Written questions by Evans.

Innovation and Technology, what steps her department is taking to ensure that Welsh companies benefit from the sovereign AI fund.

Awaiting answer.

What assessment his department has made of the impact of the decision not to uprate Local Housing Allowance on the affordability of the private rented sector for people in receipt of benefits in Wales.

Awaiting answer.

Media and Sport, (a) what assessment has her department made of the mental health awareness training offered by UK Coaching and Mind to sports clubs across Wales, and (b) whether she plans to support a similar initiative in England.

Awaiting answer.

When the Civil Procedure Rule Committee plans to publish their response to the Electronic Service Consultation.

Awaiting answer.

Following the extension of the Education Maintenance Allowance programme in Wales, does her department plan to widen eligibility for the 16 to 19 Bursary Fund in England.

Awaiting answer.

If she will consider the potential merits of reducing the drink driving limit to 9µg of alcohol per 100ml of breath.

Awaiting answer.

What steps his department is taking to a) fulfil its target to halve homelessness on release from prison, as set out in the National Plan to End Homelessness and b) how this work can improve support for prison leavers across England and Wales.

Awaiting answer.

What discussions her department has had with the Welsh Government on their new homelessness 'ask, act and co-operate' duties on public services in Wales, particularly regarding including further bodies under reserved power within these duties in the future.

Awaiting answer.

Innovation and Technology, when her Department will set out a timeline for developing a new policy position on the use of copyrighted works to train AI models.

Awaiting answer.

Innovation and Technology, how her Department is working with stakeholders to develop a new policy position on the use of copyrighted works to train AI models.

Awaiting answer.

What assessment he has made of the potential merits of a) Critical Time Intervention b) Built for Zero programmes in reducing homelessness on release from prisons.

Awaiting answer.

Whether his Department is taking steps to reduce the availability of cheap alcohol.

Awaiting answer.

What steps his Department is taking to help increase access to alcohol treatment services for people not currently engaged with support.

Awaiting answer.

What steps his Department can take to communicate with businesses about rising operating costs in a clearer and more timely manner.

Ministers and their teams continue to work closely with SMEs and the trade associations that represent them, to ensure information on operating costs and Government’s support offer is clearly communicated through established business engagement channels. This includes providing key messages through our Backing your Business campaign.We are committed to reducing operating costs for all UK businesses, including reducing the annual administrative burden of regulation by £5.6 billion by the end of the Parliament. The government has also introduced a support package worth £4.3 billion over the next three years to protect businesses seeing their business rates bills increase.

What steps his Department is taking to support small and medium-sized businesses.

The Government is committed to supporting small and medium sized businesses through the Small Business Plan - the most comprehensive package of support for SMEs in a generation.This includes the new Business Growth Service, accessed through business.gov.uk and the most significant legislative reforms in 25 years to tackle late payments; unlocking billions of pounds in finance to support start-ups; removing unnecessary red tape; revitalising High Streets, and boosting Digital and AI Adoption among small businesses.Business Wales provides free expert advice, including 1 to 1 support with a regional hub in Caerphilly supporting local entrepreneurship.

Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that (a) alcohol advertising and (b) alcoholic products are not directed at (i) children and (ii) young people.

The Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) is the independent regulator responsible for regulating all advertising in the UK, including alcohol advertising, through codes set by the Committees of Advertising Practice (CAP) and Broadcast Committee of Advertising Practice (BCAP). The Government is not involved in these codes, nor in the investigations and enforcement delivered by the ASA. The codes state that marketing communications for alcoholic drinks should not be targeted at people under 18. Specifically, alcohol advertising is prohibited in any medium where more than 25 percent of the audience is under 18, and where advertising is permitted, it should not be likely to appeal particularly to people under 18. If an advertisement is found to be in breach of the Codes, the ASA will instruct that it be withdrawn or amended, and in some cases may escalate to the appropriate statutory authority. Building on this backdrop, the Online Advertising Taskforce brings government and industry together to improve trust, transparency and accountability in the online advertising supply chain. A key taskforce aim is to further reduce children being served advertising for products and services illegal to sell to them. An Age Assurance working group focussed on this topic is building a more detailed understanding of the current landscape of age assurance online, and considering how it can be improved.

