Written questions by Shannon.

What steps she is taking to improve the accessibility of online electronic travel authorisations for elderly people.

The ETA application process is quick, light touch and user friendly. Although applications can only be made via the app or internet, applicants are free to ask the assistance of a friend or relative to make an application on their behalf. We regularly review our online application processes to ensure that they are in line with accessibility and usability standards, and provide public information videos on how to apply.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to ensure its consular guidance raises awareness of cities with high levels of carbon monoxide.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) travel advice remains under regular review to ensure it reflects our latest assessment of risks to British nationals. The risks from carbon monoxide poisoning are covered in travel advice for China and Nepal, Solo and independent travel and Volunteering and adventure travel pages as well as our Foreign travel checklist.We aim to include information in our travel advice on the issues most likely to be of relevance to British nationals visiting or living in each country/territory. In determining what we include in our travel advice we assess a range of factors, including drawing on local knowledge and monitoring trends in consular cases.

What assessment she has made of recent trends in the level of underage drug use across the UK.

There are several surveys estimating the number of young drug users in the UK: According to the Crime Survey for England and Wales, in the year ending March 2024, 16.5% of people aged 16-24 in England and Wales reported using a drug in the last 12 months (approximately 971,000 people). This is a reduction from 17.6% of people aged 16-24 in the year ending March 2023 (approximately 1,035,000 people).According to the Scottish Health Survey 2023, 26% of people aged 16-24 in Scotland reported using a drug in the last 12 months. This is an increase from 22% in 2021.According to the Smoking, Drinking and Drug Use among Young People in England survey, in 2023, 9% of children aged 11-15 in England reported taking a drug in the last year. This is a reduction from 12% of children aged 11-15 in 2021.This Government is committed to tackling these numbers head on. I know the most sustainable approach to reducing drug use across society in the long term is through preventing use among children and young people, and work continues across Government to proactively support this cohort by building their long-term resilience and intervening early to stop them from being drawn into crime and a range of wider risky behaviours.This Government is also committed to tackling county lines and drugs supply. County Lines are the most violent model of drug supply and a harmful form of child criminal exploitation. Through the County Lines Programme, we will continue to target exploitative drug dealing gangs and break the organised crime groups behind the trade.Since July 2024, policing activity delivered through the County Lines Programme has resulted in over 400 deal lines being closed, the arrest and charge of over 200 deal line holders, 500 arrests and 800 safeguarding referrals of children and vulnerable people. Over 260 children and young people have also received dedicated specialist support through our county lines support service since July.Developing the evidence base on what works to facilitate behaviour change and prevent escalation to more harmful use and or dependency is an important part of that. I look forward to receiving the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs’ report which will provide insights into effective whole-system approaches to prevention of drug use in children and young people.

Innovation and Technology, what progress his Department has made on establishing AI growth zones in the devolved nations.

The UK Government will partner with local and regional authorities and Devolved Governments to establish AI Growth Zones (AIGZs), ensuring substantial regional and national benefits, such as upskilling and employment opportunities, are felt across the country.In February, Devolved Governments, along with local authorities and industry, were invited to come forward with potential sites suitable for hosting AI infrastructure as an early expression of interest. DSIT regularly engages with the Devolved Governments on a range of issues and there was significant interest in AIGZs from across the UK.

What steps his Department is taking to improve NHS dental services.

The Government plans to tackle the challenges for patients trying to access National Health Service dental care with a rescue plan to provide 700,000 more urgent dental appointments and recruit new dentists to areas that need them most. To rebuild dentistry in the long term and increase access to NHS dental care, we will reform the dental contract, with a shift to focus on prevention and the retention of NHS dentists.The responsibility for commissioning primary care services, including NHS dentistry, to meet the needs of the local population has been delegated to integrated care boards across England. The provision of NHS dental care is a devolved matter.

What assessment he has made of the potential correlation between areas with higher levels of deprivation and trends in the level of cancer diagnosis.

Making improvements across different cancer types is critical to reducing disparities in cancer survival. We recognize that there are challenges for several different populations, particularly for people living in the most deprived areas of the country.We are directly targeting activity at areas that we know will make a difference. This includes awareness campaigns such as the NHS Help Us, Help You campaign, to increase awareness of cancer symptoms and encourage people to get checked.We know that some cancers disproportionately impact those living in deprived areas, notably lung cancer. The Lung Cancer Screening Programme is a national screening programme, targeted at those aged between 55 and 74 years old with a history of smoking. It is designed to identify cancers at an earlier stage and has led to over 3,000 more lung cancers being diagnosed at such a stage. Furthermore, NHS England’s Core20PLUS5 approach informs action to reduce healthcare inequalities, including for early cancer diagnosis.The NHS England Cancer Programme commissions clinical cancer audits, which provide timely evidence for cancer service providers of where patterns of care in England may vary, increase the consistency of access to treatments, and help stimulate improvements in cancer treatment and outcomes for patients. Rather than a single audit, NHS England commissions ten audits, by tumour type.We are investing an additional £889 million in general practice to reinforce the front door of the NHS, bringing total spend on the GP Contract to £13.2 billion in 2025/26. This is the biggest increase in over a decade.Finally, the recently announced Cancer Plan, which will complement the 10-Year Health Plan and support delivery of the Government’s Health Mission, will set out further actions to improve early diagnosis.

What steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to reduce trade barriers between Northern Ireland and Great Britain.

The Government is continuing to implement the commitments made in the Safeguarding the Union command paper, and the first meeting of Intertrade UK was held on 28 February 2025. A key focus for Intertrade UK will be to promote the full extent of the UK’s market to businesses and traders and to help to counter any misconceptions or confusion businesses and traders in Great Britain may have about providing goods and services in Northern Ireland. We are also committed to seeking a veterinary agreement with the EU for the whole of the UK, which could deliver tangible benefits for businesses across the UK and smooth flows of trade.

What steps his Department is taking to stop violence against pregnant NHS healthcare professionals.

The Government takes a zero-tolerance approach to any kind of violent behaviour. All National Health Service staff, including pregnant healthcare workers, should be able to care for patients without fear of violence.Individual employers are responsible for the health and safety of their staff, including assessing the risks to pregnant employees and their baby. Where there are risks, employers should take reasonable steps to remove them.NHS England are leading work on violence prevention and reduction to provide better training and support for employers and their staff. In December 2024, NHS England published a refreshed Violence Prevention and Reduction Standard. The standard sets out guidance for trusts to help them identify risks, training requirements and crucially, what support must be made available to those staff affected.

Representing the Church Commissioners, whether the Church Commissioners have had discussions with local churches in coastal areas on steps to encourage young people to join church related (a) youth clubs and (b) weekend events.

One of the key priorities set by the National Church Institutions, working with the dioceses, is to grow our mission to children and young people. Significant funding has been committed to support this vital work. In 2023/24, the Diocesan Investment Programme invested £158 million to deliver the Church's vision and strategy in local communities and parishes. This funding has been directed towards areas of deprivation and seaside towns where young people often have fewer opportunities for personal growth and development. The last funding round supported the Diocese of Carlisle to support missional, younger and more diverse faith communities, including in Barrow-in-Furness with an investment of £6.8 million, you can read more about the project here: https://www.carlislediocese.org.uk/news/2025/03/10/diocese-carlisle-awarded-68-million-fund-missional-growth/Many churches offer opportunities for young families via toddler groups, Messy Church and a range of other intergenerational activities to improve wellbeing and tackle loneliness and isolation. In addition the Church is actively encouraging, inspiring, and equipping local churches to support youth clubs, run bespoke youth events, before school breakfast groups, after school clubs, and various activities especially during weekends or holiday periods. A recent partnership with Youthscape has successfully launched around 200 new youth-related missional activities, with a large number in Portsmouth Diocese and the Channel Islands. Missional Youth Church Network is focusing on working with young people in areas of socio-economic deprivation including in Southampton.

Communities and Local Government, what recent discussions she has had with local authorities on the number of people on social housing registers.

Local authorities report on the number of households on social housing registers in England through the Local Authority Housing Statistics (LAHS) collection, which is publicly available in live table 600 here.The government is working in partnership with local authorities to tackle the housing crisis and I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 31737 on 27 February 2025.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with his counterparts in Pakistan on the recent arrests of Ahmadi Muslims in Pakistan’s Punjab Province.

Promoting the rights of religious minorities is a core part of the UK's diplomatic engagement in Pakistan. I raised the deteriorating situation for Ahmadi Muslims when I met Pakistan's Human Rights Minister on 19 November 2024 and discussed this issue in Parliament on 28 November 2024. Our High Commissioner in Pakistan raised the issue of Ahmadi rights in a meeting with Prime Minister Sharif on 3 March 2025. On 6 March 2025, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) officials visited the Ahmadiyya headquarters in Rabwah to discuss key issues impacting the community. The UK remains committed to promoting minority rights in Pakistan - a commitment I discussed with representatives from the UK-Pakistan diaspora on 18 February 2025. We are not prepared to discuss the detail of individual cases where to do so could put individuals at risk.

What steps he has taken to improve national resilience to global events.

The first duty of the Government is to keep the country safe and we are working to strengthen our national resilience, including by working with international partners. In April the UK Resilience Academy will be launched and will train over 4000 people a year and later this year we will undertake a full national pandemic response exercise. The review of national resilience continues. Updates will be given in due course.

