Written questions by Maguire.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to (a) tackle and (b) prevent sewage dumping at Hawkers Cove.

Cleaning up our rivers, lakes and seas is a top Government priority.The Water (Special Measures) Bill will deliver on the government's commitment to put water companies under special measures. It will drive meaningful improvements in the performance and culture of the water industry as a first important step in enabling wider, transformative change across the water sector.On 23 October, the Secretary of State, in conjunction with the Welsh Government, launched an Independent Commission on the water sector regulatory system, to fundamentally transform how our water system works and clean up our rivers, lakes and seas for good.With respect to the areas mentioned, data does not show widespread releases of raw sewage from the sites raised; pollution incident reports from beach users are very low and water quality data remains consistently high. All the designated bathing waters raised are classified as Excellent or GoodSouth West Water's plans for Asset Management Period 8 (covering 2025-2030), include improvements to sewage treatment infrastructure and storm overflows in the area to further reduce pollution in the area.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to (a) tackle and (b) prevent sewage dumping at Mother Iveys Bay.

Cleaning up our rivers, lakes and seas is a top Government priority.The Water (Special Measures) Bill will deliver on the government's commitment to put water companies under special measures. It will drive meaningful improvements in the performance and culture of the water industry as a first important step in enabling wider, transformative change across the water sector.On 23 October, the Secretary of State, in conjunction with the Welsh Government, launched an Independent Commission on the water sector regulatory system, to fundamentally transform how our water system works and clean up our rivers, lakes and seas for good.With respect to the areas mentioned, data does not show widespread releases of raw sewage from the sites raised; pollution incident reports from beach users are very low and water quality data remains consistently high. All the designated bathing waters raised are classified as Excellent or GoodSouth West Water's plans for Asset Management Period 8 (covering 2025-2030), include improvements to sewage treatment infrastructure and storm overflows in the area to further reduce pollution in the area.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to (a) tackle and (b) prevent sewage dumping at Porthtowan Beach.

Cleaning up our rivers, lakes and seas is a top Government priority.The Water (Special Measures) Bill will deliver on the government's commitment to put water companies under special measures. It will drive meaningful improvements in the performance and culture of the water industry as a first important step in enabling wider, transformative change across the water sector.On 23 October, the Secretary of State, in conjunction with the Welsh Government, launched an Independent Commission on the water sector regulatory system, to fundamentally transform how our water system works and clean up our rivers, lakes and seas for good.With respect to the areas mentioned, data does not show widespread releases of raw sewage from the sites raised; pollution incident reports from beach users are very low and water quality data remains consistently high. All the designated bathing waters raised are classified as Excellent or GoodSouth West Water's plans for Asset Management Period 8 (covering 2025-2030), include improvements to sewage treatment infrastructure and storm overflows in the area to further reduce pollution in the area.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to (a) tackle and (b) prevent sewage dumping at Treyarnon Bay.

Cleaning up our rivers, lakes and seas is a top Government priority.The Water (Special Measures) Bill will deliver on the government's commitment to put water companies under special measures. It will drive meaningful improvements in the performance and culture of the water industry as a first important step in enabling wider, transformative change across the water sector.On 23 October, the Secretary of State, in conjunction with the Welsh Government, launched an Independent Commission on the water sector regulatory system, to fundamentally transform how our water system works and clean up our rivers, lakes and seas for good.With respect to the areas mentioned, data does not show widespread releases of raw sewage from the sites raised; pollution incident reports from beach users are very low and water quality data remains consistently high. All the designated bathing waters raised are classified as Excellent or GoodSouth West Water's plans for Asset Management Period 8 (covering 2025-2030), include improvements to sewage treatment infrastructure and storm overflows in the area to further reduce pollution in the area.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to (a) tackle and (b) prevent sewage dumping at Whipsiderry Beach.

