Written questions by Shannon.

What steps she is taking to improve road safety outside schools.

The safety of our roads is an absolute priority for this Government.Local authorities have a range of traffic management measures available to them to help improve safety outside schools including reducing speed limits, traffic calming, and introduction of a School Street where appropriate. On 19 November 2024 Active Travel England and the Department for Transport published joint School Streets Guidance. The guidance is available at School Streets: how to set up and manage a scheme - GOV.UK

Food and Rural Affairs, how many confirmed cases of avian flu has there been in the last 12 months.

Between 5 December 2024 and 4 December 2025, there were 143 confirmed cases of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in poultry or other captive birds in the UK.

If his Department will consider leading a workforce strategy for the advice sector to support the aims of the Get Britain Working white paper.

Work coaches refer to the National Careers Service (in England) for high-quality, careers information, advice and guidance which is essential to help people make informed decisions about their futures. For the future Jobs and Careers Service, we will ensure advisers have a robust understanding of job roles, pathways and skills required, so support is tailored to individual needs, including for those seeking careers in the advice sector. The Get Britain Working White Paper outlined plans for the biggest reforms to employment support in a generation, bringing together skills and health to get more people both into work and to get on in work. We remain focussed on delivering our Get Britain Working strategy by supporting people into good quality work, enhancing earnings, and developing a skilled workforce for key sectors.

Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to improve the planning system.

The government published a revised pro-growth National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) on 12 December 2024. The Planning and Infrastructure Bill will help speed up and streamline the delivery of new homes and critical infrastructure. It remains our intention to consult on a new suite of national policies for decision making before the end of the year.

How many refusals there have been for firearms licenses in the last 12 months.

The Home Office publishes information annually on the number of firearm and shotgun certificate applications refused in England and Wales in the statistical publication on firearm and shotgun certificates. The latest available data is for the year ending 31 March 2025 and can be accessed at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/firearm-certificates-in-england-and-walesThe number of firearm and shotgun certificate applications that were refused in England and Wales for the year ending 31 March 2025, as well as previous years, can be found in data tables 1 and 3.

Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to improve housing provision.

The government is taking concerted action to improve housing provision in England including reforming the planning system and record grant funding support for social and affordable housebuilding.Housing is a devolved matter within the competency of the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Food and Rural Affairs, how many confirmed cases of blue tongue there has been in the last 24 months.

The first cases of bluetongue virus serotype 3 (BTV-3) of the current outbreak (2025/2026 vector season) were confirmed on the 11 July 2025. As of 5 December 2025, there have been 238 cases of bluetongue in GB since July 2025, with 223 cases in England and 15 cases in Wales. Prior to this, Defra confirmed 160 BTV-3 cases in England and 2 in Wales between 26 August 2024 and 31 May 2025. One case of bluetongue virus serotype 12 (BTV-12) was confirmed in England on 7 February 2025. Between November 2023 and March 2024 Defra confirmed 126 BTV-3 cases in England.

Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to hold housing developers accountable for defects in newly built homes.

I refer the hon. Member to the answers given to Questions UIN 71818 on 3 September 2025 and UIN 37745 on 19 March 2025.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps are being taken to help support the maritime sector.

Defra, including arms length bodies such as the Marine Management Organisation, supports maritime industries through a range of policy and operational activities. This includes the marine licensing system, work to support growth in offshore wind, our Marine Spatial Prioritisation programme and other marine, fisheries and environmental policies. In doing this we work closely with other Government Departments including Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, Department for Transport, Department for Business and Trade.

Communities and Local Government, what discussions he has had with the Northern Ireland Executive on the number of families in temporary accommodation.

I regularly discuss homelessness issues with my counterparts in the devolved administrations and most recently met the Minister for Communities on Tuesday 25 November.

What steps are being taken to find prisoners who were released by accident.

Any release in error is unacceptable, and public safety is the Government’s first duty. In such cases, we coordinate across multiple agencies including the police to ensure individuals are returned to custody. The majority of those released in error are recaptured swiftly.Releases in error are another long-term symptom of the prison system crisis this Government inherited. While the overwhelming majority of offenders are released correctly, we are bearing down on those errors that do occur.On 11 November, the Deputy Prime Minister announced a five-point action plan. This includes strengthening release checks across prisons, a multi-million pound investment in new technology, and an independent review, which will report its recommendations in spring next year.

What assessment she has made of the adequacy of the price of school uniforms.

Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.The cost of school uniform, particularly of branded items, remains a key concern for parents. Parentkind recently found that more than a quarter of parents will go without heating or eating to be able to afford school uniform. Whilst uniforms play a valuable role in creating a sense of common identity among pupils and reducing visible inequalities, too many schools still require high numbers of branded uniform items despite statutory guidance stating branded items should be kept to a minimum.This is why the department has introduced legislation to limit the number of branded items of uniform and PE kit that schools can require, to bring down costs and remove barriers to accessing sport and other school activities. This will allow parents greater flexibility to make spending decisions that suit them. The department intends to introduce this limit from September 2026.

What assessment has been made of the adequacy of the current palliative care strategy.

The Government is developing a Palliative Care and End of Life Care Modern Service Framework (MSF) for England.The MSF will drive improvements in the services that patients and their families receive at the end of life and will enable integrated care boards to address challenges in access, quality, and sustainability through the delivery of high-quality, personalised care. This will be aligned with the ambitions set out in the recently published 10-Year Health Plan.It would not be right to pre-empt exactly what will be in the final MSF at this time, as we develop it with our palliative care and end of life stakeholders. It is our intention to work together with those stakeholders to ensure that everyone has access to the care they need, in the right place, at the right time. As part of the MSF, we have invited representatives from a number of organisations to engage with us as part of this process, which has already commenced.Further information about the MSF is set out in the Written Ministerial Statement HCWS1087, which I gave on 24 November 2025.

What estimate he has made of the number of unregistered pharmacies that are operating.

Pharmacy is a protected title in law, and it is a criminal offence for a business to engage in regulated activity, for example supplying pharmacy only medicines to the public, and call themselves ‘a pharmacy’ if they are not registered with the pharmacy regulator. Any concerns about a business that is operating as a pharmacy while not being registered should be raised with either the General Pharmaceutical Council for Great Britain or the Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency Criminal Enforcement Unit (MHRA CEU) actively seeks to identify individuals involved in unlawful activity. Where appropriate, the MHRA CEU prosecutes those who put public health at risk, although are not able to release information on the number of ongoing investigations.

Media and Sport, what information her Department holds on the number of schools that took part in the Youth Parliament.

The UK Youth Parliament (UKYP) is funded by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport to enable young people to learn about the democratic process, engage with policy and decision makers, and have a say on issues that matter to them. UKYP is not designed to be a schools programme. We do not therefore hold data on the amount or type of school involvement.UKYP is made up of approximately 300 Members of Youth Parliament (MYPs) aged 11-18. MYPs are elected every 2 years to represent the views of their young constituents to government and to national and local youth service providers. A small number of MYP elections are delivered by schools, who provide ongoing support to the elected young people. In most cases, MYP elections are delivered by local authorities and support for MYPs is provided by UKYP delivery partners and local youth workers.

What assessment she has made of the potential merits of reintroducing a milk strategy for schools.

Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only Milk is an excellent food for children’s growth and development. As part of the School Food Standards, lower fat milk or lactose reduced milk must be available to children who want it for drinking at least once a day during school hours. It is a legislative requirement that milk is provided free of charge to pupils who meet the free school milk criteria, and schools may charge all other pupils.The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs leads the School Milk Scheme Strategy, which supports the provision of milk in schools. The strategy aims to support the consumption of dairy products by children from an early age to promote healthy eating habits and good nutritional health, and support efforts to tackle child obesity by part subsidising, or reimburse in full where relevant, the cost of a daily portion of dairy in line with national guidance. The Strategy also sets out who the support is targeted at and the eligible products that can be supported.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of the UN Human Rights Council’s recent urgent call for an inquiry into violations in El Fasher, Sudan.

I refer the Hon Member to the statements on Sudan made by the Foreign Secretary on 18 November, and by the Minister of State for International Development and Africa in the House of Lords debate on 27 November. We will provide further updates to the House in due course, including on our efforts to ensure that there is proper accountability for all atrocities committed in this conflict.

Communities and Local Government, if he will include provisions in the forthcoming National Development Management Policies to increase the number of stepping stone housing models across local authority areas.

We will consult later this year on a suite of new national policies for decision-making. Further details will be set out in due course.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the provision of safe bathing water across the UK.

To protect our waterways and the health of bathers, the Environment Agency monitors the water quality at over 400 designated beaches and inland waters across England during the bathing season. This is achieved through a robust sampling programme – as set out in law in the Bathing Water (Amendment) (England and Wales) Regulations 2025. On 25 November, the Environment Agency published the 2025 bathing water classifications for designated bathing sites in England. 93% of sites sampled were deemed “Sufficient” of better, with 87% meeting the standards for ‘Excellent’ or ‘Good’ classification. This is an improvement on 2024, meaning swimmers can benefit from a higher number of better-quality bathing sites compared to last year.

How many children under the age of 10 have been diagnosed as deaf across the UK.

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave on 21 October 2025 to Question 77507.