Written questions by Brown-Fuller.

Whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of removing the wear and tear allowance on (a) the finances of childminders and (b) early years and childcare provision in Chichester constituency.

Under HMRC’s ‘Making Tax Digital’ system, childminders can still claim tax relief for things they buy, repair, or replace for their business, such as furniture, equipment, and household items. This change standardises the way that sole traders record and claim business expenses and means that any business expenses related to childminding will be included in childminder’s tax calculations.We are however aware of the strength of feeling amongst childminders and those who work with them. We have been talking regularly to Coram Pacey, HMRC and others to understand the issue, the effect that it is having on the childminding sector and to make sure that the concerns of childminders are clearly understood. The department continues to support childminders, who provide high-quality and flexible early education in a way that families across the country greatly value.The expansion to 30 hours per week of government funded childcare will save families using their full entitlement up to £7,500 per eligible child per year, compared to paying for it themselves.Thanks to the hard work of early years providers and local authorities, over half a million children have already benefitted from the expansion of 15 funded hours for children aged nine months to two years old, and many parents have increased their working hours, boosting family income and lifting more children out of poverty.

Whether her Department holds data on the number of children that go missing by region every year.

The Home Office does not hold this data centrally.Information about current missing persons incidents is held by individual police forces.The National Crime Agency’s UK Missing Persons Unit holds the national database for all missing incidents that are unresolved after 72hours, allowing the police to have access to missing persons information across force boundaries. In addition, annual missing persons statistics, broken down to police force level, are published by the National Crime Agency’s Missing Person’s Unit in its annual data report which can be found here: Downloads - National Crime Agency

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what guidance has her Department issued for for families in the UK on reporting family members stranded overseas as a result of the ongoing situation in Iran including if they have lost contact with them.

Any family members in the UK concerned about the wellbeing of a British national overseas can routinely contact the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office's consular support service, which operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to support British nationals in need of help. Further guidance can be found at this link: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/how-to-deal-with-a-crisis-overseas.

What assessment has her Department on trends in the level of children going missing in care.

The government takes the issue of any child going missing, from home or care, extremely seriously. Local safeguarding partners should work together to reduce the chances of children going missing and respond effectively when they do. The department has provided statutory guidance about responsibilities for children who go missing. Our ‘Working together to safeguard children’ statutory guidance sets out the importance of sharing information and that practitioners should be alert to those who frequently go missing.The latest relevant publication covers 2021 to 2025 and is available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoptions/2025 (data for earlier years is in previous releases, changes in the way data is reported means comparisons over time should not be made). In 2025, 86,900 missing incidents were reported for 12,720 looked after children (11%), an average (mean) of 6.8 missing incidents per child who went missing. Most (91%) missing incidents lasted for two days or less.The department also published ad hoc statistics, which indicated that going or being missing may be a co-occurring factor for some children who have experienced sexual exploitation. Just over a third (34%) of children assessed as having been affected by sexual exploitation were also assessed as at risk of going missing.The department is working to reduce the number of children who go missing. Measures from the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill and Crime and Policing Bill, reforms being delivered through the Families First Partnership Programme (supported by £2.4 billion), updates to the ‘Working together to safeguard children’ statutory guidance, and oversight from the Keeping Children Safe ministerial board will ensure that we better respond when children go missing and intervene earlier to tackle the underlying drivers. Officials engage with stakeholders, including Missing. A senior civil servant from the department attended the recent All-Party Parliamentary Group for Missing Children and Adults interactive parliamentary session.

Whether she has had discussions with the service provider Missing to address the number of children going missing in care.

