Written questions by Blundell.

Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking too increase engagement of women and girls with sport in the north of Greater Manchester.

The Government is committed to supporting every aspect of women’s sport and ensuring all women and girls, no matter their background, have access to high quality facilities and opportunities to participate in sport and physical activity.This includes supporting the This Girl Can campaign, run by our Arm’s Length Body, Sport England, which has inspired millions of women and girls to get active. 1.6 million more women are expected to be active as a result of the campaign by 2028.The Government is also harnessing the power of hosting major sporting events, such as investing £6.7 million into the Impact 25’ programme for the Women’s Rugby World Cup, which has been used to make facilities more accessible for women, train new female coaches and match officials and provide sanitary packages to clubs nationwide. To honour the Lionesses recent European Championship triumph, the Government has announced new plans that are expected to more than double the share of slots dedicated to women’s and girls’ teams at Government-funded facilities across England over the next five years.The ongoing responsibility of providing access to public sport and leisure facilities lies at Local Authority level. I will continue to discuss the provision of amenities for women and girls sport with local authorities, Sport England and ministerial colleagues.

Communities and Local Government, whether his Department is taking steps to ensure section 106 funding is being used by councils in Greater Manchester to increase revenue for sports facilities.

The National Planning Policy Framework makes clear that access to high-quality open spaces and opportunities for sport and physical activity is important for the health and well-being of communities. The Framework sets out that planning policies should be based on robust and up-to-date assessments of the need for open space, sport and recreation facilities and opportunities for new provision, which plans should then seek to accommodate. Local planning authorities can use planning obligations, entered into under section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (as amended), to help mitigate the impact of a specific development to make it acceptable in planning terms. This could include, for example, requiring a developer to contribute towards the provision of public infrastructure such as sports facilities where this is necessary to make an otherwise unacceptable development acceptable. This will depend on the specifics of the development and is a matter for local decision makers. The government is clear that developers must deliver on their planning obligations. Section 106 planning obligations are legal agreements, and a local planning authority may take enforcement action in respect of any breach of the obligations contained within them. Enforcement is at the discretion of the local planning authority, and therefore it is for the local planning authority to decide whether enforcement action is appropriate in each case. The government is committed to strengthening the existing system of developer contributions to ensure new developments provide necessary affordable homes and infrastructure. Further details will be set out in due course.

Media and Sport, whether she is taking steps with the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government to support local councils to make funding decisions in relation to amenities for women’s and girls’ sports.

The Government is committed to supporting every aspect of women’s sport and ensuring all women and girls, no matter their background, have access to high quality facilities and opportunities to participate in sport and physical activity.This includes supporting the This Girl Can campaign, run by our Arm’s Length Body, Sport England, which has inspired millions of women and girls to get active. 1.6 million more women are expected to be active as a result of the campaign by 2028.The Government is also harnessing the power of hosting major sporting events, such as investing £6.7 million into the Impact 25’ programme for the Women’s Rugby World Cup, which has been used to make facilities more accessible for women, train new female coaches and match officials and provide sanitary packages to clubs nationwide. To honour the Lionesses recent European Championship triumph, the Government has announced new plans that are expected to more than double the share of slots dedicated to women’s and girls’ teams at Government-funded facilities across England over the next five years.The ongoing responsibility of providing access to public sport and leisure facilities lies at Local Authority level. I will continue to discuss the provision of amenities for women and girls sport with local authorities, Sport England and ministerial colleagues.

Whether she plans to include measures to support children in the deepest poverty in the forthcoming Child Poverty Strategy.

I refer my hon. Friend, the Member for Heywood and Middleton North, to the answer of [DATE] to Question 82529.

What steps he is taking to ensure the Modern Service Framework for cardiovascular disease will (a) reduce disability caused by stroke and (b) improve the lives of stroke survivors living with poor health or a disability post-stroke.

To accelerate the Government’s ambition to reduce premature deaths from heart disease and stroke by 25% within a decade, we will publish a new cardiovascular disease modern service framework (CVD MSF) in 2026. The CVD MSF will consider approaches to reducing poor health and disability caused by heart disease and stroke.The Department and NHS England are working together to deliver the CVD MSF and are engaging widely throughout its development to ensure that we prioritise ambitious, evidence-led and clinically informed approaches to prevention, treatment, and care. At the heart of this is engagement with people and communities, so that the modern service framework is shaped by and meets their needs. We will say more on these plans in due course.

If her Department will make an assessment of the adequacy of parking facilities for HGV drivers in the North West.

