Written questions by Dean.

What steps her Department is taking to support care leavers applying for Universal Credit for the first time.

We understand the challenges care leavers face and that is why the department works closely with Local Authorities’ Leaving Care teams and provides additional dedicated support through a series of safeguards and easements aimed at simplifying care leavers’ interaction with the benefit system. This support includes care leaver’s Single Points of Contact in every jobcentre and an Advanced Claims Process where Local Authorities Leaving Care teams can assist care leavers to prepare their claim to Universal Credit up to 28 days before and including their 18th Birthday. Although the claim can’t be submitted until the care leaver’s 18th birthday, they can be viewed and checked in advance of submission by making a pre-claim appointment with the Jobcentre to help ensure the care leaver has the required documents to make their claim and that all relevant support is in place as early as possible. Under the new Youth Guarantee, all young people aged 18-21 years in England will be able to access support to enter employment, education and training opportunities. This includes care leavers who may benefit from more tailored support to ensure a smoother transition to independence as they leave the care provided by their Local Authority.

If she will take steps to ensure young people aged under 25 and live independently receive the same amount of Universal Credit as those aged over 25.

There are currently no plans to pay the higher rate of Universal Credit to those aged under 25.  The lower rate of Universal Credit for those aged under 25 reflects the fact that the majority of young people live in someone else’s household and are therefore likely to have lower living costs.Younger workers also typically earn less as they are earlier in their careers, with the lower rate maintaining the incentive for younger people to find and progress in work.Support is available to help those who live independently or have additional living costs. Depending on their circumstances, they may also be eligible for additional Universal Credit elements, including for housing, children, and disability.

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a single adult rate for Universal Credit.

There are currently no plans to make such an assessment. The lower rate of Universal Credit for those aged under 25 reflects the fact that the majority of young people live in someone else’s household and are therefore likely to have lower living costs. Younger workers also typically earn less as they are earlier in their careers, with the lower rate maintaining the incentive for younger people to find and progress in work.

What assessment she has made of the potential merits of care leavers under the age of 25 receiving the higher rate of Universal Credit.

We understand the challenges care leavers face and that is why the department continues to provide additional dedicated support through a series of safeguards and easements aimed at simplifying their interaction with the benefit system. This includes, for example, single care leavers being exempt from the lower, Shared Accommodation Rate and qualifying for the more generous one-bedroom Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rate until their 25th birthday; an advanced claims process where Local Authorities’ Leaving Care teams can assist care leavers to prepare their claim for Universal Credit up to 28 days before and including their 18th birthday; and for those aged 18-21, access to Universal Credit and housing support if they wish to take up full-time study in non-advanced education.

Innovation and Technology, what steps his Department is taking to (a) develop and (b) implement codes of practice for fraudulent advertising under the Online Safety Act 2023.

The duties related to fraudulent advertising apply to Category 1 and 2A services. Category 1 services will need to tackle paid-for fraudulent advertising on their platforms, and Category 2A search services will need to address paid-for fraudulent advertising in search results. Ofcom is responsible for developing codes of practice. It expects to consult on the codes for these duties by early 2026. The codes will recommend how companies can comply with these duties. These duties will not come into force until the register of categorised services has been published by Ofcom and the final code has been approved by Parliament.

What assessment his Department has made of the level of availability of Ozempic to NHS patients.

The Department has worked intensively with industry, NHS England, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, and others in the supply chain to resolve the ongoing supply issues with glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists, including Ozempic. We continue to monitor the situation, ensuring medicines remain available for new patients with type 2 diabetes, as well as those unable to obtain their existing treatment. Any patient who is worried about their condition, or access to these medications, should speak to their clinician in the first instance.

What steps her Department is taking to ensure that students with EHCPs have access to a wide range of post-16 educational opportunities (a) within and (b) outside of their catchment area.

The department is committed to ensuring that all learners, including learners with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), have access to a world-class education that sets them up for life and supports them to achieve positive outcomes.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 young people with complex SEND to £11.9 billion. High needs funding helps local authorities with the ongoing costs of post-16 education provision for students with education, health and care (EHC) plans.Local authorities must publish a local offer of services and provision for children and young people with SEND and keep it under review, including the sufficiency of provision. This must be co-produced with parents, young people and a wide range of education providers, both within and beyond the local authority area. The local offer must include provision within the local authority’s area alongside provision outside the local area that the local authority expects is likely to be used by children and young people with SEND for whom they are responsible.Local authorities’ duties include securing enough suitable education and training provision to meet the reasonable needs of all young people in their area who are over compulsory school age but under 19, or aged 19 or over and for whom an EHC plan is maintained. This is a duty under section 15ZA of the Education Act 1996. To fulfil this, local authorities should have a strategic overview of the provision available in their area and identify and resolve gaps in provision.If a local authority places students at a special post-16 institution (SPI) and would like the SPI to be considered for Education and Skills Funding Agency funding, the department will take the SPI through the due diligence process and award a funding agreement if successful.

