Written questions by Amos.

Food and Rural Affairs, how many flood defence asset inspections the Environment Agency carried out in each of the last five financial years; and what proportion of flood defence assets have been inspected at least once in the last three years.

The Environment Agency’s (EA) Flood and Coastal Risk Management (FCRM) assets play a critical role protecting communities from the impacts of flooding. The EA has an annual programme of around 110,000 asset inspections, which can increase in-year to 165,000. The EA’s asset register is updated daily, meaning the baseline is in flux, preventing a meaningful comparison of figures between years. The EA therefore reports the percentage of assets at or below target condition. During quarter 2 of the 2025/26 financial year, 92.9% of the EA’s assets were currently at or above target condition.

If she will extend business rates exemptions to nurseries delivering Government-funded childcare places, comparable to the exemptions recently announced for pubs and to those that apply to schools and academies.

Business rates are a broad-based tax on the value of non-domestic properties, including nurseries. At the Budget, the Government announced a £4.3 billion support package announced at the Budget to support ratepayers across all sectors seeing bill increases. As a result of the Budget package, over half of ratepayers will see no bill increases. This also means most properties seeing increases will see them capped at 15% or less next year, or £800 for the smallest. In recognition of the fact they are valued differently to some other sectors, and industry bodies have highlighted concerns with how costs are accounted for in this methodology, particularly during periods of high inflation, the Government is providing additional support to pubs. More broadly, in 2026-27, we expect to provide over £9.5 billion for the early years entitlements. We are investing over £1 billion more compared to 2025-26 to deliver a full year of the expanded entitlements and an above inflation increase to funding rates.

Communities and Local Government, what estimate his Department has made of the number of residential properties built in Taunton and Wellington constituency in each year from 2009.

My Department publishes an annual release entitled ‘Housing supply: net additional dwellings, England’, which is the primary and most comprehensive measure of housing supply. This includes estimates of new homes built in each local authority, in each financial year, to 2024-25 and can be found in Live Table 123 on gov.uk here. My Department also publishes a quarterly release entitled ‘Housing supply: Indicators of New Supply, England’, which includes more timely estimates of new build starts and completions in England, and in each local authority district. Statistics to the quarter ending September 2025 can be found in Live Table 253a on gov.uk here. This dataset cover new build dwellings only and should be regarded as a leading indicator of overall housing supply. Figures at parliamentary constituency level are not centrally collected.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of aligning Section 2 shotgun licensing with Section 1 firearms licensing on (a) participation in shooting sports and (b) rural businesses; whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of alternative measures to improve public safety and licensing consistency; and what evidence base informed the decision to consult on merging these licensing regimes.

The Government response to the 2023 firearms licensing consultation, published on 13 February 2025, included a commitment to having a public consultation on strengthening the licensing controls on shotguns to bring them more into line with the controls on other firearms in the interests of public safety. The Government response set out the reasons why the Government considers this consultation to be important, and we intend to publish this shortly.

What steps her Department is taking to expand the Highway Code awareness campaign beyond London; and what plans her Department has to help ensure similar campaigns are extended to (a) Somerset, (b) rural areas and (c) any other areas where road users may have less exposure to targeted messaging about transport.

Following updates to the Highway Code in 2022, the department ran THINK! advertising campaigns nationally to raise awareness of the changes. Local authorities are responsible for delivering road safety education and have a statutory duty to take steps both to reduce and prevent collisions. THINK! Highway Code campaign resources are available for local authorities to download from the THINK! website and are free to use for educational purposes: https://www.think.gov.uk/campaign/highway-code-changes/ Via the THINK! campaign, we are also running year-round radio filler adverts across England and Wales encouraging compliance with the Highway Code guidance to improve safety for those walking, cycling and horse riding. We will also continue to promote the changes via THINK! and Department for Transport social media channels, as well as through partner organisations. In addition to the Highway Code activity, THINK! also runs paid advertising campaigns focused on the priority issues of speed, drink driving and drug driving. The primary audience for these campaigns is young men aged 17-24, who are four times more likely to be killed or seriously injured on the road than drivers aged 25 and over. All THINK! campaigns are run nationally, therefore Somerset and rural areas are included. As set out in the Road Safety Strategy, more work is needed to continue embedding these changes and overall awareness of the Highway Code. We are considering options in this area, and further details will be shared in due course.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of statutory maternity pay rates that do not allow parents to receive 30 hours of free childcare on the ability of those parents to access childcare; and what steps he is taking to ensure that parents on statutory maternity pay can access childcare support while on maternity leave.

