Written questions by Blundell.

What assessment the Government has made of the potential impact of introducing statutory regulation for counsellors and psychotherapists on patient safety and public protection.

The Government is clear that the professions protected in law must be the right ones and that the level of regulatory oversight must be proportionate to the risks to the public.The Department has no current plans to extend statutory regulation to counsellors and psychotherapists, nor to introduce minimum standards of training and accountability required of individuals providing counselling and psychotherapy services. Any decisions about practice requirements are a matter for employers.The Professional Standards Authority for Health and Social Care’s voluntary registers programme provides a proportionate means of assurance for unregulated professions, that sits between employer controls and statutory regulation by setting standards for organisations holding voluntary registers for unregulated health and social care occupations. There are currently 10 organisations that hold an accredited register linked to the counselling and psychotherapy professions on the Professional Standards Authority’s website.

What plans her Department has to expand access to practical trade-based qualifications within mainstream secondary schools before the age of 16, including through partnerships with further education colleges and local employers.

There are 46 key stage 4 Technical Awards, which pupils can take alongside GCSEs. These qualifications cover broad sector areas such as health and social care, building and construction and support the development of knowledge and practical skills.In 2024/25, 45% of students in state-funded schools took at least one Technical Award. The Curriculum and Assessment Review emphasised maintaining stability to allow these qualifications to embed fully in the system and did not propose significant reforms to change delivery or uptake at this stage.School careers programmes introduce pupils to technical and trade occupations early. Under Provider Access legislation, schools must provide at least six opportunities for pupils in years 8 to 13 to meet technical education or apprenticeship providers. The Schools White Paper also sets out the department’s commitment to broadening pupils’ horizons by ensuring access to high quality careers advice and two weeks’ worth of work experience for every secondary pupil.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the age at which vocational and technical training begins on (a) pupil engagement at Key Stage 3 and (b) skills shortages in construction and technical trades.

There are 46 key stage 4 (KS4) Technical Awards, which pupils can take alongside GCSEs. These qualifications cover broad sector areas such as health and social care, building and construction, and support the development of knowledge and practical skills. In 2024/25, 45% of students in state-funded schools took at least one Technical Award.The Curriculum and Assessment Review emphasised maintaining stability to allow these qualifications to embed fully in the system and did not recommend introducing structured vocational pathways at ages 11 to 14, and we have no current plans to pilot such models. For pupils in KS4, we will review the current suite of Technical Awards from 2027 with a focus on their impact and progression to post-16 pathways.This is because the Review concluded that in comparison to other jurisdictions, we have a reasonably broad and balanced curriculum to age 16, which offers all children an entitlement to a core set of knowledge. The department is maintaining the existing architecture of key stages, national assessments and qualifications, which international comparisons suggest have had a positive impact on attainment. New measures at key stage 3, including better sequenced content, a year 8 statutory reading test and improved use of diagnostic assessment, are designed to support engagement and progress without narrowing the curriculum prematurely. To prepare learners for a changing world, we are developing an oracy framework and embedding financial, media and digital literacy and climate and sustainability education into the relevant subjects.The Review concluded that structured vocational pathways are most effective post‑16. The department is therefore reforming the 16 to 19 system through A levels, T Levels and new V Levels, alongside redesigned Level 2 pathways, ensuring clear, high quality routes into technical fields and helping address skills shortages, including in construction and the wider technical trades.

What assessment she has made of the effectiveness of introducing structured vocational education pathways for pupils aged 11 to 14, including in comparable education systems such as that operated by the Government of the Netherlands, in England; and whether she plans to pilot similar models in England.

