Written questions by Maguire.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the proposed increase in employer National Insurance contributions on high street hair salons.

In order to repair the public finances and help raise the revenue required to increase funding for public services, the Government has taken the difficult decision to increase employer National Insurance contributions (NICs). The Government published a Tax Information and Impact Note on 13 November which sets out the impact of the employer NICs changes. The Government has protected the smallest businesses and charities from the impact of the increase to employer National Insurance by increasing the Employment Allowance from £5,000 to £10,500, which means that 865,000 employers will pay no NICs at all next year, more than half of employers will see no change or will gain overall from this package, and all eligible employers will be able to employ up to four full-time workers on the National Living Wage and pay no employer NICs.

What steps her Department is taking to increase the flexibility of the apprenticeship levy for small businesses.

The government is reforming the Apprenticeship Levy into a new Growth and Skills Levy that will deliver greater flexibility for learners and employers of all sizes to develop the skills they need to thrive. As a first step, the department is introducing new foundation apprenticeships for young people, as well as shorter duration apprenticeships. The minimum duration of an apprenticeship will be reduced to eight months from August 2025, down from the current minimum of 12 months. This change means apprentices will be able to achieve occupational competence more quickly, where appropriate, such as, where apprentices have significant prior learning. Employers of all sizes will be able to benefit from these flexibilities.

Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure that landlords cannot lawfully obstruct emergency vehicle access to residential properties.

The Emergency Workers (Obstruction) Act 2006 makes clear that it is an offence to obstruct or hinder certain emergency workers from responding to present or imminent emergency circumstances. As a matter of public safety, property owners and managers should keep access routes clear, so that emergency vehicles can gain access if needed.

What discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on a permanent reduction in business rates for the beer and pub sector.

The Department for Business and Trade engages with His Majesty's Treasury (HMT) at Ministerial and official level on a range of issues, including business rates reform and how this will affect the hospitality sector.

Whether his Department plans to reform business rates for the beer and pub sector.

The Department for Business and Trade engages with His Majesty's Treasury (HMT) at Ministerial and official level on a range of issues, including business rates reform and how this will affect the hospitality sector.

Media and Sport, what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Education to prioritise (a) PE and (b) school sports within the school day.

The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport and the Minister for Sport, Media, Civil Society and Youth regularly meet with Ministerial counterparts from the Department for Education on a range of issues, including PE and school sport. The Minister for Sport recently attended a meeting with a range of National Governing Bodies on access to PE and school sport, hosted by the Minister for School Standards.

If he will take steps to ensure that waiting times for mental health treatment are no longer than waiting times for treatment for physical health conditions.

Too many people with mental health issues are not getting the support or care they need when they need it, which is why we are committed to ensuring we give mental health the same attention and focus as physical health, so that people can be confident in accessing high quality mental health support when they need it.This includes recruiting 8,500 more mental health workers, introducing access to specialist mental health professionals in every school, rolling out Young Futures hubs, and modernising the Mental Health Act.We have also committed £26 million in capital investment to open new mental health crisis centres, reducing the pressure on busy emergency mental health and accident and emergency services and ensuring people have the support they need when they need it.

What progress she has made on her planned port strategy; and what plans she has for future funding of port infrastructure.

My Department is not currently planning on publishing a ports strategy, however, on 25th March we published the Maritime Decarbonisation Strategy and we are continuing to develop a Maritime Strategy. Both address the Department’s priorities for the ports sector.The Maritime Decarbonisation Strategy sets out Government’s plans for decarbonising the domestic maritime sector, including goals for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and policies to support this. The Maritime Strategy will be published later this year. It will focus on our four priorities of people, growth, environment and safety. Ports have a crucial role to play across all of these.The Department is engaging with colleagues at the National Wealth Fund given Ports are a priority area for NWF investment.

If he will make an assessment of the potential merits of including mental health waiting lists in the targets outlined in the Plan for Change.

Waiting lists for those referred for support are too high across England, including in rural communities. People with mental health issues are not getting the support or care they need, which is why we will fix the broken system to ensure we give mental health the same attention and focus as physical health, so that people can be confident in accessing high quality mental health support when they need it.Nationally, we plan to recruit an additional 8,500 mental health workers across child and adult mental health services in England to reduce delays and provide faster treatment. We will also introduce access to a specialist mental health professional in every school and roll out Young Futures hubs in communities.We recognise the unique challenges for mental health services across England, the growing treatment gap, and the spectrum of interventions required, from prevention to early intervention and treatment for mental ill-health. Early engagement from our 10-Year Health Plan has indicated that early mental health support and community-based interventions are critical in delivering substantial long-term health benefits to the public.

