Written questions by Chambers.

What steps he is taking to (a) support, (b) rollout and (c) ensure equality of regional access to whole Genome Sequencing for primary brain cancer patients; and what plans he has to review (i) refrigeration issues, (ii) access and (iii) speed of processing.

Genomic testing is delivered through the NHS Genomic Medicine Service via seven regional NHS Genomic Laboratory Hubs (NHS GLHs). Testing follows the National Genomic Test Directory, which includes whole genome sequencing (WGS) for neurological tumours, including primary brain cancers, for both diagnostic and treatment purposes. NHS England has produced national sample handling guidance for WGS of solid tumours, including brain tumours, to standardise collection, processing, and transport. This supports collaboration between neurosurgeons, pathologists, and NHS GLHs to maintain DNA quality and improve access to WGS. Approaches to the handling of fresh tissue have been reviewed, including the use of tissue stabilisers, to reduce some of the barriers of having to acquire, freeze, and transport the frozen tissue, which will speed up processes. These measures aim to address variability and ensure equitable regional access to WGS for brain tumour patients. NHS England monitors performance through Patient Level Contract Monitoring data and works with NHS GLHs to address variation and drive improvements.

Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the press notice entitled More lost pets to return home as microchipping system reformed, published on 29 March 2024, what progress her Department has made on introducing a central portal to search pet microchip records.

The Department is working closely with the Association of Microchip Database Operators to explore the development of an industry-led solution that would make it easier for authorised users to access information contained on the databases digitally.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the (a) potential implications for her policies of trends in the number of and (b) effectiveness of the response from local authorities in tackling stray dogs.

The Government regularly meets with stakeholders to understand the issues and trends affecting the sector. This includes the impact of the rising cost of living on pet owners and welfare organisations, as well as issues local authorities may face in meeting their obligations related to stray dogs under the Environmental Protection Act 1990.

What plans his Department has to include all low-grade (a) Astrocytomas and (b) gliomas that eventually become high-grade terminal cancers in its forthcoming cancer plan.

The National Cancer Plan is to be published this year and will include further details on how outcomes will be improved for all cancer patients, including those with astrocytoma and other brain tumours.The plan will include further details on speeding up diagnosis and treatment, ensuring patients have access to the latest treatments and technology, and ultimately driving up this country’s cancer survival rates.The Government recognises the significant impact of rare cancers, such as glioma brain tumours, on patients and on their families and carers, and has invested in new lifesaving and life-improving research, supporting those diagnosed and living with brain tumours, and increasing life expectancy.

What steps his Department is taking to improve support for family carers.

Our 10 Year Health Plan will boost support for family carers via digital tools like MyCarer, and include them in care planning and shared decision-making processes.We have already taken action. We have raised the Carer’s Allowance earnings limit to £196 per week - the biggest increase since 1976. We have also launched an independent commission into adult social care, to shape adult social care and address unpaid carers’ needs.

What steps he is taking to improve the identification of young carers by adult mental health services.

Local authorities are required by law to take reasonable steps to identify young carers in their area that need support, and to undertake an assessment of need, where appropriate. To support local authorities in their child protection duties, the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, which was introduced to Parliament in December 2024, contains provisions that will strengthen multi-agency working with children and families by introducing a new duty on safeguarding partners, including local authorities, police, and health services.We recognise that, when someone is admitted to a mental health hospital or detained under the Mental Health Act, young carers are not always appropriately identified by adult mental health services. To improve this, as part of the reforms to the Mental Health Act, we plan to encourage individuals to make the presence of any young carers known in their Advance Choice Document. This document is intended to be a source of key information for mental health professionals if the individual experiences a mental health crisis.Furthermore, provisions in the Mental Health Bill aim to ensure that people who care for a patient’s welfare, such as young carers, are proactively involved in the patient’s statutory care plan by the clinician. We will include guidance in the revised Mental Health Act Code of Practice to help ensure young carers are appropriately involved and supported.NHS England is working to support the identification of young carers and has recently published guidance for general practitioners. NHS England is also utilising data to help support greater joined up work between health, education, and social care.

What steps she is taking to support victims of economic abuse when applying for monies that they are entitled to through the Child Maintenance Service.

