Written questions by Morris.

Communities and Local Government, if she will bring forward legislative proposals to limit the distance local authorities can relocate (a) people and (b) families when discharging a homelessness duty.

Homelessness levels are far too high and too many families are living in temporary accommodation. We will take the action needed to tackle this issue and develop a long-term, cross-government strategy, through working with Mayors, councils and key stakeholders, to end homelessness for good.Homelessness legislation sets out that local authorities should try to place individuals within their own area, and when this is not possible, they should place the household as near as possible to the original local authority. The Government is clear that local authorities should, as far as possible, avoid placing households out of their borough. However, this is not always possible when there is a limited supply of suitable accommodation. If a local authority places a household into accommodation in another local area, they are required by law to notify the local authority of any placement, to ensure there is no disruption to education or employment.

Communities and Local Government, if she will bring forward legislative proposals to require local authorities discharging a homelessness duties out of area to notify the receiving local authority of each relocation.

Homelessness levels are far too high and too many families are living in temporary accommodation. We will take the action needed to tackle this issue and develop a long-term, cross-government strategy, through working with Mayors, councils and key stakeholders, to end homelessness for good.Homelessness legislation sets out that local authorities should try to place individuals within their own area, and when this is not possible, they should place the household as near as possible to the original local authority. The Government is clear that local authorities should, as far as possible, avoid placing households out of their borough. However, this is not always possible when there is a limited supply of suitable accommodation. If a local authority places a household into accommodation in another local area, they are required by law to notify the local authority of any placement, to ensure there is no disruption to education or employment.

Communities and Local Government, if she will establish a national oversight mechanism to (a) monitor and (b) review the practice of local authorities discharging homelessness duties out of area.

Homelessness levels are far too high and too many families are living in temporary accommodation. We will take the action needed to tackle this issue and develop a long-term, cross-government strategy, through working with Mayors, councils and key stakeholders, to end homelessness for good.Homelessness legislation sets out that local authorities should try to place individuals within their own area, and when this is not possible, they should place the household as near as possible to the original local authority. The Government is clear that local authorities should, as far as possible, avoid placing households out of their borough. However, this is not always possible when there is a limited supply of suitable accommodation. If a local authority places a household into accommodation in another local area, they are required by law to notify the local authority of any placement, to ensure there is no disruption to education or employment.

Communities and Local Government, what (a) protections and (b) support are available for families facing homelessness who wish to refuse an offer of accommodation located a significant distance from their home area.

Homelessness levels are far too high and too many families are living in temporary accommodation. We will take the action needed to tackle this issue and develop a long-term, cross-government strategy, through working with Mayors, councils and key stakeholders, to end homelessness for good.Homelessness legislation sets out that local authorities should try to place individuals within their own area, and when this is not possible, they should place the household as near as possible to the original local authority. The Government is clear that local authorities should, as far as possible, avoid placing households out of their borough. However, this is not always possible when there is a limited supply of suitable accommodation. If a local authority places a household into accommodation in another local area, they are required by law to notify the local authority of any placement, to ensure there is no disruption to education or employment.

Whether (a) public and (b) private prisons require prison officers to have a minimum level of experience.

