Every parliamentary written question tabled by Caroline Dinenage this session, with the full answer and department. Back to the MP page.
Showing 161–180 of 358 · this parliament
What guidance she is providing to sweetshop businesses on VAT applied to freeze-dried products.
Guidance on which types of food are zero-rated and which are standard-rated for VAT purposes can be found in VAT Notice 701/14 Food products on GOV.UK. Confectionery is covered at paragraph 3.6. Businesses which have read the guidance and are still unsure of the correct VAT treatment of their product can contact HMRC for further support.
If he will ensure that NHS England's guidance entitled Play well – resources for health play services for England, published on 2 June 2025, is policy across the NHS.
We recognise the importance of supporting and maintaining children’s right to play, as games and active play in all settings build social skills and support children’s well-being.To ensure that children’s right to play is maintained and supported in healthcare settings, NHS England has worked with Starlight, a national charity for children’s play in healthcare, to publish the Play Well toolkit. This includes the first national guidelines and standards for commissioning and delivering health play services in England.To support implementation, NHS England encourages the use of these standards by managers of health play services across a wide range of healthcare environments accessed by children and young people, including community clinics, emergency departments, children’s hospices, and acute paediatric wards. This will support the auditing, monitoring, and evaluation of services.
What steps his Department is taking to ensure that children's right to play is (a) maintained and (b) supported in healthcare settings.
We recognise the importance of supporting and maintaining children’s right to play, as games and active play in all settings build social skills and support children’s well-being.To ensure that children’s right to play is maintained and supported in healthcare settings, NHS England has worked with Starlight, a national charity for children’s play in healthcare, to publish the Play Well toolkit. This includes the first national guidelines and standards for commissioning and delivering health play services in England.To support implementation, NHS England encourages the use of these standards by managers of health play services across a wide range of healthcare environments accessed by children and young people, including community clinics, emergency departments, children’s hospices, and acute paediatric wards. This will support the auditing, monitoring, and evaluation of services.
What assessment she has made of trends in the number of casualties involving mobility scooters.
The table below shows the number of casualties, split by casualty severity, that resulted from road injury collisions involving at least one mobility scooter in Great Britain, for the most recent ten-year period that data is available for. It should be noted that these figures include all casualties from collisions involving at least one mobility scooter. The casualties may be the mobility scooter users themselves, other road users, or pedestrians. There may also be other vehicles involved in the collision. YearKilledSeriously InjuredSlightly Injured201496014920158601592016146818520175591822018137417220191258192202025513920218842192022910123920231794229
How many people were injured in collisions with mobility scooters in 2024.
Figures on the number of collisions involving mobility scooters for 2024 are not yet available as these statistics have not yet been published. These figures will be available following the publication of “Reported road casualties Great Britain, annual report: 2024” in September 2025.
What guidance her Department provides to mobility scooter users who use public roads.
The Department has developed a comprehensive guide for users of mobility scooters and powered wheelchairs, including legal requirements and relevant Highway Code information. This is available online at www.gov.uk/government/publications/mobility-scooters-and-powered-wheelchairs-on-the-road-some-guidance-for-usersFurther information about the classes of mobility scooters and the requirements to use them can be found online at www.gov.uk/mobility-scooters-and-powered-wheelchairs-rules/classes.
What plans she has to include mobility scooters within the scope of dangerous (a) driving and (b) cycling legislation.
While we keep the scope of the dangerous driving and cycling legislation under review, we do not currently have any plans to extend this to mobility scooters.
Whether she has made an assessment of the potential implications for her policies of the recommendations of the Safer Streets for All report by Living Streets and the Bikeability Trust, published on 19 May 2025.
The Department welcomes the findings of this report and will consider its recommendations carefully as we develop our future plans for active travel and road safety.
Whether she plans to consider the recommendations of the Safer Streets for All report by Living Streets and the Bikeability Trust, published on 19 May 2025, in the Road Safety Strategy.
The Department welcomes the findings of this report and will consider its recommendations carefully as we develop our future plans for active travel and road safety.
