Written questions by Maynard.

Whether her Department has plans to raise the starting salary for prison officers.

Pay for Prison Officers is informed by independent recommendations made by the Prison Service Pay Review Body (PSPRB) through the annual pay review process.On 22 May, the Government accepted all 13 of the independent recommendations put forward by the PSPRB for 2025/26. This year’s award represents an increase of at least 4% for all operational prison staff, delivering another real-terms pay rise on top of the one provided last summer.  This will bring the starting salary for an entry-level Prison Officer (on the national rate, 39 hours with unsocial hours) from £34,494 to £35,875 and will be effective 1 April 2025 when implemented.We announced the 2025/26 award more than two months earlier than last year, keeping our promise to give prison staff more certainty about the pounds in their pockets.

Whether her Department has plans to lower the prison officer retirement age.

Prison officers are members of the Civil Service Pension scheme (CSPS), and the normal pension age (at which unreduced benefits can be taken) is linked to their state pension age. We recognise the unique and challenging role that prison officers play in protecting the public and reducing reoffending. The Lord Chancellor has requested advice from officials on the pension age of prison officers, and we will continue to engage with trade unions as this is considered.

Whether her Department has made an estimate of the number of people over 50 who are classed as economically inactive but contribute to society through (a) volunteer and (b) unpaid work.

The department has not made such an estimate. We do not hold sufficient data to make this estimate in full. The number of inactive people over 50 who are inactive because of looking after their family or home could be estimated from the Annual Population Survey. DCMS’s Community Life Survey (https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/community-life-survey-202324-annual-publication Community Life Survey 2023/24: Volunteering and charitable giving - GOV.UK) asks about volunteering and employment/unemployment status (see table C1b(E)).

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has considered how his Department can ensure aid is distributed in a way which does not discriminate against religious minorities.

The UK is strongly committed to freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) for all. Our programme funding is one of the several ways in which we work to champion the right to FoRB.The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) works to ensure that Official Development Assistance (ODA) is allocated to those who are most vulnerable and most in need of this assistance irrespective of race, religion, or ethnicity. This includes religious minorities, who are assessed by our partners when determining those most in need of protection and assistance.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has considered how his Department can ensure aid is distributed in a way which does not discriminate against Christians in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen.

In 2024, the UK committed £139 million in humanitarian aid to Yemen and will maintain its humanitarian commitment this financial year. The UK's humanitarian priorities (food security, livelihoods, health, protection and women and girls) are delivered through two programmes: Women and Children, and Food Security Safety Nets. In line with humanitarian principles and the humanitarian imperative, the UK's aid programmes are delivered proportionately across the whole of Yemen.The UK supports the revised UN Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan for 2025, which prioritises lifesaving activities in the worst affected areas to ensure aid is directed to the most vulnerable people. We emphasise the importance of unrestricted access for humanitarian aid workers in Yemen, including at the UN Security Council sessions, and that critical aid must reach all those in Yemen who need it most.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what resources he plans to provide to the UK Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion or Belief.

The appointment of David Smith MP as UK Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) is a clear signal of the value placed by the UK on championing FoRB for all around the world.The Envoy David works closely with Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) Ministers in promoting FoRB and regularly meets with Lord Collins as the Minister for Human Rights on the issue. I met with the Envoy on 6 May to discuss his work. He is supported in his work by the FCDO FoRB team and other officials across the organisation.

If he will meet with the hon. Member for Witney to discuss the allocation of new funding for military housing to RAF Brize Norton.

In January this year, we brought back more than 36,000 family homes into the public sector. In April, we committed to a new consumer charter to deliver basic rights and standards. In May, we committed an additional £1.5 billion for military family homes, as part of at least £7 billion in funding for military accommodation over the next five years. Later this year, a new Defence Housing Strategy will set out a plan for the renewal of the Service family estate. As an early priority we are proceeding with plans to build 265 new Service family homes at Brize Norton. I have recently visited RAF Brize Norton to discuss the renewal of the housing estate there with DIO officials and RAF personnel. I would be happy to arrange an appropriate meeting with the hon. Member to brief him on ongoing work in this area.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of trends in the number of abattoirs on (a) food security and (b) local food supply chains.

