Written questions by Dinenage.

Communities and Local Government, whether he will provide guidance to developers on the role of the agent of change principle in pre-application engagement.

The agent of change policy is given effect through the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), which makes clear that where the operation of an existing business or community facility could have a significant adverse effect on new development in its vicinity, the applicant (or ‘agent of change’) should be required to provide suitable mitigation before the development has been completed. The government is currently consulting on a new NPPF that includes clearer, ‘rules based’ policies for decision-making and plan-making. The consultation includes a proposed update to the agent of change policy which sets out in more detail the types of matters which should be considered. These include early engagement with existing uses to identify potential impacts; the use of planning conditions to secure agreed mitigation measures; and the need to consider both current and permitted levels of activity to reduce the risk of conflict. The consultation can be found on gov.uk here and will remain open for responses until 10 March 2026.

If he will list all the (a) patient representative organisations, (b) clinical associations and (c) providers of NHS-funded autism and ADHD services NHS England has engaged with (i) before and (ii) since publishing proposed guide prices for autism and ADHD services in its 2026/27 payment scheme consultation, in respect of the prices proposed.

The statutory consultation for the NHS Payment Scheme 2026/27, which closed on 16 December 2025, provided an opportunity for all service providers to review the consultation guidance and provide comments and feedback. Further information is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/2026-27-nhsps-consultation/NHS England is currently reviewing this feedback to inform the final 2026/27 Payment Scheme. This consultation was open to the public, but NHS England specifically reached out to all National Health Service providers, commissioners, and independent sector providers of NHS-funded autism diagnostic assessment services and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) services to ensure they were aware and were able to respond to the NHS Payment Scheme consultation and were invited to an NHS Payment Scheme engagement session in September 2025.Prior to the publication of the consultation, NHS England undertook broad engagement with a number of clinicians, policy professionals, commissioners, and providers of ADHD and autism diagnostic assessment services prior to the publication of the NHS Payment Scheme consultation.In addition to the engagement that was undertaken as part of the wider NHS Payment Scheme consultation, the following engagement took place on this policy area prior to consultation:engagement with the Independent Healthcare Provider Network (IHPN), representing independent sector providers; andengagement with healthcare policy professionals, clinicians, patient representative organisations, commissioners, and providers.In addition, the following engagement took place on this policy area post-consultation:further engagement with the IHPN, representing independent sector providers;engagement with integrated care boards;engagement with independent sector providers;engagement with mental health trusts; andengagement with clinicians.NHS England was informed by a variety of sources when developing the policy and associated guide prices, for instance:the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s (NICE) clinical guidelines CG142, CG128, and CG170, and NICE’s quality standards, which are available at the following link: https://www.nice.org.uk/Guidance/QS51;NHS England’s published National framework and operational guidance for autism assessment services, available at the following link: https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/autism-diagnosis-and-operational-guidance/;NHS England’s published reports of the ADHD taskforce, available at the following link: https://www.england.nhs.uk/mental-health/adhd/;local integrated care board service specifications;pricing information in a sample of contracts for provision of autism diagnostic assessment services and ADHD services; anda number of relevant academic papers, including, in particular, Realist evaluation of Autism ServiCe Delivery (RE-ASCeD): which diagnostic pathways work best, for whom and in what context? Findings from a rapid realist review, which contains autism diagnostic assessment costs.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department plans to take to help secure the release of Craig and Lindsey Forman from arbitrary detention in Iran.

I refer the Hon Member to the statement issued by the Foreign Secretary on 19 February following the sentencing of Lindsay and Craig Foreman. The sentence is completely appalling and totally unjustifiable. We will pursue this case relentlessly with the Iranian government until we see Craig and Lindsay Foreman safely returned to the UK and reunited with their family. In the meantime, their welfare is our priority and we will continue to provide consular assistance to them and their families.

If he will list all the (a) academic papers and (b) other sources of evidence that NHS England has considered in setting its proposed guide prices for autism and ADHD services, as proposed in its 2026/27 payment scheme consultation.

