Written questions by Kirkham.

What steps she is taking to ensure the sustainability of funding for maintained nursery schools.

​My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education has been clear in her commitment to early years. Despite tough decisions to get our public finances back on track, this government has increased investment in the early years sector to drive forward progress towards our Plan for Change target of a record number of children starting school ready to learn.In the 2025/26 financial year alone, this government plans to spend over £8 billion on early years entitlements. The department has also announced the largest ever uplift to the early years pupil premium, increasing the rate by over 45% compared to the 2024/25 financial year, raising it to the equivalent to up to £570 per eligible child per year.On top of this the department is providing further supplementary funding of £75 million for the early years expansion grant to support the sector to provide the additional places and workforce needed by September 2025.The department is also providing £25 million through the Employer National Insurance Contributions Grant for public sector employers in early years, which includes maintained nursery schools (MNS).As part of the overall early years budget, the department expects to spend £92.6 million in MNS supplementary funding in the 2025/26 financial year, in recognition of the additional costs MNS face. The national average hourly rate for MNS supplementary funding will increase from £5.27 in the 2024/25 financial year to £5.90 in the 2025/26 financial year.The department has introduced a minimum and maximum hourly rate that a local authority can receive for their MNS to create a fairer distribution of funding. For 2025/26, the supplementary funding minimum hourly rate for MNS will be set at £5.27.MNS supplementary funding is just as secure over the long term as all the other early years funding streams.

Whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of using renewable liquid fuels to help oil-heated households decarbonise.

As sustainable biomass is a limited resource, the Government expects to prioritise its use in sectors like aviation which have fewest options to decarbonise. Renewable liquid heating fuels (RLHF) are also much more expensive to use than other heating solutions. However, the Government recognises that RLHFs could play a limited role in decarbonising heat off the gas grid.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether he is considering an exemption to the new Extended Producer Responsibility for packing regulations for closed loop systems.

The Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging and Packaging Waste) Regulations 2024, which reform the UK’s producer responsibility system for packaging came into force on 1 January 2025. Extended Producer Responsibility is a major reform that will be iterated over several years to incentivise packaging producers to reduce their material footprint and use more recyclable packaging. We are considering further improvements to the scheme, including how to treat businesses which run closed loop recycling systems for packaging that is commonly collected by Local Authorities, and my officials are reviewing options to bring forward an offset for closed loop recycling systems at the earliest opportunity.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of changing the criteria of the proposed EPR fee tariff to a units-based metric.

The Government is not considering the adoption of a units-based metric. In accordance with the Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging and Packaging Waste) Regulations 2024, Extender Producer Responsibility disposal fees for packaging are calculated in £ per tonne of household packaging placed on the market. Producers report the packaging they supply on a weight basis, and the costs for managing different material types, such as glass, are apportioned according to relevant cost drivers for their collection and management, including the volume of the container in bins and collection vehicles. This ensures the fair apportionment of costs between material types in line with the regulations.

When negotiations on the 2024-5 and 2025-6 community pharmacy contractual framework will be agreed.

We are working at pace with Community Pharmacy England to ensure that the funding we have available is used to support community pharmacy in the best way possible to support them in dispensing medicines to patients and to offer a range of clinical services including Pharmacy First.We will announce the outcome of the consultation in the usual manner, by letter to contractors, when the consultation has concluded.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether the Government plans to publish the results of the fairer food labelling consultation.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Stoke-on-Trent Central, Gareth Snell on 23 December 2024, PQ 20692.

Whether he has made an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of decisions taken by the (a) Scottish Government, (b) Northern Ireland Executive and (c) Republic of Ireland Government to commit to using renewable liquid fuels as a key part of their decarbonisation strategies.

Although heat policy is a devolved matter, policies relating to the supply of fuels (including renewable liquid heating fuels) are reserved. Officials work closely with the Devolved Governments when developing UK Government policies and will be considering these nations’, and the Republic of Ireland’s, decarbonisation strategies’ impact on future policies.

What steps he is taking to help maintain the landfill gas to energy sector.

The Government is aware that the expiration of Renewables Obligation accreditation may affect the commercial viability of generators from a range of technologies, including landfill gas generators. Officials are continuing to assess the impact that the end of Renewables Obligation support will have on security of supply, clean power 2030 and the environment, and we are working with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to consider options. No decisions have been made on future support for landfill gas generators.

Whether she has had discussions with the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, on the potential merits of equalising the duty treatment of renewable liquid fuels, in the context of encouraging its uptake amongst consumers.

Renewable liquid fuels such as hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) are relatively new fuels and have limited availability in the UK. When used for domestic heating, HVO benefits from the rebated duty rate of 10.18p per litre, in contrast to the full duty rate of 52.95p per litre. The Chancellor makes decisions on tax policy at fiscal events in the context of public finances.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the introduction of menstrual well-being education in the statutory guidance entitled Relationships and sex education (RSE) and health education, published on 9 July 2020, on school leavers' knowledge of endometriosis.

While the department has not made an assessment of the impact of learning about menstrual wellbeing as part of statutory health education, it is beneficial for pupils to understand the features of a healthy menstrual cycle, be able to recognise when things are not right and know when to seek help.The department is currently reviewing the relationships, sex and health education statutory guidance and is looking carefully at the consultation responses, considering the relevant evidence and engaging with stakeholders before setting out next steps. This includes considering whether any additional content is needed, including on menstrual wellbeing and endometriosis.