The Government recognises the importance of abattoirs to national food security, local supply chains and rural communities. We remain committed to maintaining a resilient and sustainable meat processing sector. While the sector has faced and continues to face a wide range of challenges in recent years, our national abattoir network remains resilient and continues to deliver high-quality meat products that are fundamental to feeding the nation and maintaining a strong export market. We continue to work closely with stakeholders across the sector in addressing both the challenges and opportunities they face.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of implementing a graduated regulatory system for smaller scale abattoirs operating within smaller distribution areas on (a) movement of and (b) stress to livestock.

The Government recognises the vital role smaller abattoirs play in supporting a resilient food supply chain and reducing journey times for livestock, which minimises the risk of welfare issues arising during transport. However, to date there has been no formal assessment of the potential impact of implementing a graduated regulatory system for smaller-scale abattoirs operating within smaller distribution areas. Defra remains committed to working with industry and the Food Standards Agency to explore how the current regulatory framework can better support smaller operators while maintaining high standards of food safety and animal welfare. Ongoing efforts, such as reviewing Official Veterinarian attendance requirements and introducing exception reporting to reduce administrative burdens, reflect this commitment.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the use of (a) mobile abattoirs and (b) farmer-assisted slaughter on (i) costs for livestock farmers and (ii) animal stress.

A mobile slaughter facility must be approved on the premises on which it is to operate. Currently there is one mobile abattoir in England and two Food Standards Agency (FSA) approved sites it can operate from. Mobile abattoirs may offer benefits in certain localised or remote settings and in reduced transport times for animals. There are operational and regulatory constraints, and throughput is low and as such their wider application across the industry is limited. Other than mobile slaughter facilities, the only forms of slaughter allowed on farm are emergency slaughter, which is strictly defined in the legislation, and slaughter by the animal’s owner for their own private domestic consumption. In both circumstances FSA have set out requirements on their website. No recent assessment of costs to farmers has been made for mobile or on farm slaughter.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to consider the potential impact of trends in the number of small, local abattoirs on the operations of livestock farms as part of the Farming Profitability Review.

In conducting her review, Baroness Minette Batters is considering implications for all farming sectors (including livestock), regions, and the different stages of the food supply chain. Minette has written an open letter to farmers and growers to be collated by relevant sector and trade groups to consider three barriers to profitability and three corresponding solutions for returns by 11 July. She has ongoing engagement with livestock sector groups convened by the Department and relevant trade unions. We expect small abattoirs to be considered as part of this.

What recent discussions he has had with the National Institute for Health and Care Research on how much of the £40 million funding for brain tumour research has been spent.

Between 2018/19 and 2022/23 DHSC directly invested £11.3 million in brain tumour research projects through the NIHR, plus an estimated £31.5 million in infrastructure enabling 8,500 patients to participate in wider brain cancer research. We are committed to increasing support and last September announced new research funding opportunities, bringing the brain cancer research community together to drive a step change for patients.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of VAT on school fees on military families.

The Ministry of Defence recognises the unique circumstances faced by our Service personnel and that frequent mobility can disrupt children’s education. Continuity of Education Allowance (CEA) helps by providing the children of Service personnel with a stable education that would not otherwise be available in the state-maintained day school sector, due to their family’s mobility. Termly rates of CEA are recalculated to account for changes to fees made by schools for the new academic year. This is usually an annual event but as schools changed their fees for January 2025 in response to the Government’s new VAT policy, the CEA rates were recalculated in December 2024. New rates will be calculated ahead of changes in school fees for September 2025. The single Services will monitor the impact on retention in service for those claiming CEA following the introduction of VAT on independent school fees. The Pay and Allowances Casework and Complaints Cell (PACCC) will monitor the impact on Service personnel changing schools and withdrawing from CEA. Where a Service person does not meet the eligibility criteria as laid out in JSP 752 and has made a personal choice to use a private school for their child’s education, the MOD is not involved.

