Written questions by Morgan.

If he will take steps to help ensure that all patients in England have access to Minor Eye Conditions Services (MECS) and Community Urgent Eyecare Services (CUES).

Integrated care boards are responsible for assessing the health needs of their local population and for commissioning the primary and secondary eye care services required to meet them. Local systems may take different approaches to meeting the needs of their local population, including commissioning minor and urgent eye care services in the community.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether her department has assessed the potential implications of levels of workforce availability of sheep shearers on animal welfare.

With a national flock of around 30m sheep, Defra recognises the good work that British Wool does in delivering training for domestic sheep shearers, the importance that shearing sheep plays in managing the health and welfare of the UK flock, and the continued challenges that the industry faces each year in sourcing sufficient numbers of trained shearers. We continue to work closely with the industry in addressing these challenges.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department has assessed the potential impact on farm businesses and the sheep industry of the withdrawal of visa concessions allowing for temporary employment of sheep shearers.

Defra recognises the good work that British Wool does in training domestic sheep shearers and the continued challenges the industry faces with a national sheep flock of around 30m sheep in sourcing sufficient numbers of trained shearers. We are also aware of the role that shearers and sheep farmers from countries such as Australia and New Zealand have provided in recent years in sharing skills and expertise with UK sheep farmers and in supporting the health and welfare of the UK flock. Defra continues to work with the industry in supporting the training of UK resident shearers. Visa concessions are a matter for the Home Office.

Whether he plans to issue guidance to NHS commissioners to help ensure community eyecare services are commissioned across England to help improve equality in access to care.

Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for commissioning primary and secondary eye care services to meet the needs of their local population. National Health Service sight tests are widely available across the country, with no known access issues. ICBs can also commission enhanced eye care services in the community.ICBs are required to work with local authorities to assess the current and future health, care, and wellbeing needs of their local population. They will then set out in joint local health and wellbeing strategies how they will meet those needs, which could include addressing any identified inequalities in accessing services.The Department worked with the eye care sector to develop a standard clinical specification for the commissioning of Community Minor and Urgent Eye Care Services, and this was published in February 2024. The specification can be found at the following link:https://locsu.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/1.-CUES-Service-specification-vs-1.43-Feb-2024.pdf

What role he intends for optometry practices to play in delivering the 10 Year Plan.

The 10-Year Health Plan will make the National Health Service fit for the future by delivering three important shifts: from hospital to community; from sickness to prevention; and from analogue to digital. This includes expanding eye care in community settings and strengthening joint working between primary and secondary eye care services.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of pressures on the sheep shearing workforce on (a) farm businesses and (b) the sheep industry.

With a national sheep flock of around 30m sheep, Defra recognises the good work that British Wool does in delivering training for domestic sheep shearers, the importance that shearing sheep plays in managing the health and welfare of the UK flock, and the continued challenges that both individual farm business and the wider industry face each year in sourcing sufficient numbers of trained shearers. We continue to work closely with the industry in addressing these challenges.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the contribution of British Wool's (a) sheep shearing training and (b) exchange with shearers and sheep farmers in Australia and New Zealand to farming in the UK.

With a national flock of around 30m sheep, British Wool provides a unique and valuable service, for around 30,000 registered wool producers across the UK, to collect, grade, promote, and sell their fleece wool to the global textile industry. British Wool is also the main provider and promoter of training for sheep shearers in the UK. In each of the last five years (2021-2025) British Wool has provided shearing training for between 798 and 898 people at skill levels ranging from beginners through to highly proficient commercial shearers. British Wool’s investment in this training includes subsidised courses for between 100- 200 young farmers a year. Defra is aware of the role that shearers and sheep farmers from countries such as Australia and New Zealand have provided in sharing skills and expertise with UK sheep farmers and in supporting the health and welfare of the UK flock.

What steps the Government is taking to mitigate the impact of upcoming living wage, national insurance and business rates changes on community pharmacies.