What assessment she has made of the impact of the level of business rates on businesses over the last five years.

Business rates are devolved. In England, local authorities reported that the gross non-domestic rates income for 2023-24 was £33 billion.At Autumn Budget 2024, the Government announced that it intends to introduce permanently lower tax rates for RHL properties in England, with Rateable Values below £500,000 , from 2026-27. Ahead of these changes being made, we have prevented RHL relief from ending in April 2025 by extending it for one year at 40 per cent up to a cash cap of £110,000 per business and frozen the small business multiplier. These announcements reflect the Government’s first steps to support the high street. We want to go further to modernise the system, and so, we have published a Discussion Paper setting out priority areas for reform. This paper invites industry to help co-design a fairer business rates system over the course of this Parliament.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the prevalence of (a) mould and (b) damp in the housing stock of housing associations.

The English Housing Survey sets out levels of overcrowding and the prevalence of damp and mould in people’s homes. Nationwide, 10% of private renters were found to be living with damp and mould, followed by 7% of local authority renters, and 4% of those in housing associations. The government is committed to working with social housing providers to ensure that homes are safe, decent, warm, and free from damp and mould. The Deputy Prime Minister made a Written Ministerial Statement on 6 February (HCWS423) confirming that the government will be bringing Awaab’s Law into force for damp and mould in October 2025. Awaab’s Law is vital legislation that will empower social housing tenants to hold their landlords to account using the full force of the law if they fail to investigate and fix hazards within their homes within set timescales. It will also allow tenants to access the Housing Ombudsman if their landlord does not adhere to strict timelines for action. The government is also committed to consulting on a new Decent Homes Standard and Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards this year.

What discussions he has had with his counterparts in the devolved Administrations on the adequacy of the provision of NHS dental services across the UK.

Whilst the provision of National Health Service dental care is devolved, my Rt. Hon. friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, and I have engaged and intend to continue to engage fully with Ministers from all four nations on matters crucial to the future of our health and social care system.

What recent assessment he has made of the nuclear capability of other countries.

The department works closely across Government to support nuclear counter proliferation activity, while also maintaining under constant review its assessment of hostile Nations Nuclear Capabilities

What steps he is taking to support the hospitality sector with energy costs.

The Government believes that our mission to deliver clean power by 2030 is the best way to break our dependence on global fossil fuel markets and protect billpayers permanently.The creation of Great British Energy will help us to harness clean energy with less reliance on volatile international energy markets and help in our commitment to make Britain a clean energy superpower by 2030.In the short-term, the Government wants to provide businesses with better protection from being locked into unfair and expensive energy contracts, and more redress when they have a complaint. Last year, the Government launched a consultation on introducing regulation of Third-Party Intermediaries (TPIs), such as energy brokers. This is aimed at enhancing consumer protections, particularly for non-domestic consumers. The consultation has now closed, and a Government response will follow in due course once all feedback has been reviewed.For non-domestic consumers who agreed to contracts at very expensive rates at the peak of price spikes, I recommend that they contact their supplier to enquire about ‘blend and extend’ contracts. These contracts blend the original, higher, unit rate with a new lower rate, spreading the cost over the course of an extended contract lifetime.

What assessment she has made of the number of cyber security industry apprentices.

Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.Apprenticeship starts for individual standards are published in the apprenticeships statistics publication.Starts on apprenticeships that are cyber-related are shown here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/97cccb00-3175-41c6-f1bf-08dd5cc661f7.Employers in the cyber security industry can also benefit from additional apprenticeship standards, including others in the digital sector.

Media and Sport, what recent steps her Department has taken to support local sports teams across the UK.

This Government recognises that grassroots sports teams are central to communities up and down the UK.We have committed to continued funding for grassroots facilities, having invested £123 million UK-wide via the Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities Programme throughout 2024/25. In 2024/25, 637 facilities have been built or upgraded to date. These facilities support local sports teams across the UK. The Autumn Budget on 30 October 2024 committed the Government to continued support for elite and grassroots sport through future investment. Further details will be confirmed in due course.This funding is delivered through delivery partners in each nation: in England, the Football Foundation; the Scottish FA in Scotland; the FAW’s Cymru Football Foundation in Wales and the Irish Football Association in Northern Ireland

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department holds statistics on the number of educational (a) placements and (b) scholarships the UK has offered to Afghani women over the last twelve months.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) does not hold records on the number of non-government placements and scholarships given to Afghan women. In 2024, the FCDO awarded 13 Chevening scholarships to Afghan nationals to study in the UK. Out of the 13, four awards went to women.