There are 46 key stage 4 (KS4) Technical Awards, which pupils can take alongside GCSEs. These qualifications cover broad sector areas such as health and social care, building and construction, and support the development of knowledge and practical skills. In 2024/25, 45% of students in state-funded schools took at least one Technical Award.The Curriculum and Assessment Review emphasised maintaining stability to allow these qualifications to embed fully in the system and did not recommend introducing structured vocational pathways at ages 11 to 14, and we have no current plans to pilot such models. For pupils in KS4, we will review the current suite of Technical Awards from 2027 with a focus on their impact and progression to post-16 pathways.This is because the Review concluded that in comparison to other jurisdictions, we have a reasonably broad and balanced curriculum to age 16, which offers all children an entitlement to a core set of knowledge. The department is maintaining the existing architecture of key stages, national assessments and qualifications, which international comparisons suggest have had a positive impact on attainment. New measures at key stage 3, including better sequenced content, a year 8 statutory reading test and improved use of diagnostic assessment, are designed to support engagement and progress without narrowing the curriculum prematurely. To prepare learners for a changing world, we are developing an oracy framework and embedding financial, media and digital literacy and climate and sustainability education into the relevant subjects.The Review concluded that structured vocational pathways are most effective post‑16. The department is therefore reforming the 16 to 19 system through A levels, T Levels and new V Levels, alongside redesigned Level 2 pathways, ensuring clear, high quality routes into technical fields and helping address skills shortages, including in construction and the wider technical trades.

What assessment he has made of Royal Mail's performance in Heywood and Middleton North constituency during the past 12 months.

Royal Mail publishes quality of service reports by postcode area here: www.internationaldistributionservices.com/en/regulation/universal-service-obligation/quality-of-service/ . Ofcom does not mandate data reporting by constituency.Ofcom monitors and assesses Royal Mail’s provision of the universal service. It can take enforcement action should Royal Mail fail to achieve its obligations without good justification.I met Royal Mail’s CEO, Alistair Cochrane, on 3 February to press him on the action Royal Mail is taking to make demonstrable improvements to service levels as a matter of urgency. I will continue to raise concerns with Royal Mail if the company’s quality of service does not improve.

What steps she is taking to ensure that national transport policy is aligned with the priorities of local transport plans.

Local Transport Plans are important strategic policy documents produced by local transport authorities. The Department for Transport maintains regular, and close, contact with all local transport authorities, ensuring that national programmes and policies support local priorities where possible. In recognition of the importance of Local Transport Plans, under the Railways Bill, Great British Railways will have a duty to have regard to Local Transport Plans produced by Mayoral Strategic Authorities to ensure local priorities are considered.

What steps he is taking to help support female victims within the courts system.

This Government inherited a justice system in crisis, with victims waiting years for justice. On 25 February 2026, the Deputy Prime Minister announced the Courts and Tribunals Bill, aiming to deliver faster, fairer justice for victims. These reforms are designed to progress cases more quickly through the criminal courts, reduce uncertainty, and increase transparency for victims and witnesses by ensuring more effective triage across the system. We will also implement crucial reforms, recommended by the Law Commission, to ensure that victims are no longer unfairly undermined by evidence in the court room.This Government is committed to ensuring female victims have the information and support they need to navigate the criminal justice system. We have recently launched a consultation on a new Victims’ Code to ensure we get the foundations for victims right. The Victims and Courts Bill will additionally provide a new route for victims to request information via a dedicated helpline, which will give victims confidence about the routes available to receive information about their offender’s release.We have made the largest ever investment of £550 million in victim support services over the next three years. The 42 Police and Crime Commissioners in England and Wales receive annual grant funding from the Ministry of Justice’s victim and witness budget to commission local practical, emotional, and therapeutic support services for victims of all crime types. This includes ‘core’ funding, which is for PCCs to allocate at their discretion, based on their assessment of local need as well as funding that is ring-fenced for sexual violence and domestic abuse services. Local assessments will incorporate considerations of the volume and needs of female victims of crime.In addition, we continue to fund the long-standing Witness Service. This provides on-the-day emotional and practical support to witnesses (including those who are victims) to help them give their best evidence. This may include providing information about the court and its processes, facilitating explanations around any delays and accompanying the witness (if allowed by the court) into the court room when they give evidence.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking to help ensure humanitarian relief is provided to support the mental health of children and young people in Gaza.

I refer the Hon Member to my statement to the House on 5 January, and the joint statement on humanitarian access issued by the Foreign Secretary and a number of her international counterparts on 30 December 2025, which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/jointstatementon-the-gaza-humanitarian-response. Support for the wellbeing of children and young people in Gaza will continue to be one of the top priorities of our humanitarian support.