The statutory consultation for the NHS Payment Scheme 2026/27, which closed on 16 December 2025, provided an opportunity for all service providers to review the consultation guidance and provide comments and feedback. Further information is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/2026-27-nhsps-consultation/NHS England is currently reviewing this feedback to inform the final 2026/27 Payment Scheme. This consultation was open to the public, but NHS England specifically reached out to all National Health Service providers, commissioners, and independent sector providers of NHS-funded autism diagnostic assessment services and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) services to ensure they were aware and were able to respond to the NHS Payment Scheme consultation and were invited to an NHS Payment Scheme engagement session in September 2025.Prior to the publication of the consultation, NHS England undertook broad engagement with a number of clinicians, policy professionals, commissioners, and providers of ADHD and autism diagnostic assessment services prior to the publication of the NHS Payment Scheme consultation.In addition to the engagement that was undertaken as part of the wider NHS Payment Scheme consultation, the following engagement took place on this policy area prior to consultation:engagement with the Independent Healthcare Provider Network (IHPN), representing independent sector providers; andengagement with healthcare policy professionals, clinicians, patient representative organisations, commissioners, and providers.In addition, the following engagement took place on this policy area post-consultation:further engagement with the IHPN, representing independent sector providers;engagement with integrated care boards;engagement with independent sector providers;engagement with mental health trusts; andengagement with clinicians.NHS England was informed by a variety of sources when developing the policy and associated guide prices, for instance:the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s (NICE) clinical guidelines CG142, CG128, and CG170, and NICE’s quality standards, which are available at the following link: https://www.nice.org.uk/Guidance/QS51;NHS England’s published National framework and operational guidance for autism assessment services, available at the following link: https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/autism-diagnosis-and-operational-guidance/;NHS England’s published reports of the ADHD taskforce, available at the following link: https://www.england.nhs.uk/mental-health/adhd/;local integrated care board service specifications;pricing information in a sample of contracts for provision of autism diagnostic assessment services and ADHD services; anda number of relevant academic papers, including, in particular, Realist evaluation of Autism ServiCe Delivery (RE-ASCeD): which diagnostic pathways work best, for whom and in what context? Findings from a rapid realist review, which contains autism diagnostic assessment costs.

What assessment NHS England has made of the difference in levels of healthcare resource consumed in conducting (a) children’s autism assessments and (b) children’s ADHD assessments; and what account of this assessment NHS England took in proposing guide prices for autism and ADHD services, as set out in its 2026/27 payment scheme consultation.

The statutory consultation for the NHS Payment Scheme 2026/27, which closed on 16 December 2025, provided an opportunity for all service providers to review the consultation guidance and provide comments and feedback. Further information is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/2026-27-nhsps-consultation/NHS England is currently reviewing this feedback to inform the final 2026/27 Payment Scheme. This consultation was open to the public, but NHS England specifically reached out to all National Health Service providers, commissioners, and independent sector providers of NHS-funded autism diagnostic assessment services and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) services to ensure they were aware and were able to respond to the NHS Payment Scheme consultation and were invited to an NHS Payment Scheme engagement session in September 2025.Prior to the publication of the consultation, NHS England undertook broad engagement with a number of clinicians, policy professionals, commissioners, and providers of ADHD and autism diagnostic assessment services prior to the publication of the NHS Payment Scheme consultation.In addition to the engagement that was undertaken as part of the wider NHS Payment Scheme consultation, the following engagement took place on this policy area prior to consultation:engagement with the Independent Healthcare Provider Network (IHPN), representing independent sector providers; andengagement with healthcare policy professionals, clinicians, patient representative organisations, commissioners, and providers.In addition, the following engagement took place on this policy area post-consultation:further engagement with the IHPN, representing independent sector providers;engagement with integrated care boards;engagement with independent sector providers;engagement with mental health trusts; andengagement with clinicians.NHS England was informed by a variety of sources when developing the policy and associated guide prices, for instance:the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s (NICE) clinical guidelines CG142, CG128, and CG170, and NICE’s quality standards, which are available at the following link: https://www.nice.org.uk/Guidance/QS51;NHS England’s published National framework and operational guidance for autism assessment services, available at the following link: https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/autism-diagnosis-and-operational-guidance/;NHS England’s published reports of the ADHD taskforce, available at the following link: https://www.england.nhs.uk/mental-health/adhd/;local integrated care board service specifications;pricing information in a sample of contracts for provision of autism diagnostic assessment services and ADHD services; anda number of relevant academic papers, including, in particular, Realist evaluation of Autism ServiCe Delivery (RE-ASCeD): which diagnostic pathways work best, for whom and in what context? Findings from a rapid realist review, which contains autism diagnostic assessment costs.