The 30 hours free childcare entitlement aims to support parents to return to work or to take on more hours if they wish. To be eligible, each working parent in a household must expect to earn the equivalent of 16 hours a week at National Minimum/Living Wage (£195 per week/£10,158 per year for those over 21 in 2025-2026), and less than £100,000 adjusted net income per year. The minimum income threshold rises in line with National Minimum Wage increases at the beginning of the financial year.Eligibility is based on expected income for the next 3 months following a parent’s declaration. To ensure parents continue to meet the income criteria for the entitlement, it is right that parents confirm they still meet the income threshold.There is an exception for parents on parental leave or in receipt of statutory pay who are applying for an older child, not the subject of the parental leave. They can apply online at GOV.UK. For parents who are applying for the child that is the subject of their current parental leave, their return-to-work date will affect when they can apply and take up their free childcare place.The Government is committed to making life better for families and has committed to review the parental leave and pay system. All current and upcoming parental leave and pay entitlements are in scope of the Parental Leave and Pay Review, including Statutory Maternity Pay.

Whether her Department plans to review the eligibility rules for receiving 30 hours of free childcare.

It is our 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. We are delivering more support to working families than ever before with the rollout of the 30 hours government-funded childcare entitlement since September 2025.To be eligible, each working parent in a household must expect to earn the equivalent of 16 hours a week at National Minimum or Living Wage, and less than £100,000 adjusted net income per year. Childcare support is made up of several different systems and has developed gradually over time, with add-ons and expansions made by subsequent governments. This can make it confusing for both parents and early years providers to understand and apply for the help available. We will continue improving the system so that all children, regardless of background, can benefit from high-quality early education and childcare, and parents are supported to work.

What steps her Department is taking to help ensure that mature students who wish to retrain as doctors are able to access available financial support; and what assessment her Department has made of the extent to which those mature students who previously had a student loan that is now fully repaid are eligible to access that financial support.

The government is committed to ensuring the country develops the skills needed to break down barriers to opportunity and so is introducing the Lifelong Learning Entitlement (LLE). This will launch in the 2026/27 academic year for learners up to aged 60 studying courses that start on or after 1 January 2027.The LLE will remove the Equivalent Level Qualification rules meaning more people can train, retrain and upskill flexibly. Also under the LLE, a priority additional entitlement will be available to support graduates who study a second degree in certain courses, including medicine. Courses eligible for priority additional entitlement funding have been chosen based on their alignment to the government’s Industrial Strategy and the UK’s priority skills needs.Medical students taking a second degree using the LLE will also be able to access standard maintenance support for those years not covered by the NHS bursary.

Whether he has had discussions with the Secretary of State for the Home Department on the potential merits of including individuals on spouse visas who have the right to work and contribute to the NHS among the priority groups for NHS specialty training offers.

The Medical Training (Prioritisation) Bill was introduced to Parliament on 13 January 2026. The bill delivers the Government’s commitment in the 10-Year Health Plan for England, published in July 2025, to prioritise United Kingdom medical graduates for foundation training, and to prioritise UK medical graduates and other doctors who have worked in the National Health Service for a significant period for specialty training.For specialty training places starting in 2026, NHS experience is being represented by immigration status as people with a settled immigration status are more likely to have worked in the NHS for longer. For specialty training posts starting from 2027 onwards, this provision will not apply automatically. Instead, it will be possible to make regulations to specify additional groups who will be prioritised, where they are likely to have significant experience working as a doctor either in the NHS in England, Scotland, or Wales, or in health and social care in Northern Ireland, or by reference to their immigration status.Individuals on spouse visas are not included in the prioritised group for specialty training posts starting in 2026, because it is not a good indicator of likely NHS experience. The Department of Health and Social Care worked closely with the Home Office on the development of the bill.Applicants on spouse visas will still be able to apply and will be offered places if vacancies remain after prioritised applicants have received offers.