The National Survey of Lorry Parking, which was published on 29 September 2022, is the Department for Transport’s primary evidence base on the availability of HGV parking facilities. The survey showed an average shortage across England of around 4,500 HGV parking spaces for the month of March 2022 and identified driver concerns with the quality of welfare facilities and security of lorry parks. The Survey recorded 37 on site lorry parking facilities in the North West with a utilisation rate of 80%. The HGV Parking Matched Funding Grant Scheme (MFGS) was launched in 2022 to fund investment in: HGV driver welfare facilities, lorry parking provision, site security, and decarbonisation. The scheme is supporting operators across 30 counties in England, including the North West.

Communities and Local Government, if he will consider mandating the allocation of sites for HGV parking as part of the conditions for consent for larger infrastructure projects.

The government takes the view that it is for the relevant Secretary of State to decide, on a case-by-case basis, whether conditions relating to HGV traffic movement or the provision of HGV parking should be attached when granting development consent for nationally significant infrastructure projects.

What assessment he has made of the potential merits of establishing a stroke team within his Department.

The Government is committed to improving the outcomes for patients who suffer from a stroke. The teams responsible for the policy and delivery of services related to strokes within the Department and NHS England work closely together.Subject to Parliament passing the primary legislation that will transfer most of NHS England’s functions to the Department, there will be further opportunities to consider how the future Department can best support patients suffering from a stroke.

What steps she is taking to help prevent prospective private hire vehicle drivers from enrolling in unofficial training institutions.

The Department for Transport is responsible for setting the regulatory framework within which licensing authorities in England license the taxi and private hire vehicle trades and issues guidance to assist licensing authorities in carrying out these licensing functions. Statutory guidance, published in 2020, recommends that licensing authorities should require taxi and private hire vehicle drivers to undertake safeguarding training. Best practice guidance to licensing authorities, updated in 2023, recommends that drivers should be trained in disability awareness and/or have their knowledge and skills assessed. Licensing authorities are responsible for deciding the format and content of such training, including what, if any, training institutions are used.

What steps she is taking to publish an official list of officially recognised training institutions for the consideration of prospective private hire vehicle drivers.

The Department for Transport is responsible for setting the regulatory framework within which licensing authorities in England license the taxi and private hire vehicle trades and issues guidance to assist licensing authorities in carrying out these licensing functions. Statutory guidance, published in 2020, recommends that licensing authorities should require taxi and private hire vehicle drivers to undertake safeguarding training. Best practice guidance to licensing authorities, updated in 2023, recommends that drivers should be trained in disability awareness and/or have their knowledge and skills assessed. Licensing authorities are responsible for deciding the format and content of such training, including what, if any, training institutions are used.

What steps she is taking to ensure that private hire vehicle drivers receive qualifications from officially recognised training institutions.

The Department for Transport is responsible for setting the regulatory framework within which licensing authorities in England license the taxi and private hire vehicle trades and issues guidance to assist licensing authorities in carrying out these licensing functions. Statutory guidance, published in 2020, recommends that licensing authorities should require taxi and private hire vehicle drivers to undertake safeguarding training. Best practice guidance to licensing authorities, updated in 2023, recommends that drivers should be trained in disability awareness and/or have their knowledge and skills assessed. Licensing authorities are responsible for deciding the format and content of such training, including what, if any, training institutions are used.

What steps her Department is taking to improve the (a) accessibility and (b) effectiveness of grants for people who (i) have purchased used electric vehicles and (ii) cannot afford new electric vehicles.

The Government is fully committed to supporting the uptake of zero emission vehicles (ZEVs), including used vehicles. We’re investing over £4.5 billion to help industry and consumers make a supported switch to electric vehicles (EVs). This includes several grants for ZEVs and charging infrastructure.In July the Government announced a £63 million package to support the rollout of EV charging infrastructure. This included a £25 million scheme to help local authorities install cross-pavement charging technology. This will provide access to cheaper household energy rates, allowing EV drivers to save up to £1,500 a year compared to running a petrol or diesel car.

What steps she is taking to increase access to EV charging points.

The Government is committed to accelerating the roll-out of affordable and accessible charging infrastructure so that everyone, no matter where they live or work, can make the transition to an electric vehicle (EV). As of 1 October 2025, the Government and industry have supported the installation of 86,021 publicly available charging devices (including 17,354 rapid charging devices), an increase of 23% year on year. The £381 million Local EV Infrastructure (LEVI) Fund will support the installation of over 100,000 further local chargers, ensuring the rollout continues at pace to support drivers across the country.The Department is also working with local authorities to encourage the use of cross-pavement solutions and on the 13 July, announced the £25 million Electric Vehicle Pavement Channel grant.