What steps he is taking to ensure that his Department provides timely letters of clearance to bereaved families and the executors of the estates of the deceased.

When someone dies, we understand this is a very difficult and distressing time for their family and those close to them. We aim to make our processes as clear, straightforward and supportive as possible and to minimise any unnecessary worry or effort for bereaved families. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is notified of a death through several routes, including the Tell Us Once service, telephone contact, written correspondence, or digital notifications following registration of the death with the General Register Office. Once we receive notification, we update all relevant benefit and pension records and ensure the appropriate teams contact the next of kin or executor as required. For customers over State Pension age, we aim to complete our review within:15 days where there is a surviving spouse or civil partner, or20 days where there is no surviving spouse or civil partner. This includes updating the deceased person’s record, checking any changes to entitlement, and contacting the person responsible for the estate where needed. Once the State Pension record has been closed and no pension arrears are due, we issue a Death Acknowledgement Letter to the person handling the estate. This may be a surviving spouse or civil partner, a next of kin, or an executor. These letters are issued regardless of how we were notified of the death and within the relevant processing timescales. To avoid causing unnecessary distress, we do not issue a Death Acknowledgement Letter if more than eight weeks have passed since the date of death. If pension arrears are due, a Death Acknowledgement Letter is not issued. Instead, where required, we issue an application form for death arrears. When an arrears payment is made, a remittance notice is generated automatically. Where a survivor’s pension review is required, we issue a revised Pension Entitlement Notice in line with established processing standards. Working age benefits are also notified through the Tell Us Once service. For New Style Jobseeker’s Allowance and New Style Employment and Support Allowance, further correspondence addressed to the customer is stopped once a death is recorded. As these benefits are paid in arrears, payments are made directly to the person who applies for the arrears. When Universal Credit (UC) is notified of the death of a claimant or a dependent child, UC staff record the death as a priority. For online claims, notifications are uploaded to the claimant’s UC digital account. For telephone claims, notifications are sent by post to the appropriate recipient.

What assessment he has made of the (a) adequacy of regulation and (b) level of trade body membership of funeral service providers contracted by local authorities for provision of services that fall outside of a local authority's obligations under Section 46 of the Public Health (Control of Diseases) Act 1984.

The Government recognises the urgency of concerns about the funeral sector and is committed to responding at pace to ensure that the highest standards are always upheld by funeral directors and others involved in the care of people that have died.To that end, the Government is considering the full range of options to strengthen and improve standards to safeguard the security and dignity of the deceased. In this context, an interim update on progress with our response to the Fuller Inquiry Phase 2 report was published by the Department for Health and Social Care on 16 December 2025 (Fuller inquiry: government interim update on phase 2 recommendations - GOV.UK), and we will provide a full response by summer 2026.

Communities and Local Government, what estimate he has made of the number of Local Authorities contracting funeral services where those services fall outside of a Local Authority's obligations under Section 46 of the Public Health (Control of Diseases) Act 1984.

Local authorities are independent of central government. My department has made no estimate of the number of the number of local authorities contracting funeral services outside of their obligations.

Pursuant to the Fuller Inquiry Phase 2 Report: Government Interim Update on Progress, when he plans to respond to recommendations 29, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 69, 71 and 72.

The Government will publish a full response to the Inquiry’s recommendations in summer 2026, setting out progress and next steps on the 75 recommendations, including the 11 specified.

Media and Sport, when she will publish her Local Media Strategy.

Supporting local media across the country is a particular concern for this Government and we are working across Government and with stakeholders to develop a Local Media Strategy. DCMS ministers held a roundtable discussion with local news editors last year to discuss the planned approach and collaboration with industry on the Strategy. An industry working group has been meeting regularly since June 2025 to consider the issues in more detail. The Strategy will be published in the coming months.

What assessment he has made of the efficacy of the Scottish Government's Burial and Cremations Department Funeral Director Code of Practice in reducing the number of funeral directors that are in breach of the law.

