesses, including independent coffee shops, are at the heart of our communities and play a vital role in supporting economic growth and community cohesion.The government plans to permanently lower business rates for retail, hospitality, and leisure properties with a rateable value under £500,000 and we’ve introduced a Hospitality Support Scheme to co-fund projects which aim to help those furthest from the job market into employment and boosting productivity.In addition, the government announced a Zero Carbon Hospitality Trial, meaning over 600 small and medium sized hospitality businesses will receive free energy and carbon reduction assessments to help cut energy costs, this will include cafes.Our Small Business Strategy will set out further measures which will assist local, independent coffee shops.

When the Windrush Compensation Scheme will (a) deal with outstanding claims and (b) be closed.

Our priority is to ensure people receive the compensation they are due as quickly as possible. We have reduced the time to allocate a claim for a substantive casework consideration, from four months a year ago to less than six weeks now. The six-week period includes all essential eligibility checks, together with a Preliminary Assessment to make an initial payment of £10,000 wherever possible.The department does not impose time limit targets for concluding claims, as each person’s claim is deeply personal and deserves to be processed with the utmost care and sensitivity. This holistic approach necessarily takes time but is ultimately beneficial to individuals.There is no cap on the amount of compensation that can be paid by the WCS overall, and the Scheme has no end date – ensuring that no one is prevented from applying for compensation.

How many claims have been made to the LGBT Financial Recognition Scheme; and what steps he is taking to ensure all potential recipients are aware of the scheme before it closes in December 2026.

As of 30 June 2025, the LGBT Financial Recognition Scheme (FRS) had received 1,099 formal applications, of which none had been rejected. We have been prioritising payment to the elderly and those with serious health conditions to ensure they receive support as quickly as possible, with the first payments issued as planned within 15 weeks of the scheme going live to these prioritised groups. Some cases are more complex and require additional time due to the unique and individual circumstances involved. To date, 81 payments have been made, comprising: 73 Dismissed or Discharged (DD) payments of £50,000 each, totalling £3.6 million.8 Impact Payments ranging from £1,000 to £20,000, totalling £72,000. This means that 7.37% of claims have been successfully concluded. The Scheme, introduced on 13 December 2024, with a budget of up to £75 million, aims to recognise the harm caused by the historic ban on LGBT personnel in the Armed Forces (1967–2000). Efforts are underway to accelerate processing times, including increasing resourcing, automating the payments system and increasing the frequency of Independent Panel sittings to two per week to ensure applications are reviewed and processed more swiftly. Defence’s LGBT Restorative Action Team is working closely with external and internal Defence communications teams to deliver campaigns to drive awareness of, and encourage, eligible LGBT Veterans to claim under the FRS. Defence is also working with local councils, the NHS, LGBT and military charities, to better inform affected Veterans of the FRS and how to apply. The LGBT Restorative Action Team also continues to engage with relevant Veterans networks, and customer facing teams, to ensure that eligible applicants of FRS receive the appropriate information, support, and guidance. To further support this effort, Defence has allocated £90,000 worth of grants to charities, including Fighting With Pride, to support Veterans with their FRS applications. The Government encourages those affected by the Ban to visit Gov.UK for further information, guidance, and support on how to make an application: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/veterans-of-the-lgbt-ban-financial-recognition-scheme

How many claims have been (a) made to and (b) rejected by the LGBT Financial Recognition Scheme; and what proportion of those claims have successfully concluded.

As of 30 June 2025, the LGBT Financial Recognition Scheme (FRS) had received 1,099 formal applications, of which none had been rejected. We have been prioritising payment to the elderly and those with serious health conditions to ensure they receive support as quickly as possible, with the first payments issued as planned within 15 weeks of the scheme going live to these prioritised groups. Some cases are more complex and require additional time due to the unique and individual circumstances involved. To date, 81 payments have been made, comprising: 73 Dismissed or Discharged (DD) payments of £50,000 each, totalling £3.6 million.8 Impact Payments ranging from £1,000 to £20,000, totalling £72,000. This means that 7.37% of claims have been successfully concluded. The Scheme, introduced on 13 December 2024, with a budget of up to £75 million, aims to recognise the harm caused by the historic ban on LGBT personnel in the Armed Forces (1967–2000). Efforts are underway to accelerate processing times, including increasing resourcing, automating the payments system and increasing the frequency of Independent Panel sittings to two per week to ensure applications are reviewed and processed more swiftly. Defence’s LGBT Restorative Action Team is working closely with external and internal Defence communications teams to deliver campaigns to drive awareness of, and encourage, eligible LGBT Veterans to claim under the FRS. Defence is also working with local councils, the NHS, LGBT and military charities, to better inform affected Veterans of the FRS and how to apply. The LGBT Restorative Action Team also continues to engage with relevant Veterans networks, and customer facing teams, to ensure that eligible applicants of FRS receive the appropriate information, support, and guidance. To further support this effort, Defence has allocated £90,000 worth of grants to charities, including Fighting With Pride, to support Veterans with their FRS applications. The Government encourages those affected by the Ban to visit Gov.UK for further information, guidance, and support on how to make an application: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/veterans-of-the-lgbt-ban-financial-recognition-scheme

How many claims for compensation her Department has received for the Windrush Compensation Scheme since that scheme began; and how many and what proportion of those claims were (a) rejected and (b) successful.

