Written questions by Frith.

Media and Sport, what plans she has to consult on reforms to press regulation.

The Government currently has no plans to consult on reforms to press regulation.

Innovation and Technology, whether his Department plans to issue guidance to help social media companies implement (a) C2PA Content Credentials and (b) other provenance standards to help (i) tackle disinformation and (ii) ensure a viable opt-out tool for rightsholders in the UK, in the context of the Ofcom's responsibilities in the Online Safety Act 2023.

The Online Safety Act (OSA) represents our key legislative tool for tackling mis/disinformation and requires platforms to remove illegal mis/disinformation from their services. Our immediate focus is on quick and effective implementation. We will then look at where we could build on the OSA.The government recently closed a consultation on AI and copyright and welcomed engagement from stakeholders on issues including labelling AI-generated and modified content, and options for enhancing control for rightsholders in the context of the UK’s AI and copyright regime. We are reviewing all responses to ensure any proposals taken forward properly support all sectors.

Innovation and Technology, whether his Department plans to take steps to prevent social media companies from removing (a) C2PA Content Credentials and (b) other provenance metadata from content in order to help (i) tackle disinformation online and (ii) ensure that rightsholders’ stated preferences for AI training are not removed.

The Online Safety Act (OSA) represents our key legislative tool for tackling mis/disinformation and requires platforms to remove illegal mis/disinformation from their services. Our immediate focus is on quick and effective implementation. We will then look at where we could build on the OSA.The government recently closed a consultation on AI and copyright and welcomed engagement from stakeholders on issues including labelling AI-generated and modified content, and options for enhancing control for rightsholders in the context of the UK’s AI and copyright regime. We are reviewing all responses to ensure any proposals taken forward properly support all sectors.

Whether his Department has received representations from providers of digital content subscription services on the potential impact of proposals on cooling-off rights within the new subscription contract regime under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024.

The Government’s Consultation on the implementation of the new subscriptions contract regime included proposals for how refunds should work when consumers exercise their statutory cooling-off rights. The overarching aim set out in that document is for a framework that is fair for both businesses and consumers. Officials have met regularly with digital content subscription businesses and their trade bodies to hear their views. We are analysing all the responses to the consultation, including those from businesses that supply digital content or services, and will publish a Government Response in due course.

What steps he is taking to help mitigate the potential impact of his Department's proposals for cooling-off rights within the subscription contract regime under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 on digital content streaming services.

The Government’s Consultation on the implementation of the new subscriptions contract regime included proposals for how refunds should work when consumers exercise their statutory cooling-off rights. The overarching aim set out in that document is for a framework that is fair for both businesses and consumers. Officials have met regularly with digital content subscription businesses and their trade bodies to hear their views. We are analysing all the responses to the consultation, including those from businesses that supply digital content or services, and will publish a Government Response in due course.

Whether he plans to extend the suspension of customs tariffs on fruit juices after June 2026.

203 suspensions are due to expire on 30 June 2026, including 27 measures that are in place on fruit juices and concentrates. The Government will consider a possible extension ahead of the measures’ expiry date. Further information about the review will be made available on GOV.UK in due course.

Whether he has had meetings with providers of digital content subscription services on the potential impact of proposals on cooling-off rights within the new subscription contract regime under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024.

The Government’s Consultation on the implementation of the new subscriptions contract regime included proposals for how refunds should work when consumers exercise their statutory cooling-off rights. The overarching aim set out in that document is for a framework that is fair for both businesses and consumers. Officials have met regularly with digital content subscription businesses and their trade bodies to hear their views. We are analysing all the responses to the consultation, including those from businesses that supply digital content or services, and will publish a Government Response in due course.

Media and Sport, what recent assessment she has made of the potential merits of introducing a regulator levy to fund compensation for people who lost money through the collapse of Football Index and BetIndex.

I refer my Honourable Friend to the answer I gave on 8 January 2025 to Question UIN 21381.

Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to support the conversion of (a) vacant and (b) underused mills into (i) housing and (ii) commercial space in (A) Bury North constituency and (B) the North of England.

The National Planning Policy Framework makes clear that substantial weight should be given to the value of using suitable brownfield land within settlements for homes and other uses and promoting an effective and efficient use of land. This includes supporting opportunities to remediate derelict land and the development of under-utilised land and buildings, especially to meet housing needs. In relation to commercial space, a permitted development right enables change of use of Class B2 General Industrial buildings to Class B8 Storage and Distribution, subject to size limit of 500 square metres of floorspace changing use. Mills are likely to fall into the Class B2 use class. Homes England and its local authority partners are working with mill owners across Greater Manchester to bring redundant mills back into life as housing. This includes the Eckersley Mill complex in Wigan, which is the subject of joint working between the Council, Greater Manchester Combined Authority and Homes England to bring forward a range of uses, including 800 homes. The first phase is commercial and has been part funded by Greater Manchester Combined Authority’s Brownfield Housing Fund.Although the site is not within the Bury North constituency, Homes England also acted jointly with Bury Council to dispose of East Lancs Paper Mill site for the development of around 400 new homes.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he plans to take to support the horticultural sector in the peat free transition.

This is a devolved matter and the information provided therefore relates to England only. Defra is committed to protecting our nature-rich habitats, including peat bogs, and is looking at next steps regarding measures to ban horticultural peat including how the Department will continue to work alongside the horticultural sector to accelerate progress on the peat free transition.

What recent progress his Department has made on the Women's Health Strategy in relation to (a) healthy lifestyle choices, (b) breast cancer and (c) women's health generally.

The Government is committed to prioritising women’s health as we build a National Health Service fit for the future.The Government and the NHS provide a range of services to support people, including women, to make healthy lifestyle choices. For example, through stop smoking services, sexual health services, and weight management services. The National Smoke-free Pregnancy Incentives Scheme is also supporting pregnant women to quit smoking.Reducing unwarranted variation in cancer treatment is a strategic priority for the NHS. On World Cancer Day this year, the Department announced a major world-leading artificial intelligence trial to transform cancer care, helping radiologists catch breast cancer earlier. Also, in February 2025 NHS England launched its first-ever awareness campaign to highlight the benefits of breast screening and encourage more women to participate. Further information about this campaign is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/2025/02/nhs-launches-first-ever-breast-screening-campaign-to-help-detect-thousands-of-cancers-earlier/We are continuing to improve the health of women and girls, for example by supporting those who have experienced pregnancy loss through a full rollout of baby loss certificates, through menopause support in the workplace, access to emergency hormonal contraception, and by boosting women’s participation in research and clinical trials.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to (a) protect the health of (i) women and (ii) the public generally from chemical pollution and (b) promote (A) research, (B) regulation and (C) public awareness in this area.

This Government is committed to protecting human health and the environment from the risks posed by chemicals. We do this by monitoring, assessing chemical risk and banning or highly restricting certain chemicals. The UK Regulation concerning the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (UK REACH) requires companies to identify and manage the risks presented by the chemicals they manufacture or market in GB. Action to assess and manage the risks posed by specific chemicals is also set out annually in the UK REACH Work Programme. Under UK REACH, there is a restriction mechanism to limit or ban chemical substances if they pose an unacceptable risk to human health or the environment. We also restrict the most harmful chemicals through regulations that implement legally binding international conventions on chemicals and hazardous waste: Stockholm (Persistent Organic Pollutants), Basel (cross border hazardous wastes and disposal), Minamata (mercury) and Rotterdam (hazardous chemicals). These regimes have led to a reduction in chemical pollution. Monitoring demonstrates that emissions of Persistent Organic Pollutants to air, land and water have fallen between 2001 and 2021. We work across Government and with relevant agencies, such as the UK Health Security Agency and with the Health and Safety Executive to identify gaps in our evidence and commission new research, which is published in the interests of transparency. Through the Environment Agency, Defra has published research into key chemicals of concern, such as Per- and Polyfluorinated Alkyl Substances (PFAS), with a view to understanding the policy options to protect human health and the environment. The UKHSA provides public health advice to Local Authorities, Government Departments and Agencies where chemicals are found in the environment including drinking water, air and soil, to protect the health of the public including women. UKHSA also undertakes research in Environmental Exposures and Chemical Threats and Hazards in partnership with universities, including research funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) funded Health Protection Research Units (HPRU) and, and publishes the Chemical hazards compendium which provides information on chemicals to the public. This Government is committed to protecting human health and the environment from the risks posed by chemicals. We are bound by the Public Sector Equality Duty which requires us to consider how the exercise of our functions may impact people with different protected characteristics, including sex.

