Written questions by Platt.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure ICBs standardise Long COVID care across regions.

Awaiting answer.

What steps she is taking to help ensure that individual needs are assessed and met through Specialist Provision Packages.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of developing a joint workforce plan with the Department for Health and Social Care to support sustainability of Experts at Hand service.

The department is working closely with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and NHS England on special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) reforms, including delivery of the Experts at Hand offer, strengthening joint workforce planning and commissioning at a local level between education and health partners.We are investing around £1.8 billion over the next three years for local area partnerships, including local authorities and integrated care boards to develop a new ‘Experts at Hand’ offer, strengthening mainstream education through access to health and specialist education support.To support delivery, we are investing over £40 million in the specialist workforce, including £26 million to increase educational psychologists and £15 million to grow the speech and language therapy workforce.Local area partnerships will develop and deliver their own Experts at Hand, tailored to local population needs and supported by strong national oversight. The government will set the overall framework, provide guidance and tools, and work closely with local areas to ensure consistent quality.

What estimate she has made of the number of children with SEND are out of education.

The department publishes data on compulsory school-aged children missing education (children not registered at school or otherwise receiving suitable education). In autumn 2025/26, local authorities in England reported 34,700 children missing education.Of this total, just under 8% of children were recorded as requiring SEN support and just over 8% were recorded as having an education, health and care plan. This compares with 14% and 5%, for the overall school population.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of expanded Integrated Retirement Community provision on NHS and social care expenditure.

We recognise the important role integrated retirement communities play in providing high quality, safe, and suitable homes which can help people stay independent and healthy for longer and reduce the need to draw on health and social care provision.The Government has not made a formal assessment on the impact of integrated retirement community provision on National Health Service and social care expenditure, but we are committed to enhancing provision and choice in the housing market for older people.

What assessment he has made of the potential merits of the reuse and retrofitting of existing buildings as a lower carbon alternative to demolition and new build construction.

The Department recognises that the reuse and retrofitting of existing buildings can offer significant carbon benefits compared to demolition and new build, by avoiding emissions associated with new materials and construction. Improving the efficiency of existing homes and buildings, currently responsible for around one-fifth of UK emissions, is key to reducing energy demand, cutting bills and supporting energy security. Through the Warm Homes Plan the Government is prioritising upgrades to existing buildings including insulation, solar panels, batteries and low-carbon heating, alongside reforms to standards and advice to support high quality retrofit. New development will continue to play a role, and the Government has recently published the Future Homes Standard to ensure that new homes and non-domestic buildings are built with low carbon heating and high levels of energy efficiency.

If he will consider a nationally defined prescribing pathway for ADHD within Right to Choose services.

Building on the work of the independent ADHD Taskforce, on 4 December 2025 my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, announced an independent review into the prevalence and support for mental health conditions, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and autism, which will inform our approach to ensuring appropriate support is in place.The independent review published an interim report on the 31 March 2026 which sets out key findings from the data and evidence reviewed so far, learning to date from discussions with people, including people with lived experience, and organisations as well as setting out plans for the next phase of the review and the key questions to address in more detail.The Department has made no specific assessment of the effectiveness of shared care agreements with independent sector providers for patients prescribed ADHD medication or held discussions with General Medical Council on their guidance.

What assessment her Department has made of the need for (a) station upgrades and (b) improved integration between national rail services and devolved transport systems in order to support increased capacity and reliability across the North-West rail network.

Greater integration between national rail and devolved transport systems like Manchester’s Bee Network is key to improving connectivity within, and between, our great cities in the North. Our newly published Better Connected national transport strategy sets the direction for a more joined-up transport network that works better for passengers, drivers and communities across England. Additionally, the £1.5 billion Manchester & Northwest Transformation Programme is already delivering station upgrades at Salford Crescent, with more planned at Manchester Piccadilly and Manchester Oxford Road.

Communities and Local Government, what progress he has made on the High Streets Strategy; and whether that strategy will include illicit trade on high streets.

High streets are at the heart of local communities, supporting jobs, local businesses and social connection. The Government recognises that illicit trade can undermine the success of our high streets and threaten legitimate traders. Government is working with enforcement bodies through a dedicated taskforce to improve understanding of the scale and impact of illegality on high streets and to develop a long-term policy response. The High Streets Strategy will be published later this year and will consider how Government can go further.

What mechanisms her Department has put in place to consult and communicate with the North’s (a) mayoral combined authorities, (b) local authorities and (b) local stakeholders and communities on the planning and delivery of Northern Powerhouse Rail and associated regional transport networks.

This government recognises the importance of local knowledge and expertise in successful delivery of major infrastructure projects and is committed to delivering NPR in partnership with Mayors and local leaders. As agreed in the compact agreements with Mayoral Authorities, we will continue to work in close collaboration with Mayors partners through existing structures, such as the Liverpool – Manchester Railway Board, and the White Rose Agreement in Yorkshire. We will continue to engage with petitioners and the wider local community about how the proposals in the hybrid Bill will impact them. Where relevant, public consultations covering the programme and route alignment will take place as the programme develops.

Communities and Local Government, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of illegal trade on high streets and communities.

High streets are at the heart of local communities, supporting jobs, local businesses and social connection. The Government recognises that illicit trade can undermine the success of our high streets and threaten legitimate traders. Government is working with enforcement bodies through a dedicated taskforce to improve understanding of the scale and impact of illegality on high streets and to develop a long-term policy response. The High Streets Strategy will be published later this year and will consider how Government can go further.

To publish her Department’s economic forecast on the impact of Northern Powerhouse Rail and the Liverpool–Manchester Railway on (a) regional productivity, (b) labour market access and (c) job and skills creation in the North-West.

