Written questions by MacCleary.

What steps his Department is taking to reduce waiting times for endometriosis treatment in Sussex, including (a) specialist consultations and (b) surgery.

At the end of December 2024, the gynaecology waiting list, which includes those waiting for endometriosis treatment, for Sussex Integrated Care Board stood at 18,454, with 54.3% of patient pathways waiting less than 18 weeks.As set out in the Plan for Change, we have committed to return to the NHS constitutional standard that 92% of patients, including those waiting for endometriosis treatment, wait no longer than 18 weeks from Referral to Treatment (RTT) by March 2029. We have already supported this with additional investment in the Autumn Budget 2024, which has enabled us to deliver an additional two million appointments, seven months ahead of schedule.There are a range of efforts underway, nationally and in Sussex, to reduce the time patients are waiting for gynaecological care. The Elective Reform Plan, published in January 2025, sets out the productivity and reform efforts we will undertake to return to the 18-week standard, and ensure patients have the best possible experience while they wait. This includes increasing the relative funding available to support gynaecology procedures, including for certain endometriosis pathways, with the largest waiting lists and reviewing support options from the independent sector.Sussex has launched Women’s Health Hubs in five locations, namely Hastings, Eastbourne, Brighton and Hove, Worthing, and Horsham. The core specification in the hub model includes menstrual problems, assessment, and treatment, including but not limited to, care for heavy, painful, or irregular menstrual bleeding, and care for conditions such as endometriosis and polycystic ovary syndrome. The establishment of these five hubs aims to improve access for local women to advice, support and treatment.

Innovation and Technology, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of rolling out full-fibre broadband in Laughton, East Sussex; and what steps he is taking to support its delivery.

Having the fastest, most reliable broadband means households no longer having to battle over bandwidth and gives people the freedom to live and work more flexibly. This is why we are committed to the rollout of fast, reliable broadband to all parts of the UK.As part of Project Gigabit, CityFibre is delivering a contract to bring gigabit-capable broadband to premises across Sussex, including in Laughton, that would otherwise not be reached by suppliers’ commercial rollout.

When his Department plans to remove the requirement for female same-sex couples to self-fund initial IVF treatments; and what steps he has taken to ensure equal access to fertility services across the NHS.

The Government recognises that fertility treatment across the National Health Service in England is subject to variation in access. Work continues on joint advice from the Department and NHS England about the offer around NHS-funded fertility services, including the issues for female same sex couples. Funding decisions for health services in England are made by integrated care boards and are based on the clinical needs of their local population. We expect these organisations to commission fertility services in line with National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines, ensuring equal access to fertility treatment across England. NICE is currently reviewing these guidelines.

What steps his Department is taking to increase access to NHS dentistry for (a) pensioners and (b) people who are unable to afford private treatment.

The Government plans to tackle the challenges for patients trying to access National Health Service dental care with a rescue plan to provide 700,000 more urgent dental appointments and recruit new dentists to areas that need them most. Sussex Integrated Care Board, which includes Lewes constituency, is expected to deliver 26,546 additional urgent dental appointments.The responsibility for commissioning primary care, including dentistry, to meet the needs of the local population has been delegated to all integrated care boards (ICBs) across England.Free NHS dental care is available to people who meet the following criteria: aged under 18 years old, or under 19 years old and in full-time education; pregnant or have had a baby in the previous 12 months; being treated in an NHS hospital and the treatment is carried out by the hospital dentist, with patients possibly having to pay for any dentures or bridges; or receiving low-income benefits, or under 20 years old and a dependant of someone receiving low-income benefits.Support is also available through the NHS Low Income Scheme for those patients who are not eligible for exemption or full remission of dental patient charges. More information is available at the following link:https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/dentists/who-is-entitled-to-free-nhs-dental-treatment-in-england/

What steps his Department is taking to improve access to public defibrillators outside of business hours in (a) rural, (b) suburban and (c) other areas.

The Government is committed to improving access to automated external defibrillators (AEDs) in public spaces, and reducing inequalities in access to these life saving devices. We have made a further £500,000 available from August 2024 to fulfil existing applications to the Department’s Community AED Fund. The criteria specified for the original grant continues to apply and will go to applications for AEDs in areas of England where there is the greatest need, including in areas of high footfall, hot spots for cardiac arrest, and areas that already have low access to AEDs. A further requirement of the fund was that AEDs be publicly accessible 24 hours a day, where practical.

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of requiring all drivers to complete a DVLA eye test.

All drivers have an ongoing legal responsibility to ensure that they meet the vision standards for driving, which includes being able to read a number plate from 20 metres, wearing glasses or corrective lenses if needed. Drivers must notify the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) at any time of a change in their health or vision which may affect their ability to meet the appropriate standards. The Department for Transport supports the National Health Service’s recommendation that adults should have their eyes tested every two years and the DVLA encourages drivers to regularly check their own vision by reading a number plate from 20 metres and arranging a formal vision test when required. There are no current plans to introduce mandatory eyesight testing of all drivers.