The Government recognises that pharmacies are an integral ‘front door’ to the National Health Service, staffed by highly trained and skilled healthcare professionals.In 2025/26 funding for the core community pharmacy contractual framework has been increased to £3.073 billion. This represents the largest uplift in funding of any part of the NHS, over 19% across 2024/25 and 2025/26. Additional funding is also available, for example for pharmacies delivering Pharmacy First consultations and flu and COVID-19 vaccinations.The Department will shortly consult with Community Pharmacy England on any proposed changes to reimbursement and remuneration of pharmacy contractors for 2026/27. As part of this we will consider financial pressures on the sector.

What consultation her Department has had with counterparts at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on the withdrawal of the visa concession for temporary employment as sheep shearers.

Immigration Rules concessionary arrangements are temporary and subject to regular Ministerial review. The sheep shearing concession had been operating for 14 years and closed after the 2025 shearing season as it reasonable to expect that over this period a long-term sustainable solution had been found to fill this workforce gap. To provide plenty of time to plan and transition to new arrangements DEFRA officials were informed last year that the concession would not be renewed again.Ministers regularly meet with their DEFRA counterparts to discuss a wide range of issues, including the closure of this concession.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the withdrawal of the visa concession for temporary employment as sheep shearers on the sheep industry.

Immigration Rules concessionary arrangements are temporary and subject to regular Ministerial review. The sheep shearing concession had been operating for 14 years and closed after the 2025 shearing season as it reasonable to expect that over this period a long-term sustainable solution had been found to fill this workforce gap. To provide plenty of time to plan and transition to new arrangements DEFRA officials were informed last year that the concession would not be renewed again.Ministers regularly meet with their DEFRA counterparts to discuss a wide range of issues, including the closure of this concession.

What consultation the her Department has had with counterparts at the Department of Envronment, Food and Rurual Affairs on the potential impact on the UK sheep industry of withdrawing the visa concession for temporary employment as sheep shearers.

Immigration Rules concessionary arrangements are temporary and subject to regular Ministerial review. The sheep shearing concession had been operating for 14 years and closed after the 2025 shearing season as it reasonable to expect that over this period a long-term sustainable solution had been found to fill this workforce gap. To provide plenty of time to plan and transition to new arrangements DEFRA officials were informed last year that the concession would not be renewed again.Ministers regularly meet with their DEFRA counterparts to discuss a wide range of issues, including the closure of this concession.

What steps his Department is taking to help ensure equitable access to community eye care services across England.

Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for commissioning primary and secondary eye care services to meet the needs of their local population. National Health Service sight tests are widely available across the country, with no known access issues. ICBs can also commission enhanced eye care services in the community.ICBs are required to work with local authorities to assess the current and future health, care, and wellbeing needs of their local population. They will then set out in joint local health and wellbeing strategies how they will meet those needs, which could include addressing any identified inequalities in accessing services.The Department worked with the eye care sector to develop a standard clinical specification for the commissioning of Community Minor and Urgent Eye Care Services, and this was published in February 2024. The specification can be found at the following link:https://locsu.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/1.-CUES-Service-specification-vs-1.43-Feb-2024.pdf

What steps he is taking to improve co-ordination between court staff, prison staff and policing staff.

The Government recognises the importance of different Departments working collaboratively. The Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice chairs the Criminal Justice Board to facilitate collaboration between all criminal justice system partners, including the police, HM Courts & Tribunals Service and HM Prison & Probation Service.The Ministry of Justice also provides guidance to and opportunities for engagement between Local Criminal Justice Boards.In tandem, the Government is considering the recommendations in Part II of Sir Brian Leveson’s Independent Review of the Criminal Courts relating to the co-ordination between CJS partners and will respond to them in the coming months.

What assessment he has made of the adequacy of the provision of parental allowance for self-employed workers who choose to adopt.

The Government is aware of concerns raised about the adequacy of support for self-employed workers who choose to adopt.Local Authorities can already make discretionary payments equivalent to Maternity Allowance to self-employed adopters who do not qualify for Statutory Adoption Pay, where eligible.However, we recognise the system needs improvement, which is why we are undertaking a review of the parental leave and pay system. As part of this, we are considering the adequacy of parental leave entitlements for all groups, including self‑employed parents. The Review is expected to conclude in early 2027.

When she will respond to Question 107479 regarding the Valuation Office Agency’s valuation method for small independent hotels.

