Written questions by Cane.

If she will make it her Department's policy to create a single childcare register to replace the current registration processes.

It is the department’s ambition that all families have access to high quality, affordable and flexible early education and care, giving every child the best start in life and delivering on our Plan for Change.There are currently two registers, the early years register and the general childcare register. We are in regular dialogue with Ofsted about the registers and, as with all our systems, we continue to monitor their operational effectiveness. There are no current plans to alter the structure of the registers.

How many civil servants in his Department are working on the Access to Work Scheme.

The Full Time Equivalent number of staff working on the Access to Work Scheme is currently 540. Notes:The Full Time Equivalent (FTE) figure supplied is as at October 2025. This is the most up to date Data held.The number Access to Work scheme staff has been derived from DWP's Activity Based Model (ABM). This model gives an estimated FTE based on a point in time estimate by Line Managers, as recorded on our internal systems each month.This total represents all aspects of AtW delivery, including case maintenance, decision making, telephony, and associated managementFigures have been rounded to the nearest 10 FTE.The number of staff employed is unpublished management information, collected and intended for internal departmental use and has not been quality assured to National Statistics or Official Statistics publication standard.

Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 4 November 2025 to Question 85516 on Marine Protected Areas: Bottom Trawling, when she plans to publish (a) the summary of that consultation and (b) her Department's response.

A consultation on the latest round of proposed fisheries byelaws, which proposes further restrictions on bottom trawling, closed on 29 September. The Marine Management Organisation is now carefully considering all responses received, and decisions will be made in due course.

TTo ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act on existing Gift Aid regulations.

The government consulted on the implementation of the new subscriptions contract regime and are analysing the responses, including submissions from the charity and not-for profit sector. Officials have met with relevant representatives and individual organisations to hear their views and we continue to engage with the sector.The government is committed to ensuring that charities can comply with consumer law and claim Gift Aid on eligible payments. HMRC are working through the technical details and will continue to engage with the sector.

If he will take legislative steps to exclude charity subscriptions from the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024.

The government consulted on the implementation of the new subscriptions contract regime and are analysing the responses, including submissions from the charity and not-for profit sector. Officials have met with relevant representatives and individual organisations to hear their views and we continue to engage with the sector.The government is committed to ensuring that charities can comply with consumer law and claim Gift Aid on eligible payments. HMRC are working through the technical details and will continue to engage with the sector.

Pursuant to the Answer of 5 November 2025 to Question 85520 on General Practitioners, what steps he is taking to improve access to GPs for people who are solely reliant on telephone bookings.

To support patients who depend on telephone bookings, recent contractual changes require all general practices to offer online booking throughout core hours, from 08:00 to 18:30. This is designed to ease pressure on phone lines by allowing those who prefer online booking to do so at any time, reducing long phone queues for patients who wish to continue using the telephone system. By better managing demand through expanded online access, practices can free up phone lines and improve the experience for those reliant on telephone bookings. The GP Contract is also clear that patients should always have the option of telephoning or visiting their practice in person so that patients without access to telephone or online services are in no way disadvantaged.

Pursuant to the Answer of 5 November to Question 85518 on General Practitioners: Ely and East Cambridgeshire, if he will commission research to examine the workload of GPs.

The Department funds research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).There are currently over 200 projects involving general practice being funded by the NIHR and active as of November 2025. An example of research is NIHR168327, which will assess the impact of different models of integrating new or extended roles into primary care. This comparative analysis between Scotland and England will examine the impact of variations in funding, employment models, and deployment of new/extended roles on staff experiences, patient care and experiences, and general practice workload and satisfaction.The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health and care, including research about general practice. These applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money, and scientific quality.The review of the Carr-Hill formula is being conducted by National Institute for Health and Care Research. The review has commenced and will draw on a range of evidence and advice from experts, with key stakeholders including the Royal College of General Practitioners involved in the process. Implementation of any new funding approach will be subject to Ministerial decision, in the context of available funding and our commitment to substantively reform the GMS contract within this Parliament.

What assessment he has made of the accessibility of GP appointments for the digitally excluded in areas with poor signal (a) coverage and (b) capacity.

