Written questions by Shannon.

How many people have been prosecuted for hate crime in the last 12 months.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) prosecutes hate crimes in England and Wales.In the year to December 2024, in England and Wales the CPS prosecuted 14,657 defendants for offences flagged as hate crimes with a charge rate of 87.4%, and a conviction rate of 86.1%.Data for Q4 2024-2025 will be published on the CPS website (CPS quarterly data summaries | The Crown Prosecution Service) in due course.

What steps she is taking to support young people after being released from prison to prevent reoffending.

Children returning to the community after serving time in custody receive personal and structural support from youth custody establishments and Youth Offending Teams to help them reintegrate, including assistance with housing and education, training, or employment.Where appropriate, Release on Temporary Licence (ROTL) is used to support this transition. A new ROTL policy is being piloted at five sites, allowing eligible children to be considered and risk assessed for ROTL after five months or halfway through their sentence—whichever comes first—enabling earlier access to ROTL opportunities such as visits to potential community accommodation, education, or job placements.

How many people have been prosecuted for espionage in the last 12 months.

From 1 June 2024 to 31 May 2025, seven people have been convicted under espionage offences.These offences were contrary to section 1 of the Official Secrets Act 1911 and conspiracy to spy offences contrary to section 1 of the Criminal Law Act 1977.A number of related cases are proceeding through the courts at various stages though these have not yet concluded.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of proposed changes to disability payments on people in working poverty.

The government's impact assessment regarding Health and Disability Reform is available at Spring Statement 2025 health and disability benefit reforms - Impacts. However, this assessment does not include the impact of the £1 billion a year, by 2029/30, funding for measures to support those with disabilities and long-term health conditions into employment, which we expect to mitigate the poverty impact among people it supports into work. As such, an assessment of the potential impact of the proposed changes on people in working poverty cannot be made. The Pathways to Work Green Paper set out a broad package of plans and proposals to reform health and disability benefits and employment support. Our plans are designed to protect the most vulnerable and give disabled people equal chances and choices to work. We will continue to carefully consider the impacts of reforms as we develop our detailed proposals for change.

What steps she is taking to raise awareness of online scams.

The national Stop! Think Fraud campaign helps the public recognise fraud and scams, including common scams people may see online, and the steps they can take to protect themselves, their family and friends.The website can be accessed at Stop! Think Fraud - How to stay safe from scams and is regularly updated. We are also working with tech companies to promote the messaging of the Stop! Think Fraud campaign on their platforms, as a commitment under the Online Fraud Charter.Improving public awareness and victim support will be one of the seven key areas in the next Fraud Strategy.

What steps he is taking to improve uptake for jobs in the ambulance service.

As of March 2025, there were over 21,900 full time equivalent ambulance staff in National Health Service trusts and other core organisations in England, representing an increase of over 1,900, or 9.6%, compared to the previous year.We will publish a refreshed workforce plan for staff across the NHS, including ambulance services, to deliver the transformed health service we will build over the next decade, to ensure the NHS has the right people, in the right places, with the right skills to deliver the care patients need when they need it.

What steps he is taking to support the yacht building sector.

The Government remains fully committed to delivering a thriving UK shipbuilding sector, including the yacht building sector. Skilled manufacturing is critical to UK prosperity and the leisure marine manufacturing sector plays a key role in creating jobs and growth in our coastal communities. The National Shipbuilding Office regularly engage with stakeholders across the yacht building sector. Yacht builders are also represented on one of the main shipbuilding Government/industry forums, the Shipbuilding Enterprise for Growth. The Department for Business and Trade’s Civil Maritime team works closely with the sector through the British Marine Federation, in partnership with officers in key markets overseas to further promote the sector and its potential.

Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to help prevent dangerous parking in residential areas.

Parking is the responsibility of local authorities, and they are best placed to decide what is best for their local area. Local Authorities are empowered to determine their parking arrangements through the Traffic Management Act 2004, which requires them to ensure that parking policies be proportionate, support town centre prosperity, and reconcile competing demands for kerb space whilst ensuring traffic moves freely and quickly on their roads and the roads of nearby authorities.

What assessment he has made of the adequacy of the supply for blood donation.

NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) is responsible for blood services in England. Blood donation in the devolved nations is run by the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service, the Northern Ireland Blood Transfusion Service, and the Welsh Blood ServiceThe National Blood Transfusion Committee's shortage plans for red cells and platelets outlines four phases for the supply of blood to hospitals, supported by a framework of actions for NHSBT and hospitals at each phase. Further information on the shortage plans for red cells and platelets is available at the following link:https://nationalbloodtransfusion.co.uk/recommendationsThere has been an Amber Alert, when there is reduced availability of blood for a short or a prolonged period which impacts on clinical activity, in place in England for O group blood since July 2024, due to high hospital demand following a cyber-attack on pathology services in South-East London.NHSBT has been using a number of initiatives to increase blood donations and in turn improve blood stocks, particularly to increase the diversity of the donor base to meet demand for Ro blood needed by sickle cell patients. The opening and reopening of the Brixton and Southampton donor centres respectively have increased NHSBT’s capacity to collect blood, and communications during National Blood Week have pushed for a million people to become regular donors via local, national, and online channels. The Department continues to work closely with NHSBT to ensure there is the right mix of donors across blood groups to meet hospital demand.

What progress she has made on teaching the importance of cyber safety in schools.

Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.As part of statutory relationships, sex and health education (RSHE), pupils are taught about online safety and harms, including the implications of sharing private or personal data (including images) online, harmful content and contact, cyberbullying, and the risks associated with over-reliance on social media. Cyber safety is also embedded across all key stages of the computing curriculum, with progression in content to reflect the different and escalating risks that young people may encounter.The department is currently reviewing the RSHE curriculum. We are looking carefully at the consultation responses, considering the evidence, and talking to key stakeholders before issuing revised guidance.The government has established an independent Curriculum and Assessment Review, which seeks to deliver a rich, broad, inclusive and innovative curriculum that readies young people for life and work. The Review’s interim report notes the rise of artificial intelligence and trends in digital information, and that it is necessary that the curriculum keeps pace with these changes. The Review’s final report and recommendations will be published in autumn with the government’s response.

Media and Sport, whether she has had discussions with the Secretary of State for Education on promoting reading through (a) song lyrics, (b) fan fiction and (c) social media content.

The Secretary of State has not held specific discussions with the Secretary of State for Education on the areas listed. However, the Secretary of State speaks regularly to the Secretary of State for Education and fully supports that department's ambitions for a rich and broad curriculum that values creativity.

Whether her Department funds (a) research and (b) pilot programmes on the use of (i) artificial intelligence and (ii) digital technologies to encourage reading among children and young people.

Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education has announced investment into two programmes of research this year, the EdTech Evidence Board pilot and the EdTech Impact Testbed. These will look at the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and digital technologies to gather comprehensive evidence on EdTech.The EdTech Evidence Board pilot will explore how we effectively build evidence of EdTech products, helping education settings feel confident that they are choosing products that work well for them and for their classrooms. We want to incentivise more evidence generation from EdTech companies by setting product quality standards and piloting how to assess products.The EdTech Impact Testbed will test products and practice in schools and colleges to generate evidence of impact in priority areas. In partnership with the Open Innovation Team, the department will be engaging the sector to understand what works, looking at how tools, including AI, can improve staff workload, pupil outcomes and inclusivity. To help address current gaps in evidence on the impact and scalability of promising technologies, we have committed £1 million in funding to this pilot. This will build on our work to improve evidence quality for EdTech by providing a structured environment for testing and evaluating technologies.

What assessment he has made of trends in the level of job applications to the civil service in the last 12 months.

The number of vacancies advertised via the Civil Service (CS) Jobs website has decreased over the past full financial year and applications received via CS Jobs have increased.

What steps he is taking to help improve diagnosis of ADHD.

As health is a devolved matter, each administration of the United Kingdom takes its own decisions on the provision of assessments for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).It is the responsibility of the integrated care boards (ICBs) in England to make appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population, including providing access to ADHD assessment and treatment, in line with relevant National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines.NHS England has established an ADHD taskforce which is bringing together those with lived experience with experts from the National Health Service, education, charity, and justice sectors to get a better understanding of the challenges affecting those with ADHD, including in accessing services and support, with the report expected in the summer.For the first time, NHS England published management information on ADHD waits at a national level on 29 May 2025 as part of its ADHD data improvement plan, and has released technical guidance for ICBs to improve the recording of ADHD data, with a view to improving the quality of ADHD wait time data. NHS England has also captured examples from ICBs in England who are trialling innovative ways of delivering ADHD services, and is using this information to support systems in tackling ADHD waiting lists and providing support to address people’s needs.

What steps her Department is taking to implement the recommendations on staff training made in Prevention of Future Deaths reports in the case of (a) Mohammed Ismaeel Ashraf, (b) Karanbir Cheema and (c) Nasar Ahmed.

