Written questions by Maguire.

What process there is for former members of the armed forces who left service after 6 May 2023 to apply for the King’s Coronation Medal; and when his Department plans to provide further details on this application process.

As at 26 February 2025, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) Medal Office has despatched 144,155 medals to Service personnel, Veterans, Cadets, MOD civilian personnel and agency personnel sponsored by the MOD. The timeline for issuing the remainder of medals to eligible personnel is dependent on the confirmation from Veterans of their home address as once an individual leaves service, the efficacy of records significantly reduces. The MOD continues to explore methods of contacting those individuals who have left the Armed Forces since the 6 May 2023, as it is important to ensure that medals do not go astray by sending to unconfirmed addresses. Any veteran can apply for medals at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/apply-medal-or-veterans-badge/apply-for-a-medal.

How many King’s Coronation Medals have been issued; what his planned timeline is for completing distribution to all eligible recipients; and what steps his Department is taking to help reduce delays in issuing the remaining medals.

As at 26 February 2025, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) Medal Office has despatched 144,155 medals to Service personnel, Veterans, Cadets, MOD civilian personnel and agency personnel sponsored by the MOD. The timeline for issuing the remainder of medals to eligible personnel is dependent on the confirmation from Veterans of their home address as once an individual leaves service, the efficacy of records significantly reduces. The MOD continues to explore methods of contacting those individuals who have left the Armed Forces since the 6 May 2023, as it is important to ensure that medals do not go astray by sending to unconfirmed addresses. Any veteran can apply for medals at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/apply-medal-or-veterans-badge/apply-for-a-medal.

What steps her Department is taking to tackle (a) anti-social behaviour and (b) noise disturbances in Epsom and Ewell constituency.

Tackling anti-social behaviour (ASB) is a top priority for this Government and a key part of our Safer Streets Mission.The Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 provides police, local authorities and other local agencies with a range of tools and powers they can use to respond to ASB, including noise nuisance. It is for local areas to decide how best to deploy these powers depending on the specific circumstances.In November 2023, the Home Office published a report on police perceptions of powers within the 2014 Act; this can be found on GOV.UK here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/police-perceptions-of-powers-within-the-anti-social-behaviour-crime-and-policing-act-2014/police-perceptions-of-powers-within-the-anti-social-behaviour-crime-and-policing-act-2014.Findings confirmed that police were generally content with the range of powers available and considered them effective in the short-term.As part of this government’s Plan for Change, we are committed to there being a dedicated ASB lead officer in every force working with communities to develop a local ASB action plan. We will also put 13,000 neighbourhood police and community support officers into local communities, ensuring residents have a named officer they can turn to when things go wrong. We are determined to crack down on those causing havoc on our high streets and in communities by introducing tougher powers in the Crime and Policing Bill including the new Respect Order to tackle the most persistent ASB offenders.The Home Office is also providing £66.3m funding in 2025/26 to police forces in England and Wales for hotspot policing to tackle ASB and knife crime. Surrey police will be allocated £1,000,000 of this funding.

What assessment she has made of the effectiveness of (a) the police and (b) local authorities to effectively respond to (i) noise nuisance and (ii) other forms of anti-social behaviour.

Tackling anti-social behaviour (ASB) is a top priority for this Government and a key part of our Safer Streets Mission.The Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 provides police, local authorities and other local agencies with a range of tools and powers they can use to respond to ASB, including noise nuisance. It is for local areas to decide how best to deploy these powers depending on the specific circumstances.In November 2023, the Home Office published a report on police perceptions of powers within the 2014 Act; this can be found on GOV.UK here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/police-perceptions-of-powers-within-the-anti-social-behaviour-crime-and-policing-act-2014/police-perceptions-of-powers-within-the-anti-social-behaviour-crime-and-policing-act-2014.Findings confirmed that police were generally content with the range of powers available and considered them effective in the short-term.As part of this government’s Plan for Change, we are committed to there being a dedicated ASB lead officer in every force working with communities to develop a local ASB action plan. We will also put 13,000 neighbourhood police and community support officers into local communities, ensuring residents have a named officer they can turn to when things go wrong. We are determined to crack down on those causing havoc on our high streets and in communities by introducing tougher powers in the Crime and Policing Bill including the new Respect Order to tackle the most persistent ASB offenders.The Home Office is also providing £66.3m funding in 2025/26 to police forces in England and Wales for hotspot policing to tackle ASB and knife crime. Surrey police will be allocated £1,000,000 of this funding.

If she will make an assessment of the potential implications for her policies of trends in the level of inflation for food products; and what steps she is taking to help support people with the cost of food.