The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) takes the issue of domestic abuse extremely seriously and recognises that domestic abuse can take many forms including physical, emotional, or financial abuse, violent or threatening behaviour and coercive control. The CMS has procedures in place to ensure victims and survivors of domestic abuse can use its services safely. CMS caseworkers will also signpost, where needed, to suitable domestic abuse organisations, if domestic abuse is raised or suspected. All CMS caseworkers have extensive training, equipping them to be able to comprehensively act on a range of scenarios. For our most challenging and complex case groups, caseworkers complete and receive regular refresher training on specific aspects of customer service situations such as domestic abuse, advanced customer support and supporting vulnerable customers. Specialist Case Team is one of the measures CMS have introduced to manage cases with the most challenging or complex domestic abuse concerns. This has minimised the need for parents to recount their history of domestic abuse and caseworkers to deliver support to some of the most vulnerable customers. For parents using the Direct Pay service, the CMS can act as an intermediary to facilitate the exchange of bank details to help ensure there is no unwanted contact between parents and can provide information on how to set up bank accounts with a centralised sort code, which reduces the risk of a parent’s location being traced. The Government has announced plans to reform the Child Maintenance service, replacing the existing Direct Pay Service and moving to a service where the CMS collects and transfers all payments. This will remove any requirement for victims and survivors to provide evidence of domestic abuse, which we know can be difficult and traumatising. It will also remove any need for contact between parents and remove the need for receiving parents to report missed or late payments. The CMS will monitor all payments and take swift action as soon as payments break down. Managing all CMS cases in one service will allow the CMS to tackle non-compliance faster, and better support victims and survivors of domestic abuse who use the CMS.

Innovation and Technology, how many and what proportion of start-ups have relocated to Silicon Valley in the last ten years.

There is currently no available dataset that accurately provides the number or proportion of start-ups that have relocated to Silicon Valley. The UK remains Europe’s top tech ecosystem and the third most valuable globally. However, the Government knows that start-ups can face difficulties when scaling here. Our ambitious Industrial Strategy sets out our vision to make the UK, by 2035, one of the top three places in the world to create, invest in and scale-up a technology business. This includes an ambition to create the UK’s first trillion-dollar technology business by 2035. The government will achieve this through reforming the business environment by addressing the need for greater investment, skills, infrastructure, planning reform, regulatory reform and access to international markets.

Whether (a) Great British Energy and (b) Ofgem plan to increase the amount paid to people with solar panels who export excess electricity to the grid.

Households with solar panels benefit through significantly reduced electricity bills. The Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) is a market-led mechanism in which energy suppliers, not government, set both tariff levels and structure. This is to encourage innovation and competition between suppliers. We are also speeding up connections for smaller-scale projects and seeking to address market challenges like price certainty. The Government keeps the SEG under regular review to ensure it continues to meet our objectives.”

If she will make an assessment of the reasons for recent trends in renewal times for passports; and if she will meet a constituent of the hon. Member for Winchester to discuss renewal times.

His Majesty’s Passport Office’s performance indicator for standard applications from the UK is for 98.5% of customers to receive their passport within three weeks where no further information is required. In Quarter 1 of 2025, 99.86% of customers in this scenario received their passport within three weeks.His Majesty’s Passport Office will not issue a passport until all checks have been satisfactorily completed, and a minority of applications will take longer where further information is required or if further investigation is needed to confirm the applicant’s identity, nationality, and eligibility. Where this is the case, HM Passport Office will contact the customer within three weeks.MPs can raise case enquiries on behalf of their constituent by emailing their Account Manager at the Home Office.

What steps she is taking to financially support smaller schools in rural communities.

The government recognises the essential role that small schools play in their communities, many of which are in rural areas. The schools national funding formula (NFF) accounts for the particular challenges faced by small schools in rural areas through the lump sum and sparsity factor.In the 2025/26 financial year, the sparsity factor provides eligible primary schools up to £57,400, and all other eligible schools up to £83,400. In addition to this, all small schools have benefited from the increase to core factors in the NFF in 2025/26, including the NFF lump sum set at £145,100. This provides a fixed amount of funding that is particularly beneficial to small schools, as it is not affected by pupil numbers.This funding recognises the particular financial challenges small and remote schools can face, such as fewer opportunities to find efficiencies, the significant role they play in the rural communities they serve, and that without such funding, their pupils could face long travel distances to attend school.

Whether proposals of increasing the indefinite leave to remain qualifying period will apply only to new visa applicants.

We will be consulting on the earned settlement scheme later this year and will provide further details at that stage.

If he will ensure that UK trained doctors have a Speciality Training Pathway available to them after foundation year two.

