Written questions by Shannon.

Innovation and Technology, whether he has had discussions she with BT on the potential impact of the withdrawal of BT's free (a) online and (b) physical directories on (i) the elderly and (ii) people in digital poverty.

Ofcom is responsible for ensuring that UK consumers have access to directory and directory information services. Ofcom does not specify the form of the directory.The Department has not had discussions with BT around the withdrawal of its physical directories or their free online directory. We understand from a public statement made by BT that it took a decision to withdraw these due to a lack of demand and the environmental impact of printing and distributing hard copies.BT provides free downloadable A-Z directory on their website; hard copies can be purchased online. BT offers a free service, called 195 for users with certain additional needs.

Communities and Local Government, how much her Department has spent on taxi expenses for homeless people in the last 12 months.

The Homelessness Prevention Grant (HPG) is allocated to councils across England based on local homelessness pressures and is used to meet local needs.HPG funding allocations for the period 2023 through 2025 are available online and can be accessed via the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/homelessness-prevention-grant-2023-to-2025Local authorities can use their funding flexibly to support homeless households. MHCLG does not hold any data on the proportion of funding that was allocated to taxi expenses.

What assessment he has made of the potential merits of developing a national strategy to place defibrillators in high need areas.

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 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. These requirements were to ensure that resources are allocated where there is the greatest need, for instance remote communities with extended ambulance response times, places with high footfall and high population densities, hotspots for cardiac arrest, including sporting venues and venues with vulnerable people, and deprived areas.As part of the Department’s requirements, the defibrillators are suitable for use by untrained persons. The Mindray C1A Defibrillator, a fully automated device suitable for use by untrained persons, are the AEDs provided by Smarter Society in partnership with London Hearts charity.The Department has continued its partnership with Smarter Society, who managed the grant applications on our behalf, with London Hearts supplying the AEDs. London Hearts is the leading heart defibrillator charity in the United Kingdom, supporting communities with the provision of life saving heart defibrillators and teaching cardiopulmonary resuscitation and defibrillator skills.NHS England has partnered with St John Ambulance to co-ordinate skills development to significantly increase the use of AEDs by individuals in community settings. This includes a national network of Community Advocates to champion the importance of first aid, training 60,000 people that will help save up to 4,000 lives each year by 2028.

What the cost to the NHS is of (a) surgery to transplant a kidney and (b) medication for a year for a kidney transplant recipient.

NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) is responsible for transplant services across the United Kingdom. Transplants represent a cost-efficient treatment and in the case of kidneys is a cost saving to the National Health Service.The following table shows the estimated national average unit cost of a kidney transplant for 2023/24 for people aged 19 years old and over:Donor categoryCost (£)Deceased heart-beating donor18,508Deceased non-heart beating donor21,418Live donor17,473Source: NHSBTThe cost to the NHS of medication for a kidney transplant recipient for the first year after transplant can range on average between £9,000 and £13,000. Following this, costs can range on average between £5,000 and £8,000 per patient per year. These estimated costs are based on British National Formulary list price. For some drugs, the NHS can access confidential prices that cannot be shared outside of the NHS. The average cost does not take into consideration additional treatments in the event of complications such as infections and post-transplant rejections.

What the average cost per patient for (a) in centre and (b) home therapies dialysis treatment was in each of the last three years.

The national average patient cost for home-based renal dialysis for the last three years was £280 in 2023/24, £231 in 2022/23, and £213 in 2021/22. The national average patient cost for hospital-based renal dialysis for the last three years was £223 in 2023/24, £220 in 2022/23, and £192 in 2021/22.

What steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help ensure that there is adequate support for parents learning how to care for a child with special needs and disabilities.

Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.Under the Children Act 1989 local authorities must, in accordance with section 17ZD, assess and support the needs of parent carers who provide or intend to provide care for a disabled child and who meet the criteria set out. Services may include provision of short breaks or other support to assist parent carers.The Law Commission are currently undertaking an independent review of social care legislation relating to disabled children. They are due to report their final recommendations to government in summer 2025, at which point we will consider proposals for reforms to the disabled children’s social care system, including the adequacy of the legal framework supporting parents carers.The government funds Parent Carer Forums (PCFs) who are representative local groups of parents and carers of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). They work alongside local authorities, education, health and other service providers to ensure the services they plan, commission, deliver and monitor, meet the needs of children and families locally.The government also funds Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Information and Support Services (SENDIASS) offer information, advice and support for parents, carers children and young people with SEND. The department’s contract funds the training of SENDIASS staff. Under the Children and Families Act (2014) it is a legal requirement that all local authorities have a SENDIASS.This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with SEND or in alternative provision receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life. The department is working closely with experts on reforms, recently appointing a Strategic Advisor for SEND, who will play a key role in convening and engaging with the sector, including leaders, practitioners, children and families as we consider the next steps for the future of SEND reform.