Media and Sport, what discussions her Department has had on the need for an independent regulator of alcohol advertising.

The Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) is the independent regulator responsible for regulating all advertising in the UK, including alcohol advertising, through codes set by the Committees of Advertising Practice (CAP) and Broadcast Committee of Advertising Practice (BCAP). The Government is not involved in these codes, nor in the investigations and enforcement delivered by the ASA. The codes state that marketing communications for alcoholic drinks should not be targeted at people under 18. Specifically, alcohol advertising is prohibited in any medium where more than 25 percent of the audience is under 18, and where advertising is permitted, it should not be likely to appeal particularly to people under 18. If an advertisement is found to be in breach of the Codes, the ASA will instruct that it be withdrawn or amended, and in some cases may escalate to the appropriate statutory authority. Building on this backdrop, the Online Advertising Taskforce brings government and industry together to improve trust, transparency and accountability in the online advertising supply chain. A key taskforce aim is to further reduce children being served advertising for products and services illegal to sell to them. An Age Assurance working group focussed on this topic is building a more detailed understanding of the current landscape of age assurance online, and considering how it can be improved.

Media and Sport, what recent progress she has made on reducing exposure to alcohol advertising by (a) children and (b) young people.

The Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) is the independent regulator responsible for regulating all advertising in the UK, including alcohol advertising, through codes set by the Committees of Advertising Practice (CAP) and Broadcast Committee of Advertising Practice (BCAP). The Government is not involved in these codes, nor in the investigations and enforcement delivered by the ASA. The codes state that marketing communications for alcoholic drinks should not be targeted at people under 18. Specifically, alcohol advertising is prohibited in any medium where more than 25 percent of the audience is under 18, and where advertising is permitted, it should not be likely to appeal particularly to people under 18. If an advertisement is found to be in breach of the Codes, the ASA will instruct that it be withdrawn or amended, and in some cases may escalate to the appropriate statutory authority. Building on this backdrop, the Online Advertising Taskforce brings government and industry together to improve trust, transparency and accountability in the online advertising supply chain. A key taskforce aim is to further reduce children being served advertising for products and services illegal to sell to them. An Age Assurance working group focussed on this topic is building a more detailed understanding of the current landscape of age assurance online, and considering how it can be improved.

Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to limit the exposure of (a) children and (b) young people to alcohol advertising on popular (i) social media apps and (ii) streaming platforms.

The Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) is the independent regulator responsible for regulating all advertising in the UK, including alcohol advertising, through codes set by the Committees of Advertising Practice (CAP) and Broadcast Committee of Advertising Practice (BCAP). The Government is not involved in these codes, nor in the investigations and enforcement delivered by the ASA. The codes state that marketing communications for alcoholic drinks should not be targeted at people under 18. Specifically, alcohol advertising is prohibited in any medium where more than 25 percent of the audience is under 18, and where advertising is permitted, it should not be likely to appeal particularly to people under 18. If an advertisement is found to be in breach of the Codes, the ASA will instruct that it be withdrawn or amended, and in some cases may escalate to the appropriate statutory authority. Building on this backdrop, the Online Advertising Taskforce brings government and industry together to improve trust, transparency and accountability in the online advertising supply chain. A key taskforce aim is to further reduce children being served advertising for products and services illegal to sell to them. An Age Assurance working group focussed on this topic is building a more detailed understanding of the current landscape of age assurance online, and considering how it can be improved.

What steps his Department is taking to allow CQC-registered drug and alcohol treatment providers, including charities, to use the NHS Electronic Prescription Service in place of paper instalment prescriptions.

The Department is working with NHS England to extend the NHS Electronic Prescription Service (EPS) to include instalment dispensing for the FP10MDA, or controlled drugs, prescription type. This will allow eligible services, including drug and alcohol treatment providers and community pharmacies, to use EPS rather than paper prescriptions where this is appropriate.