What assessment he has made of the adequacy of the performance of Royal Mail delivery services in Wellington, Somerset; what steps Royal Mail is taking to increase staffing levels and improve delivery times in that area; and what steps Royal Mail is taking to ensure the timely delivery of medical correspondence and other essential items.

Ofcom, as the independent regulator of postal services, has powers to investigate and take enforcement action should Royal Mail fail to achieve its obligations without good justification. It is for Royal Mail, as an independent business, to determine the appropriate staffing levels it needs to meet its universal service obligation.Additionally, the government recognises the importance of timely delivery of NHS letters. Royal Mail has introduced an NHS barcode to assist NHS units that continue to rely on post to communicate with patients.

Whether he has considered the potential merits of creating a national mail order fraud database for (a) retailers, (b) delivery companies, (c) customers and (d) other relevant parties to log delivery issues.

The Department for Business and Trade has not made an assessment on creating a national mail order fraud database. Led by the Home Office, the Government will be setting out its approach to tackling all types of fraud in its upcoming Fraud Strategy. Report Fraud is the new national reporting service for fraud and for cyber crime operated by City of London Police. They also take information reports on attempted frauds. Reports submitted to Report Fraud are considered by the service’s National Crime Analysis Service and evaluated to assess the information available which could assist an investigation.

If her Department will introduce an enhanced public awareness campaign to improve understanding of the updated Highway Code rules.

Improving road safety is one of my Department’s highest priorities. Injuries and fatalities from road collisions caused by driving are unacceptable, and this Government will work hard to prevent these tragedies for all road users. That is why on 7 January 2026, we published our new Road Safety Strategy, setting out our vision for a safer future on our roads for all. Following updates to the Highway Code in 2022, the Department ran large-scale THINK! advertising campaigns to raise awareness of the changes. Via the THINK! campaign, we are also running year-round radio filler adverts encouraging compliance with the guidance to improve safety for those walking, cycling and horse riding. We will also continue to promote the changes via THINK! and Department for Transport social media channels, as well as through partner organisations. However, as set out in the Strategy, more work is needed to continue embedding these changes and ensuring overall awareness of the Highway Code. We are considering options in this area, and further details will be shared in due course. As our road environment and technologies evolve, providing education for all road users throughout their lifetime is vital to improving road safety. As announced in the Strategy, to support a Lifelong Learning approach in the UK the Government will publish for the first time national guidance on the development and delivery of road safety education, training and publicity. Alongside this, the Government will publish a manual to support the implementation of a Lifelong Learning approach for road safety.

Innovation and Technology, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of upgrading Ofcom’s Violence Against Women and Girls guidance to be a mandatory code.

The Online Safety Act has delivered a robust set of legal duties, taking some of the boldest steps in the world. Enforcement for non-compliance is severe.Ofcom’s guidance on violence against women and girls goes beyond this, setting a new and ambitious standard for women and girls’ online safety with simple and practical measures that tech firms can adopt.

Innovation and Technology, what plans her Department has for cross-government working to encourage safety by design of smart and connected technology to help protect victims and survivors of technology-facilitated abuse.

Tackling Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) in all its forms, including online, is a priority for this Government. That is why, in December, we published the cross-government VAWG Strategy.Within the Strategy, we commit to working across departments to explore what more we can do to encourage safety‑by‑design in smart and connected technologies. This work aims to better protect victims and survivors, and to prevent perpetrators from misusing these technologies to facilitate abuse.

How much revenue has been generated from the application of VAT to private school fees to date and how this revenue has been allocated.

The government has estimated that ending tax breaks for private schools will raise £1.8 billion a year by 2029/30. At the Autumn Budget 2025, the re-costing of the measure showed it will raise around £40 million per year more than originally forecast. This will raise essential revenue to help fund public services, including supporting the 94% of children in state schools.