The Northern Growth Strategy: Case for Change set out this Government’s ambitions for Northern Powerhouse Rail, which will deliver a turn-up-and-go railway along the Northern Growth Corridor from Liverpool to York and forms a key part of the strategy to realise up to £40bn in Gross Value Added by bringing the economic output of the North’s biggest cities to the UK average. Detailed work to develop the Programme Business Case for NPR is underway and the Government intends to publish this later this year.

What steps her Department is taking to improve (a) recruitment, (b) retention, (c) career progression and (d) workload in the early years workforce.

The early years workforce is at the heart of our mission to give every child the best start in life and deliver the Plan for Change. This is why the department is supporting the sector to attract talented staff and childminders by creating conditions for improved recruitment, alongside programmes to better utilise the skills of the existing workforce and make early years careers as accessible as possible.The department is attracting new people into the early years sector through initiatives like our national recruitment campaign and financial incentives programmes. We are also ensuring there is a career path for everyone who wants to become an early years teacher, through increasing places on our existing teacher training programmes and introducing a new early years teacher degree apprenticeship route.The department is confident that through our Best Start in Life Strategy, we can lay the foundations for long-term change. We will give early years educators the status they deserve, creating more opportunities to enter the profession, gain higher qualifications, and build fulfilling careers.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of reducing VAT on the repair, maintenance and retrofit of existing buildings on (a) the viability of bringing older high-street and town-centre buildings back into use, (b) the reduction of embodied carbon in the construction sector and (c) the preservation of heritage of long-standing community assets.

VAT is a broad-based tax on consumption, and the 20 per cent standard rate applies to most goods and services, this includes most construction work. Exceptions to the standard rate have always been limited and balanced against affordability considerations. The Government keeps all taxes under review and makes decisions at fiscal events in the context of the overall public finances.

Whether her Department has considered moving from a term‑time funding model to a year‑round model for early years entitlements.

It is our ambition that all families have access to high-quality, affordable and flexible early education and care, giving every child the best start in life and delivering on our Plan for Change.Children become eligible for the working parent entitlement from 1 September, 1 January or 1 April, the term after they reach the relevant age and meet relevant eligibility criteria.Depending on when a child is born and when the eligibility criteria are met, there will be differing periods to wait until the relevant termly date.Termly deadlines enable local authorities and childcare providers to better plan and ensure sufficient early years places are available for parents each term, as there are clear periods for when children are likely to enter into a place.

To outline what interim arrangements will be put in place to ensure care and support for people with very severe ME, following the decision to pause development of a national specialist service for this group.

The Government published the ME/CFS Final Delivery Plan in July 2025, which is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/mecfs-the-final-delivery-planThe plan focuses on three main areas to improve care and support for those with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), boosting research, improving attitudes and education, and bettering the lives of people with this debilitating disease. It also sets out a series of actions, which will help address the key challenges and drive forward improvements to outcomes and quality of life for people living with ME/CFS in England.The Department worked closely with ME/CFS patients, carers, clinicians, charities, research funders and researchers throughout the development of the plan. This engagement has helped to shape new and more ambitious actions that deliver meaningful change for the ME/CFS community.Due to transformation in NHS England, the decision has been made to delay the action to review a case for a specialised service commission until April 2027. Until this time, integrated care boards (ICBs) should continue to commission appropriate services for patients with very severe ME/CFS as needed. ICBs are responsible for the commissioning of services for all severity levels of ME/CFS. NHS England and the Department are developing a new template service specification for mild and moderate ME/CFS which will include reference to severe and very severe ME/CFS. Officials, alongside stakeholders, are considering interim measures to support people with very severe ME/CFS.The Department and NHS England will continue to work with stakeholders across and beyond government and the NHS to progress the agreed actions set out in the plan and to ensure the best possible care for people with ME/CFS.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Defence Industrial Strategy 2025 on Northern Ireland.

This month has shown just how volatile the world is and the importance of the investment this Government is making in our defences.My assessment is that the Defence Growth Deal’s potential is transformative for businesses small and large across Northern Ireland.

What steps his Department is taking to financially support retail and hospitality businesses on the high street.

The government is taking significant steps to support retail and hospitality businesses on high streets. From April 2026, we are introducing permanently lower business‑rates multipliers for retail, hospitality and leisure properties, worth nearly £900 million a year and benefiting over 750,000 premises. In recognition of the impact of the revaluation on bills, the government has introduced £4.3 billion transitional support package, to protect ratepayers from large overnight increases.We have also announced further targeted support for pubs, and from April eligible pubs will receive a 15% cut to their new business‑rates bills, followed by a two‑year real‑terms freeze. We are also more than doubling the Hospitality Support Fund, with £10 million funding over three years. Later this year, we will bring forward a new High Streets Strategy, to help reinvigorate our communities.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of disapplying VAT for the conversion of non-residential buildings into accommodation.

To support the delivery of new homes, conversions of buildings from a commercial to a residential use are subject to a reduced rate of VAT at 5%. The reduced 5% rate also applies to conversions of buildings from one residential use to another and to renovations of residential buildings that have been empty for at least two years. Further information on VAT on building works can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/buildings-and-construction-vat-notice-708

Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking the tackle the number of vacant properties on high streets.

This government is taking action to revitalise our high streets, including tackling vacancy through High Street Rental Auctions, which empower local authorities to bring long-term vacant commercial properties back into use. This is complemented by place-based regeneration funding, including up to £5.8 billion through the Pride in Place programme, supporting 284 places, including Leigh.The government will also bring forward a High Streets Strategy, backed by at least £150 million, to revive some of the most struggling high streets.