The Government recognises the urgency of concerns about the funeral sector and is committed to responding at pace to ensure that the highest standards are always upheld by funeral directors and others involved in the care of people that have died.To that end, the Government is considering the full range of options to strengthen and improve standards to safeguard the security and dignity of the deceased. In this context, an interim update on progress with our response to the Fuller Inquiry Phase 2 report was published by the Department for Health and Social Care on 16 December 2025 (Fuller inquiry: government interim update on phase 2 recommendations - GOV.UK), and we will provide a full response by summer 2026.

What steps she has taken to help ensure that the enrichment entitlement is received by young people in Gosport.

The government is committed to ensuring that all children and young people across England can access a variety of enrichment opportunities at school as part of our mission to break down barriers to opportunity.To support delivery of the core enrichment offer set out in the government’s response to the Curriculum and Assessment Review, we are developing a new Enrichment Framework for publication in early 2026. Developed with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), alongside a sector working group, the framework will set out benchmarks to help schools and colleges plan high-quality enrichment more intentionally and strategically and will include case studies and signpost to tools and resources.Alongside this, we are working with DCMS on the design of a £22.5 million programme to create a tailored enrichment offer in up to 400 schools over three years. We are also working closely with the Ministry of Defence to support cadet opportunities, including their commitment to expand cadet forces across schools and communities by 30% by 2030, supported by £70 million of new funding.

Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the time taken for statutory levy funding on the financial resilience of organisations operating within the gambling harm prevention sector.

We recognise the concerns raised by some organisations about funding uncertainty and the impact this can have on their financial resilience and day-to-day operations. We are taking steps to ensure that valuable knowledge, skills and expertise are retained across the gambling harms prevention system during the transition to the statutory levy.Working with commissioners, we have engaged closely with GambleAware, which is continuing to provide funding to relevant voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations until April 2026. This includes transitional funding to help stabilise prevention-focused organisations that sit outside GambleAware’s routine commissioning activity.The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) has now launched the application process for its Gambling Harms Prevention: Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise grant fund. This follows extensive market engagement to provide timely updates, manage provider expectations around future funding processes and timescales, and support greater stability across the system. The application window will close on 6 February 2026, with funding released from April 2026. Devolved governments are responsible for delivery of the prevention programmes in Scotland and Wales and work is progressing to support organisations there.

What steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues tp help reduce the prevalence of phone use whilst driving.

The Government takes road safety seriously and is committed to reducing the numbers of those killed and injured on our roads. The use of mobile phones while driving is unacceptable, and there are already tough penalties for those committing an offence. We published our Road Safety Strategy on 07 January setting out our plans to improve the safety of our roads. As part of this we are reviewing the motoring offences and published a consultation, exploring areas of particular concern including drink and drug driving.

How many Royal Navy vessels are at (a) R1, (b) R2, (c) R3, (d) R4, (e) R5, (f) R6, (g) R7, (h) R8, (i) R9, (j) R10 and (k) R11.

In agreement with the House of Commons Defence Committee (HCDC), Royal Navy Surface Fleet readiness data is provided on a six-monthly basis. This information can be found on the HCDC website but for ease, please find links to the previous two submissions: committees.parliament.uk/publications/49894/documents/267958/default/committees.parliament.uk/publications/49270/documents/262458/default/ To protect the operational security of the Fleet, I am unable to provide further granularity. In addition, the Royal Navy does not hold individual Service personnel at a readiness state but rather Force Elements or individual units. This information is withheld as its disclosure would, or would be likely to prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the Armed Forces.

What the readiness category is of (a) RFA Lyme Bay, (b) RFA Mounts Bay, (c) RFA Cardigan Bay, (d) RFA Argus, (e) RFA Fort Victoria, (f) RFA Tidespring, (g) RFA Tiderace, (h) RFA Tidesurge and (i) RFA Tideforce.

In agreement with the House of Commons Defence Committee (HCDC), Royal Navy Surface Fleet readiness data is provided on a six-monthly basis. This information can be found on the HCDC website but for ease, please find links to the previous two submissions: committees.parliament.uk/publications/49894/documents/267958/default/committees.parliament.uk/publications/49270/documents/262458/default/ To protect the operational security of the Fleet, I am unable to provide further granularity. In addition, the Royal Navy does not hold individual Service personnel at a readiness state but rather Force Elements or individual units. This information is withheld as its disclosure would, or would be likely to prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the Armed Forces.

