Written questions by Dollimore.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that (a) aid workers are protected and (b) UK humanitarian aid is able to reach those in conflict zones in Sudan.

I refer the Hon Member to the statement on Sudan made to the House by the Foreign Secretary on 18 November.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to support victims of sexual violence in the conflict in Sudan.

I refer the Hon Member to the statement on Sudan made to the House by the Foreign Secretary on 18 November.

What steps he is taking to help increase awareness to ensure that women with the NF1 gene undergo the breast cancer screening to which they are entitled.

Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) is an inherited condition that causes cancerous and non-cancerous tumours to grow along the nerves. It affects everyone in a different way. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s (NICE) guidance does not address NF1 specifically but does state that people with certain genetic conditions should be referred to a geneticist to consider their risk, and that people aged between 40 and 50 years old may qualify for annual scans of their breasts.An individual’s risk of breast cancer is based on a number of factors. These factors may vary throughout a lifetime which is why individuals are advised to seek advice from their health professionals. Most individuals with NF1 would be considered at moderate risk of breast cancer, which would mean they should be referred for annual scans by the clinician leading their care. This is not part of the breast cancer screening programme, but is the responsibility of local services to organise and commission.There are a range of different sources of information for patients including the Childhood Tumour Trust and Nerve Tumours UK website. Nerve Tumours UK also includes guidance to general practitioners and have specialist nurse advisors across England. Information for individuals with NF1 is also provided on the NHS website at the following link:https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/neurofibromatosis-type-1

Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate his Department has made of the total value of UK water companies.

Ofwat’s independently set Regulatory Capital Value (RCV) was £99.3 billion in 2024 and is £106.7 billion in 2025. RCV is recognised as the best proxy for the sector’s “enterprise value” – encompassing equity and debt.

Media and Sport, whether the British Museum will retain the ticketing revenue from the Bayeux Tapestry exhibition.

The government will not be increasing grant in aid funding for the Bayeux Tapestry display at the British Museum. The British Museum will use the ticketing revenue from the Bayeux Tapestry exhibition to support the costs of putting on this major exhibition for the visiting public, along with the accompanying public programmes. The British Museum offers concessionary tickets, including free entry for under 16s to all of its exhibitions.

Media and Sport, whether her Department plans to increase its grant in aid funding for the Bayeux Tapestry display at the British Museum.

The government will not be increasing grant in aid funding for the Bayeux Tapestry display at the British Museum. The British Museum will use the ticketing revenue from the Bayeux Tapestry exhibition to support the costs of putting on this major exhibition for the visiting public, along with the accompanying public programmes. The British Museum offers concessionary tickets, including free entry for under 16s to all of its exhibitions.

What steps his Department is taking to help tackle shortages of Pancreatic Enzyme Replacement Therapy.

The Department is aware of ongoing intermittent supply issues with pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy (PERT) and is continuing to work with all suppliers of PERT to help resolve the supply issues in the short and longer term. This includes asking that they expedite deliveries, source stock from other markets, and increase production. Through these discussions we have managed to secure additional volumes for 2025 for the United Kingdom. The Department has also reached out to specialist importers who have sourced unlicensed stock to assist in covering the remaining gap in the market.In the longer term, the Department has had interest from non-UK suppliers of PERT wishing to bring their products to the UK and, along with colleagues in the Medicine and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, we are working with these potential suppliers, and if authorised, these products could further diversify and strengthen the market.The Department has issued management advice to healthcare professionals which directs clinicians to unlicensed imports when licensed stock is unavailable, and which includes actions for integrated care boards to ensure local mitigation plans are implemented. The Department, in collaboration with NHS England, has created a public facing page to include the latest update on PERT availability and easily accessible prescribing advice for clinicians.The Department will continue to work closely with the manufacturers to resolve the issues as soon as possible, to ensure patients have continuous access to medicines.

What steps his Department is taking to improve GP services in coastal communities.