What steps her Department is taking to provide (a) funding and (b) resources for local authorities for the provision of comprehensive post-16 education options for students with EHCPs.

The department is committed to ensuring that all learners, including learners with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), have access to a world-class education that sets them up for life and supports them to achieve positive outcomes.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 young people with complex SEND to £11.9 billion. High needs funding helps local authorities with the ongoing costs of post-16 education provision for students with education, health and care (EHC) plans.Local authorities must publish a local offer of services and provision for children and young people with SEND and keep it under review, including the sufficiency of provision. This must be co-produced with parents, young people and a wide range of education providers, both within and beyond the local authority area. The local offer must include provision within the local authority’s area alongside provision outside the local area that the local authority expects is likely to be used by children and young people with SEND for whom they are responsible.Local authorities’ duties include securing enough suitable education and training provision to meet the reasonable needs of all young people in their area who are over compulsory school age but under 19, or aged 19 or over and for whom an EHC plan is maintained. This is a duty under section 15ZA of the Education Act 1996. To fulfil this, local authorities should have a strategic overview of the provision available in their area and identify and resolve gaps in provision.If a local authority places students at a special post-16 institution (SPI) and would like the SPI to be considered for Education and Skills Funding Agency funding, the department will take the SPI through the due diligence process and award a funding agreement if successful.

What steps her Department is taking to support students with EHCPs to access post-16 educational placements that support their (a) interests and (b) career goals.

The department is committed to ensuring that all learners, including learners with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), have access to a world-class education that sets them up for life and supports them to achieve positive outcomes.We want to ensure that impartial, lifelong careers guidance is available to everyone when they need it, regardless of age, circumstance or background. This will allow everyone to develop skills, progress into work or the next stage of their career, and boost long term economic prosperity.The department has published statutory guidance on careers guidance to set out what is expected of schools and colleges, which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/careers-guidance-provision-for-young-people-in-schools.The National Careers Service offers free, up-to-date, impartial information, advice and guidance on careers, skills and the labour market in England. It helps people to achieve and thrive and supports social mobility by working with individuals to motivate them and develop their understanding of the full range of options open to them, whatever their background or circumstances. More information is available on the National Careers Service website, which can be found here: https://nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk/.Preparing all children and young people with SEND for adulthood is a key part of the SEND system and should begin from the earliest point.A wide range of training programmes are available to suit the needs of the individual and their aspirations. This includes academic or vocational courses such as supported internships and apprenticeships which provide experience of workplace activities. For those with an education, health and care (EHC) plan, there must be a focus from year 9 onwards on preparing the young person for adulthood as part of their plan’s annual review. This focus must continue until the young person’s EHC plan ceases. Planning for the transition to adulthood should result in clear outcomes being agreed that are ambitious and stretching, and which are tailored to the needs and interests of the young person.The department knows that with the right preparation and support, the overwhelming majority of young people with SEND are capable of sustained, paid employment. All professionals working with them should share that presumption and should provide the career advice and support that helps young people develop the skills and experience, and achieve the qualifications, that they need to succeed in their careers.

What steps she is taking to increase the availability of specialist post-16 educational placements for students with Education, Health and Care Plans.

The department is committed to ensuring that all learners, including learners with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), have access to a world-class education that sets them up for life and supports them to achieve positive outcomes.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 young people with complex SEND to £11.9 billion. High needs funding helps local authorities with the ongoing costs of post-16 education provision for students with education, health and care (EHC) plans.Local authorities must publish a local offer of services and provision for children and young people with SEND and keep it under review, including the sufficiency of provision. This must be co-produced with parents, young people and a wide range of education providers, both within and beyond the local authority area. The local offer must include provision within the local authority’s area alongside provision outside the local area that the local authority expects is likely to be used by children and young people with SEND for whom they are responsible.Local authorities’ duties include securing enough suitable education and training provision to meet the reasonable needs of all young people in their area who are over compulsory school age but under 19, or aged 19 or over and for whom an EHC plan is maintained. This is a duty under section 15ZA of the Education Act 1996. To fulfil this, local authorities should have a strategic overview of the provision available in their area and identify and resolve gaps in provision.If a local authority places students at a special post-16 institution (SPI) and would like the SPI to be considered for Education and Skills Funding Agency funding, the department will take the SPI through the due diligence process and award a funding agreement if successful.