If she will conduct a feasibility study into the restoration of the Wealden railway line from Lewes to Uckfield; whether an impact assessment has been conducted since 2008 on restoring that line; and if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of restoring that line on (a) rail connectivity and (b) net zero targets.

Successive studies over the last two decades have indicated that the significant costs associated with re-instating the line between Lewes and Uckfield would exceed the benefits to passengers across Sussex. As such, our current focus remains on improving the performance and reliability of existing infrastructure and services.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure (a) transparency and (b) public trust in the collection and sharing of NHS patient data.

Strong public trust is critical for the collection and sharing of National Health Service patient data, and transparency is key to building that trust and retaining public confidence.NHS England publishes a range of documentation to maintain transparency about how data is used. These include:- directions made by my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, to NHS England to establish information systems;- Data Protection Impact Assessments and other documentation, which provide information on how the information will be used in particular programmes; and- data use registers that include details of external data sharing agreements and are published monthly. All NHS Research Network Secure Data Environments also maintain a data use register that includes details of data access agreements.Statutory roles and functions have also been established to provide confidence and assurance that data is used lawfully and for the benefit of patients. The Confidentiality Advisory Group of the Health Research Authority (HRA), provides independent, expert advice to the HRA, and to my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, on the use of confidential patient information, and their minutes and a register of the applications and decisions made are published. The National Data Guardian (NDG) provides advice to help ensure that people’s confidential information is kept safe and used properly. The eight Caldicott rules established by the previous NDG set out key principles for the use of confidential information, including that individuals are informed about how their data is used. Caldicott guardians in every NHS organisation work to ensure these principles are upheld. The NDG publishes an annual report on their work and objectives.To further build trust, we are delivering a national programme of large-scale public engagement on data which will reach over 6,000 people across England, representative of our diverse communities. This provides the opportunity for us to meaningfully involve the public in decisions and changes to how their health data is used, and complements smaller-scale activities carried out by data programmes throughout the NHS.

Innovation and Technology, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that (a) community information websites, (b) hobbyist forums and (c) other small (i) websites and (ii) discussion forums are not disproportionately affected by the regulatory requirements of the Online Safety Act 2023.

Under the Online Safety Act, in-scope user-to-user and search services must assess for risks of illegal content and harm to children. Ofcom is the independent regulator for this regime. It sets out what steps small low-risk providers need to take to fulfil their duties following their risk assessment. When implementing these duties, Ofcom is legally required to ensure burdens on providers are proportionate to their risk factors, size, and capacity. Ofcom recently launched an online digital toolkit, aimed at helping SMEs with compliance (https://www.ofcom.org.uk/online-safety/illegal-and-harmful-content/ofcom-launches-digital-safety-toolkit-for-online-services/).

Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to support community-led developments; and if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of increasing the funding available for such schemes.

The government recognises that community-led housing delivers a wide range of benefits, including additional housing supply, empowering communities, achieving high quality design and strengthening the co-operative economy.A range of funding sources are available to support the development of community-led housing, although eligibility will depend on the nature of specific developments. This includes the Levelling-Up Home Building Fund, which provides affordable loan finance for the development of sites of five units or more, and the Affordable Homes Programme, which provides grant funding to support the capital costs of developing affordable housing in England.Beyond funding, the revised National Planning Policy Framework published on 12 December 2024 strengthened support for community-led housing, including through changes to the size limit on community-led exception sites and a broadening of the definition of organisations able to deliver community-led housing.As part of the development of our Long Term Housing Strategy, we are considering how the government may further support the growth of the community-led housing sector and I recently met with the Chief Executive of the Community Land Trust Network and other stakeholders to discuss options in that regard.

Communities and Local Government, what progress her Department has made on its target to build 1.5 million homes during this Parliament.

The government’s Plan for Change includes an ambitious milestone of building 1.5 million safe and decent homes in England in this Parliament.Progress will be measured through the number of net additional dwellings.The department publishes a quarterly release entitled ‘Housing supply: Indicators of New Supply, England’. This includes estimates of new build starts and completions, by local authority, in each financial year since 1980-81, shown in Live Table 253 on gov.uk here.We will continue to update Parliament in the usual manner.

Whether his Department has commissioned opinion polling on public attitudes towards (a) Brexit, (b) the Trade and Cooperation Agreement with the EU, (c) the Windsor Framework and (d) the UK's relationship with the EU.

The Government Communication Service is not commissioning opinion polling on these topics.

