Written questions by Kirkham.

Communities and Local Government, what plans his Department has to provide local authorities with standards to help support the construction of flood resilient social homes.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 81948 on 21 October 2025.

What steps she has taken to prevent parents from avoiding paying VAT on private school fees by paying several years' fees in advance.

All fees paid since the tax changes were announced on 29 July 2024, in relation to terms after 1 January 2025, are subject to VAT. HMRC is scrutinising the detail of any pre-payment schemes and stands ready to challenge the validity of these schemes.

Whether the proposed pay‑per‑mile tax on electric vehicles will take into account rural drivers.

As announced at Budget 2025, the Government is introducing Electric Vehicle Excise Duty (eVED) from April 2028, a new mileage charge for electric and plug-in hybrid cars, recognising that electric vehicles (EVs) contribute to congestion and wear and tear on the roads but pay no equivalent to fuel duty. The Treasury has considered the impact of eVED on rural drivers; as with fuel duty, those who use the roads more will generally pay more in eVED. Although those living in rural areas tend to drive more than those living in urban areas, they are also more likely to have a dedicated home charger for their EV, which allows access to the lowest charging costs. The eVED consultation provides further detail on how eVED will work and seeks views on its implementation. The consultation is available at GOV.UK: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/consultation-on-the-introduction-of-electric-vehicle-excise-duty-eved.

When she plans to announce details of the next steps of the Maritime Decarbonisation Plan, including responses to calls for evidence on net zero ports and decarbonising small vessels.

We are already meeting the commitments set out in the 2025 Maritime Decarbonisation Strategy. This includes expanding the UK Emissions Trading Scheme to the domestic maritime sector from July this year and a further £448 million for the UK SHORE programme supporting the research and development of clean maritime fuels and technologies. As set out in the Maritime Decarbonisation Strategy, we committed to publishing a review of the Strategy within five years of publication and an update following the adoption of the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO’s) mid-term measures. We remain committed to working with other Member States to progress adoption of the mid-term measures this year, which is vital for climate action and providing industry with the certainty it needs. We will provide a summary of responses to the calls for evidence on net zero ports and smaller vessels in due course.

What steps her Department is taking to ensure that contracts for Trinity House multi-function vessels are awarded to UK shipyards.

Trinity House is the contracting authority for this contract. It is following the requirements of the Procurement Act 2023 which include a fair, open and transparent competition allowing all eligible suppliers to compete on an equal basis. This competition is the perfect opportunity for UK yards to demonstrate their strengths, skills and competitiveness on an international stage. Regardless of which supplier is ultimately awarded the contract, this programme will also generate significant value for the UK through ongoing maintenance, support services and sub-contracting opportunities. We are continuing to support the growth of the UK shipbuilding industry through the excellent work of the National Shipbuilding Office.

What steps her Department is taking to ensure that contracts for Border Force patrol vessels are awarded to UK shipyards.

We are continuing to engage suppliers on the basis of a UK-led build, using the Defence and Security provisions within the Procurement Act 2023 where appropriate. This approach is consistent with the cross-government commitment to back British businesses. My officials are working closely with the National Shipbuilding Office while ensuring value for money and deliverability.

Whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of allowing HGV drivers with controlled Type 1 diabetes to renew their Class 1 licence every three years.

The medical standards for driving require Group 2 (lorry and bus) drivers with diabetes to have an annual medical assessment to ensure they meet the higher medical standards required for Group 2 drivers. The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency keep standards under review in conjunction with the Secretary of State for Transport’s Honorary Medical Advisory Panel on Diabetes and Driving. However, there are no plans to change the existing requirements and allow Group 2 drivers with controlled Type 1 diabetes to renew driving licence every three years.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of reducing public funding for Level 7 apprenticeships for learners over the age of 21 on access to advanced training in marine engineering, naval architecture and marine surveying.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer of 13 June 2025 to Question 57098.

