Written questions by Brown-Fuller.

Innovation and Technology, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of mobile phone signal in Chichester constituency.

Ofcom’s improved online mobile coverage checker went live on 26 June, which I would encourage the Hon Member to consult.Our ambition is for all populated areas to have higher quality standalone 5G by 2030. We continue to work with industry to deliver this and are committed to ensuring we have the right policy and regulatory framework in place to support investment into mobile networks and competition in the market.

What steps his Department is taking to reduce waste in the NHS.

There are a range of initiatives in the National Health Service to tackle waste, ranging from locally managed walking aid refurbishment schemes to innovative projects on the reuse of surgical textiles. NHS England has also been working to reduce the wastage of medicines, as recommended in the National Overprescribing Review in 2020.In addition, in October 2024, the Department published the Design for Life roadmap, a new strategy to transition away from all avoidable single-use medical technology products towards a functioning circular system by 2045. The Design for life Roadmap is available at the following link:https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/679ca015a9ee53687470a2ed/design-for-life-roadmap.pdfSingle-use medical devices such as tourniquets and scissors, as well as high-tech electronic devices like harmonic shears, are often expensive and are thrown away after a single use. The programme is building on examples of where NHS organisations are already achieving cost, waste, and carbon savings.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Written Ministerial Statement of 25 June 2025, HCWS736, on Simplified Local Leadership Structures, what her Department's planned timetable is for making those changes to local leadership structures.

Councils operating the committee system which are not part of local government reorganisation will be given one year from the date of the legislation coming into force to make the transition. Where a council which operates the committee system is to be dissolved under local government reorganisation it will be exempt from making the change. All new councils will be required to operate the leader and cabinet model of governance. Legislation on this matter will be introduced when Parliamentary time allows.

How many and what proportion of appeal Tribunals in relation to (a) PIP, (b) DLA and (c) ESA has the Department not contested in the last 12 months.

DWP does not contest appeals. Claimants have a legal right to dispute decisions made by the Secretary of State in relation to aspects of their Social Security entitlement. They do so by lodging appeals against those decisions with His Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS), in most cases following a Mandatory Reconsideration. There are no cases in the First-tier Tribunal where DWP would bring an appeal against a claimant. DWP acts as a respondent to the appeal, and will provide a written response in all cases clarifying the current decision and the legal and evidential basis on which it was made. HMCTS considers the available evidence, including evidence provided in the hearing by the appellant, and will determine whether to overturn or uphold the decision. If the decision of the First-tier Tribunal contains a potential error in law, either party to the appeal may seek leave to challenge the tribunal’s decision. The decision may be set aside by a District Judge of the First-tier Tribunal, or go on to be considered by the Upper Tribunal.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to the document entitled Remote attendance and proxy voting in local authorities: consultation results and government response, published on 5 June 2025, what her Department's planned timetable is for bringing forward legislative proposals to allow (a) remote attendance and (b) proxy voting in local councils.

On 5 June, we published the gov.uk ‘Remote attendance and proxy voting in local authorities: consultation results and government response’ where we announced that we plan to legislate when parliamentary time allows.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the capital funding settlement for road investment strategies on infrastructure investment along the A27.

As the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced on 11 June 2025, this Government will deliver notable improvements to people’s everyday travel by providing £24 billion of capital funding between 2026-27 and 2029-30 to maintain and improve roads across the country. We will provide updates on what this means for specific schemes and routes in due course.

Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department plans to take to help ensure that housing developments are completed after they have been granted planning permission.

The government wants to see homes built faster and we recognise the frustrations that stalled or delayed sites can cause to communities. Once housebuilders have been granted permission for residential development, meeting local housing needs and preferences, we expect to see them built out as quickly as possible. Local planning authorities already have powers to issue a completion notice to require a developer to complete their development if it is stalled. If they fail to do so, the planning permission for the development will lapse. The revised National Planning Policy Framework published on 12 December includes policies designed to support increased build out rates, including the promotion of mixed tenure development. On 25 May, the government published a Planning Reform Working Paper: Speeding Up Build Out (which can be founded on gov.uk here) inviting views on further action the government should take to speed up homes being built.

What his planned timeline is for responding to the Competition and Markets Authorities recommendations in their report into the infant formula and follow-on formula market, published on 20 February 2024.

Infant feeding is critical to a baby’s healthy growth and development. The Government is committed to giving every child the best start in life, and that includes helping families to access support to feed their baby.Whilst breastfeeding has significant health benefits, we recognise that for those families that cannot or choose not to breastfeed, it is vital that they have access to infant formula that is affordable and high quality. Infant formula regulations ensure that all infant formula is suitable for meeting the nutritional needs of babies, regardless of the price or brand.The Government welcomes the Competition and Markets Authority’s market study into the United Kingdom’s infant formula and follow-on formula market. We are working closely with other Government departments and the devolved administrations to carefully consider its findings and recommendations, and will respond fully in due course.

If he will review the decision by NHS Hampshire and Isle of Wight Integrated Care Board to close Westbourne Surgery.