What steps her Department is taking to support local authorities in improving road safety on rural roads; and if she will take steps with East Sussex County Council to help improve road safety on the C7 road between Newhaven and Lewes.

The Department recognises that the majority of road fatalities (according to the latest statistics) occurred on rural roads (60%) with fewer fatalities on urban roads (35%) and motorways (5%). We have awarded local authorities £185.8 million of funding between 2017 and 2024 through the Safer Roads Fund to improve the safety of England's most high risk 'A' roads. To date, it has funded 445.3 miles of rural roads which make up 62.4% of all funded routes. My Government is developing a road safety strategy, the first in over ten years, and we will set out more details in due course. East Sussex County Council is responsible for making decisions about roads in their area and as such, is best placed to bring forward proposals to improve safety on the C7 road.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent steps he has taken to ensure the (a) fair treatment and (b) legal representation of British citizens detained abroad.

In cases where a British national is detained overseas, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) can provide information about the local legal system to help individuals understand what to expect and their rights, including any right to a state-appointed lawyer. Consular staff can also provide a list of local English-speaking lawyers. If fair trial concerns are raised, wherever possible, FCDO consular staff will discuss with the individual and their legal representative and agree appropriate action. This can include raising concerns with local authorities. Consular support in arrest and detention cases is set out online: [https://www.gov.uk/guidance/arrested-or-detained-abroad]

Media and Sport, what recent assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of gambling advertising on (a) mental health, (b) wider public health, (c) family relationships and (d) financial wellbeing; and whether she plans to introduce restrictions on gambling advertising.

There are a range of robust rules in place to ensure that gambling adverts, wherever they appear, are socially responsible and do not exacerbate harm.The Gambling Commission is further strengthening protections on marketing to improve customer control over the marketing they receive and the tightening rules on the design of incentives such as free bets.However, as the Gambling Minister set out in her speech at the GambleAware conference on 4 December, the government recognises that more needs to be done to improve protections. The industry now has a clear task to further raise standards to ensure that levels of gambling advertising does not exacerbate harm, and this work will be monitored closely.

What estimate she has made of the cost of consultancy to (a) negotiate and (b) implement new cross-border transport arrangements with the EU since January 2020 by (i) consultancy firm, (ii) contract value and (iii) month of contract award; and what scrutiny mechanisms exist for those consultants.

No estimate has been made of the cost of consultancy by my department used during negotiation and implementation of new cross-border transport arrangements with the EU since January 2020. Since the UK-EU Withdrawal Agreement came into effect on 31st January 2020, and subsequent application of the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement from 1 January 2021, there has been an extensive programme of work across numerous government departments to facilitate implementation of our new relationship with the EU and ensure the continued flow of people and goods. Most cross-border impacts of EU Exit for transport relate to border checks such as immigration controls, checks on goods and security arrangements on which other departments lead. The National Audit Office has produced a number of reports on EU Exit preparations including one on borders last year: The UK border: Implementing an effective trade border - NAO report.

If she will publish the (a) number, (b) name, (c) value and (d) duration of consultancy contracts awarded by HMRC on the Northern Ireland Protocol since 31 January 2020.

The information requested can be found at: https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/notice/dfa702cb-97dc-427a-a0bd-a7bece4af9f9?origin=SearchResults&p=1

What estimate he has made of total government expenditure on external consultants to assist with EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement implementation since 5 July 2024, broken down by (a) department, (b) consultancy firm, and (c) area of work.

The Cabinet Office does not hold a central estimate of the total government expenditure on external consultants to assist with EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement implementation. This is due to the responsibility for implementing the agreement sitting across multiple departments. All departments are individually responsible for their consultancy spend. Further information on government specific contracts is available at https://www.gov.uk/contracts-finder.

How many contracts related to the Northern Ireland Protocol have been (a) awarded and (b) extended without competitive tender since 4 July 2024; what the reason was; and what the total expenditure on those contracts was.

No such contracts have been awarded or extended by HM Treasury.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact on students' education of the ending of the Latin Excellence Programme mid-GCSE year; and whether funding for the programme will continue until the end of the current academic year.

The Centre for Latin Excellence has contacted all the schools involved in the Latin Excellence Programme and has received assurances that all pupils due to take Latin GCSE this summer will continue to do so. ​The department is working closely with the Centre for Latin Excellence to ensure that teachers currently delivering the Latin curriculum to key stage 4 pupils will be prioritised and will receive extra support in the lead up to the end of the programme. All schools on the programme will continue to have access to the curriculum resources once the programme ends supporting them in the continue delivery of Latin teaching. The fiscal situation this government inherited means there are difficult decisions to take on how money is spent right across the public sector to ensure the department delivers on our priorities. Given this, we have taken the difficult decision not to extend the Latin Excellence Programme beyond the end of the current contract on 28 February 2025.​