Written questions by Thomas.

What information her Department holds on the number of students that had EHCPs in Bromsgrove constituency on (a) 5 July 2024 and (b) 10 February 2025.

Information on the number of pupils with education, health and care (EHC) plans attending schools in England is published in the statistical release, ‘Special Educational Needs in England, 2024’, which can be accessed here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/special-educational-needs-in-england.The number of pupils with EHC plans can be derived from the underlying school data which is available under the additional supporting files section of the above publication. This shows the number of pupils with an EHC plan attending schools in Bromsgrove constituency was 733 as of January 2024. This is the latest figure available. Figures from the January 2025 school census will be published in summer 2025.

If she will make an assessment of the potential impact of recent trends in the level of crime committed by illegal migrants on residents in Wythall.

This Government is determined to tackle crime irrespective of who has committed it. As part of the Plan for Change, our Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee will put officers and PCSOs back on the beat in every corner of the country, ensuring the police are visible, accessible and responsive to the communities they serve.Our forthcoming Crime and Policing Bill will give the police the powers they need to crack down on the criminals who cause misery in our communities, and to tackle the scourge of serious violence on our streets.

What steps she is taking to increase the availability of (a) cash and (b) ATMs in Bromsgrove constituency.

The Government recognises that cash continues to be used by millions of people across the UK, including those in vulnerable groups, and is committed to protecting access to cash for individuals and businesses. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) introduced regulatory rules for access to cash in September 2024. Its rules require the UK’s largest banks and building societies to assess the impact of a closure or material alteration of a relevant cash withdrawal or deposit facility, putting in place a new service if necessary. Government is working closely with industry to roll out 350 banking hubs across the UK. The UK banking sector has committed to deliver these hubs by the end of this parliament. Over 200 hubs have been announced so far, and over 100 are already open. Where a resident, community organisation or other interested party feels access to cash in their community is insufficient, they can submit a request for a cash access assessment. Further information about submitting a cash access request can be found at the following link:  https://www.link.co.uk/helping-you-access-cash/request-access-to-cash LINK publishes data on the number of ATMs across each parliamentary constituency. LINK’s most recent data (December 2024) identifies 56 ATM cash access points, including 43 that are free-to-use in the constituency of Bromsgrove.

How many asylum seekers have received medical treatment in Bromsgrove constituency in the last two years.

Due to the way in which the data is held, across multiple agencies, it is not possible to provide a total number of people seeking asylum who have received medical treatment by constituency during the last two years.

What assessment he has made of the adequacy of children’s A&E provision in North Worcestershire.

No such assessment has been made by the Department. The commissioning of children’s accident and emergency services in North Worcestershire is the responsibility of local National Health Service commissioners, in partnership with providers and in the best interest of their populations.

What recent discussions she has had with her French counterpart on reducing illegal migration from France.

The Home Secretary is in regular contact with her French counterpart, Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau, to discuss ongoing cooperation on reducing irregular migration via France to the UK.

Whether her Department plans to increase the minimum threshold at which the Expensive Car Supplement is levied on vehicle excise duty.

The Expensive Car Supplement is an additional VED charge for new cars with a list price of £40,000 or more, which is payable in year 2 – 6 of a car’s lifecycle. As set out at Autumn Budget 2024, the government recognises the disproportionate impact of the current VED Expensive Car Supplement threshold for those purchasing zero emission cars and will consider raising the threshold for zero emission cars only at a future fiscal event, to make it easier to buy electric cars.

Whether her Department has made an assessment of the merits of increasing the maximum level of deposit protection afforded by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme.

Eligible deposits held by UK banks, building societies and credit unions that are authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) are protected by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme up to £85,000, with joint accounts protected up to £170,000. This limit is set by the PRA. The PRA is required to independently review the limit every five years, and its next review is due by the end of 2025. Any changes to the limit must be approved by the Treasury and the Government would carefully consider any changes proposed by the PRA.

Whether her Department has made an assessment of the merits of increasing the maximum Premium Bond holding deposit.

The Government keeps the Premium Bond investment limit under review, to ensure that the limit continues to reflect the interests of savers, taxpayers, and the wider financial sector.

Whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of linking vehicle excise duty to vehicle weight.

Vehicle Excise Duty (VED), sometimes known as 'road tax' or ‘car tax’, is a tax on vehicles used or kept on public roads. Different rates apply to cars, vans, and motorcycles, and the rate for each vehicle is calculated according to a range of factors, such as its date of first registration, weight, or CO2 emissions. Specifically for cars, from 1 April 2017, a reformed VED system was introduced for new cars. Under the reformed VED system, new cars pay a variable first year rate according to the emissions of the vehicle, and zero emission models currently pay nothing. As announced at Autumn Budget 2024, from 1 April 2025, the VED first year rates are changing to further support the take-up of electric vehicles. The changes announced will freeze the lowest rate for zero emission cars at £10 until 2029-30, and introduce higher rates for higher emitting hybrid and petrol/diesel cars. These changes will only affect those purchasing a new car from 1 April 2025. After the first year, most cars move to a standard annual rate, currently set at £190. At the moment, hybrid cars receive an annual discount of £10 off this rate, and zero emission cars pay nothing. From 1 April 2025, the standard annual rate will rise to £195 in line with the Retail Price Index (RPI), and the exceptions for zero emission and hybrid cars will end as they begin to pay the standard rates alongside petrol and diesel cars. The government has no current plans to change the VED treatment for cars to be based on weight. The government keeps all taxes under review and any changes are announced at fiscal events.

What assessment she has made of the adequacy of policing in Rubery in Bromsgrove constituency.

John Campion, as the directly elected Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) for West Mercia, is responsible for holding the Chief Constable to account for the performance of West Mercia Police. To drive up performance and standards across forces, ensuring communities can have confidence in their local police force, the Home Secretary has announced the creation of a new Performance Unit in the Home Office. This will harness national data from a Performance Framework to monitor performance and direct improvements, working with sector partners such as the College of Policing, HMICFRS, National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC), IOPC and PCCs.It is the responsibility of His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) to assess the operational performance of forces in England and Wales. HMICFRS last published a Police Effectiveness Efficiency and Legitimacy inspection (PEEL) report for West Mercia police on 13 April 2022. We welcome this report, which shines a light on the performance of West Mercia Police and makes recommendations on areas for improvement. Their next PEEL inspection report is expected to be published later this year.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill on palliative care.

The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life Bill) Bill continues to be a matter for Parliament and, as the bill progresses, members of Parliament, both Honourable and Right Honourable, will further debate and scrutinise the legislation, and the Government will respect Parliament’s will. An impact assessment is being developed, which will consider relevant impacts of the bill as it stands at the end of Committee Stage, based on the available evidence.Palliative and end of life care is a crucial part of the health and social care system. Irrespective of any legislation on assisted dying, everyone must be provided with high-quality, compassionate care from diagnosis through to the end of their life. This Government will shift the focus of healthcare out of the hospital and into the community and we recognise that it is vital to include palliative and end of life care in this shift.Earlier this month, I met the major palliative and end of life care stakeholders, and long-term sector sustainability, within the context of our 10-Year Health Plan, was discussed at length. I also met NHS England, and discussions have begun on how to reduce inequalities and variation in access to, and quality of, palliative and end of life care throughout England.

Innovation and Technology, what steps his Department is taking to reduce spam telephone calls linked to fraudulent activity; and what discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on potential penalties for this.

The Government takes fraud seriously. DSIT works closely with Ofcom, who have a duty to ensure UK numbers are not misused including by requiring telecoms operators to block spoofing calls from abroad imitating UK landline numbers in order to help protect consumers from scam calls. DSIT is also working closely with the Home Office, who lead on fraud policy, and other government departments to tackle telecoms fraud. Together, we are working with industry to develop a second Telecoms Fraud Charter, going further in identifying, preventing and disrupting telecoms fraud. We will continue to work with industry and government departments to ensure that as threats evolve so too does the response.

Representing the House of Commons Commission, with reference to the oral contribution by the Leader of the House in Business Questions on 6 February 2025, Official Report, column 947 on written parliamentary questions; what steps the Commission is taking to ensure the Table Office is adequately resourced.

