Written questions by Mierlo.

Innovation and Technology, what further steps he plans to take to help ensure the safety of children on (a) social media apps and (b) other online platforms, in the context of the use of virtual private networks by criminals to target vulnerable young people.

The Online Safety Act makes search and user-to-user services, including social media services, responsible for their users’ safety on their platforms. The Act contains strong protections for children, safeguarding them from harmful and illegal activities online, even when these are proliferated by users using virtual private networks. The regulatory regime is designed to be tech-neutral, allowing Ofcom to revise its codes and guidance as new risks emerge.

What steps he is taking to help (a) prepare the NHS for innovative medicines for the treatment of and (b) increase the use of MRI scanners for (i) detection and (ii) diagnosis of Alzheimer's.

The National Health Service is a world leader in rolling out innovative treatments, including personalised cancer and life-saving gene therapies. A dedicated team is in place overseeing the NHS’s preparations for the potential arrival of new Alzheimer’s treatments that are approved by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency and determined to be clinically and cost-effective by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.The team, supported by clinical experts and system leaders, has taken concrete steps to ramp up preparations across the country, for example identifying new clinical pathway requirements and assessing the additional scanning, treatment and safety monitoring capacity that would be needed. This includes options for securing additional genetic testing and diagnostic capacity including magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), lumbar puncture and PET-CT scanning.NHS England is also working with partner agencies to support and inform further research into other diagnostic modalities, including blood-based biomarker and digital tests, which may help improve identification and management of Alzheimer’s disease. We are committed to transforming diagnostic services and will support the NHS to increase diagnostic capacity to meet the demand for diagnostic services, including for the detection and diagnosis of dementia, through investment in new capacity, including MRI scanners.

What recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of the provision of SEND services in Henley and Thame constituency; and if she will have discussions with Oxfordshire County Council on (a) the level of and (b) the process for receiving funding for SEND provision.

The last local area special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) inspection by Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) for Oxfordshire was in July 2023, which identified widespread and/or systemic failings leading to significant concerns about the experiences and outcomes of children and young people with SEND. The report, published on 15 September, included four areas for priority action:The local area partnership should evaluate the quality and impact of services and joint working more effectively in order to inform improvements.Leaders should improve their strategic approach to transition planning at all ages.Leaders must continue to develop their oversight, strategy and commissioning arrangements of suitable alternative provision.Leaders across the partnership should continue to address the long waiting times for children and young people requesting support from health services and those awaiting assessments.Every child and young person with SEND should have access to high quality services, and where a council does not meet requirements to provide appropriate support for these children, the department will take action to prioritise their needs and bring about rapid improvement.Oxfordshire County Council was issued with an Improvement Notice on 9 November 2023. This sets out the steps the department expects the local authority to take in raising standards in their SEND services. The department is working closely with its partners in NHS England to monitor, support and challenge the local area partnership to making the necessary improvements, including through regular monitoring meetings, which focus on the impact of actions taken on improving the lives of children and young people with SEND and their families. Oxfordshire County Council are committed to working closely with us to improve their SEND services.Oxfordshire County Council’s high needs funding allocation for children and young people with complex SEND is over £111 million for the 2024/25 financial year, including funding for teachers’ pay and pension costs. In addition, this government has allocated Oxfordshire Council an extra core schools budget grant of £1.3 million to help with special schools’ costs. The department does not collect data or information on the Council’s process for allocating this funding on to specific provision in the Henley and Thame constituency.Oxfordshire are part of the Delivering Better Value (DBV) programme which provides £1 million in grant funding to support local authorities to provide more effective SEND services by meeting the needs of children and young people with SEND at an early stage and with the right level of support. The department monitors Oxfordshire's progress in the DBV programme through quarterly reporting and meetings with the local authority.

If he will meet the hon. Member for Henley and Thame and the Environment Agency to discuss the repair of Marsh Lock bridge on the Thames Path between Henley and Shiplake.

I would be happy to meet with the honourable Member alongside the Environment Agency to discuss this matter.