Written questions by Hayes.

What measures his Department has in place to continue to run critical services in the event of a major internet outage.

The Government has a robust set of policies in place to ensure there are well-defined and tested incident management processes, and to ensure continuity of essential functions in the event of system or service failure. The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology will publish the Government Cyber Action Plan this Winter, which will set out a clear approach for the Government and the Wider Public Sector to manage cyber security and resilience incidents.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many times (a) Ministers and (b) special advisers in her Department have met with abortion providers since July 2024.

All ministerial meetings with external organisations, and relevant Special Adviser meetings, are published in the usual way on gov.uk.

What measures his Department has in place to continue to run critical services in the event of a major internet outage.

Government has a robust set of policies in place to ensure there are well- defined and tested incident management processes in place, and to ensure continuity of essential functions in the event of system or service failure. The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology will publish the Government Cyber Action Plan this Winter, which will set out a clear approach for the Government and the Wider Public Sector to manage cyber security and resilience incidents.

What steps his Department is taking to help support men to access PSA blood tests on the NHS to check for early warning signs of prostate cancer.

The Department continues to work with NHS England in the ongoing Help Us Help You Campaigns to raise awareness of prostate cancer and ensure men have access to the information and services they need to make informed decisions about their health.Men who are concerned about their risk of prostate cancer, or who are experiencing symptoms, are encouraged to discuss prostate specific antigen (PSA) testing with their general practitioner (GP). The National Institute for of Health and Care Excellence has developed guidance for referring patients if prostate cancer is suspected after a physical examination using the suspected cancer referral pathway. The guidance advises clinicians to consider PSA testing only for those with certain symptoms outlined in the guidance.The Government also published guidance for GP’s on advising men without symptoms of prostate cancer who ask about the PSA test. The guidance advises GPs should use their clinical judgement to manage asymptomatic men and those who they consider to be at increased risk of prostate cancer.

What steps she is taking to improve training opportunities in construction for people in South Holland and the Deepings constituency.

The department is committed to improving construction training opportunities across England, including in South Holland and the Deepings.A wide range of government-funded programmes are available for construction employers who are considering hiring employees, offering work experience, or upskilling existing staff. These include Apprenticeships, Skills Bootcamps, and Free Courses for Jobs. Through the Construction Support Package, we are investing in high-quality training provision, supporting providers to deliver industry-relevant skills and helping more people into good jobs in the sector. The recently announced Construction Technical Excellence Colleges (CTEC) will drive up standards in construction education by working closely with employers to ensure training meets current and future workforce needs.The CTEC serving the East of England region, which includes South Holland and the Deepings, is West Suffolk College. This college is part of the government’s initiative to train construction workers through a network of 10 regional hubs operating under a ‘hub and spoke’ model.

What plans NHS England Digital has in place to ensure that critical services continue to operate in the event of a major internet outage.

NHS England ensures that its digital services are built with resilience and redundancy at their core. Critical systems are supported by robust technical architecture designed to maintain continuity where possible during disruptions. We have resilience in our internet access by having multiple connections and we are resilient to local and regional outages. However, a national internet outage would put all digital systems under pressure.There are comprehensive business continuity plans and disaster recovery processes in place to mitigate digital service disruptions, which are regularly tested and reviewed to aid recovery from significant events.

If he will make an estimate of the number of households that are not on the smart meter network in (a) South Holland and the Deepings constituency and (b) Lincolnshire.

The Department does not hold statistics on smart meter penetration on a constituency level. The latest statistics to include the percentage of domestic electricity smart meters by local authority are available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/smart-meters-in-great-britain-quarterly-update-march-2025.

Food and Rural Affairs, how many agricultural business have received Sustainable Farming Incentive grants in (a) South Holland and the Deepings constituency and (b) Lincolnshire in (i) 2024 and (ii) 2025.

As of the 1st of January 2025, there were 32,200 Sustainable Farming Incentive agreements in England. This was made up of 25,300 agreements in the Sustainable Farming Incentive 23 and 6,900 agreements in the Sustainable Farming Incentive Expanded Offer. This includes agreements for agricultural businesses in South Holland and the Deepings constituency and (b) Lincolnshire.

What recent steps his Department has taken to support jobseekers in South Holland and the Deepings constituency.

Spalding JCP have arrangements in place with Boston College to come into their site on a fortnightly basis to provide Information, Advice & Guidance & links for customers to their Adult Skills Courses. Lincolnshire Voluntary Services are also monthly visitors to Spalding JCP who come in to relay their current local volunteering offers to a wide range of customers, particularly those with health conditions, from which they can gain work experience & increase their confidence in progression towards the labour market. Spalding JCP have also commissioned delivery of digital support to their 50+ customers aimed at increasing their confidence in using digital platforms for work search & training & also obtaining best value products to assist with cost of living rises. The latest cohort ran from 26th Sept & ended 10th October, with a new cohort due to start in November. Finally, planning is already ongoing for an upcoming event run in partnership with Lincolnshire County Council Adult Skills Team called ‘Grow Your Skills’ whereby the skills providers funded by LCC in the local area are given an opportunity to showcase their offers to adults in the area. JCP connect their customers & their network of partners to those events to facilitate their connection to Skills, Opportunities, Jobs & Support.

How many children had an Education, Health and Care plan in Lincolnshire as of October 2025.

​​The latest published figures that show the number of children and young people with an education, health and care (EHC) plan as at January 2025 are available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/4ed35aab-4605-47d4-0c1d-08de07233b94. Figures are published as at January each year. Information for January 2026 will be published in summer 2026.​The department does not hold information on the number of children waiting for an EHC plan.​The number of requests for an EHC needs assessment which were outstanding at the end of the 2024 calendar year in Lincolnshire local authority is available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/e64ee712-b7aa-4ff8-f961-08de0724494a.