We have inherited a prison system crisis. For far too long, our hardworking staff have had to face the brunt of prison overcrowding, which has damaged morale and put the safety and security of staff at risk. This is one of the reasons why we have taken difficult but necessary action to rescue the prison system from the point of collapse. We know that sufficient and skilled frontline staffing is fundamental to delivering safe, secure, and rehabilitative prison regimes. On recruitment, nationally we are currently above target staffing levels for prison officers, although challenges remain in some sites with a high number of vacancies. Recruitment efforts will continue at all sites with a current or projected future need, and we have a number of targeted recruitment interventions that can be deployed where needed. There are no specific expectations in terms of experience for a new prison officer, but all new joiners have to pass an assessment process, and complete at least 10 weeks’ training prior to starting their roles. The loss of staff post-Covid has meant that we have significant numbers of prison officers who have recently been recruited. Due to this large intake of new staff, many colleagues lack experience – with over 40% of Band 3-5 prison officers having less than 3 years of experience. We are focused on retaining our dedicated staff, but we know it takes time to build confidence, capability, and the jailcraft skills that are essential to improve the system. HMPPS have in place over 150 New Colleague Mentors across the estate to provide support for all new staff and improve the onboarding process. HMPPS also provides colleagues with its ‘Career Pathways Framework’. This equips staff with information on career options and the variety of job roles available in HMPPS, as well as learning and development programmes. On prison officer joiners and leavers, data can be found in Tab 8 of the quarterly HMPPS workforce statistics publication, with Tables 1 and 2 showing the number of joiners and leavers in each year to the end of March over the last 5 years, as well as the latest data in the year to the end of June. We have not included Bands 4 and 5 in the joiner data, as we recruit these grades through promotion, apart from re-instatements. Table 1 – Prison Officer joinersTime series - 12 months to end of each yearGrade31-Mar-201931-Mar-202031-Mar-202131-Mar-202231-Mar-202331-Mar-202430-Jun-2024Bands 3-4 / Prison Officer (incl. specialists)4,7382,3012,4093,8424,3124,8184,819 Table 2 – Prison Officer leaversTime series - 12 months to end of each yearGrade31-Mar-201931-Mar-202031-Mar-202131-Mar-202231-Mar-202331-Mar-202430-Jun-2024Band 5 / Custodial Managers6591789197103104Band 4 / Supervising Officer13816588155156138138Bands 3-4 / Prison Officer (incl. specialists)2,4372,5961,9503,1413,0782,9072,926 To provide the number of prison officers in supervisory roles with less than one year’s experience, we have provided data on Band 4 Supervising Officers, whose role includes overseeing the daily regime of a wing or area of the prison. Tab 4 of the quarterly HMPPS workforce statistics publication gives data on staff length of service for the main operational grades, including Band 3-5 officers. On 30 June 2024 there were four 'Band 4 / Supervising Officer' prison officers in post who had less than one year's experience. The length of service is calculated from the most recent hire date within HMPPS, not from them starting a specific role. It should be noted that if these members of staff were previously employed by HMPPS, left and rejoined, only their latest service would be counted.

What steps she is taking to increase cumulative prison officer experience.

We have inherited a prison system crisis. For far too long, our hardworking staff have had to face the brunt of prison overcrowding, which has damaged morale and put the safety and security of staff at risk. This is one of the reasons why we have taken difficult but necessary action to rescue the prison system from the point of collapse. We know that sufficient and skilled frontline staffing is fundamental to delivering safe, secure, and rehabilitative prison regimes. On recruitment, nationally we are currently above target staffing levels for prison officers, although challenges remain in some sites with a high number of vacancies. Recruitment efforts will continue at all sites with a current or projected future need, and we have a number of targeted recruitment interventions that can be deployed where needed. There are no specific expectations in terms of experience for a new prison officer, but all new joiners have to pass an assessment process, and complete at least 10 weeks’ training prior to starting their roles. The loss of staff post-Covid has meant that we have significant numbers of prison officers who have recently been recruited. Due to this large intake of new staff, many colleagues lack experience – with over 40% of Band 3-5 prison officers having less than 3 years of experience. We are focused on retaining our dedicated staff, but we know it takes time to build confidence, capability, and the jailcraft skills that are essential to improve the system. HMPPS have in place over 150 New Colleague Mentors across the estate to provide support for all new staff and improve the onboarding process. HMPPS also provides colleagues with its ‘Career Pathways Framework’. This equips staff with information on career options and the variety of job roles available in HMPPS, as well as learning and development programmes. On prison officer joiners and leavers, data can be found in Tab 8 of the quarterly HMPPS workforce statistics publication, with Tables 1 and 2 showing the number of joiners and leavers in each year to the end of March over the last 5 years, as well as the latest data in the year to the end of June. We have not included Bands 4 and 5 in the joiner data, as we recruit these grades through promotion, apart from re-instatements. Table 1 – Prison Officer joinersTime series - 12 months to end of each yearGrade31-Mar-201931-Mar-202031-Mar-202131-Mar-202231-Mar-202331-Mar-202430-Jun-2024Bands 3-4 / Prison Officer (incl. specialists)4,7382,3012,4093,8424,3124,8184,819 Table 2 – Prison Officer leaversTime series - 12 months to end of each yearGrade31-Mar-201931-Mar-202031-Mar-202131-Mar-202231-Mar-202331-Mar-202430-Jun-2024Band 5 / Custodial Managers6591789197103104Band 4 / Supervising Officer13816588155156138138Bands 3-4 / Prison Officer (incl. specialists)2,4372,5961,9503,1413,0782,9072,926 To provide the number of prison officers in supervisory roles with less than one year’s experience, we have provided data on Band 4 Supervising Officers, whose role includes overseeing the daily regime of a wing or area of the prison. Tab 4 of the quarterly HMPPS workforce statistics publication gives data on staff length of service for the main operational grades, including Band 3-5 officers. On 30 June 2024 there were four 'Band 4 / Supervising Officer' prison officers in post who had less than one year's experience. The length of service is calculated from the most recent hire date within HMPPS, not from them starting a specific role. It should be noted that if these members of staff were previously employed by HMPPS, left and rejoined, only their latest service would be counted.

