Written questions by Shannon.

Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of broadband infrastructure in rural communities.

Gigabit-capable broadband is now available to 86% of UK premises, as reported by Ofcom’s Connected Nations Report (2025), and we continue to work towards the target of nationwide coverage by 2032.Project Gigabit is the government’s programme to deliver gigabit-capable broadband to UK premises that are not included in suppliers' commercial plans. Delivering the speeds associated with gigabit-capable broadband ensures the UK network is prepared for the future, with the ability to handle increased demand and new technology developments.As of the end of December 2025, over 1.3 million premises in rural and hard to reach communities across the UK had been upgraded to gigabit-capable broadband through government-funded programmes. More than one million premises are included within £2.4 billion worth of signed Project Gigabit contracts.

Innovation and Technology, whether she plans to increase investment in cyber security research to protect UK businesses and public services.

The government - in partnership with industry and academia - carries out a wide range of research to support our objectives on cyber security and protect the public and businesses. This includes the annual Cyber Security Breaches Survey which details the frequency and impact of cyber breaches attacks on businesses, charities and educational institutions; a range of studies examining the cyber risks and opportunities relating to new and emerging technologies; and research by the AI Security Institute into the cyber security risks and capabilities of advanced AI systems. Our new TechExpert programme will support 500 domestic doctoral students conducting research in frontier technology sectors, including cyber security. The forthcoming National Cyber Action Plan will set out further details of how the government will respond to the growing cyber threat and work with industry to raise cyber resilience levels across the economy.

Innovation and Technology, what recent assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of artificial intelligence on employment in the next five years.

The Government recognises that AI is transforming workplaces, demanding new skills and augmenting existing roles. We have launched the AI and the Future of Work Unit - a cross‑government function dedicated to ensuring AI delivers positive outcomes for the economy, jobs, and workers. We are preparing for a range of possible futures to ensure this transformation boosts productivity and opportunities and the Government launched an assessment of AI impacts on the labour markets in January 2026. To build a digitally skilled workforce to support long-term economic growth, drive innovation and expand individual opportunity we are supporting AI Skills Boost to upskill 10 million workers in AI skills by 2030. We have already delivered more than 1 million AI training courses have been delivered to workers across the UK. Building on the Future of Work Unit, the Chancellor announced a new AI Economics Institute in her recent Mais Lecture. This joint HMT-DSIT institute will incorporate the FoW Unit, as part of a broader focus on the economics of AI, including labour market, productivity and other impacts.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of food waste reduction initiatives on household food costs.

58% of the food that is wasted in the UK is wasted in our homes, almost three quarters of which (73%) is edible. This food has a value of around £17 billion, which is around £80 per month or £1,000 per year for the average family with children. This Government is committed to moving towards a circular economy – a future where our resources are used as efficiently and productively as possible for as long as possible, and waste is reduced. To tackle food waste in the home, we fund a programme of action delivered by WRAP to help people save money by buying what they need and using what they buy. This includes campaigns such as Food Waste Action Week with the theme of ‘Make Your Food Go Further, helping the public to shop for, store and cook foods in ways that reduces food costs and minimises waste.

Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with water companies on reducing agricultural runoff into rivers and waterways.

In January 2026, I hosted a cross-sector roundtable, which included water industry representatives, to discuss planned reforms to agricultural pollution regulations. Engagement continues with industry, farming and environmental representatives at official level. Regional planning will take a cross-sector approach to water management, ensuring agricultural water pollution is actively tackled. A Regional Water Planning Steering Group—established through a commitment in the Water White paper and chaired by Minister Hardy—held its first meeting with water company representatives and other stakeholders on 11 February. We are committed to the Environment Act target to reduce agricultural nitrogen, phosphorus and sediment entering the water environment by 40% by 2038. The Environment Improvement Plan sets out clear delivery plans to achieve these targets. We are already taking action to reduce this pollution, including doubling the funding for farm inspections.

