Written questions by Mierlo.

Innovation and Technology, if he will make an assessment of (a) trends in the level of online abuse of sport people and (b) the effectiveness of online safety provisions.

The government is extremely concerned by the online abuse of sportspeople and will continue working with the sports sector to tackle this.The Online Safety Act strengthens protections for public figures online. Harassment and hate crime are priority offences under the Act, requiring companies to proactively search for, remove and limit users’ exposure to such content and activity.DSIT is working with Ofcom to develop a longer-term monitoring and evaluation framework to assess the Act’s impact, including assessing relevant data and crime statistics.

How many (a) births and (b) elective c-sections occurred in each NHS trust in England in 2024.

The National Health Service routinely publishes data on maternity activity for NHS hospitals, including data relating to the number of births, the method of onset of labour, delivery methods, and places of delivery. An annual publication for this data, covering the financial year ending March 2024, is available at the following link:https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/nhs-maternity-statistics/2023-24A monthly breakdown of statistics is also available, at the following link:https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/maternity-services-monthly-statistics/final-may-2025-provisional-june-2025-official-statistics

What assessment he has made of the potential merits of ensuring that the national review of Maternity Services (a) includes representations from (i) patients and (ii) campaign groups and (b) encourages their active involvement.

On 23 June, my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care announced an independent investigation into National Health Service maternity and neonatal services to understand the systemic issues behind why so many women, babies, and families experience unacceptable care. He has held a series of meetings with harmed and bereaved families from across the country and has committed to ensuring that the voices of women and families are at the heart of improving standards.In addition, on 14 August, the appointment was announced of the Rt Hon. the Baroness Amos as chair of the independent maternity and neonatal investigation. Further information is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/news/baroness-amos-to-spearhead-maternity-and-neonatal-investigationThe Rt. Hon. the Baroness Amos was selected after feedback from bereaved families who expressed a preference for someone with distance from the NHS. Support will be given by a team of esteemed expert advisors, who will be selected following further engagement with families. The chair is working with families to finalise the terms of reference for the investigation, and these will be published shortly.The Government is also establishing a National Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce, chaired by my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, and this is to be made up of a panel of experts and family, charity, and staff representatives.The taskforce will use the recommendations from the independent investigation to develop a national plan to drive improvements across maternity and neonatal care. The taskforce will work closely with families in developing the action plan, ensuring their voices are central to this work.

Which police forces provide a family liaison officer in cases of (a) murder, (b) fatal accident, (c) unexplained death and (d) suicide.

We recognise that the role of the FLO is an important one, especially when supporting families during difficult times.However, decisions to assign an FLO in specific cases are made by individual police forces, and such decisions would therefore be an operational matter.

What recent discussions she has with the Scottish and Welsh Assemblies on the potential merits of issuing an apology to people affected by the adoption of children of unmarried women between 1949-1976.

Departmental officials have had, and will continue to have, discussions with the Scottish Government and the Welsh Assembly to understand and learn from their approaches. We are considering all aspects of this issue with the seriousness and sensitivity it deserves.

Communities and Local Government, when she plans to bring into force the provisions of the section 102 of the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act 2023 to require planning authorities to have special regard to the desirability of preserving or enhancing a battlefield or its setting.

The government is reviewing heritage planning policy in the context of wider reforms to the planning system. As part of that work, we will consider the outstanding measures from the Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023 including the duty of regard to certain heritage assets in granting permissions in section 102 of the Act.

What recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of the (a) transparency, (b) impartiality and (c) equality of the public procurement process for government contracts.

The Government has recently implemented the Procurement Act 2023 which has introduced significantly enhanced transparency throughout the commercial lifecycle. Alongside this, a new Central Digital Platform has been rolled out and captures this data in the public domain- from publishing tender notices to contractual key performance indicators. Other measures introduced include requiring conflicts of interest assessments to ensure impartiality and equal treatment obligations that require suppliers participating in the procurement to be treated the same. A new Procurement Review Unit will additionally provide oversight for the regime and ensure it is functioning well. The Government is considering new legislation and has launched a consultation that is currently seeking views.

