Written questions by Morello.

What steps her Department is taking to ensure continued access to in person banking services in West Dorset constituency.

The Government understands the importance of face-to-face banking to communities and high streets in Dorset and across the UK, and is committed to championing sufficient access for all as a priority. This is why the Government is working closely with banks to roll out 350 banking hubs, which will provide local residents and businesses up and down the country with critical cash and banking services. Over 100 banking hubs are already open. FCA guidance expects firms to carefully consider the impact of planned branch closures on their customers’ everyday banking and cash access needs and put in place alternatives where reasonable. This seeks to ensure that branch closures are implemented in a way that treats customers fairly. Alternative options to access everyday banking services can be via telephone banking, through digital means such as mobile or online banking and via the Post Office. The Post Office Banking Framework allows personal and business customers to withdraw and deposit cash, check their balance, pay bills and cash cheques at 11,500 Post Office branches across the UK.

Whether her Department has had discussions with Lloyds Bank on the potential impact of the planned closure of its Dorchester branch on (a) local residents and (b) businesses.

The Government understands the importance of face-to-face banking to communities and high streets in Dorset and across the UK, and is committed to championing sufficient access for all as a priority. This is why the Government is working closely with banks to roll out 350 banking hubs, which will provide local residents and businesses up and down the country with critical cash and banking services. Over 100 banking hubs are already open. FCA guidance expects firms to carefully consider the impact of planned branch closures on their customers’ everyday banking and cash access needs and put in place alternatives where reasonable. This seeks to ensure that branch closures are implemented in a way that treats customers fairly. Alternative options to access everyday banking services can be via telephone banking, through digital means such as mobile or online banking and via the Post Office. The Post Office Banking Framework allows personal and business customers to withdraw and deposit cash, check their balance, pay bills and cash cheques at 11,500 Post Office branches across the UK.

If she will make an assessment of the potential impact of trends in the level of car insurance costs on the ability of young people to access employment.

The cross-Government motor insurance taskforce, launched in October, is comprised of ministers from relevant government departments and the Financial Conduct Authority and Competition and Markets Authority. The taskforce is supported by a separate stakeholder panel of industry experts representing the insurance, motor, and consumer sector. The taskforce has been set up to support the Government’s missions to grow the economy and break down the barriers to opportunity for drivers of all ages, by acting on the cost pressures facing industry. We will provide updates on the taskforce’s work in due course.

What discussions she has had with the motor insurance sector on trends in the level of insurance prices for first-time drivers.

The cross-Government motor insurance taskforce, launched in October, is comprised of ministers from relevant government departments and the Financial Conduct Authority and Competition and Markets Authority. The taskforce is supported by a separate stakeholder panel of industry experts representing the insurance, motor, and consumer sector. The taskforce has been set up to support the Government’s missions to grow the economy and break down the barriers to opportunity for drivers of all ages, by acting on the cost pressures facing industry. We will provide updates on the taskforce’s work in due course.

What assessment her Department has made of the increase in employer National Insurance contributions on transport companies who provide services for children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities.

In order to repair the public finances and help raise the revenue required to increase funding for public services, the Government has taken the difficult decision to increase employer National Insurance contributions (NICs). The Government published a Tax Information and Impact Note on 13 November which sets out the impact of the employer NICs changes on employers. At Autumn Budget 2024 and the recent provisional Local Government Finance Settlement, the Government announced £2 billion of new grant funding for local government in 2025-26. This includes £515m to support councils with the increase in employer National Insurance Contributions. The £515m of additional funding made available to compensate local government for the impact of changes to employer NICs has been determined based on a national assessment of the costs for directly employed staff across the public sector. However, this funding is unringfenced and it is for LAs to determine how to use this funding across relevant services and responsibilities.

What discussions she has had with the Sentencing Council on the adequacy of the sentencing tariff for perpetrators of disability hate crime.

