Written questions by Wild.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the tobacco duty escalator on tobacco excise revenues.

Alongside any changes to Tobacco Duty at Budget, the Government publishes a Tax Information and Impact Note, including an impact assessment, to detail the expected impacts. The summary of impacts from the latest changes to tobacco duty at Autumn Budget 2024 can be found here: Changes to tobacco duty rates from 30 October 2024 - GOV.UKAs with all taxes, the Government keeps tobacco duty rates under review during its yearly Budget process.

Media and Sport, when she plans to publish updated guidance for the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme.

Updated guidance was published on the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme website on 19 March 2025.

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of amending legislation so that driving disqualification periods commence at the end of any custodial sentence imposed.

Courts can impose a driving disqualification for any offence committed after 01 January 1998.Driving bans generally start from the day they are imposed at sentencing. This is because, if the offender’s ban was set to commence at the usual point of release, an offender released earlier (on an electronic tag for example) would be able to drive before the ban came into effect. However, Courts have a statutory duty to take into account the impact of a custodial sentence when imposing a driving ban at sentencing. Judges will therefore extend the disqualification period based on the custodial point of release, for all types of sentences including life sentences.

What information her Department holds on what the average fine was for parents who had failed to secure their child’s regular attendance at school under section 444(1) of the Education Act 1996 in the latest period for which data is available.

Information held on the average values of fines for parents who had failed to secure their child’s attendance at school will be held by local authorities.The amount payable was £60 if paid within 21 days of receipt, rising to £120 if paid between 22 and 28 days. From August 2024, the fine for school absences increased to £80 if paid within 21 days or £160 if paid within 28 days. In the case of repeated fines, if a parent receives a second fine for the same child within any three-year period, this will be charged at the higher rate of £160.

What assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of fines in tackling levels of attendance at schools.

Tackling absence is at the heart of the government’s mission to break down the barriers to opportunity. If children are not in school, it does not matter how effective or well-supported teaching and learning is, they will not benefit. Thanks to the hard work of the sector there has been progress, but we remain a long way off pre-pandemic levels.The department’s statutory attendance guidance, ‘Working together to improve school attendance’, promotes a support-first model. The guidance is clear that all partners should always work together to understand and remove the barriers to attendance. However, where that support is not successful, not appropriate (for example for term-time holidays), or not engaged with, the law protects pupils’ right to an education. The guidance outlines a role for legal intervention based on effective practice within the sector.The vast majority of penalty notices are issued due to unauthorised family holidays. However, usage has been uneven across the country, with 26 out of 153 local authorities accounting for half of all penalty notices issued in 2023/2024. The new National Framework for Penalty Notices, introduced in August 2024, is designed to create consistency in that area by establishing a common threshold at which a penalty notice must be considered. In a public consultation in 2022, 71% of local authority employees and 59% of school and academy trust employees and governors or trustees strongly or somewhat agreed with the proposed national thresholds which were subsequently adopted within the framework.The statistical release on parental responsibility measures, which includes information on the number of penalty notices issued for unauthorised absence, can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/parental-responsibility-measures.

Communities and Local Government, if she will take steps to (a) update guidance on the use of Conformité Européenne marking for construction products and (b) expand testing and certification capacity in the UK.

(a) The guidance pages on the use of CE marking for construction products are regularly updated. They were most recently updated on 26th of February 2025. You can find the guidance here: Construction Products Regulation in Great Britain - GOV.UKConstruction Products Regulation in Northern Ireland - GOV.UK (b)The Construction Products Reform Green Paper (published on 26 February 2025) sets out proposals for system wide reform of the construction products regime, including expanding testing and certification capacity in the UK. Access to this capacity is critical to growth and meeting our commitment to deliver 1.5 million homes during this parliament. Measures to improve conformity assessment capacity include consideration of whether the government should have the ability to recognise conformity assessment activity undertaken outside of the UK, and supporting skills development of conformity assessment bodies (for example, through government-backed training schemes). The green paper also sets out our ambition to support and encourage innovation in the built environment, and seeks views on the potential to expand public testing capacity.

How many people waiting for elective treatment are claiming sickness benefits.

The information requested is not held by the Department. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) plans to link NHS waiting times data to Census, DWP Benefits and HMRC PAYE records to analyse the relationship between waiting time duration (for various health conditions and procedures) and labour market outcomes (such as employment status, gross pay and benefit receipt) in England. This may shed light on the role of extended waiting times witnessed during and after the COVID-19 pandemic on benefit receipt, including sickness related benefit receipt. ONS currently has access to linked Census, DWP Benefits and HMRC PAYE data and is working with NHS England to acquire the waiting times dataset. Due to many dependencies and unknowns, ONS is not able to confirm when the analysis will be available.

