Written questions by Dickson.

Communities and Local Government, what funding his Department plans to provide to support the improvement of playground facilities in England.

To support the improvement of playgrounds, the Government is providing the £18 million playgrounds fund. This fund is a targeted programme to improve children’s access to safe, inclusive, high‑quality local play spaces in communities where it has fallen furthest behind. £18 million over two years will support local authorities to buy new or refurbish up to 200 playgrounds across England, prioritising areas with high child deprivation and poor access to safe, local play space.While the playgrounds fund is a dedicated pot, other sources of funding could be used for this purpose. This includes local authorities being able to draw from the most recent local government financial settlement, which is our most significant step yet to make English local government more sustainable. The government is making good on long overdue promises to fundamentally update the way we fund local authorities. We are delivering fairer funding, targeting money where it is needed most through the first multi-year Settlement in a decade.The Government’s Pride in Place Programme will also provide up to £5.8 billion over ten years to support 284 neighbourhoods identified as most in need. Each neighbourhood under the programme will be given up to £20 million of flexible funding and support. In each place, the local neighbourhood board will work with the community to decide how this funding is spent, which could include investment in local regeneration projects such as parks and playgrounds where these reflect local priorities.

What steps he is taking to help ensure consistent standards for lipid testing and reporting across England.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) clinical guideline on cardiovascular disease: risk assessment and reduction, including lipid modification provides evidence-based guidance for healthcare professionals on lipid measurement. Healthcare professionals are expected to take NICE guidelines fully into account in the care and treatment of individual patients.To tackle unwarranted variation and support consistent, high-quality care across the cardiovascular pathway, the Government will publish a new Cardiovascular Disease Modern Service Framework (CVD MSF) later this year.As part of this, the CVD MSF will identify the best-evidenced interventions and set clear standards on how they should be used, alongside a clear strategy to support and oversee uptake by clinicians and providers. This approach will help ensure greater consistency in the detection, assessment, and management of cardiovascular risk factors, such as cholesterol.

What plans he has to support the delivery of cardiovascular prevention services within neighbourhood health settings.

To accelerate progress on the Government’s ambition to reduce premature mortality from heart disease and stroke by 25% in the next ten years, we will publish a new Cardiovascular Disease Modern Service Framework (CVD MSF) this spring. This will support consistent, high quality, and equitable prevention, diagnosis, and care across the cardiovascular pathway, including in neighbourhood health settings where care is planned and delivered around shared local populations.Alongside the CVD MSF, as announced in the 10-Year Health Plan, Prevention Accelerators will focus on high-impact cardiovascular disease and diabetes interventions, and their impact on population health and demand for National Health Services, including elective and general practice appointments.Beyond these initiatives, the Government and NHS England have also invested heavily in hypertension case-finding for those over 40 years old in community pharmacies. As part of the service, pharmacies have delivered nearly 4.2 million blood pressure and ambulatory blood pressure monitoring checks since October 2021.

Whether her Department plans to publish a national strategy on HGV parking and welfare facilities.

There are no current plans to publish a national strategy on HGV parking and welfare facilities. The Department for Transport has commissioned a National Survey of Lorry Parking which is currently underway. The survey will provide a fresh baseline on the availability of secure lorry parking and HGV driver welfare provision and is scheduled to be published in the autumn. The survey was last conducted in 2022 and provided the evidence base for the design of the HGV Parking Matched Funding Grant Scheme. With industry, this scheme is delivering up to £35.7 million in joint investment to enhance truck stops across England. The scheme is helping to improve driver welfare facilities, lorry parking provision, site security and decarbonisation. This investment is on top of up to £30 million investment by National Highways and industry at truck stops and motorway service areas along the strategic road network. The government is prioritising improvements to the planning system. Strengthened policy on freight and logistics has been proposed in the recent consultation on the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) to improve the consideration of freight, including lorry parking, in the planning system.

How many and what proportion of school leavers progressed onto apprenticeships at (a) Level 3, (b) Level 4 and (c) above by type of establishment in each year since September 2020.

