Written questions by MacCleary.

Whether his Department plans to increase funding for the UK Foundation Programme office.

The UK Foundation Programme Office (UKFPO) manages the national application process for the UK Foundation Programme. The UKFPO is funded by, and is accountable to, the four United Kingdom statutory education bodies, including NHS England for England. We are committed to ensuring that the number of medical foundation training places meets the demands of the National Health Service in the future, and this will be supported by appropriate funding.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of promoting a culture of reading for pleasure in the home on the development of children (a) in early years and (b) of school age.

This government is committed to strengthening the home learning environment to support literacy and school readiness as part of the Plan for Change. In 2025/26, we are investing £10.7 million through Family Hubs in home learning environment services to help parents create language-rich, nurturing settings that support early communication and confidence. In the recent Spending Review, my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, confirmed that the government will continue to invest in and expand the Family Hubs programme as part of the Spending Review 2025.Our Little Moments Together campaign provides free resources and advice to encourage parents to chat, play and read with their children, simple actions that make a lasting difference. Promoting a culture of reading for pleasure at home supports children’s language development, emotional wellbeing and cognitive growth, particularly in the early years. These benefits extend into later childhood, contributing to improved educational outcomes and a lifelong engagement with learning.For school-age children, we continue to encourage parental engagement in reading and learning at home, recognising that strong early foundations are key to long term educational success.

If she will publish plans to strengthen the home learning environment to support literacy (a) in the early years and (b) for school age children.

This government is committed to strengthening the home learning environment to support literacy and school readiness as part of the Plan for Change. In 2025/26, we are investing £10.7 million through Family Hubs in home learning environment services to help parents create language-rich, nurturing settings that support early communication and confidence. In the recent Spending Review, my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, confirmed that the government will continue to invest in and expand the Family Hubs programme as part of the Spending Review 2025.Our Little Moments Together campaign provides free resources and advice to encourage parents to chat, play and read with their children, simple actions that make a lasting difference. Promoting a culture of reading for pleasure at home supports children’s language development, emotional wellbeing and cognitive growth, particularly in the early years. These benefits extend into later childhood, contributing to improved educational outcomes and a lifelong engagement with learning.For school-age children, we continue to encourage parental engagement in reading and learning at home, recognising that strong early foundations are key to long term educational success.

What steps his Department is taking to place dedicated mental health practitioners in schools; and whether he plans to fund a nationwide rollout of such provision.

The 2025 Spending Review confirmed that we will fulfil our commitment to provide access to mental health support within schools in England by expanding mental health support teams to cover 100% of pupils by 2029/30. This expansion will ensure that up to 900,000 more children and young people will have access to support from trained education mental health practitioners in 2025/26.

Food and Rural Affairs, when he expects the sanitary and phytosanitary agreement referred to in the joint UK-EU statement of 19 May 2025 to come into effect.

As announced at the UK-EU Leaders' Summit on May 19, 2025, the UK and EU have agreed to work towards a common Sanitary and Phytosanitary Area. Our aim is to start talks straight away and we want to remove barriers as soon as possible.

Representing the Church Commissioners, whether the Church Commissioners have a target for the proportion of the Church's land it plans to protect for nature by (a) 2030 and (b) other future dates.

The Church Commissioners do not have a target to allocate a fixed percentage of land exclusively for nature protection. Much of the land managed by the Church Commissioners is leased to tenants for farming and food production, with over 90% classed as highly productive or productive (Grade I-III) or sustainable forestry. Our approach is holistic, aiming to optimise land management by integrating nature recovery alongside these activities rather than re-allocating land solely to protect nature. We work with Wildlife Trusts and Natural England through specific nature-focused tenancies, including a marshland restoration project with the RSPB.We also support tenant farmers in adopting sustainable practices and integrating nature projects. A survey of over 80 tenants found that 91% are carrying out initiatives to increase biodiversity, and 80% participate in government environmental schemes. All our established forests are managed sustainably, and all harvested timber is certified. In the UK, biodiversity is the primary management objective for at least 20% of our forests by area, including native woodland, which we have doubled since acquisitionMore information about the sustainability and stewardship of our land can be found here: https://www.churchofengland.org/about/leadership-and-governance/national-church-institutions/church-commissioners-england/how-we-0 The most recent report about our approach to timberland and biodiversity on farmland can be found here on page 34: https://www.churchofengland.org/sites/default/files/2024-10/6677_cc_stewardship_v11b_0.pdf

Representing the Church Commissioners, if the Commissioners will publish a map of the land the Church owns in Lewes constituency; how much land the Church owns in that constituency broken down by land use; and what proportion of that land not in agricultural use is managed with the primary aim of (a) conserving nature and (b) restoring natural ecosystems.