If she will respond to the recommendations of the Safer Streets for All report by Living Streets and the Bikeability Trust, published on 19 May 2025.
The Department welcomes the findings of this report and will consider its recommendations carefully as we develop our future plans for active travel and road safety.
What steps he is taking to ensure that high-intensity focused ultrasound is available to patients in Hampshire.
The Government is committed to putting patients first, including in Hampshire. This means making sure that patients, including those waiting to receive high-intensity focused ultrasound, are seen on time and ensuring that people have the best possible experience during their care.We will transform diagnostic services and will support the National Health Service to increase diagnostic capacity to meet the demand for diagnostic services through investment in new capacity, including ultrasound scanners.We have made progress in cutting NHS waiting lists and ensuring people have the best possible experience during their care. As of March 2025, the waiting list has reduced by over 219,000 pathways and since July 2024 we have delivered over three million more appointments, exceeding our pledge of two million.As set out in the Plan for Change, we will ensure 92% of patients return to waiting no longer than 18 weeks from referral to treatment by March 2029, a standard which has not been met consistently since September 2015.
What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the reduction in Adoption and Special Guardianship Support funding on (a) the policy mission entitled Break Down Barriers to Opportunity and (b) children's start in life.
The department always assesses the impact of changes on vulnerable children across the country. This includes reviewing the Equalities Impact Assessment, which will be deposited in the House Libraries in due course.The funding available through the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund (ASGSF) will still enable children in Gosport, as throughout our country, to access a significant package of support, tailored to meet their individual needs. In 2024/25, there was only one match-funding application to the ASGSF from Hampshire local authority. Where needed, local authorities can use their own funding to increase the amount of therapy.This government is committed to breaking down barriers to opportunity. The ASGSF is an important part of this, but other sources of support are available to adopted and kinship children. This year, we are making £500 million available to local authorities to roll out Family Help and Child Protection nationally to transform services and transition towards earlier intervention. We are also recruiting an additional 8,500 new mental health staff to treat children and adults, and opening new Young Futures Hubs with access to mental health support workers.
What estimate she has made of the potential impact of a reduction in Adoption and Special Guardianship Support funding on the mental health outcomes of children in adoptive and kinship placements in Gosport.
The department always assesses the impact of changes on vulnerable children across the country. This includes reviewing the Equalities Impact Assessment, which will be deposited in the House Libraries in due course.The funding available through the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund (ASGSF) will still enable children in Gosport, as throughout our country, to access a significant package of support, tailored to meet their individual needs. In 2024/25, there was only one match-funding application to the ASGSF from Hampshire local authority. Where needed, local authorities can use their own funding to increase the amount of therapy.This government is committed to breaking down barriers to opportunity. The ASGSF is an important part of this, but other sources of support are available to adopted and kinship children. This year, we are making £500 million available to local authorities to roll out Family Help and Child Protection nationally to transform services and transition towards earlier intervention. We are also recruiting an additional 8,500 new mental health staff to treat children and adults, and opening new Young Futures Hubs with access to mental health support workers.
If she will make an estimate of the average reduction in Adoption and Special Guardianship Support funding for kinship carers who can no longer access match-funding in exceptional cases in Gosport constituency.
The department always assesses the impact of changes on vulnerable children across the country. This includes reviewing the Equalities Impact Assessment, which will be deposited in the House Libraries in due course.The funding available through the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund (ASGSF) will still enable children in Gosport, as throughout our country, to access a significant package of support, tailored to meet their individual needs. In 2024/25, there was only one match-funding application to the ASGSF from Hampshire local authority. Where needed, local authorities can use their own funding to increase the amount of therapy.This government is committed to breaking down barriers to opportunity. The ASGSF is an important part of this, but other sources of support are available to adopted and kinship children. This year, we are making £500 million available to local authorities to roll out Family Help and Child Protection nationally to transform services and transition towards earlier intervention. We are also recruiting an additional 8,500 new mental health staff to treat children and adults, and opening new Young Futures Hubs with access to mental health support workers.
What estimate she has made of the potential impact of a reduction in Adoption and Special Guardianship Support funding on the number of kinship children able to access therapeutic support services in Gosport.