An answer was submitted to 107479 on 6 February 2026.

If he will take steps to provide self-employed workers who choose to adopt with the same support as employees who are entitled to statutory adoption pay.

The Government is aware of concerns raised about the adequacy of support for self-employed workers who choose to adopt.Local Authorities can already make discretionary payments equivalent to Maternity Allowance to self-employed adopters who do not qualify for Statutory Adoption Pay, where eligible.However, we recognise the system needs improvement, which is why we are undertaking a review of the parental leave and pay system. As part of this, we are considering the adequacy of parental leave entitlements for all groups, including self‑employed parents. The Review is expected to conclude in early 2027.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of hospital handover delays on ambulance response times in (a) Shropshire and (b) the West Midlands.

No such assessment has been made. Ambulance handover and response times for ambulance trusts, including for the West Midlands Ambulance Service, are published monthly by NHS England. This information can be accessed via the Ambulance Quality Indications dataset at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/ambulance-quality-indicators/ambulance-quality-indicators-data-2025-26/Our Urgent and Emergency Care Plan for 2025/26 sets out clear actions to deliver improvements this winter and make services better every day, including reducing ambulance handovers to a maximum of 45 minutes, helping get more ambulances back on the road for patients, and reducing Category 2 ambulance response times to 30 minutes on average. NHS England continues to monitor average hospital handover times, sharing data with regions to support focussed discussions and identify improvement actions with those trusts not achieving handovers in 45 minutes.The 2025 Medium‑Term Planning Framework commits to faster ambulance responses, aiming for 20‑minute Category 2 times by 2026/27 and 18 minutes by 2028/29.

When he will respond to Question 106613 of 16 January 2026 regarding the timely delivery of NHS mail to patients.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 24 February 2026 to Question 106613.

If she will set out (a) when and (b) in which locations the Emergency Services Network has been used in an operational setting.

The cost to the taxpayers of Great Britain for Airwave is as follows:2021/22 £293.66m2022/23 £318.55m2023/24 £197.01m2024/25 £153.48mAs the financial accounts for 2025/26 have not been finalised or audited yet, we cannot provide expenditure for that period.The costing information relates to England, Scotland and Wales Police Core only, as Home Office does not have visibility of Airwave costs borne directly by other Funding Sponsor Bodies.As the Emergency Services Network is currently not operational, it is not possible to provide these costs.Leveraging EE’s Commercial Network of circa 20,000 masts, the main build of ESN masts to provide mobile coverage across Great Britain is largely complete. Of the additional 1047 ESN masts due to be built, 987 are completed and operationally live. Specifically, an additional 13 new sites have been built in Shropshire, with 1 of these sited in the constituency of North Shropshire.Across Great Britain, this is already providing a benefit to the public by enabling over one thousand additional 999 calls every month to be made in areas where previously there was no coverage. Work continues at pace to provide network access in areas where localised coverage is needed; these include densely populated communities, as well as sports stadiums, and shopping centres.ESMCP’s priority is to achieve the right balance between credible plans that ensures user confidence and the need to deliver ESN as quickly and safely as possible to enable the shutdown of Airwave.The Home Office’s Emergency Services Mobile Communications Programme (ESMCP) is responsible for managing the Emergency Services Network (ESN). ESN is a critical communications system and will replace the current Airwave service used by the emergency services in Great Britain.ESN is currently in the delivery phase, during which ESMCP will implement systems, platforms, processes, hardware and software to be ready and assured for deployment. Current delivery timelines are from January 2025 to 2027 with phased deployment planned to begin in 2027 to emergency services users. The target date for transition to be completed is 31 December 2029 after which Airwave will be safely shut down.ESN is a capability which is still under development and as such it is not operational. The products and services under development have been tested at several public events such as Notting Hill Carnival, Glastonbury and London New Year’s Eve Celebrations to validate progress and inform the next stages of the programme.This is not a data set held by the Home Office’s Emergency Services Mobile Communications Programme centrally. Such Data is owned and managed by individual forces across the three emergency services and the devolved nations of Scotland and Wales.As in all Police force areas in Great Britain, the Home Office contract with Airwave provides for hand-portable coverage in built-up areas and vehicle coverage on all major and minor roads, including all rural areas.Police forces can then elect to further enhance coverage in their areas if deemed necessary to meet their own specific operational needs. West Mercia Police have contracted further areas of hand-portable coverage from Airwave using this option.Shropshire and North Shropshire are covered by West Mercia Police, together with Worcestershire and Herefordshire. Collectively, availability of the Airwave radio network across West Mercia throughout 2025 was strong.The contractual target for Airwave network availability for all police forces is 99.74% each month. In 2025 monthly network availability across the 89 Airwave sites in West Mercia varied between 99.79% and 100%, with an overall mean average across the 12 months of 99.94%.Each quarter a tri-party meeting is held between West Mercia Police, the Home Office, and Motorola to review the quality and availability of the Airwave network, along with any other Airwave related issues. During 2025 there were no major Airwave service issues raised by West Mercia Police.