What progress her Department has made on increasing EV charging infrastructure initiatives in under-served (a) urban and (b) rural areas.

Government’s £381 million Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Fund allocated capital and resource funding across all higher tier local authorities (LAs) in England, to ensure chargepoint rollout across the country including in under-served urban and rural areas. LAs with a higher proportion of residents in rural areas received a higher proportional allocation. This builds on rollout to date, with the number of publicly available charging devices in rural areas of England increasing by 45% in 2024. To further address gaps in infrastructure and make it easier for those without a driveway to charge at home, Government also announced a new £25 million grant for local authorities in England to install electric vehicle pavement channels in July. Funding can be used in both urban and rural areas.

What steps his Department is taking to provide up-to-date clinical guidance on the age groups that should receive the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) ensures commissioners, providers, and relevant healthcare professionals have access to the necessary resources to communicate accurate information, including age groups, about the routine childhood immunisation programme. UKHSA writes the national clinical guideline ‘immunisation against infectious disease’, known as ‘The Green Book’, which includes up-to-date clinical guidance on eligibility for the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine in the relevant chapters. The Green Book is available at the following link:https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5e021b9140f0b6665e80187b/Greenbook_chapter_21_Measles_December_2019.pdfFrom 1 January 2026, general practitioners will offer eligible children a combined vaccine for measles, mumps, rubella and varicella (MMRV) as part of the routine infant vaccination schedule.The eligibility criteria for children will be set out in clinical guidance, which will be published in due course, covering which birth cohorts will get the MMRV vaccine and when, to ensure the most effective protection for children.

What steps he is taking to counter disinformation pertaining to the MMRV vaccine.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Fylde on 5 September 2025 to Question 73639.

What assessment she has made of the potential merits of providing indefinite leave to remain for Ukrainian nationals that have fled to the UK since 2022.

On 1 September, the Government announced in parliament that the Ukraine Permission Extension scheme (UPE) would be extended for an additional 24 months to enable those eligible to obtain a further period of permission following their initial permission under UPE. More detail will follow in due course.The UK Government has always been clear that our offer of temporary sanctuary under the Ukraine Schemes does not lead to settlement in the UK. However, the UPE extension reflects a generous and meaningful commitment to support those displaced by the conflict, while also respecting the Ukrainian Government’s strong desire for the future return of its citizens when it is safe to do so.There are other routes available for those who wish to settle in the UK permanently, if they meet the requirements.

What steps his Department is taking to help ensure that appeals for education, health and care plans for SEND children reaching tribunal are processed swiftly.

We acknowledge that more needs to be done to reduce the time parents and young people have to wait to have their appeals heard and determined in the First-tier Tribunal (SEND). We are continuing to invest in the recruitment of up to 1,000 judges and tribunal members across all jurisdictions this year, including specific recruitment for the FTT, including SEND, which will increase judicial capacity.Alongside this, we are supporting the Tribunal Procedure Committee’s consultation on allowing suitable, lower complexity cases to be determined on the papers—subject to judicial discretion and the option to opt-out—so that hearing time is reserved for the most complex matters. A judicial alternative dispute resolution pilot is also helping to resolve appropriate disputes earlier.The pressures facing the Tribunal are indicative of wider pressures in the SEND system.  We are working with the Department for Education in the longer term to reduce the demands on the tribunal so that the outstanding caseload, and the time taken for the tribunal to determine appeals, is reduced.

What steps he is taking to help increase uptake of the MMRV vaccine among children.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Fylde on 8 September 2025 to Question 73633.

What steps her Department is taking to help ensure that education, health and care plans for SEND children are issued by local authorities within five weeks.

The department wants to ensure that education, health and care (EHC) assessments are progressed promptly and, if needed, high quality plans are issued as quickly as possible so that children and young people can access the support they need.The overall time it takes from a local authority receiving a request for an EHC needs assessment and the final plan being issued, if one is required, must not take longer than 20 weeks unless specific exceptions apply.The department continues to monitor, challenge and work closely with local authorities that have issues with EHC plan timeliness. Where there are concerns about a local authority’s capacity to make the required improvements, we ensure that the cause of these problems is identified with the local authority and that an effective recovery plan is implemented. Where needed, the department deploys specialist special educational needs and disabilities advisors to help identify the barriers to carrying out the EHC plan process in a timely way and to address these through practical plans for recovery, alongside addressing other areas of weakness in provision.