Through our 10-Year Health Plan, it will be easier and faster to see a general practitioner (GP). We will end the 8:00am scramble for appointments, train more doctors, and will guarantee a consultation within 24 hours for those who need one. It is important that funding for core services is distributed equitably between practices across the country, which is why we have committed to reviewing the GP funding formula to ensure that resources are targeted where they are most needed. We have also delivered the biggest boost to GP funding in years, an almost £1.1 billion uplift, the biggest increase in GP funding in over a decade, with GPs now receiving a growing share of National Health Service resources. In October 2024, we invested £82 million into the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme to support the recruitment of 2,000 individual GPs into primary care networks across England, helping to increase appointment availability and improve care for thousands of patients. The new £102 million Primary Care Utilisation and Modernisation Fund will create additional clinical space within over 1,000 practices across England. This investment will deliver more appointments and improve patient care. The Government will bring back the family doctor for those who would benefit from seeing the same clinician regularly. In doing so, we will improve continuity of care, which is associated with better health outcomes and can play an important role in managing health conditions in patients.

What steps his Department is taking to improve NHS (a) treatment for and (b) diagnosis of keratoconus.

We are not aware of any issues with the diagnosis or treatment of keratoconus. Keratoconus is usually identified during a routine sight test. The National Health Service provides over 13 million free NHS sight tests annually for eligible groups.Patient with suspected keratoconus will be referred into the hospital eye service for a definitive diagnosis and any clinically necessary treatment. For mild cases of keratoconus, glasses or a range of contact lenses can be used to correct vision. The introduction of cross-linking treatment, a treatment that uses ultraviolet light and riboflavin eye drops to stiffen the cornea, in early keratoconus, has reduced the number of patients who go on to develop advanced keratoconus, which may require surgery.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of international rail travel from Ashford International on economic growth.

The Government is keen to see the reinstatement of international rail services in Kent and recognises the benefits that international connectivity brings to local economies and to the UK.The Government is engaging with Kent stakeholders, including MPs, councillors and representative organisations to discuss this issue and is committed to continue to explore all potential solutions including the reinstatement of these services by potential new operators.

Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to support community ownership of local assets.

We want to support communities to take ownership of assets that are important to them. Community Right to Buy, introduced in the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill, will empower local people to bring community spaces back into community ownership and help to end the blight of empty properties on our high streets. This new measure will give community groups the first option to purchase registered assets when they are put up for sale and a longer timeframe to raise funding to purchase the asset.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the Plan for Neighbourhoods on Hastings.

The £1.5 billion Plan for Neighbourhoods programme announced in March 2025 will deliver up to £20 million of funding and support over the next decade into 75 communities, including Hastings. The programme will lay the foundations to help bring communities together, kickstart growth and drive-up living standards.We look forward to receiving Hastings’ 10-year vision and 4-year investment plan for the local area. We have already provided £450,000 in capacity funding for Hastings Neighbourhood Board which they can use for high-quality community engagement the results of which we will want to see in their Regeneration Plan.

What assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the length of the statute of limitations for medical devices as specified under the Consumer Protection Act 1987.

Given the importance, breadth and complexity of this area of law – and as I set out in Committee on the Product Regulation and Metrology Act – the Government has asked the Law Commission to conduct a full review of product liability legislation. This includes considering the time limits for bringing claims. Following a wide consultation that will begin soon, I expect the Law Commission to make recommendations later next year.

Communities and Local Government, what discussions her Department has had with (a) local authorities and (b) housing associations on the adequacy of levels of playground provision to meet children’s needs.