What definition her Department applies to determine when a road network is operating (a) at and (b) over full capacity.

Transport Business Cases follow the HM Treasury five-case Business Case model. Decisions are informed by the assessment of the scheme in relation to strategic fit, value for money, deliverability, commercial and financial considerations. The Department provides guidance to scheme promoters in DfT’s Transport Analysis Guidance (TAG). The relationship between levels of demand and road capacity would be considered as part of the transport modelling and analysis for potential transport investments. An introduction to this modelling, including the interaction of supply conditions and road demand, is provided in Chapter 3 of the TAG guidance for the Senior Responsible Officer. Further technical detail is provided in Appendix E of TAG unit M3.1, TAG unit M3.1 highway assignment modelling.

What steps his Department is taking to help ensure that local trading standards services have adequate (a) support and (b) expertise to enforce consumer protection laws introduced through the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024.

Department for Business and Trade officials have contributed to training events and provided practical information to the Chartered Trading Standards Institute to disseminate to trading standards officers about the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024, including changes to consumer protection law and trading standards' enforcement powers. Furthermore, the Department provides grants to the Chartered Trading Standards Institute and the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities, as well as others, who are developing training material on the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024. Funding also supports the maintenance of Business Companion which provides trading standards officers and business with the latest information on the application of consumer law.

What recent assessment she has made of the potential impact of rail infrastructure funding on future trends in the level of regional economic growth.

The growth mission is the central mission of this government. The impact of rail infrastructure investment on regional economic growth is a key consideration that is informing decisions for phase 2 of the Spending Review. The first phase of the Spending Review delivered a £1.1bn cash increase to the transport budget in 2025-26 compared to 2024-25 representing 1.5% real terms growth, delivering record spending.

With reference to her speech at Siemens Healthineers in Oxfordshire on 29 January 2025, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of allocating additional funding to improve connectivity in Oxfordshire.

We are already making considerable investment in transport infrastructure in Oxfordshire, including support for East West Rail and the acceleration of works on the Marston Vale Line to deliver services between Oxford and Bedford, as well as £10m in 25/26 to provide improvements to local bus services. In addition, Oxfordshire County Council received £33.5m of total highway maintenance allocations for the County for 2025/26. Future transport spending is subject to Phase 2 of the SR and will be considered in the round through that process.

With reference to her Department's Good character: caseworker guidance, updated on 13 February 2025, how many people she expects to be impacted by this guidance.

I refer the Honourable Member to the answer provided on 25 February 2025 to Question UIN 31371.

Communities and Local Government, what recent assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the current level of resources for local trading standards services based within local authorities in Great Britain.

Local authorities are independent of central government and are responsible for managing their own services and financial positions.The final Local Government Finance Settlement for 2025-26 makes available over £69 billion for local government, which is a 6.8% cash terms increase in councils’ Core Spending Power on 2024-25. The majority of the Local Government Finance Settlement is unringfenced recognising that local leaders are best placed to identify local priorities, including for local trading standards services.

Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment his Department has made of the potential implications for his policies of (a) the inequality of access to nature in England and (b) that a fifth of English constituencies have no Right to Roam at all.

The Government recognises the importance of providing access to the outdoors for people’s health and wellbeing and are working to ensure this is safe and appropriate. We also recognise that access to nature is currently inequitable across England, with some groups such as those from lower socio-economic backgrounds particularly disadvantaged. This is why we committed in our Environmental Improvement Plan to work across government to help ensure that everyone lives within 15 minutes’ walk of a green or blue space, and to reduce barriers to access. We are already taking forward initiatives to help us deliver this, including new initiatives such as the river walks and national forests manifesto commitments and existing initiatives such as completing the King Charles III England Coast Path and upgrading the Coast to Coast trail across the north of England. The last Labour Government introduced the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000, which provides the public a right of access to large parts of the English countryside. The 8% figure of publicly accessible land does not include the thousands of green spaces (e.g. parks) that are available to the public. Most of the nation's forests managed by Forestry England (more than 253,000 hectares) have been dedicated as open access land.