Written questions by Smith.

How much funding had been allocated by the Treasury for the Lancashire and South Cumbria New Hospitals Programme scheme by 2 July 2024.

The standard process confirming the total funding amount for major infrastructure projects involves the review and approval of a Full Business Case. All trusts in the programme have previously received indicative funding allocations to support planning, however these are commercially sensitive.There are two New Hospital Programme schemes in Lancashire and South Cumbria, the scheme for the Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust at Royal Preston Hospital, and the scheme for the University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust at Royal Lancaster Infirmary. Up to the end of the 2023/24, both trusts received £6.7 million each for their new hospital schemes.The breakdown of how much the trusts received for their new hospital schemes is published annually as part of the Department’s Annual Reports and Accounts, with Public Dividend Capital to individual trusts included in the Financial Assistance Report under section 40 of the National Health Service Act 2006. The 2022/23 report is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dhsc-annual-report-and-accounts-2022-to-2023Both schemes are at Pre-Consultation Business Case stage, and are at Royal Institute of British Architects Stage 1.

How much funding the Lancashire and South Cumbria New Hospitals Programme scheme had received up to the end of the 2023-24 financial year.

The standard process confirming the total funding amount for major infrastructure projects involves the review and approval of a Full Business Case. All trusts in the programme have previously received indicative funding allocations to support planning, however these are commercially sensitive.There are two New Hospital Programme schemes in Lancashire and South Cumbria, the scheme for the Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust at Royal Preston Hospital, and the scheme for the University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust at Royal Lancaster Infirmary. Up to the end of the 2023/24, both trusts received £6.7 million each for their new hospital schemes.The breakdown of how much the trusts received for their new hospital schemes is published annually as part of the Department’s Annual Reports and Accounts, with Public Dividend Capital to individual trusts included in the Financial Assistance Report under section 40 of the National Health Service Act 2006. The 2022/23 report is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dhsc-annual-report-and-accounts-2022-to-2023Both schemes are at Pre-Consultation Business Case stage, and are at Royal Institute of British Architects Stage 1.

Media and Sport, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of access to indoor tennis facilities on the level of participation in disability tennis.

The Government is committed to doing more to ensure that everyone, including older people, girls and women and those with disabilities, all have access to and benefit from quality sport and physical activity opportunities. Sport and physical activity is central to achieving our health and opportunity manifesto missions, with the biggest gains coming from supporting those who are inactive to move more.The Government provides the majority of support for grassroots sport through Sport England - which annually invests over £250 million in Exchequer and Lottery funding. Sport England’s work focuses on increasing participation in sport and to boost diversity at a grassroots level to give more and better opportunities to all.Sport England provides long term investment to the Lawn Tennis Association, the National Governing Body for tennis in Britain, which receives up to £10.2 million for five years to invest in community tennis and padel initiatives that will benefit everyone, including disabled people, women and girls and older people.Sport England also works to ensure that each of their programmes impact directly on disabled people and those with a long-term health condition, with initiatives like the 'We are Undefeatable' campaign and partnerships with disability organisations.Decisions with regards to future departmental budgets will be made as part of the upcoming spending review process.

Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to help increase access to (a) affordable and (b) covered or indoor community tennis courts.

The Government is committed to doing more to ensure that everyone, including older people, girls and women and those with disabilities, all have access to and benefit from quality sport and physical activity opportunities. Sport and physical activity is central to achieving our health and opportunity manifesto missions, with the biggest gains coming from supporting those who are inactive to move more.The Government provides the majority of support for grassroots sport through Sport England - which annually invests over £250 million in Exchequer and Lottery funding. Sport England’s work focuses on increasing participation in sport and to boost diversity at a grassroots level to give more and better opportunities to all.Sport England provides long term investment to the Lawn Tennis Association, the National Governing Body for tennis in Britain, which receives up to £10.2 million for five years to invest in community tennis and padel initiatives that will benefit everyone, including disabled people, women and girls and older people.Sport England also works to ensure that each of their programmes impact directly on disabled people and those with a long-term health condition, with initiatives like the 'We are Undefeatable' campaign and partnerships with disability organisations.Decisions with regards to future departmental budgets will be made as part of the upcoming spending review process.

Media and Sport, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of the provision of (a) indoor and (b) covered tennis facilities, in the context of her Department's target for increasing the number of people who are physically active by 2030.