How many prison officers in supervisory roles have less than one year's experience.

We have inherited a prison system crisis. For far too long, our hardworking staff have had to face the brunt of prison overcrowding, which has damaged morale and put the safety and security of staff at risk. This is one of the reasons why we have taken difficult but necessary action to rescue the prison system from the point of collapse. We know that sufficient and skilled frontline staffing is fundamental to delivering safe, secure, and rehabilitative prison regimes. On recruitment, nationally we are currently above target staffing levels for prison officers, although challenges remain in some sites with a high number of vacancies. Recruitment efforts will continue at all sites with a current or projected future need, and we have a number of targeted recruitment interventions that can be deployed where needed. There are no specific expectations in terms of experience for a new prison officer, but all new joiners have to pass an assessment process, and complete at least 10 weeks’ training prior to starting their roles. The loss of staff post-Covid has meant that we have significant numbers of prison officers who have recently been recruited. Due to this large intake of new staff, many colleagues lack experience – with over 40% of Band 3-5 prison officers having less than 3 years of experience. We are focused on retaining our dedicated staff, but we know it takes time to build confidence, capability, and the jailcraft skills that are essential to improve the system. HMPPS have in place over 150 New Colleague Mentors across the estate to provide support for all new staff and improve the onboarding process. HMPPS also provides colleagues with its ‘Career Pathways Framework’. This equips staff with information on career options and the variety of job roles available in HMPPS, as well as learning and development programmes. On prison officer joiners and leavers, data can be found in Tab 8 of the quarterly HMPPS workforce statistics publication, with Tables 1 and 2 showing the number of joiners and leavers in each year to the end of March over the last 5 years, as well as the latest data in the year to the end of June. We have not included Bands 4 and 5 in the joiner data, as we recruit these grades through promotion, apart from re-instatements. Table 1 – Prison Officer joinersTime series - 12 months to end of each yearGrade31-Mar-201931-Mar-202031-Mar-202131-Mar-202231-Mar-202331-Mar-202430-Jun-2024Bands 3-4 / Prison Officer (incl. specialists)4,7382,3012,4093,8424,3124,8184,819 Table 2 – Prison Officer leaversTime series - 12 months to end of each yearGrade31-Mar-201931-Mar-202031-Mar-202131-Mar-202231-Mar-202331-Mar-202430-Jun-2024Band 5 / Custodial Managers6591789197103104Band 4 / Supervising Officer13816588155156138138Bands 3-4 / Prison Officer (incl. specialists)2,4372,5961,9503,1413,0782,9072,926 To provide the number of prison officers in supervisory roles with less than one year’s experience, we have provided data on Band 4 Supervising Officers, whose role includes overseeing the daily regime of a wing or area of the prison. Tab 4 of the quarterly HMPPS workforce statistics publication gives data on staff length of service for the main operational grades, including Band 3-5 officers. On 30 June 2024 there were four 'Band 4 / Supervising Officer' prison officers in post who had less than one year's experience. The length of service is calculated from the most recent hire date within HMPPS, not from them starting a specific role. It should be noted that if these members of staff were previously employed by HMPPS, left and rejoined, only their latest service would be counted.

How many prison officers have (a) joined and (b) left service in each of the last five years.