Media and Sport, what estimate her Department has made of the number of people employed in the creative industries in each of the last five years.

DCMS Economic Estimates provide annual estimates of employment in the creative industries in the UK, based on the Office for National Statistics (ONS) Annual Population Survey. The total number of filled jobs in the creative industries for 2019 to 2024 are presented below. Employment data for 2025 is not yet available.In 2024, there were 2.4 million filled jobs in the creative industries. This is a 308,000 (14.7%) increase from 2019. Table 1: Filled jobs in the creative industries, 2019 to 2024, with lower and upper confidence intervals (95% confidence level) Filled jobs: 2024 (Latest estimate)Lower Bound Confidence IntervalUpper Bound Confidence Interval20242,409,0062,320,0382,497,97420232,418,7992,316,9492,520,64920222,396,1382,308,5752,483,70120212,339,0382,260,3952,417,68120202,221,2042,148,5062,299,42820192,100,6952,039,6012,161,789 This table includes confidence intervals which provide a range within which the ‘true’ value is likely to be. This helps us to assess whether changes over time are statistically significant, giving us confidence that we are seeing a real effect, rather than due to change or random factors in the survey used to collect the data.

How many Freedom of Information requests were received by central Government departments in each of the last three years.

Freedom of Information statistics for all central government departments and other monitored bodies are published on a quarterly and annual basis on Gov.UK at www.gov.uk/government/collections/government-foi-statistics

Media and Sport, how many libraries have closed, opened, or relocated in England in each of the last five years.

As the libraries development agency for England, Arts Council England (ACE) collects and publishes data on library closures, openings and relocations in its annual English Public Libraries Location Dataset. The dataset can be found at the following link: https://www.artscouncil.org.uk/supporting-arts-museums-and-libraries/supporting-libraries DCMS estimates the number of static libraries that have permanently closed (and not been replaced by or relocated to a new static library) in England in each of the last 5 years (for which data is available) is as follows: Calendar YearEstimated Permanent Static Library Closures2020132021162022172023102024172025Data not yet available2026Data not yet available This data is based upon ACE’s English Public Libraries Location Dataset 2024, which shows the number of static libraries open as at 31 December 2024 is 2,866. The 2025 basic library dataset is expected to be published later this year.

How many civil servants were employed in each Government department as of 1 January 2026.

Information on the number of civil servants employed in each Government department are published quarterly by Office for National Statistics (ONS) with a one quarter lag as part of their accredited official statistics publication ‘Public Sector Employment’. Latest data as at end September 2025 can be accessed using the web link below. https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/publicsectorpersonnel/datasets/publicsectoremploymentreferencetable Information on Civil Service employment as at end December 2025 is scheduled for publication by ONS as part of these statistics on 19 March 2025.

What steps her Department is taking to support schools in improving pupil attendance in areas with high absence rates.

Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.Absence is a key barrier to opportunity. For children to achieve and thrive, they need to be in school. In the Schools White Paper, the department set a national commitment to improve the attendance rate to over 94% by 2028/29, equivalent to 100,000 pupils attending school full time and represent the fastest rate of improvement in over a decade.Our statutory ‘Working Together to Improve School Attendance’ guidance requires schools to appoint an attendance champion, have a published attendance policy, and work with local authorities.The department provides real-time data tools and attendance toolkits, which help schools, trusts and local authorities identify the drivers of absence and adopt effective practice to improve attendance to pre‑pandemic attendance levels.In January, we launched our new regional improvement for standards and excellence attendance and behaviour hubs, which can support over 3000 schools, including enhanced support for up to 500 schools, helping schools build strong relationships with parents and helping teachers form strong relationships of trust with students.

Media and Sport, how many community sports facilities received Government funding in each region of England in the last three years.