The government takes the issue of any child going missing, from home or care, extremely seriously. Local safeguarding partners should work together to reduce the chances of children going missing and respond effectively when they do. The department has provided statutory guidance about responsibilities for children who go missing. Our ‘Working together to safeguard children’ statutory guidance sets out the importance of sharing information and that practitioners should be alert to those who frequently go missing.The latest relevant publication covers 2021 to 2025 and is available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoptions/2025 (data for earlier years is in previous releases, changes in the way data is reported means comparisons over time should not be made). In 2025, 86,900 missing incidents were reported for 12,720 looked after children (11%), an average (mean) of 6.8 missing incidents per child who went missing. Most (91%) missing incidents lasted for two days or less.The department also published ad hoc statistics, which indicated that going or being missing may be a co-occurring factor for some children who have experienced sexual exploitation. Just over a third (34%) of children assessed as having been affected by sexual exploitation were also assessed as at risk of going missing.The department is working to reduce the number of children who go missing. Measures from the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill and Crime and Policing Bill, reforms being delivered through the Families First Partnership Programme (supported by £2.4 billion), updates to the ‘Working together to safeguard children’ statutory guidance, and oversight from the Keeping Children Safe ministerial board will ensure that we better respond when children go missing and intervene earlier to tackle the underlying drivers. Officials engage with stakeholders, including Missing. A senior civil servant from the department attended the recent All-Party Parliamentary Group for Missing Children and Adults interactive parliamentary session.

What discussions she has had with the Home Office on the number of children in care going missing due to child exploitation.

The government takes the issue of any child going missing, from home or care, extremely seriously. Local safeguarding partners should work together to reduce the chances of children going missing and respond effectively when they do. The department has provided statutory guidance about responsibilities for children who go missing. Our ‘Working together to safeguard children’ statutory guidance sets out the importance of sharing information and that practitioners should be alert to those who frequently go missing.The latest relevant publication covers 2021 to 2025 and is available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoptions/2025 (data for earlier years is in previous releases, changes in the way data is reported means comparisons over time should not be made). In 2025, 86,900 missing incidents were reported for 12,720 looked after children (11%), an average (mean) of 6.8 missing incidents per child who went missing. Most (91%) missing incidents lasted for two days or less.The department also published ad hoc statistics, which indicated that going or being missing may be a co-occurring factor for some children who have experienced sexual exploitation. Just over a third (34%) of children assessed as having been affected by sexual exploitation were also assessed as at risk of going missing.The department is working to reduce the number of children who go missing. Measures from the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill and Crime and Policing Bill, reforms being delivered through the Families First Partnership Programme (supported by £2.4 billion), updates to the ‘Working together to safeguard children’ statutory guidance, and oversight from the Keeping Children Safe ministerial board will ensure that we better respond when children go missing and intervene earlier to tackle the underlying drivers. Officials engage with stakeholders, including Missing. A senior civil servant from the department attended the recent All-Party Parliamentary Group for Missing Children and Adults interactive parliamentary session.

What estimate has her Department made of the number of children in care that have gone missing annually since 2015.

The government takes the issue of any child going missing, from home or care, extremely seriously. Local safeguarding partners should work together to reduce the chances of children going missing and respond effectively when they do. The department has provided statutory guidance about responsibilities for children who go missing. Our ‘Working together to safeguard children’ statutory guidance sets out the importance of sharing information and that practitioners should be alert to those who frequently go missing.The latest relevant publication covers 2021 to 2025 and is available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoptions/2025 (data for earlier years is in previous releases, changes in the way data is reported means comparisons over time should not be made). In 2025, 86,900 missing incidents were reported for 12,720 looked after children (11%), an average (mean) of 6.8 missing incidents per child who went missing. Most (91%) missing incidents lasted for two days or less.The department also published ad hoc statistics, which indicated that going or being missing may be a co-occurring factor for some children who have experienced sexual exploitation. Just over a third (34%) of children assessed as having been affected by sexual exploitation were also assessed as at risk of going missing.The department is working to reduce the number of children who go missing. Measures from the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill and Crime and Policing Bill, reforms being delivered through the Families First Partnership Programme (supported by £2.4 billion), updates to the ‘Working together to safeguard children’ statutory guidance, and oversight from the Keeping Children Safe ministerial board will ensure that we better respond when children go missing and intervene earlier to tackle the underlying drivers. Officials engage with stakeholders, including Missing. A senior civil servant from the department attended the recent All-Party Parliamentary Group for Missing Children and Adults interactive parliamentary session.

What steps is her Department taking to help reduce the number of children in care that go missing.