What steps she is taking to help reduce violence against women and girls on public transport.

My Department wants everyone to feel and be safe when travelling, therefore, we have an ambitious, evidence-based programme of work and are working across government and with partners, including the British Transport Police (BTP), the transport industry and local authorities to help tackle violence against women and girls (VAWG) on transport. My Department has also been closely involved in the development of the Government’s VAWG (Freedom from Violence and Abuse) Strategy, which includes nine commitments to help improve safety for women and girls on the transport network. The commitments which form part of DfT’s contribution to the Safer Streets Mission are:Reviewing and relaunching the Secure Stations Scheme to establish consistent, safety focused accreditation across the rail network.Improving connectivity of real time CCTV at train stations to British Transport Police (BTP) to support faster offender identification.Exploring expanding the provision and use of CCTV on the bus network to increase feelings of safety and support investigations.Launching mandatory training for bus drivers and front line staff on recognising and responding to VAWG and ASB, delivered through the Bus Services Act 2025.Publishing statutory guidance by the end of 2027 on improving the safety and accessibility of bus stops and stations, with local authorities required to have regard to it.Scoping the feasibility of a national, cross modal reporting mechanism for harassment, VAWG and ASB on public transport.Using existing court powers to disqualify VAWG offenders from driving where a vehicle is used in the commission of the offence.Delivering a strategic VAWG package for Roads Policing, strengthening intelligence and enforcement on VAWG related road offences through the DfT–Home Office–NPCC partnership.Bringing forward measures in the Bus Services Act enabling local authorities to make and enforce bus byelaws to tackle ASB, improving safety at stations and stops and across services. In addition, on the rail network, the British Transport Police work with their partners to raise awareness of VAWG, encourage reporting and receive feedback to improve our response.

What steps he is taking to ensure that patients who require rehabilitative physiotherapy have access to NHS services.

Integrated care boards across England are responsible for managing the National Health Service budget and arranging the majority of NHS healthcare services to meet the healthcare needs of their respective populations. This includes the provision of some physiotherapy services.We know people are waiting too long for community health services. The Medium-Term Planning Framework sets a clear target for systems to work to reduce long waits. By 2028/29, at least 80% of community health services activity should take place within 18 weeks, bringing community health services more into line with targets for elective care.To support the shift to neighbourhood health, NHS England’s ‘Standardising community health services’ guidance asks systems to increase the capacity in community health services and work to standardise core community health services provision. The recently published 'Standardising community health services - core component descriptions’ guidance clearly defines the core component of community services to help reduce variation and support consistent commissioning, including for physiotherapy.This Government is committed to publishing a 10 Year Workforce Plan to set out action to create a workforce ready to deliver the transformed service set out in the 10-Year Health Plan.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions she has had with her international counterparts to ensure the movement of more humanitarian aid into Gaza.

I refer the Hon Member to my statement to the House on 5 January, and the joint statement on humanitarian access issued by the Foreign Secretary and a number of her international counterparts on 30 December 2025, which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/jointstatementon-the-gaza-humanitarian-response. Support for the wellbeing of children and young people in Gaza will continue to be one of the top priorities of our humanitarian support.

What steps she is taking to help encourage reading in early years settings.

The statutory guidance 'early years foundation stage (EYFS) framework' sets education requirements that early years settings must follow to ensure that every child aged 0 to 5 has the best start in life. The EYFS recognises that it is crucial for young children to begin to develop a life-long love of reading and requires practitioners to read frequently to children, and actively engage them in a broad selection of stories, non-fiction, rhymes and poems. The framework can be found in full at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-foundation-stage-framework--2The department provides a range of online resources which support settings to deliver the statutory EYFS requirements well for all children, including the ‘Development Matters’ guidance, the department’s reading framework, and the National Year of Reading website. The National Year of Reading is a UK-wide campaign aiming to tackle long-term declines in reading enjoyment, with early years being one of the priority groups. It includes a major physical and online marketing campaign, as well as exciting events, webinars, resources, and activities in communities, libraries, schools and early years settings throughout the year.

