Written questions by Shannon.

How many people who are currently in prison for drug offences are under 21 years of age.

As of 31 December 2024 (latest available published data snapshot), there were 463 people in prison in England and Wales under 21 years of age with an associated (alleged or proven) drug offence. This is based on the total prison population, and includes those held on remand (both unconvicted, and convicted unsentenced), sentenced and non-criminals. It also includes those held in Young Offenders' Institutions (YOIs).For those whose offending is driven by a drug problem, we work with health partners to divert them into treatment in the community where appropriate. This includes working to increase the use and strengthen the quality of Drug Rehabilitation Requirements as part of community sentences, which aim to tackle the root causes of offending behaviour through structured treatment and regular testing. Where a prison sentence is appropriate, we focus on supporting people into treatment, and ensuring their environment supports recovery – 81 prisons have an Incentivised Substance-Free Living unit, which provide a dedicated, supportive environment for any prisoner who wants to live drug-free in prison, with regular drug testing and incentives.Recognising the distinct needs of young adults, HMPPS have developed a Young Adults Custodial strategy to ensure there is a consistent approach amongst prisons to understand this group and support staff in working with them, to better respond to the needs of the cohort.

With reference to her Department's statutory guidance entitled Initial teacher training (ITT): criteria and supporting advice - Statutory guidance for accredited ITT providers, whether the curriculum for primary trainees must cover (a) the national curriculum subjects and (b) the statutory subject of religious education.

Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.The initial teacher training (ITT) criteria and supporting advice is statutory guidance for accredited ITT providers which sets out mandatory guidance on the criteria that organisations must meet to provide ITT for all courses leading to Qualified Teacher Status.All accredited ITT providers must design a sequenced ITT curriculum that adequately covers all national curriculum subjects for primary trainees.As a statutory subject, religious education should also be included.

How many carers have a Carer’s Allowance overpayment debt as a result of breaching the earnings limit in (a) England, (b) Wales, (c) Scotland and (d) Northern Ireland.

This Government recognises and values the vital contribution made by carers in supporting some of the most vulnerable in society, including pensioners and disabled people. We are determined to provide unpaid carers with the support they need and deserve. From April 2025, the Government is boosting the Carer’s Allowance earnings threshold by £45 a week to £196, benefitting more than 60,000 carers by 2029/30. This is the biggest ever cash increase in the earnings threshold for Carer’s Allowance. Claimants have a responsibility to ensure they are entitled to benefits they claim and to inform the DWP of any changes in their circumstances that could impact their award. We understand that providing care can be a demanding role, which is why we are trialling new ways of communicating with customers to support them in fully understanding their responsibilities to report changes in their circumstances, such as employment, including through a trial of text message reminders. An independent review into the issue of overpayments of Carer’s Allowance in cases where earnings have exceeded the entitlement threshold has begun. The review will investigate how overpayments of Carer’s Allowance related to earnings have occurred, how we can best support those who have accrued them, and how to reduce the risk of these problems occurring in future. Timelines and terms of reference were published on Gov.uk on 9 December for reference. We expect review findings and recommendations to be submitted to the Department in early summer 2025. Liz Sayce OBE, the Independent Reviewer, is keen to hear from interested parties. Where overpayments do occur, the Department has a duty to the taxpayer to protect public funds and to ask for money to be paid back. We remain committed to working with anyone who is struggling with their repayment terms and will always look to negotiate sustainable and affordable repayment plans. Information on the volume of customers with an outstanding Carers Allowance debt and the volume of customers with a Carer’s Allowance overpayment debt as a result of breaching the earnings limit is provided below. This will include people who are no longer receiving Carers Allowance, people who are no longer carers and people who made fraudulent claims and were never entitled to carers allowance. Volume of customers with an outstanding CA debt Volume of Customers with an Outstanding CA Debt with the E-Referral Overpayment Reason of - 'Earnings over CA Limit' English postcode116,87481,503Welsh postcode7,6575,359Scottish postcode13,9229,112Northern-Irish postcode5,4693,375 The data has been sourced from internal DWP management information, which is intended only to help the Department to manage its business. It is not intended for publication and has not been subject to the same quality assurance checks applied to our published official statistics.

Whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of simplifying the application process for unpaid carers claiming Pension Credit.

The Government appreciates the vital contribution made by carers every day in providing significant care and continuity of support to family and friends. We recognise the challenges they face and we are determined to provide unpaid carers with the help and support they need and deserve. Pensioners who are entitled to Carer's Allowance – or in Scotland, Carer Support Payment – can also qualify for the additional amount for carers in their Pension Credit award in recognition of their caring responsibilities. The overlapping benefit rules generally mean that Carer’s Allowance at the full rate cannot normally be paid with the State Pension. However, where Carer’s Allowance cannot be paid or is not paid in full, the person will keep underlying entitlement to the benefit, which still gives access to the additional amount for carers in Pension Credit of £45.60 a week. Unpaid carers go through the same claim process as any other claimant for Pension Credit. However, where they haven’t already claimed Carer’s Allowance, there is a requirement for them to make a claim for it. This is because it is a legal requirement for entitlement to Carer’s Allowance to be established before the additional amount for carers can form part of the Pension Credit award.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential implications for her policies of the recommendations of Ofsted’s subject report on religious education, published in April 2024.

Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.The government notes the findings of the Ofsted subject report on religious education (RE) and is committed to ensuring high-quality provision of RE in schools in England.In order to improve teaching quality, we currently offer a £10,000 bursary for RE trainee teachers starting initial teacher training courses in England.To support teachers when they are in post, and to ensure high standards and consistency of RE teaching, RE resources have been procured by Oak National Academy. This ensures that high-quality lessons are available nationwide, benefitting both teachers and pupils, should schools opt to use them. Initial RE resources were launched in autumn 2024, with full curriculum packages expected to be available by autumn 2025.The government also welcomes the work that the Religious Education Council has done to assist curriculum developers by publishing its National Content Standard for RE in England.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will hold discussions with his counterparts in the devolved Administrations on levels of bovine tuberculosis cases across the UK.

The Inter-ministerial Group for Environment, Food and Rural affairs recognise the importance of working together to tackle bovine TB. Further information about this group and its priorities can be found on GOV.UK at: Inter-Ministerial Group for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs communiqué: 16 September 2024 - GOV.UK. Chief Veterinary Officers from all four administrations of the United Kingdom also meet regularly to discuss bovine TB, as do policy officials. These meetings provide an opportunity for each administration to update on policy developments, statistical analysis of TB prevalence in each administration, and to exchange ideas on TB control.

How many carers have Carer’s Allowance overpayment debt in (a) England, (b) Wales, (c) Scotland and (d) Northern Ireland.

This Government recognises and values the vital contribution made by carers in supporting some of the most vulnerable in society, including pensioners and disabled people. We are determined to provide unpaid carers with the support they need and deserve. From April 2025, the Government is boosting the Carer’s Allowance earnings threshold by £45 a week to £196, benefitting more than 60,000 carers by 2029/30. This is the biggest ever cash increase in the earnings threshold for Carer’s Allowance. Claimants have a responsibility to ensure they are entitled to benefits they claim and to inform the DWP of any changes in their circumstances that could impact their award. We understand that providing care can be a demanding role, which is why we are trialling new ways of communicating with customers to support them in fully understanding their responsibilities to report changes in their circumstances, such as employment, including through a trial of text message reminders. An independent review into the issue of overpayments of Carer’s Allowance in cases where earnings have exceeded the entitlement threshold has begun. The review will investigate how overpayments of Carer’s Allowance related to earnings have occurred, how we can best support those who have accrued them, and how to reduce the risk of these problems occurring in future. Timelines and terms of reference were published on Gov.uk on 9 December for reference. We expect review findings and recommendations to be submitted to the Department in early summer 2025. Liz Sayce OBE, the Independent Reviewer, is keen to hear from interested parties. Where overpayments do occur, the Department has a duty to the taxpayer to protect public funds and to ask for money to be paid back. We remain committed to working with anyone who is struggling with their repayment terms and will always look to negotiate sustainable and affordable repayment plans. Information on the volume of customers with an outstanding Carers Allowance debt and the volume of customers with a Carer’s Allowance overpayment debt as a result of breaching the earnings limit is provided below. This will include people who are no longer receiving Carers Allowance, people who are no longer carers and people who made fraudulent claims and were never entitled to carers allowance. Volume of customers with an outstanding CA debt Volume of Customers with an Outstanding CA Debt with the E-Referral Overpayment Reason of - 'Earnings over CA Limit' English postcode116,87481,503Welsh postcode7,6575,359Scottish postcode13,9229,112Northern-Irish postcode5,4693,375 The data has been sourced from internal DWP management information, which is intended only to help the Department to manage its business. It is not intended for publication and has not been subject to the same quality assurance checks applied to our published official statistics.

What steps she is taking to ensure the (a) safety and (b) suitability of older school buildings.

Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.Responsibility for keeping school buildings safe and well-maintained lies with those with responsibility for managing the school estate, which includes local authorities, governing bodies and academy trusts. The department provides support through capital funding, delivering major rebuilding programmes and offering guidance and support.In April 2024, the department published guidance on typical construction types used in the school estate to help building users, owners and maintenance staff prioritise future maintenance and repair of their buildings. In December 2024 we commissioned research to better understand future issues that could present themselves as the school and college estate ages, focusing on post-war building construction.The department has regular discussions with relevant professional bodies and leading material specialists to share information on any emerging risks regarding the safety of all building types in the school estate.