The Government is committed to ensuring that everyone, regardless of background, should have access to and benefit from quality sport and physical activity opportunities. That has to mean delivering a range of facilities across the country based on what each local community needs. Number of facilities that have received fundingRegionMSGFPTCP SPSF Total North East2853021336North West65411085849Yorkshire and Humber6625637755West Midlands4925455601East Midlands5725454680East of England86777661010London24922441514South West7066866840South East823150961069In addition to programme investment, the Government provides the majority of funding for grassroots sport through our Arm’s Length Body, Sport England - which annually invests over £250 million in Exchequer and Lottery funding in areas of greatest need to tackle inactivity levels through community-led solutions. A breakdown of individual grants for facilities per region by Sport England is below:RegionNumber of grantsNorth East49North West131Yorkshire and Humber80West Midlands115East Midlands87East of England81London95South West99South East127

Whether his Department plans to expand community-based rehabilitation services for people recovering from long-term respiratory illnesses.

Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for commissioning pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) services that meet the needs of their local populations, including delivery in community settings. To improve referral rates for PR, NHS England has issued guidance to ICBs on strengthening PR workforce capacity, ensuring safe staffing levels, and developing accessible service models to reduce health inequalities. Further information is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/pulmonary-rehabilitation-workforce/

Whether he has made an assessment of the adequacy of the availability of specialist nurses for neurological conditions in rural areas.

Workforce planning, including decisions about the number and type of specialist nurses needed locally, is the responsibility of individual employers and their integrated care boards, which are best placed to assess the needs of their populations.We continue to work with NHS England through programmes like Getting It Right First Time to support improvements in access to specialist care for patients with neurological conditions. We have also set up the United Kingdom‑wide Neuro Forum, which brings together the Department, NHS England, the devolved administrations, and the health services and Neurological Alliances of all four nations, to share best practice and address system-wide challenges, including neurology workforce challenges.The Government is committed to publishing a 10 Year Workforce Plan to set out action to create a workforce ready to deliver the transformed service set out in the 10-Year Health Plan. The 10 Year Workforce Plan will ensure the National Health Service has the right people in the right places, with the right skills to care for patients, when they need it. We are working through how the plan will articulate the changes for different professional groups.

Media and Sport, how many cultural heritage sites received direct Government grant funding in each of the last three financial years.

In 2023-2024 to 2025-2026 period the government has directly funded Marlborough House, Chatham Historic Dock Yard and the Old Royal Naval College. The Department for Culture Media and Sport also ran the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme. In the last three years of the scheme, between April 2023 and March 2026, a total of 8,218 individual Listed Places of Worship have received grant funding from the scheme.The value of funding paid to these applicants for the 3-year period was £89,504,426. In March 2026, Government provided a £9 million grant to the National Trust to contribute to an endowment to support the acquisition and ongoing running of Ironbridge Gorge Museums Trust. In 2025-2026 the Government also provided funding for two grant schemes, the Heritage Revival Fund and the Heritage at Risk Capital fund. However, those were administered by Historic England on our behalf so have not been included here.

How many officials in the Senior Civil Service were employed on a full-time equivalent basis in each of the last five years.

Information on the number of civil servants working at SCS level employed on a full-time equivalent basis is published annually by Cabinet Office as part of the accredited official statistics publication ‘Civil Service Statistics’. Data as at 31 March each year for the years 2021 to 2025 can be accessed through the ‘Civil Service Statistics data browser’ for each of these five years using the links below: https://civil-service-statistics.jdac.service.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/data_browser_2025/Responsibility_level_grouped/index.html https://civil-service-statistics.jdac.service.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/data_browser_2024/Responsibility_level_grouped/index.html https://civil-service-statistics.jdac.service.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/data_browser_2023/Responsibility_level_grouped/index.html https://civil-service-statistics.jdac.service.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/data_browser_2022/Responsibility_level_grouped/index.html https://civil-service-statistics.jdac.service.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/data_browser_2021/Responsibility_level_grouped/index.html

What recent assessment he has made of trends in the level of regional variations in waiting times for diagnostic imaging appointments.

