Written questions by Hinds.

Innovation and Technology, with reference to CityFibre's press release entitled CityFibre and BDUK agree changes to Project Gigabit rollout following increase in commercial build, published on 26 May 2026, what the net change in Government spending on full fibre connectivity is expected to be for (a) East Hampshire constituency, (b) Hampshire and (c) England as a result of the re-scope of Project Gigabit.

Awaiting answer.

What guidance her Department provides on the applicability of Normal Way of Working as a criterion for use of a computer for (a) GCSE and (b) A Level, for pupils who do not have a related physical disability or learning difficulty.

Awaiting answer.

Whether her department has concluded its review into the Energy Saving Materials Framework; and when a decision is expected regarding the extension of its current sunset clause of March 2027.

Awaiting answer.

If she will take further steps to reform the data collection methodology in order to (a) increase the accuracy and (b) reduce the statistical range in reporting the prevalence of (i) 25% extra time, (ii) use of a computer and (c) other access arrangements in (A) GCSE and (B) A Level entries.

Awaiting answer.

Whether Ofsted inspection frameworks take account of how schools support children from Armed Forces families with special educational needs or disabilities.

Awaiting answer.

What assessment has she made of the potential merits of standardising cash and banking services in the next iteration of the Banking Framework between Post Office and the banking industry.

The Government is committed to ensuring that people who need in-person banking and access to cash, including vulnerable customers and those with specific needs, can continue to access essential services. That is why, as announced on the 14 May, the Government is commissioning an independent Review into Access to Banking Services. The Review will identify who is affected by declining access to in-person banking services and how many people are affected. It will also look at what kinds of banking services are important for people to be able to access. The Review is designed to inform future decisions by the Government and regulators as to whether further action is needed and what this might look like, and the Government intends to take a power in the upcoming Financial Services and Markets Bill to take action should this be necessary. The Government remains committed to supporting the financial services industry’s roll-out of 350 banking hubs by the end of this Parliament. Importantly, this number is a floor, not a ceiling, and Cash Access UK will deliver a banking hub wherever LINK has recommended one. The Post Office plays a key role in supporting access to banking services. Under the Banking Framework, a commercial agreement between the Post Office and 30 banking firms, most personal and business customers can withdraw and deposit cash, check their balance, pay bills and cash cheques at over 10,500 Post Office branches across the UK, subject to banks’ commercial agreements on services provided. The Government protects the Post Office network by setting minimum access criteria. These include ensuring that 99% of the UK population lives within three miles of a Post Office and 90% of the population within one mile. On 21 January, the Government held joint discussions between the Post Office and the banking sector to explore where continued collaboration, on a commercial and voluntary basis, would allow all parties to better meet the needs of individuals and businesses. The specific services provided under the Framework are subject to commercial negotiations between individual banks and the Post Office, and the Government has no formal role in deciding what these arrangements are.

What steps she is taking to ensure SEND practitioners receive training on the impact of Armed Forces life on children with additional needs.

Awaiting answer.

What assessment she has made of the adequacy of (a) the roll-out of banking hubs and (b) post offices to meet in-person banking needs beyond cash.

The Government is committed to ensuring that people who need in-person banking and access to cash, including vulnerable customers and those with specific needs, can continue to access essential services. That is why, as announced on the 14 May, the Government is commissioning an independent Review into Access to Banking Services. The Review will identify who is affected by declining access to in-person banking services and how many people are affected. It will also look at what kinds of banking services are important for people to be able to access. The Review is designed to inform future decisions by the Government and regulators as to whether further action is needed and what this might look like, and the Government intends to take a power in the upcoming Financial Services and Markets Bill to take action should this be necessary. The Government remains committed to supporting the financial services industry’s roll-out of 350 banking hubs by the end of this Parliament. Importantly, this number is a floor, not a ceiling, and Cash Access UK will deliver a banking hub wherever LINK has recommended one. The Post Office plays a key role in supporting access to banking services. Under the Banking Framework, a commercial agreement between the Post Office and 30 banking firms, most personal and business customers can withdraw and deposit cash, check their balance, pay bills and cash cheques at over 10,500 Post Office branches across the UK, subject to banks’ commercial agreements on services provided. The Government protects the Post Office network by setting minimum access criteria. These include ensuring that 99% of the UK population lives within three miles of a Post Office and 90% of the population within one mile. On 21 January, the Government held joint discussions between the Post Office and the banking sector to explore where continued collaboration, on a commercial and voluntary basis, would allow all parties to better meet the needs of individuals and businesses. The specific services provided under the Framework are subject to commercial negotiations between individual banks and the Post Office, and the Government has no formal role in deciding what these arrangements are.

