Written questions by Kirkham.

What steps she is taking to ensure the accuracy of PIP assessment decisions.

PIP assessment accuracy and quality is a priority for both suppliers and the department. The department works extensively with suppliers to make improvements to guidance, training, and audit procedures to ensure a quality service. A high standard is always maintained through an independent audit function that continually monitors performance and provides feedback to its suppliers. DWP have a comprehensive and on-going quality assurance process in the decision-making journey and work closely with colleagues in Dispute Resolution Service (DRS), who are responsible for reconsiderations and appeals, to understand and learn from decisions that are changed. This also helps to maintain standards and consistency. The Health Transformation Programme (HTP) is modernising Health and Disability benefit services to create a more efficient service and an improved claimant experience, building trust in our services and decisions. The HTP Evaluation Strategy, published here on GOV.UK, provides an overview of our plans to evaluate the Programme.

What steps she is taking to ensure that local SME bus operators are able to participate in future bus franchising schemes.

The Bus Services Act 2017 already requires an authority to make a statement on how they will facilitate SMEs in service provision as part of the franchising process. On 9 September 2024, the Department consulted on updates to bus franchising guidance, these updates aim to reduce the technical barriers to franchising and support safer, more accessible services. The Department is currently reviewing the feedback received, including valuable insights from bus operators and organisations representing small-to-medium-sized operators, and will respond shortly.The Department will continue working with local authorities to develop different franchising models that could be smaller scale, require less financial commitment and support SME participation.

What steps she is taking to ensure that staff administering Disability Living Allowance claims provide claimants with a complete understanding of the benefits they are entitled to receive.

All Disability Living Allowance (DLA) staff receive extensive training in the DLA customer journey and have an awareness of other benefits. When claiming Disability Living Allowance, a detailed notification and an additional leaflet are also issued to the customer which explain wider benefit entitlement options and we also encourage customers to visit the Gov.uk website which provides details of additional benefits they may be entitled to.

What steps she is taking to ensure (a) the accuracy of Child Maintenance Service calculations and (b) that the process of correcting mistakes in those calculations is (i) faster and (ii) easier.

In the year to June 2024 there were 138,000 new applications to the CMS, an increase of 10% from the year to June 2023. To ensure calculations are accurate the department continues to build on its already proportionate and cost-effective controls, such as: use of verified income from HMRC and benefit systems as outlined in legislation and a principal part of service design.use of child benefit systems to verify qualifying child(ren).procedures and policy to request additional verification.a dedicated Financial Investigation Unit who addresses allegations of misrepresentation and fraud.a robust mandatory reconsideration (MR) and appeals process.a robust 3 Tier Quality Framework. CMS are wholly committed to delivering the best possible service to all customers within our growing caseload. Where a single accidental error relating to the maintenance calculation is made, a challenge can be raised by a parent or their representative within time, and corrections can be applied without the need for a review of the decision (MR). The Department for Work and Pensions and CMS rigorously monitors accuracy as part of our service ambition to further reduce error and increase our accuracy levels. The National Audit Office set a target of monetary value errors under 1%. This standard is consistently met.

What steps she is taking to reduce the charge to finalisation rate for (a) rape and (b) sexual offences in (i) Devon and (ii) Cornwall.

We recognise that, due to the complex nature of cases, victims and survivors of rape and sexual offences can experience disproportionately long wait times for their trial.To address this, we have committed to fast-tracking rape cases through the courts and are working with the Judiciary to find the best way to deliver this nationally.This Government is also committed to ensuring that victims and survivors of rape and sexual offences are supported at every stage of the Criminal Justice System. In addition to fast-tracking rape cases, we have committed to increase the powers of the Victims’ Commissioner and introduce specialist rape and sexual offence teams in every police force. We will also be rolling out free, independent legal advocates who will help victims and survivors of adult rape uphold their rights.

Whether his Department issues guidance to integrated care boards on agreeing bespoke contractual arrangements with dental practices for NHS dental provision.

Since 1 April 2023, responsibility for commissioning primary care, including dentistry, to meet the needs of the local population has been delegated to the integrated care boards (ICBs) across England. Dental contracts are underpinned by the nationally defined General Dental Service (GDS) contract, or a Personal Dental Service (PDS) Agreements and NHS England supports ICBs with their local commissioning responsibilities for primary dental services with the provision of nationally agreed policies and procedures. NHS England has also published guidance to support commissioners to take advantage of the opportunities offered to commission further and additional services through flexible commissioning, which enables the responsible commissioner to tailor services to meet local population oral health needs. Further information is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/opportunities-for-flexible-commissioning-in-primary-care-dentistry-a-framework-for-commissioners/

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to encourage international investment into the UK.

Growth is this government’s top priority. Working together with my Cabinet colleagues, I am determined to use our diplomatic and trade networks to attract inward investment and demonstrate the UK is open for business. At the International Investment Summit on 14 October international investors committed to £63 billion of investment into the UK.

Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 10 October 2024 to Question 7677 on Shellfish, what his planned timeline is for making this decision.

Defra is currently reviewing Cornwall Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority (IFCA’s) proposal to increase the minimum landing size of native oysters under the Fal Fishery Order 2016. A decision will be made once the review is complete.

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of a requirement for local authorities to have a local offer for kinship care on the lines of those that required for care leavers and disabled children.

Local authorities have been expected to publish a policy detailing their approach towards meeting the needs and supporting children living in kinship care since the Family and Friends Care guidance was published in 2011. The department will soon be releasing updated guidance, called Kinship Care statutory guidance, which will restate that requirement.

