Written questions by Maguire.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has assessed the potential merits when sewage is released by water companies that poses a risk to human health of requiring (a) a physical warning system and (b) the flying of warning flags for a minimum time duration at (i) beaches and (ii) waterways.

Under the Bathing Water Regulations 2013, local authorities with a designated bathing water must actively disseminate and promptly make available to the public, in the near vicinity of the bathing water, a warning whenever short-term pollution is predicted or present.

Innovation and Technology, what steps her Department is taking to prevent foreign actors from influencing UK democratic processes through social media.

The Government takes the integrity and security of our democratic processes seriously, including the threat of influence from foreign actors.The UK’s Online Safety Act, will capture disinformation aimed at disrupting elections where it is a criminal offence in the scope of the regulatory framework. This includes the Foreign Interference Offence, which will shortly be in force, requiring all in-scope companies to take action against a range of state-linked disinformation and interference online.DSIT, as a member of the government’s Defending Democracy Taskforce, also supports ongoing work to protect the democratic integrity of the UK from threats of foreign interference.

What steps his Department is taking to support small businesses to meet the carbon reporting requirements of the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism.

We recognise that reporting requirements of the EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) are having incidental impacts on some UK businesses exporting to the EU.EU CBAM implementation and guidance remains fundamentally a matter for the European Commission. The Commission have proposed changes to EU CBAM which are intended to exempt most small businesses and make reporting requirements easier to comply with. The Commission intends to undertake a full review of its CBAM later this year, which we will watch closely.The Commission website is the most up to date source of information for businesses seeking guidance on requirements: https://taxation-customs.ec.europa.eu/carbon-border-adjustment-mechanism_en.

Whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of compliance with the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism requirement for accurate carbon emissions data from complex supply chains on small manufacturers.

We recognise that reporting requirements of the EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) are having incidental impacts on some UK businesses exporting to the EU.EU CBAM implementation and guidance remains fundamentally a matter for the European Commission. The Commission have proposed changes to EU CBAM which are intended to exempt most small businesses and make reporting requirements easier to comply with. The Commission intends to undertake a full review of its CBAM later this year, which we will watch closely.The Commission website is the most up to date source of information for businesses seeking guidance on requirements: https://taxation-customs.ec.europa.eu/carbon-border-adjustment-mechanism_en.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a minimum-distance rule for gill nets.

Decisions on an assessment 0-6 nautical miles from the shore would be for individual Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authorities, with measures beyond six nautical miles falling to the Marine Management Organisation.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing restrictions on setting gill nets in areas frequently used by surfers, swimmers, and paddleboarders.

Decisions on an assessment of the potential merits of introducing restrictions on setting gill nets in areas frequently used by surfers, swimmers, and paddleboarders is shared between several bodies. These include Local Authorities which oversee the safety of recreational sea users, such as swimmers; Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authorities which manage fishing activity within the 0-6 nautical mile zone; and the Marine Management Organisation which manages fisheries beyond the 6 nautical mile zone. HM Coastguard provides safety guidance for recreational sea users including swimmers and paddleboarders.

What assessment his Department has made of patient outcomes for those undergoing heroin detoxification using Buvidal compared to Methadone.

No assessment has been made on patient outcomes for those undergoing heroin detoxification using buprenorphine long-acting injection, branded Buvidal, compared to methadone specifically. The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities is currently undertaking analysis of National Drug Treatment Monitoring System data to look at the comparative outcomes between Buvidal and other opioid substitution treatment medicines generally, not just methadone. This work is currently incomplete.Treatment decisions are taken between a person and their clinician to ensure the right option for them, and long-acting injectable buprenorphine, branded as Buvidal, oral buprenorphine, and methadone should be offered as part of a package of care, alongside the usual talking therapies and recovery support that can help people stay off drugs. Local authorities are responsible for commissioning drug and alcohol services according to local need, and this includes the provision of buprenorphine long-acting injections.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of changes to the High Needs National Funding Formula on Cornwall County Council’s SEND funding for 2025/26.

This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) or in alternative provision receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life.The structure of the high needs national funding formula (NFF) is largely unchanged in the 2025/26 financial year as the government needs time to consider what changes are necessary, both to make sure that we establish a fair education funding system that directs funding to where it is needed and to support any SEND reforms.Following the Autumn Budget 2024, the department is providing an increase of £1 billion for high needs budgets in England in the 2025/26 financial year, bringing total high needs funding for children and young people with complex SEND to £11.9 billion. Of that total, Cornwall County Council is being allocated over £86 million through the high needs funding block of the dedicated schools grant (DSG), an increase of £7.1 million on this year’s DSG high needs block, calculated using the high needs national funding formula (NFF). This NFF allocation is an 8.7% increase per head of their 2 to 18 year-old population, on their equivalent 2024/25 NFF allocation. We have also announced £740 million high needs capital funding for the 2025/26 financial year. We will confirm plans to allocate this funding to local authorities later in the spring.In addition to the DSG, local authorities will also receive a separate core schools budget grant (CSBG), and funding in respect of the increase in employers’ National Insurance contributions, in the 2025/26 financial year. This CSBG continues the separate grants payable this year, which are to help special schools and alternative provision with the costs of teachers’ pay and pension increases and other staff pay increases. Individual local authorities’ allocations of this funding for 2025/26 will be published in due course.