What assessment he has made of the potential merits of Elacestrant.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) makes recommendations for the National Health Service on whether new medicines should be routinely funded by the NHS based on an assessment of their costs and benefits. The NHS is legally required to fund medicines recommended by the NICE, and cancer medicines are eligible for funding from the Cancer Drugs Fund from the point of positive NICE draft guidance.The NICE recommended elacestrant as an option for treating oestrogen receptor-positive, HER2-negative advanced breast cancer with an ESR1 mutation after endocrine treatment in final draft guidance on 19 December 2024, and it is now funded for eligible patients in England through the Cancer Drugs Fund. Final guidance is due to publish on 5 February 2025.

How many claims have been successful for vehicles that have been damaged by potholes in the last year.

On England’s Strategic Road Network, compensation claims of this sort are a matter for National Highways, and their website provides further details of how claims are dealt with. Between 1 January and 31 December 2024, National Highways received 1552 claims for vehicle damage due to potholes, of which 717 (or 46%) have been successful. On local roads, compensation claims of this sort are a matter for the relevant local highway authority and the Department does not collect data on it.

How many people are awaiting appeal decisions in under the Afghan resettlement scheme.

The Afghan Resettlement Programme (ARP) has brought together the previous Afghan resettlement schemes into a single, efficient pipeline. In order to improve efficiency, value for money and outcomes across Afghan Resettlement.The latest published statistics (https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/immigration-system-statistics-year-ending-september-2024) show that (up to the end of September 2024) we have brought around 33,400 people to safety from Afghanistan and the region.Afghan operational data is viewable at Afghan Resettlement Programme: operational data - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) and is released quarterly. There is no right of appeal against eligibility decisions made under the ARP.

What steps she is taking to make workplaces more accessible for disabled people.

We are committed to boosting opportunity and championing the rights of disabled people. We will work closely with disabled people and their representative organisations to ensure that their needs and voices are at the heart of everything we do. 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. Under the Equality Act 2010, there is a duty on employers to, on request, make reasonable adjustments for both job applicants and employees who meet the Act's definition of disability. Our support to employers includes increasing access to Occupational Health, a digital information service for employers and the Disability Confident scheme. The Disability Confident scheme encourages employers to create disability inclusive workplaces and to support disabled people to get work and get on in work. Employers participating in the scheme must agree to several commitments, many of which relate to making the workplace more accessible. These include ensuring the recruitment process is inclusive and accessible, communicating and promoting vacancies through accessible channels, and anticipating and providing reasonable adjustments as required. Disability Confident is a voluntary scheme, developed by disabled people, employers and disability organisations representing disabled people. I plan to consider ways to make the scheme criteria and requirements more robust. Disabled People can also access support through the Access to Work Scheme. The Access to Work Scheme provides grant funding to disabled people, as well as those with a health condition. The grant supports workplace adjustments that go beyond what would normally be expected from an employer through their duty to provide reasonable adjustments as outlined in the Equality Act 2010. The grant provides personalised support and workplace assessments, travel to work, support workers, and specialist aids and equipment. The Scheme also includes the Mental Health Support Service (MHSS) which provides up to nine months of non-clinical support for people who need additional help with their wellbeing while in employment. In 23/24 the Access to Work Scheme supported 67,000 people with a workplace adjustment to move into or stay in work. The Equality (Race and Disability) Bill will enshrine in law the full right to equal pay for disabled people, including disability pay gap reporting for large employers. We will support disabled people to access flexible working, breaking down barriers to opportunity. This work will be relevant to all those who meet the definition of disability set out in the Equality Act 2010, and we will be engaging with a range of stakeholders to understand their lived experiences. In addition to existing support, as part of the Get Britain Working plans set out in the recent white paper, the Government has launched Keep Britain Working, an independent review into the role of UK employers in reducing health-related inactivity and to promote healthy and inclusive workplaces, led by the former Chair of John Lewis, Sir Charlie Mayfield.

How many alcohol related deaths there have been in England in the last 12 months.

There were 21,912 alcohol-related deaths in England for the 2022 calendar year. This is from the latest available data, published by the Department, and is available at the following link:https://fingertips.phe.org.uk/profile/local-alcohol-profiles/data#page/4/gid/1938132984/pat/159/par/K02000001/ati/15/are/E92000001/iid/93763/age/1/sex/4/cat/-1/ctp/-1/yrr/1/cid/4/tbm/1The data for 2023 will be published on 4 February 2025.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to help tackle bee harm.

Bee health is a devolved matter, and the information provided therefore relates to England only. Harm to honeybees can be caused by several different means including pests and diseases, invasive non-native species and poor husbandry practices by beekeepers. Defra supports a range of actions to help tackle harm. The Animal and Plant Health Agency’s National Bee Unit (NBU) deliver the Defra Bee Health Programme which includes management and control of honeybee pests and diseases. The NBU also provide free training and advice to beekeepers, including on pest and disease recognition. Defra works in partnership with beekeeping stakeholders under the Healthy Bees Plan 2030 to improve honeybee health and husbandry. Yellow-legged hornet (YLH), an invasive non-native species is a threat to pollinating insects including honeybees. There are established populations of these hornets in Europe and since 2016 there have been regular incursions into GB. Defra takes action against confirmed findings of YLH to prevent this species from becoming established.The Government is committed to ending the use of those neonicotinoid pesticides that are known to carry substantial risks to pollinator populations. The recent Defra policy statement, released on 21 December, sets out plans to take forward that commitment.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to tackle illegal puppy farms.

