Written questions by Robertson.

Pursuant to the Answer of 27 November 2024 to Question 16662 on NHS: Public Consultation, if he will provide a full breakdown of the total costs incurred.

Following an invitation to tender competition process, we appointed Thinks Insight, Kaleidoscope Health and Care, and the Institute For Public Policy Research to support us to run the engagement exercise for the 10-Year Health Plan. The details of this award and the redacted contract can be found on contracts finder, at the following link:https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/80963989-c4d6-4a16-8e12-c31b43a81ddaThe awarded value of the contract was up to £2,961,595.50, with an option to vary to £3,500,000 in the event that the scope of the contract evolves. Following the conclusion of the engagement exercise and launch of the 10-Year Health Plan, the contract cost is £3,336,483.50.The increase in costs was largely due to the high number of responses received during the engagement exercise, and the ensuing analysis required. The number of responses received during the engagement exercise significantly exceeded the estimates provided by any of the prospective suppliers bidding for the contract. In total, the Department received over 270,000 contributions, making it the largest ever conversation on the future of the National Health Service.

What discussions her Department has had with (a) the equine sector, (b) local authorities and (c) road safety bodies on enforcing safe driving practices around horse riders.

The Government is committed to reducing the numbers of those killed and injured on our roads and my Department works with a broad range of stakeholders, including discussions with the British Horse Society, to help us achieve our aim. In 2022 The Highway Code was updated to improve the safety of all road users, particularly the most vulnerable. Key changes included the introduction of a Hierarchy of Road Users, which ensures that those who do the greatest harm have the greatest responsibility to reduce the danger or threat that they pose to others, along with the strengthening of guidance on safe passing distances and speeds when overtaking horse-riders. Local authorities are responsible for road safety on the local road network. The Government treats road safety with the utmost seriousness and provides local authorities with guidance on road safety measures but it is up to individual authorities to determine how they meet their statutory duty.

What steps her Department is taking to improve road safety for horse riders in Isle of Wight East constituency.

The Government is committed to reducing the numbers of those killed and injured on our roads and my Department works with a broad range of stakeholders, including discussions with the British Horse Society, to help us achieve our aim. In 2022 The Highway Code was updated to improve the safety of all road users, particularly the most vulnerable. Key changes included the introduction of a Hierarchy of Road Users, which ensures that those who do the greatest harm have the greatest responsibility to reduce the danger or threat that they pose to others, along with the strengthening of guidance on safe passing distances and speeds when overtaking horse-riders. Local authorities are responsible for road safety on the local road network. The Government treats road safety with the utmost seriousness and provides local authorities with guidance on road safety measures but it is up to individual authorities to determine how they meet their statutory duty.

What steps her Department has taken to increase public awareness of changes to the Highway Code made in 2022.

Following updates to the Highway Code in 2022 introducing a hierarchy of road users, the department ran a THINK! campaign to raise awareness of the changes as they came into effect. This was followed by broader behaviour change campaigns in the summer of 2022 and 2023, to help embed the changes and encourage understanding and uptake of the guidance. Over £2.4million has been spent on paid advertising across the Highway Code campaign, utilising channels such as radio, digital audio, video on demand and social media advertising.We continually review our campaign priorities using data and research to make sure we are addressing the most important road safety issues to help make our roads safer. We also continue to promote the Highway Code in partnership with other organisations, through THINK! social channels and via education resources. In addition we run three radio filler adverts year-round, encouraging motorists to maintain safe passing distances from cyclists and horse riders, to use the Dutch Reach when opening car doors to help keep cyclists safe, and to raise awareness of pedestrian priority at junctions.

Pursuant to the Answer of 11 June 2025 to Question 57194 on Motorcycles: Convictions, on what date the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency plans to complete its scan of the driver database; and when the information will be shared.

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency wrote to the Honourable Member on 20 June by email to joe.robertson.mp@parliament.uk with the information requested. Officials will re-send this letter by email and by post.

