Written questions by Hayes.

What steps her Department is taking to support small businesses impacted by a reduction in (a) local bank branches and (b) in-person banking services in South Holland and the Deepings constituency.

The Government understands the importance of face-to-face banking to communities, businesses and high streets in the South Holland and Deepings constituency and across the UK, and is committed to championing sufficient access for all as a priority. This is why the Government is working closely with industry to roll out 350 banking hubs across the UK. The UK banking sector has committed to deliver these hubs by the end of this Parliament. Over 220 hubs have been announced so far, and over 135 are already open. Alternative options to access everyday banking services can be via telephone banking, through digital means such as mobile or online banking, and via the Post Office. The Post Office Banking Framework allows personal and business customers to withdraw and deposit cash, check their balance, pay bills and cash cheques at 11,500 Post Office branches across the UK.

How many people received Personal Independence Payment in South Holland and The Deepings constituency in each of the last five years.

Data on Personal Independence Payment (PIP) can be found on Stat Xplore. The requested data can be found in the ‘PIP Clearances’ dataset. You can use the ‘Month’ filter to select each month for the last five years and add it as a row or column. You can filter for South Holland and The Deepings by using the ‘Geography’ filter to select ‘Westiminster Parliamentary Constituency 2024’. You can use the ‘Clearance Type Detail’ filter to select those who were awarded PIP.You can log in or access Stat-Xplore as a guest user and, if needed, you can access guidance on how to extract the information required.

If he will take steps to increase the number of vision rehabilitation specialists in (a) South Holland and the Deepings constituency and (b) Lincolnshire.

It is the responsibility of local authorities and the National Health Service integrated care boards to commission therapy-led rehabilitation, reablement, and recovery services, including vision rehabilitation specialists, based on their assessment of local capacity and demand.The Government understands the importance of having effective rehabilitation services available for people who need them, to assist recovery and return to their day-to-day activities. Intermediate care and reablement support services, including vision rehabilitation, can play a key role in providing alternatives to hospital admission and improving patient outcomes, by providing appropriate rehabilitation and reablement options following hospital discharge.

Whether she plans to remove funding for level 6 apprenticeships.

Level 6 apprenticeships are a core part of the department’s apprenticeships offer and continue to be funded by government.

What steps he is taking to help ensure brain injury survivors have access to community-based specialist neurorehabilitation services.

The Government wants a society where every person, including those with a long-term condition such as an acquired brain injury (ABI), receives high-quality, compassionate continuity of care.The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence is currently developing guidance ‘Rehabilitation for chronic neurological disorders including acquired brain injury’, which is expected to be published in September 2025. More information is available at the following link:https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/indevelopment/gid-ng10181The former Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Public Health and Prevention along with officials met the original proponent of the ABI strategy, Sir Chris Bryant MP, at the end of 2024 to discuss ABI, and had a useful discussion about what might be achievable in both the short term and the longer term. Sir Chris remains a huge advocate for those that have suffered an ABI, and the Department fully agrees with him that the Government should, and importantly will, do more. The Department and NHS England are keen to showcase those areas that have effectively integrated post-hospital care and support, including rehabilitation, to other areas where patients are not getting the care and support they deserve.A decision on next steps on ABI at the national level will be taken in due course.More widely, our 10-Year Health Plan will deliver three big shifts from hospital to community, from analogue to digital, and from sickness to prevention. More tests and scans delivered in the community, better joint working between services, and greater use of apps and wearable technology will all help people manage their long-term conditions, including ABI, closer to home.

With reference to his Department's press release entitled Households near new pylons to save hundreds on energy bills, published on 10 March 2025, whether the Grimsby to Walpole Grid Upgrade will be in scope; and how many (a) households and (b) landowners will receive financial support along the route.