What discussions his Department has had with NHS England on reducing delays in referrals for specialist treatment in the South West.

Too many people have been left in limbo waiting for National Health Service treatment. The waiting list in the South West region stands at 642,756, with 63% of those having waited less than 18 weeks, compared with the 18-week standard of 92%, and with a median waiting time of 12.8 weeks from referral to treatment.The Department and NHS England are supporting a range of efforts, nationally and in the South West region, to reduce the time patients are waiting from being referred for specialist care, and to return to the 18-week constitutional standard. We have delivered an additional 2.5 million operations, scans, and appointments across elective services nationally since July 2024. We will support further progress in the South West region and across the United Kingdom, with approximately £1.5 billion of capital funding in 2025/26 for new surgical hubs and diagnostic scanners across England.The Elective Reform Plan, published in January 2025, sets out the productivity and reform efforts needed to return to the 18-week standard, including reforms to outpatient care to ensure care is delivered in the right clinical setting and unnecessary appointments are reduced. In addition, the plan commits to diagnostic transformation, including investment in new and expanded community diagnostic centres and the rollout of straight to test pathways. Significant transformation across high priority specialities with waiting list challenges will also bring down waiting times for patients who have been referred for specialist treatment.

Whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of changes to the (a) Small Business Multiplier and (b) Standard Multiplier on business sustainability in the beer and pub sector.

As set out at Autumn Budget 2024, the Government intends to introduce permanently lower tax rates for retail, hospitality, and leisure (RHL) properties, with rateable values below £500,000, from 2026-27. This permanent tax cut will ensure that they benefit from much-needed certainty and support. The Government intends to fund this by introducing a higher multiplier on all properties with a rateable value (RV) of £500,000 and above. The Government will confirm the rates for the new multipliers at Budget 2025, taking account of the outcomes of the 2026 revaluation as well as the broader economic and fiscal context. Tax policy and legislation is not subject to the Better Regulation Framework Guidance which requires an Impact Assessment to accompany policy decisions. Nevertheless, when the new multipliers are set at Budget 2025 – to take effect in the 2026-27 billing year – HM Treasury intends to publish analysis of the effects of the new multiplier arrangements.

What assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the availability of specialist (a) paediatric and (b) transitional healthcare services for teenagers in the South West.

The Government is committed to raising the healthiest generation of children ever. This involves ensuring that children receive the appropriate care and support whenever they need it.Supporting children and young people as they transition into adulthood, especially those with long-term or complex conditions and/or vulnerabilities, including those with mental health issues, is a priority in the South West, and work is underway in some National Health Service trusts.Currently, the Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust’s paediatric department delivers care to children up to the age of 16 years old. Work in some pathways, such as eating disorders and diabetes, has started to address transitional arrangements. A review of the transition arrangements in place for children over 16 years old is underway with the local community and acute hospital trust, as this has been identified as an area for improvement by the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Integrated Care Board.In the NHS Long Term Plan, NHS England committed to delivering a service model for zero to 25 year olds where appropriate, to enhance children and young people’s experience of health, continuity of care, and outcomes, and their experience of the transition between services.A national transition framework is currently awaiting publication to help local areas set up this model, or to strengthen an existing one. The principles of age-appropriate services set out in this document apply to young adults receiving care for the first time, as well as those already on a transition pathway.While this framework focuses on the broad principles of transition, future work will focus on specific considerations and conditions. Training is also being developed for healthcare staff to develop their skills in providing the best standard of care. Improving transitional care for young people is a South West regional priority, and the national transition framework and core competencies, once published, will support integrated care boards with implementation.The Government’s 10-Year Health Plan, set to be published later this year, will outline the broader measures to shift England’s health and care systems toward preventing ill health. The Department will also publish a refreshed Long Term Workforce Plan to ensure the NHS has the right people in the right places, with the right skills to deliver the care that patients, including teenagers, need when they need it.