How many staff were moved from Great British Railways Transition Team to (a) Network Rail, (b) DfT Operator and (c) her Department following the disbandment of the Great British Railways Transition Team on March 31, 2025.

On 31st March 2025 GBRTT had 208 employees. Since this date 31 people have left the legacy organisation's employment, and 12 people have joined or are joining; resulting in 189 employees. The remaining 189 employees have almost all moved into Network Rail, except for four people who are working at DfTO and one person who has re-joined DfT.

How much transformation funding for (a) learning disability and (b) autism services NHS England has allocated to integrated care board areas for 2025-26.

As set out in NHS England’s Planning Guidance, integrated care boards (ICBs) are expected to work with local system colleagues to ensure that there is high quality and accessible community infrastructure in place for people with a learning disability and autistic people. They should also ensure that admissions to a mental health hospital are for assessment and treatment that can only be delivered in an inpatient setting.ICBs are planning to spend £3.35 billion on Learning Disability and Autism services in 2025/26. Previous transformation funding for learning disability and autism has been transferred to core ICB funding. This is in line with the objective of giving systems greater financial flexibility to manage constrained budgets, which includes transferring a higher proportion of funding than ever before directly to local systems and minimising ringfencing, allowing local leaders maximum flexibility to plan better and more efficient services.

What steps the Government is taking to establish Great British Railways, following the disbandment of the Great British Railways Transition Team in March 2025.

The Passenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) Act was the first step towards fixing our railways, enabling the majority of services to be owned by and run for the public, but we need further fundamental reform to fix the underlying structural problems and put passengers and customers back at the heart of the railway. Great British Railways (GBR) is set to be the ‘directing mind’ for the rail industry, bringing together the management of the network and the delivery of passenger services into a single public body. A design programme for GBR is underway, which is jointly run by the Department for Transport, DfT Operator and Network Rail. We anticipate that GBR is to be set up over the following 12 months after the Railways Bill receives Royal Assent. The Bill is expected to be introduced later in this session.

What role Network Rail's System Operator has in the establishment of Great British Railways; and whether any staff have been moved to the System Operator since March 2025.

Teams from the System Operator contribute to elements of the Great British Railways (GBR) design programme, where their expertise is relevant. They do this alongside other teams from across the industry with the design programme deliberately set up to draw on relevant capabilities from all parts of the railway. In addition, the Department for Transport has asked Network Rail’s System Operator to engage the railway industry in preparatory work on the anticipated changes to access and use of the railway network. Some staff have been moved into the System Operator since March 2025 following the shut down of the previous government’s Great British Railways Transition Team (GBRTT].

What data her Department holds on holders of provisional licences to ride AM category mopeds by (a) age and (b) country of birth of holder.

There are currently 9,809,729 individuals with entitlement to drive mopeds (Categories AM and P). The table below shows the data broken down by age group.AgeTotal16-201,676,08321-302,727,29031-402,094,38541-501,554,66451-601,127,53161-70607,35871-8019,77281-902,52891-100115101+3Grand Total9,809,729 It is not compulsory to provide country of birth when applying for a driving licence so a full breakdown of provisional licence holders with moped entitlement by country of birth is not available.

How many road-traffic fatalities were recorded by the Isle of Wight coroner in each of the last five years; for each case, on what dates a forensic collision investigator’s report was (a) commissioned and (b) completed; and whether the inquest has been held.

The annual number of short-form inquest conclusions of “road traffic collision” for each coroner area in England and Wales is available in the Coroner Statistics which are published each May for the preceding calendar year (Coroners and burials statistics - GOV.UK).The number of such conclusions (and, therefore, relevant completed inquests) recorded in the Isle of Wight coroner area in each of the last five calendar years is as follows:2024 – 12023 – 12022 – 22021 – 12020 – 0The Ministry of Justice does not hold information on related investigations. However, the coroner will typically suspend their investigation into a death pending the completion of any related investigatory processes, primarily to avoid duplication of process.