What data her department holds on the (a) quality and (b) availability of the Airwave network in (i) Shropshire and (ii) North Shropshire.

The cost to the taxpayers of Great Britain for Airwave is as follows:2021/22 £293.66m2022/23 £318.55m2023/24 £197.01m2024/25 £153.48mAs the financial accounts for 2025/26 have not been finalised or audited yet, we cannot provide expenditure for that period.The costing information relates to England, Scotland and Wales Police Core only, as Home Office does not have visibility of Airwave costs borne directly by other Funding Sponsor Bodies.As the Emergency Services Network is currently not operational, it is not possible to provide these costs.Leveraging EE’s Commercial Network of circa 20,000 masts, the main build of ESN masts to provide mobile coverage across Great Britain is largely complete. Of the additional 1047 ESN masts due to be built, 987 are completed and operationally live. Specifically, an additional 13 new sites have been built in Shropshire, with 1 of these sited in the constituency of North Shropshire.Across Great Britain, this is already providing a benefit to the public by enabling over one thousand additional 999 calls every month to be made in areas where previously there was no coverage. Work continues at pace to provide network access in areas where localised coverage is needed; these include densely populated communities, as well as sports stadiums, and shopping centres.ESMCP’s priority is to achieve the right balance between credible plans that ensures user confidence and the need to deliver ESN as quickly and safely as possible to enable the shutdown of Airwave.The Home Office’s Emergency Services Mobile Communications Programme (ESMCP) is responsible for managing the Emergency Services Network (ESN). ESN is a critical communications system and will replace the current Airwave service used by the emergency services in Great Britain.ESN is currently in the delivery phase, during which ESMCP will implement systems, platforms, processes, hardware and software to be ready and assured for deployment. Current delivery timelines are from January 2025 to 2027 with phased deployment planned to begin in 2027 to emergency services users. The target date for transition to be completed is 31 December 2029 after which Airwave will be safely shut down.ESN is a capability which is still under development and as such it is not operational. The products and services under development have been tested at several public events such as Notting Hill Carnival, Glastonbury and London New Year’s Eve Celebrations to validate progress and inform the next stages of the programme.This is not a data set held by the Home Office’s Emergency Services Mobile Communications Programme centrally. Such Data is owned and managed by individual forces across the three emergency services and the devolved nations of Scotland and Wales.As in all Police force areas in Great Britain, the Home Office contract with Airwave provides for hand-portable coverage in built-up areas and vehicle coverage on all major and minor roads, including all rural areas.Police forces can then elect to further enhance coverage in their areas if deemed necessary to meet their own specific operational needs. West Mercia Police have contracted further areas of hand-portable coverage from Airwave using this option.Shropshire and North Shropshire are covered by West Mercia Police, together with Worcestershire and Herefordshire. Collectively, availability of the Airwave radio network across West Mercia throughout 2025 was strong.The contractual target for Airwave network availability for all police forces is 99.74% each month. In 2025 monthly network availability across the 89 Airwave sites in West Mercia varied between 99.79% and 100%, with an overall mean average across the 12 months of 99.94%.Each quarter a tri-party meeting is held between West Mercia Police, the Home Office, and Motorola to review the quality and availability of the Airwave network, along with any other Airwave related issues. During 2025 there were no major Airwave service issues raised by West Mercia Police.