What steps his Department is taking to expand access to the Nuss procedure for pectus excavatum cases in the South West.

NHS England has carefully reviewed the evidence to treat pectus excavatum in patients. In an interim clinical commissioning urgent policy statement, NHS England concluded that there is enough evidence to make surgical treatment available as a routine commissioning treatment option for patients of all ages with pectus excavatum resulting in very severe physiological symptoms, including for patients in the South West. The criteria for the surgery is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/PRN00394-interim-clinical-commissioning-urgent-policy-statement-pectus-surgery.pdf

Whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of (a) business rates and (b) employment costs increases on the beer and pub sector.

As set out at Autumn Budget 2024, the Government intends to introduce permanently lower tax rates for retail, hospitality, and leisure (RHL) properties, with rateable values below £500,000, from 2026-27, which will benefit almost all pubs in England. We intend to fund this by introducing a higher multiplier on the most valuable properties. The multiplier rates will be confirmed at Autumn Budget 2025. During the interim period, for 2025-26, RHL businesses will receive a 40 per cent relief on their business rates up to a cash cap of £110,000 per business, and the tax multiplier applied to small properties will be frozen. Under the previous government, RHL relief was due to end entirely in April 2025, and so by extending it, the Government has saved the average pub, with a ratable value of £16,800, over £3,300. In recognition of the economic and social importance of pubs, and the wider “on trade”, the Government is cutting duty on qualifying draught products – approximately two-thirds of the alcoholic drinks sold in pubs. This reduces businesses’ total duty bill by up to £100 million a year and increases the duty differential between products from 9.2 per cent to 13.9 per cent. The Government will confirm the rates for the new multipliers at Budget 2025, taking account of the outcomes of the 2026 revaluation as well as the broader economic and fiscal context.Tax policy and legislation is not subject to the Better Regulation Framework Guidance which requires an Impact Assessment to accompany policy decisions.  Nevertheless, when the new multipliers are set at Budget 2025 – to take effect in the 2026-27 billing year – HM Treasury intends to publish analysis of the effects of the new multiplier arrangements. Turning to employment costs, to repair the public finances and help raise the revenue required to increase funding for public services, the Government has taken the difficult decision to increase employer National Insurance.The Government recognises the need to protect the smallest employers which is why we have more than doubled the Employment Allowance to £10,500, meaning more than half of businesses with NICs liabilities either gain or see no change next year.A Tax Information and Impact Note that covers the employer NICs changes was published by HMRC on 13 November 2024.The National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage rates are set on the independent and expert advice of the Low Pay Commission (LPC).By seeking expert and independent advice from the LPC when setting the minimum wage rates, the Government is able to ensure that the right balance is struck between the needs of workers, affordability for businesses and the impact on the economy.

What recent assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the time take for Maritime and Coastguard Agency inspections on the economic sustainability of inshore fishing businesses in rural coastal communities.

The majority of inspections the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) carries out on fishing vessels are part of a regular survey and certification cycle. These certificates have a window to allow the operator to arrange an inspection well in advance and at a convenient time to ensure the impact on their business is as low as possible. Following the sale of a vessel compliance with the relevant code needs to be confirmed before commercial operation can commence. Whilst elements of this should not change of transfer of ownership multiple areas are related to the individual and their operation of the vessel. Historically, vessel certificates were linked solely to the vessel, with no owner details listed, and no change of owner inspection was required. However, after incidents where previous owners removed loose gear, the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) raised concerns and recommended changes to the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA). Consequently, the change of owner inspection was introduced to ensure continued compliance. This inspection verifies that the vessel has not been modified, loose gear remains onboard, and the new operator has the necessary qualifications and familiarity with the craft. A dispensation has not been considered, as there is no evidence suggesting surveyor availability is causing delays for newly purchased vessels entering service. The MCA undertakes more than 1200 inspections on fishing vessels annually. Our service level agreement for non-chargeable inspections on under 15m vessel is that we offer an inspection slot within 14 calendar days and in the majority of cases this is being met. Our service levels are monitored and there is no evidence of a failure to attend vessels in a timely manner which would demonstrate a need for an increase in capacity. The MCA ensure any substantiated complaints and concerns are considered and addressed as needed.

Whether her Department has considered introducing a temporary dispensation for newly-purchased fishing vessels awaiting Maritime and Coastguard Agency inspection.

