Written questions by Maguire.

If his Department will (a) collate and (b) release figures on the numbers of (i) suicides and (ii) overall deaths due to consumption of sodium nitrate.

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. A response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 21st February is attached.

If Ministers within her Department will meet with the hon. Member for North Cornwall to discuss safety improvements at the A30 junction at Plusha.

I would be delighted to meet with the Hobourable Member to discuss these issues, and I understand this has been arranged and will take place in the coming weeks.

What steps her Department has taken to help prevent (a) accidents and (b) fatalities at the A30 junction at Plusha in the last 12 months.

National Highways have conducted a study of the section of the A30 between Kennards House and Five Lanes which includes the junction at Plusha. Fatalities have all occurred due to right turn movements out of Plusha, and in November 2024 National Highways closed this crossover with temporary traffic measures preventing these movements eastbound towards Launceston. Instead, road users are being encouraged to use the nearby Five Lanes grade separated junction. The speed limit has also been reduced to 50mph at this location. National Highways, working with Cornwall Council and Devon and Cornwall Police, will be delivering a £4.6m scheme to improve the safety of this junction and broader route by limiting movements at a number of junctions along the A30.

Communities and Local Government, what estimate she has made of the potential impact of a new planning class and permitted development rights for short-term lets on the number of (a) short-term lets and (b) private rented homes.

Whilst short-term lets can benefit local economies, the government appreciate that excessive concentrations in some areas of the country can impact the availability and affordability of homes both to rent and buy. We have committed to introducing a registration scheme for short-term lets and removing the furnished holiday let rules to ensure all income from property will be treated the same for tax purposes. We also recognise that more needs to be done and are considering what additional powers we might give local authorities to enable them to respond to the pressures created by short-term lets.

Whether the Government's forthcoming road safety strategy will prioritise infrastructure improvements at the A30 Plusha Junction in North Cornwall constituency.

The Government treats road safety with the utmost seriousness, and we are committed to reducing the numbers of those killed and injured on our roads. My department is developing our road safety strategy, the first in over a decade, and will set out more details in due course.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the planned closure of (a) Lloyds Bank and (b) Halifax branches in Launceston on customers reliant on in-person banking services.

The Government understands the importance of face-to-face banking to communities, high streets and rural areas across the UK, and is committed to championing sufficient access for all as a priority. This is why the Government is working closely with banks to roll out 350 banking hubs, which will provide local residents and businesses up and down the country with critical cash and banking services. Over 200 banking hubs have been announced so far, including two in North Cornwall, and over 100 are already open. Banking has changed significantly in recent years with many customers benefitting from the ease and convenience of remote banking. While branch closures are commercial decisions for banks and building societies, FCA guidance expects firms to carefully consider the impact of planned branch closures on their customers’ everyday banking and cash access needs and put in place alternatives where reasonable. This seeks to ensure that branch closures are implemented in a way that treats customers fairly. Alternative options to access everyday banking services can be via telephone banking, through digital means such as mobile or online banking and via the Post Office. The Post Office Banking Framework allows personal and business customers to withdraw and deposit cash, check their balance, pay bills and cash cheques at 11,500 Post Office branches across the UK.

Whether she plans to introduce measures to protect access to essential banking services in rural areas.

The Government understands the importance of face-to-face banking to communities, high streets and rural areas across the UK, and is committed to championing sufficient access for all as a priority. This is why the Government is working closely with banks to roll out 350 banking hubs, which will provide local residents and businesses up and down the country with critical cash and banking services. Over 200 banking hubs have been announced so far, including two in North Cornwall, and over 100 are already open. Banking has changed significantly in recent years with many customers benefitting from the ease and convenience of remote banking. While branch closures are commercial decisions for banks and building societies, FCA guidance expects firms to carefully consider the impact of planned branch closures on their customers’ everyday banking and cash access needs and put in place alternatives where reasonable. This seeks to ensure that branch closures are implemented in a way that treats customers fairly. Alternative options to access everyday banking services can be via telephone banking, through digital means such as mobile or online banking and via the Post Office. The Post Office Banking Framework allows personal and business customers to withdraw and deposit cash, check their balance, pay bills and cash cheques at 11,500 Post Office branches across the UK.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the formal mechanisms set out in section 2 of the International Criminal Court Act 2001 have been triggered in relation to the arrest warrant for Benjamin Netanyahu issued by the International Criminal Court on 21 November 2024.