Whether there are changes of (a) circumstances and (b) residency other than moving to (i) secondary school and (ii) college which could trigger change of educational phase provisions in EHCP reforms.

Awaiting answer.

Whether in areas with middle schools, a pupil transitioning to Middle school or from Middle school will count as a change in phase of education for the purposes of the EHCP reforms she outlined in February 2026.

Awaiting answer.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the specialist provision packages in the SEND Reform: Putting Children and Young People First consultation on children with complex needs reliant on statutory Education Other Than in School provision.

Awaiting answer.

Communities and Local Government, if he will publish the estimated financial payback periods for each of the options for local government reorganisation in (i) Hampshire, (ii) Essex, (iii) Norfolk and (iv) Suffolk.

Councils were asked to set out in their proposals how their area would seek to manage transition costs, including how those costs would be met over time from existing budgets, such as through the flexible use of capital receipts to support transformation and invest‑to‑save projects. Proposals were also required to explain how the new authorities would be financially sustainable and resilient over the longer term, and the expected financial and non‑financial benefits of reorganisation. The government's assessment of the proposals was taken in the round, having regard to all the criteria in the statutory invitation and all relevant information available. This included consideration of the evidence and assumptions provided by councils, representations received during the statutory consultation, and official advice, including assessment of proposed costs and savings and the financial sustainability and resilience of the new councils, informed by departmental analysis and sector benchmarks. A summary of the decision on local government reorganisation already has been provided for i) Hampshire ii) Essex iii) Norfolk and iv) Suffolk. The proposals considered in reaching those decisions are publicly available, and the government has no plans to publish further information relating to the decision‑making process.

Communities and Local Government, if he will place in the Library a copy of the cost-benefit analysis for local government reorganisation in (i) Hampshire (ii) Essex (iii) Norfolk and (iv) Suffolk, including (a) an assessment of the financial resilience of the proposed new authorities, (b) the estimated transition costs and (c) the financial and non-financial benefits of service transformation.

Councils were asked to set out in their proposals how their area would seek to manage transition costs, including how those costs would be met over time from existing budgets, such as through the flexible use of capital receipts to support transformation and invest‑to‑save projects. Proposals were also required to explain how the new authorities would be financially sustainable and resilient over the longer term, and the expected financial and non‑financial benefits of reorganisation. The government's assessment of the proposals was taken in the round, having regard to all the criteria in the statutory invitation and all relevant information available. This included consideration of the evidence and assumptions provided by councils, representations received during the statutory consultation, and official advice, including assessment of proposed costs and savings and the financial sustainability and resilience of the new councils, informed by departmental analysis and sector benchmarks. A summary of the decision on local government reorganisation already has been provided for i) Hampshire ii) Essex iii) Norfolk and iv) Suffolk. The proposals considered in reaching those decisions are publicly available, and the government has no plans to publish further information relating to the decision‑making process.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the (i) systems and (ii) manpower capacity in local authorities to implement local government reorganisation; and if he will place a copy of those assessments in the Library.

Councils, as independent employers, are responsible for the management of their staff and undertaking workforce planning. As part of the local government reorganisation programme, local authorities were required to set out in their proposals how they would manage implementation, including their approach to systems, staffing and governance. The Government has considered this information as part of its assessment of proposals, including where decisions have already been taken, and continues to do so for proposals under consideration. After decisions are taken on proposals, councils are required to put in place the necessary plans to implement the agreed proposal, including putting in place governance arrangements to oversee the delivery of implementation work. We will continue to work actively with councils to support an effective transition, including providing support to ensure a smooth transfer of staff from councils that will be wound up to incoming new councils.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the availability of (i) ward and (ii) parish financial data to facilitate funding disaggregation as a result of boundary changes and deliver local government reorganisation in Hampshire, Norfolk and Suffolk.