The bill discount scheme will apply to eligible domestic properties and is planned to go live from 2026 once regulations have been laid, when Parliamentary time allows. Eligibility will be set out in regulations, but our aim is that major new transmission projects needed for 2030 will be eligible. Further impact analysis will be conducted prior to scheme introduction. The Government has also published community funds guidance, which could apply to transmission projects yet to start construction. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/electricity-transmission-infrastructure-proposed-bill-discount-schemehttps://www.gov.uk/government/publications/electricity-transmission-network-infrastructure-community-funds

What the total amount of fines resulting from drug driving convictions was in each of the last five years.

The Ministry of Justice publishes data on fines for drug driving offences. This is available in the Outcomes by Offences data tool, that can be downloaded from the Criminal Justice Statistics landing page here: Criminal Justice Statistics.The drug driving offences used in the table are below:00413 - Cause death by driving without due care / consideration while over prescribed limit - specified controlled drug (MOT)80310 - Driving or attempting to drive a motor vehicle whilst unfit through drink or drugs (impairment) - drugs (MOT)80312 - Being in charge of a mechanically propelled vehicle whilst unfit to drive through drink or drugs (impairment) - drugs (MOT)80313 - Drive a motor vehicle with the proportion of specified controlled drug above specified limit (MOT)80314 – Aid/abet driving of a motor vehicle with the proportion of specified controlled drug above specified limit (MOT)80315 - In charge of a motor vehicle with the proportion of specified controlled drug above specified limit (MOT)80316 - Attempt to drive a motor vehicle with the proportion of specified controlled drug above specified limit (MOT)

How many people have been convicted of drug driving offences in Lincolnshire in each of the last 10 years.

The Ministry of Justice publishes data on drug driving offence convictions. This is available in the Outcomes by Offences data tool, that can be downloaded from the Criminal Justice Statistics landing page here: Criminal Justice Statistics.The number of convictions and the type of sentence related to drug driving offences can be accessed by navigating to the ‘Prosecutions and Convictions’ tab, using the “Police Force Area” filter to select ‘Lincolnshire’ and filtering the “HO offence code” drop down for:00413 - Cause death by driving without due care / consideration while over prescribed limit - specified controlled drug (MOT)80310 - Driving or attempting to drive a motor vehicle whilst unfit through drink or drugs (impairment) - drugs (MOT)80312 - Being in charge of a mechanically propelled vehicle whilst unfit to drive through drink or drugs (impairment) - drugs (MOT)80313 - Drive a motor vehicle with the proportion of specified controlled drug above specified limit (MOT)80314 – Aid/abet driving of a motor vehicle with the proportion of specified controlled drug above specified limit (MOT)80315 - In charge of a motor vehicle with the proportion of specified controlled drug above specified limit (MOT)80316 - Attempt to drive a motor vehicle with the proportion of specified controlled drug above specified limit (MOT)The resulting numbers of prosecutions are for offenders appearing at courts in Lincolnshire and the offence may not have originated in Lincolnshire.

How many people convicted of drug driving offences were given the maximum sentence in each of the last five years.

The Ministry of Justice publishes data on drug driving offence convictions. This is available in the Outcomes by Offences data tool, that can be downloaded from the Criminal Justice Statistics landing page here: Criminal Justice Statistics.The number of convictions and the type of sentence related to drug driving offences can be accessed by navigating to the ‘Sentence Outcomes’ tab, using the sentencing outcome filter and filtering the “HO offence code” drop down for:00413 - Cause death by driving without due care / consideration while over prescribed limit - specified controlled drug (MOT)80310 - Driving or attempting to drive a motor vehicle whilst unfit through drink or drugs (impairment) - drugs (MOT)80312 - Being in charge of a mechanically propelled vehicle whilst unfit to drive through drink or drugs (impairment) - drugs (MOT)80313 - Drive a motor vehicle with the proportion of specified controlled drug above specified limit (MOT)80314 – Aid/abet driving of a motor vehicle with the proportion of specified controlled drug above specified limit (MOT)80315 - In charge of a motor vehicle with the proportion of specified controlled drug above specified limit (MOT)80316 - Attempt to drive a motor vehicle with the proportion of specified controlled drug above specified limit (MOT)

What recent assessment he has made of the sustainability of local brain injury reablement services.