How many deaths involving the Isle of Wight NHS Trust required a serious incident investigation in each of the last five years; for each case, on what dates the investigation was (a) opened and (b) completed; and whether the inquest has been held.

We have been informed by the Isle of Wight NHS Trust that there has been a total of 56 Serious Incident investigations during this period, with 35 resulting in an inquest, 20 not requiring an inquest, and one ongoing investigation. Of the 35 cases requiring an inquest, 27 have been completed, with eight outstanding, and with the oldest cases dating back to 2020.The table attached shows data relating to the Isle of Wight NHS Trust’s Serious Incident investigations for each of the last five years, including the opening and closing dates of the investigation and whether the inquest has been held, and the date of inquest where applicable. This includes cases that now sit under the Hampshire and Isle of Wight NHS Healthcare Foundation Trust after mental health and community services were transferred from the Isle of Wight NHS Trust on 1 October 2024.

What is the cost to the public purse of the higher-rate mobility component of the Personal Independence Payment for the (a) London Congestion Charge, (b) Ultra Low Emission Zone charge, (c) Dart Charge, (d) Blackwall and Silvertown Tunnel charge, (e) Tyne Tunnel toll, (f) M6 Toll, (g) Humber Bridge toll and (h) Mersey Gateway Bridge toll.

The Department does not hold this information. The only undertaking cited that is operated by National Highways on behalf of the Department is Dart Charge, and while National Highways records the number of crossings made by vehicles exempt from Vehicle Excise Duty, it does not know the reason why a vehicle is exempt.The other undertakings cited are the responsibility of the relevant local authority or group of authorities, except the M6 Toll, which is a privately owned asset without any recourse to public funds.

What information her Department holds on the number of post-mortem imaging scans that have been carried out in the Isle of Wight coroner area in each of the last five year; and in how many of those cases imaging was not able to determine the cause of death.

Coronial post-mortem examinations are carried out on a fee paid basis by specialist practitioners from within the cadre of pathologists in England and Wales who undertake post-mortem work.In the last five years, the number of post-mortem examinations relating to the Isle of Wight coroner areas which used less invasive techniques (including, but not limited to, computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging scans) was:YearPM with Less Invasive TechniquesPM Less Invasive Techniques Only202421202300202211202100202000The Ministry of Justice does not hold information on the number of cases in the Isle of Wight where the cause of death was not revealed by imaging techniques, where they were used.The Government acknowledges the significant challenges currently affecting post-mortem pathology services across England and Wales. It is firmly committed to driving meaningful progress on this complex, cross-cutting issue as a matter of urgency. This includes engagement with relevant Ministerial colleagues to identify and implement a sustainable, long-term solution.

How many prison deaths were recorded by the Isle of Wight coroner in each of the last five years; on what dates the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman investigation was (a) opened and (b) completed for each of those cases; and whether an inquest was held.

Coroners have a statutory duty under the Coroners and Justice Act 2009 to hold an inquest into all deaths of individuals who die while in custody or other state detention. The coroner will typically suspend their investigation into a death pending the completion of any related investigatory processes, primarily to avoid duplication of process.The annex sets out the dates on which the Prison and Probation Ombudsman (PPO) opened and completed investigations into prison deaths occurring in the Isle of Wight coroner area in each of the last five calendar years. Information on fatal incidents and investigations are published by the PPO on their website, including in their annual report, available here: Death investigations & reports – Prisons and Probation Ombudsman or here Fatal Incident reports | Document Types | Archive website - Prisons & Probation Ombudsman post July 2024.Inquests have concluded into two of the deaths that occurred in 2020, and eight that occurred in 2021. Inquests into the remaining deaths listed in the annex have not yet concluded.

What steps she is taking to increase the number of pathologists able to undertake coronial post-mortem examinations on the Isle of Wight.