We are committed to tackling food poverty and reducing mass dependence on emergency food parcels. Economic factors including the Covid-19 pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis have resulted in record levels of need for food banks. This issue is being discussed as part of the Child Poverty Taskforce. We have announced additional support to address financial pressures on households. These measures include tripling investment in breakfast clubs to over £30 million, introducing a Fair Repayment Rate for deductions from Universal Credit, and increasing the National Living Wage to £12.21 an hour from April 2025 to boost the pay of 3 million workers. In England, Healthy Starts supports over 356,000 beneficiaries, 3 million pupils are eligible for a Free School Meal, we have invested over £200 million every year into the Holiday Activities and Food Programme. Additionally, the Household Support Fund has provided billions of pounds of support to millions of households across England since its inception, helping vulnerable households with the cost of household essentials and supporting those most in need, and provided further funding of £742 million, extending the Household Support Fund until 31 March 2026.

What steps are taken against permanent staff at the Army Foundation College who develop (a) sexual and (b) otherwise intimate relationships with recruits.

Sexual relationships between instructors and trainees are unacceptable. The Army Foundation College Harrogate fully implements the MOD’s Zero Tolerance policy to sexual relationships between instructors and trainees. Instructors or personnel in a position of authority, who engage in sexual relationships with trainees or recruits at any stage of training, where the sexual relationship took place whilst the trainee or recruit was still in training, are abusing their position of trust, may be committing an offence, and will be discharged from Service.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has put a contingency plan in place in the event that Thames Water becomes financially unsustainable.

The Government and Ofwat – the financial regulator for the water sector – are carefully monitoring the situation with Thames Water, and Ofwat continues to engage with Thames Water to support it in improving its resilience within the context of its licence and broader statutory obligations. The company remains stable. However, we do want to provide reassurance that we are prepared for a range of scenarios across our regulated industries – including water – as any responsible Government should be.

On how many occasions staff at the Army Foundation College have been disciplined for violent behaviour against recruits in each year since 2013; and what the nature was of each incident.

From 2013 to 2024, there have been 14 occasions where staff or former staff at the Army Foundation College Harrogate were convicted of an offence via Court Martial or Summary Hearing for violent behaviour against recruits. The 14 occasions consisted of eight Court Martials and six Summary Hearings. A further break down of figures may be disclosive and trigger potential breaches of the Data Protection Act.

How many and what proportion of army recruits participating in the long course at the Army Foundation College left the army before completing the course in 2024.

Of the 707 Junior Entry trainees that were due to complete training in 2024 as a result of starting the long course at the Army Foundation College in 2023, 198 left and discharged from training prior to completing the course. This equated to 28% of the total discharging from the course prior to completion. The main reason for early discharge was individuals exercising their “Discharge As Of Right”, i.e. voluntary discharge. An average of 167 personnel discharged voluntarily between 2013 and 2023.

Whether the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill will apply to armed forces initial training establishments that accept under-18-year-olds.

The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill will strengthen multi-agency working between local authorities, health, police and education and childcare settings, and those settings will be designated in regulations. The department expects safeguarding partners to work together with relevant agencies to promote the welfare of children in their local area regardless of what type of education or training establishment they are attending.

Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to ensure the National Youth Strategy provides sufficient funding to youth services.

The Government will publish the National Youth Strategy this summer. The detail and scale of the funding commitments included in the Strategy will be shaped by engagement with young people and the youth sector and will be dependent on Spending Review decisions.In 2025/6, DCMS funding for Youth will include over £85 million of capital funding to create fit-for-purpose spaces in places where it is most needed. This includes the £26 million Better Youth Spaces Fund for youth clubs to buy new equipment and do renovations, and completion of Youth Investment Fund projects underway. Further funding allocations to youth services for 2025/26 will be announced in due course.

What steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help tackle the illegal modification of e-bikes and e-scooters.

The police have powers available to them to tackle the illegal use of e-scooters and e-bikes and we expect police to deploy them appropriately.The Home Office has also established a taskforce, which includes representatives from across Government, Policing and Fire and Rescue Services to help tackle the fire risks linked to lithium-ion batteries, e-bikes and e-scooters.

How many full-time permanent MOD staff have worked on coordinating Operation Interflex in each year since 2002.

The table below is based on those who have been involved in co-ordinating Operation INTERFLEX for each of the six Tranches, which to date have delivered more than 51,000 trained Ukrainians. The table includes those assigned to INTERFLEX HQ, the training delivery units and the logistic support element. Please note the UK delivers Op INTERFLEX in conjunction with our partners. Canada, Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Norway, New Zealand, Lithuania, Australia, Romania, Netherlands, Kosovo, and Estonia are all supporting the training programme. Albania will also be joining from the end of February, so UK personnel numbers alone do not represent output of total personnel. TrancheDates fromNo of UK Personnel1Jun-221,3892Jan-231,2703Jul-231,2704Jan-243885Jul-244286Jan-25369

Pursuant to the Answer of 21 January 2025 to Question 24080 on Joint Expeditionary Force, how many full-time permanent employees are employed by the Joint Expeditionary Force HQ.

11 personnel are engaged on the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) on a full-time basis at the Standing Joint Force Headquarters, the JEF HQ.

With reference to his Department's press release entitled UK to extend training programme for Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel throughout 2025, published on 6 September 2024, if he will make it his policy to extend Operation Interflex into 2026, subject to conflict in Ukraine continuing into that year.