The Government wants a society where every person, including those with a long-term condition such as an acquired brain injury (ABI), receives high-quality, compassionate continuity of care.The former Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Public Health and Prevention met the original proponent of the ABI strategy, Sir Chris Bryant MP, at the end of 2024 to discuss acquired brain injuries and had a very fruitful discussion about what might be achievable in both the short and long term. Sir Chris remains a huge advocate for those that have suffered from an ABI, and the Department fully agrees with him that the Government should, and importantly will, do more.As such, whilst no assessment been made on the sustainability of local brain injury reablement services, the Department and NHS England are keen to showcase those areas that have effectively integrated post-hospital care and support, including rehabilitation, to other areas where patients are not getting the care and support they deserve.A decision on the next steps for ABIs at the national level will be taken in due course.

What estimate he has made of the potential savings to the public purse of abolishing the Office of the Regulator of Community Interest Companies.

The Office of the Regulator of Community Interest Companies (“CICs”) (“the Regulator”) plays a crucial role in maintaining the CIC model as an effective form of social enterprise. By exploiting the considerable overlap between the Regulator and Companies House, and the close working relationship that already exists between the two, the Government intends to fully integrate the Regulator’s functions into Companies House as part of wider plans to streamline the UK’s regulatory environment. As the Regulator is entirely funded by fees, there will be no saving to the public purse.

If she will make a comparative assessment of trends in the levels of academic attainment from children in schools that (a) have and (b) have not banned smartphones in the last 12 months.

Schools should prohibit the use of mobile phones and other smart technology with similar functionality to mobile phones throughout the school day, including during lessons, the time between lessons, breaktimes and lunchtime, as set out in the ‘Mobile phones in schools’ guidance 2024. The department expects all schools to take steps in line with this guidance to ensure mobile phones do not disrupt pupils’ learning.

Following the abolition of NHS England, where ultimate commissioning accountability will sit for (a) Cystic Fibrosis and (b) other specialised NHS services.

Ministers will work with the new transformation team at the top of NHS England, led by Sir Jim Mackey, to lead this transformation. Work has begun immediately to start bringing teams in NHS England and the Department together, and over the next two years, NHS England and the Department will combine to form a new joint centre.NHS England will continue to carry out its statutory duties until Parliamentary time allows for legislation to be brought forward to amend the Department’s responsibilities.The abolition of NHS England will strip out the unnecessary bureaucracy and cut the duplication that comes from having two organisations doing the same job. We will empower staff to focus on delivering better care for patients, driving productivity up, and getting waiting times down.

Innovation and Technology, what progress his department has made on the rollout of Project Gigabit in South Holland and the Deepings constituency.

According to the independent website Thinkbroadband.com, over 94% premises in the South Holland and The Deepings constituency can access superfast broadband speeds (>=30 Mbps) and 81% have access to a gigabit-capable broadband connection (>1000 Mbps).To improve this coverage further, Quickline is delivering a Project Gigabit contract across Lincolnshire and East Riding, and CityFibre is delivering a contract across Cambridgeshire and adjacent areas. Both contracts are targeted at bringing gigabit-capable broadband to premises in hard-to-reach areas that are unlikely to be otherwise reached by suppliers’ commercial rollout. Work has already commenced in parts of South Holland and The Deepings.

How many British Army full-time personnel (a) retired and (b) left the profession for other reasons in each of the last ten years.

The requested information is published in the Quarterly Service Personnel Statistics, the latest edition of which (1 January 2025) can be found at the following address: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/quarterly-service-personnel-statistics-2025 Table 5d - Row 43 to 60 shows the Army Outflow numbers.

What changes have been made to the government’s assessment of future skills needs following the announcement on February 25 that defence spending would increase to 2.6% of GDP by 2027.