How many children in Lincolnshire were waiting for an Education, Health and Care plan as of October 2025.

​​The latest published figures that show the number of children and young people with an education, health and care (EHC) plan as at January 2025 are available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/4ed35aab-4605-47d4-0c1d-08de07233b94. Figures are published as at January each year. Information for January 2026 will be published in summer 2026.​The department does not hold information on the number of children waiting for an EHC plan.​The number of requests for an EHC needs assessment which were outstanding at the end of the 2024 calendar year in Lincolnshire local authority is available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/e64ee712-b7aa-4ff8-f961-08de0724494a.

Whether people temporarily residing at immigration removal centres are entitled to receive free (a) English language and (b) other classes.

As set out in the Detention Centre Rules 2001 immigration removal centres (IRCs) provide secure but humane accommodation for detained persons in a relaxed regime with as much freedom of movement and association as possible, consistent with maintaining a safe and secure environment.Rule 17 sets out that activities have to meet recreational and intellectual needs of detained individuals and relief of boredom, this includes arrangements for taking part in educational activities. The published Detention Centre Operating Standards sets out a requirement for educational classes in English language and contractually our IRC suppliers are required to deliver this provision.

On how many occasions (a) Ministers and (b) special advisers in his Department have met with abortion providers since July 2024.

Ministers and special advisers have held no meetings with abortion providers since July 2024.

Whether (a) Ministers and (b) special advisers in his Department have met with abortion providers since July 2024.

Details of Ministers’ meetings with external organisations and individuals are published by Departments quarterly in arrears on their departmental pages on gov.uk. The most recent data - for the period April 2025 to June 2025 - was published on 25 September.Special Advisers are required to comply with the Special Adviser Code of Conduct at all times and are required to make declarations on meetings with senior media figures in line with published transparency guidance.

Whether (a) Ministers and (b) special advisers in her Department have met with abortion providers since July 2024.

Details of Ministers’ meetings with external organisations and individuals are published by departments quarterly in arrears on their departmental pages on gov.uk. The most recent data - for the period April 2025 to June 2025 - was published on 25 September.Special Advisers are required to comply with the Special Adviser Code of Conduct at all times and are required to make declarations on meetings with senior media figures in line with published transparency guidance.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the UK's Trade Strategy 2025 on economic growth in (a) South Holland and the Deepings constituency and (b) Lincolnshire.

The UK's Trade Strategy takes a balanced approach reflecting sectors and regions. It works in tandem with the Industrial Strategy to benefit the UK’s growth-driving sectors, recognising the importance of both our high-productivity service sectors, but also our manufacturing and agricultural industries, particularly given their different regional impacts across the UK. The trade levers utilised in the Trade Strategy are cross-cutting and create the domestic and international trade frameworks that increase trade by British businesses and sectors across the economy, helping them grow. We have no analysis on the constituency level or that is specific to the Lincolnshire area.

Media and Sport, how many (a) museums, (b) local arts and (c) cultural organisations have received funding from Arts Council England in (i) South Holland and the Deepings constituency and (ii) Lincolnshire.

Between 2022-2025 four museums and nine arts and cultural organisations in the South Holland and The Deepings constituency received Arts Council England funding totalling £2,141,302. This includes a £1.8 million Museum Estate and Development Fund award to Spalding Gentlemen’s Society in 2024 towards the museum’s refurbishment and expansion.Arts Council England funding in Lincolnshire, awarded between 2018 and 2025, totalled £20,184,867. This funding was distributed to 88 arts and cultural organisations, including 1 museum and Lincolnshire County Council, which is designated as a museum National Portfolio Organisation.Further specific information can be found on the Arts Council England website at https://www.artscouncil.org.uk/research-and-data/our-data

What proportion of people who resided temporarily at immigration removal centres in (a) 2022, (b) 2023 and (c) 2024 were male adults.

The Home Office publish quarterly data on immigration detention statistics. This can be found on the gov.uk website at: Immigration Enforcement data: Q2 2025 - GOV.UK. Data on the number of adult males entering immigration removal centres (IRC) by year is provided in table ‘Det_D01’ and the number of people in detention (at end of period) is provided in ‘Det_D02’.A weekly allowance of £5 for individuals detained in IRCs was introduced prior to 2006 to enable purchases of additional food and other items from the IRC shop.

Whether people temporarily residing at immigration removal centres are entitled to receive spending money.

The Home Office publish quarterly data on immigration detention statistics. This can be found on the gov.uk website at: Immigration Enforcement data: Q2 2025 - GOV.UK. Data on the number of adult males entering immigration removal centres (IRC) by year is provided in table ‘Det_D01’ and the number of people in detention (at end of period) is provided in ‘Det_D02’.A weekly allowance of £5 for individuals detained in IRCs was introduced prior to 2006 to enable purchases of additional food and other items from the IRC shop.

Communities and Local Government, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of the level of funding for Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue Service.

On 3 February, the Ministry published the 2025/26 Local Government Finance Settlement which sets out funding allocations for all local authorities including fire and rescue. As Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue Service is a county service, it is funded by the Central Government and council tax precept via its parent authority, Lincolnshire County Council. This financial year, Lincolnshire County Council will have a core spending power of £740.3 million, an increase of 5.4 % compared to 2024/25. The Ministry will continue to work closely with stakeholders across the sector to ensure fire and rescue services have the resources they need to protect communities.