What recent discussions she has had with representatives of the early years sector on reforming the funding model to improve sustainability and reduce bureaucracy.

The early years sector was widely consulted as part of the development of the Best Start in Life strategy, published by the department on 7 July 2025. This close working relationship will continue as we deliver on our commitment to consulting with the sector on a set of changes to our approach to early years funding by summer 2026. We want to ensure that funding is distributed fairly, effectively and efficiently, reflecting the costs of delivery in different parts of the country, and supporting those children and areas that have higher levels of additional need.

What assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of early years and childcare provision in areas experiencing significant housing development.

It is this government’s ambition that all families have access to high quality, affordable and flexible early education and care, giving every child the best start in life and delivering on our Plan for Change. In 2025/26, we plan to provide over £8 billion as we roll out the expansion of the entitlements. This represents an additional £2 billion compared to 2024/25. Additionally, the Community Infrastructure Levy and Section 106 legal agreements allow local authorities to raise funds from new developments to support infrastructure needs in their area.The department has regular contact with each local authority in England about their sufficiency of childcare and any issues they are facing. Where local authorities report sufficiency challenges, we discuss what action the local authority is taking and, where needed, support the local authority with any specific requirements through our childcare sufficiency support contract.

Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 24 April to Question 46551 on Thames Water, what recent progress Ofwat has made in its enforcement case investigation into Thames Water's potential breach of its Water Industry National Environmental Programme obligations.

It is not appropriate for the Government to comment on an ongoing investigation. We have a system of independent environmental and economic regulation, and the recently introduced Water (Special Measures) Act provides the most significant increase in enforcement powers for the regulators in a decade, giving them the teeth they need to take tougher action against water companies in the next investment period.  This includes powers for Ofwat to set rules on remuneration, governance, and financial reporting. We expect Ofwat to proceed swiftly with ongoing investigations to hold water companies to account on poor performance and to drive improvements which benefit customers and the environment.

What steps he has taken to (a) improve access to antenatal care education for women and families and (b) ensure that high-quality (a) information and (b) information on birthing is delivered during antenatal classes.

Maternity services are commissioned by integrated care boards (ICBs), and it is the responsibility of local commissioners to ensure services, including antenatal education, are designed to be accessible and high-quality. As was set out in the 2025/26 National Health Service operational planning and contracting guidance, when taking decisions, ICBs and providers are asked to pay particular attention to challenged and fragile services, including maternity and neonatal services, thereby delivering the key actions of the Three Year Delivery Plan and continuing to address variation in access, experiences, and outcomes. Antenatal care is a key focus of the plan. In addition, NHS England expects ICBs to have due regard to relevant National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines. For antenatal care education, NICE guidelines recommend offering antenatal classes to all first-time mothers and their partners, covering a range of topics, including preparing for labour and birth. It also advises that classes should be considered for women in subsequent pregnancies where there may be a benefit.

Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to his Department's guidance entitled Designate a bathing water: guidance on how to apply, updated on 15 May 2025, for what reason applications cannot include organised swim events.

As per the criteria set out on GOV.UK, for a site to be eligible for designation as a bathing water, it must be used by an average of at least 100 bathers a day during the bathing season (15 May to 30 September). User surveys must be taken at a site to evidence this. An organised swim event is likely to result in an unusually high number of bathers for that day and therefore would not provide a fair reflection of the number of bathers per day during the bathing season. The application guidance will continue to be reviewed for suitability.

If he will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a regulatory body for antenatal education organisations.

As outlined in the 10-Year Health Plan, we are cutting the number of regulatory bodies as they are overwhelming the National Health Service system and taking focus away from the basics of patient care. The changes we are making will improve quality and safety by making it clear where responsibility and accountability sits at all levels of the system, and making it easier for staff, patients, and users to directly feed into the system to improve quality of care. We therefore have no plans currently to introduce a further regulatory body specific to antenatal education organisations.

If he will make an assessment of the potential merits of the inclusion of Oxford University Hospitals Trust in the rapid review of NHS maternity services.