If she will make it her policy to allow the police to be (a) trained and (b) equipped to administer Naloxone.

The Government is supportive of police carriage and administration of naloxone - a lifesaving medicine that reverses the effects of opioid overdose. As of February 2025, police officers in forces across the country are now trained to carry and administer naloxone. Through the cross-Government Synthetic Opioids Taskforce, we are continuing to work closely with the National Police Chiefs’ Council to support rollout of naloxone to police officers.Ultimately, the provision of naloxone for police officers is an operational decision for Chief Constables and the Government expects individual police Chiefs’ to allocate resources appropriately with regard to the local area and need.

Communities and Local Government, if she will make an estimate of the number of leasehold flats containing combustible material with higher insurance costs that will be classified as permanently impaired under the Basel 3.1 requirements.

My Department has engaged with the Bank of England with a view to understanding the potential impact of implementing the Basel 3.1 standards on properties with extant building safety issues or those that have carried out remediation works recommended by a fire professional following the PAS 9980 guidance.The Bank does not expect these changes to have a material impact on current industry practice for determining property valuations, including for properties with cladding.Officials in my department are in regular contact with the lending and insurance industry on issues related to fire safety affected buildings and will continue to work with them to ensure leaseholders in buildings with cladding are able to re-mortgage and sell freely.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of increases in the number of leasehold flat forfeitures arising from a leaseholder’s inability to pay costs arising from building safety defects on the mortgage securitisation market.

The Government does not hold data regarding the number of buildings below 11m and collectively-owned buildings constructed since 1992 with partial or no protection from costs arising from building safety defects under the Building Safety Act 2022.However, the risk to life from historic fire safety defects is lower in buildings under 11m and so works are required in only a very small number of these buildings. In the rare cases where cladding remediation work is required, the Department has engaged the relevant developers and is having constructive conversations about funding these works so that leaseholders are not required to pay those costs.The leaseholder protections on service charge and remediation costs do not apply in collectively-owned buildings where for example some or all the leaseholders have acquired the freehold.However, leaseholders in these buildings, either individually or collectively, can pursue developers – and their associated companies – via a remediation contribution order, for funds they have spent or will spend remediating their buildings for relevant defects.Please be assured that we are committed to reviewing how to better protect leaseholders from costs and to accelerate the pace of remediation across the country.The Government is also unable to estimate or predict the number of residential leaseholders who may face forfeiture due to their inability to pay building safety costs, however, we are committed to removing the disproportionate and draconian threat of forfeiture as a means of ensuring compliance with a lease agreement.

Communities and Local Government, if she will make it her policy to require the removal of all combustible material from residential buildings over 18 metres in height.

On 29 November 2018, the Government banned the use of combustible materials in the external walls of new high-rise residential buildings over 18 metres in height. The ban also applies to new hospitals, residential care premises, dormitories in boarding schools, and student accommodation over 18 metres.All building safety defects must be assessed and regulators must have the power to enforce where the risks identified are not quickly and appropriately addressed. The Remediation Acceleration Plan (RAP), which was announced on 2 December 2024, is focused on addressing the immediate life safety fire risks associated with cladding.The publication of the RAP announced targets around the pace of remediation in England for the first time, such that, by the end of 2029, all 18m+ buildings with unsafe cladding in a government funded scheme should be remediated, every 11m+ building with unsafe cladding will either have been remediated, have a date for completion, or its landlords liable for penalties.

Communities and Local Government, how many (a) leaseholder-owned buildings and (b) buildings below 11 metres that were constructed since 1992 have (i) partial and (ii) no protection from a liability to pay costs arising from building safety defects under the provisions of the Building Safety Act 2022.

