Written questions by Thomas.

Whether he plans to expand the cadet forces in state schools with limited provision.

We want every young person to have the opportunity to enjoy the many benefits that can be gained from the cadet experience. The joint Ministry of Defence and Department for Education Cadet Expansion Programme (CEP) has already increased the number of cadet units in schools to over 500, with the focus on improving provision in state schools. Prior to CEP, 75% of school cadet units were in independent schools; now around 60% are in the state sector. We are exploring how we can increase the size and the offer of the Cadet Forces, both in schools and the community, and have been engaging widely to consider how best to deliver this growth. This work is aligned with the recent Strategic Defence Review which recommends expanding the Cadet Forces by 30% by 2030.

Innovation and Technology, what assessment his Department has made of the resilience of the UK’s digital economy in the event of disruption to undersea data cables.

The Government recognises the critical role of undersea data cables in the UK’s digital economy. Individual subsea cables can be vulnerable to disruption. There is an average of 12 breaks a year from fishing, anchor drag, landslides and other causes. Most breaks have minimal impact on digital services due to resilience in the UK network. The UK has a large number of cables relative to other island nations. They are also geographically dispersed so data can be rerouted in the event of most disruptions. However, DSIT lead work on emergency preparedness and response in the event of a serious incident, as described in the National Risk Register.

Communities and Local Government, how many and what proportion of local authority planning decisions have been overturned by the Planning Inspectorate in the last 12 months.

Between 1 April 2024 and 31 March 2025 the Planning Inspectorate overturned 4,747 planning decisions made by Local Planning Authorities (LPAs). These represent 31% of the 15,344 decisions made by the Planning Inspectorate on LPA planning cases in this period. Note these figures are taken from administrative data and so are subject to minor revisions. The most recent published MHCLG statistics help put the 4,747 decisions in context (noting the different time periods covered). Between January to December 2024: 316,715 planning decisions were made by LPAs – so roughly 1.5% of these are overturned by the Planning Inspectorate.44,479 planning applications were refused by LPAs – so approximately 11% of refused LPA decisions are overturned by the Planning Inspectorate.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of charging VAT on independent school fees on cadet force partnerships between state and independent schools.

Both independent schools and state schools with established Combined Cadet Force contingents continue to play an important role in supporting junior partners. There are currently 45 ‘junior partnerships’ where independent schools are supporting state schools to set up and run their cadet units. Changes to VAT on independent school fees came into effect in January 2025, midway through the school academic year. There is no current evidence of impact. Given the fantastic benefits which can be gained from the cadet experience the Government wants more young people to be able to become cadets. The recently published Strategic Defence Review recommended an expansion of Cadet Forces across the country by 30% by 2030.

When he will visit Bromsgrove constituency to discuss the impact of government policy on the hospitality industry with (a) publicans and (b) landlords.

Hospitality businesses, including those in Bromsgrove, are at the heart of our communities and play a vital role in supporting economic growth and social cohension. We've launched a licensing taskforce aimed at cutting red tape and removing barriers that hinder progress. The Government also plans to permanently lower business rates for retail, hospitality, and leisure properties with a rateable value under £500,000. Additionally, we've introduced a £1.5 million Hospitality Support Scheme to co-fund projects aligned with Department for Business & Trade and Hospitality Sector Council priorities. This includes helping those furthest from the job market into employment and boosting productivity across the sector.Whilst I don't have any immediate plans to visit Bromsgrove, I will endeavour to visit in future as part of my wider business engagement programme.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will visit a farm in Worcestershire to meet with (a) local farmers and (b) hon. Members to discuss changes to agricultural property relief.

Ministers regularly engage and visit farmers across England and have met with farming organisations and representatives nearly every week since coming into Government.

Whether his Department plans to take steps with the Health and Care Professions Council to include psychotherapists on the list of protected titles within the healthcare industry.

While there are no current plans to protect the professional title “psychotherapist” in law, the Government keeps professions subject to statutory regulation and the list of protected titles under review. The Government is clear that the statutory regulation of healthcare professionals should only be used where the risks to public and patient protection cannot be addressed in other ways, such as through employer oversight or accredited voluntary registration.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 16 April 2025 to Question 44299 on Park Homes: Sales, whether she will outline her plans to seek further evidence from the sector before the House rises for summer recess.

We will set out our plans to seek further evidence from the sector in respect of the rationale for the commission in due course.

What plans he has to improve respiratory disease (a) prevention, (b) diagnosis and (c) care.

The 10-Year Health Plan will deliver the three big shifts our National Health Service needs to be fit for the future: from hospital to community; from analogue to digital; and from sickness to prevention. All of these are relevant to improving respiratory health in all parts of the country.More tests and scans delivered in the community will allow earlier diagnosis, better joint working between services, and greater use of apps and wearable technology will all help people manage their long-term conditions, including respiratory conditions, closer to home. Earlier diagnosis of conditions will help prevent deterioration and improve survival rates. Taking action to reduce the causes of the biggest killers, such as enabling a smoke free generation, can further help prevent lung conditions.

Communities and Local Government, what recent assessment she has made of the potential impact of commission charge of up to 10 per cent on the sale of park homes on (a) mobile home residents and (b) site owners; and whether she has made an estimate of the commission paid in England in each of the last five years.

The previous government published a report in June 2022 on the impact of a change in the maximum park home sale commission. It can be found on gov.uk here. This government recognises that there are longstanding concerns about the requirement to pay site owners a commission upon sale of a park home. We will set out plans in due course to seek further evidence from the sector on the rationale for the commission.

If he will make an assessment of the adequacy of the health visitor to resident ratio in Worcestershire; and what steps his Department is taking to increase this provision.

