Written questions by Stephenson.

What discussions he has had with the Scottish Government on trends in the level of tourism in Scotland.

As a former small business owner myself, I have first hand experience and determination for ensuring Scotland’s small businesses thrive. Tourism is crucial not only for the economy, but for supporting local communities and promoting Scotland’s unique culture and natural beauty. Through our Brand Scotland campaign, the Scotland Office is promoting Scotland as a premier destination for both business and leisure. I am always eager to discuss matters important to Scotland, and have committed to meeting with VisitScotland as early as my diary permits.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had discussions with his Egyptian counterpart on the seizure of St. Catherine’s Monastery.

The UK Government recognises St Catherine's Monastery's historical and religious importance and tracks this long-standing land ownership dispute. Our Embassy in Cairo participated in discussions with the Egyptian Government on this issue on 30 May. We will continue to engage on issues of heritage protection and religious freedoms.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had discussions with his Moroccan counterpart on ensuring human rights for the Sahrawi people.

The UK remains committed to the promotion and protection of human rights globally, including in Morocco and Western Sahara. Officials, including up to Ambassador level regularly engage on these issues with the Moroccan Government and authorities accordingly.In the UK-Morocco joint communiqué, both countries reaffirmed their commitment to cooperation on human rights, our support for the principle of respect for self-determination and the intention to hold a third session of the UK-Morocco Human Rights dialogue before the end of 2025. It also expressed our shared conviction to renew efforts to support the Personal Envoy of the UN Secretary-General in the search for a solution to the Western Sahara conflict, underlining that the only viable and durable solution will be one that is mutually acceptable to the relevant parties, and is arrived at through compromise. We welcome Morocco's stated commitment to further detail and willingness to engage in good faith with all relevant parties, to expand on details of what autonomy within the Moroccan State could entail for the region, with a view to restarting serious negotiations on terms acceptable to the parties.

What steps his Department plans to take to ensure that ICBs effectively represent small and rural communities, in the context of the re-organisation of ICBs.

NHS England has asked the integrated care boards (ICBs) to act primarily as strategic commissioners of health and care services and to reduce the duplication of responsibilities within the health and care structure. ICBs are responsible for commissioning health and care services for every person within their locality, including people from small and rural communities. We expect ICBs to continue delivering on all of their statutory responsibilities for all of their residents, including those from small and rural communities.

If he will ask NHS England to publish an analysis of the options they have considered for re-organisation of ICBs in the East of England.

The proposals for the clustering of integrated care boards (ICBs) across England were considered in view of the ambition set out in the Government’s 10-Year Health Plan and NHS England’s Model ICB Blueprint. Specifically, the Government’s aim to strengthen the role of ICBs as strategic commissioners whilst delivering efficiency savings through creating leaner and more agile structures.Although the Government will not publish a detailed analysis of the options considered in each region, options for the re-organisation of ICBs in the east of England were considered in view of the ambition detailed above, with careful consideration of the local circumstances and meeting the running cost allowance envelope of £18.76 per head of population.

Whether his Department plans to publish a social care workforce strategy, in the context of the White Paper entitled Restoring control over the immigration system, published on 12 May 2025.

There are currently no plans to publish a social care workforce strategy in response to the Immigration White Paper. However, we are actively supporting the workforce through a range of ongoing initiatives.It is the Government’s policy to reduce reliance on international recruitment in adult social care and to improve domestic recruitment and retention. Overseas recruitment for adult social care is ending. The new rules will come into effect on 22 July 2025.There will be a transition period until 2028, to be kept under review, where in-country applications, including from other visa routes, will continue to be permitted for care workers and senior care workers, provided individuals are already working in the sector. This means, for example, that care providers will continue to be able to access students and individuals on the graduate route, who we know have provided a vital role in workforce capacity in recent years.The Department is providing up to £12.5 million this financial year to 15 regional partnerships to help support international care workers affected by license revocation into alternative, ethical employment. It also includes regional partnerships providing support with CV writing, interview techniques, employability skills support, support to better understand workplace culture in the United Kingdom, and signposting.The Government recognises the scale of reforms needed to make the adult social care sector attractive, to support sustainable workforce growth, and improve the retention of the domestic workforce. This is why we are introducing the first ever Fair Pay Agreement to the adult social care sector so that care professionals are recognised and rewarded for the important work that they do.We are also expanding the Care Workforce Pathway, the new national career structure, to make the adult social care sector more attractive to work in. In addition, care workers will be supported to safely take on further duties to deliver delegated healthcare activities, with the right training and clinical governance in place.In September 2024, we launched the Adult Social Care Learning and Development Support Scheme, which allows employers to claim for funding for training courses and qualifications on behalf of eligible staff. The scheme is backed by up to £12 million this financial year.In addition, the Department has launched an independent commission into adult social care as part of our critical first steps towards delivering a National Care Service. The commission forms a key part of the Government’s Plan for Change, recognising the importance of adult social care in its own right, as well as its role in supporting the National Health Service.In conclusion, while the commission carries out its work, we are already laying the groundwork for more substantial, long-term changes that will create a more resilient and sustainable workforce.