The Church Commissioners do not own land in the constituency of Lewes, and the closest assets are situated in West Sussex and Kent.The Church Commissioners register all farmland holdings with the Land Registry, providing public access to ownership details. Details are also available about the management of these holdings in the annual report, which is available in the House of Commons Library or online here: https://www.churchofengland.org/about/governance/national-church-institutions/church-commissioners-england/who-we-are/publicationsDue to the disproportionate cost of producing and maintaining a map alongside the need to respect the interests of our tenants, the Church Commissioners do not intend to publish a map of our land holdings.The Church Commissioners remain committed to providing updates on initiatives that support both nature and community development, including biodiversity projects, sustainable food production, and housing.The most recent stewardship report regarding the management of our timberland and biodiversity on farmland can be found here on page 34: https://www.churchofengland.org/sites/default/files/2024-10/6677_cc_stewardship_v11b_0.pdf

How many (a) import and (b) export checks have taken place by (i) port of entry and (ii) commodity type since 1 January 2021.

HMRC and Border Force take a risk-based and intelligence-led approach to customs enforcement and have a strong track record in tackling all kinds of non-compliance.HMRC takes a fair and proportionate approach to compliance, which considers trader behaviour, and the level of risk involved. It uses a range of data to identify customers who may need targeted support to ensure that they are meeting their obligations. HMRC takes appropriate enforcement action where cases of non-compliance or deliberate fraud are detected.HMRC does not reveal details about its anti-smuggling or targeting methods or compliance techniques. Releasing details about such processes and arrangements and details of the checks carried out would allow opportunistic individuals or companies to arrange their activities in a way that might avoid HMRC’s checks and controls. This would prejudice HMRC's ability to collect customs duties and to prevent or detect crime, and could increase the likelihood of illicit trade.

What estimate her Department has made of the average cost of an (a) import check and (b) export check since the UK's departure from the EU.

HMRC recently published a research report which explored the impact of border checks with around 35 traders and intermediaries. Businesses reported that moving goods across the border was generally a smooth process, and whilst this research did not ascertain data on the costs faced; their feedback is helping us explore further improvements we can make to support the flow of legitimate goods. HMRC is committed to making customs processes as simple as possible while ensuring effective checks are in place at the border.

How many (a) import and (b) export checks have been conducted at the UK Border since 31 January 2020; and how many were undertaken in each of the five years prior to this.

HMRC and Border Force take a risk-based and intelligence-led approach to customs enforcement and have a strong track record in tackling all kinds of non-compliance.HMRC takes a fair and proportionate approach to compliance, which considers trader behaviour, and the level of risk involved. It uses a range of data to identify customers who may need targeted support to ensure that they are meeting their obligations. HMRC takes appropriate enforcement action where cases of non-compliance or deliberate fraud are detected.HMRC does not reveal details about its anti-smuggling or targeting methods or compliance techniques. Releasing details about such processes and arrangements and details of the checks carried out would allow opportunistic individuals or companies to arrange their activities in a way that might avoid HMRC’s checks and controls. This would prejudice HMRC's ability to collect customs duties and to prevent or detect crime, and could increase the likelihood of illicit trade.

If her Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of changing the terms for Network Railcards to enable them to be used by commuters who need to travel before 10am.

The Network Railcard is designed to stimulate leisure travel and timed to encourage travel outside of the busy morning peak. There are no current plans to review railcards in advance of the transition to Great British Railways but it will have the opportunity to take a fresh look at the justification of the eligibility and restrictions of some railcards. Any long-term changes or concessions made to rail fares policy will require balancing against the potential impacts on passengers, taxpayers and the railway.

Which countries she is negotiating with on the use of eGates; and what the status of those negotiations are.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer I gave him on 16 June to Question 54204.

What the timeline is for UK travellers to start having expanded access to EU eGates.

We have secured confirmation that there will be no legal barriers to eGates use for UK nationals travelling to and from EU Member States after the introduction of the EU's Entry/Exit System.But the Prime Minister has been clear that there should be no reason why European countries cannot go further and faster on this now.We are therefore working with individual Member States at pace to make that transition happen as soon as possible.

What steps her Department plans to take to ensure that schools participating in the breakfast club programme can provide adequately nutritious free school meals within the allocated budget.

The department is funding 750 early adopter schools to provide access to a free, universal breakfast club lasting at least 30 minutes. Early adopter schools receive a combination of set up, fixed term and per pupil payments to cover food costs, staffing and delivery. Funding rates vary depending on uptake and pupil characteristics.A key aim of the early adopter programme is to test and learn about take up across a diverse range of schools, to help inform future national rollout.All food served within breakfast clubs must comply with the school food standards. To assist early adopter schools in choosing a healthy breakfast offer for their pupils, the department has produced additional guidance containing nutritious breakfast examples.

What steps her Department is taking to ensure that breakfasts provided through the National School Breakfast Programme are nutritious.