In February 2025, the General Practitioners Committee England agreed to make it a contractual obligation for all general practices (GPs) to offer access to online services throughout core hours, from 08:00 to 18:30, bringing online access in line with walk-in and phone access. This change is designed to improve patient access and reduce long phone queues for those who wish to continue using the telephone booking system. By ensuring that online booking is available during all core hours, practices can better manage demand and free up phone lines for patients who rely on telephone access. This is making it easier and more convenient for patients to contact their practice at a time that suits them, offering them greater flexibility in their daily lives, benefiting those who may experience poor signal or coverage. The GP contract is also clear that patients should always have the option of telephoning or visiting their practice in person, so those without digital access or in areas with poor signal are not disadvantaged To further improve access and capacity, we have invested £1.1 billion in GPs, £160 million of which is to expand the GP workforce, with 2,500 more GPs having been recruited since October 2024, and £102 million to create more clinical space which will enable the delivery of 8.3 million extra appointments.

Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 3 November to Question 85521 on Farmers: Mental Health and Productivity, for what reason the Department does not intend to undertake such research.

We undertake research where evidence does not exist to inform the policy decisions we take and our future research priorities will in part be guided by the Farming Roadmap when that is published next year. We know from working with farming charities that there are significant impacts from poor mental health in farming and have utilised their research, such as the Big Farming Survey, to understand the factors influencing mental health and resulting from, including productivity.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 4 November 2025 to Question 85523 on Electoral Register: British Nationals Abroad, what steps he plans to take to ensure that overseas electors receive their ballot papers on time.

The responsibility for arranging the timing and dispatch of postal votes sits with the Returning Officer for each electoral area. As such, it falls to them to assess the likelihood of an elector’s postal ballot pack being dispatched, returned and completed before the close of poll. The Electoral Commission provides guidance to Returning Officers in this regard, including advising them to prioritise overseas postal ballot packs.The Government is committed to fixing the foundations of our electoral processes, including making changes to help build more resilience into the postal voting system.As set out in the policy paper, Restoring trust in our democracy: Our strategy for modern and secure elections on 17 July 2025, the Government will introduce a package of measures intended to improve the resilience and capacity of the postal voting system overall. These measures include moving the postal vote application deadline three working days earlier in time. The deadline for candidate nominations will also be moved earlier in time in order to allow Returning Officers more time to proof the ballot papers for printers, giving more time for the next part of the process to get underway, and in particular to enable postal ballot papers to be printed and issued to postal voters at an earlier point.These changes will benefit all administrators and voters, including those living overseas.

Pursuant to the Answer of 29 October to Question 84015 on Legal Aid Scheme: Ely and East Cambridgeshire, what criteria the Legal Aid Agency uses to assess the adequacy of access to legal aid services in Ely and East Cambridgeshire constituency.

I refer the honourable Member to the answer I gave on 7 November to Question 86918.

Pursuant to the Answer of 31 October 2025 to Question 84891 on Fuel Poverty: Ely and East Cambridgeshire, when he plans to publish regional fuel poverty figures for Ely and East Cambridgeshire constituency for 2024.

Subregional fuel poverty statistics are normally published annually in April. The date for the next publication in 2026 will be pre-announced in line with the standards for official statistics. These statistics will provide data for 2024 for regions, local authorities, parliamentary constituencies, and Lower Super Output Areas.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether funding for (a) immediate humanitarian needs and (b) crisis support is provided through the budget for Official Development Assistance.

Yes.

When she plans to publish the findings from the consultation on the Equality (Race and Disability) Bill: mandatory ethnicity and disability pay gap reporting, which closed on 10 June 2025.

We are currently considering the responses to our recent consultation on mandatory ethnicity and disability pay gap reporting. The findings from the consultation will inform the development of measures in the draft Equality (Race and Disability) Bill, and the government response to the consultation will be published in due course.

When his Department last made an assessment of the effectiveness of the (a) planning practice guidance and (b) other aspects of the safety framework for grid-scale batteries.

