Written questions by Hayes.

What steps his Department is taking to support the development of a (a) safe and (b) effective Group B Streptococcus vaccine.

The UK Health Security Agency’s Vaccine Development and Evaluation Centre (VDEC) has been supporting the creation of a safe and effective maternal vaccine for Group B Streptococcus (GBS).A maternal vaccine for GBS, which protects infants from both the early and late onset of the disease, will have a positive impact on infant mortality and morbidity. It will also lead to a sharp reduction in the use of antibiotics in neonatal units worldwide. By focusing on effectiveness, through advanced immune response evaluations, these efforts are accelerating the development of a reliable GBS vaccine that can protect vulnerable populations worldwide. Further information on how VDEC is supporting a GBS vaccine to prevent newborn deaths is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/case-studies/vdec-is-supporting-a-gbs-vaccine-to-prevent-newborn-deaths.

If he will meet with Group B Strep Support to discuss the importance of (a) early and (b)consistent diagnosis of Group B Streptococcus.

Recruitment to the GBS3 trial ended in May 2024. The researchers are analysing the data, and a report is expected in Summer 2025. The UK National Screening Committee Secretariat is in close and regular contact with the researchers. The committee will review its recommendation, considering the evidence from the trial, once the report is available.As part of this, the UK National Screening Committee will engage with stakeholders, in line with its usual processes.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure that the results of the GBS3 trial can be acted upon (a) quickly and (b) effectively.

Recruitment to the GBS3 trial ended in May 2024. The researchers are analysing the data, and a report is expected in Summer 2025. The UK National Screening Committee Secretariat is in close and regular contact with the researchers. The committee will review its recommendation, considering the evidence from the trial, once the report is available.As part of this, the UK National Screening Committee will engage with stakeholders, in line with its usual processes.

What recent guidance his Department has issued to NHS Foundation Trusts on the provision of early pregnancy services (a) at weekends and (b) overnight.

The Government is determined to make sure all women and babies receive safe, personalised, and compassionate care, particularly when things go wrong.We will continue to work with NHS England to ensure that we listen to women and their families, and learn lessons from recent inquiries and investigations, including recommendations from the pregnancy loss review.

What assessment he has made of the adequacy of the availability of early pregnancy services in A&E departments (a) at weekends and (b) overnight.

No assessment has been made of the adequacy of the availability of early pregnancy services in accident and emergency departments. It is vital that women seeking support, including in early pregnancy, get the care they need. We will continue to work with NHS England to improve the Early Pregnancy Assessment Units’ (EPAUs) services, where the Pregnancy Loss Review found variation in the availability of EPAUs.We encourage all women who have concerns about their pregnancy to seek help from a healthcare professional. Accident and emergency departments are 24-hour services, so a person presenting with concerns related to early pregnancy would initially be assessed by an emergency medicine clinician. Where further specialist care is needed, the person would be supported in an Early Pregnancy Assessment Clinic, or through the attendance of an obstetrician at the accident and emergency.

What steps he is taking to ensure that support is available for households that (a) are not on low incomes and (b) do not have access to capital upfront to retrofit their homes.

As part of the Warm Homes Plan, the Government has committed an initial £3.4 billion over the next 3 years towards heat decarbonisation and household energy efficiency, with £1 billion of this allocated to next year. Additional funding will be considered in Phase 2 of the Spending Review, as the Warm Homes Plan is further developed. In addition, the Government is exploring the role of incentives and private finance for households to support homeowners with the upfront costs of energy efficiency improvements and low carbon heating. This includes the Green Home Finance Accelerator Programme which has made £20 million available to support in developing green finance products.

Communities and Local Government, what estimate she has made of the total cost to the public purse of out of court settlements for employment tribunal cases across local government in each of the last five years.

The information requested is not held centrally.

What estimate he has made of the total cost to the public purse of out of court settlements for employment tribunal cases across the NHS in each of the last five years.

This information is not held centrally by the Department or NHS England. No estimate has been made on the total cost to the public purse of out of court settlements for employment tribunal cases across the National Health Service in the last five years.