We are committed to training the staff we need to ensure that patients are cared for by the right professional, when and where they need it.We will ensure that the number of medical specialty training places meets the demands of the National Health Service in the future. NHS England will work with stakeholders to ensure that any growth is sustainable and focused in the service areas where need is greatest.Speciality training positions are advertised nationally, and the process is administered by a lead deanery on behalf of the four nations of the United Kingdom. There is no obligation on NHS providers to advertise residency positions for British nationals before foreign nationals, or to hire British residents before overseas residents. The rules and criteria for recruitment into specialty training are agreed by the Medical and Dental Recruitment and Selection committees on behalf of the four statutory education bodies of the UK and must meet standards required by the General Medical Council. Working with NHS England, we continue to keep the selection process for all applicants to medical speciality training under review.  Internationally educated staff remain an important part of the workforce, and our Code of Practice for International Recruitment ensures stringent ethical standards when recruiting health and social care staff from overseas. However, the Government is also committed to growing homegrown talent and giving opportunities to more people across the country to join the NHS.

Communities and Local Government, whether local councils and communities will be consulted about New Towns before the final designation by the New Towns Taskforce.

As set out in its Terms of Reference, which can be found on gov.uk here, the New Towns Taskforce will work in partnership with local leaders and communities, but its selection of sites will be made in the national interest. The Taskforce also plans to undertake a series of engagement events to understand what the public think the core components of new towns should be and to further test the design and placemaking principles published in the Building new towns for the future policy paper published on 12 February which can be found on gov.uk here.

Communities and Local Government, if she will take steps to maintain environmental standards to chalk streams in the (a) planning and (c) building of new towns.

The National Planning Policy Framework sets out that to protect and enhance biodiversity and geodiversity, local plans should identify, map and safeguard components of local wildlife-rich habitats and wider ecological networks such as chalk streams. It is for local planning authorities to apply this policy when planning for new development. Chalk streams are specifically referenced in the definitions of ‘natural environment’ and ‘environmental protection’ for the new system of Environmental Outcomes Reports that the government intend to introduce. This will ensure the protection of chalk streams is taken into account as part of this new approach to environmental assessment. The government will consult on draft regulations in due course following policy development and engagement with key stakeholders. While we want to realise the benefits of reform as quickly as possible, we recognise the need to manage the transition to the new system carefully. Until a new system is implemented, current legislation on environmental assessment and its supporting guidance continues to apply. The New Towns Programme aims to create environmentally resilient places that support the government’s net-zero agenda through sustainable design, nature enhancement, low-carbon infrastructure, and responsible development, including flood risk mitigation. The building of the next generation of new towns will not involve the lowering of existing environmental protections in the National Planning Policy Framework.

What discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on improving public engagement with politics.

Public engagement and participation are vital to the health of our democracy, and the Government will continue to support the public to make their voices heard. Engagement with the political process must be built on trust. The Government is committed to returning to a politics of service, for example by exploring further tightening of the rules on MPs' outside interests via the House of Commons Modernisation Committee.

What progress her Department has made on introducing mandatory training on hidden disabilities for all (a) school, (b) further education and (c) higher education staff.

High quality teaching is the most important in-school factor for improving outcomes for all children, particularly those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).The Initial Teacher Training (ITT) Core Content Framework and Early Career Framework, for trainees and early career teachers (ECTs) respectively, cover the first three years or more at the start of a teacher’s career. They set out the core body of knowledge, skills and behaviours that define great teaching, and are underpinned by the most up-to-date evidence. From September 2025 they will be superseded by the combined Initial Teacher Training and Early Career Framework (ITTECF), which sets out a minimum entitlement to training and must be used by ITT providers to create their curricula. All ECTs will be entitled to a two-year induction underpinned by the ITTECF which will be known as the Early Career Teacher Entitlement (ECTE).During the department’s review which led to the development of the ITTECF, particular attention was paid to the evidence base and needs of trainees and ECTs when supporting pupils with SEND. There is now significantly more content related to adaptive teaching and supporting pupils with SEND, including those with neurodiversity.The department recognises that continuous improvement is essential and have recently committed to a full review of the ECTE in 2027, including the ITTECF, to ensure it continues to provide the best possible support for ECTs. This review will include a focus on the support we provide new teachers in teaching pupils with SEND.School support staff play a vital role in children’s education. They are crucial to ensuring we give children the best possible life chances. The availability of training and career progression opportunities for school support staff helps ensure schools have the skilled staff they need to deliver high quality education. For example, in September 2024 the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE) approved a new Level 5 Specialist Teaching Assistant apprenticeship, allowing teaching assistants to specialise in one of three areas: SEND, Social and Emotional Wellbeing, or Curriculum provision. The apprenticeship will be available for candidates to undertake in 2025.We recognise the importance of supporting further education (FE) students with complex needs, and the valuable role colleges play in SEND education. We are currently supporting the recruitment and training of SEND specific teachers in FE through:Enabling providers through the Taking Teaching Further (TTF) programme, to support new teachers with relevant knowledge and industry experience to undertake a teaching qualification and receive wrap-around early career support. Funding is also available to support recruits who will provide support to students with SEND.Supporting recruitment and retention with teacher training bursaries worth up to £30,000 tax-free in certain key subject areas, including SEND.The department also runs a Universal SEND Services contract to provide SEND-specific professional development and support for the school and FE workforce. The programme helps professionals to identify and meet the needs of children and young people with SEND, earlier and more effectively. Since the programme commenced, school and college staff have completed over 20,000 online training modules.All education and training providers, including universities and other related service providers, have a duty to ensure reasonable adjustments for disabled people, so they are not placed at a substantial disadvantage compared to non-disabled students. This includes people with a learning difficulty. This duty is set out under Section 20 of the Equality Act 2010.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to help ensure the effective prosecution of people who commit environmental crimes.