How many operational drones are held by the (a) Royal Navy, (b) Royal Air Force and (c) Army.

Details of the number of Unmanned Aircraft Systems held by the Royal Navy, Royal Air Force and Army are published in the UK Armed Forces Equipment and Formations on gov.uk. The statistics for 2024 can be found at the following link: UK armed forces equipment and formations 2024 - Accredited official statistics announcement - GOV.UK.

Pursuant to the Answer of 12 February 2024 to Question 28652 on Ministers: Aviation, how much air passenger duty has been paid for ministerial travel on the RAF Envoy since 5 Jul 2024.

The total amount of Air Passenger Duty paid for Ministers who travelled on the RAF Envoy between 5 July and 31 December 2024 is £4,282.

What steps her Department is taking with Cabinet colleagues to (a) support prisoner rehabilitation and (b) reduce trends in the level of homelessness amongst released prisoners.

The Government is committed to improving rehabilitation services for offenders by giving them the tools to move away from crime. We work alongside other government departments investing in a wide range of interventions to directly support a prisoner’s rehabilitation journey.This includes improving prisoners’ access to purposeful activity, such as education; delivering pre-release plans for all those leaving custody; and ensuring that ex-offenders leave prison with a job and the skills needed to lead law abiding lives. We have recently launched regional Employment Councils, which for the first time bring businesses together with probation services and the Department for Work and Pensions to support offenders in prison and the community.We know that accommodation is key to supporting prisoner rehabilitation. Our CAS3 service provides transitional accommodation for prison leavers who are under probation supervision and at risk of homelessness for up to 12 weeks, to provide a stable base upon release. It is currently available in all probation regions, and we are further expanding provision to support more prison leavers at risk of homelessness each year. We are also working closely with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, and other departments on the development of a new cross-government strategy to put us back on track to ending homelessness.

What steps the Government is taking to ensure that prison leavers under the Early Release Scheme are supported in securing housing upon release.

Those released under the Standard Determinate Sentence (SDS40) changes who are at risk of homelessness can be referred to H M Prison & Probation Service’s Community Accommodation Service, Tier 3, which can provide up to 12-weeks’ temporary accommodation.Latest published statistics show that the proven reoffending rate for adults released from prison homeless or rough sleeping was double the proven reoffending rate for those who were in some kind of accommodation upon release (69% vs 34%).During the initial release phase in September and October we worked closely with the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government and the Welsh Government to mitigate any impact on local authorities, as well as taking practical steps to minimise the chances that individuals were released homeless. These included ensuring data were shared with the 49 Strategic Housing Specialists based in prisons and with the Probation Service-based Homeless Prevention Teams, to make sure plans were in place for those who needed accommodation support.

Whether flights made by (a) the Prime Minister and (b) other Ministers in the Royal Air Force's No. 32 Squadron are subject to Air Passenger Duty.

Air Passenger Duty (APD) is payable for travel undertaken on aircraft that are on the civilian register – it is not payable for aircraft on the military register. It is therefore payable for all ministerial travel undertaken on the RAF Envoy as that is currently on the civilian register.

With reference to the policy paper entitled New Hospital Programme: plan for implementation, published on 20 January 2025, whether (a) NHS England and (b) his Department plan to approve business cases submitted by NHS Trusts that are subject to the completion of the site-by-site report process for hospitals with RAAC.

The site-by-site report that has been commissioned on the seven hospitals in the New Hospital Programme (NHP) that were built predominantly with reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) will help inform individual development plans, which continue to progress at pace.The report’s findings are due in summer 2025 and will not impact the business case process for either NHS England or the Department. The trusts will need to follow the business case process as set out in HM Treasury’s Green Book, as is usual for large infrastructure projects.

What approvals process (a) NHS England and (b) his Department has for business cases under the New Hospitals Programme.

Each National Health Service trust seeking approval for their New Hospital Programme (NHP) scheme will need to follow the business case process as set out in HM Treasury’s Green Book. Trusts will need to develop and gain approval for a Strategic Outline Case, followed by an Outline Business Case, and finally a Full Business Case. Following the approval of their Full Business Case, funding is released at agreed milestones. Following submission by the trust, the approvals process is as follows:- once reviewed and approved by the NHP Investment Committee, NHS England’s regional teams undertake a fundamental criteria review of the business case, which is then submitted to the joint Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England National Capital Assurance Team, where an independent assurance review is undertaken by a number of subject matter experts to ensure it meets the criteria as outlined in HM Treasury’s Green Book, and a report is prepared and presented to the Department of Health and Social Care’s Joint Investment Committee for consideration; and- once agreed by the Department of Health and Social Care’s Joint Investment Committee, the business case is submitted for onward approval by ministers and HM Treasury, if necessary. The level of approval required for business cases will depend on the amount requested. Some requests for fees and enabling works, for example, are requested in parallel via a separate, shorter process to the main scheme’s approval process.