In late 2024 the Secretary of State extended Op INTERFLEX into 2025. We continually assess how we can improve our training offer to the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Operation INTERFLEX remains our main training effort in support of Ukraine and, together with our international partners, we have trained over 51,000 Ukrainian personnel since June 2022. The UK is committed to working with partners to meet Ukraine's training requirements now and in the future.

How much funding he has provided for Operation Interflex in each year since its launch in July 2022.

The Ministry of Defence's spending figures on training in support of Ukraine are £115 million for financial year 2022-23 and £200 million for financial year 2023-24. Figures for the current financial year will be released in due course.

If his Department will review the regulatory framework for prescribing cannabis-based medicinal products to allow GPs to prescribe those treatments.

General practitioners (GPs) can only prescribe unlicensed cannabis-based products for medicinal use if under the direction of a specialist.These medicines are not first-line treatments and patients will be at a stage in their treatment pathway where they will be under the care of a specialist doctor. Whilst the evidence-base remains limited on the safety, quality, and efficacy of these products, it is right that the decision to prescribe remains essentially with specialist doctors. As with all laws, we will keep its impact under review.

Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to ensure councils have the resources needed to provide safe, stable housing for homeless families.

Homelessness levels are far too high. This can have a devastating impact on those affected. The Deputy Prime Minister is leading cross-government work to deliver the long-term solutions we need to get us back on track to ending all forms of homelessness. This includes chairing a dedicated Inter-Ministerial Group, bringing together ministers from across government to develop a long-term strategy.Homelessness legislation is clear that all temporary accommodation must be suitable, and local authorities should keep the suitability of accommodation under review. Where an individual feels that the council has applied their statutory duties incorrectly, they can take action in the courts or bring their concerns to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman.As announced at the Budget, funding for homelessness services has been increased by £233 million compared to last year (2024/25). This increased spending will help to prevent rises in the number of families in temporary accommodation and help to prevent rough sleeping. This brings total Homelessness spend to nearly £1 billion in 25/26, a record level of funding.In addition, the £1.2 billion Local Authority Housing Fund will provide capital funding directly to English councils and is expected to provide up to 7,000 homes by 2026. It will create a lasting asset for UK nationals by building a sustainable stock of affordable housing and better-quality temporary accommodation for local communities.The Government is clear that, in the short-term, we must prioritise eliminating the worst forms of temporary accommodation such as families in Bed and Breakfast (B&B), other than in genuine emergencies. We have also launched Emergency Accommodation Reduction Pilots, backed by £5 million, to work with 20 local councils with the highest use of B&B accommodation for homeless families. This will support LAs to move families into more suitable accommodation.We are also taking action to improve standards across the housing sector, including temporary accommodation. The Renters’ Rights Bill will extend Awaab’s Law to the private rented sector which will set clear legal expectations about the timeframes within which landlords in the private rented sector must make homes safe where they contain serious hazards, including damp and mould. We plan to consult on how best to apply Awaab’s Law to temporary accommodation.Through the Renters’ Rights Bill the government has also introduced powers to apply the Decent Homes Standard to the private rented sector. Included in that clause is a power to bring Temporary Accommodation into scope of the Decent Homes Standard. The government’s intention is that the Decent Homes Standard should apply to TA, subject to consultation on the detail of the new standard, including how applicable it is to TA.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of flooding on (a) football pitches and (b) other local community assets; and if he will ensure that water companies compensate community organisations for damage caused.

Protecting communities around the country from flooding is one of the Secretary of State’s five core priorities. As part of the Government’s Plan for Change, a record £2.65 billion will be invested over two years in better protecting 52,000 properties by March 2026. Lead local flood authorities (unitary and county authorities) are required to manage local flood risks from surface water, groundwater and ordinary watercourses. Local flood risks should be identified and managed as part of a local flood risk management strategy. In managing these risks, the lead local flood authority will work closely with other risk management authorities. This includes water companies, which have a duty to maintain their sewers, under Section 94 of the Water Industry Act 1991, to ensure their areas are effectually drained. To improve understanding of current and future floor risk from rivers, the sea and surface water in England the Environment Agency has just published its new National Flood Risk Assessment. This data is available to everyone, improving individuals’ understanding of their local flood risk.

Media and Sport, what plans her Department has to increase youth services provision in Epsom and Ewell constituency.

Local authorities hold the statutory duty to secure, so far as is reasonably practicable, sufficient provision of educational and recreational leisure-time activities for young people. In September 2023 DCMS published updated statutory guidance to support local authorities’ understanding of the existing duty and how to deliver it. Alongside this, DCMS funds a Peer Review programme for local authorities to learn from each other about the best approaches to youth service provision.This government has also committed to co-producing a new National Youth Strategy, which is an opportunity to move away from one-size-fits all approaches from central government, bringing power back to young people and their communities and rebuilding a thriving and sustainable sector. We plan to publish the strategy in the summer.