What steps he is taking to ensure GPs are equipped to effectively signpost men facing mental health challenges to appropriate services.

General practitioners (GPs) are responsible for ensuring their own clinical knowledge remains up to date and for identifying learning needs as part of their continuing professional development. This activity should include taking account of new research and developments in guidance, such as that produced by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, to ensure that they can continue to provide high quality care to all patients.All United Kingdom registered doctors are expected to meet the professional standards set out in the General Medical Council’s (GMC’s) Good Medical Practice. In 2012, the GMC introduced revalidation which supports doctors in regularly reflecting on how they can develop or improve their practice, gives patients confidence doctors are up to date with their practice and promotes improved quality of care by driving improvements in clinical governance.We are expanding NHS Talking Therapies which provide psychological support for people with a common mental health condition like stress, anxiety and depression. More than 670,000 people completed a course of Talking Therapies treatment last year and through the 10-Year Health Plan, 915,000 people are expected to complete a course of treatment by March 2029. Individuals can be referred by their GP or can self-refer.

Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to help ensure the enforcement of the Hazards in Social Housing (Prescribed Requirements) (England) Regulations 2025.

The first phase of Awaab’s Law came into force for the social rented sector on 27 October. Awaab’s Law is vital legislation that will empower social tenants to hold their landlords to account using the full force of the law if they fail to investigate and fix hazards within their homes within set timescales. It will also allow tenants to access the Housing Ombudsman if their landlord does not adhere to strict timelines for action.The government has also committed to bring forward new regulations to bring the conclusions of the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) review into force in due course. The HHSRS is the cornerstone of housing standards, and the forthcoming regulations will make it more efficient and accessible for experts to use, and easier to understand for landlords and tenants.

Media and Sport, with reference to the Autumn Budget 2025, what steps she is taking to ensure that the funding for libraries in schools are targeted at schools with the most acute need.

£12.5 million from the Dormant Assets Scheme has been allocated to ensure every primary school has a library space by the end of this Parliament. This is part of the government’s Every Child Can ambition announced in the National Youth Strategy. The National Lottery Community Fund is working to develop more of the programme details, including which schools will receive funding.

Whether she is having discussions with the Chancellor on a cross-departmental approach to raising literacy rates among children and young people.

The department is working with other government departments, including the Ministry of Justice and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), as well as the Scottish, Welsh, and Northern Irish devolved governments, to promote the National Year of Reading 2026. This aims to address long term declines in reading enjoyment through engaging new audiences, reshaping public attitudes and building the systems needed to embed lasting, meaningful change.Cross sector support is vital in tackling the downward trend in reading for pleasure, which is why the Year is operating as a collective impact campaign allowing multiple agencies and partners to participate, including publishers, booksellers, brands, retailers and charities.The National Year of Reading 2026 will involve activities and events across the UK. You can find more information about the campaign in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland, and in Wales here: https://goallin.org.uk/The campaign aims for lasting impact. For example, my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced £5 million for secondary schools to purchase books and reading material to encourage reading for pleasure. The government has also committed over £10 million in funding to guarantee a library for every primary school by the end of this parliament, which will be delivered by DCMS.

What steps he is taking to ensure that mental health charities are adequately supported in the North West.

Mental health charities make a hugely valuable contribution to the health and wellbeing of local communities around the country, including in the North West.The 10-Year Health Plan set out our commitment to build a Neighbourhood Health Service. This will be integral to how we work in partnership with a full range of public services and other partners, including the voluntary, community, and social enterprise sector. Effective partnerships between these groups will be crucial to better understand and meet the needs of individuals and local populations in a holistic way. This will deliver more preventative, local, personalised and digitally enabled care.Transforming the system will take time, but we are committed to delivering a new approach to mental health. Six community-based 24/7 mental health centres are now operating across England, including one in Copeland, Cumbria. These centres provide open access to treatment and support for adults with severe mental health needs. The centres intend to improve continuity of care, drive down waits and reduce inpatient admissions. They are in the heart of communities and involve multidisciplinary working between psychiatrists, mental health professionals, peer support workers, and voluntary sector staff.

