Written questions by Maguire.

Whether the Government is working with regulators and professional bodies to strengthen endometriosis education.

The Government acknowledges the importance of ensuring healthcare professionals are adequately trained and educated on women’s health conditions, including endometriosis, and we have taken action to address this.The standard of undergraduate medical training is the responsibility of the General Medical Council (GMC), the independent regulator of the medical profession, which set the outcomes and standards expected at undergraduate level. Medical schools are responsible for their curricula. The delivery of these undergraduate curricula must meet the standards set by the GMC, who then monitor and check to make sure that these standards are maintained.The curriculum for specialty training is set by individual royal colleges and faculties. The GMC approves curricula and assessment systems for each training programme. Curricula emphasise the skills and approaches that a doctor must develop to ensure accurate and timely diagnoses and treatment plans for their patients.The Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) is responsible for publishing the postgraduate curriculum for general practitioners (GPs) and ensuring it remains up to date. The RCGP curriculum covers endometriosis as part of its gynaecology and breast health module.GPs are responsible for ensuring their own clinical knowledge remains up-to-date and for identifying learning needs as part of their continuing professional development. The RCGP has worked with partners, including Endometriosis UK, to develop educational resources relating to endometriosis to support GPs and other healthcare professionals to deliver the best possible care for women, based on the latest evidence.

What steps his Department has taken to ensure that endometriosis is consistently and adequately covered in the education and training of healthcare practitioners.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

What steps his Department will take to address gaps in endometriosis training in order to reduce delays in diagnosis and improve outcomes.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

What steps his Department is taking to tackle increases in the level of kidney disease.

NHS England is delivering a comprehensive programme to improve the diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes of people with kidney disease. Eight commissioned regional renal clinical networks are implementing the renal service transformation toolkit in collaboration with providers, with a clear focus on improving early diagnosis, slowing disease progression, and reducing the number of patients reaching advanced stages of kidney disease. This work is supported nationally by the Renal Clinical Reference Group.Chronic kidney disease (CKD) and cardiovascular disease are closely linked, with shared risk factors, as well as being risk factors for each other. As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, we will publish a new cardiovascular disease Modern Service Framework. As part of its development, officials are also considering opportunities for earlier identification and diagnosis of CKD and are engaging widely to identify the best evidenced interventions.

If he will list the integrated care boards that returned money for unfulfilled NHS dental care.

The Government wants to ensure that every penny we allocate for dentistry is spent on dentistry, and that the ringfenced dental budget is spent on the patients who need it most.Changes to the contract already mean that commissioners can more easily redistribute ringfenced dentistry funding to ensure delivery of dental care, in scenarios where contractors are persistently unable to deliver their National Health Service commitments.We have reduced the NHS dentistry underspend from £392 million in 2023/24 to £36 million in 2024/25. The following table shows the integrated care boards (ICBs) that returned dental allocation to NHS England in 2024/25:RegionICBEast of EnglandBedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes ICBEast of EnglandNorfolk And Waveney ICBEast of EnglandCambridgeshire And Peterborough ICBMidlandsHerefordshire And Worcestershire ICBMidlandsLincolnshire ICBMidlandsShropshire, Telford and Wrekin ICBMidlandsNorthamptonshire ICBNorth East and YorkshireNorth East and North Cumbria ICBNorth WestCheshire And Merseyside ICBSouth EastKent And Medway ICBSouth EastFrimley Integrated Care ICBSouth EastSussex ICBSouth EastSurrey Heartlands ICBSouth WestSomerset ICBSouth WestCornwall and the Isles of Scilly ICB

Pursuant to the Answer of 23 July 2024 to Question 244 on Dental Services: North Cornwall, what discussions he has had with the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly ICB on the proposed innovative access pilot project in Cornwall to support the most vulnerable to see an NHS dentist.

Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for assessing the needs of their population and ensuring that the relevant dental services are available. The ICB has confirmed a range of measures to increase appointment availability for local residents, including a dental van launched in 2025 that is providing treatment to vulnerable patients, those in rural communities, and those who have been waiting a long time to see a National Health Service dentist.

What assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the consultation undertaken on proposed changes to Motability mileage allowances.

Responsibility for the terms and administration of the Scheme sits with Motability Foundation and its Board of Governors. The changes to the leasing package were announced on 26 March and include reducing the mileage allowance from 20,000 per year to 10,000 per year. Changes only apply to new leases and there are no changes to the mileage allowance of existing leases. Motability Foundation have advised that approximately 75% of customers on the Scheme already use less miles than the proposed new mileage allowance. They have acknowledged that there will be an impact on some customers and are considering if the impact can be mitigated in some limited circumstances.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure that access to bluefin tuna fishing licences is (a) increased and (b) distributed across inshore fleets, including in coastal communities such as North Cornwall constituency.

In 2026 Defra is making up to 30 licence authorisations available for commercial rod and line fishing for bluefin tuna, double the number in 2025. The fishery is accessed through an application process run by the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) and is open to applicants with eligible vessels registered in any part of the UK. The application process will be open between 8 April and 30 April 2026. The vessel criteria have been chosen to create opportunities for sustainable inshore fishing across the UK. For bluefin tuna catch and release recreational fisheries (CRRFs), in 2026 Defra is making up to 230 permits available across all UK CRRFs with around 150 of those in English waters. Each Fisheries Administration has the power to open a CRRF in their waters. In England, the MMO will regulate the fishery and ran an application process between 24 March and 13 April 2026.

Communities and Local Government, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of the current regulation of property agents in relation to (a) court-ordered property sales, and (b) vulnerable individuals.

I refer the hon. Member to the answers given to Questions UIN 77534 on 17 October 2025 and UIN 113165 on 2 March 2026.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of including Water Hyacinth in the list of Species of Special Concern.