If she will make an estimate of the number of unpaid carers that were entitled to the (a) Carer Premium and (b) Carer Addition in each year since 2000; and what proportion of those recipients were women.

The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

What steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help increase the number of (a) women and (b) under-represented groups among construction apprentices.

Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.To support young people, including women and those from disadvantaged backgrounds, access apprenticeships in England, the department is promoting apprenticeships to students in schools and colleges through the Apprenticeship Support and Knowledge programme and through the Skills for Life campaign.The department is also transforming career opportunities and advice to increase awareness of the range of high-quality options available to young people, including apprenticeships. The government has committed to improve careers advice and guarantee two weeks’ worth of work experience for every young person, as well as establish a national jobs and careers service to support people into work and help them get on at work.​The government is reforming the apprenticeships offer into a growth and skills offer, which will provide greater flexibility to employers and learners across England and align with the Industrial Strategy. This will create routes into skilled jobs in growing industries, such as construction, for people of all ages and backgrounds.This will include introducing new foundation apprenticeships for young people, as well as shorter-duration apprenticeships in targeted sectors. The minimum duration of an apprenticeship will be reduced to eight months from August 2025, which is down from the current minimum of 12 months. These measures will support more people from all backgrounds to gain high-quality skills at work and fuel innovation in business across the country.Additionally, as part of the government’s ambitious plan to deliver 1.5 million homes in England in this Parliament, around 5,000 more construction apprenticeship places will be made available per year by 2027/28 through a £140 million industry investment. 32 new Homebuilding Skills Hubs will deliver fast-track training in critical areas such as bricklaying, groundwork and site carpentry to boost housebuilding and drive forward the government’s growth mission.

If she will make an estimate of the number of unpaid carers over the State Pension age that have an entitlement to but are not claiming (a) a Carer Addition and (b) Pension Credit.

Estimated numbers of unpaid carers are provided by survey data such as the Family Resources survey. The sample size for unpaid carers over State Pension Age is too small to estimate the number that have an entitlement but are not claiming Carer’s Addition and Pension Credit, and therefore the department does not hold this information.

What estimate he has made of the number of defibrillators in public spaces in England; and whether he has had recent discussions with his counterparts in the devolved Administrations on the number of defibrillators in public spaces across the UK.

The Government is committed to improving access to Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) in public spaces and reducing inequalities in access to these life saving devices. Following the depletion of the existing AED fund, launched in in September 2023, the Government approved a further £500,000 in August 2024 to fulfil existing applications to the fund.The Department selected a joint bid from Smarter Society as its independent partners to manage grant applications. Smarter Society has reviewed funding applications, against requirements specified by the Department. The requirements are to ensure that resources are allocated to where there is the greatest need, for instance in remote communities with extended ambulance response times, and places with high footfall and high population.There have been no recent discussions with my counterparts in the devolved administrations on the number of defibrillators in public spaces. As of 1 March 2024, there were 86,337 defibrillators in the United Kingdom, with 68,509 in England, registered on The Circuit, the national defibrillator map operated independently by the British Heart Foundation.

What steps she is taking to encourage people on long-term sickness back to work.

Backed by £240m investment, the Get Britain Working White Paper launched on 26 November will drive forward approaches to tackling economic inactivity and work toward the long-term ambition of an 80% employment rate. We are committed to reforming the system of health and disability benefits so that it promotes and enables employment among as many people as possible. The system must also support disabled people to live independently. It is also vital to ensure that the system is financially sustainable in the long term. We are working to develop proposals for reform in the months ahead and will set them out in a Green Paper ahead of the Spring Statement later this year.Appropriate work is generally good for health and wellbeing, so we want everyone to get work and get on in work, whoever they are and wherever they live.Disabled people and people with health conditions are a diverse group so access to the right work and health support, in the right place, at the right time, is key. We therefore have a range of specialist initiatives to support individuals to stay in work and get back into work, including those that join up employment and health systems.Measures include support from Work Coaches and Disability Employment Advisers in Jobcentres and Access to Work grants, as well as joining up health and employment support around the individual through Employment Advisors in NHS Talking Therapies and Individual Placement and Support in Primary Care.Employers play a key role in increasing employment opportunities and supporting disabled people and people with health conditions, to thrive as part of the workforce. Our support to employers includes increasing access to Occupational Health, a digital information service for employers and the Disability Confident scheme.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department is taking steps to help tackle (a) propaganda, (b) disinformation, (c) persecution and (d) other forms of transnational repression by the Chinese Communist Party against Falun Gong practitioners.

Within China, the environment for freedom of religion or belief is restrictive, which includes the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners. This government will work to uphold the right to freedom of religion and belief for all abroad, for example through bilateral engagement. The Prime Minister, Foreign Secretary, and Chancellor all raised human rights recently with their counterparts.Within the UK, attempts by foreign governments to intimidate, harass, or harm our residents will not be tolerated. We have a broad suite of powers available to counter this threat, and we continue to implement measures in the National Security Act 2023, which make the UK a harder target for those states which seek to conduct hostile acts.