The Department understands that the general practice (GP) partners at Emsworth Medical Practice have arrived at the decision to propose the closure of the Westbourne Branch Surgery and that the proposed date of closure is 27 June 2025.There are no plans to review the decision by NHS Hampshire and Isle of Wight Integrated Care Board to close Westbourne Surgery. There is a high bar set out in guidance for intervention by my Rt. Hon. friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, in contested reconfiguration cases, who would expect all avenues of local resolution to be exhausted before a call-in request is made.Responsibility for the delivery, implementation, and funding decisions for services ultimately rests with the appropriate National Health Service commissioner, in this case, NHS Hampshire and Isle of Wight Integrated Care Board (ICB), rather than the Department. The closure of a GP surgery is an issue that is considered and decided upon by local commissioners following an application from a GP provider.Local health and care organisations are best placed to make decisions on commissioning services for their communities, working with local authorities, stakeholders, and local populations to meet people’s needs.When a practice does close, patients will be informed of the closure and advised to register at another local practice of their choice within their area. Commissioners must put in place appropriate measures to ensure that the affected patients have access to GP services.

Whether her Department plans to ensure that local authorities that do not reach the 20-week deadline for education, health and care plans have effective improvement plans in place.

The department wants to ensure that, where required, education, health and care (EHC) plan assessments are progressed promptly and, if needed, plans are issued as quickly as possible so that children and young people can access the support they need.Local authorities have a statutory responsibility to assess whether children and young people have special educational needs that require an EHC plan. Plans must be issued within twenty weeks of the needs assessment commencing so that children and young people can access the support they need.The department continues to monitor and work closely with local authorities that have issues with EHC plan timeliness. Where there are concerns about a local authority’s capacity to make the required improvements, we help them to identify the barriers to this and put in place an effective recovery plan. This includes, where needed, securing a specialist special educational needs adviser.In the 2023 calendar year, 50.3% of new EHC plans were issued within twenty weeks. This is a slight increase compared to 2022, when the figure was 49.2%.

Innovation and Technology, if his Department will take steps to lower the Information Commissioner's data protection fee for smaller (a) organisations and (b) charities.

The data protection fees fund the Information Commissioner’s statutory responsibilities in relation to data protection and privacy and electronic communications. There are three tiers of fees payable, based on the size and turnover of organisations. Small organisations typically pay £52 or £78 annually (compared to £3763 for large organisations), with charities always classified in the lowest tier. A £5 discount also applies to payments made by direct debit. The Government will keep the fees under review to ascertain whether they remain fit for purpose and ensure that the income generated is proportionate and sufficient.

Whether her Department plans to ensure improved access to schooling for children with (a) visual and (b) hearing impairments in Chichester constituency.

All education settings have duties under the Equality Act 2010 towards individual disabled children and young people. Part 6 of the Equality Act outlines that schools must make reasonable adjustments, including the provision of auxiliary aids and services for disabled children, to prevent them being put at a substantial disadvantage.The government announced £740 million of high needs capital for the 2025/26 financial year to support children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and/or who are in alternative provision. This funding can be used to adapt classrooms to better meet the needs of all children, including the provision of sensory equipment within mainstream schools, alongside continuing to provide and adapt spaces to support pupils with the most complex needs in special schools. Local authorities may additionally wish to consider using this funding to invest in assistive technology interventions as a means of supporting pupils in mainstream schools.The last local area SEND inspection by Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission for West Sussex was in November 2023, which found inconsistent experiences and outcomes for children and young people with SEND. The department’s regional team has put in place systems to track outcomes against the five areas for improvement highlighted by the report, including one area specific to the sufficiency of high quality provision, and the progress made by children and young people with SEND.

What progress his Department has made on implementing the Immediate and Essential Actions of the Ockenden review, published on 30 March 2022.

All the recommendations made by Donna Ockenden in her review into maternity services at the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital Trust in 2022 were accepted, including the requests made to the Government, the health system more widely, and the trust. Following publication of the Ockenden review, NHS England wrote to all trusts and systems asking them to deliver the recommendations and report to their public boards.To support this delivery, NHS England’s three-year delivery plan for maternity and neonatal services brought together the immediate and essential actions from the Ockenden review with those from other reports and guidance. The National Health Service’s operational planning guidance sets out the expectation that trusts should implement the key actions from the plan. In accordance with the NHS operating framework, it is for integrated care boards to oversee local progress with this. The technical guidance which accompanies the plan sets out how we are monitoring progress at a national level.The plan is in its final year of delivery, and progress has been made across the four themes to improve outcomes and experiences for women and their babies.The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital Trust has seen a significant improvement in overall midwifery staffing levels. The trust has enhanced its senior and specialist midwifery teams to provide additional leadership, expert advice, and support for women and families, as well as the clinical teams. The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital Trust now has in place robust training programmes that equip the maternity workforce with up-to-date skills, training, and development, including in the management of emergency scenarios.On 23 June 2025, my rt. Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, announced the launch of an independent, national Investigation into NHS maternity and neonatal services to look at the systemic issues behind why so many women, babies and families experience unacceptable care. It will look at up to 10 maternity and neonatal units where there are specific issues, international evidence, adoption of best practice and a system-wide investigation of maternity and neonatal care. There have been several reviews, inquiries and national research into maternity and neonatal care in recent years, including Ockenden. The investigation will bring together lessons from past these reviews and will produce, by December 2025, one clear set of national recommendations to achieve high quality, safe care across maternity and neonatal services, and that women and families are listened to. The investigation will take previous recommendations, including the Immediate and Essentials actions from Ockenden, into consideration to ensure we are providing clarity to the system and effectively delivering the change needed.Alongside this, my rt. Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, also announced we would be establishing a National Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce, which he would chair. It will use the recommendations from the investigation to develop a national plan to drive improvements across maternity and neonatal care, holding the system to account for delivering the actions and working closely with families to ensure their voices are central to this work.