The Ministry of Defence is working closely with Skills England and the Department for Education to ensure the boost in defence spending supports the training and development of new generations of defence sector workers. The future skills requirement for defence is being assessed as part of the ongoing development of the Strategic Defence Review and the Defence Industrial Strategy.

Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to help support young people to get onto the housing ladder in (a) South Holland and the Deepings constituency and (b) Lincolnshire.

The affordability challenges facing prospective first-time buyers mean that too many people are now locked out of homeownership. This government is determined to change that, ensuring that young families and hardworking renters can buy a home of their own.Boosting the supply of homes of all tenures must be at the heart of any strategy to improve housing affordability which is why the government’s Plan for Change includes a hugely ambitious milestone of building 1.5 million safe and decent homes in England in this Parliament.In addition to increasing the supply of homes of all tenures, we are committed to introducing a permanent, comprehensive mortgage guarantee scheme, to support first-time buyers, including those in South Holland and the Deepings constituency and Lincolnshire, who struggle to save for a large deposit, with lower mortgage costs.

What recent steps she has taken to raise awareness of apprenticeships in (a) rural and (b) remote areas.

This government has a driving mission to break down barriers to opportunity and to grow the economy.The department continues to raise awareness of the benefits of apprenticeships across the country, including in rural areas. This includes promoting apprenticeships to young people, adults and employers through the Skills for Life campaign. The department also supports the Apprenticeship Ambassador Network, a network of over 2,000 volunteer employers and former and current apprentices, who volunteer their time to inform and inspire the next generation of apprentices and apprentice employers.The department is transforming career opportunities and advice to increase awareness of the range of high-quality options available to young people, including apprenticeships.The department has committed to guarantee two weeks’ worth of work experience for every young person, as well as to establish a national jobs and careers service to support people into successful long-term employment.

What proportion of the growth and skills levy will be reserved for apprenticeship training.

This government’s first mission is to kickstart economic growth. We know that skills gaps are holding back business growth and that we need to support employers to invest in skills training. Our new levy-funded growth and skills offer will introduce greater flexibility to employers and learners in England, creating routes into good, skilled jobs in growing industries, aligned with the government’s industrial strategy.The new training offer will include shorter duration apprenticeships. From August 2025, subject to the legislative timetable, the minimum duration of an apprenticeship will be reduced to eight months. This change means apprentices will be able to achieve occupational competence more quickly, where appropriate.The department will also introduce foundation apprenticeships for young people, a work-based offer providing high-quality progression pathways into further work-based training and employment, including occupationally specific apprenticeships.These are the first steps in expanding the apprenticeships offer into a wider levy-funded growth and skills offer that works better for employers, individuals and the wider economy. The government has established Skills England to form a coherent national picture of skills gaps across all sectors and to help shape the technical education system so that it is responsive to skills needs. This will include advising on priorities for the new growth and skills offer.

Whether training in the workplace will be a condition of support under the growth and skills levy.

This government’s first mission is to kickstart economic growth. We know that skills gaps are holding back business growth and that we need to support employers to invest in skills training. Our new levy-funded growth and skills offer will introduce greater flexibility to employers and learners in England, creating routes into good, skilled jobs in growing industries, aligned with the government’s industrial strategy.The new training offer will include shorter duration apprenticeships. From August 2025, subject to the legislative timetable, the minimum duration of an apprenticeship will be reduced to eight months. This change means apprentices will be able to achieve occupational competence more quickly, where appropriate.The department will also introduce foundation apprenticeships for young people, a work-based offer providing high-quality progression pathways into further work-based training and employment, including occupationally specific apprenticeships.These are the first steps in expanding the apprenticeships offer into a wider levy-funded growth and skills offer that works better for employers, individuals and the wider economy. The government has established Skills England to form a coherent national picture of skills gaps across all sectors and to help shape the technical education system so that it is responsive to skills needs. This will include advising on priorities for the new growth and skills offer.