Whether she has made a recent assessment of the potential impact of the legal services sector on (a) levels of employment and (b) gross value added.

The UK legal services sector is an important contributor to the economy. In 2023, the sector contributed £37 billion to the UK economy, equivalent to 1.6% of the real GVA, and posted a trade surplus of £7.6 billion.Additionally, in 2022, the UK’s legal services sector employed around 368,000 people across the country. Leading centres of legal services sector employment include London (133,000) Manchester (13,000), Birmingham (12,000), Leeds (9,000), Edinburgh and Glasgow (7,000), Sheffield and Cardiff (4,500), and Belfast (3,344).This information can be found in TheCityUK’s legal services report (December 2024): uk-legal-services-2024-legal-excellence-internationally-renowned.pdf

Food and Rural Affairs, if his Department will take steps to enforce the responsibility of water companies to publish accessible real-time data on sewage released into (a) rivers, (b) seas and (c) other public waterways.

Since 1 January 2025, water companies are required to publish data related to discharges from all storm overflows within one hour of the discharge beginning. The Secretary of State has authorised Ofwat to carry out enforcement action for this duty, in accordance with the powers conferred under sections 18 and 141DA (4) of the Water Industry Act 1991. Ofwat’s enforcement powers provide for a wide range of enforcement activity, including substantial penalties. Ofwat is monitoring compliance with the duty to report relevant data in real time. Where it detects non-compliance, will take appropriate enforcement action. In addition to this, the Water (Special Measures) Act 2025 will introduce a matching duty for water companies to publish data related to discharges from all emergency overflows within one hour of the discharge beginning. Once commenced, this duty will be enforced in the same way.

If he will ensure that (a) UK legal services and (b) the use of English law are promoted overseas as part of an integrated trade policy.

The UK has a reputation for the rule of law and as a global centre for legal services excellence. To date, the government has ensured the inclusion of commitments which facilitate the provision of legal advisory services in UK and international law by UK lawyers in its Free Trade Agreements with the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, Australia and New Zealand.Furthermore, the government will seek to support UK service suppliers, including those from the legal sector, via the future Trade Strategy which will reflect the government's ambition to improve UK's trade and investment with international partners.

Innovation and Technology, whether there are funds available under the Shared Rural Network; and whether he has plans to use the network to eliminate partial non-spots in North Cornwall constituency.

North Cornwall has already benefited from the industry-funded part of the Shared Rural Network which aimed to tackle the majority of partial not-spots across the UK. In North Cornwall, 4G coverage from all four mobile network operators has risen from 68% to 83%, and 99% of the constituency now has 4G coverage from at least one mobile network operator, up from 97% at the start of the programme. This part of the programme has now been completed, and we do not expect there to be further improvements in this constituency from the programme.

Communities and Local Government, what recent assessment she has made of the potential impact of rent increases on recent trends in the level of tenants being evicted.

The English Housing Survey found that in 2023-24 just under a third of private renters (32%) reported finding it either fairly or very difficult to afford their rent. This is an increase on the proportion seen in 2022-23 (29%), and pre-pandemic (27%).The English Private Landlord Survey in 2023-24 also found that one of the most common reasons for a landlord evicting a tenant was rent arrears (42%).The government recognises that paying rent is likely to be a tenant’s biggest monthly expense. The Renters’ Rights Bill empowers private rented sector tenants to challenge unreasonable rent increases, with all rent increases taking place via an existing statutory process.Tenants who receive a rent increase that they feel is not representative of the market value will be able to challenge the increase at the First-tier Tribunal. This will prevent unscrupulous landlords using rent increases as a backdoor means of eviction, while ensuring rents can be increased to reflect market rates.

What steps she is taking (a) uphold the rule of law, (b) promote the UK's legal services and (c) increase access to justice.

The Government has made clear commitments to governing within the rule of law, and to promoting human rights, democracy and the rule of law around the world. The rule of law therefore underpins the work done by the Ministry of Justice right across the justice system. The Ministry of Justice supports the UK’s legal services internationally by working to address market access barriers and promoting the legal sector, including through the ‘GREAT Legal Services’ campaign. Legal services will also form an important part of plans for professional and business services under the Government’s Industrial Strategy, in recognition of the key role they play in driving growth. The Government recently passed the Arbitration Act 2025 as one of its first acts of legislation. This will support the growth of London and the UK as a world leading jurisdiction for arbitration. To support access to justice, we announced in December 2024 that criminal legal aid solicitors will receive up to £92 million more a year to help address ongoing challenges in the criminal justice system and deliver justice for victims. This is in addition to the £24 million increase for criminal legal aid solicitors announced in November, in response to the ‘Crime Lower’ consultation. We are also consulting on uplifts to fees for immigration and housing legal aid. Subject to consultation, an additional £20 million will be invested in the civil legal aid sector every year in steady state. The Department also continues to fund the activities of advice charities to bolster the delivery of essential advice and support services and improve access to legal support for people with social welfare problems. In the financial year 2025/26 we will provide over £6 million to 60 frontline organisations to help improve access to legal support

What steps she is taking to maintain the UK's status as a leader in legal services innovation.