Media and Sport, whether she has had recent discussions with the Chair of the British Museum on the Parthenon Marbles.

As the British Museum is a DCMS Arm’s Length Body, I regularly meet and talk with the Chair. The Parthenon Sculptures is one of a number of issues that we occasionally discuss.Decisions relating to the care and management of the Parthenon Sculptures are a matter for the British Museum Trustees, acting within the law.The Government has no plans to change the law that would permit a permanent move of the Parthenon Sculptures.

Whether he has had recent discussions with his US counterpart on spending 5% of gross national income on defence.

The Secretary of State for Defence has regular engagements with the US Secretary of Defense where they discuss a range of topics including defence spending. At the Hague Summit, Allies committed to investing 5% of GDP annually on defence and security, which will build an Alliance that is stronger, fairer and more lethal than ever before.

Pursuant to the Answer of 9 June 2025 to Question 55488 on Military Bases: Closures, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of reviewing the site disposal guidelines due to increasing risks to (a) global and (b) national security.

Both global and national security risks are already continually assessed as part of the military requirement for sites that shape the disposal position.

With reference to her Department's press release published on 22 May 2025 entitled Teachers to benefit from pay boost, what estimate she has made of the increase in employers’ National Insurance costs for schools.

Schools are receiving £615 million to support them with the costs of the 2025 pay awards, over and above the funding already being provided to schools in financial year 2025/26. The increase in National Insurance Contributions (NICs) costs were considered when calculating this additional funding.The department has asked that schools fund, on average, the first 1% of the 2025 pay awards. The impact of this will vary for individual schools based on their circumstances, as they have autonomy over how they use their funding, including any decisions on staffing.Schools in Central Bedfordshire are receiving £4 million to support them with their NICs costs; we will publish allocations for the 2025 pay grant in the autumn. From 2026/27, funding in respect of both NICs costs, and the 2025 pay awards, will be incorporated into schools’ core budgets through the national funding formula.The department provides a suite of free tools, guidance and support, developed in partnership with the sector, to help schools better manage their spending. Schools are already making savings and bringing core operating costs down: for example, the 400 schools who participated in the department’s new energy for schools pilot will save 36% on average compared to their previous contracts, which will free up vital funding to deliver for children and young people. We are also making plans to secure better banking solutions for schools, getting them better returns on their cash balances.Additionally, all schools can access services such as the get help buying for schools service to get best value when procuring goods and our teaching vacancies service to save recruitment costs. Since, workforce deployment is the biggest component of school budgets, we will support schools to benefit fully from the tools we offer to benchmark and integrate resourcing and curriculum planning, such as the financial benchmarking and insights tool. We will also introduce a new toolkit to support schools to adopt evidence-based deployment models. This will focus on data that helps schools identify areas for improvement and support to learn from best practice peers who are delivering strong outcomes for pupils with an efficient deployment model.

If he will make it his policy to request that the National Audit Office perform a value for money analysis of the GREAT campaign.

GREAT has a robust evaluation framework which has been independently assessed by the National Audit Office, Ipsos and Deloitte and was recently commended by the joint Cabinet Office / HM Treasury Evaluation Task Force. The independent GREAT Strategic Review conducted in November-December 2024 recognised the effectiveness of the GREAT Campaign in supporting the government's strategic aims and its role in delivering the economic growth mission.In 2023/2024, GREAT contributed returns to the UK economy of over £900 million foreign direct investment, £631 million additional expenditure from international students, £210 million additional expenditure from international tourism and over £90 million export wins for UK companies.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of peatland recovery on the level of flood risk in Mid Bedfordshire constituency.

The improvement of peatlands brings multiple benefits for biodiversity, reduction in carbon emissions and also flood-risk management. In the Mid Bedfordshire constituency, Defra is currently funding a Lowland Agricultural Peat Water Discovery Pilot project in the Flit Valley. It is one of a series of projects supporting local partnerships to understand how water can be better managed to rewet and preserve peat soils and to collaborate on development of costed water plans, and this project includes flood risk within its scope. Defra is also funding research to investigate the relationship between rewetting peat and flood-risk mitigation in lowland peat areas. Both projects are due to complete in March 2026.

Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate his Department has made of the potential savings to the public purse from ending the Chilterns National Landscape Boundary Review project.

Natural England has the statutory responsibility for identifying areas for new or ex-tended National Landscape designations. Defra had provided £1.1 million RDEL a year from 22/23 to 24/25for Natural England to accelerate their National Landscapes pro-gramme and wider work on alternative approaches to statutory designations Given the pressures on public finances, Defra has had to make difficult decisions about funding. It was not affordable to continue Defra funding to Natural England to continue the new National Landscapes designations programme in 25/26. As such, Natural England have made the decision to stop work on some of the planned programme – including the Chilterns boundary review. We have not made any assessment regarding potential savings relating to this specific decision.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to help restore peatland in Mid Bedfordshire constituency.

The Government recognises the importance of England’s peatlands, and in our manifesto, we committed to expanding nature-rich habitats such as wetlands and peat bogs. This will contribute to ensuring nature’s recovery, one of Defra’s five priorities. We have ambitions to restore hundreds of thousands of hectares of peatlands across the country, and we are working to ensure that we have the most effective mechanisms in place to go further than we have before. In the Mid Bedfordshire constituency, Defra is currently funding a Lowland Agricultural Peat Water Discovery Pilot project in the Flit Valley. It is one of a series of projects supporting local partnerships to gain understanding of how water can be better managed to rewet and preserve peat soils in these landscapes and collaborate to develop costed water plans. The project is due to complete in March 2026.

Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 15 May 2025 to Question 50987 on Cheetahs: Hunting, how species of conservation concern will be determined.

Species of conservation concern is determined in the criteria set out under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). CITES lists species in its Appendices according to the level of threat international trade has on their conservation status, with Appendix I being the most threatened species. A species may be listed in CITES Appendix I and II if it meets certain criteria, such as:- a small or declining wild population,- high vulnerability to external factors,- fragmented population.. This criteria is set out in CITES Resolution Conf. 9.24 (Rev. CoP17). In the UK, CITES is implemented by the Wildlife Trade Regulations (WTRs), with Annexes A and B of the WTRs broadly corresponding to CITES Appendices I and II.

If he will make an estimate of the contribution of the GREAT campaign to the economy in the 2023-24 financial year.

GREAT has a robust evaluation framework which has been independently assessed by the National Audit Office, Ipsos and Deloitte and was recently commended by the joint Cabinet Office / HM Treasury Evaluation Task Force. The independent GREAT Strategic Review conducted in November-December 2024 recognised the effectiveness of the GREAT Campaign in supporting the government's strategic aims and its role in delivering the economic growth mission.In 2023/2024, GREAT contributed returns to the UK economy of over £900 million foreign direct investment, £631 million additional expenditure from international students, £210 million additional expenditure from international tourism and over £90 million export wins for UK companies.

With reference to her Department's press release published on 22 May 2025 entitled, Teachers to benefit from pay boost, if she will make an estimate of the cost to schools of funding the first 1% of the pay award.

Schools are receiving £615 million to support them with the costs of the 2025 pay awards, over and above the funding already being provided to schools in financial year 2025/26. The increase in National Insurance Contributions (NICs) costs were considered when calculating this additional funding.The department has asked that schools fund, on average, the first 1% of the 2025 pay awards. The impact of this will vary for individual schools based on their circumstances, as they have autonomy over how they use their funding, including any decisions on staffing.Schools in Central Bedfordshire are receiving £4 million to support them with their NICs costs; we will publish allocations for the 2025 pay grant in the autumn. From 2026/27, funding in respect of both NICs costs, and the 2025 pay awards, will be incorporated into schools’ core budgets through the national funding formula.The department provides a suite of free tools, guidance and support, developed in partnership with the sector, to help schools better manage their spending. Schools are already making savings and bringing core operating costs down: for example, the 400 schools who participated in the department’s new energy for schools pilot will save 36% on average compared to their previous contracts, which will free up vital funding to deliver for children and young people. We are also making plans to secure better banking solutions for schools, getting them better returns on their cash balances.Additionally, all schools can access services such as the get help buying for schools service to get best value when procuring goods and our teaching vacancies service to save recruitment costs. Since, workforce deployment is the biggest component of school budgets, we will support schools to benefit fully from the tools we offer to benchmark and integrate resourcing and curriculum planning, such as the financial benchmarking and insights tool. We will also introduce a new toolkit to support schools to adopt evidence-based deployment models. This will focus on data that helps schools identify areas for improvement and support to learn from best practice peers who are delivering strong outcomes for pupils with an efficient deployment model.