How many people are on a waiting list for treatment for Tinnitus.

The Department does not hold information in this format. Tinnitus is a condition that can result in many different treatments, including medication, which are not all captured in the Waiting List Minimum Dataset.As of November 2024, the waiting list for ear, nose and throat (ENT) stood at 633,270. This marked a decrease of 4,380 compared to October 2024. As of November 2024, 49.2% of pathways were within 18 weeks. Not all of the patients on the waiting list will have a “decision to treat”.Tackling waiting lists, including in ENT, is a key part of our Health Mission, and we will deliver an additional two million operations, scans, and appointments during our first year in Government, which is equivalent to 40,000 per week, as a first step in our commitment to ensure that patients can expect to be treated within 18 weeks.The Elective Reform Plan, launched as part of the Government’s Plan for Change, sets out how we will get back to the NHS Constitutional Standard that 92% of patients wait no longer than 18 weeks from Referral to Treatment by the end of this Parliament, whilst also ensuring that patients have the best possible experience of care. The Elective Reform Plan also commits to reforming clinical pathways to improve efficiency in five priority specialties, one of which is ENT.

What progress his Department has made on funding bowel cancer research.

Research is crucial in tackling cancer, which is why the Department invests over £1.6 billion per year in research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). NIHR research expenditure for all cancers was £133 million in 2023/24. Cancer is a major area of NIHR spend, reflecting its high priority.Over the past five years, the NIHR has committed approximately £52 million across 57 bowel cancer research programmes. These include the FOCUS4 Trials Programme, which recruited over 1,500 patients at centres across the United Kingdom to evaluate how well tumour samples from patients with advanced stage bowel cancer may help select the best treatment for an individual patient, and the Translational Proteomic study, which uses primary tumour samples derived from patients, combined with the application of emerging technology, to understand the mechanisms of drug resistance in cancer cells to help better target anticancer drugs. Additionally, over this period the NIHR supported over 245 commercial and non-commercial clinical research studies into bowel cancer through the NIHR Research Delivery Network, allowing another 30,729 people to participate in potentially life-changing research in the National Health Service.The NIHR continues to encourage and welcome funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including bowel cancer.

What steps she has taken to recruit more bus drivers.

Transport is a devolved matter, and the Department for Transport is responsible for transport in England only. Bus services in England are predominantly run on a commercial basis by private operators. Ultimate responsibility for recruiting bus drivers falls to individual operators. The government recognises the sector has had issues recruiting and retaining bus drivers in England, Scotland and Wales, but this is now more of a localised issue. The Department held a Driver Shortages Summit in 2022 with industry, and local and national government attendees to identify actions to help resolve this. In April 2024, the Department subsequently launched a consultation to help support driver recruitment on measures to amend licensing restrictions which would enable 18- to 20-year-olds to drive a bus and coach over 50km when driving a regular service and enable some of the tests required to be passed in order to gain a driver certificate of professional competence to be taken before a provisional licence is issued. The Department is reviewing responses to the consultation and will publish a response in due course.

How many bank closures there were in 2024.

The Government does not hold bank branch closure data. Guidance from the FCA sets out its expectation of firms when they are deciding to reduce their physical branches or the number of free-to-use ATMs. Firms are expected to carefully consider the impact of planned branch closures on their customers’ everyday banking and cash access needs, and put in place alternatives, where this is reasonable. The Government is working closely with banks to roll out 350 banking hubs by the end of this Parliament. These will provide individuals and businesses up and down the country with critical cash and banking services. Over 100 are open so far.

How many schools have closed in the last five years.

Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.98 state-funded mainstream primary and secondary schools in England closed between January 2020 and December 2024. The attached table sets out these closures by calendar year.

How many convictions there have been for hate crime in the last 12 months.

The Ministry of Justice publishes data on convictions for a large range of offences at criminal courts in England and Wales in the Outcomes by Offences data tool, that can be downloaded from the Criminal Justice Statistics landing page here: Criminal Justice Statistics. Convictions for selected racial and religiously aggravated crimes can be identified by filtering on the HO offence code. Other offences contained within the Outcomes by Offences data tool may be related to hate crimes, including different strands of hate crimes, but are not identifiable from data held centrally. Crown Prosecution Service performance data which includes convictions data pertaining to hate crime flagged offences is available here: CPS data summary Quarter 2 2024-2025 | The Crown Prosecution Service. The published offence-level data reflects the offence wording as set out in legislation. The published volumes will not include all racially or religiously motivated offences. In addition, other aggravating factors which contribute to the commissioning of an offence are not identifiable from the published Ministry of Justice convictions data.