The department always assesses the impact of changes on vulnerable children across the country. This includes reviewing the Equalities Impact Assessment, which will be deposited in the House Libraries in due course.The funding available through the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund (ASGSF) will still enable children in Gosport, as throughout our country, to access a significant package of support, tailored to meet their individual needs. In 2024/25, there was only one match-funding application to the ASGSF from Hampshire local authority. Where needed, local authorities can use their own funding to increase the amount of therapy.This government is committed to breaking down barriers to opportunity. The ASGSF is an important part of this, but other sources of support are available to adopted and kinship children. This year, we are making £500 million available to local authorities to roll out Family Help and Child Protection nationally to transform services and transition towards earlier intervention. We are also recruiting an additional 8,500 new mental health staff to treat children and adults, and opening new Young Futures Hubs with access to mental health support workers.
Whether he plans to make it his policy to ensure that integrated care boards recommend high-intensity focused ultrasound to people with localised prostate cancer outside London.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has developed interventional procedures guidance on high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) treatment for prostate cancer and focal therapy using HIFU for localised prostate cancer. This type of guidance considers if interventional procedures are safe and work well enough for wider use in the National Health Service, and both pieces of guidance acknowledge that there is a lack of evidence on quality-of-life benefits and long-term survival.The NICE’s guidelines recommend that HIFU should not be offered to people with localised or locally advanced prostate cancer, other than in the context of controlled clinical trials comparing their use with established interventions.
Communities and Local Government, whether her plans for English devolution will give Mayors powers over waterborne transport networks.
The government understands how important maritime transport is in the Solent region, and the role that waterborne transport networks play in the local transport strategy. Chapter 3 of the English Devolution White Paper sets out the responsibilities of strategic authorities and does not contain any specific powers over waterborne transport networks. However, other strategic authorities have used their wider transport powers to support local waterborne transport networks. The White Paper also sets out the floor of our ambition, not the ceiling, and we will regularly review and evaluate the powers available to strategic authorities in collaboration with them.
How young people will be able to use the National Centre for Arts and Music Education.
On 18 March, the department announced our intention to launch a new National Centre for Arts and Music Education.The National Centre will support the delivery of high-quality arts education in schools, including through online training, local partnership and better information for teachers, parents and young people.By widening access to a high-quality arts education, the National Centre will aid schools and others in teaching a rich and broad arts education to all children. It will also support a globally respected creative economy by opening up career paths to a new generation of musicians, artists, film-makers and creatives.Our plan is to launch the National Centre in September 2026, with a delivery lead appointed through an open procurement. Further details, including funding, will be released in due course.The new National Centre will also take over the management of the existing Music Hubs programme.
What the (a) duties and (b) responsibilities of the delivery lead for the National Centre for Arts and Music Education will be; and what assets they will (i) manage and (ii) own.
On 18 March, the department announced our intention to launch a new National Centre for Arts and Music Education.The National Centre will support the delivery of high-quality arts education in schools, including through online training, local partnership and better information for teachers, parents and young people.By widening access to a high-quality arts education, the National Centre will aid schools and others in teaching a rich and broad arts education to all children. It will also support a globally respected creative economy by opening up career paths to a new generation of musicians, artists, film-makers and creatives.Our plan is to launch the National Centre in September 2026, with a delivery lead appointed through an open procurement. Further details, including funding, will be released in due course.The new National Centre will also take over the management of the existing Music Hubs programme.
What funding she has allocated to the National Centre for Arts and Music Education.
On 18 March, the department announced our intention to launch a new National Centre for Arts and Music Education.The National Centre will support the delivery of high-quality arts education in schools, including through online training, local partnership and better information for teachers, parents and young people.By widening access to a high-quality arts education, the National Centre will aid schools and others in teaching a rich and broad arts education to all children. It will also support a globally respected creative economy by opening up career paths to a new generation of musicians, artists, film-makers and creatives.Our plan is to launch the National Centre in September 2026, with a delivery lead appointed through an open procurement. Further details, including funding, will be released in due course.The new National Centre will also take over the management of the existing Music Hubs programme.