The government takes the issue of any child going missing, from home or care, extremely seriously. Local safeguarding partners should work together to reduce the chances of children going missing and respond effectively when they do. The department has provided statutory guidance about responsibilities for children who go missing. Our ‘Working together to safeguard children’ statutory guidance sets out the importance of sharing information and that practitioners should be alert to those who frequently go missing.The latest relevant publication covers 2021 to 2025 and is available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoptions/2025 (data for earlier years is in previous releases, changes in the way data is reported means comparisons over time should not be made). In 2025, 86,900 missing incidents were reported for 12,720 looked after children (11%), an average (mean) of 6.8 missing incidents per child who went missing. Most (91%) missing incidents lasted for two days or less.The department also published ad hoc statistics, which indicated that going or being missing may be a co-occurring factor for some children who have experienced sexual exploitation. Just over a third (34%) of children assessed as having been affected by sexual exploitation were also assessed as at risk of going missing.The department is working to reduce the number of children who go missing. Measures from the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill and Crime and Policing Bill, reforms being delivered through the Families First Partnership Programme (supported by £2.4 billion), updates to the ‘Working together to safeguard children’ statutory guidance, and oversight from the Keeping Children Safe ministerial board will ensure that we better respond when children go missing and intervene earlier to tackle the underlying drivers. Officials engage with stakeholders, including Missing. A senior civil servant from the department attended the recent All-Party Parliamentary Group for Missing Children and Adults interactive parliamentary session.

If he will make an estimate of the cost to the public purse that would have been incurred had compensation been provided to women affected by changes to the State Pension age in the Chichester constituency.

The Government has made its decision on this case based on due process and careful consideration of the body of evidence. We have decided it would not be appropriate to pay compensation and the detailed reasons for this decision have been placed in the House library.

Whether her Department has reviewed the potential effects of digital device use, including tablets, amongst young children on school attendance.

The department recognises that while technology can support learning and development, we are aware of concerns regarding its impact on wellbeing and the potential for this to affect attendance. In response to these concerns, the government has recently launched a consultation, inviting views from parents, educators and experts to help shape guidance on the use of technology by children. This consultation aims to ensure that our approach is evidence-based and reflects the needs and experiences of those directly affected.As part of our commitment to understanding the impact of digital device use, we are also funding EdTech (education technology) testbeds to evaluate the impact of digital tools on issues such as workload, wellbeing and inclusion.We continue to review emerging research and collaborate with experts to understand the broader effects of technology on children’s wellbeing.Our priority remains supporting regular attendance and the best outcomes for all pupils.

Whether his Department has reviewed the effects of device use, including tablets, amongst young children on speech and language development.

The Department of Health and Social Care and the Department for Education are working jointly to produce and publish new advice for parents and carers on the impacts of screen use on the health and development of children aged zero to five years old, including speech and language development. An expert group of child health and development specialists has been convened to review the evidence and produce a report for the Government. The Government’s advice for parents and carers will be informed by this report, our Call for Evidence, and direct engagement with parents and carers. The advice will be published by 1 April 2026.There is an emerging evidence base focusing on device use amongst children. However, many factors influence children’s development and there is limited evidence on the causal relationship between screen use and children’s health and development. We continue to learn from ongoing studies collecting data about young children, including the Department for Education’s Children of the 2020s longitudinal study, with further information available at the following link:https://children2020s.ipsos.com/This study found that higher screentime at two years old was independently associated with lower vocabulary development, and higher emotional and behaviour problems. However, other important factors such as economic circumstances and the child’s wider home learning environment also impact these outcomes and may influence why a family uses devices more.

If she will consider introducing number plates for e-bikes and e-scooters.

Introducing a number plate system on e-bikes would be complex and expensive to design and administer. It would also require fitting registration plates that were sufficiently visible and robust and could not easily be transferred from one cycle to another. A previous detailed review of this idea concluded that the cost and complexity of introducing such a system would far outweigh the benefits. Regarding private e-scooters, they are currently illegal to use on public roads, cycle lanes and pavements. The Government has committed to pursuing legislative reform for micromobility vehicles, such as e-scooters, when parliamentary time allows. Any regulations, which could include a potential requirement for number plates, will be consulted on before they come into force so that all interested parties have a chance to shape the new regime.

Whether data on triple-negative breast cancer is used to identify variation in diagnosis, treatment and outcomes between i) regions and ii) NHS trusts.