The investigation will carry out rapid reviews of up to ten trusts with specific issues. The process of determining which trusts to review is ongoing, and once decided, they will be announced as soon as possible.

Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 2 July 2025 to Question 63716 on Bathing Water, what kind of epidemiological studies she is carrying out in relation to wider reforms.

We have begun policy development and research on how best to implement the wider reforms as consulted on last year. These are expanding the definition of a ‘bather’ and introducing the use of multiple monitoring points at bathing sites. Policy development and research includes epidemiological studies which we are doing so that bathing waters can be used, monitored and classified with all users in mind. This research will also help us understand the public health implications and provide accurate advice. We are keen to work with stakeholders and welcome any information they can provide in developing this reform. We are exploring also the potential of conducting immersion studies as part of the research for the wider reforms.

Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 1 July 2025 to Question 63264 on Water: Reform, what her planned timetable is for the implementation of wider reform one.

In November 2024, the Government, jointly with the Welsh Government, consulted on Reforms to The Bathing Water Regulations 2013, in the first shake-up to the Bathing Water Regulations since they were introduced. We have begun policy development and research, including epidemiological studies, to determine how best to implement both of the wider these reforms detailed in this consultation consulted on; clarifying and expanding the definition of ‘bathers’ and using multiple monitoring points at each bathing water site to classify water quality. This work will take into account any potential environmental, societal and access impacts of these reforms. We are keen to work closely with stakeholders in the development of any future reforms and a timetable for any implementation will be agreed once this work has concluded.

What steps he is taking to support NHS Trusts with (a) additional pharmacist staff salaries, (b) the cost of additional monitoring blood tests and (c) additional service delivery costs when new drug treatments are funded for NHS patients.

The 2025/26 NHS Payment Scheme, published on 4 April 2025, governs transactions between providers and commissioners of secondary healthcare by setting the rules for determining the amount payable for the provision of healthcare services. In short, it defines the basis for fairly reimbursing National Health Service trusts for the work they do. More information on the scheme is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/25-26-nhs-payment-scheme/Prices in the scheme have been updated to reflect the latest NHS pay awards. The 2025/26 prices have been calculated in part by updating 2024/25 pay award prices, published in September 2024. for inflation and efficiency;The scheme includes a published list of 2025/26 prices reflecting the latest pay awards, which are available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/2025-26-nhs-payment-scheme/This list includes the price paid to NHS trusts for persons who solely require a blood test. High-cost drugs, which can include those that have just received approval, are excluded from prices and are subject to separate agreement on appropriate funding between providers and commissioners.

What steps she is taking to (a) help tackle online harassment and (b) improve protection for people in public life.

As Chair of the Defending Democracy Taskforce, I want to be clear: the harassment or intimidation of elected representatives - whether online or in person - is never acceptable. The work we are taking forward includes working across Government with the police, parliamentary authorities, to actively review our levers to tackle the harassment and intimidation of elected representatives, candidates, and electoral staff. For example, the Online Safety Act 2023 now requires platforms to remove illegal content - including threats and abuse - with Ofcom enforcing compliance.But we must go further. The threat is evolving, and so must our response. Under the Taskforce's renewed mandate, we are reviewing how to strengthen protections and close any gaps. Measures such as the new aggravating factor in the recently published Elections Strategy introduce clearer consequences for behaviour that crosses the line into abuse. I also welcome the important work of the Speaker's Conference and look forward to its final recommendations.

Whether her Department plans to introduce noise cameras.

Further to my response to PQ66815, the Department does not currently have plans to introduce noise cameras but is keeping up to date with any advancements in this technology. It is ultimately for local authorities and the police to consider what the most appropriate enforcement routes may be for addressing issues with excessive vehicle noise within their area.

Whether her Department has conducted a review of the consistency of early years funding implementation across local authorities in England.

The department will review early years funding, including the early years national funding formulae, consulting on a set of changes by summer 2026. We will review how funding is distributed both nationally and locally to ensure the funding system is fair and effective at reflecting the costs of delivery and appropriately targeting additional need.