Innovation and Technology, whether the UK Space Agency will renew funding to Goonhilly Earth Station for its bilateral pilot with the US when that funding runs out in March.

The current contract between the UK Space Agency and Goonhilly Earth Station is worth up to £2 million this financial year (24/25) which includes £1.4million of funding towards the Deep Space Monitoring contract for Goonhilly to work with twelve unique missions operated by international partners. This is already delivering on the benefits of expanding existing UK capabilities, unlocking new and emerging markets and supporting the growing lunar economy. Decisions on future spend for Goonhilly Earth Station for its bilateral pilot with the US are being considered as part of the 2025 spending review.

Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that memorandum of understanding agreements with councils for this year’s Shared Prosperity Funding are in place; and whether the deadline for spend will be extended.

Officials are working at pace to ensure that memorandum of understanding agreements for delivery of UK Shared Prosperity Funding (UKSPF) in 2025-26 are distributed to lead local authorities as soon as possible and before the start of the next financial year.UKSPF funding for the 2022-25 period must be incurred on activity that takes place on or before 31 March 2025. There is no flexibility to extend this expenditure deadline. Any UKSPF, Multiply or Rural England Prosperity Fund (REPF) underspends at the end of 2024-25 must be repaid to MHCLG.

What steps her Department is taking to assist applicants who cannot apply online to access temporary visas.

Where a customer cannot apply online themselves for a visa, they may ask a family member or other appointed representative to assist in completing the application on their behalf. The visa application includes various authorities and declarations, and the customer will be bound by those when using a proxy. To complete the application process customers must provide their biometric data at their chosen Visa Application Centre. Customers who are unable to attend a Visa Application Centre should refer to published guidance for alternative options: Unable to travel to a Visa Application Centre to enrol biometrics (overseas applications) (accessible) - GOV.UK.

Food and Rural Affairs, what support she is giving to gleaning organisations as a method to help reduce on-farm food waste.

Food redistribution charities in England can apply for a new £15 million Government scheme to help get surplus food from farms to those in need. Applications are welcome from the gleaning community before the deadline of 13 March 2025. More information about the fund and supporting guidance about how to apply can be found here on the Defra eCommercial System.

What is the average waiting time for Child Maintenance Service appeal decisions.

The mean case age at clearance for Child Maintenance Service appeals for the latest periods for which data are available was 58* weeks for the quarter April to June 2024; and 57 weeks for the quarter July to September 2024.Waiting times are calculated from receipt of the appeal to the final disposal decision. The final outcome of any appeal is not necessarily achieved at its first hearing.*Please note that from April 2023 the SSCS Tribunal started to list cases using a new Scheduling and Listing solution. This, alongside HMCTS migrating to a new Strategic Data Platform, has resulted in some cases heard and decided using this new listing solution that may not be included in the data above.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether extended producer responsibility will apply to sales from January 2024 or from April 2025.

No, a producer will only be liable for pEPR fees during assessment years that run from the 1 April to 31 March, if they meet the regulations definitions of a Producer on the 1 April, or any part of that assessment year. Only when a producer meets these definitions in all or any part of assessment year 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026 will they be liable for pEPR fees. Packaging placed on the market data provided by a producer in the previous calendar year (2024) will be used to determine their share of pEPR fees during the assessment year 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026.

What the average waiting time is for Child Maintenance Service Mandatory Reconsideration decisions.

The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) aim to complete each Mandatory Reconsideration within 28 days (20 working days). The average clearance time for a Mandatory Reconsiderations is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost. Table 9: Mandatory Reconsiderations, Great Britain, April 2015 to September 2024 is available in the latest CMS published statistics, and it shows that between July and September 2024, 79% of CMS Mandatory Reconsiderations were cleared within 28 days of receipt.

What guidance his Department provides to ensure that GPs approach (a) shared care and (b) collaboration with gender identity specialists in the same way as other specialists.

The Department has not issued guidance relating to shared care agreements. The General Medical Council’s guidance states that general practitioners (GPs) should collaborate with a Gender Dysphoria Clinic (GDC) to provide effective and timely treatment for patients, including prescribing medicines on the recommendation of an experienced gender specialist, and that it is reasonable for a GP to expect the GDC to provide timely support and advice where necessary.The Royal College of General Practitioners’ position statement on the role of the GP in transgender healthcare sets out that GPs should “liaise and work with Gender Identity Clinics in the same way as with any other specialist. This includes consideration of prescribing under a shared care agreement”.

Whether she has made a recent assessment of the potential merits of changing school registration forms to enable teachers to identify children born prematurely who are more at risk of special educational needs.

The government does not require schools to request information from parents about whether their child was born prematurely. It does, however, expect them to put the right support in place for each child, taking account of their individual needs and schools may wish to seek this information in order to do so.

Whether the HSE plans to expedite its assessment of the European Chemicals Agency Risk Assessment Committee proposal to reclassify lithium salts as Category A reproductive toxicants.

The three lithium substances (lithium carbonate, lithium hydroxide and lithium chloride) referred to above, do not currently have mandatory classification and labelling in Great Britain (GB). HSE specialists are considering the need to fully evaluate the available data using the Article 37A process under the GB Classification, Labelling and Packaging Regulation (GB CLP) following publication of the Agency Opinion by HSE in August 2023 to determine whether mandatory classification and labelling is warranted.