With reference to her Department's press release published on 22 May 2025 entitled Teachers to benefit from pay boost, if she will make an estimate of the change in the (a) employers’ National Insurance and (b) salary costs for schools in Bedfordshire constituency between (i) 2024-25 and (ii) 2025-26.

Schools are receiving £615 million to support them with the costs of the 2025 pay awards, over and above the funding already being provided to schools in financial year 2025/26. The increase in National Insurance Contributions (NICs) costs were considered when calculating this additional funding.The department has asked that schools fund, on average, the first 1% of the 2025 pay awards. The impact of this will vary for individual schools based on their circumstances, as they have autonomy over how they use their funding, including any decisions on staffing.Schools in Central Bedfordshire are receiving £4 million to support them with their NICs costs; we will publish allocations for the 2025 pay grant in the autumn. From 2026/27, funding in respect of both NICs costs, and the 2025 pay awards, will be incorporated into schools’ core budgets through the national funding formula.The department provides a suite of free tools, guidance and support, developed in partnership with the sector, to help schools better manage their spending. Schools are already making savings and bringing core operating costs down: for example, the 400 schools who participated in the department’s new energy for schools pilot will save 36% on average compared to their previous contracts, which will free up vital funding to deliver for children and young people. We are also making plans to secure better banking solutions for schools, getting them better returns on their cash balances.Additionally, all schools can access services such as the get help buying for schools service to get best value when procuring goods and our teaching vacancies service to save recruitment costs. Since, workforce deployment is the biggest component of school budgets, we will support schools to benefit fully from the tools we offer to benchmark and integrate resourcing and curriculum planning, such as the financial benchmarking and insights tool. We will also introduce a new toolkit to support schools to adopt evidence-based deployment models. This will focus on data that helps schools identify areas for improvement and support to learn from best practice peers who are delivering strong outcomes for pupils with an efficient deployment model.

If she will make an assessment of the potential impact of producing Sustainable Aviation Fuels on (a) UK energy security and (b) carbon emissions.

Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) is one of the key ways to decarbonise air travel. We have a comprehensive plan in place for SAF. We have set ambitious targets in the SAF Mandate, are providing grant funding to support investment in a UK SAF industry and are working to deliver a Revenue Certainty Mechanism.The Revenue Certainty Mechanism will encourage investment in the construction of SAF plants across the UK. Supporting domestic SAF production will ensure the UK is less reliant on imported SAF.Government analysis suggests that the use of SAF could deliver up to 54 million tonnes of net additional CO2 savings in the UK by 2040. We will continue to monitor the potential impacts of SAF as the technologies and our policies develop.There is nothing preventing the production of fuel from non-recyclable (‘black bin’) waste if this is determined, by local authorities or other waste producers, to be the best overall value for money and environmental outcome for such waste. The UK has a thriving competitive market for waste management services and new players are welcome to join the field. There are a range of recovery options - both established and emerging - available to waste handling operators, which will be selected according to market conditions and local needs, taking account of the waste hierarchy and the need to ensure the best available environmental outcome for the waste. We are working closely with Defra on this issue, including through the Circular Economy Taskforce.

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of using black bin waste in (a) the production of sustainable aviation fuels and (b) the waste-to-energy process.

Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) is one of the key ways to decarbonise air travel. We have a comprehensive plan in place for SAF. We have set ambitious targets in the SAF Mandate, are providing grant funding to support investment in a UK SAF industry and are working to deliver a Revenue Certainty Mechanism.The Revenue Certainty Mechanism will encourage investment in the construction of SAF plants across the UK. Supporting domestic SAF production will ensure the UK is less reliant on imported SAF.Government analysis suggests that the use of SAF could deliver up to 54 million tonnes of net additional CO2 savings in the UK by 2040. We will continue to monitor the potential impacts of SAF as the technologies and our policies develop.There is nothing preventing the production of fuel from non-recyclable (‘black bin’) waste if this is determined, by local authorities or other waste producers, to be the best overall value for money and environmental outcome for such waste. The UK has a thriving competitive market for waste management services and new players are welcome to join the field. There are a range of recovery options - both established and emerging - available to waste handling operators, which will be selected according to market conditions and local needs, taking account of the waste hierarchy and the need to ensure the best available environmental outcome for the waste. We are working closely with Defra on this issue, including through the Circular Economy Taskforce.