No recent assessment has been made of trends in the level of regional variations in waiting times for diagnostic imaging appointments.We are committed to transforming diagnostic services and are supporting the National Health Service to increase diagnostic capacity to bring down the size of the list and reduce waiting times, including for imaging diagnostic tests.

Whether her Department plans to provide additional funding to support schools in introducing digital literacy programmes for pupils aged 11 to 16.

Education is a devolved matter, and this response relates to state-funded schools in England only.On 5 November 2025, the government issued the response to the Curriculum and Assessment Review, setting out the changes that will be made to the national curriculum, as well as reforms to qualifications. To ensure students develop the essential digital literacy skills needed for future life and work, the refreshed curriculum, due for first teaching in September 2028, will provide greater clarity on what should be taught at each key stage.The department continues to invest in the National Centre for Computing Education, supporting teachers to confidently teach topics such as digital literacy through the provision of free online courses and resources. This includes a free online course supporting secondary subject leaders to understand what digital literacy is and to integrate it across subjects. The core schools budget is also increasing by £1.7 billion in 2026/27, which includes funding for special educational needs and disabilities reforms announced within the Schools White Paper.

What assessment she has made of the adequacy of levels of teacher recruitment in STEM subjects in the last academic year.

Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.The department is seeing real progress. On top of an increase of 2,346 teachers (full-time equivalent) in secondary and special schools between 2023/24 and 2024/25, the future pipeline is also looking positive. New entrants to training in physics are up 37% this year, computing up 46%, and maths up by 18%. In total, the data shows an increase of 22% in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects, exceeding the STEM target for the first time since it was introduced in 2019.The department set out plans for an additional 6,500 teachers in our delivery plan, published last month alongside the Schools White Paper, available here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6995de6aa58a315dbe72bf7c/6500_additional_teachers_delivery_plan_print_ready_version.pdf.We are continuing to offer bursaries worth £29,000 tax-free and scholarships worth up to £31,000 tax-free to encourage more talented people to train to teach key STEM subjects. We are also offering a targeted retention incentive worth up to £6,000 after tax for teachers of the same STEM subjects in the first five years of their careers who work in disadvantaged schools.

What recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of the availability of speech and language support for pupils in primary schools.

Speech and language therapists (SaLTs) break down communication barriers, but too often, children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) wait too long to receive support from them.As part of our new £1.8 billion investment, schools will be able to access support from professionals such as SaLTs through the Experts at Hand offer. These experts will work directly with school staff to equip them with skills and strategies to better meet need.We are also investing £15 million to establish new SaLT advanced practitioners in every integrated care board area to support more SaLTs to work with educational settings, upskill speech and language support workers, and promote the SaLT apprenticeship route.This is in addition to £3.4 million being invested this year in the Early Language Support for Every Child (ELSEC) programme, helping to identify and respond to speech and language needs, continued investment in the Nuffield Early Language Intervention, which has demonstrated significant impact on speech and language skills particularly for disadvantaged pupils, and an expansion of English Hubs support to include specialist early language support from the 2026/27 academic year.

Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of the potential impact of extreme weather events on small-scale farms in the last two years.

Defra has made no assessment of the potential impacts of extreme weather on small farms. The Government has allocated £11.8bn to sustainable farming and food production over this parliament, including £5.9bn for environmental farming schemes. Defra is focusing efforts on actions with multiple benefits: for example, improving soil health so soil can hold more water, which both reduces flood risk in extreme rainfall (winter 2026) and drought risk in extreme dry weather (summer 2025). Later this year Defra will open the Sustainable Farming Incentive offer in two windows: the first from June 2026 for small farms and also farms without existing Environmental Land Management revenue agreements; the second from September for all farms. Farmers contribute to and are affected by weather-related challenges. The measures the government is introducing will help British farming thrive and boost farmers’ resilience to extreme weather while protecting this country’s water resources and meeting environmental goals.