The National School Breakfast Programme (NSBP), introduced by the last government, funds only school food standards-compliant breakfast food and delivery costs. Schools receive a 75% subsidy from the government and must themselves cover the costs of the remaining 25%. This does not go far enough to support hard-working families and tackle disadvantage.This is why the department is committed to introducing free breakfast clubs in every school with primary-aged children, with schools receiving funding to cover food, delivery and staffing costs. Our new breakfast clubs are about more than the food. They provide opportunities for children to play and socialise before the start of the school day, supporting children's attendance and attainment and enabling them to thrive academically and socially.From April 2025, free breakfast clubs are available in up to 750 early adopter schools, as part of a test and learn phase. This goes far beyond the reach of the NSBP in all, and importantly, the most disadvantaged areas. The new breakfast club offer, once rolled out nationally, will be available to every state-funded school with primary-aged children.

Whether she plans to review the per-meal funding for schools participating in the National School Breakfast Programme.

The National School Breakfast Programme (NSBP), introduced by the last government, funds only school food standards-compliant breakfast food and delivery costs. Schools receive a 75% subsidy from the government and must themselves cover the costs of the remaining 25%. This does not go far enough to support hard-working families and tackle disadvantage.This is why the department is committed to introducing free breakfast clubs in every school with primary-aged children, with schools receiving funding to cover food, delivery and staffing costs. Our new breakfast clubs are about more than the food. They provide opportunities for children to play and socialise before the start of the school day, supporting children's attendance and attainment and enabling them to thrive academically and socially.From April 2025, free breakfast clubs are available in up to 750 early adopter schools, as part of a test and learn phase. This goes far beyond the reach of the NSBP in all, and importantly, the most disadvantaged areas. The new breakfast club offer, once rolled out nationally, will be available to every state-funded school with primary-aged children.

Whether she has made an assessment of the adequacy of the funding received by schools participating in the National School Breakfast Programme to provide a nutritionally balanced breakfast to each child.

The National School Breakfast Programme (NSBP), introduced by the last government, funds only school food standards-compliant breakfast food and delivery costs. Schools receive a 75% subsidy from the government and must themselves cover the costs of the remaining 25%. This does not go far enough to support hard-working families and tackle disadvantage.This is why the department is committed to introducing free breakfast clubs in every school with primary-aged children, with schools receiving funding to cover food, delivery and staffing costs. Our new breakfast clubs are about more than the food. They provide opportunities for children to play and socialise before the start of the school day, supporting children's attendance and attainment and enabling them to thrive academically and socially.From April 2025, free breakfast clubs are available in up to 750 early adopter schools, as part of a test and learn phase. This goes far beyond the reach of the NSBP in all, and importantly, the most disadvantaged areas. The new breakfast club offer, once rolled out nationally, will be available to every state-funded school with primary-aged children.

Whether she has made an assessment of the effectiveness of the system of fining parents for taking their children out of school; and what assessment she has made of the potential impact of this system on families from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Tackling absence is at the heart of the government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity. We are facing an absence epidemic, with one in five children persistently absent. These figures are higher for children from disadvantaged backgrounds.The ‘Working together to improve school attendance’ statutory guidance sets out that schools must consider whether support is more appropriate before deciding whether a penalty notice should be issued. A penalty notice cannot be given for authorised absence, such as those due to illness.In cases of holiday taken in term time without permission or where the parent has not engaged or support is not working, the law protects the child’s right to a full-time education. This can include the issuing of penalty notices.Where a penalty notice is considered, the national framework for penalty notices (introduced on 19 August 2024 following national consultation) is designed to improve consistency and fairness across the country. It states that penalty notices must be considered on an individual basis, preventing schools from having blanket rules. Schools or local councils may choose to issue a notice to improve instead of a penalty notice. This is a further offer of support before a penalty notice is issued.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to support the retention and replacement of small abattoirs in Sussex.

Defra recognises the vital contribution a thriving abattoir network plays in supporting local livestock producers and maintaining a resilient and competitive food supply chain. Defra works closely with the smaller abattoir sector including through its Small Abattoirs Working Group and Small Abattoirs Task and Finish Group. In doing so, we seek to identify and promote opportunities available to the sector and to collaborate with them on addressing any challenges and concerns it may be facing. While the Department recognises the disruption and challenges that the closure of smaller abattoirs can have on the farming community, the retention and replacement of individual abattoirs is ultimately a matter for the owners of these businesses.

Food and Rural Affairs, if his Department will review the regulatory framework applied to small, local abattoirs to ensure that (a) food safety is maintained, (b) animal welfare standards are supported and (c) local food supply chains are supported.

Defra continues to recognise the vital contribution a thriving abattoir network plays in supporting local livestock producers and maintaining a resilient food supply chain. The Government encourages the highest standards of meat hygiene and animal welfare at slaughter. Legislation sets out strict requirements for meat hygiene and to protect the welfare of animals when slaughtered and Official Veterinarians of the Food Standards Agency are present in all approved slaughterhouses during slaughter operations to monitor and enforce these requirements. We remain committed to working with abattoirs of all sizes across the UK’s meat processing sector, in tackling the challenges and opportunities they face.