What the total cost to the public purse was of out of court settlements for employment tribunal cases across Government in each of the last five years.

The total cost of special payments for the Cabinet Office, which includes - but is not limited to - any out of court settlements for Employment Tribunals is provided in the department’s annual report and accounts each year, which is published on gov.uk.

What steps her Department is taking to review the impact of the 2019 HMPPS Strategy for Care-Experienced People.

We know that people taken into care as children are disproportionately likely to end up in the criminal justice system, with research estimating that 24-31% of the adult prison population spent time in care as children.We are committed to addressing this disproportionality, both by improving support for people with care experience while in the criminal justice system, and by working with colleagues across government to reduce the number of people with care experience who enter the criminal justice system.As part of this, we are reviewing existing support available to people with care experience in the criminal justice system, and considering how to build on the work set out in the 2019 strategy. We are developing our approach to this currently and will say more once our plans have been finalised.

What steps she is taking to provide targeted employment support for unemployed care leavers.

We recognise the challenges care leavers face as they move out of the care system and are working closely with Department for Education to ensure care leavers can access the right skills, opportunities, and wider support, to move towards sustained employment and career progression.Under the new Youth Guarantee, all young people between 18-21 years will be able to access support to enter employment, education and training opportunities. This includes Care Leavers who we know are more likely than their peers to not be in education, employment or training and may benefit from more tailored support to support their transition as they leave the care provided by their Local Authority. We are working closely with the Department for Education on the design of the Youth Guarantee, which is in the early stages of development. The Autumn Budget announced that we will establish eight Youth Guarantee Trailblazer areas to test new ways of supporting young people into employment, education or training, by bringing together and enhancing existing programmes in partnership with local areas. Further details will be set out in the up-coming ‘Get Britain Working’ White Paper. Meanwhile, care leavers who are in receipt of Universal Credit and available for work will continue to be supported by the DWP Youth Offer. This provides individually tailored work coach support to young people aged 16-24 who are in the Universal Credit Intensive Work Search group and can include access to specialist work coaches, for example the Youth Employability Coaches, which help address complex barriers to work, as well as the partnership led Youth Hub network. We have also taken steps to improve the career opportunities of care leavers through government recruitment schemes such as the Civil Service Care Leaver Internship, the Social Mobility Apprenticeship Scheme and our ongoing partnership with Movement to Work. These are all designed to consider challenges disadvantaged young people face as they take their first steps on the career ladder.

What recent assessment he has made of the affordability of NHS prescriptions for care leavers aged between 18 and 25.

There has been no recent assessment of the feasibility of extending free prescriptions to care leavers aged between 18 and 25 years old.

What steps her Department is taking to help ensure that care leavers aged between 18 and 25 can access affordable public transport; and if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of extending the English National Travel Concession Scheme to care leavers.

This government recognises the importance of supporting care leavers, and is keeping public transport affordable having announced a new £3 cap on single bus fares in England outside London throughout the entirety of 2025.Any change to the English National Concessionary Travel Scheme (ENCTS) would require careful consideration for its impact on the scheme’s financial sustainability. However, local authorities in England have implemented a wide range of their own local fares initiatives, including some discount schemes for care leavers, utilising alternative funding, such as Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP) funding. On 17 November, the government confirmed £712 million funding for local authorities in 2025/26 to deliver their BSIPs and protect services, as part of an over £1 billion investment in buses confirmed at the Budget.

If she will review the Lifetime ISA withdrawal limit to support first time buyers in London.

The Lifetime ISA (LISA) property price cap supports most first-time buyers across the UK while targeting households that might find it most difficult to get on the property ladder. Data from the latest UK House Price Index shows that while the average price paid by first-time buyers has increased, it is still below the LISA property price cap in all regions of the UK except for London, where the average price paid is affected by boroughs with very high property values.Any unauthorised withdrawals are subject to a 25% withdrawal charge. This recoups the Government bonus, any interest or growth arising from it, and a proportion of the individual’s initial savings.The Government keeps all aspects of savings tax policy under review.