The Government is committed to doing more to ensure that everyone, including older people, girls and women and those with disabilities, all have access to and benefit from quality sport and physical activity opportunities. Sport and physical activity is central to achieving our health and opportunity manifesto missions, with the biggest gains coming from supporting those who are inactive to move more.The Government provides the majority of support for grassroots sport through Sport England - which annually invests over £250 million in Exchequer and Lottery funding. Sport England’s work focuses on increasing participation in sport and to boost diversity at a grassroots level to give more and better opportunities to all.Sport England provides long term investment to the Lawn Tennis Association, the National Governing Body for tennis in Britain, which receives up to £10.2 million for five years to invest in community tennis and padel initiatives that will benefit everyone, including disabled people, women and girls and older people.Sport England also works to ensure that each of their programmes impact directly on disabled people and those with a long-term health condition, with initiatives like the 'We are Undefeatable' campaign and partnerships with disability organisations.Decisions with regards to future departmental budgets will be made as part of the upcoming spending review process.

Media and Sport, if she will make an assessment of the adequacy of the provision of accessible (a) indoor and (b) covered tennis courts in underserved communities.

The Government is committed to doing more to ensure that everyone, including older people, girls and women and those with disabilities, all have access to and benefit from quality sport and physical activity opportunities. Sport and physical activity is central to achieving our health and opportunity manifesto missions, with the biggest gains coming from supporting those who are inactive to move more.The Government provides the majority of support for grassroots sport through Sport England - which annually invests over £250 million in Exchequer and Lottery funding. Sport England’s work focuses on increasing participation in sport and to boost diversity at a grassroots level to give more and better opportunities to all.Sport England provides long term investment to the Lawn Tennis Association, the National Governing Body for tennis in Britain, which receives up to £10.2 million for five years to invest in community tennis and padel initiatives that will benefit everyone, including disabled people, women and girls and older people.Sport England also works to ensure that each of their programmes impact directly on disabled people and those with a long-term health condition, with initiatives like the 'We are Undefeatable' campaign and partnerships with disability organisations.Decisions with regards to future departmental budgets will be made as part of the upcoming spending review process.

Media and Sport, how much funding her Department has provided for (a) covered and (b) indoor (i) tennis and (ii) padel courts in each of the last five years.

The Government is committed to doing more to ensure that everyone, including older people, girls and women and those with disabilities, all have access to and benefit from quality sport and physical activity opportunities. Sport and physical activity is central to achieving our health and opportunity manifesto missions, with the biggest gains coming from supporting those who are inactive to move more.The Government provides the majority of support for grassroots sport through Sport England - which annually invests over £250 million in Exchequer and Lottery funding. Sport England’s work focuses on increasing participation in sport and to boost diversity at a grassroots level to give more and better opportunities to all.Sport England provides long term investment to the Lawn Tennis Association, the National Governing Body for tennis in Britain, which receives up to £10.2 million for five years to invest in community tennis and padel initiatives that will benefit everyone, including disabled people, women and girls and older people.Sport England also works to ensure that each of their programmes impact directly on disabled people and those with a long-term health condition, with initiatives like the 'We are Undefeatable' campaign and partnerships with disability organisations.Decisions with regards to future departmental budgets will be made as part of the upcoming spending review process.

Media and Sport, how much funding her Department plans to provide for tennis facilities in each of the next three financial years.

The Government is committed to doing more to ensure that everyone, including older people, girls and women and those with disabilities, all have access to and benefit from quality sport and physical activity opportunities. Sport and physical activity is central to achieving our health and opportunity manifesto missions, with the biggest gains coming from supporting those who are inactive to move more.The Government provides the majority of support for grassroots sport through Sport England - which annually invests over £250 million in Exchequer and Lottery funding. Sport England’s work focuses on increasing participation in sport and to boost diversity at a grassroots level to give more and better opportunities to all.Sport England provides long term investment to the Lawn Tennis Association, the National Governing Body for tennis in Britain, which receives up to £10.2 million for five years to invest in community tennis and padel initiatives that will benefit everyone, including disabled people, women and girls and older people.Sport England also works to ensure that each of their programmes impact directly on disabled people and those with a long-term health condition, with initiatives like the 'We are Undefeatable' campaign and partnerships with disability organisations.Decisions with regards to future departmental budgets will be made as part of the upcoming spending review process.

Media and Sport, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of access to tennis facilities on the physical activity levels of (a) older people, (b) disabled people, (c) women and girls and (d) other less active groups.

The Government is committed to doing more to ensure that everyone, including older people, girls and women and those with disabilities, all have access to and benefit from quality sport and physical activity opportunities. Sport and physical activity is central to achieving our health and opportunity manifesto missions, with the biggest gains coming from supporting those who are inactive to move more.The Government provides the majority of support for grassroots sport through Sport England - which annually invests over £250 million in Exchequer and Lottery funding. Sport England’s work focuses on increasing participation in sport and to boost diversity at a grassroots level to give more and better opportunities to all.Sport England provides long term investment to the Lawn Tennis Association, the National Governing Body for tennis in Britain, which receives up to £10.2 million for five years to invest in community tennis and padel initiatives that will benefit everyone, including disabled people, women and girls and older people.Sport England also works to ensure that each of their programmes impact directly on disabled people and those with a long-term health condition, with initiatives like the 'We are Undefeatable' campaign and partnerships with disability organisations.Decisions with regards to future departmental budgets will be made as part of the upcoming spending review process.