What communications and outreach strategies the Department is implementing to inform victims, legal representatives, and support organisations about their eligibility and the future availability of free sentencing-remarks transcripts, in light of the 498 applications processed under the Rape and Sexual Offences pilot.

In May 2025, we announced that we would continue to enable victims of rape and other sexual offences, whose cases were heard in the Crown Court, to apply for free transcripts of the sentencing remarks in their case, on an on-going basis. This followed a one-year pilot which ran from May 2024.We have taken the following steps to promote the provision:Providing the Witness Service, whose role is to support victims and witnesses at court, with an information sheet on the scheme to distribute to any eligible victimsPublishing a dedicated webpage on Gov.ukSharing information on the scheme at a forum with over 70 national and local stakeholders who work with or represent victims.And creating social media posts on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram and LinkedIn.

Whether his Department has undertaken comparative analysis of maternity and paternity pay provisions for (a) teachers and (b) other (i) public and (ii) private sector professions; and what steps he is taking to help reduce disparities in parental leave entitlements across sectors.

The Government has committed to review the parental leave and pay system. All current and upcoming parental leave and pay entitlements are in scope of the Parental Leave and Pay Review.

What assessment his Department has made of the equity of the current eligibility criteria for the Long Service and Good Conduct Medal, including Regular Officers who were discharged before 29 July 2014 but who served the same qualifying period as those who have received the medal under the revised rule.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 29 October 2025, to Question 84537.https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2025-10-22/84537

If he will set out how the Department’s planned reforms to enhance staff awareness of safeguarding roles and responsibilities will integrate new safeguarding frameworks into its organisational culture and operations, including guidance and training materials are accessible to staff with disabilities, provided in multiple formats, and include clear, direct routes to designated safeguarding leads.

Safeguarding is a priority for DWP. Year One of our multi-year strategy is about building strong foundations - raising awareness, strengthening capability, and deepening partnerships. This is not just a process change; it’s a fundamental culture shift to make safeguarding part of everyday business. The Department already operates a tiered system of support for vulnerable customers. All staff are trained to recognise vulnerability and respond appropriately, with specialist help available for complex cases. Frontline colleagues have access to guidance that supports them to refer individuals to external agencies with statutory responsibilities to protect people from harm, abuse or neglect when they identify safeguarding concerns. The Department has committed to embedding Level 1 safeguarding training across the organisation. This provides employees with the knowledge and skills to recognise potential safeguarding concerns and to know what action to take and who to report to if they have concerns. We are offering this training to all DWP staff. In addition, we have embedded Level 3 adult and child mandatory safeguarding for all clinicians across the organisation. Our focus remains on making our training accessible. Design standards and design tools for DWP technical learning support a comprehensive range of learner needs, and DWP Service Delivery role based technical learning is fully compliant with the requirements of the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018. Alternative formats are provided, and arrangements are made to support learners’ reasonable adjustments. We will continue to enable colleagues to complete Safeguarding training as part of their professional development, and we will track progress.

What steps NHS England will take to ensure Integrated Care Boards comply with Regulation 6(4) of the NHS (Pharmaceutical and Local Pharmaceutical Services) Regulations 2013, particularly where chemist premises are removed following a consolidation application, but no Supplementary Statement is publicly published to confirm that the relevant Health and Wellbeing Board is satisfied that no gap in service provision was created.

If two pharmacies are consolidated onto one site, the relevant Local Authority Health and Wellbeing Board (HWB) must publish a supplementary statement to their Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment if, in their view, the consolidation has not created a gap in service provision. This requirement is set out in Regulation 6(4) of the NHS (Pharmaceutical and Local Pharmaceutical Services) Regulations 2013. Whilst it is not the responsibility of NHS England to ensure HWBs comply with this requirement, integrated care boards (ICBs) must seek assurance that a closure of a pharmacy would not create a gap when considering consolidation applications. This includes seeking the view of the HWB. Any representations received from the HWB are considered when reviewing an application from a contractor to open a pharmacy in the area. NHS England oversees the performance of ICBs through the NHS Oversight Framework 2025/26 and the Strategic Commissioning Framework.