Disability hate crimes are completely unacceptable, and this Government is committed to tackling these appalling crimes. We have a robust legislative framework in place in England and Wales to respond to hate crimes, including those which target disability.Sentencing in individual cases is a matter for our independent courts, who are required to take into account statutory aggravating and mitigating factors and follow sentencing guidelines developed by the independent Sentencing Council unless it would be contrary to the interests of justice to do so. As an independent body, the Sentencing Council decides its own priorities and work plan for producing guidelines. Parliament is responsible for the sentencing framework, including statutory aggravating and mitigating factors, and setting the maximum penalty for offences.Under Section 66 of the Sentencing Code for England and Wales, the court must treat as an aggravating factor the fact that an offender demonstrated hostility towards the victim based on his or her disability (or presumed disability); or the offence was (wholly or partly) motivated by hostility towards persons who have a particular disability. An aggravating factor makes an offence more serious and must be considered by the court when deciding the length of a sentence.Additionally, the Government has committed to ensuring parity of protection for disabled and LGBT+ people under aggravated offences and will implement this change in an appropriate legislative vehicle in due course.The Government has delivered on a manifesto commitment to bring sentencing up to date and ensure the framework is consistent by launching an Independent Review of Sentencing, chaired by former Lord Chancellor, David Gauke. The Review will examine options following three core principles: sentences must punish offenders and protect the public, sentences should encourage prisoners to turn their backs on a life of crime, and we must expand and make greater use of punishment outside of prison.

What steps she is taking to ensure police training is updated so that victims of disability hate crime are appropriately supported.

We have committed to ensuring parity of protection for disabled and LGBT+ people under the aggravated offences and will implement this change in an appropriate legislative vehicle in due course.The College of Policing is responsible for police training in England and Wales and publishes operational guidance for police, known as ‘Authorised Professional Practice’ (APP), on how to deal with different types of crimes and incidents, including hate crimes. The College of Policing keeps its APP is under review.The Government funds the National Online Hate Crime Hub which supports individual local police forces in dealing specifically with online hate crime. The Hub provides expert advice to police forces to support them in investigating these offences.

What her Department's planned timetable is for bringing forward legislative proposals to make disability hate crime an aggravated offence.

We have committed to ensuring parity of protection for disabled and LGBT+ people under the aggravated offences and will implement this change in an appropriate legislative vehicle in due course.The College of Policing is responsible for police training in England and Wales and publishes operational guidance for police, known as ‘Authorised Professional Practice’ (APP), on how to deal with different types of crimes and incidents, including hate crimes. The College of Policing keeps its APP is under review.The Government funds the National Online Hate Crime Hub which supports individual local police forces in dealing specifically with online hate crime. The Hub provides expert advice to police forces to support them in investigating these offences.

Whether her Department plans to take steps to upgrade the Salisbury to Exeter railway line from a single track with passing points to a double-track system.

Future rail infrastructure investment will be considered as part of the current Spending Review, which will be concluded in June 2025.

What steps her Department has taken to support the electrification of the Salisbury to Exeter railway line.

Future rail infrastructure investment will be considered as part of the current Spending Review, which will be concluded in June 2025.

If he will make an assessment of the adequacy of the level of support provided by the NHS to people with ADHD after they have left full-time education.

There is, at present, no single, established dataset that can be used to monitor waiting times for the assessment and diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) nationally or for individual organisations or geographies in England. Although the data requested is not held centrally, it may be held locally by individual National Health Service trusts or commissioners.It is the responsibility of the integrated care boards in England to make appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population, including ADHD assessments, in line with relevant National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines.We are supporting a taskforce that NHS England has established to look at ADHD service provision and support across sectors, and their impact on patient experience. The taskforce is bringing together expertise from across a broad range of sectors, including the NHS, education, and justice, to better understand the challenges affecting people with ADHD, including timely access to services and support.Alongside the work of the taskforce, NHS England will continue to develop a national ADHD data improvement plan, carry out more detailed work to understand the provider and commissioning landscape, and capture examples from local health systems which are trialling innovative ways of delivering ADHD services to ensure best practice is captured and shared across the system.

If she will make an assessment of the adequacy of the level of support provided by employers to their employees with ADHD.

Neurodivergent people bring many positive benefits to businesses but face particular barriers to employment, which is reflected in a poor overall employment rate. As a government, we want to support all forms of neurodiversity in the workplace, including ADHD, by encouraging employers to adopt neuro-inclusive working practices so that everyone can thrive at work. On 29th January, the Government launched an independent panel of academics with expertise and experiences of neurodiversity to advise us on boosting neurodiversity awareness and inclusion at work.In keeping with the Government’s pledge to bring disabled voices closer to decision-making, at least half of the panel are neurodiverse themselves. The panel will consider the reasons why neurodivergent people have poor experiences in the workplace, and a low overall employment rate. They will make recommendations in the Summer which consider likely mechanisms for change. In parallel, we are working with other areas of government to promote awareness of neurodiversity amongst employers, and we recently announced Keep Britain Working, a major independent review of the employer’s role in reducing health-related inactivity and to promote healthy and inclusive workplaces, led by the former Chair of John Lewis, Sir Charlie Mayfield.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of degraded drainage infrastructure on trends in flooding levels in West Dorset constituency.

