Written questions by Young.

If he will make an assessment of the potential merits of increasing the low-income allocation within the Warm Homes Plan.

The Warm Homes Plan has committed a landmark £15 billion to low-income households, including an extra £1.5 billion from the Budget. In total, £5 billion is set aside to upgrade low-income households with solar panels, heat pumps, batteries and insulation, which can save hundreds of pounds a year compared to gas boiler. This will initially be delivered through the Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund (WH:SHF) and the Warm Homes: Local Grant (WH:LG). From 2027/28, we intend to integrate the WH:SHF and WH:LG into a single low-income capital scheme and we will say more about our plans for this in Spring 2026.

What steps he is taking to help increase apprenticeship uptake among small businesses.

The government is transforming the apprenticeships levy into a new growth and skills levy, which will deliver greater flexibility to employers, more opportunities for young people and support the industrial strategy. In August 2025, we introduced new foundation apprenticeships to give young people a route into careers in critical sectors, enabling them to earn a wage while developing vital skills. They are underpinned by additional funding for employers of up to £2,000 to contribute to the extra costs of supporting someone at the beginning of their career. We are investing an additional £725 million to deliver the next phase of the growth and skills levy and meet our ambition to support 50,000 more young people into apprenticeships. We will expand foundation apprenticeships into sectors that traditionally recruit young people and launch a pilot with Mayoral Strategic Authorities to better connect young people to local apprenticeship opportunities. From April 2026, employers will also be able to access short, flexible training courses to help respond quickly to evolving skills needs. The first wave of these courses will be called apprenticeship units, and they will be available in critical skills areas such as artificial intelligence, digital and engineering. The government will fully fund apprenticeship training for non-levy paying employers (essentially SMEs) for all eligible people aged 16-24 from the next academic year, to boost small business starts and prioritise funding to young people. To support employers of all sizes to offer apprenticeships the government also pays £1,000 to both employers and providers for apprentices aged 16-18, and for apprentices aged 19-24 who have an EHCP or have been, or are, in local authority care. Additionally, employers are not required to pay anything towards employees’ National Insurance for all apprentices aged up to age 25 (when the employee’s wage is below £50,270 a year).

Whether he plans to extend the Growth and Skills Levy to help increase flexibility for businesses seeking to offer apprenticeships.

The government is transforming the apprenticeships levy into a new growth and skills levy, which will deliver greater flexibility to employers, more opportunities for young people and support the industrial strategy. In August 2025, we introduced new foundation apprenticeships to give young people a route into careers in critical sectors, enabling them to earn a wage while developing vital skills. They are underpinned by additional funding for employers of up to £2,000 to contribute to the extra costs of supporting someone at the beginning of their career. We are investing an additional £725 million to deliver the next phase of the growth and skills levy and meet our ambition to support 50,000 more young people into apprenticeships. We will expand foundation apprenticeships into sectors that traditionally recruit young people and launch a pilot with Mayoral Strategic Authorities to better connect young people to local apprenticeship opportunities. From April 2026, employers will also be able to access short, flexible training courses to help respond quickly to evolving skills needs. The first wave of these courses will be called apprenticeship units, and they will be available in critical skills areas such as artificial intelligence, digital and engineering. The government will fully fund apprenticeship training for non-levy paying employers (essentially SMEs) for all eligible people aged 16-24 from the next academic year, to boost small business starts and prioritise funding to young people. To support employers of all sizes to offer apprenticeships the government also pays £1,000 to both employers and providers for apprentices aged 16-18, and for apprentices aged 19-24 who have an EHCP or have been, or are, in local authority care. Additionally, employers are not required to pay anything towards employees’ National Insurance for all apprentices aged up to age 25 (when the employee’s wage is below £50,270 a year).

Whether he plans to increase financial incentives available to employers to provide apprenticeships.