In August 2023, the government updated its Planning Practice Guidance to encourage battery storage developers to consult Local Fire and Rescue Services (FRSs) before submitting applications and for planning authorities to involve FRSs during public consultation. The guidance also advises authorities to refer to National Fire Chiefs Council recommendations. The government has committed to updating planning practice guidance on renewable and low carbon energy development. The government monitors the safety framework for grid-scale batteries closely. In October, I hosted a roundtable discussion with regulators including the Health and Safety Executive and Environment Agency on the safety framework. My department works closely with regulators through the industry-led Health and Safety Governance Group to ensure that the framework remains robust and future proofed.

What estimate she has made of the funding required for Network Rail to undertake detailed planning for the Ely Area Capacity Enhancement Scheme.

The Secretary of State updated Parliament on the 7th of July regarding which rail and road infrastructure projects will progress following the completion of the 2025 Spending Review. The Ely Area Capacity Enhancement and upgrades to Haughley Junction were not among those projects funded at this time. The previous government had committed to a number of infrastructure projects that were unfunded, this includes the EACE and Haughley Junction schemes.

Pursuant to the Answer of 29 October to Question 84015 on Legal Aid Scheme: Ely and East Cambridgeshire, when the Legal Aid Agency last assessed the adequacy of legal aid provision in Ely and East Cambridgeshire constituency; and if they will undertake a new assessment in that constituency.

The Legal Aid Agency (LAA) continually assesses supply across all procurement areas. The LAA’s network of regional contract managers located throughout England and Wales provide intelligence-led information based on contact with legal aid service providers. In addition, the LAA regularly reviews available supply to make sure there is adequate provision for legal aid, in all categories of law, and takes operational action where it can, to respond to market pressures that may arise.For civil contracts the LAA commissions and monitors the supply of legal aid services across larger geographic areas called procurement areas, rather than by local authority or parliamentary constituency. These areas vary depending on the type of civil law.Ely and East Cambridgeshire fall within several procurement areas, which cover all civil categories of law for which legal aid is available. All of these procurement areas exceed the minimum required number of legal aid providers. In addition to local providers, national services are also available to your constituents. These include early legal advice through the Housing Loss Prevention Advice Service, and telephone-based support for housing, debt, education, and discrimination issues via Civil Legal Advice.Criminal legal aid contracts are commissioned nationally. The LAA monitors and take measures within its control to ensure there is sufficient coverage for local duty solicitor schemes, in this case the Cambridge and Ely scheme. These schemes are based on demand, so the number of solicitors may vary between areas.As set out in the response to PQ 84015, the LAA is satisfied there is currently adequate provision of legal aid services in Ely and East Cambridgeshire.Details about legal aid providers are published in the LAA’s official statistics (Tables 9.1–9.9). These figures help the LAA monitor the availability of services across different legal categories and regions in England and Wales.

Pursuant to the Answer of 28 October to Question 80160 on Apprentices: Special Educational Needs, whether it is his Department's intention to expand this flexibility further.

Where an apprentice has a learning difficulty or disability which is a barrier to them achieving the standard English and maths requirements, there is the flexibility for them to achieve the lower Entry Level 3 qualification in the adjusted subject. In August 2024, this was extended to apprentices with learning difficulties and disabilities but no Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP).

If he will take steps to remove the two-child benefit cap.

This government is committed to tackling child poverty and the Child Poverty Taskforce is developing an ambitious Child Poverty Strategy which we will publish in the autumn.We are considering all available levers to give every child the best start in life as part of our strategy. The commitments at the 2025 Spending Review and since, including the extension of free school meals eligibility to all children in families in receipt of Universal Credit, are key steps in our Plan for Change to put extra pounds in people’s pockets, and a downpayment on the Child Poverty Strategy, building on the expansion of free breakfast clubs, national minimum wage boost, and the cap on Universal Credit deductions through the Fair Repayment Rate.

Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 27 October 2025 to Question 83644 on Farmers: Mental Health, if she will commission research to review the link between agricultural workers' mental health and changes in agricultural output.

We have no plans to do so. Production levels are influenced by a range of factors including the weather and market prices. We regularly liaise with farming welfare charities and industry stakeholder groups to understand the issues affecting farmers’ mental health and any impacts resulting from poor mental health.