What steps his Department is taking to encourage people from lower-income backgrounds to study medicine, in the context of the availability of financial support for maintenance available in the fifth and sixth years of a medicine degree.

From year five of their undergraduate course, medical students can access the NHS Bursary. This is non-repayable and comprises payment for tuition fees, income-assessed help towards living costs, and where eligible, further allowances, such as for dependents and childcare and for those living with a disability. A further grant may also be available to medical students who are struggling financially, depending on their current financial circumstances.Students eligible for the NHS Bursary can also apply for a reduced rate loan for living costs from Student Finance England. The Government is committed to supporting people from all backgrounds to study medicine and these funding arrangements are reviewed annually.

If she will take steps to ensure funding is made available for skills programmes that provide pre-engineering training for young people.

All young people should have access to high-quality education and training that meets their needs and provides them with opportunities to thrive. Over £7 billion of 16-19 programme funding will be invested during academic year 2024/25, to ensure there is a place in education or training for every 16- to 18-year-old who wants one. The department calculates the basic funding for institutions using lagged student volumes and funding rates, which depend on the size of their students’ study programmes or T Levels. These rates are regardless of which type of institution they study at or what they study. The Adult Skills Fund (ASF) is worth £1.34 billion this year, and funds education and skills training for those 19 and above to help them gain the skills they need for work, an apprenticeship or further learning. Learners aged 19-23 can get their first full level 2 and level 3 fully funded under the ASF legal entitlements. For the 2024/25 academic year we have introduced five new funding rates that apply to the ESFA funded ASF. Under these new funding rates, 78% of qualifications are seeing an increase in funding. The government’s reformed growth and skills levy will deliver greater flexibility for learners and employers, including through new foundation apprenticeships that will give more young people a foot in the door and will support clear pathways into work-based training and employment.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to increase the minimum landing size of Fal oysters from 67 to 72mm.

The Cornwall Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority have written to the Defra asking for approval of their request to increase the minimum landing size of native oysters under the Fal Fishery Order 2016. This request and the evidence for making the change is being considered by the Defra.

What steps she plans to take to ensure a consistent approach to calculating special guardianship allowances.

The department recognises the valuable and important role that kinship carers, including special guardians, play in caring for some of the most vulnerable children. The government is committed to working with local government to support children in care, including through kinship arrangements. Statutory guidance issued to local authorities makes it clear that children and young people should receive the support that they and their carers need to safeguard and promote their welfare. There is no limit on the level of support, including financial support, that local authorities can provide. Financial support is paid at the discretion of the local authority and in accordance with their model for assessing support needs. All local authorities should have in place clear eligibility criteria in relation to the provision of support services.

What assessment he has made of the impact of industrial action at the Royal Fleet Auxiliary on the (a) Royal Fleet Auxiliary, (b) Royal Navy and (c) Royal Marines; and what steps he is taking to end that industrial action.

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) continues to engage with the Maritime Trade Unions (MTUs), who represent members of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA), to discuss a resolution to the on-going RFA pay dispute. The MOD operates a whole force model, bringing military, civilian and contracted staff together to deliver its defence outcomes; we continue to proactively collaborate with our stakeholders and partners to sustain outputs whilst discussions with the MTUs remain ongoing. The MOD continues to work with both MTUs to resolve the on-going RFA pay dispute whilst mitigating potential impact of strike action to ensure that the Royal Navy continues to deliver its maritime commitments.

What steps she is taking to reduce the charge to finalisation rate in Devon and Cornwall.

We are committed to delivering swift access to justice and reducing the outstanding caseload in the criminal courts. Whilst the Ministry of Justice and HMCTS have oversight of the timeliness with which cases move through the magistrates’ and Crown Courts, the decision on when and where a case is listed is the responsibility of the independent judiciary. As part of our efforts to improve timeliness for victims and witnesses, we are funding 106,500 days at the Crown Court this financial year (24/25) – more than in 6 out of the last 7 years. During 23/24, the Crown Courts across Devon and Cornwall sat a record number of days. The Devon and Cornwall Criminal Justice Board brings together agencies from across the criminal justice system to monitor charge to completion timeliness which is published in the Criminal Justice System Delivery Data Dashboard. The average time for charge to case completion in the Crown Courts in Devon and Cornwall was 198 days for the fourth quarter of 2023-24 (the most recent published data), which was down 39 days on the first quarter of that year. This is 104 days shorter than the national average of 302 days.

What steps he is taking to improve (a) recruitment and (b) retention at the Royal Fleet Auxiliary.

The Royal Fleet Auxiliary are highly valued, specialist personnel. We are committed to listening to their concerns and keeping a continued dialogue to address the issues they have raised. The Ministry of Defence (MOD) continues to engage with the Maritime Trade Unions (MTUs), who represent members of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA), to discuss a resolution to the on-going RFA pay dispute. Recognising that the RFA is the largest employer of British non-military seafarers, the RFA intend to introduce a series of new recruitment and retention initiatives, including enhanced lateral entry routes from maritime industry, improved occupational health measures and a suite of options to increase working flexibility. The MOD continues to work with both MTUs to resolve the on-going RFA pay dispute whilst mitigating potential impact of strike action to ensure that the Royal Navy continues to deliver its maritime commitments.

What steps she is taking to help ensure value for money from public spending.

In her speech on the 29th of July, the Chancellor outlined the tough choices that this government will make to guarantee that we are tackling waste and driving efficiency.This Government is placing value for money at the core of every decision, The Chancellor announced a new Office for Value for Money that will work system-wide to ensure that value for money is prioritised, and recommend necessary changes to deliver this ambition.