The National Cancer Plan was published on 4 February 2026 and sets out how data will be collected and used to transform healthcare productivity, spot delays, and improve outcomes. This will build directly on the 10-Year Health Plan’s mission to make data the backbone of a modern, responsive National Health Service.The plan commits to improve cancer waiting times by providing trusts and Cancer Alliances with more granular and actionable data including disaggregated data for specific cancer types, real‑time pathway analytics via the Federated Data Platform, and streamlined cancer metrics to expose unwarranted variation. Trust boards will receive regular performance reports, and clearer public reporting, including more transparent league‑table style data, which will strengthen accountability and drive faster improvement.

Whether his Department is taking steps to increase the number of NHS posts available to doctors completing Foundation Year 2 in addition to the measures set out in the Medical Training (Prioritisation) Bill.

We set out in the 10-Year Health Plan for England that over the next three years we will create 1,000 new specialty training posts, with a focus on specialties where there is greatest need. We will set out next steps in due course.This Government is committed to training the staff we need, including doctors, to ensure patients are cared for by the right professional, when and where they need it. We will publish a 10 Year Workforce Plan to set out action to create a workforce ready to deliver the transformed services set out in the 10-Year Health Plan.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether he will consider the potential merits of exemptions to restrictions on importing docked dogs for recognised rescue charities rehoming dogs that were docked prior to rescue.

As outlined in the manifesto, the Government is committed to ending puppy smuggling. Which is why the Government supported the Animal Welfare (Import of Dogs, Cats and Ferrets) Act 2025. This Act will give the Government powers to prevent the supply of low-welfare pets to the United Kingdom. The Government will use these powers to prohibit dogs and cats being brought into Great Britain with non-exempted mutilations, such as docked tails and cropped ears. Any appropriate exemptions to these prohibitions will be delivered via secondary legislation at a later date. In the meantime, Defra will continue to work with stakeholders including rescue organisations and consider their feedback. The Government is clear that any exemptions will need to be finely balanced against the risk of creating loopholes that could be exploited by bad actors.

Communities and Local Government, when his Department plans to publish proposals for a code of practice for the operating of private car parks.

I wish to assure the hon. Member that this government is determined to drive up standards in the private parking sector.The Parking (Code of Practice) Act 2019 places a duty on the government to prepare a code of practice containing guidance about the operation and management of private parking facilities.A consultation document outlining proposals to raise standard across the private parking industry was published on 11 July 2025.The consultation has closed and all responses are being analysed.We expect to the lay the Code in accordance with the negative procedure in due course.

What support exists for park home owners with faulty LPG boilers.

The Government’s Warm Homes Plan (WHP) - which represents the biggest ever investment in home upgrades, is an offer for every household. Park home residents can apply for support via a range of Government schemes including the Warm Homes: Local Grant, and ECO4 - which Government intends to extend until the end of the year, subject to Parliamentary approval. All eligible households in England and Wales can benefit from the expanded Boiler Upgrade Scheme, funded with £2.7 billion to 2030. BUS provides grants up to £7,500 to help households with the upfront costs of installing heat pumps and biomass boilers. In addition, the 0% VAT rate on heat pumps installations offers further financial support. We are also working with the finance sector to make a range of low-cost finance solutions available to homeowners, with Government backing a total loan portfolio of £2 billion, including up to £1.7 billion from our new Warm Homes Fund. Residents who are not directly supplied with electricity may also be eligible for support with their bills through the Park Homes Warm Home Discount scheme.

Communities and Local Government, whether he plans to cap service charges on managed estates.

I refer the hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 18 December 2025 (HCWS1210).

What estimate he has made of the percentage of the cases awaiting a Crown Court trial that have a potential sentence of up to three years imprisonment and that would go before a Judge-only court under his proposed court reforms.

As is usual practice, detailed impact assessments will be provided alongside the necessary legislation for these reforms. The Government will bring forward this legislation when parliamentary time allows.

What assessment he has made of the current number of either-way cases in the present Crown Court backlog that have yet to elect mode of trial.

The Ministry of Justice publishes information about cases in the open caseload at both the magistrates’ courts and at the Crown Court. This includes breakdowns of volumes and durations as part of the Crown Court open caseload published as part of Criminal Court Statistics Quarterly: Criminal court statistics quarterly. The Ministry of Justice does not publish data relating to the progression of cases or mode of trial in the open caseload.