Cleaning up our rivers, lakes and seas is a top Government priority.The Water (Special Measures) Bill will deliver on the government's commitment to put water companies under special measures. It will drive meaningful improvements in the performance and culture of the water industry as a first important step in enabling wider, transformative change across the water sector.On 23 October, the Secretary of State, in conjunction with the Welsh Government, launched an Independent Commission on the water sector regulatory system, to fundamentally transform how our water system works and clean up our rivers, lakes and seas for good.With respect to the areas mentioned, data does not show widespread releases of raw sewage from the sites raised; pollution incident reports from beach users are very low and water quality data remains consistently high. All the designated bathing waters raised are classified as Excellent or GoodSouth West Water's plans for Asset Management Period 8 (covering 2025-2030), include improvements to sewage treatment infrastructure and storm overflows in the area to further reduce pollution in the area.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to (a) tackle and (b) prevent sewage dumping at Trevone Bay.

Cleaning up our rivers, lakes and seas is a top Government priority.The Water (Special Measures) Bill will deliver on the government's commitment to put water companies under special measures. It will drive meaningful improvements in the performance and culture of the water industry as a first important step in enabling wider, transformative change across the water sector.On 23 October, the Secretary of State, in conjunction with the Welsh Government, launched an Independent Commission on the water sector regulatory system, to fundamentally transform how our water system works and clean up our rivers, lakes and seas for good.With respect to the areas mentioned, data does not show widespread releases of raw sewage from the sites raised; pollution incident reports from beach users are very low and water quality data remains consistently high. All the designated bathing waters raised are classified as Excellent or GoodSouth West Water's plans for Asset Management Period 8 (covering 2025-2030), include improvements to sewage treatment infrastructure and storm overflows in the area to further reduce pollution in the area.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to (a) tackle and (b) prevent sewage dumping at St George's Cove.

Cleaning up our rivers, lakes and seas is a top Government priority.The Water (Special Measures) Bill will deliver on the government's commitment to put water companies under special measures. It will drive meaningful improvements in the performance and culture of the water industry as a first important step in enabling wider, transformative change across the water sector.On 23 October, the Secretary of State, in conjunction with the Welsh Government, launched an Independent Commission on the water sector regulatory system, to fundamentally transform how our water system works and clean up our rivers, lakes and seas for good.With respect to the areas mentioned, data does not show widespread releases of raw sewage from the sites raised; pollution incident reports from beach users are very low and water quality data remains consistently high. All the designated bathing waters raised are classified as Excellent or GoodSouth West Water's plans for Asset Management Period 8 (covering 2025-2030), include improvements to sewage treatment infrastructure and storm overflows in the area to further reduce pollution in the area.

Whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of funding school trip coach costs for visits to Parliament.

The government is committed to creating opportunities for all children to achieve and thrive. The department has not made an assessment of the merits of funding school trips to Parliament. It is for schools to decide whether to offer school trips to their pupils and what trips to offer. Schools receive pupil premium funding to improve educational outcomes for disadvantaged pupils and may use this funding to support extracurricular activities, including school trips and associated transport costs. Schools may also ask parents to contribute towards the cost of school trips but may not make compulsory charges for trips which take place during school hours, or are part of the national curriculum, religious education or the syllabus for a public exam the pupil is being prepared for at the school.

Innovation and Technology, what steps his Department is taking to help (a) improve internet services for rural communities and (b) ensure that internet companies do not have monopolies in rural areas.

The government helped create a competition-friendly environment which supports over 100 providers in the UK deploying broadband in commercially viable areas. Through Project Gigabit, the government is delivering gigabit-capable broadband to UK premises that are not included in suppliers' commercial plans, predominantly in rural areas, with nearly £2 billion of contracts now secured to connect over a million more premises.Regulating monopolies is a matter for Ofcom, the independent telecoms regulator and it can impose pro-competition remedies on providers with significant market power (SMP). Currently, Ofcom has determined that only BT Group and KCOM have SMP.