How many full-time equivalent officials are working on the New Hospitals Programme in (a) his Department and (b) NHS England.

As of 31 December 2024, there were 25 full-time equivalent (FTE) officials working on the New Hospital Programme (NHP) in the NHP Sponsor Team in the Department, along with 165.4 FTE officials working in the NHP Delivery Team in NHS England. These figures include inward secondments, individuals employed on fixed term contracts and permanent employees, but do not include any external resources such as individuals engaged via third party commercial contracts.

With reference to his Department's policy paper entitled New Hospitals Programme: plan for implementation, published on 20 January 2025, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the delay in opening the Queen Elizabeth Hospital to 2032-33 on (a) patients and (b) staff.

An equality impact assessment was carried out for the review which included assessing the extent to which service users might be impacted by these delivery proposals, with specific reference to the impact that these might have on relevant protected characteristics. This was laid in the House Library and published on 20 January 2025, and is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/new-hospital-programme-review-outcome/new-hospital-programme-equality-impact-assessment

With reference to the commissioning of an updated site-by-site report of the RAAC hospitals as set out in the policy paper entitled New Hospital Programme: plan for implementation, published on 20 January 2025, who is conducting the report of the Queen Elizabeth hospital in King's Lynn; and if he will publish the terms of reference of that review.

The Department is in final stages of contract award with third party contractors to provide an updated report on the condition of the seven critical reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete hospitals, including Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King’s Lynn. Once the contract is finalised it will be available publicly, including the information on who is conducting the work, at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/contracts-finder

With reference to the report by Mott MacDonald on reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete of April 2022, what recent assessment he has made of whether the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King's Lynn will be able to operate safely beyond 2030.

My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care set out a credible and deliverable plan for the new hospital schemes in the New Hospital Programme (NHP) on 20 January 2025, following the conclusion of the review of the NHP. The Plan for Implementation was laid in the House Library and published on GOV.UK website, and is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/new-hospital-programme-review-outcomeWe will expedite the delivery of the schemes to replace hospitals built wholly or primarily from reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) by focussing on the most affected buildings and services first. As confirmed in this publication, my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has commissioned a comprehensive report of the seven hospitals built wholly or primarily from RAAC that are being replaced through the New Hospital Programme, including the Queen Elizabeth Hospital King’s Lynn, as the last report was undertaken in Autumn 2022 and covered five of the seven RAAC hospitals. The site-by-site report on all seven RAAC hospitals will help inform individual development plans, which include continued mitigation works and addressing the highest risk elements as early as possible through the phasing of works. The report will be based on an up-to-date assessment of the safety of the hospital site now, and in future.The Department is in the final stages of the contract award with third party contractors to provide an updated report on the condition of the seven critical RAAC hospitals, including Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King’s Lynn. Once the contract is finalised it will be available publicly, including the information on who is conducting the work, on contract finder, which is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/contracts-finderWe remain committed to removing RAAC fully from the NHS estate whilst working to keep facilities open, with patient and staff safety at the forefront of our decision making.

With reference to her oral contribution of 5 November 2024, Official Report column 164, and to the oral contribution of 14 January 2025 by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice, Official Report column 170, what steps the (a) Minister of State for Prisons, Probation and Reducing Reoffending and (b) Governor of HMP Garth have taken to tackle drone issues at that prison.

We are working hard to deter, detect and disrupt the illegal use of drones to deliver contraband into prisons. HM Prison & Probation Service uses targeted countermeasures such as improvements to windows, netting and grills to stop drones delivering contraband such as drugs, mobile telephones and weapons.A vulnerability assessment has been conducted to assess the risk of drone incursions at HMP Garth, and an action plan has been developed and implemented to manage and mitigate this threat. Owing to the operational sensitivity, it would not be appropriate to disclose the exact countermeasures that have been put in place.

Media and Sport, what recent discussions she has had with (a) UEFA, (b) FIFA and (c) the International Olympic Committee on the publication of correspondence on the proposal to introduce a football regulator.

This Government, and the previous one, has engaged extensively with a wide range of stakeholders as the policy set out in the Football Governance Bill has developed over the last 3 years. This includes engagement with UEFA and FIFA. These discussions have been constructive, and we continue to speak to the relevant football authorities on a regular basis.The Government does not share private correspondence provided to us by stakeholders including international organisations.