What steps his Department is taking to address health inequalities in breast cancer prevention by ensuring that women in disadvantaged areas have (a) safe and (b) affordable access to (i) facilities and (ii) resources to maintain a healthy (A) lifestyle, (B) diet and (C) level of physical activity.

Tackling health inequalities, including in breast cancer prevention, requires a whole-Government effort. That is why there is ongoing work across the Government, from housing and education to employment and welfare, to ensure that health is built into all policies.NHS England is working with integrated care systems, local authorities, and the directors of public health to embed regional and local solutions to reducing inequalities, ensuring that communities, including in deprived areas, have the power and resources to improve health outcomes, for instance through the maintenance of a healthy lifestyle.The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is developing an ambitious new cross-Government Food Strategy that will set the food system up for long-term success and provide wide ranging improvements. The Food Strategy will work to provide healthier, more easily accessible food to help people live longer, healthier lives.By aligning policy efforts across health, social care, local government, and the voluntary sector, the Government is committed to driving real change, so that everyone, regardless of their background, has the opportunity to live a longer, healthier life.The Government’s goal is to reduce the time people spend in ill health, support independence, and close the healthy life expectancy gap, ensuring that no one’s health outcomes are determined by their background or where they are born.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the two-child limit policy on recent trends in the levels of child poverty.

The Households Below Average Income (HBAI) statistics show trends in poverty, including child poverty. The latest statistics cover years up to and including 2023/24: Households below average income: for financial years ending 1995 to 2024 - GOV.UK Delivering our manifesto commitment to tackle child poverty is an urgent priority for this Government, and the Ministerial Taskforce is working to publish a Child Poverty Strategy which will deliver lasting change. The Strategy will look at all available levers across four key themes of increasing incomes, including considering social security reforms, reducing essential costs, increasing financial resilience; and better local support especially in the early years. This will build on the reform plans underway across Government and work underway in Devolved Governments.

If she will make an estimate of the average amount of money families would receive if the two-child limit was rescinded.

Tackling child poverty is at the heart of the Government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity and improve the life chances of every child. The Child Poverty Taskforce is exploring how we can harness all available levers to reduce child poverty, including considering social security reforms, before publishing a strategy that will deliver lasting change.

Whether he plans to issue guidance to ICBs on providing equality of access to auditory verbal therapy for deaf babies and young children.

Audiology services are locally commissioned, and the responsibility for meeting the needs of non-hearing children lies with local National Health Service commissioners. It is important that local commissioners have the discretion to decide how best to meet the needs of their local population, and we are giving systems greater control and flexibility over how funding is deployed to support this.We expect local commissioning to be informed by the best available evidence, relevant National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines, and guidance issued by NHS England. In 2019, NHS England, with input from the National Deaf Children’s Society, produced a guide for commissioners and health and local authority providers which supports non-hearing children and young people. This is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/what-works-chswg-guide.pdfThe Government is committed to breaking down barriers to opportunities and ensuring that every child, including children with hearing loss, has the best start in life. I met with Auditory Verbal UK and heard their views about the potential benefits of guidance on auditory verbal therapy, which I agreed to consider.

Whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of (a) investing in auditory verbal therapy and (b) expanding access to support for deaf children and their families.

Audiology services are locally commissioned, and the responsibility for meeting the needs of non-hearing children lies with local National Health Service commissioners. It is important that local commissioners have the discretion to decide how best to meet the needs of their local population, and we are giving systems greater control and flexibility over how funding is deployed to support this.We expect local commissioning to be informed by the best available evidence, relevant National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines, and guidance issued by NHS England. In 2019, NHS England, with input from the National Deaf Children’s Society, produced a guide for commissioners and health and local authority providers which supports non-hearing children and young people. This is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/what-works-chswg-guide.pdfThe Government is committed to breaking down barriers to opportunities and ensuring that every child, including children with hearing loss, has the best start in life. I met with Auditory Verbal UK and heard their views about the potential benefits of guidance on auditory verbal therapy, which I agreed to consider.

Whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of the Early Language Support for Every Child pilot programme on improved outcomes for deaf babies and children.

The department knows that children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities frequently require access to additional support from a broad specialist workforce across education, health and care.Early Language Support for Every Child (ELSEC) is a pilot programme operating in the department's nine Change Programme Partnerships. It seeks to improve capacity and knowledge of the workforce that supports children with emerging, mild to moderate speech, language and communication needs in early years and school settings.ELSEC does not directly support deaf babies and children. However, the intention is that needs will be identified earlier and those who require specialist support will receive this in a more timely fashion, which could include children with hearing impairments.The department recognises the importance of teachers of the deaf and is continuing to support the pipeline of these teachers. There are currently seven providers of the Mandatory Qualification in Sensory Impairment (MQSI). Teachers who teach a class of pupils with sensory impairment are required to hold MQSI. Teachers working in an advisory or peripatetic role are also strongly advised to complete MQSI.The Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE) has developed a sensory impairment apprenticeship. IfATE worked with universities, local authorities and sector representatives, including the National Deaf Children’s Society, the Royal National Institute of Blind People and the British Association of Teachers of Deaf Children and Young People to develop the qualification. The apprenticeship is expected to be available from September 2025 and will open up a paid, work-based route into teaching children and young people with sensory impairments. This will improve the supply of those qualified to teach this important cohort and further help to improve their outcomes.

Media and Sport, with reference to the UK Live Comedy Sector Survey Report 2024, published on 6 February 2025, if her Department will take steps to recognise live comedy as an art form, in the context of eligibility for funding from (a) Arts Council England, (b) the National Lottery and (c) other organisations.

Comedy is a vital performing art and contributes to the mental health and wellbeing of people, not just in the UK, but around the world. It forms part of our cultural landscape, enriching lives, shaping our collective identity.Arts Council England funds numerous organisations and venues that support comedy. For the purposes of ACE funding, comedy is considered under the broad term of ‘theatre.’ This means that as long as a performer, club or promoter meets the eligibility criteria for specific programmes, then ACE welcomes funding applications. Between the financial years covering 2010/11 to 2024/25 ACE has awarded £12,296,254 in funding where an applicant name, project title or subclassifier contains the word “comedy”.Venues such as theatres also benefit from tax relief. The government believes tax relief is essential to help incentivise investment in productions, and to contribute to innovation and economic growth, enabling arts organisations to continue to produce new content which is vital in keeping them competitive on an international stage.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will take steps to ensure that fees under the Extended Producer Responsibility scheme are sustainable for businesses using glass packaging.

The 2024 pEPR impact assessment assessed the impact of introducing the pEPR scheme on packaging producers as a whole and the transfer of monies from producers to Local Authorities and impacts on other market actors such as Government for tax implications, reprocessors and exporters, and wider business benefits. The impact assessment estimated the pEPR producer fees would generate over £1 billion annually to support local authority collection and disposal services, including recycling services. We expect Greenhouse Gas Emissions savings of approximately 0.8 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent over the 10-year appraisal period.