The Ministry of Justice is keen to ensure the UK remains a world leader in legal services innovation. We achieve this through the LawtechUK programme, which, since 2019, has driven digital transformation in the legal sector. Key objectives of the programme include increasing innovation and adoption of lawtech in delivery of UK legal services, supporting the growth of the UK lawtech sector, and enabling English and Welsh law and the UK’s jurisdictions to become the foundation for emerging technology. The LawtechUK programme also supports the work of the UK Jurisdiction Taskforce (UKJT). The UKJT promotes the use of English law and the UK’s jurisdictions for technology and digital innovation. They aim to provide market confidence and legal certainty for new and emerging technologies, such as Cryptoassets and AI. The Department works closely with international partners to co-operate on matters related to lawtech, including establishing dialogue on industry practise, knowledge sharing, and research. For example, the UK-Singapore Digital Economy Agreement, which is the first trade agreement in the world to include these specific commitments on lawtech. The Ministry of Justice also delivers The GREAT Legal Services campaign which promotes the strength and breadth of the UK’s legal services sector and expertise overseas and facilitates the export of high calibre legal services, including lawtech. LawtechUK works closely with this campaign to promote the UK as a global hub for lawtech, including hosting a reception in March for New York Legal Week.

What steps his Department is taking to (a) train, (b) recruit and (c) retain GPs in (i) North Cornwall constituency and (ii) other rural areas.

We acknowledge the urgent challenge of ensuring that rural areas, including North Cornwall, have the resources to continue serving their patients. To address this, we will increase capacity in general practice (GP) and ensure that rural areas have the necessary workforce to provide integrated, patient-centred services.We are committed to training thousands more GPs across the country, including in rural areas, and have committed to recruiting over 1,000 recently qualified GPs through an £82 million boost to the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme (ARRS) over 2024/25, as part of an initiative to address GP unemployment and secure the future pipeline of GPs. My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has confirmed that recently qualified GPs who are employed via the ARRS will continue to be supported through the scheme in 2025/26.Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly have a full-time equivalent rate of 4.8 GPs, almost double the national rate of 2.5, per weighted 10,000 population. The NHS Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Integrated Care Board commissions the Cornwall Primary Care Training Hub to support and provide training, recruitment, and retention of GPs and other staff for all practices across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, including the North Cornwall constituency, as part of the north and east integrated care area. This includes relocation support, coaching and mentoring, professional development opportunities, sponsorship for international graduates, and bespoke support for GP partner retention. Thirty-six doctors are recruited into the Cornwall training programme annually, and this has increased by two for 2025/26 recruitment.

What plans she has to ensure a long-term funding agreement for PE and school sport.

The government is dedicated to increasing children's accessibility to physical education (PE) and sport provision, by protecting PE time and supporting grassroots clubs to expand access to sports for all girls and boys. Through the department’s independent, expert-led Curriculum and Assessment Review, we will seek to deliver a curriculum which is rich, broad and inclusive, ensuring all children and young people have the best start in life and have equal opportunities to participate in high-quality PE, sports and physical activities.Information on future funding will be shared in due course.

What steps her Department is taking to increase the accessibility of (a) PE and (b) sport provision for children in schools.

The government is dedicated to increasing children's accessibility to physical education (PE) and sport provision, by protecting PE time and supporting grassroots clubs to expand access to sports for all girls and boys. Through the department’s independent, expert-led Curriculum and Assessment Review, we will seek to deliver a curriculum which is rich, broad and inclusive, ensuring all children and young people have the best start in life and have equal opportunities to participate in high-quality PE, sports and physical activities.Information on future funding will be shared in due course.

Whether she plans to take steps to increase funding for the judicial system.

This Government inherited a record and rising courts backlog. Since taking office, the Lord Chancellor has funded up to 2,500 additional Crown Court sitting days this financial year, taking the total number of days sat to 108,500, the highest level since the financial year of 2015/16. On Wednesday 5 March, the Lord Chancellor announced for the financial year 2025/26, the Crown Court will be funded to sit up to 110,000 sitting days. It is also both the highest sitting day allocation made since HMCTS was created and the biggest fiscal resource settlement ever made for the Crown court. It is, in all respects, unprecedented and reflects how much importance this Government places on tackling the backlog.

Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to increase funding for social housing, in the context of the forthcoming spending review.

The government will set out set details of new investment to succeed the 2021-26 Affordable Homes Programme at the Spending Review. This new investment will deliver a mix of homes for sub-market rent and homeownership, with a particular focus on delivering homes for social rent.Since October 2024, we have announced £800 million in new funding for the current Affordable Homes Programme. This will support the delivery of up to 7,800 new homes, with more than half of them being Social Rent homes.