The majority of inspections the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) carries out on fishing vessels are part of a regular survey and certification cycle. These certificates have a window to allow the operator to arrange an inspection well in advance and at a convenient time to ensure the impact on their business is as low as possible. Following the sale of a vessel compliance with the relevant code needs to be confirmed before commercial operation can commence. Whilst elements of this should not change of transfer of ownership multiple areas are related to the individual and their operation of the vessel. Historically, vessel certificates were linked solely to the vessel, with no owner details listed, and no change of owner inspection was required. However, after incidents where previous owners removed loose gear, the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) raised concerns and recommended changes to the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA). Consequently, the change of owner inspection was introduced to ensure continued compliance. This inspection verifies that the vessel has not been modified, loose gear remains onboard, and the new operator has the necessary qualifications and familiarity with the craft. A dispensation has not been considered, as there is no evidence suggesting surveyor availability is causing delays for newly purchased vessels entering service. The MCA undertakes more than 1200 inspections on fishing vessels annually. Our service level agreement for non-chargeable inspections on under 15m vessel is that we offer an inspection slot within 14 calendar days and in the majority of cases this is being met. Our service levels are monitored and there is no evidence of a failure to attend vessels in a timely manner which would demonstrate a need for an increase in capacity. The MCA ensure any substantiated complaints and concerns are considered and addressed as needed.

What discussions she has had with the Maritime and Coastguard Agency on increasing inspection capacity.

The majority of inspections the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) carries out on fishing vessels are part of a regular survey and certification cycle. These certificates have a window to allow the operator to arrange an inspection well in advance and at a convenient time to ensure the impact on their business is as low as possible. Following the sale of a vessel compliance with the relevant code needs to be confirmed before commercial operation can commence. Whilst elements of this should not change of transfer of ownership multiple areas are related to the individual and their operation of the vessel. Historically, vessel certificates were linked solely to the vessel, with no owner details listed, and no change of owner inspection was required. However, after incidents where previous owners removed loose gear, the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) raised concerns and recommended changes to the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA). Consequently, the change of owner inspection was introduced to ensure continued compliance. This inspection verifies that the vessel has not been modified, loose gear remains onboard, and the new operator has the necessary qualifications and familiarity with the craft. A dispensation has not been considered, as there is no evidence suggesting surveyor availability is causing delays for newly purchased vessels entering service. The MCA undertakes more than 1200 inspections on fishing vessels annually. Our service level agreement for non-chargeable inspections on under 15m vessel is that we offer an inspection slot within 14 calendar days and in the majority of cases this is being met. Our service levels are monitored and there is no evidence of a failure to attend vessels in a timely manner which would demonstrate a need for an increase in capacity. The MCA ensure any substantiated complaints and concerns are considered and addressed as needed.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will publish his response to the Joint Nature Conservation Committee's 7th Quinquennial Review of Schedules 5 and 8 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 relating to marine mammals; and whether he plans to consider the potential impact of this review on his review of the Environmental Improvement Plan.

We are carefully reviewing the proposals, including for marine mammals, from the 7 Quinquennial Review, taking into account our nature recovery ambitions. The Government has concluded a rapid review of the existing Environmental Improvement Plan (EIP23) and published a statement of the rapid review’s key findings on 30 January 2025. We are developing a new EIP to protect and restore our natural environment, it will be published later this year. We will publish our response to the Quinquennial Review in due course.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to (a) add all resident pinniped species to Schedule 5 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and (b) protect all pinniped and cetacean species from each offence under Section 9 of that Act.

We continue to consider the evidence for legislative change. This includes the proposals submitted by the Joint Nature Conservation Committee to the previous Government for amending the lists of species afforded protection by the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. Nature recovery is one of my main priorities, so Defra is working to review whether we have the right tools in place including developing a revised Environmental Improvement Plan to protect and restore our natural environment, which will be published later this year.

What assessment she has made of the adequacy of seafarers’ (a) welfare and (b) roster patterns, in the context of the collision between Solong and Stena Immaculate.

The Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) is undertaking an investigation into the incident. Its findings will be made available in due course. MAIB will consider the circumstances of the incident, including any relevant crewing issues. We must give those teams the time and support to do their job without pre-judging what may have caused this tragic incident.