Protecting communities from the dangers of flooding is one of Defra’s top priorities. We have inherited flood assets in their poorest condition on record meaning approximately 60,000 properties are at a higher risk. We are taking decisive action to stop the steady decline and ensure the flood defences we already have are in good working order, protecting communities across the country from extreme weather events. We are investing a record £2.65 billion over two years for around 1000 projects, of which over £450 million will fund the repair and maintenance of existing assets. This includes re-prioritising £108 million into asset maintenance, which will ensure that an additional 14,500 properties will have their level of protection maintained or restored. Watercourse management responsibilities fall to different bodies and we expect all those responsible to invest in ongoing maintenance and necessary repairs. Riparian landowners are required to keep watercourses clear of anything which could cause an obstruction to the flow of water on their land, or downstream if washed away. The Environment Agency (EA) has permissive powers to undertake maintenance on main rivers and will focus its efforts on those activities which will achieve the greatest flood risk benefit. Lead local flood authorities or internal drainage boards (IDBs) have permissive powers for ordinary watercourses. To support greater resilience for farmers and rural communities, we have also invested £50 million as part of the one-off £75 million IDB Fund. The Fund will provide opportunities to modernise and upgrade IDB assets. The EA is working with Dorset Council on the Dorset Rural Runoff project to improve understanding of flooding causes and identify potential interventions to reduce flooding impacts.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of degraded drainage infrastructure on trends in flooding levels in rural areas.

Protecting communities from the dangers of flooding is one of Defra’s top priorities. We have inherited flood assets in their poorest condition on record meaning approximately 60,000 properties are at a higher risk. We are taking decisive action to stop the steady decline and ensure the flood defences we already have are in good working order, protecting communities across the country from extreme weather events. We are investing a record £2.65 billion over two years for around 1000 projects, of which over £450 million will fund the repair and maintenance of existing assets. This includes re-prioritising £108 million into asset maintenance, which will ensure that an additional 14,500 properties will have their level of protection maintained or restored. Watercourse management responsibilities fall to different bodies and we expect all those responsible to invest in ongoing maintenance and necessary repairs. Riparian landowners are required to keep watercourses clear of anything which could cause an obstruction to the flow of water on their land, or downstream if washed away. The Environment Agency (EA) has permissive powers to undertake maintenance on main rivers and will focus its efforts on those activities which will achieve the greatest flood risk benefit. Lead local flood authorities or internal drainage boards (IDBs) have permissive powers for ordinary watercourses. To support greater resilience for farmers and rural communities, we have also invested £50 million as part of the one-off £75 million IDB Fund. The Fund will provide opportunities to modernise and upgrade IDB assets. The EA is working with Dorset Council on the Dorset Rural Runoff project to improve understanding of flooding causes and identify potential interventions to reduce flooding impacts.

What steps her Department is taking to (a) tackle and (b) improve reporting rates of disability hate crime.

Disability hate crimes are completely unacceptable, and this Government is committed to tackling these appalling crimes.We have a robust legislative framework in place in England and Wales to respond to hate crimes, including those which target disability, and we back the police in taking strong action against the perpetrators of these offences.We are carefully considering next steps to tackle the full range of hate crime offences.The Government funds an online hate crime reporting portal, True Vision, that was designed so that victims of all types of hate crime - including disability hate crime - do not have to visit a police station to report. The Government also funds the National Online Hate Crime Hub which supports individual local police forces in dealing specifically with online hate crime. The Hub provides expert advice to police forces to support them in investigating these offences.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure that people over 65 can access free health checks every five years.