The government is transforming the apprenticeships levy into a new growth and skills levy, which will deliver greater flexibility to employers, more opportunities for young people and support the industrial strategy. In August 2025, we introduced new foundation apprenticeships to give young people a route into careers in critical sectors, enabling them to earn a wage while developing vital skills. They are underpinned by additional funding for employers of up to £2,000 to contribute to the extra costs of supporting someone at the beginning of their career. We are investing an additional £725 million to deliver the next phase of the growth and skills levy and meet our ambition to support 50,000 more young people into apprenticeships. We will expand foundation apprenticeships into sectors that traditionally recruit young people and launch a pilot with Mayoral Strategic Authorities to better connect young people to local apprenticeship opportunities. From April 2026, employers will also be able to access short, flexible training courses to help respond quickly to evolving skills needs. The first wave of these courses will be called apprenticeship units, and they will be available in critical skills areas such as artificial intelligence, digital and engineering. The government will fully fund apprenticeship training for non-levy paying employers (essentially SMEs) for all eligible people aged 16-24 from the next academic year, to boost small business starts and prioritise funding to young people. To support employers of all sizes to offer apprenticeships the government also pays £1,000 to both employers and providers for apprentices aged 16-18, and for apprentices aged 19-24 who have an EHCP or have been, or are, in local authority care. Additionally, employers are not required to pay anything towards employees’ National Insurance for all apprentices aged up to age 25 (when the employee’s wage is below £50,270 a year).

What assessment she has made of the adequacy of access to educational psychologists in schools.

Educational psychologists (EPs) play a critical role in supporting children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). However, their capacity is often limited by high volumes of statutory assessments, compounding local authorities’ struggles with recruitment and retention.This is why the department is investing £26 million to train at least 200 EPs per year in 2026 and 2027, followed by further investment from 2028 to expand this training scheme, subject to future spending review. After graduation, these EPs will be required to work within a local authority in England for at least three years. This investment will help to ensure that more EPs are available to provide support, including strengthening inclusive mainstream, identifying and supporting needs earlier, and bolstering capacity to deliver assessments.We will strengthen mainstream education settings’ capability by providing access to universal and targeted support from key services, including EPs. We want more opportunities for EPs to work in mainstream settings to support children with SEND, and we are providing around £1.8 billion over the next three years for local area partnerships, including local authorities and integrated care boards, to work together to develop a new ‘Experts at Hand’ offer.

Whether he has received representations from the ambassador or any other representatives of the US administration relating to the suitability of the Wylfa site for gigawatt-scale nuclear energy production.

The UK and US Government regularly discuss a wide range of policy issues linked to nuclear energy in both the UK and US. In September we agreed the Atlantic Partnership for Advanced Nuclear Energy to unlock billions in private investment and accelerate the delivery of new nuclear projects in both countries.The government has selected Wylfa as the site to host Britain’s first small modular reactors.Meanwhile, to pursue the option of further large-scale nuclear, Great British Energy - Nuclear has been tasked with identifying suitable sites that could potentially host such a project

What assessment she has made of the potential merits of amending legislation to enable local transport authorities to divert traffic onto national highways where (a) local and (b) network conditions make it (i) necessary and (ii) appropriate.

The Department has made no such assessment. Local authorities are responsible for managing traffic on their networks, and National Highways for managing the Strategic Road Network of motorways and trunk roads. Both are subject to the Network Management Duty under the Traffic Management Act 2004, which requires them to manage their road network with a view to achieving ‘expeditious movement’ of all traffic, and facilitating expeditious movement of traffic on a neighbouring authority’s network. It is for local authorities and National Highways to work together to agree appropriate diversion routes and circumstances under which these may be required.

What assessment he has made of the equity of access to preference informed allocation for foundation year posts between UK graduates and international medical graduates.

We have introduced the Medical Training (Prioritisation) Bill to deliver the Government’s commitment in the 10-Year Health Plan to prioritise United Kingdom medical graduates for foundation training places. Alongside UK graduates, the bill prioritises graduates from Ireland and graduates of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland, reflecting our obligations under international agreements with these countries.We expect that all eligible prioritised applicants for the foundation programme in 2026 will be offered a place. Non-prioritised applicants will still be able to apply and will be offered places if vacancies remain after prioritised applicants have received offers.

What steps he is taking with the Secretary of State for Education to ensure sufficient placements are available to meet the needs of all UK medical graduates.

We have introduced the Medical Training (Prioritisation) Bill to deliver the Government’s commitment in the 10-Year Health Plan to prioritise United Kingdom medical graduates for foundation training places, and to prioritise UK medical graduates and other doctors with significant National Health Service experience for specialty training places. We expect that all eligible prioritised applicants for the foundation programme in 2026 will be offered a place.This bill will ensure a sustainable medical workforce that can meet the health needs of the population, and will mean we are less reliant on an unpredictable labour market and can make best use of the substantial taxpayer investment in medical training. It will reduce competition for places and give homegrown talent a path to become the next generation of NHS doctors.

What discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Education on the adequacy of clinical placement provision for final year medical students in relation to location and accessibility.