What the readiness category is of (a) HMS Glasgow, (b) HMS Belfast and (c) HMS Cardiff.

In agreement with the House of Commons Defence Committee (HCDC), Royal Navy Surface Fleet readiness data is provided on a six-monthly basis. This information can be found on the HCDC website but for ease, please find links to the previous two submissions: committees.parliament.uk/publications/49894/documents/267958/default/committees.parliament.uk/publications/49270/documents/262458/default/ To protect the operational security of the Fleet, I am unable to provide further granularity. In addition, the Royal Navy does not hold individual Service personnel at a readiness state but rather Force Elements or individual units. This information is withheld as its disclosure would, or would be likely to prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the Armed Forces.

How many Royal Navy personnel are at (a) R1, (b) R2, (c) R3, (d) R4, (e) R5, (f) R6, (g) R7, (h) R8, (i) R9, (j) R10 and (k) R11.

In agreement with the House of Commons Defence Committee (HCDC), Royal Navy Surface Fleet readiness data is provided on a six-monthly basis. This information can be found on the HCDC website but for ease, please find links to the previous two submissions: committees.parliament.uk/publications/49894/documents/267958/default/committees.parliament.uk/publications/49270/documents/262458/default/ To protect the operational security of the Fleet, I am unable to provide further granularity. In addition, the Royal Navy does not hold individual Service personnel at a readiness state but rather Force Elements or individual units. This information is withheld as its disclosure would, or would be likely to prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the Armed Forces.

What steps are being taken to (a) clear the backlog of unclaimed Armed Forces pensions and (b) prevent the accumulation of unclaimed pensions in future.

There is currently no backlog for unclaimed deferred pensions.The Ministry of Defence continues to conduct tracing exercises 60 working days after the pension due date to establish the member's address and invite them to claim; we continue to explore additional mechanisms to identify individuals who qualify for an unclaimed deferred pension.

What assessment she has made of the adequacy of her Department’s guidance on following distances.

Rule 126 of The Highway Code includes guidance on stopping distances and states that drivers and riders ‘should leave enough space between you and the vehicle in front so that you can pull up safely if it suddenly slows down or stops’ and ‘…never to get closer than the overall stopping distances’ set out on pages 52 and 53 of the code. Tailgating can be considered careless driving, which is a fixed penalty offence. All road users are required to comply with road traffic law. If road users do not adopt a responsible attitude or if their use of the highway creates an unsafe environment, or causes nuisance, they may be committing a number of offences that can make them liable for prosecution.Enforcement of the law is a matter for the police who will decide on the evidence of each individual case, whether an offence has been committed and the appropriate action to take.In addition to the Highway Code, National Highways uses Variable Message Signs on motorways to encourage appropriate lane discipline. The Government’s THINK! road safety campaign also provides information to road users to encourage safer behaviour. Enforcement of road traffic law is a matter for the police. In June 2025, National Highways ran a communications campaign on this issue, using media, digital and social media. The aim was to align the uncomfortable feeling of being followed too closely in everyday life with the similar feelings this evokes when being tailgated on a high-speed road, namely discomfort and anxiety. Following the success of that campaign, and the genuine media interest in this topic, National Highways is planning a new communications campaign to launch next month. This low / no cost campaign moment will educate drivers on the dangers of tailgating and aim to change behaviour by looking at driving etiquette and evoking England’s love for manners and respect. The campaign will launch w/c 23rd February across owned and earned media channels. It will involve:Press activity which demonstrates the scale of the issue and brings its regional elements to life. This will be pitched to national broadcast channels and print/ online outletsCreative social media content addressing the campaign themes, activated across channels including Facebook, Instagram, Threads and ShortsInteractive digital activity illustrating the regional trendsStakeholder engagement and sharing of key campaign messaging National Highways adheres to the Government Communication Service evaluation framework and will be measuring the success of this campaign wave through a series of measures, including social listening tools and Media Equivalent Value.