What assessment she has made of the adequacy of the Lifetime ISA withdrawal limit for home purchases in London in the context of average house prices in London in 2024.

The Lifetime ISA (LISA) property price cap supports most first-time buyers across the UK while targeting households that might find it most difficult to get on the property ladder. Data from the latest UK House Price Index shows that while the average price paid by first-time buyers has increased, it is still below the LISA property price cap in all regions of the UK except for London, where the average price paid is affected by boroughs with very high property values.Any unauthorised withdrawals are subject to a 25% withdrawal charge. This recoups the Government bonus, any interest or growth arising from it, and a proportion of the individual’s initial savings.The Government keeps all aspects of savings tax policy under review.

With reference to the Answer of 6 March 2024 to Question 16490 on Special Educational Needs: Codes of Practice, what steps her Department is taking to review the contents of SEND information reports.

The requirement for all schools to publish Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Information Reports was introduced in the Children and Families Act 2014. Information Reports must contain details of a school’s provision for pupils with SEND and must be reviewed annually. As part of the department’s work on long-term options for improving the SEND system, we will explore the role of SEND Information Reports.

What steps he is taking to help ensure that social care providers make their clients aware of the services provided by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman.

The Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulations 2014) requires that anyone who has seen or experienced poor-quality care must have a route available to complain to the organisation that provided or paid for the care.To meet this requirement, adult social care providers must have an effective and accessible system in place for identifying, receiving, handling and responding to complaints from people using the service, or people acting on their behalf. All complaints must be investigated thoroughly and any necessary action taken where failures have been identified.This means that although adult social care providers are not required to signpost to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGSCO), there are clear avenues for individuals to raise concerns or complaints about their care and support. If an individual is not satisfied with the way a provider or local authority has dealt with a complaint, they may escalate it to the LGSCO who can investigate individual concerns.The LGSCO has recently published its annual report of social care complaints, which provides information on the numbers of complaints received. Departmental officials meet regularly with the LGSCO.

Whether he has had recent discussions with the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman on the proportion of cases referred to the Ombudsman from the independent care sector.

The Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulations 2014) requires that anyone who has seen or experienced poor-quality care must have a route available to complain to the organisation that provided or paid for the care.To meet this requirement, adult social care providers must have an effective and accessible system in place for identifying, receiving, handling and responding to complaints from people using the service, or people acting on their behalf. All complaints must be investigated thoroughly and any necessary action taken where failures have been identified.This means that although adult social care providers are not required to signpost to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGSCO), there are clear avenues for individuals to raise concerns or complaints about their care and support. If an individual is not satisfied with the way a provider or local authority has dealt with a complaint, they may escalate it to the LGSCO who can investigate individual concerns.The LGSCO has recently published its annual report of social care complaints, which provides information on the numbers of complaints received. Departmental officials meet regularly with the LGSCO.

What her Department's planned timetable is for announcing future funding settlements for (a) Violence Reduction Units and (v) the London Violence Reduction Unit.

We recognise the valuable work and significant progress that Violence Reductions Units (VRUs), including the London Violence Reduction Unit, have made in understanding and preventing serious violence.All decisions on funding post March 2025 will be subject to the spending review.

What steps his Department is taking to enable community energy schemes to sell their power to local residents.

Community energy will play an essential role in meeting our mission for clean power by 2030.Great British Energy will provide support to deliver the Local Power Plan, putting communities at the heart of restructuring our energy economy. Through partnering with and providing funding and support to Community Energy Groups, the Local Power Plan will roll out small and medium‑scale renewable energy projects, using established technologies to develop up to 8GW of cheaper, cleaner power. This will include shared ownership projects in partnership with private developers.Some suppliers already offer local tariffs, and other products and services are available that provide community benefits. Small-scale generation sites can benefit from an exemption, which means that they do not require a licence from Ofgem to generate electricity or to supply to local customers. Ofgem has further flexibility to award supply licences to generation sites that are above the exemptions threshold when they are restricted to specified local area.