In these three tragic cases the coroners found that a lack of understanding of the pupils’ allergies and the correct way to respond to an allergic reaction may have contributed to their deaths. Governing bodies must ensure that the arrangements they put in place are sufficient to meet their statutory responsibilities and that policies, plans, procedures and systems are properly and effectively implemented. This includes the duty under Section 100 of the Children and Families Act 2014 to make arrangements for supporting pupils with medical conditions, and the duties under the Equality Act 2010.The department has included reminders to schools of these duties in its regular schools’ email bulletin, including issues in March 2024, September 2024 and March 2025. We have also recently alerted schools to external resources from trusted allergy organisations. This includes the Schools Allergy Code, which was developed by the Allergy Team, Independent Schools’ Bursars Association (ISBA) and the Benedict Blythe Foundation, and Allergy School created by the Natasha Allergy Research Foundation.

How much has been spent on legal aid in the last 12 months.

Information about legal aid expenditure is published on a quarterly basis. The requested information can be accessed via this link. See tables 1.1 (Criminal Legal Aid) and 1.2 (Civil Legal Aid). These figures represent the closed case expenditure i.e. the total value of payments made to legal aid providers in relation to pieces of work that are completed within the specified period.The published data covers up to financial year 2023-24.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to help tackle instances of drought.

Drought plans must be produced by Water Companies every 5 years. A drought plan is a tactical plan that shows how a secure water supply is maintained, while minimising impacts on the environment during dry weather and drought. There are a range of actions/tools that can be utilised in a drought plan. These range from Temporary Use Bans (known as 'hosepipe bans'), drought permits-which enable companies to take more water from environment (as prescribed in the Water Resources Act 1991 (WRA91)). In addition, there are also Drought Orders which enable companies to take further water from environment and/or other abstractors and implement water restrictions or restrict other non-essential use. Defra Minister Hardy attended the National Drought Group, chaired by the Environment Agency, held on 5 June, to ensure actions are being taken to secure water supplies, should recent dry weather continue. We continue to monitor the situation and further National Drought Group meetings are planned, should the dry weather continue.

What discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on the number of workers who have been underpaid in the last 12 months.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) data suggests that 371,000 employee jobs were underpaid the National Minimum Wage (NMW) / National Living Wage (NLW) in April 2024. This represents approximately 1.3% of the total number of employee jobs: Low and high pay in the UK - Office for National Statistics.

What steps his Department is taking to help increase awareness of the (a) symptoms and (b) treatment of prostate cancer among men.

NHS England run Help Us Help You campaigns to increase knowledge of cancer symptoms and address the barriers to acting on them, to encourage people to come forward as soon as possible to see their general practitioner. The campaigns focus on a range of symptoms, as well as encouraging body awareness to help people spot symptoms across a wide range of cancers at an earlier point.The Department continues to advise patients in England to follow National Health Service guidance on the signs and symptoms of several types of cancer, including prostate cancer. This advice is available publicly on the NHS.UK website, at the following link:https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/prostate-cancer/Improving access to treatment and care are key priorities for the Government for all cancer types, including prostate cancer. To achieve this, the NHS in England has delivered an extra 40,000 operations, scans, and appointments each week, to ensure early diagnosis and faster treatment. Additionally, the Government will spend £70 million on new radiotherapy machines in England, to ensure the most advanced treatment is available to patients who need it.The NHS England Cancer Programme also commissions clinical cancer audits, which provide timely evidence for cancer service providers of where patterns of care in England may vary, thereby increasing the consistency of access to treatments, and helping to stimulate improvements in cancer treatment and outcomes for patients, including those with prostate cancer.To increase awareness of treatment options, the Department is committed to ensuring that all cancer patients in England are offered a Holistic Needs Assessment and Personalised Care and Support Planning, ensuring care is focused on what matters most to each person. This is being delivered in line with the NHS Comprehensive Model for Personalised Care, empowering people to manage their care and the impact of their cancer, and maximise the potential of digital and community-based support.The National Cancer Plan for England, planned for publication later this year, will include further details on how the NHS will improve outcomes for cancer patients, as well as improving access to treatment and care.

How many men have been diagnosed with testicular cancer in the last 12 months.

The National Disease Registration Service in NHS England, as the national cancer registry, collects and analyses diagnosis and treatment data on cancer patients in England. Using the Rapid Cancer Registration Data set, there were 1,929 diagnoses of testicular cancer, code ICD10 C62*, between March 2024 and February 2025, the latest available data. Further information on the Rapid Cancer Registration Data set is available at the following link:https://digital.nhs.uk/ndrs/data/data-sets/rcrd