If the UK receives a request for arrest and surrender or a request for provisional arrest from the International Criminal Court (ICC) for an indicted individual who is visiting the UK, then these warrants will go into a domestic legal progress. It is this process through our independent courts that determines whether or not to endorse, or issue, the warrant in accordance with the UK's ICC Act 2001.

If he will have discussions with the Integrated Care Board on the need for GP surgeries in Camelford and Bodmin.

Integrated care boards (ICB) are responsible for planning and commissioning healthcare services to meet the reasonable needs of the people for whom they are responsible, including primary medical services. ICBs are best placed to understand the needs of their local population and to make decisions on new general practice (GP) surgeries based on those needs. ICBs’ annual commissioning plans must consider requirements for new practices, including those driven by population growth, contract expiries, or unplanned closures. We expect ICBs to act if services are not meeting the reasonable needs of their patients.The Government is committed to delivering a National Health Service that is fit for the future. That is why we have set out our commitment to fix the front door to the NHS, for example through the £102 million of capital funding announced at the Autumn Budget for upgrades to GP estates over the next financial year.We know that some patients are struggling to see a GP and we are committed to improving GP provision across the country, including in the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly ICB area.We recognise the pressure that housing developments can place upon local health infrastructure. At a national level, we continue to work closely with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to address this issue in national planning guidance and ensure all new and existing developments have an adequate level of healthcare infrastructure for the community.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what the expected timeframe is between an ICC arrest warrant being issued and an arrest being made in the UK; and whether any preparatory legal or operational steps can be taken in advance of an individual's arrival in the UK to ensure immediate enforcement upon entry.

We respect the independence of the International Criminal Court (ICC) which is the primary international institution for investigating and prosecuting the most serious crimes of international concern. There is a domestic legal process through our independent courts that determines whether to endorse an ICC arrest warrant in accordance with the UK's ICC Act 2001. The process has not been used to date because the UK has never been visited by an individual subject to an ICC arrest warrant. An individual subject to an ICC arrest warrant must be in the UK for any arrest to be made. The Government is unaware of any planned visits to the UK by individuals subject to ICC arrest warrants.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will ensure that (a) warrants requested by the International Criminal Court are prepared promptly and (b) he is aware of potential visits by individuals subject to International Criminal Court scrutiny.

We respect the independence of the International Criminal Court (ICC) which is the primary international institution for investigating and prosecuting the most serious crimes of international concern. There is a domestic legal process through our independent courts that determines whether to endorse an ICC arrest warrant in accordance with the UK's ICC Act 2001. The Government is unaware of any planned visits to the UK by individuals subject to ICC arrest warrants.

If her Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of increasing the maximum authorised mass permitted for volunteer minibus drivers to over 3.5 tonnes.

Drivers wishing to operate a passenger carrying vehicle with 8-16 seats must have the D1 entitlement on their driving licence. For drivers using their car licence to drive a minibus where the licence was first obtained after 1 January 1997, this weight is limited to 3,500kgs. Many minibuses come under the proscribed weights and can therefore be driven using additional entitlements on a category B (Car) licence. Any decision to amend existing rules would require a careful assessment of the road safety implications and our international obligations. The Department has no current plans to conduct such an assessment.

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of raising the maximum age threshold of driving volunteer minibus services to 80.

An individual driving a minibus using additional entitlements through a Category B (Car) driving licence, may drive a minibus after the age of 70 but must demonstrate they meet higher Group 2 medical standards for reasons of passenger safety and safety to other road users. There are no plans to change this.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Prime Minister's oral response to the hon. Member for North Cornwall during Prime Minister's Questions on 16 October 2024, if she will meet with hon. Members representing Cornish constituencies.

The Deputy Prime Minister held a meeting with all six Cornish Members of Parliament on 17 December 2024. There has also been a significant number of meetings with Cornish MPs individually and collectively with government ministers.