How many scheduled trains with destinations in Cornwall were cancelled due to lack of crew in the last 12 months.

The Department does not hold cancellation data at this level of detail. However, we acknowledge that performance is not where it needs to be on Great Western Railway or Cross-Country services. This is due to a range of issues including infrastructure and fleet reliability, as well as traincrew availability. The Department is working closely with both operators to improve performance.

What plans his Department has to decrease the waiting times for diagnosis of (a) autism and (b) other (i) neurological and (ii) developmental disorders.

It is the responsibility of the integrated care boards (ICBs) in England to make available the appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population, including autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) services, in line with relevant National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines.On 5 April 2023, NHS England published a national framework and operational guidance to help ICBs and the National Health Service to deliver improved outcomes for children, young people and adults referred to an autism assessment service. In 2024/25, £4.3 million is available nationally to improve services for autistic children and young people, including autism assessment services.In respect of ADHD, we are supporting a cross-sector taskforce that NHS England has established to look at ADHD service provision and support across sectors, and their impact on patient experience. The taskforce is bringing together expertise from across a broad range of sectors, including the NHS, education, and justice, to better understand the challenges affecting people with ADHD, including timely access to services and support. The ADHD taskforce will also work closely with the Department for Education’s neurodivergence task and finish group.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to help protect the rights of children in countries experiencing the worst impacts of climate change.

This Government is committed to the promotion, protection and realisation of children's rights. We know that children are disproportionately at risk from the effects of climate change, and children and young people will be at the forefront of shaping a resilient, sustainable future. The UK-led Glasgow Climate Pact urges Parties and stakeholders to ensure meaningful youth participation and representation in multilateral, national and local decision-making processes. We championed this approach at COP29, where I met with youth climate activists from developing countries, and where UK Special Representative for Climate Rachel Kyte attended events alongside universities and the UN Youth Office to highlight the critical role of youth in climate action.

If he will make an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of the average waiting time for an autism diagnosis in Cornwall.

It is the responsibility of integrated care boards (ICBs) to make available appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population, including autism assessments and diagnosis, in line with relevant National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines.On 5 April 2023, NHS England published a national framework and operational guidance to help ICBs and the National Health Service to deliver improved outcomes for children, young people, and adults referred to an autism assessment service. In 2024/25, £4.3 million is available nationally to improve services for autistic children and young people, including autism assessment services.

Whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of applying a working farm test which would exempt estates actively being used for farming from changes to Inheritance Tax rules at the Autumn Budget 2024.

The longstanding rules already mean agricultural property relief is currently only available if the property includes agricultural land that is occupied for agricultural purposes. It may be occupied by the owners of the land or others, such as a tenant farmer. More information on the qualifying uses of land can be found at www.gov.uk/hmrc-internal-manuals/inheritance-tax-manual/ihtm24061.

If her Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of extending the Camel Trail in North Cornwall to (a) Camelford and (b) beyond.

A feasibility study for this route has been funded through Shared Prosperity Funding, applied for by the local town council and Cornwall Council Community Area Partnership Lead. Sustrans, who manage the National Cycle Network, has put proposals to Active Travel England to undertake further development of the route in 2025, which will assess the potential merits of extending the Camel Trail to Camelford.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to (a) tackle and (b) prevent sewage dumping at Chapel Porth Beach.

Cleaning up our rivers, lakes and seas is a top Government priority. The Water (Special Measures) Bill will deliver on the government’s commitment to put water companies under special measures. It will drive meaningful improvements in the performance and culture of the water industry as a first important step in enabling wider, transformative change across the water sector. On 23 October, the Secretary of State, in conjunction with the Welsh Government, launched an Independent Commission on the water sector regulatory system, to fundamentally transform how our water system works and clean up our rivers, lakes and seas for good. With respect to the areas mentioned, data does not show widespread releases of raw sewage from the sites raised; pollution incident reports from beach users are very low and water quality data remains consistently high. All the designated bathing waters raised are classified as Excellent or Good South West Water’s plans for Asset Management Period 8 (covering 2025-2030), include improvements to sewage treatment infrastructure and storm overflows in the area to further reduce pollution in the area.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to (a) tackle and (b) prevent sewage dumping at Godrevy Beach.