What steps he is taking to ensure that patients who have functional neurological disorder have access to rehabilitative physiotherapy.

NHS England’s updated Service Specification for Adult Specialised Neurology Services, published in August 2025 and due to come into effect on 1 April 2026, sets a clear expectation that neurology patients, including those with functional neurological disorder (FND), should have timely access to the full range of inpatient and outpatient specialised rehabilitation services. Service specifications define the minimum standards all commissioned providers must meet, helping ensure consistent, high‑quality care across England.FND is also specifically included within then guideline on Rehabilitation for Chronic Neurological Disorders, reference code NG252, published by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) in October 2025. This guideline aims to improve access to consistent, multidisciplinary rehabilitation for children, young people, and adults with neurological conditions, including FND. We expect clinicians and commissioners to take full account of the guideline when designing and delivering services.In addition, the National Neurosciences Advisory Group (NNAG) developed an Optimal Clinical Pathway for FND, providing commissioners and clinicians with a clear model for person‑centred, multi‑professional rehabilitation involving neurology, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, and psychological support. The pathway emphasises timely assessment, consistent communication of diagnosis, and coordinated rehabilitation across primary, community, and specialist services to reduce variation in access.As part of wider community provision, NHS England’s Standardising Community Health Services framework sets out the core community health services that integrated care boards should consider, explicitly identifying community rehabilitation for people with neurological conditions as a core component of local service planning. This supports better access to ongoing rehabilitation following diagnosis.

What steps she is taking to improve literacy rates among children in the North West.

High and rising school standards, with excellent foundations in reading and writing, are at the heart of the government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity and give every child the best start in life.The English Hubs programme supports the teaching of phonics, early language development, and reading. There are several English Hubs operating in the north west, including Orgill English Hub, St John Vianney English Hub, and the Arch English Hub.This financial year, we have committed £28.3 million to drive high and rising standards in reading and writing. This funding will deliver a range of support for schools, including new training for primary schools, delivered through the English Hubs programme, to help children progress from the early stages of phonics through to reading fluently by the time they leave primary school, and new support and training for secondary schools to support reading at key stage 3.The department also published a writing framework in July, which will support schools in delivering high quality writing provision across England.The department is providing £5 million of funding for secondary schools to purchase books and reading material to encourage reading for pleasure. The government has also committed over £10 million in funding to guarantee a library for every primary school by the end of this Parliament, which will be delivered by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.

What steps he is taking to ensure improved monitoring of serious offenders post-release by the probation service.

The Probation Service closely supervises serious offenders released from custody to protect the public and manage risk. The Government is investing in expanded monitoring and introducing new restrictive licence conditions to further strengthen probation’s ability to monitor and manage serious offenders in the community.Electronic Monitoring (EM) is available for the Parole Board and probation to apply to individuals serving Extended Determinate Sentences or life sentences on release. In addition, we are significantly expanding the post‑custody use of EM. Recent policy changes, including the presumption to apply EM to Short Determinate Sentence leavers, mean thousands more offenders will be tagged in the community over the coming years as part of the Government’s plan to strengthen supervision, manage risk, and keep the public safe.Whilst tagging is an important tool for probation, it is only one element of a wider range of measures used to monitor and manage individuals in the community. These include risk assessments, curfews, mandatory appointments, behavioural requirements, and where necessary, enforcement action.Probation supervision is tailored to an offender’s risk and offence type, with licence conditions used to manage their risk in the community. Under our reforms, the highest risk offenders will continue to be supervised by Probation until the end of their sentence, to manage risk of harm and protect the public. They will face the toughest supervision – including GPS tracking, curfews, and exclusion zones.Those convicted of sexual offending and subject to the notification requirements, serious violent offenders where the custodial term is 12 months or more, and those convicted of terrorism offences, fall to be managed under the statutory Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA). Under MAPPA, the Police, Probation and Prison Services must work together, with input from other agencies as necessary, to assess and manage the risks posed by such offenders. The Probation Service will supervise such offenders until they have completed their sentence, including for any period of licensed supervision in the community, in order to protect the public.