Written questions by Hayes.

Food and Rural Affairs, how many instances of fly tipping were recorded in South Holland and the Deepings constituency in (a) 2022, (b) 2023 and (c) 2024 to date.

Local authorities are required to report fly-tipping incidents and enforcement actions to Defra, which the department publishes annually, at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/env24-fly-tipping-incidents-and-actions-taken-in-england. This data isn't available at a constituency level and excludes the majority of private-land incidents. Data for the period April 2023 to March 2024 will be published at the end of this year.

Whether she will take steps to regulate smartphone use for children.

In February 2024, the department published non-statutory guidance for schools on how to develop, implement and maintain a policy that prohibits the use of mobile phones throughout the school day. As has been the longstanding policy of successive governments, headteachers remain responsible for deciding how they choose to implement this policy. The Online Safety Act protects children from accessing harmful and age-inappropriate content and ensures that technology companies take more responsibility for the safety of their users, particularly children.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has held discussions with his Rwandan counterpart on the UK-Rwanda Migration and Economic Development Partnership.

The British High Commission in Kigali has been in regular contact with the Rwandan Government regarding the Migration and Economic Development Partnership and the Home Secretary has spoken to the Rwandan Foreign Minister to confirm that this government will not be continuing with the policy. The Prime Minister also met President Kagame on 27 July and discussed their shared commitment to a strong bilateral relationship.

What the cost to the public purse was of staff diversity networks in her Department in each of the last five years.

The Cabinet Office published the Civil Service equality, diversity and inclusion Expenditure Guidance on 14th May. Further guidance on diversity staff networks is being developed.

Whether she has had discussions with her Rwandan counterpart since 5 July.

Yes, the Home Secretary and the Rwandan Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Olivier Nduhungirehe, have spoken since 5 July. They discussed how they will work together on the process of bringing an end to the Migration and Economic Development Partnership with Rwanda.

How much HS2 funding has been reallocated for rail upgrades in (a) South Holland and The Deepings constituency and (b) Lincolnshire.

The previous Government made several funding commitments in the Network North Command Paper. These will be examined closely by the Government in the coming months.

What the cost to the public purse was of staff diversity networks in his Department in each of the last five years.

Department diversity and inclusion staff networks spent a total of £814.40 from 2020/21 to 2023/24, as listed below:- No spend identified in 2020/21;- £198.00 spent in 2021/22;- £500.00 spent in 2022/23; and- £116.40 spent in 2023/24.The spend was in relation to events and seminars, relating to significant dates for diversity and inclusion networks. No information on network spend is available for the year 2019/20 due to a change in our financial and human resources reporting system, where some of the detail was not transferred. Requests for expenditure are managed through the central human resources team where a robust process is applied to ensure impartiality, value, and increasing staff development.

If he will take steps to ensure the supply of pancreatic enzyme replacement therapies for people with cystic fibrosis.

The Department has been working with suppliers to address current supply issues with pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy (PERT), including Creon, used in the treatment of cystic fibrosis and certain cancers, including pancreatic cancer. The supply issues are impacting countries throughout Europe, and have been caused by the limited availability of raw ingredients and manufacturing capacity constraints in producing the volumes needed to meet demand. The Department is continuing to work with all suppliers of PERT to help resolve the supply issues in the short and longer term. This includes asking that they expedite deliveries, source stock from other markets, and increase production.We have issued comprehensive guidance to healthcare professionals about these supply issues, which provides advice on how to manage patients whilst there is disruption to supply. This guidance is being kept under review, and updates will be made as necessary. Serious Shortage Protocols are in place for Creon 10,000 and 25,000 capsules to limit prescriptions to one months’ supply, to allow demand management.We understand how frustrating and distressing medicine supply issues can be. While we can’t always prevent supply issues from occurring, the Department has a range of well-established processes and tools to manage them when they arise, and to help mitigate risks to patients.

What assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of SEND delivery in rural areas.

For too long the education and care system has not meet the needs of all children, particularly those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with SEND or in alternative provision, including children in rural areas, receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life. The department will be focusing on a community-wide approach to improve inclusivity and expertise in mainstream schools and to ensure that special schools cater to those with the most complex needs. My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, and I will work with families and education and care experts to deliver this, in the best interests of all children.

How many people have been convicted for breaching covid-19 restrictions since January 2022.

The Ministry of Justice holds data on convictions for breaching coronavirus regulations covering the period requested and this can be viewed in the Outcomes by Offence tool: December 2023.Specific offences of note include the following HO codes:16857 – Failure to comply with screening restriction/requirement (coronavirus)16858 – Operator of Port fails to comply with direction under Coronavirus Act 202016859 – Offences by potentially infectious persons (coronavirus)16860 – Breach of emergency period restrictions (coronavirus)16861 – Offences in relation to events and gatherings (coronavirus)These can be accessed by navigating to the ‘Prosecutions and convictions’ tab and using the HO Offence Code filter to select an above offence in the Outcomes by Offence data tool.

Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to support local authorities with the funding of internal drainage boards.

The Government recognises the sustained increases in IDB levies that some local authorities have experienced over the last two years and is continuing to assess the impact of this year’s increase in levies on local authorities, as well as continuing to explore potential long-term approaches.

What steps she is taking to improve recruitment and retention rates of teachers in schools in Lincolnshire.