We have inherited a prison system crisis. For far too long, our hardworking staff have had to face the brunt of prison overcrowding, which has damaged morale and put the safety and security of staff at risk. This is one of the reasons why we have taken difficult but necessary action to rescue the prison system from the point of collapse. We know that sufficient and skilled frontline staffing is fundamental to delivering safe, secure, and rehabilitative prison regimes. On recruitment, nationally we are currently above target staffing levels for prison officers, although challenges remain in some sites with a high number of vacancies. Recruitment efforts will continue at all sites with a current or projected future need, and we have a number of targeted recruitment interventions that can be deployed where needed. There are no specific expectations in terms of experience for a new prison officer, but all new joiners have to pass an assessment process, and complete at least 10 weeks’ training prior to starting their roles. The loss of staff post-Covid has meant that we have significant numbers of prison officers who have recently been recruited. Due to this large intake of new staff, many colleagues lack experience – with over 40% of Band 3-5 prison officers having less than 3 years of experience. We are focused on retaining our dedicated staff, but we know it takes time to build confidence, capability, and the jailcraft skills that are essential to improve the system. HMPPS have in place over 150 New Colleague Mentors across the estate to provide support for all new staff and improve the onboarding process. HMPPS also provides colleagues with its ‘Career Pathways Framework’. This equips staff with information on career options and the variety of job roles available in HMPPS, as well as learning and development programmes. On prison officer joiners and leavers, data can be found in Tab 8 of the quarterly HMPPS workforce statistics publication, with Tables 1 and 2 showing the number of joiners and leavers in each year to the end of March over the last 5 years, as well as the latest data in the year to the end of June. We have not included Bands 4 and 5 in the joiner data, as we recruit these grades through promotion, apart from re-instatements. Table 1 – Prison Officer joinersTime series - 12 months to end of each yearGrade31-Mar-201931-Mar-202031-Mar-202131-Mar-202231-Mar-202331-Mar-202430-Jun-2024Bands 3-4 / Prison Officer (incl. specialists)4,7382,3012,4093,8424,3124,8184,819 Table 2 – Prison Officer leaversTime series - 12 months to end of each yearGrade31-Mar-201931-Mar-202031-Mar-202131-Mar-202231-Mar-202331-Mar-202430-Jun-2024Band 5 / Custodial Managers6591789197103104Band 4 / Supervising Officer13816588155156138138Bands 3-4 / Prison Officer (incl. specialists)2,4372,5961,9503,1413,0782,9072,926 To provide the number of prison officers in supervisory roles with less than one year’s experience, we have provided data on Band 4 Supervising Officers, whose role includes overseeing the daily regime of a wing or area of the prison. Tab 4 of the quarterly HMPPS workforce statistics publication gives data on staff length of service for the main operational grades, including Band 3-5 officers. On 30 June 2024 there were four 'Band 4 / Supervising Officer' prison officers in post who had less than one year's experience. The length of service is calculated from the most recent hire date within HMPPS, not from them starting a specific role. It should be noted that if these members of staff were previously employed by HMPPS, left and rejoined, only their latest service would be counted.

What incentives are in place to retain experienced prison officers.

We have inherited a prison system crisis. For far too long, our hardworking staff have had to face the brunt of prison overcrowding, which has damaged morale and put the safety and security of staff at risk. This is one of the reasons why we have taken difficult but necessary action to rescue the prison system from the point of collapse. We know that sufficient and skilled frontline staffing is fundamental to delivering safe, secure, and rehabilitative prison regimes. On recruitment, nationally we are currently above target staffing levels for prison officers, although challenges remain in some sites with a high number of vacancies. Recruitment efforts will continue at all sites with a current or projected future need, and we have a number of targeted recruitment interventions that can be deployed where needed. There are no specific expectations in terms of experience for a new prison officer, but all new joiners have to pass an assessment process, and complete at least 10 weeks’ training prior to starting their roles. The loss of staff post-Covid has meant that we have significant numbers of prison officers who have recently been recruited. Due to this large intake of new staff, many colleagues lack experience – with over 40% of Band 3-5 prison officers having less than 3 years of experience. We are focused on retaining our dedicated staff, but we know it takes time to build confidence, capability, and the jailcraft skills that are essential to improve the system. HMPPS have in place over 150 New Colleague Mentors across the estate to provide support for all new staff and improve the onboarding process. HMPPS also provides colleagues with its ‘Career Pathways Framework’. This equips staff with information on career options and the variety of job roles available in HMPPS, as well as learning and development programmes. On prison officer joiners and leavers, data can be found in Tab 8 of the quarterly HMPPS workforce statistics publication, with Tables 1 and 2 showing the number of joiners and leavers in each year to the end of March over the last 5 years, as well as the latest data in the year to the end of June. We have not included Bands 4 and 5 in the joiner data, as we recruit these grades through promotion, apart from re-instatements. Table 1 – Prison Officer joinersTime series - 12 months to end of each yearGrade31-Mar-201931-Mar-202031-Mar-202131-Mar-202231-Mar-202331-Mar-202430-Jun-2024Bands 3-4 / Prison Officer (incl. specialists)4,7382,3012,4093,8424,3124,8184,819 Table 2 – Prison Officer leaversTime series - 12 months to end of each yearGrade31-Mar-201931-Mar-202031-Mar-202131-Mar-202231-Mar-202331-Mar-202430-Jun-2024Band 5 / Custodial Managers6591789197103104Band 4 / Supervising Officer13816588155156138138Bands 3-4 / Prison Officer (incl. specialists)2,4372,5961,9503,1413,0782,9072,926 To provide the number of prison officers in supervisory roles with less than one year’s experience, we have provided data on Band 4 Supervising Officers, whose role includes overseeing the daily regime of a wing or area of the prison. Tab 4 of the quarterly HMPPS workforce statistics publication gives data on staff length of service for the main operational grades, including Band 3-5 officers. On 30 June 2024 there were four 'Band 4 / Supervising Officer' prison officers in post who had less than one year's experience. The length of service is calculated from the most recent hire date within HMPPS, not from them starting a specific role. It should be noted that if these members of staff were previously employed by HMPPS, left and rejoined, only their latest service would be counted.