Coroner services are funded and administered by one of 74 lead local authorities. Coronial post-mortem examinations are carried out on a fee paid basis at the request of the coroner by specialist practitioners from within the cadre of pathologists in England and Wales who undertake post-mortem work. The Ministry of Justice does not currently hold data on the number of practitioners carrying out this work in individual coroner areas, but we are undertaking a data collection exercise to better understand the spread of provision across the 74 areas.The Government acknowledges the significant challenges currently affecting post-mortem pathology services across England and Wales. It is firmly committed to driving meaningful progress on this complex, cross-cutting issue as a matter of urgency. This includes engagement with relevant Ministerial colleagues to identify and implement a sustainable, long-term solution.

What information her Department holds on (a) levels of pathologists engaged by the Isle of Wight coroner and (b) how those appointments were made.

Coroner services are funded and administered by one of 74 lead local authorities. Coronial post-mortem examinations are carried out on a fee paid basis at the request of the coroner by specialist practitioners from within the cadre of pathologists in England and Wales who undertake post-mortem work. The Ministry of Justice does not currently hold data on the number of practitioners carrying out this work in individual coroner areas, but we are undertaking a data collection exercise to better understand the spread of provision across the 74 areas.The Government acknowledges the significant challenges currently affecting post-mortem pathology services across England and Wales. It is firmly committed to driving meaningful progress on this complex, cross-cutting issue as a matter of urgency. This includes engagement with relevant Ministerial colleagues to identify and implement a sustainable, long-term solution.

What information his Department holds on the number of deaths referred to the Isle of Wight coroner involved a Marine Accident Investigation Branch inquiry in each of the last five years; when each case was (a) opened and (b) completed; and whether an inquest has been held for each case.

The Marine Accident Investigation Branch is an independent organisation; the Ministry of Justice does not collect this information centrally.

How many inspectors are in post in the Animals in Science Regulation Unit.

The Home Office is in the final stages of delivering a comprehensive programme of regulatory reform to strengthen the Animals in Science Regulation Unit and ensure robust compliance with the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (ASPA). The reforms are designed to enhance protections for animals used in science whilst supporting a high performing, transparent regulatory environment.As part of this programme the number of Inspectors is increasing from 17 at the end of 2023, to 22 by end of 2025. This expansion will improve the Regulator’s capability to provide oversight, conduct inspections and support licence holders in meeting their statutory obligations.The reform programme includes a number of key elements: Enhanced governance through the establishment of a new governance board that will advise the Department on the Regulator’s performance; Specialist roles in the Regulator to focus on data, regulatory performance and quality monitoring to improve delivery of protections to animals; Improved Guidance to provide greater clarity and further revisions are in progress; and, Audit reform where a revised approach for the programme of audits of licensed establishments is under consideration which will allow the Regulator to better ensure compliance by effectively targeting resource in alignment with its objectives.These reforms reflect the Government’s strong commitment to continuous improvement in regulation and assuring that the UK remains a global leader in science and innovation.

Pursuant to he Written Ministerial Statement on 14 October 2024, HCWS127, what progress she has made on reforming the Animals in Science Regulator to ensure that licence holders are compliant with the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986.

The Home Office is in the final stages of delivering a comprehensive programme of regulatory reform to strengthen the Animals in Science Regulation Unit and ensure robust compliance with the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (ASPA). The reforms are designed to enhance protections for animals used in science whilst supporting a high performing, transparent regulatory environment.As part of this programme the number of Inspectors is increasing from 17 at the end of 2023, to 22 by end of 2025. This expansion will improve the Regulator’s capability to provide oversight, conduct inspections and support licence holders in meeting their statutory obligations.The reform programme includes a number of key elements: Enhanced governance through the establishment of a new governance board that will advise the Department on the Regulator’s performance; Specialist roles in the Regulator to focus on data, regulatory performance and quality monitoring to improve delivery of protections to animals; Improved Guidance to provide greater clarity and further revisions are in progress; and, Audit reform where a revised approach for the programme of audits of licensed establishments is under consideration which will allow the Regulator to better ensure compliance by effectively targeting resource in alignment with its objectives.These reforms reflect the Government’s strong commitment to continuous improvement in regulation and assuring that the UK remains a global leader in science and innovation.