High-quality teaching is the factor that makes the biggest difference to a child’s education, therefore delivering the government’s agenda to break down the barriers to opportunity relies on a highly skilled workforce in schools. There are now 468,693 full-time equivalent teachers in state-funded schools in England. However, the department needs to do more to recruit additional teachers, especially in shortage subjects in secondary schools, which is why the government has set out the ambition to recruit 6,500 new expert teachers. Financial incentives are one of the most effective ways to increase teacher supply. The department’s initial teacher training financial incentives package this year is worth up to £196 million, including bursaries of up to £28,000 tax free for trainees in mathematics, physics, chemistry and computing. Although the minimum starting salary for teachers in Lincolnshire increased to £30,000 from 2023/24, the department knows fair pay going forward is key to ensuring teaching is an attractive and respected profession. This is why this government has accepted the School Teachers’ Review Body’s recommendation of a 5.5% pay award for teachers and leaders in maintained schools from September. The department is providing schools with almost £1.1 billion in additional funding, in financial year 2024/25, to support schools with overall costs. This matches what we have calculated is needed to fully fund, at a national level, the teacher pay award and the support staff pay offer in financial year 2024/25, over and above the overall available headroom in schools’ existing budgets. Recruiting more teachers is a key part of the opportunity mission, but this government is also committed to tackling long-standing retention challenges to ensure teachers stay and thrive in the profession. This is why the department is continuing to support mathematics, physics, chemistry and computing teachers in the first five years of their careers, who chose to work in disadvantaged schools, through retention payments worth up to £3,000 after tax. For the 2023/24 academic year, teachers in 55 schools in the Lincolnshire local authority were eligible for these retention payments. To further help retention, the department is also addressing teacher workload and wellbeing and supporting schools to introduce flexible working practices. Lapal School of Hales Valley Trust, as one of the department’s flexible working ambassador schools, is helping schools across East Midlands and Lincolnshire to introduce flexible working practices. In addition, local teaching school hubs, including the L.E.A.D Teaching School Hub and DRET Teaching Hub, are supporting schools across Lincolnshire to deliver teacher training and development.

Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to maintain the agreed funding for towns selected in the Long-Term Plan for Towns programme.

This Government is committed to delivering growth in every corner of the country, by empowering communities to find local solutions to national priorities.The department will set out further details on funding, next steps, and confirmation of the revised timelines in due course.

What steps she plans to take to help improve the (a) reliability and (b) frequency of bus services in (i) South Holland and the Deepings constituency and (ii) Lincolnshire.

The government knows that Britain needs a modern transport network to help kickstart economic growth. Good local bus services are an essential part of prosperous and sustainable communities. As announced in the King’s Speech, the government will pass the Better Buses Bill to put the power over local bus services back in the hands of local leaders right across England, to ensure networks can meet the needs to the communities who rely on them, including in South Holland and the Deepings, and across Lincolnshire.We also plan to empower local transport authorities through reforming bus funding. By giving local leaders more control and flexibility over bus funding they can plan ahead to deliver their local transport priorities. The Department will work closely with local leaders and bus operators to deliver on the government’s ambitions.

TTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of directly fully funding internal drainage boards.

Defra has committed to work with the internal drainage board (IDB) sector and MHCLG to review IDBs’ current funding and costs. This will include examination of whether any changes are needed to their funding model. IDBs are local independent statutory public bodies, mainly funded by the beneficiaries of their work. This includes farmers who pay drainage rates and local authorities that pay special levies. Those beneficiaries are represented on the boards of IDBs, where decisions on the forthcoming programme of work and sets the annual drainage rates and special levies.

If she will review the effectiveness of the business rates system for small business.

The business rates system currently offers support for small businesses through Small Business Rate Relief, which ensures that over a third of business properties already pay no business rates. As set out in the Labour manifesto, the government intends to replace the current business rates system with one which levels the playing field between high streets and online giants, better incentivises investment, tackles empty properties and supports entrepreneurship.

If she will remove VAT from the sale of defibrillators; and if she will make an assessment with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care of the potential impact of doing so on access to defibrillators.

The Government currently provides VAT reliefs to aid the purchase of defibrillators. For example, when an AED is purchased with funds provided by a charity and then donated to an eligible body no VAT is charged.VAT is the UK’s second largest tax forecast to raise £176 billion in 2024/25. Taxation is a vital source of revenue which helps to fund public services.The Chancellor makes decisions on tax policy at fiscal events

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to his oral statement on 19 July 2024, Official Report, column 300 on Israel and Gaza, if his Department will take steps to monitor the neutrality of the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA).

When the Foreign Secretary announced the resumption of funding on 19 July 2024, he said that UNRWA had taken serious action in response to the appalling allegations that UNRWA staff were involved in the 7 October attack against Israel.The Government is confident that UNRWA is now taking action to ensure it meets the highest standards of neutrality and strengthening its procedures. £1 million of the £21 million of new UK funding will be earmarked to support UNRWA to implement the management reforms recommended by the independent Colonna review. Together with other donors, we will continue to monitor UNRWA's progress to implement the action plan. The FCDO will also continue to conduct our own annual assessment of UK funding to UNRWA.

If she will take steps to help compensate small shareholders impacted by the nationalisation of Northern Rock PLC.

An independent valuer determined that Northern Rock shares were of no value immediately prior to the company being taken into public ownership, and therefore no compensation was due. This independent valuation was upheld in the both the Upper Tribunal in 2011 and the Court of Appeal in 2013. HM Treasury considers this matter settled.

If she will meet representatives of the Northern Rock Shareholder Action Group.

An independent valuer determined that Northern Rock shares were of no value immediately prior to the company being taken into public ownership, and therefore no compensation was due. This independent valuation was upheld in the both the Upper Tribunal in 2011 and the Court of Appeal in 2013. HM Treasury considers this matter settled.