The Government does not hold data regarding the number of buildings below 11m and collectively-owned buildings constructed since 1992 with partial or no protection from costs arising from building safety defects under the Building Safety Act 2022.However, the risk to life from historic fire safety defects is lower in buildings under 11m and so works are required in only a very small number of these buildings. In the rare cases where cladding remediation work is required, the Department has engaged the relevant developers and is having constructive conversations about funding these works so that leaseholders are not required to pay those costs.The leaseholder protections on service charge and remediation costs do not apply in collectively-owned buildings where for example some or all the leaseholders have acquired the freehold.However, leaseholders in these buildings, either individually or collectively, can pursue developers – and their associated companies – via a remediation contribution order, for funds they have spent or will spend remediating their buildings for relevant defects.Please be assured that we are committed to reviewing how to better protect leaseholders from costs and to accelerate the pace of remediation across the country.The Government is also unable to estimate or predict the number of residential leaseholders who may face forfeiture due to their inability to pay building safety costs, however, we are committed to removing the disproportionate and draconian threat of forfeiture as a means of ensuring compliance with a lease agreement.

Communities and Local Government, what information her Department holds on the number of residential leases that will be forfeited because of a leaseholder’s inability to pay costs arising from building safety defects in the next five years.

The Government does not hold data regarding the number of buildings below 11m and collectively-owned buildings constructed since 1992 with partial or no protection from costs arising from building safety defects under the Building Safety Act 2022.However, the risk to life from historic fire safety defects is lower in buildings under 11m and so works are required in only a very small number of these buildings. In the rare cases where cladding remediation work is required, the Department has engaged the relevant developers and is having constructive conversations about funding these works so that leaseholders are not required to pay those costs.The leaseholder protections on service charge and remediation costs do not apply in collectively-owned buildings where for example some or all the leaseholders have acquired the freehold.However, leaseholders in these buildings, either individually or collectively, can pursue developers – and their associated companies – via a remediation contribution order, for funds they have spent or will spend remediating their buildings for relevant defects.Please be assured that we are committed to reviewing how to better protect leaseholders from costs and to accelerate the pace of remediation across the country.The Government is also unable to estimate or predict the number of residential leaseholders who may face forfeiture due to their inability to pay building safety costs, however, we are committed to removing the disproportionate and draconian threat of forfeiture as a means of ensuring compliance with a lease agreement.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to her Department's joint publication Fire risk appraisal of external wall construction and cladding of existing blocks of flats - Code of practice, published in January 2022, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the Code of Practice.

MHCLG and Home Office have jointly commissioned the British Standards Institution (BSI), who developed the Fire risk appraisal of external wall construction and cladding of existing blocks of flats - Code of practice (known as PAS 9980) to review it to make sure it still meets the needs of the market, captures any new best practice, and make revisions as required. BSI has commenced work and anticipate the review, including a 6-weeks public consultation, will be complete in early 2026.

When she plans to publish further information on proposed Young Future Hubs.

The government’s is committed to a Young Futures programme made up of Young Futures prevention partnerships and Young Futures Hubs.Young Futures Hubs will bring together services to improve access to opportunities and support for young people at community level, promoting positive outcomes and enabling them to thrive.To roll out Young Futures Hubs, the department will first establish early adopter hubs. These, and work with local areas, will inform the longer-term development of the programme, including how quickly we move to a greater number of hubs. Young Futures Hubs will build upon the successes of existing infrastructure and provision. We will set out more details in due course.Young Futures Hubs are one part of delivering this within a much wider youth landscape. They will be designed to complement core services and wider initiatives spanning youth, education, employment, social care, mental health, youth justice and policing.

What assessment she has made of the effectiveness of existing knife crime prevention programmes.