No such discussions have taken place. NHS England provides funding to National Health Service providers for undergraduate medical placements that are in scope of the NHS Education and Training (E&T) tariffs. The undergraduate medical tariff price includes a nationally mandated sum as well as regional weighting through the Market Forces Factor. The E&T tariff guidance is reviewed and published annually.From year five of an undergraduate course and year two of a graduate-entry course, eligible medical students can also claim reimbursement towards travel and dual accommodation costs during practice placement through the NHS Bursary scheme.The 10-Year Health Plan, published on 3 July 2025, committed to reforming the undergraduate and postgraduate medical tariffs. We will ensure the system drives clinical placement activity in the right professions and settings, especially community settings, and that it harnesses innovative approaches like simulated learning.

What portion of the £15 billion Warm Homes Plan will be ringfenced for the installation costs of alternative heating systems in off-gas grid properties.

The Warm Homes Plan sets out in detail how the government's £15 billion investment into home upgrades will be allocated to individual schemes. While there is no specifically ring-fenced funding for off-gas grid homes, the package will support these homes to decarbonise in a variety of ways. Additionally, the government has published a consultation on alternative heating solutions which explores the role these technologies could play in ensuring that every household has a suitable low-carbon option. The consultation closed on 10 February, and we will issue the Government response in due course.

Whether his Department is taking steps to ensure that the Warm Homes Plan provides full grant coverage for the upfront installation costs of low-carbon heating for low-income households in off-gas grid areas.

As part of the Warm Homes Plan the government is investing £5 billion in direct support for low-income households. This will initially be delivered through the Warm Homes: Local Grant (WH:LG) and Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund (WH:SHF). All eligible households in England and Wales can also benefit from the expanded Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS), funded with £2.7 billion to 2030. This will provide more options for homes where a hydronic heat pump may not be the most appropriate solution, including air-to-air heat pumps and heat batteries. Additionally, the government has published a consultation on alternative heating solutions which explores the role these technologies could play in ensuring that every household has a suitable low-carbon option. The consultation closed on 10 February, and a government response will follow in due course.

Whether (a) he and (b) his Ministers have had discussions with the Foreign Secretary on the comments made by the US Ambassador on the suitability of the Wylfa site for gigawatt-scale nuclear production.

My Rt Hon friend has regular discussions with cabinet colleagues on a number of issues. The government has selected Wylfa as the site to host Britain’s first small modular reactors. Meanwhile, to pursue the option of further large-scale nuclear, Great British Energy - Nuclear has been tasked with identifying suitable sites that could potentially host such a project.

Communities and Local Government, how many residential fires caused by lithium-ion battery failure were recorded by Fire and Rescue Services in 2025.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government collects data on incidents attended by Fire and Rescue Services (FRSs), including the cause of the fire and the source of the ignition. This data is published in a variety of publications, available on gov.uk here. This does not yet include data on whether fire incidents attended were caused by lithium-ion failures specifically.We will keep the contents of these publications under review as part of the development of our recently rolled out Fire and Rescue Analysis Platform (FaRDaP).The Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) conduct research into product safety risks associated with lithium-ion batteries and are working closely with MHCLG and other Government Departments to develop this knowledge base. A report from January 2025 by the OPSS that covers the root causes of fire incidents often associated with lithium-ion battery failures is available here.

What assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of UK Conformity Assessed marking requirements for lithium-ion batteries used in e-bikes and e-scooters; and what steps he is taking to ensure that battery packs that do not meet British safety standards are prevented from entering the domestic market.

While UKCA marking is required for certain products, it is not required for all consumer products. The UK’s product safety laws require that businesses must only place safe lithium-ion batteries on the market, including those used in e-bikes or e-scooters. In 2024 the Government introduced new statutory guidelines for lithium-ion e-bike batteries to clarify the safety requirements they must meet. Regulators have powers to remove unsafe products from the market, and since 2022 the Office for Product Safety and Standards has published 24 product recalls and 65 product safety reports for non-compliant e-bikes, e-scooters and associated products.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of maintaining thresholds for Plan 2 student loan repayments on trends in the level of repayments made by graduates; and what discussions she has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the potential impact of maintaining this threshold on the marginal effective tax rate for graduates earning above that threshold.