Cleaning up our rivers, lakes and seas is a top Government priority. The Water (Special Measures) Bill will deliver on the government’s commitment to put water companies under special measures. It will drive meaningful improvements in the performance and culture of the water industry as a first important step in enabling wider, transformative change across the water sector. On 23 October, the Secretary of State, in conjunction with the Welsh Government, launched an Independent Commission on the water sector regulatory system, to fundamentally transform how our water system works and clean up our rivers, lakes and seas for good. With respect to the areas mentioned, data does not show widespread releases of raw sewage from the sites raised; pollution incident reports from beach users are very low and water quality data remains consistently high. All the designated bathing waters raised are classified as Excellent or Good South West Water’s plans for Asset Management Period 8 (covering 2025-2030), include improvements to sewage treatment infrastructure and storm overflows in the area to further reduce pollution in the area.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to (a) tackle and (b) prevent sewage dumping at Great Western Beach.

Cleaning up our rivers, lakes and seas is a top Government priority. The Water (Special Measures) Bill will deliver on the government’s commitment to put water companies under special measures. It will drive meaningful improvements in the performance and culture of the water industry as a first important step in enabling wider, transformative change across the water sector. On 23 October, the Secretary of State, in conjunction with the Welsh Government, launched an Independent Commission on the water sector regulatory system, to fundamentally transform how our water system works and clean up our rivers, lakes and seas for good. With respect to the areas mentioned, data does not show widespread releases of raw sewage from the sites raised; pollution incident reports from beach users are very low and water quality data remains consistently high. All the designated bathing waters raised are classified as Excellent or Good South West Water’s plans for Asset Management Period 8 (covering 2025-2030), include improvements to sewage treatment infrastructure and storm overflows in the area to further reduce pollution in the area.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to (a) tackle and (b) prevent sewage dumping at Black Cliff Beach.

Cleaning up our rivers, lakes and seas is a top Government priority. The Water (Special Measures) Bill will deliver on the government’s commitment to put water companies under special measures. It will drive meaningful improvements in the performance and culture of the water industry as a first important step in enabling wider, transformative change across the water sector. On 23 October, the Secretary of State, in conjunction with the Welsh Government, launched an Independent Commission on the water sector regulatory system, to fundamentally transform how our water system works and clean up our rivers, lakes and seas for good. With respect to the areas mentioned, data does not show widespread releases of raw sewage from the sites raised; pollution incident reports from beach users are very low and water quality data remains consistently high. All the designated bathing waters raised are classified as Excellent or Good South West Water’s plans for Asset Management Period 8 (covering 2025-2030), include improvements to sewage treatment infrastructure and storm overflows in the area to further reduce pollution in the area.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to (a) tackle and (b) prevent sewage dumping at Constantine Bay.

Cleaning up our rivers, lakes and seas is a top Government priority. The Water (Special Measures) Bill will deliver on the government’s commitment to put water companies under special measures. It will drive meaningful improvements in the performance and culture of the water industry as a first important step in enabling wider, transformative change across the water sector. On 23 October, the Secretary of State, in conjunction with the Welsh Government, launched an Independent Commission on the water sector regulatory system, to fundamentally transform how our water system works and clean up our rivers, lakes and seas for good. With respect to the areas mentioned, data does not show widespread releases of raw sewage from the sites raised; pollution incident reports from beach users are very low and water quality data remains consistently high. All the designated bathing waters raised are classified as Excellent or Good South West Water’s plans for Asset Management Period 8 (covering 2025-2030), include improvements to sewage treatment infrastructure and storm overflows in the area to further reduce pollution in the area.