The Environment Agency (EA) is the main regulator responsible for the enforcement of environmental law and the prosecution of environmental crime in England. Other regulators responsible for environmental compliance and prosecution in England include local authorities, Natural England and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). Natural Resources Wales is the responsible authority for Wales and the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency in Scotland. Supported by Defra the EA must follow the requirements of the Regulators’ Code and prosecutes in accordance with its published Enforcement and Sanctions Policy. Prosecutions are directed towards the activities that cause the greatest risk of serious environmental damage, where the risks are least well-controlled, the regulatory framework is undermined and where deliberate or organised crime is suspected. The EA delivers the equivalent constitutional check with prosecutions that the CPS provides to the police. The EA reviews whether evidence is adequate and whether a prosecution is in the public interest in accordance with the Code for Crown Prosecutors. Natural England (NE) has enforcement powers and views enforcement as an essential tool to ensure that the natural environment is protected. A key element of NE’s wider regulatory role involves helping people to comply with laws that protect wildlife and the natural environment, but where laws are broken and impacts on wildlife or the natural environment have occurred, or are likely to occur, NE will take enforcement action to ensure that the environment is protected, and environmental harm is restored. Where enforcement action is taken, NE will apply established principles of good regulation to ensure fairness and transparency for those we regulate. NE has access to a range of enforcement sanctions available to secure the right level of environmental protection. Where an offence has resulted in significant harm NE’s enforcement response will be robust, aiming to correct and deter further non-compliance. NE aims to apply the polluter pays principle in all cases to ensure that the public purse does not bear the burden of enforcement and clean-up costs. In appropriate cases, NE works collaboratively with other regulators to ensure appropriate enforcement goals are met. The conservation of wildlife is an area in which the police play an investigative and enforcement role and where the CPS are called upon to prosecute in accordance with the provisions of the Code for Crown Prosecutors. The CPS sits on a number of working groups to tackle wildlife crime including the National Wildlife Crime Unit’s (NWCU) UK Tasking and Coordinating Group (UKTCG) and the Partnership for Action Against Wildlife Crime (PAW UK). In some cases, the Director of Public Prosecutions may be able to take over a prosecution brought by another organisation.

If his Department will take steps to ensure that the level of funding for mental health services (a) reflects changes in service demand and (b) reduces the imbalance of resource allocation between mental and physical health.

Despite the challenging fiscal environment, the Government has committed to protecting funding on mental health. We know 2025/26 will be a challenging year, and the National Health Service must live within its means. This will require a relentless focus on operational performance, recovering productivity, tackling unwarranted variation, and reducing delays and waste to ensure taxpayers’ money is spent wisely.Our focus on mental health will continue to be backed by the Mental Health Investment Standard in 2025/26 to ensure mental health funding is ring-fenced to support delivery of our commitments, including those outlined in the NHS Planning Guidance.

Whether her Department plans to (a) increase the (i) frequency of trains and (ii) number of carriages per train on all South Western Railway services operating between Winchester and London, (b) reduce the high cost of fares on this route, (c) tackle (A) delays and (B) cancellations affecting these services, (d) improve the compensation scheme for passengers experiencing journey disruptions and (e) ensure that ensure that concerns of South Western Railway passengers are (1) listened to and (2) acted upon.

Department officials are in regular conversation with South Western Railway regarding their service provision in response to demand. When reviewing train services, the Department needs to assess business cases and balance demand with value for the taxpayer in its considerations. The Department’s aim is to keep the price of rail travel at a point that works for both passengers and taxpayers, where possible. We are also committed to simplifying the fares and ticketing system and driving innovation across the network. The Rail Minister recently met with South Western Railway regarding their operational performance, as he has done and continues to do with all Operators, as this is a key priority of the Department. On 25th May 2025, SWR will be the first operator to be nationalised following the introduction of the Passenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) Act 2024. This will lead to the introduction of Great British Railways which will bring track and train together under one directing mind, with a relentless focus on improving services for passengers and customers.