Halving national levels of knife crime over the next decade is a key part of the Government’s mission to ensure the safety of our streets. Both early intervention and enforcement will be crucial in meeting this mission.On enforcement, we have implemented the ban on zombie-style knives and zombie-style machetes approved by Parliament in April. The ban came in to force on 24 September 2024 and it is now illegal to sell or own these weapons.We launched a consultation on 13 November 2024 seeking views on the legal description of a Ninja sword to help our plans for an effective ban.We know that more needs to be done to tackle the sale of knives online which is why last October, the Home Secretary commissioned Commander Stephen Clayman, as the National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for knife crime, to carry out a full review into the online sale and delivery of knives. The report was received at the end of January and once we have considered the review in full, the Government will set out its next steps for strengthening the controls and processes around the online sale and delivery of knives.Ahead of this, the Home Secretary has already announced that the Government intends to strengthen age verification controls and checks for all online sellers of knives at the point of purchase and on delivery.We have also consulted on introducing personal liability measures on senior executives of online platforms or marketplaces who fail to take action to remove illegal content relating to knives and offensive weapons. The consultation closed on 11 December 2024, and we are carefully considering the responses as we plan our next steps.Additionally, the Home Secretary and Policing Minister have set up a new Knife-Enabled Robbery Taskforce, which brings together Chief Constables and other criminal justice partners to take immediate operational action to tackle the fastest rising type of knife crime. Working with the College of Policing, the Taskforce has completed a Call for Practice to establish what the evidence tells us works when tackling knife-enabled robbery.On early intervention, a new Young Futures programme has been created, which will include the establishment of Young Futures Prevention Partnerships across England and Wales, bringing partners together to intervene earlier to stop young people being drawn into crime. It is vital we have a system that can identify and support those young people who need it most.Independent evaluation found that Violent Reduction Units, in combination with additional hotspot police patrols, have delivered a statistically significant reduction in hospital admissions for violent injuries since funding began in 2019 (an estimated 3,220 admissions have been prevented in areas where the programmes operate).We recognise the valuable work and significant progress VRUs have made in understanding and preventing serious violence. The proposed Police Funding Settlement for 2025/26 includes £49.7m for the continuation of work to prevent serious violence, delivered via the VRU programme.The Youth Endowment Fund, was established to learn ‘what works’ in preventing children and young people becoming involved in violence and crime, as well as transforming the local and national response to serious violence through disseminating new knowledge and best practice. The Home Office works closely with the Youth Endowment Fund to ensure that their findings are carefully considered to positively influence services for young people.The Government will continue to draw on the best available evidence on both prevention and enforcement and will closely monitor trends in national and local levels of knife crime.

What assessment he has made of potential merits of (a) enforcement and (b) early intervention in the prevention of knife crime.

Halving national levels of knife crime over the next decade is a key part of the Government’s mission to ensure the safety of our streets. Both early intervention and enforcement will be crucial in meeting this mission.On enforcement, we have implemented the ban on zombie-style knives and zombie-style machetes approved by Parliament in April. The ban came in to force on 24 September 2024 and it is now illegal to sell or own these weapons.We launched a consultation on 13 November 2024 seeking views on the legal description of a Ninja sword to help our plans for an effective ban.We know that more needs to be done to tackle the sale of knives online which is why last October, the Home Secretary commissioned Commander Stephen Clayman, as the National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for knife crime, to carry out a full review into the online sale and delivery of knives. The report was received at the end of January and once we have considered the review in full, the Government will set out its next steps for strengthening the controls and processes around the online sale and delivery of knives.Ahead of this, the Home Secretary has already announced that the Government intends to strengthen age verification controls and checks for all online sellers of knives at the point of purchase and on delivery.We have also consulted on introducing personal liability measures on senior executives of online platforms or marketplaces who fail to take action to remove illegal content relating to knives and offensive weapons. The consultation closed on 11 December 2024, and we are carefully considering the responses as we plan our next steps.Additionally, the Home Secretary and Policing Minister have set up a new Knife-Enabled Robbery Taskforce, which brings together Chief Constables and other criminal justice partners to take immediate operational action to tackle the fastest rising type of knife crime. Working with the College of Policing, the Taskforce has completed a Call for Practice to establish what the evidence tells us works when tackling knife-enabled robbery.On early intervention, a new Young Futures programme has been created, which will include the establishment of Young Futures Prevention Partnerships across England and Wales, bringing partners together to intervene earlier to stop young people being drawn into crime. It is vital we have a system that can identify and support those young people who need it most.Independent evaluation found that Violent Reduction Units, in combination with additional hotspot police patrols, have delivered a statistically significant reduction in hospital admissions for violent injuries since funding began in 2019 (an estimated 3,220 admissions have been prevented in areas where the programmes operate).We recognise the valuable work and significant progress VRUs have made in understanding and preventing serious violence. The proposed Police Funding Settlement for 2025/26 includes £49.7m for the continuation of work to prevent serious violence, delivered via the VRU programme.The Youth Endowment Fund, was established to learn ‘what works’ in preventing children and young people becoming involved in violence and crime, as well as transforming the local and national response to serious violence through disseminating new knowledge and best practice. The Home Office works closely with the Youth Endowment Fund to ensure that their findings are carefully considered to positively influence services for young people.The Government will continue to draw on the best available evidence on both prevention and enforcement and will closely monitor trends in national and local levels of knife crime.