What plans she has to increase the proportion of her Department's spending on active travel infrastructure.

Future funding for active travel, including capital funding for infrastructure, will be set out following the conclusion of the Spending Review.

What steps her Department is taking to increase the number of available driving tests in Chichester constituency.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s (DVSA) main priority is upholding road safety standards while it works hard to reduce car practical driving test waiting times. On the 23 April, the Secretary of State for Transport appeared before the Transport Select Committee and announced that DVSA will take further actions to reduce waiting times for all customers across Great Britain. Further information on these actions and progress of DVSA’s plan to reduce driving test waiting times, which was announced in December 2024, can be found on GOV.UK. To increase the number of tests available in Chichester, DVSA is deploying additional driving examiner (DE) resource from neighbouring driving test centres. From recent recruitment campaigns for the area, DVSA has a potential new DE starting training later this month. DVSA has also offered another candidate a training course starting later in the year. DVSA will continue to recruit in the area and has begun its next recruitment campaign. Once the campaign has closed, DVSA will make offers to successful applicants. DVSA is committed to providing its customers, including those in rural areas, with the best service possible. DVSA continually reviews its estate to ensure it represents good value for money and is efficient.

What steps she is taking to reduce driving test waiting times in rural areas.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s (DVSA) main priority is upholding road safety standards while it works hard to reduce car practical driving test waiting times. On the 23 April, the Secretary of State for Transport appeared before the Transport Select Committee and announced that DVSA will take further actions to reduce waiting times for all customers across Great Britain. Further information on these actions and progress of DVSA’s plan to reduce driving test waiting times, which was announced in December 2024, can be found on GOV.UK. To increase the number of tests available in Chichester, DVSA is deploying additional driving examiner (DE) resource from neighbouring driving test centres. From recent recruitment campaigns for the area, DVSA has a potential new DE starting training later this month. DVSA has also offered another candidate a training course starting later in the year. DVSA will continue to recruit in the area and has begun its next recruitment campaign. Once the campaign has closed, DVSA will make offers to successful applicants. DVSA is committed to providing its customers, including those in rural areas, with the best service possible. DVSA continually reviews its estate to ensure it represents good value for money and is efficient.

Food and Rural Affairs, what his planned timetable is for the publication of the chalk stream recovery pack.

Restoring our chalk streams to better ecological health must be part of our holistic programme of reforms for the water sector, including: The Government’s wider agenda to reset the water sector and fix the systemic issues in the water framework, continued investment in actual projects at the catchment level, committing to end damaging abstraction of water from rivers and groundwater, driving home the responsibilities for responsible authorities around protected landscapes, many of which feature chalk streams.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact removing Apprenticeship Levy funding for Level 7 apprenticeships on the public sector.

I refer the hon. Member for Chichester to the answer of 9 April 2025 to Question 43275.

How many breached Community Protection Notices issued to owners of dogs following attacks on cats led to prosecutions in (a) 2023 and (b) 2024.

The Home Office does not hold data in relation to the number of Community Protection Notices that have been issued to owners of dogs following attacks on cats and how many of these led to prosecutions.The Ministry of Justice publishes figures on the number of breached CPNs that result in a court fine. The data does not include the reasons for the CPN being issued. The most recent court outcomes data can be found in the ‘Outcomes by Offence data tool: June 2024’ here - https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/criminal-justice-system-statistics-quarterly-june-2024

How many Community Protection Notices were issued to owners of dogs following attacks on cats in (a) 2023 and (b) 2024; and how many of those required the (i) use of leads, (ii) use of muzzles and (iii) securing of properties.

The Home Office does not hold data in relation to the number of Community Protection Notices that have been issued to owners of dogs following attacks on cats and how many of these led to prosecutions.The Ministry of Justice publishes figures on the number of breached CPNs that result in a court fine. The data does not include the reasons for the CPN being issued. The most recent court outcomes data can be found in the ‘Outcomes by Offence data tool: June 2024’ here - https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/criminal-justice-system-statistics-quarterly-june-2024