The department publishes information on the destinations of students after key stage 4 and 16 to 18 study. This includes whether an apprenticeship was sustained.To be counted, young people need to sustain the apprenticeship for six months in the academic year after leaving.Data on the destinations of students who have completed key stage 4 study is available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/059bdddb-673e-47bd-f7ed-08de834d471d.Data on the destinations of students who have completed 16 to 18 study is available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/7cebeac7-c6b9-475a-f7ef-08de834d471d.

How many and what proportion of school leavers have progressed to (a) employment and (b) economic inactivity by type of establishment in each year since September 2020.

The department publishes information on the destinations of students after key stage 4 and 16 to 18 study. This includes whether a student sustained an education, employment or apprenticeship destination. The data also includes the number of students who did not sustain a destination or where no activity was captured.To be counted in a destination, young people must have sustained participation for a six-month period in the destination year.Data on the destinations of students who have completed key stage 4 is available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/40d1474a-30ff-402a-f7ee-08de834d471d.Data on the destinations of students who have completed 16 to 18 study is available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/5d0582dc-7327-42f2-ab5e-08de834ce335.

What plans her Department has to review taxes across the tobacco and nicotine category in the context of regulation changes to the tobacco and nicotine market via the Tobacco and Vapes Bill and the planned revision of the EU Tobacco Products Directive.

The Government keeps all taxes under review as part of the annual Budget process and will continue to monitor the progress of the EU Tobacco Products Directive as it goes through the EU legislative process.

How the vape excise tax will be evaluated to ensure that it reduces youth vaping, maintains smoker switching and reduces the illicit market.

From 1 October 2026, the government will introduce a Vaping Products Duty of £2.20 per 10ml, alongside a one‑off increase in Tobacco Duty to maintain the incentive for smokers to switch from tobacco to vaping. To minimise the risk of switching to the illicit market, the government has provided a £10 million funding boost to Trading Standards, up to £10 million from HMRC for Border Force to enhance operational information gathering capabilities between 2026-27 and over 300 new HMRC compliance officers to strengthen enforcement. Consideration will be given to evaluating the impact and effectiveness of the Vaping Products Duty once sufficient data has been collected, particularly among young people and non-smokers. This will be in line with policy objectives and wider government aims of creating a smokefree generation.

What steps he is taking to tackle backlogs in the courts.

Sir Brian’s report set out a blueprint for pragmatic structural reform in our criminal courts and made clear that action across the process is essential.The Courts and Tribunals Bill is the first step to putting that blueprint into law. Coupled with record investment in sitting days and criminal legal aid and modernisation of listing practices and use of case coordinators and blitz courts to boost efficiencies, we are taking a neglected service and bringing it, finally, into the 21st century.

Innovation and Technology, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of tobacco companies on (a) AI summaries on topics of commercial interest, including the size of the illicit tobacco market, and (b) the accuracy of those summaries.

The Department for Science, Innovation, and Technology has made no assessment of the impact of tobacco companies on the outputs of AI models or their accuracy.

What steps his Department is taking to help ensure that people experiencing suicidality or who have attempted suicide receive sustained, trauma-informed and long-term support beyond crisis intervention, including through better integration of NHS services with community-led organisations such as Body & Soul, particularly for people from marginalised communities.

The Government is committed to ensuring that people experiencing suicidal thoughts or who have attempted suicide receive compassionate, personalised, and sustained support.The Suicide Prevention Strategy for England 2023 to 2028 outlines our cross‑sector approach to improving support for people who experience suicidality, including tailored support for priority groups and improved integration between services. Voluntary, community, and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations are vital in providing community‑based trauma‑informed support alongside clinical services.The 10-Year Health Plan supports this approach through a shift towards community‑based prevention and services. This includes closer collaboration between the National Health Service, local authorities, and VCSE partners to improve access to integrated, long‑term support.Last year, NHS England published Staying Safe from Suicide: Best Practice Guidance for Safety Assessment, Formulation and Management, which promotes a more holistic, person-centred approach to suicide prevention with accompanying e-learning. The NHS medium-term planning framework requires integrated care boards to ensure practitioners undertake training and deliver care in line with this guidance from 2026/27.

What data her Department holds on the average individual cost of an evidential drink-driving test for (a) blood and (b) urine alcohol content.