Whether his Department considers clinical nursing care delivered in education settings to constitute NHS healthcare for which Integrated Care Boards hold commissioning responsibility under existing statutory duties.

The Government is committed to delivering the healthiest generation of children ever.  The National Health Service is responsible for meeting the health needs of children and young people diagnosed with an illness or medical condition, including long term conditions.On 5 February Standardising community health services – core component descriptions was published, and is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/standardising-community-health-services-core-component-descriptions/It includes the core components of a special school nursing service and community children's nursing service. This document is primarily to support integrated care boards’ strategic commissioning of Community Health Services.Within this document, NHS England outlines the core responsibilities of these services, including their role in supporting children with medical conditions to access education settings.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure a nationally consistent delivery model for NHS-commissioned clinical nursing services for children and young people in education settings.

The Government is committed to delivering the healthiest generation of children ever.  The National Health Service is responsible for meeting the health needs of children and young people diagnosed with an illness or medical condition, including long term conditions.On 5 February Standardising community health services – core component descriptions was published, and is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/standardising-community-health-services-core-component-descriptions/It includes the core components of a special school nursing service and community children's nursing service. This document is primarily to support integrated care boards’ strategic commissioning of Community Health Services.Within this document, NHS England outlines the core responsibilities of these services, including their role in supporting children with medical conditions to access education settings.

Food and Rural Affairs, when she plans to publish the response to the Stage 3 consultation on managing bottom trawl fishing in 41 English marine protected areas.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Ely and East Cambridgeshire on 13 November 2025, PQ 88509.

What assessment she has made of the potential merits of using empty school classrooms for health services.

As set out in our Education Estates Strategy, to support strategic planning at a local level, we will work with the sector to develop a decision-making framework for the use of mainstream school space through demographic change.This will ensure that we are balancing the opportunities created by the current fall in birth rates, including delivery of priorities such as support for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities and Best Start Family Hubs, with a collective view on the long-term risks. This will be informed by new pathfinders to pilot flexible use of surplus spaces for join up with Best Start Family Hubs, housing, neighbourhood health service and youth centres and will build on the success of the school-based nursery programme, which is delivering thousands of nursery places to support children to get the best start in life.

When the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation will next consider the potential merits of offering the Meningitis B vaccine to teenagers on the NHS.

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) meningococcal sub-committee have met several times over 2024 and 2025 to discuss the meningococcal vaccination programme. In June 2025, the sub-committee noted that when available, they would like to review a model evaluating the impact of the Meningitis B (MenB) vaccination when given in a teenage programme in a two-dose schedule, including impact on meningococcal disease and gonorrhoea.In 2013, the JCVI advised that the cost-effectiveness of an adolescent MenB vaccination programme would be dependent on the impact of the vaccine on protection against meningococcal carriage, which was uncertain at the time. Since this advice was published, the JCVI has continued to review the MenB vaccination programme. Recent evidence, discussed by the JCVI meningococcal sub-committee in March 2025, indicated that MenB vaccination in adolescents has little to no effect on meningococcal carriage.

What steps his Department is taking to help prevent teenagers and young adults from contracting Meningitis B.

Meningococcal disease is rare, and the incidence has declined over the last two decades following the introduction of vaccines targeting meningococcal disease including the MenACWY teenage vaccination programme.There is no current Meningitis B (MenB) vaccination programme for teenagers and young adults.The importance of raising awareness in parents, teenagers and other adults about the signs and symptoms of meningitis and septicaemia remains key. There are a range of resources developed by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), co-branded with the National Health Service, that set out these key messages and their importance, such as the teenage guide to immunisation. The guide is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/immunisations-for-young-peopleThe UKHSA collaboratively produces a university vaccine communications toolkit. This is shared with the distribution lists of Universities UK and the Association of Managers of Student Services in Higher Education (AMOSSHE), and is available at the following link:https://find-public-health-resources.service.gov.uk/University%20vaccine%20communications%20toolkit/UNI24In addition, United Kingdom guidance on the public health management of meningococcal disease provides clear advice on the management of confirmed and probable cases of invasive meningococcal disease, including MenB, to minimise onward transmission and further associated cases. This guidance is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/meningococcal-disease-guidance-on-public-health-management

How many women have been affected by faulty PIP breast implants in Truro and Falmouth constituency.