Playgrounds are an essential part of social infrastructure and government is committed to improving access to safe play spaces. The provision of playgrounds in parks and public spaces is primarily a matter for local authorities. We support local government and recognise the challenges that local authorities are facing as demand increases for critical services. The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) is clear that planning policies and decisions should aim to achieve healthy, inclusive and safe places. In addition, the National Design Guide demonstrates how new development can promote inclusive design by creating buildings and spaces that are safe, social and inclusive, with an integrated mix of uses that are accessible for all. We will use our bold £1.5 billion Plan for Neighbourhoods to bolster a wide range of community assets, including play areas. Over the next decade, the plan will deliver up to £20 million of funding and support to each of 75 eligible communities across the UK, bringing together “neighbourhood boards” to develop local regeneration plans in partnership with local authorities: Plan for Neighbourhoods: prospectus - GOV.UK.

Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that children have access to (a) safe and (b) well-maintained playgrounds.

Playgrounds are an essential part of social infrastructure and government is committed to improving access to safe play spaces. The provision of playgrounds in parks and public spaces is primarily a matter for local authorities. We support local government and recognise the challenges that local authorities are facing as demand increases for critical services. The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) is clear that planning policies and decisions should aim to achieve healthy, inclusive and safe places. In addition, the National Design Guide demonstrates how new development can promote inclusive design by creating buildings and spaces that are safe, social and inclusive, with an integrated mix of uses that are accessible for all. We will use our bold £1.5 billion Plan for Neighbourhoods to bolster a wide range of community assets, including play areas. Over the next decade, the plan will deliver up to £20 million of funding and support to each of 75 eligible communities across the UK, bringing together “neighbourhood boards” to develop local regeneration plans in partnership with local authorities: Plan for Neighbourhoods: prospectus - GOV.UK.

Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to reduce the number of children in temporary accommodation in Hastings and Rye constituency.

Investing in preventative services is critical for reducing the number of households and children in temporary accommodation. The Government has made the largest-ever investment in prevention services, increasing funding for homelessness services by £233 million to a total of £1 billion for homelessness and rough sleeping in 2025/26.The Spending Review has protected this record level of investment for the next three years, and provided £100 million, including from the Transformation Fund, to fund increased homelessness prevention activity by local authorities.

Pursuant to the Answer of 4 February 2025 to Question 24568 on Department of Health and Social Care: Media, which Ministers received media training.

Between 4 July 2022 and 4 July 2024, media training was received by Minister Caroline Johnson MP, the then Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Mental Health and Public Health, and Lord Markham, the then Parliamentary Under Secretary of State.

How many doctors applied for medical specialty training in each of the last five years; and how many training places were available in the same period.

Doctors undertake two years of foundation training after graduation, which is followed by a choice of core training programmes. Most of those in core training then apply for higher specialty training programmes.For 2024, there were 4,177 applications across the 25 specialty training programmes that comprise medical specialty training, which came from 2,897 unique applicants due to doctors being able to apply to a number of different specialities when seeking specialty training posts. The number of unique applicants for prior years is not held by the Department.The attached table shows the number of doctors who applied for training in the 25 individual specialty training programmes that comprise medical specialty training, along with how many training posts were available across the United Kingdom in each speciality, in each of the last five years.This information is drawn from information published by NHS England on the Competition Ratios for all doctor training specialties each year, which is available at the following link:https://medical.hee.nhs.uk/medical-training-recruitment/medical-specialty-training/competition-ratios

How many doctors applied for core anaesthetic training in each of the last five years; and how many training places were available in the same period.

The following table shows the number of doctors who applied for training in the Core Anaesthetics programme, as well as how many training places were available across the United Kingdom in each of the last five years:Year20202021202220232024Applications1,4792,0462,3372,6043,522Training places (posts)569566558545542Source: Workforce, Training and Education, Competition Ratios, published by NHS England and available at the following link: https://medical.hee.nhs.uk/medical-training-recruitment/medical-specialty-training/competition-ratios

Media and Sport, how much her Department spent on (a) media and (b) voice training for Ministers between 4 July 2022 and 4 July 2024.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has not spent anything on media or voice training for Ministers since 4 July 2024. We are not aware of any expenditure on media or voice training for Ministers under the previous government between 4 July 2022 and 4 July 2024.