Information on the number of claims received by the Windrush Compensation Scheme is published as part of the monthly Transparency Data release. The latest published data, covering the period up to the end of May 2025, is available here: Windrush Compensation Scheme data: May 2025 - GOV.UK.

Whether he has had discussions with the Authority administering the Infected Blood Compensation Scheme on (a) the number of claims made, (b) the number rejected and (c) the proportion of claimants who have been successfully completed.

The Infected Blood Compensation Authority (IBCA) regularly publishes statistics on compensation progress on its website. As of 1 July 2025, 2,043 people have been asked to start their claim, 616 people have received an offer, and a total of 460 people have had their compensation paid.My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, has not discussed claim statistics with the IBCA, as it is an arms-length body which is sponsored by the Cabinet Office.

How many claims have been (a) made to and (b) rejected by the compensation schemes for sub-postmasters impacted by Horizon IT; and what proportion of those claims have successfully concluded.

Claimant eligibility for each redress scheme is confirmed before claims are progressed. No eligible claims have been rejected. We have made significant progress in delivering redress to victims of the Horizon scandal. The table below demonstrates the progress made as of 30 June 2025, however there is still more to do: SchemeFull & Final Claims receivedFull & Final Offers madeFull & Final Offers acceptedFull & Final claims paidProportion Concluded (claims paid/claims received)Horizon Shortfall Scheme: eligible claims before deadline2,4172,4172,1222,11988%Horizon Shortfall Scheme: eligible late claims7,7505,1604,7744,73261%Group Litigation Order Scheme46045233633473%Horizon Convictions Redress Scheme41641040139795% A further 71 full and final payments have been made to 71 (of the 111) postmasters whose convictions were quashed via the courts.In total, approximately £1,098 million (over 1 billion) has been paid in redress across all schemes.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to reduce the number of people who fall ill from sewage pollution-related causes in Cornwall.

We are putting water companies under special measures through our landmark Water (Special Measures) Act. The Act has introduced new powers to ban the payment of bonuses for polluting water bosses and bring criminal charges against law breakers and made it mandatory for water companies to publish plans to reduce pollution incidents. The upcoming Progress Report on the Storm Overflow Discharge Reduction Plan (SODRP), scheduled for publication later this year, will include assessment of South West Water’s progress toward the Plan’s Human Health (bathing water) target. The Plan also priorities action at 81 sites impacting bathing water in Cornwall, with improvements phased by 2030. As part of Price Review 24 (2025-2030), South West Water will be investing £764 million to reduce the use of storm overflows, which will see an expected 62% reduction in storm overflow spills compared to its performance in 2023-24. The Independent Water Commission will recommend reforms to reset the water sector regulatory system and clean up our waterways for good.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to (a) support and (b) protect nature-friendly farming practices in North Cornwall constituency.

The Government is backing British farming. We are prioritising investment that supports the government’s Plan for Change and building on the Secretary of State’s work to reform Defra to drive growth while maintaining a steadfast commitment to farming, food security, and nature’s recovery. We are providing farmers and land managers with the support needed to help restore nature, which is vital to safeguard our long-term food security and build resilience to climate change. There are currently record numbers of farmers taking part in farming schemes such as the Sustainable Farming Incentive. As of April 2025, these schemes supported 885,000 hectares of arable land being farmed without insecticides; 330,000 hectares of low input grassland being managed sustainably; and 85,000 kilometres of hedgerows being protected and restored. In the recent spending review, we committed to carrying on the transition towards paying to deliver public goods for the environment, with over £7 billion directed into nature’s recovery between 2026 and 2029. This includes environmental farming schemes (£5.9 billion), tree planting (£816 million) and peatland restoration (£85 million). We do not hold that information at a constituency level.

What steps his Department is taking to reduce ambulance waiting times for elderly patients in North Cornwall constituency.

The Government recognises that ambulance response times, including in North Cornwall, are not meeting the high standards patients should expect.We are determined to turn things around and our Urgent and Emergency Care Plan for 2025-26, backed by almost £450 million of capital investment, commits to reducing ambulance response times for Category 2 incidents to 30 minutes on average this year.Our 10-Year Health Plan sets out how we will reform the National Health Service, including urgent and emergency care services, with a key focus on shifting urgent care into the community through new Neighbourhood Health Services.

Communities and Local Government, whether her Department plans to issue updated (a) guidance and (b) statutory requirements to (i) discourage planning applicants from providing supporting information in stages and (ii) support local planning authorities in managing delays caused by incomplete submissions.

The National Planning Policy Framework encourages early engagement between applicants and local planning authorities.Pre-application discussions can help avoid disputes and reduce delays by allowing an applicant and local planning authority to agree what information is required before an application is submitted.

Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to encourage developers to begin building promptly after planning permission is granted.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 55898 on 9 June 2025.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of bonfires involving non-garden waste materials on (a) the environment and (b) public health.

Existing laws prevent burning household waste if it will cause pollution or harm people’s health. Local authorities may also issue an abatement notice if smoke from bonfires causes a nuisance. We have published further guidance on this issue Reducing air pollution from outdoor burning.