The Breast and Cosmetic Implant Registry (BCIR), set up in 2016, collects all implant data, and explant data where possible.Practically, it is always difficult and often impossible to identify a model and product code on an explant. If explanted devices, or patients undergoing explant, cannot be linked to data collected at time of implant, then this often reduces explant data to 'patient, surgeon, location, date'. This in turn makes it impossible to monitor trends in explant/failure.NHS England is in the process of clarifying and mandating the detail required in the BCIR and other device-related collections. This will place a greater responsibility on trusts to either identify a device at the point of explant, or to identify the device from internal trust records created during the same patient's implant procedure.This will only be possible if the implant and explant are performed at the same trust. It is then the intention of NHS England to provide the same matching service for implant/explant where the trusts differ.This solution will, when implemented, give a full, proactive picture of device longevity/risk, for the purposes of research and surveillance, alongside the existing ability to identify patients affected by a device recall notice.Alongside this work, as part of the its reforms to the Medical Devices Regulations 2002, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has introduced updated requirements for the post-market surveillance of medical devices, including implants, enabling both the manufacturer and the MHRA to identify issues with medical devices more easily and where necessary, for the MHRA to take fast action to safeguard public health.Later this year, the MHRA intends to introduce a requirement for clinicians to provide patients with an implant card and information regarding any warnings, precautions, or measures to be taken by the patient or healthcare professional. This will strengthen transparency and support patients in understanding their implants.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has had discussions with her Nigerian counterpart on attacks on civilians in Benue and Nasarawa states. Nigeria.

I refer the Hon Member to the Written Ministerial Statement of 27 November 2025.

What steps his Department will take to ensure high levels of UK content in tidal stream projects.

The Government continues to engage with the tidal stream industry to support high levels of UK content in projects, which currently stands at around 80 per cent, including through the Marine Energy Taskforce’s sub group on supply chains.

What steps are being taken to encourage the use of a surgical robot in Cornwall, in the context of it being the only region in England and Wales without one.

Our 10-Year Health Plan commits to expanding surgical robot adoption over the next decade. We recognise the importance of ensuring equitable access and we will establish national registries for robotic surgery data from 2029 and develop telesurgery networks to support geographical equity of access to robotic assisted surgery.Decisions on the procurement of robotic‑assisted surgery are made locally by NHS trusts and integrated care boards, in line with local need and national guidance. The Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust (RCHT) has a robotic surgery programme as a commitment in their refreshed 10-year strategy, which was approved at the RCHT Board on 8 January 2026.

When guidance on clinical delegation will be published.

The regulators of registered healthcare professionals, including the General Medical Council (GMC) and the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), are independent of the Government, are directly accountable to Parliament, and are responsible for operational matters concerning the discharge of their statutory duties. The United Kingdom’s model of healthcare professional regulation is founded on the principle of regulators operating independently from the Government.The GMC has published the guidance ‘Delegation and referral’ while the NMC has published its guidance ‘Delegation and accountability’. Both regulators expect their registrants to follow the appropriate guidance when delegating clinical work.

When draft updated statutory guidance on supporting pupils with medical conditions will be published.

The government has committed to ensuring that schools are equipped to support pupils with medical conditions effectively and inclusively. The current statutory guidance, ‘Supporting pupils at school with medical conditions,’ will be updated to reflect best practice and recent developments.We intend to consult later this year on revised guidance. This consultation will seek views from schools, parents, health professionals, and other stakeholders on proposals to strengthen how schools meet their duties, including improvements to allergy safety and broader medical condition management.Our aim is to ensure that every child can access education safely and confidently, regardless of their health needs.