The Government’s Road Safety Strategy launched in January 2026, includes a consultation on a range of motoring offences including the drink and drug driving testing framework. The government will continue to support the police to ensure they have the tools needed to keep road users safe.The Home Office does not hold information on the annual and individual costs of evidential drink-driving tests for the police.Total funding to police forces in 2026-27 will be up, to £18.4 billion, an increase of £796 million compared to the 2025-26 police funding settlement. It is for PCCs and Chief Constables to determine how to allocate this funding to best support operational requirements.

What information her Department holds on the annual cost of evidential drink-driving testing to the police budget from (a) blood and (b) urine tests.

The Government’s Road Safety Strategy launched in January 2026, includes a consultation on a range of motoring offences including the drink and drug driving testing framework. The government will continue to support the police to ensure they have the tools needed to keep road users safe.The Home Office does not hold information on the annual and individual costs of evidential drink-driving tests for the police.Total funding to police forces in 2026-27 will be up, to £18.4 billion, an increase of £796 million compared to the 2025-26 police funding settlement. It is for PCCs and Chief Constables to determine how to allocate this funding to best support operational requirements.

What data her Department holds on the number of people screened for drink-driving with a breath alcohol content of (i) 9–21, (ii) 22–34 and (iii) higher than 35 microgrammes of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath.

Data on screening test results in England and Wales, including the concentrations of alcohol detected in drivers’ breath in roadside breath tests, are published in table RAS2042. The table has not been updated for 2023, so the latest data currently available are for 2022. The table is available on GOV.UK at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/reported-road-accidents-vehicles-and-casualties-tables-for-great-britain#ras20 The Home Office publishes annual statistics on roadside breath tests for alcohol in England and Wales in its Police powers and procedures: Roads policing release.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to research from the University of Manchester article entitled The right to play: making play a policy and practice priority, published on 29 September 2025, how his Department will ensure that planning for new developments includes access to green spaces for schools, children and young people.

I refer the hon. Member to the answers given to Question UIN 113540 on 2 March 2026, and UIN 111684 on 24 February 2026.

With reference to research from The University of Manchester entitled The right to play: making play a policy and practice priority, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that all schools have access to green spaces.

Play is an essential part of children’s physical, social and cognitive development, as recognised in the early years foundation stage statutory framework. All education settings, from early years to further education, can register with the National Education Nature Park which provides free and quality assured resources, guidance and support to enable them to turn their grounds from grey to green.The Education Estates Strategy also recently set out how the new design specifications and Renewal and Retrofit Programme will increase access to nature and create better outdoor places with more variety, so that pupils can undertake both quiet and energetic activities.The value of access to nature and outdoor learning is also being recognised and promoted through enrichment, with our upcoming Enrichment Framework including 'Nature, outdoors and adventure' as one of five categories that schools should seek to cover in a broad and well-rounded enrichment offer.

When his Department plans to respond to the letter from Target Ovarian Cancer and 33 hon. Members of 18 November 2025.

We have received and since responded to the Hon. Member’s correspondence.

What steps his Department is taking to improve the transparency of sentencing.

The Government is committed to transparency in our courts and tribunals, and I know the judiciary are too.Last month we announced that we are expanding free access to sentencing remarks to all victims whose case is sentenced in the Crown Court.This is a landmark moment for transparency and open justice, and a meaningful improvement for victims across the country.

What timeline her Department has set for its consultation on updating school food standards in England.

The department aims to revise the School Food Standards and is engaging with stakeholders to ensure they support our work to create the healthiest generation of children in history.We want to gather a broad spectrum of perspectives. To achieve this, we intend to consult on these revisions and further details on timings will be available in due course.School governors and trustees have a statutory duty to ensure compliance, holding school leaders to account for meeting the School Food Standards. Through our review, we will engage with the sector on a range of matters, including monitoring compliance.

What role local authorities will play in monitoring compliance with planned updated school food standards.

The department aims to revise the School Food Standards and is engaging with stakeholders to ensure they support our work to create the healthiest generation of children in history.We want to gather a broad spectrum of perspectives. To achieve this, we intend to consult on these revisions and further details on timings will be available in due course.School governors and trustees have a statutory duty to ensure compliance, holding school leaders to account for meeting the School Food Standards. Through our review, we will engage with the sector on a range of matters, including monitoring compliance.