What steps she is taking to recruit more prison officers.

We have inherited a prison system crisis. For far too long, our hardworking staff have had to face the brunt of prison overcrowding, which has damaged morale and put the safety and security of staff at risk. This is one of the reasons why we have taken difficult but necessary action to rescue the prison system from the point of collapse. We know that sufficient and skilled frontline staffing is fundamental to delivering safe, secure, and rehabilitative prison regimes. On recruitment, nationally we are currently above target staffing levels for prison officers, although challenges remain in some sites with a high number of vacancies. Recruitment efforts will continue at all sites with a current or projected future need, and we have a number of targeted recruitment interventions that can be deployed where needed. There are no specific expectations in terms of experience for a new prison officer, but all new joiners have to pass an assessment process, and complete at least 10 weeks’ training prior to starting their roles. The loss of staff post-Covid has meant that we have significant numbers of prison officers who have recently been recruited. Due to this large intake of new staff, many colleagues lack experience – with over 40% of Band 3-5 prison officers having less than 3 years of experience. We are focused on retaining our dedicated staff, but we know it takes time to build confidence, capability, and the jailcraft skills that are essential to improve the system. HMPPS have in place over 150 New Colleague Mentors across the estate to provide support for all new staff and improve the onboarding process. HMPPS also provides colleagues with its ‘Career Pathways Framework’. This equips staff with information on career options and the variety of job roles available in HMPPS, as well as learning and development programmes. On prison officer joiners and leavers, data can be found in Tab 8 of the quarterly HMPPS workforce statistics publication, with Tables 1 and 2 showing the number of joiners and leavers in each year to the end of March over the last 5 years, as well as the latest data in the year to the end of June. We have not included Bands 4 and 5 in the joiner data, as we recruit these grades through promotion, apart from re-instatements. Table 1 – Prison Officer joinersTime series - 12 months to end of each yearGrade31-Mar-201931-Mar-202031-Mar-202131-Mar-202231-Mar-202331-Mar-202430-Jun-2024Bands 3-4 / Prison Officer (incl. specialists)4,7382,3012,4093,8424,3124,8184,819 Table 2 – Prison Officer leaversTime series - 12 months to end of each yearGrade31-Mar-201931-Mar-202031-Mar-202131-Mar-202231-Mar-202331-Mar-202430-Jun-2024Band 5 / Custodial Managers6591789197103104Band 4 / Supervising Officer13816588155156138138Bands 3-4 / Prison Officer (incl. specialists)2,4372,5961,9503,1413,0782,9072,926 To provide the number of prison officers in supervisory roles with less than one year’s experience, we have provided data on Band 4 Supervising Officers, whose role includes overseeing the daily regime of a wing or area of the prison. Tab 4 of the quarterly HMPPS workforce statistics publication gives data on staff length of service for the main operational grades, including Band 3-5 officers. On 30 June 2024 there were four 'Band 4 / Supervising Officer' prison officers in post who had less than one year's experience. The length of service is calculated from the most recent hire date within HMPPS, not from them starting a specific role. It should be noted that if these members of staff were previously employed by HMPPS, left and rejoined, only their latest service would be counted.

What assessment she has made of the potential merits of restoring the right of prison officers to take industrial action.

Prison officers work in difficult environments every day with some of the most challenging people in society, and we recognise their critical importance in keeping the public safe. As prison officers’ right to take industrial action is restricted under current legislation, their pay is governed by the independent Prison Service Pay Review Body (PSPRB), which acts as a compensatory mechanism. Ministers met with trade unions shortly after their appointment to Government and will continue to regularly engage with them going forward. There are no plans to review current legislation related to prison officers’ right to take industrial action.