Whether he has made an assessment of the adequacy of the availability of anti-convulsant medicines to control epilepsy.

The Department is working hard with industry to help resolve intermittent supply issues with some epilepsy medications. As a result of ongoing activity and intensive work, including directing suppliers to expedite deliveries, some issues, including with some Tegretol presentations, have been resolved. The Department continues to work closely with industry, the National Health Service, and others to help ensure patients continue to have access to an alternative treatment until their usual product is back in stock. This includes working with manufacturers of alternatives formulations to ensure they remain available and can support increased demand.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to help ensure the welfare of reindeer used at seasonal events in winter 2024-25.

Under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 (the 2006 Act), owners and keepers of animals, including reindeer, must take reasonable steps to provide for the health and welfare of animals under their care. Under schedule 7 of the Licensing of Activities Involving Animals (LAIA) Regulations, local authorities are responsible for licensing the use of animals for certain commercial purposes, including the keeping or training of animals for exhibition. Under the conditions of this schedule, keepers must make provision for the welfare of the animals being exhibited, including providing suitable temporary accommodation for the reindeer, ensuring they are handled by appropriately trained persons, and using suitable handling methods.

Whether he has made an assessment of the adequacy of the availability at pharmacies of methylphenidate medication for people with ADHD.

The Department monitors and manages medicine supply at a national level so that stocks remain available to meet regional and local demand. Information is not collected on a local level.The Department has been working hard with industry and NHS England to help resolve supply issues with some attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) medicines, which are affecting the United Kingdom and other countries around the world. As a result of intensive work, some issues have been resolved and all strengths of lisdexamfetamine, atomoxetine capsules, and guanfacine prolonged-release tablets are now available.We are continuing to work to resolve supply issues where they remain, for methylphenidate prolonged-release tablets. We are engaging with all suppliers of methylphenidate prolonged-release tablets to assess the challenges faced and their actions to address them. We are also directing suppliers to secure additional stocks, expedite deliveries where possible, and review plans to further build capacity to support continued growth in demand for the short and long-term. We anticipate intermittent regional supply disruptions to continue, and we expect supply to improve in the UK from October 2024.In parallel, the Department has worked with specialist clinicians, including those within the National Health Service, to develop management advice for NHS clinicians to consider prescribing available alternative brands of methylphenidate prolonged release tablets or available alternative ADHD medicines. We would expect ADHD service providers and specialists to follow our guidance, which includes offering rapid response to primary care teams seeking urgent advice or opinion for the management of patients, including those known to be at a higher risk of adverse impact because of these shortages.To aid ADHD service providers and prescribers further we have widely disseminated our communications, and continually update a list of currently available and unavailable ADHD products on the Specialist Pharmacy Service website, helping ensure that those involved in the prescribing and dispensing of ADHD medications can make informed decisions with patients.

Whether she has made an estimate of the average economic benefit of buying a bicycle to (a) an individual and (b) society.

The Department has not made an estimate of the economic value of buying a bicycle. A report by Transport for Quality of Life, titled ‘The UK cycle industry: current economic and employment benefits and its decarbonisation-driven growth potential’ published in 2023, suggests an annual economic benefit of £1,800 per cyclist.

What assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of the report entitled The cycling opportunity, published by Sustrans on 11 September 2024.

The Department welcomes the findings of this research and will consider its recommendations carefully as we develop our future plans for active travel.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make it his policy to ban the import of dogs with cropped ears.

Ear cropping has rightly been banned in the UK for over 15 years. Under the Animal Welfare Act 2006, it is an offence in England and Wales to carry out a non-exempted mutilation e.g., where a surgical procedure is not carried out for medical purposes, such as the cropping of a dog’s ears. While the practice is illegal in the UK, we recognise that the current legislative framework can be abused by traders who import these dogs from abroad. As outlined in our manifesto, the Government is committed to ending puppy smuggling. We will clamp down on unscrupulous traders who prioritise profit over welfare. We are considering the most effective ways to deliver this and will be setting out next steps in due course.

How many people have deferred their State Pension.

It is not possible to estimate the overall number of people who have deferred their State Pension, because we do not know who has deferred until they make their claim for it. In May 2023, there were 138,872 people who had made a deferred claim for their New State Pension and are now in receipt of extra State Pension. Data is not available on deferred claims from those reaching State Pension age prior to 2016, as the statistics were suspended following the introduction of a new DWP computer system. The most recently published statistics showing the total number of pensioners receiving extra State Pension are from May 2021 and are available here (Extra State Pension is referred to as “increments” in this document.): DWP benefits statistics: May 2021 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)