The Table Office has 16 members of staff. There are no plans to review staffing levels at the moment.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of AI on (a) hospital waiting times and (b) the number of missed appointments.

Artificial intelligence (AI) technologies have huge potential in improving productivity across the National Health Service by supporting clinicians with faster and more accurate diagnosis, enhancing clinical decision-making about treatment plans, and reducing the administrative burden faced by healthcare staff. The Department and NHS England are developing guidance for the responsible use of these tools and how they can be rolled out to make the day-to-day operations of the NHS more productive.Patients have been let down for too long whilst they wait for the care they need. Currently, the waiting list stands at 7.48 million, with only 59% waiting less than 18 weeks for treatment. The Elective Reform Plan, published in January 2025, sets out the productivity and reform efforts needed to return to the constitutional standard that 92% of patients wait no longer than 18 weeks from Referral to Treatment. The plan includes exploring opportunities for digital innovation and looking at where these can be adopted more widely to improve patient experience and care. For example, some trusts are using AI as part of their process for waiting list validation in addition to clinical validation, which helps to ensure waiting lists are accurate and up to date as well as enabling more efficient use of clinical time.Other areas of digital innovation across the NHS include the use of AI prediction that helps prevent missed appointments and maximise clinic utilisation by supporting teams to fill appointments that patients can no longer use. The Elective Reform Plan commits to enhance two-way communication between hospitals and patients and use the results of AI work to predict who will miss appointments to target communications and prevent up to one million missed appointments.

Food and Rural Affairs, how many successful prosecutions for (a) fly tipping and (b) environmental crime there were in 2024 in Bromsgrove constituency, by category.

Local authorities in England are required to report fly-tipping incidents and enforcement actions, such as prosecutions, to Defra, which are published annually at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/fly-tipping-in-england. This data isn't available at a constituency level and excludes the majority of private-land incidents. Data for the 2023/24 reporting year will be published on 26 February 2025. Data for the 2024/25 reporting year is still being collected. The Environment Agency investigates fly tipping where the waste is more than 20 tonnes, a specified amount of hazardous waste, or is suspected to be linked to organised.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of criminal sanctions for fly tipping.

We have committed to forcing fly-tippers and vandals to clean up the mess they have created. This will build on the sanctions already available which include fixed penalty notices of up to £1000, seizing of vehicles and prosecution which can lead to a significant fine, a community sentence or even imprisonment. Sentencing is a matter for the independent courts. We do not intend to carry out any further assessment of criminal sanctions for fly tipping. We encourage councils to make good use of their enforcement powers, and we are considering if further guidance is needed.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the Soft Drinks Industry Levy on the dairy industry.

The Soft Drinks Industry Levy (SDIL) is a tax on pre-packaged soft drinks with added sugar. Drinks without added sugars, such as plain cow’s milk, are not in scope of SDIL. At Autumn Budget, the Chancellor announced a review of SDIL, including the current exemption from the levy for milk-based drinks. The current exemption applies to milk-based drinks containing at least 75ml of milk per 100ml. Due to the high sugar content of some milk-based drinks, the Government is reconsidering the evidence justifying the exemption. As young people only get 3.5% of their calcium intake from milk-based drinks, it is likely that the health benefits do not justify the harms from excess sugar. The review will consider a variety of evidence, including the potential impacts to the diary industry, and no decisions have yet been made. The Government expects the review will conclude in Spring 2025. More details of the review can be found on gov.uk here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/soft-drinks-industry-levy-review/hmt-hmrc-soft-drinks-industry-levy-review

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential (a) merits of the mandatory displaying of waste licence numbers on advertisements for waste disposal and (b) impact of doing so on the level of illegal disposal of waste.

The current waste carriers, brokers and dealers regulatory regime is not fit for purpose, so I have asked officials to look at how we strengthen that regime to crack down on waste criminals. This includes consideration of the mandatory display of waste licence numbers on advertising. A full impact assessment would be conducted ahead of any legislative reform.

Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on rural entrepreneurship.

The Secretary of State has regular discussions with Cabinet colleagues on a range of issues.