How many and what proportion of remand prisoners serve longer in prison on remand than the length of an average custodial sentence for the crime that they are accused of.

Information relating to the time spent on custodial remand is not centrally held by the Ministry of Justice. To obtain the data to answer this question would involve a manual interrogation of court records which would result in a disproportionate cost to the department.

What recent assessment she has made of the cost-effectiveness of private prisons.

We are committed to maintaining a mixed market in custodial services. Private-sector companies continue to have an important role to play in the justice system, bringing innovation and expertise. Private prisons are among the best-performing in the estate and have consistently won praise from independent inspectors. When running operator competitions for new or existing private prisons, our aim is to secure high quality, sustainable, and value for money custodial and maintenance services that are safe, decent, secure, and rehabilitative. In each competition, bidders are required to set out detailed, high quality, value for money prison specific proposals that must meet minimum quality and financial thresholds – which ensures private prisons are assessed for their cost-effectiveness from the start.

What comparative assessment she has made of the effectiveness of (a) public and (b) private prisons in reducing recidivism.

Robust assessments of the reoffending rate broken down by prison are not currently available, however the adult reoffending rate following a custodial sentence has fallen from 49.3% in 2011/12 to 37.0% in 2021/22. Both public and privately-run prisons play an important role in reducing reoffending across England and Wales.All prisons in England and Wales work to reduce an individual's risk of reoffending and promote successful resettlement. In a mixture of 93 public and private prisons, for example, there are Prison Employment Leads who play a key role in getting prisoners work ready and matching them to jobs on release.

What recent discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on restarting negotiations with the Prison Officers Association over the pension age of prison officers.

The pension age in all public sector pension schemes is set under legislation by HM Treasury, and the merits of any review in pension age would be for them to consider. The Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice is committed to listening and working with officers, staff and trade unions, and Ministers will continue to meet with the Prison Officer’s Association and other unions to discuss a range of issues.  We highly value our hardworking prison officers and take very seriously the safety of all staff working within prisons, whatever their age.

What steps she is taking to alleviate prison overcrowding.

Reducing prison overcrowding is a significant challenge inherited from the previous Government. The Department’s priority is to ensure there is enough capacity in the prison estate in the short and longer term. In July, we were forced to announced a package of measures in order to prevent the criminal justice system from collapsing. This included a change to the automatic release point for those serving standard determinate sentences from 50% to 40%. We are also committed to delivering 20,000 additional prison places through the construction of a further four new prisons, as well as the expansion and refurbishment of the existing estate, including through temporary accommodation. Furthermore, we announced our plan to publish a ten-year prison capacity strategy. The strategy will outline the steps that the Government will take to acquire land for new prison sites, and will classify prisons as being of national importance, placing decision making on planning for new prisons in Ministers’ hands. The Government is committed to making prisons create better citizens not better criminals, and ensuring that we stop the cycle of reoffending.

How much capital expenditure her Department has planned for public transport projects in each of the next five years; and which projects she plans to provide funding for.

This Government will set out its fiscal plans as part of the ongoing Spending Review which will conclude in the Spring. We will share more information when we are able to do so.

If he will take steps to establish a public inquiry on the effects of nuclear testing between 1952 and 1967 on veterans.

The Government is deeply grateful to all those who participated in the UK Nuclear testing programme. Almost 5,000 Nuclear Test Medals have now been issued to recognise the service of those who worked on the programme, along with other activity including a Government-funded oral history project. The Defence Secretary has, as a priority, asked officials to review the eligibility criteria for the Nuclear Test Medal and this work is underway. I have met with representatives of the nuclear test veteran community and am committed to continuing that engagement to consider the concerns raised, including looking into questions raised on medical records.

With reference to the Written Ministerial Statement of 30 July 2024 on Transport infrastructure review, when she plans to publish the results of the internal review of the her Department's capital spend portfolio.

As this is an internal review, there are currently no plans to publish the results.

What the cost to the public purse was of supporting the Rail Supply Group in (a) 2021, (b) 2022 and (c) 2023.

The Rail Supply Group (RSG) provides a forum for government and the rail industry to discuss overarching rail supply chain issues and to lead targeted work to address government and industry priorities. Industry members give their time for free, but the group has received limited funding from the Department for Transport (since financial year 2022/23), the Department for Business and Trade, Network Rail, industry members and the Rail Industry Association to support the group’s activities. The Department for Transport provided £75,000 in grant-funding, via the Rail Delivery Group, to RSG for the financial year 2022/23.