Decisions about how funding, assets and liabilities are managed are for councils to take forward locally as part of their transition planning, including how budgets and financial risks are apportioned between successor councils and the arrangements needed to maintain safe and legal services during transition. Recognising the complexity of this work, the Government has made transition funding available and is working with sector partners to provide practical implementation support to help councils manage the additional complexity where disaggregation is required. The Secretary of State’s consideration of local government reorganisation proposals is based on information provided by councils, representations received through the statutory consultation, and official advice and analysis drawing on published sources and sector data.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the specialist provision packages mentioned in the SEND Reform: Putting Children and Young People First consultation on children with complex needs reliant on statutory Education Other Than in School provision.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Media and Sport, what estimate she has made of the contribution of inbound international visitors to the UK economy in the five most recent years for which data are available.

VisitBritain publishes International Passenger Survey data which contains estimates of the number of inbound visitors to Great Britain and their spend. This data reveals that inbound visitors to Great Britain spent: £28.448 million in 2019; £4.344 million in 2020; £5.646 million in 2021; £26.497 million in 2022; £31.075 million in 2023; and £31.912 million in 2024. The Economic Value of Tourism Report, published by VisitBritain in January 2026, estimates that in total, direct and indirect tax impacts of UK tourism reached £52 billion in 2024. This figure excludes induced impacts, driven largely by consumption taxes. Out of the total £52 billion in taxes, VisitBritain estimated £14 billion came as a result of inbound travel, or 27%.

Media and Sport, what estimate she has made of the contribution of inbound international visitors to Exchequer receipts in the five most recent years for which data are available.

VisitBritain publishes International Passenger Survey data which contains estimates of the number of inbound visitors to Great Britain and their spend. This data reveals that inbound visitors to Great Britain spent: £28.448 million in 2019; £4.344 million in 2020; £5.646 million in 2021; £26.497 million in 2022; £31.075 million in 2023; and £31.912 million in 2024. The Economic Value of Tourism Report, published by VisitBritain in January 2026, estimates that in total, direct and indirect tax impacts of UK tourism reached £52 billion in 2024. This figure excludes induced impacts, driven largely by consumption taxes. Out of the total £52 billion in taxes, VisitBritain estimated £14 billion came as a result of inbound travel, or 27%.

How many and what proportion GPs were not in General Practice in England one year after receipt of their Certificate of Completion of Training in each of the most recent five years for which data are available.

Thanks to actions taken by the Government, we have the highest number of fully qualified general practitioners (GPs) since 2015, at 30,038 full time equivalent in February 2026. Leaver rates also remain low by historical standards, at 7.5% in December 2024 to December 2025.The following table shows the total and proportion of Specialty Trainee Year 3 (ST3) GPs not seen in the National Workforce Reporting Service (NWRS) within one year of the last appearance in the ST3 role, from March 2020 to December 2024:Quarter last seen in ST3 role (year/month)Total ST3 GPs not yet seen in NWRS within one year of last appearance in ST3 roleProportion of ST3 GPs not seen in NWRS within one year of last appearance in ST3 role2020/038444%2020/0662144%2020/0918750%2020/1227853%2021/0316655%2021/0679651%2021/0926463%2021/1229254%2022/0318258%2022/0676252%2022/0924660%2022/1231052%2023/0321556%2023/0674046%2023/0927051%2023/1229844%2024/0321653%2024/0668138%2024/0926240%2024/1233143% Notes:the quarter in which a GP was last seen in an ST3 role is an approximation for the date on which they qualified. This means that the figures will include some doctors who have not entered the qualified GP workforce as they discontinued their GP training in ST3, or have taken a leave of absence at ST3 level, for example for maternity/paternity leave or because they have failed their exams and do not qualify; andfully qualified GPs in NWRS data are GP Partners, Salaried GPs, GP Regular Locums, and GP Retainers. Ad-hoc locums, locum or sessional GPs who typically work briefly at practices to cover for short-term or unexpected absences, are not included since information about them is captured in a different way to the rest of the workforce.

Communities and Local Government, whether he plans to issue to local planning authorities guidance on the recommended mix of dwelling sizes in new housing developments in light of recent changes in the birth rate.

I refer the Rt Hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 33286 on 3 March 2025.