What plans his Department has to support small-medium enterprises in Cornwall, in the context of the proposed rise in employers' National Insurance contributions.

The government is reforming business rates to offer permanent reductions for retail, hospitality, and leisure properties, which represent a significant portion of Cornwall's SMEs. We have also shielded the smallest businesses and charities from the impact of increased Employer National Insurance by raising the Employment Allowance from £5,000 to £10,500.Looking ahead, the government has announced plans to launch a Business Growth Service, designed as a national initiative with local delivery at its core, and will publish a Small Business Strategy Command Paper later this year.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the proposed rise in employers' National Insurance contributions on small businesses.

A Tax Information and Impact Note (TIIN) was published alongside the introduction of the Bill containing the changes to employer NICs. The TIIN sets out the impact of the policy on the exchequer, the economic impacts of the policy, and the impacts on individuals, businesses, and civil society organisations as well as an overview of the equality impacts. 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.

If she will make an assessment with the Chancellor of the Exchequer of the potential merits of implementing a tapered clawback mechanism for agricultural property relief for farmers whose agricultural assets marginally exceed the £1 million threshold.

The Government believes its reforms to agricultural property relief and business property relief from 6 April 2026 gets the balance right between supporting farms and fixing the public finances in a fair way. The reforms reduce the inheritance tax advantages available to owners of agricultural and business assets, but it still means those assets will be taxed at a much lower effective rate than most other assets. Despite a tough fiscal context, the Government will maintain very significant levels of relief from inheritance tax beyond what is available to others and the position before 1992. The Government has no plans to implement a tapered clawback mechanism.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the proposed increase in employer's National Insurance on public services provided by Cornwall Council.

We recognise the challenges that local authorities are facing as demand increases for critical services. That is why the government is providing an additional £2 billion of grant funding through the Settlement, which includes £502 million of additional grant funding to manage the impact of employer National Insurance Contributions (NICs) changes on council budgets.Additional funding for employer NICs has been determined based on a national assessment of the costs for directly employed staff and the grant distribution methodology has been published in an explanatory note on the government website: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/updated-explanatory-note-on-the-employer-national-insurance-contribution-grant-2025-to-2026.

Food and Rural Affairs, for what reason Sustainable Farming Incentive and Environmental Land Management scheme payments have been delayed.

The Sustainable Farming Incentive Scheme has a rolling application window, and quarterly payments begin four months after the start of an accepted agreement. As of 04 February, the Rural Payments Agency has 35,949 accepted agreement offers for which a payment is due with around 98% having received their quarterly payments. The Countryside Stewardship payment window runs from 1 December 2024 to 30 June 2025. Rural Payments Agency received 35,596 claims and as of 04 February 2025, payments have been released for 25,540 (74%) of these. The Environmental Stewardship payment window runs from 1 December 2024 to 30 June 2025. Rural Payments Agency received 5,950 claims and as of 04 February 2025, payments have been released for 5,559 (93%) of these. The Get Funding to Improve Animal Health and Welfare Review scheme has a rolling application window and as of 04 February the RPA has received 8,992 claims, of which 8,079 claims were accepted and 80.2% paid. RPA received 125% more Countryside Stewardship revenue claims in 2024 than in 2020. Recognising payments are made between December and the following June, as at end of December 2024 we’d made 22,000 payments (worth over £278.5m) which is 11,900 more payments (worth £214m more) than we had by end of December 2020.

Food and Rural Affairs, how many applications his Department has received for the (a) Sustainable Farming Incentive and (b) Environmental Land Management scheme; and what the status is of each application.

(a)The Sustainable Farming Incentive has a rolling application window and as of 04 February the RPA has received 46,765 applications of which 42,497 agreements have been offered and 35,949 accepted. ** Farmers can have more than one agreement in SFI schemes (including SFI Pilot, SFI 2023 SFI EO). The Get Funding to Improve Animal Health and Welfare Review scheme has a rolling application window and as of 04 February the RPA has received 8,992 claims, of which 8,079 claims were accepted. (b) Rural Payment Agency received 9,105 applications for Countryside Stewardship revenue agreements to start 01 January 2024. 8,313 agreements were offered, and 8,308 agreements were accepted.