Local authorities have responsibility for commissioning public health services for children and young people aged zero to 19 years old. This includes the commissioning of health visiting services.We recognise the role health visitors play in our commitment to create the healthiest generation of children ever, as families must have the support they need to give their babies and children the best start and the building blocks for a healthy life.We have therefore committed to strengthen health visiting services nationally. We will ensure we have the staff we need, so that children and their families are cared for by the right professional, when and where they need it. This will take time, but we are committed to building a health service fit for the future, with the workforce it needs.

How many NHS Accident & Emergency admissions were made for cosmetic and aesthetic treatments requiring urgent medical attention in 2024.

Information on hospital admissions is not available in the format requested. However, an analysis of hospital episodes by diagnoses for 2023/24 is available at the following link: https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/hospital-admitted-patient-care-activity/2023-24

Whether he plans to reform mental health services so that social support is integrated into treatment plans.

The statutory guidance on discharge from mental health inpatient settings makes clear that National Health Service mental health trusts should have a clear plan in place for the ongoing care and support that a patient requires after discharge from a mental health inpatient setting. This should cover their pharmacological, physical health, psychological, social, cultural, education, housing and finances, and any other individual needs or wishes.As part of our mission to build an NHS that is fit for the future and shift care from hospitals into the community by improving community and crisis services, NHS England is piloting new models of care in the community for those with the most serious mental illnesses. New mental health centres open in six neighbourhood areas from this spring and will provide people and their families with support 24 hours a day, seven days a week, if they are in crisis without needing to book an appointment, as well as provide housing, social support or employment advice to support them to stay well. A key feature of the model is continuity of care whereby the same team will support people with serious mental illnesses throughout all stages of their interaction with services, including transitions between hospital and the community.

Whether she plans to publish the assessment made by her Department with the Cabinet Office of prison maintenance undertaken in 2023.

The assessment carried out in partnership with the Cabinet Office in 2023, was conducted in line with Cabinet Office guidance and was consistent with the options appraisal approach prescribed by HM Treasury. The information contained within the assessment is commercially sensitive and as such there is no intention to publish the assessment as this may prejudice future procurement exercises.

Pursuant to the Answer of 6 February to Question 29770 on Chinese manufacturing, whether major energy infrastructure including wind turbines are categorised as critical national infrastructure when they are procured from foreign countries.

The designation of sites, systems and assets that make up the UK energy sector as Critical National Infrastructure is based on the extent that the loss, damage or disruption of that infrastructure has a major detrimental impact on the availability, integrity or delivery of the essential services of the UK energy system. This approach to identifying Critical National Infrastructure means that we assess all infrastructure, regardless of its ownership.

What steps she is taking to tackle crime that occurs on the border of multiple police forces.

The Government is committed to ensuring that law enforcement has the resources it needs to tackle crime effectively, including when crimes occur on the border of multiple police forces.When it does, the National Crime Agency (NCA), which leads the UK's fight to cut serious and organised crime, and policing’s Regional Organised Crime Unit (ROCU) network have specialised intelligence and investigative teams that are deployed across the full range of threats to bring offenders to justice. This includes tackling ‘borderless’ serious crimes including fraud, cyber-enabled criminality, online child sexual exploitation and abuse and County Lines.Both the NCA and ROCU network have been allocated significant resources to enhance their capacity and capability to continue tackling serious crime at both national and regional levels.The Home Office is also funding the National County Lines Co-ordination Centre to monitor the intelligence picture and co-ordinate the national law enforcement response to County Lines. This is vital in strengthening the law enforcement response and enabling police forces to work together to tackle this complex issue.

Pursuant to the Answer of 6 February of Question 29769 on Museums, what the cost of the VAT Refund Scheme was in 2024; and whether she plans to change the funding for the VAT Refund Scheme.

Under section 33A of the VAT Act 1994, certain museums and galleries are eligible to reclaim VAT incurred on the non-business costs associated with providing free admission to the public. Further information about the scheme and its eligibility conditions can be found in VAT Notice 998: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/vat-refund-scheme-for-museums-and-galleries-notice-998. Museums and galleries provide estimates of their likely VAT reclaims when applying to join the scheme, to ensure costs are managed. But they are not required to provide figures on particular costs within their VAT returns on an ongoing basis, as this would impose an excessive administrative burden. The information requested is therefore not available. Whilst the Government keeps all taxes under review, the Government is not planning any changes to the scheme.

How many officials are working on the negotiations of a trade deal with the United States.

DBT’s Trade Policy, Implementation and Negotiations (TPIN) Group operates a flexible resourcing model to maximise efficiency across priorities. In January 2025, DBT had 675 staff working in TPIN. The US is the UK’s largest single country trading partner, with trade worth around £300 billion in the year to September 2024.

Whether the Government considers increased trade with China to be an inherent risk to national security.

China is the world’s second largest economy and predicted to be the largest driver of global growth from 2021 to 2035. Identifying opportunities to build secure and resilient growth through a mature, stable, and balanced relationship with China is in our national interest. National security and growth are not opposed – they are mutually reinforcing. The UK must engage with international partners, including China, on trade and investment to grow our economy, while ensuring we uphold our security and values by challenging China on areas where we disagree.

Pursuant to the Answer of 5 February to Question 29155 on Energy Resilience, when the robust plans to mitigate the impacts of a gas or electricity disruption were last updated.

The National Emergency Plan for Downstream Gas and Electricity sets out the arrangements for the safe and effective management of downstream gas or electricity disruption. The National Emergency Plan for Downstream Gas and Electricity was last updated in July 2023 and is expected to be updated again this year.