Water hyacinth, along with 65 other non-native species, has been risk assessed and is listed as an invasive non-native species of special concern. The risk assessment for water hyacinth can be found here: https://www.nonnativespecies.org/assets/Uploads/RA_Eichhornia_crassipes_Water_Hyacinthpoc.pdf

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of proposed changes to Motability mileage allowances on disabled people living in rural areas.

Responsibility for the terms and administration of the Scheme sits with Motability Foundation and its Board of Governors. The changes to the leasing package were announced on 26 March and include reducing the mileage allowance from 20,000 per year to 10,000 per year. Changes only apply to new leases and there are no changes to the mileage allowance of existing leases. Motability Foundation have advised that approximately 75% of customers on the Scheme already use less miles than the proposed new mileage allowance. They have acknowledged that there will be an impact on some customers and are considering if the impact can be mitigated in some limited circumstances.

Food and Rural Affairs, what process her Department will use to invite and assess bids for the proposed new national river walks.

The Government continues to progress plans to deliver nine new National River Walks across England, one in each region, to enhance access to nature. We will identify locations for the next tranche of river walks through a competition that will be launched before the end of 2026. We will give further details relating to the competition, selection and assessment criteria in due course.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of slurry storage technologies on reducing agricultural methane emissions.

Defra has assessed slurry storage systems and their ability to reduce agricultural methane emissions, including retrofitted permeable and impermeable covers. These are detailed in the Carbon Budget and Growth Delivery Plan (2025). Available scientific evidence found that the methane reduction potential of slurry storage technologies is variable depending on the technique deployed. Defra is currently reviewing the scientific evidence relating to other slurry storage technologies, including biogas capture.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of providing funding to support the installation of sustainable slurry systems on farms.

The Slurry Infrastructure Grant first opened in 2022 and has run for two rounds. The grant supports farmers to build 6-month slurry storage and to cover stores with impermeable covers to reduce ammonia emissions. The Farming Equipment and Technology Fund 2026 grant supports farmers, growers, foresters and contractors to buy equipment and technology that improves productivity, animal health and welfare, and slurry management. Through the Environmental Improvement Plan, published last year, the Government has committed to work with stakeholders to reduce water pollution and ammonia emissions from farming through streamlined regulation and develop detailed proposals on the extension of environmental permitting for dairy and intensive beef farms for consultation. Slurry covers are one of the mitigation measures that will be considered as we develop these regulatory proposals.

Food and Rural Affairs, when her Department expects to make decisions on the allocation of new national river walk routes following the planned bidding process.

The Government continues to progress plans to deliver nine new National River Walks across England, one in each region, to enhance access to nature. We will identify locations for the next tranche of river walks through a competition that will be launched before the end of 2026. We will give further details relating to the competition, selection and assessment criteria in due course.

Food and Rural Affairs, what criteria her Department will use to evaluate proposals for the nine new propossed national river walks.

The Government continues to progress plans to deliver nine new National River Walks across England, one in each region, to enhance access to nature. We will identify locations for the next tranche of river walks through a competition that will be launched before the end of 2026. We will give further details relating to the competition, selection and assessment criteria in due course.

What recent steps he has taken towards beginning the process of ratifying the Convention for the Protection of the Profession of Lawyer, including any regulatory blocks that have led to the current delay; and what his planned timetable is for ratification.

The UK was proud to be among the first signatories to the Convention for the Protection of the Profession of Lawyer in May 2025, demonstrating our strong and longstanding commitment to the rule of law, the independence of the legal profession, and access to justice.My Department is considering our next steps to prepare for ratification. This includes ongoing work across Government to assess the steps required to ensure compliance with the Convention’s provisions, including its application across the UK’s jurisdictions as well as any potential extension to the Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories, in line with usual treaty practice.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure fair pricing practices for (a) domestic heating oil and (b) liquefied petroleum gas.

The Government remains committed to supporting those households most affected and to addressing the rising costs linked to the ongoing conflict in Iran. The Energy Secretary welcomes the Competition and Market Authority’s comprehensive examination of the heating oil industry to ensure customers are treated fairly. Wholesale prices for heating oil have risen more sharply than for LPG and concerns in the heating oil sector were raised immediately. The CMA will apply its person-centred, needs-based approach as appropriate, and its general operating principles extend to addressing any potential concerns in the LPG market. The Government will continue to monitor the situation and will not tolerate profiteering or unfair practices. As part of the Chancellors announcement on 16 March, £53 million has been made available to assist low-income families facing rising fuel costs. Households using LPG will be eligible for the £27 million of this support available in England, which will be distributed by local authorities through the Crisis and Resilience Fund (CRF) from 1 April.

When her Department expects all eligible retired members of public service pension schemes under its responsibility to receive their McCloud remedy payments; and what steps she is taking to expedite payments to affected pensioners.

Scheme managers of the individual public service pension schemes are responsible for ensuring the effective delivery of the McCloud remedy to affected members. I have written to scheme managers to remind them of their responsibilities to implement the remedy as quickly as possible and ensure that scheme members and the Pensions Regulator are kept informed of progress and plans.

What assessment his Department has made of the prevalence of price gouging for (a) domestic heating oil and (b) liquefied petroleum gas.

Price gouging will not be tolerated. That is why the Chancellor has written to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) to ask it to remain vigilant on heating oil prices and support action to tackle unjustified price increases. Wholesale prices for heating oil have risen more sharply than for LPG and concerns in the heating oil sector were raised immediately. The CMA will apply its person-centred, needs-based approach as appropriate, and its general operating principles extend to addressing any potential concerns in the LPG market. The Government and the CMA will not hesitate to take action if companies are found to have breached consumer protection laws.