As outlined in our manifesto, the Government will bring an end to puppy farming. We are considering the most effective way to deliver this commitment and will be setting out next steps in due course.

How many people aged under 25 were charged with possession of cocaine in the last 12 months.

The Home Office collects information on the number of ‘Having Possession Of A Controlled Drug - Class A Cocaine’ offences recorded by the police in England and Wales, and their investigative outcomes including charges.Information, for the year to June 2024, on the age of suspects charged for possession of cocaine is provided in the table below. However, information on the age of the suspect is not quality assured as it is not currently routinely published or collected as official statistics from forces and in 43% of cases age has not been provided.Number of offences resulting in charge/summons, year ending June 2024, broken down by age-group, for ‘Having Possession Of A Controlled Drug - Class A Cocaine’ offences, England and Wales (excluding Humberside Police)Age groupUnder 25s25+Not StatedGrand TotalNumber of offences resulting in charge/summons8732,7582,7386,369

How many visa applications were in the appeal system as of 28 January 2025.

Data on appeals receipts and open caseload is published by HM Courts and Tribunals Service on a quarterly basis. The latest publication can be found at Tribunals statistics quarterly: July to September 2024 - GOV.UK. Table FIA_1 and FIA_4 of the Main Tables section shows First-tier Tribunal appeal receipts and caseload volumes to 30 September 2024.

Communities and Local Government, what estimate she has made of the number of under 25s who are renting privately.

The English Housing Survey (EHS) contains details of the demographic profile of households in England. In the most recent published figures (for 2023-24) there were 447,000 households renting privately where the Household Reference Person (HRP) was aged 16-24. This equates to 10% out of all households in the private rented sector. Around two-thirds (68%) of all households where the HRP was aged 16-24 were renting privately.More information on the EHS can be found on gov.uk here, and detailed information on the demographic profile of household can be found on gov.uk here.

If he will take steps to regulate the cost of Office for National Statistics surveys.

The Office of National Statistics is part of the UK Statistics Authority, a Non Ministerial Department which is directly accountable to the UK Parliament, Scottish Parliament, Senedd and Northern Ireland Assembly. Its budget is awarded directly from HM Treasury. As per the Code of Practice for Statistics (including as referenced in the Ministerial Code), the UN’s Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics and the broader Nolan principles of propriety in public life, Ministers have no role in the decision making of the Authority Board or day-to-day management decisions of the Office of National Statistics.

Communities and Local Government, if he will make an assessment of the merits of deposits for private renters.

The government believes the current requirements for private rented sector (PRS) tenants to pay, and PRS landlords to protect, a tenancy deposit are reasonable.The Housing Act 2004 requires landlords to protect deposits taken in England and Wales for assured shorthold tenancies, on or after 6 April 2007, with a government-authorised Tenancy Deposit Protection (TDP) scheme. These schemes operate with no cost to the tenant.The Tenant Fees Act 2019 created legal limits to the amount of deposit that can be charged, and Trading Standards can fine landlords up to £5,000 for breaking the rules and up to £30,000 for multiple breaches.As part of the re-procurement process of these schemes we are reviewing the operation of the TDP system and identifying areas for improvement.

Media and Sport, what progress she has made on the allocation of dormant assets in the last 12 months.

To date, the Dormant Assets Scheme has unlocked over £1 billion of dormant assets which The National Lottery Community Fund distributes across the UK. DCMS is responsible for the English portion and recently announced that the next £350 million tranche of funding for England would be split equally between youth, financial inclusion, social investment and community wealth funds. The relevant Devolved Governments are responsible for their own portion.To date, a total of £25 million has been allocated to the Northern Ireland Dormant Assets programme to build capacity, resilience and sustainability in the third sector. Over £3 million has been committed in FY24/25 to support smaller and underrepresented community groups to build their capacity. Discussions are underway regarding the deployment of the next phase of dormant assets funding in Northern Ireland, which is expected to be launched in due course.

What assessment he has made of the adequacy of the space craft sector in Northern Ireland.

The Ministry of Defence recognises the significance of Northern Ireland’s growing impact to the UK – and global – space sectors, and we welcome the recent announcement of European Space Agency’s €862 million contract with Thales Alenia Space, whose propulsion facility is located in Belfast. In 2021-22, the sector in Northern Ireland generated £104 million and supported 545 jobs across 62 organisations. Northern Ireland secured over £1.5 million from the UK Space Agency to boost its commercial supply chain in line with emerging technology requirements, and to harness space-enabled data to improve the delivery of public services. Further highlighting Northern Ireland’s vital role, the UK Space Agency hosted the 2023 UK Space Conference at the ICC Belfast and looks forward to bringing the In-Orbit Servicing, Assembly and Manufacturing (ISAM) Conference there in June 2025.