The NHS Health Check programme, England’s cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention programme, aims to prevent CVD in people aged 40 to 74 years old, and is offered every five years. During 2023/24, over 1.4 million people received an NHS Health Check, and through behavioural and clinical interventions, the programme prevents approximately 500 heart attacks and strokes a year.To improve access and engagement with the NHS Health Check, we are developing a new digital service which will complement the existing face to face programme and enable people to undertake the NHS Health Check in the comfort of their own home.The Department is developing policy proposals and advice to ministers on options to improve the uptake and impact of the NHS Health Check programme. The work will consider the recommendations of the recent National Audit Office’s report, Progress on CVD Prevention.

What recent estimate his Department has made of the average waiting time for an ADHD assessment.

There is, at present, no single, established dataset that can be used to monitor waiting times for the assessment and diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) nationally or for individual organisations or geographies in England. Although the data requested is not held centrally, it may be held locally by individual National Health Service trusts or commissioners.It is the responsibility of the integrated care boards in England to make appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population, including ADHD assessments, in line with relevant National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines.We are supporting a taskforce that NHS England has established to look at ADHD service provision and support across sectors, and their impact on patient experience. The taskforce is bringing together expertise from across a broad range of sectors, including the NHS, education, and justice, to better understand the challenges affecting people with ADHD, including timely access to services and support.Alongside the work of the taskforce, NHS England will continue to develop a national ADHD data improvement plan, carry out more detailed work to understand the provider and commissioning landscape, and capture examples from local health systems which are trialling innovative ways of delivering ADHD services to ensure best practice is captured and shared across the system.

What assessment his Department has made of support for people with ADHD outside the school environment.

There is, at present, no single, established dataset that can be used to monitor waiting times for the assessment and diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) nationally or for individual organisations or geographies in England. Although the data requested is not held centrally, it may be held locally by individual National Health Service trusts or commissioners.It is the responsibility of the integrated care boards in England to make appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population, including ADHD assessments, in line with relevant National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines.We are supporting a taskforce that NHS England has established to look at ADHD service provision and support across sectors, and their impact on patient experience. The taskforce is bringing together expertise from across a broad range of sectors, including the NHS, education, and justice, to better understand the challenges affecting people with ADHD, including timely access to services and support.Alongside the work of the taskforce, NHS England will continue to develop a national ADHD data improvement plan, carry out more detailed work to understand the provider and commissioning landscape, and capture examples from local health systems which are trialling innovative ways of delivering ADHD services to ensure best practice is captured and shared across the system.

What steps his Department is taking to reduce waiting times for adult ADHD assessments in rural areas.

There is, at present, no single, established dataset that can be used to monitor waiting times for the assessment and diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) nationally or for individual organisations or geographies in England. Although the data requested is not held centrally, it may be held locally by individual National Health Service trusts or commissioners.It is the responsibility of the integrated care boards in England to make appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population, including ADHD assessments, in line with relevant National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines.We are supporting a taskforce that NHS England has established to look at ADHD service provision and support across sectors, and their impact on patient experience. The taskforce is bringing together expertise from across a broad range of sectors, including the NHS, education, and justice, to better understand the challenges affecting people with ADHD, including timely access to services and support.Alongside the work of the taskforce, NHS England will continue to develop a national ADHD data improvement plan, carry out more detailed work to understand the provider and commissioning landscape, and capture examples from local health systems which are trialling innovative ways of delivering ADHD services to ensure best practice is captured and shared across the system.

What assessment his Department has made of the (a) levels of diagnosis and (b) difficulties of diagnosing ADHD in girls.

We recognise that girls may be underdiagnosed for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).It is the responsibility of the integrated care boards in England to make available the appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population, including ADHD assessments, in line with relevant National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines.NICE guidelines on ADHD, published and updated in September 2019, aim to improve the diagnosis of ADHD, recognising that ADHD may be under-diagnosed in women and girls, and improve the quality of care and support that people of all ages who are diagnosed with ADHD receive.We are supporting a taskforce that NHS England has established to look at ADHD service provision and support across sectors, and their impact on patient experience. The taskforce is bringing together expertise from across a broad range of sectors, including the National Health Service, education, and justice, to better understand the challenges affecting people with ADHD, including timely access to services and support.Alongside the work of the taskforce, NHS England will continue to develop a national ADHD data improvement plan, carry out more detailed work to understand the provider and commissioning landscape, and capture examples from local health systems which are trialling innovative ways of delivering ADHD services to ensure best practice is captured and shared across the system.