The department produced the following analysis regarding the impact of maintaining the repayment and interest thresholds for Plan 2 student loans on the lifetime repayments made by borrowers:Average lifetime repayments (2024/25 financial year prices)Baseline (£)Post- policy (£)Impact£%Entire cohort27,00028,3001,3005AverageLifetime graduate earnings decile12,0002,0000024,3004,700400937,7008,1004005411,60013,0001,40012516,90018,5001,6009623,10025,2002,1009731,30033,6002,3007841,20043,5002,3006954,50056,1001,60031059,10059,5004001 The department will release an equalities impact assessment, including the impact on lifetime repayments, alongside other borrower impacts for the Plan 2 repayment threshold and interest threshold freeze announced at the Autumn Budget. Published results may differ from those provided due to model and data updates. The rate of repayment for undergraduate student loans remains at 9% on all income above the relevant threshold. Other factors, including any reliefs, pension contributions, or receipt of certain means-tested welfare benefits could adjust an individual’s effective tax rate.

What assessment he has made of recent trends in levels of regional disparity in Dental Delivery Rates between the South West and London; and what steps he will take to increase delivery in the South West.

Dental Statistics - England 2024/25, published by NHS Business Services Authority on 28 August 2025, is available at the following link:https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/statistical-collections/dental-england/dental-statistics-england-202425This shows that 31% of adults were seen by a National Health Service dentist in the South West, in the previous 24 months up to June 2025, and that 52% of children were seen by an NHS dentist in the previous 12 months up to June 2025. By comparison, in London 39% of adults were seen by an NHS dentist in the previous 24 months up to June 2025, and 53% children were seen by an NHS dentist in the previous 12 months up to June 2025.In 2024/25, there were 40.5 NHS dentists per 100,000 population in the South West, compared to 52.7 NHS dentists per 100,000 population in London.We are aware of the challenges faced in accessing a dentist, particularly in more rural areas such as the South West.We have asked ICBs to commission extra urgent dental appointments to make sure that patients with urgent dental needs can get the treatment they require. ICBs have been making extra appointments available since April 2025.ICBs are recruiting dentists through the Golden Hello scheme. This recruitment incentive will see dentists receiving payments of £20,000 to work in those areas that need them most for three years.We are committed to delivering fundamental reform of the dental contract before the end of this Parliament. As a first step, on 16 December we published the Government’s response to the public consultation on the quality and payment reforms to the NHS dental contract. The changes will be introduced from April 2026. These reforms will put patients with the greatest need first, incentivising urgent care and complex treatments. Further information is available from the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/nhs-dentistry-contract-quality-and-payment-reforms/outcome/government-response-to-consultation-on-nhs-dentistry-contract-quality-and-payment-reforms

How many dentists have been successfully recruited and retained in the Thornbury and Yate constituency under the 'golden hello' scheme since its inception.

Integrated care boards are continuing to recruit dentists through the Golden Hello scheme. The scheme offers a £20,000 recruitment incentive payment to dentists to work in those areas that need them most. The scheme remains a national priority.Golden Hello data will be published this year and will consist of data showing the regional distribution of the original allocation of posts and the number of posts recruited at both a national and regional level.

With reference to the sunset clause for the Energy Saving Materials VAT relief on 31 March 2027, whether her Department has conducted an impact assessment on the potential effect on Net Zero targets if the relief reverts to 5% in 2027; and if she will consider extending the zero-rate period to help provide long-term certainty for the low-carbon heating industry.

This Government is committed to improving the quality and sustainability of our housing stock, through improvements such as low carbon heating, insulation, solar panels and batteries. This will be vital to making the UK more energy resilient and meeting our 2050 Net Zero commitment. Installations of qualifying energy-saving materials (ESMs) in residential accommodation and buildings used solely for a charitable purpose benefit from a temporary VAT zero rate until March 2027, after which they will revert to the reduced rate of VAT at five per cent. The Chancellor makes decisions on tax policy at fiscal events in the context of the overall public finances

What recent estimate her Department has made of the (a) proportion of Plan 2 student loans that will be fully repaid within the 30-year term and (b) average total interest accrued by a Plan 2 borrower over the lifetime of their loan.

Based on current modelling, 32% of the 2022/23 cohort of England-domiciled Plan 2 student loan borrowers are expected to fully repay their loans within the 30 year loan term. Student loan forecasts can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/methodology/student-loan-forecasts-for-england.The department does not hold information on the average total interest accrued by a Plan 2 borrower over the lifetime of their loan. However, interest rates only affect the total amount repaid by high-earning borrowers and those with small balances, who will pay back all, or very nearly all, their student loans.