Written questions by Hayes.

What steps she is taking to increase the level of funding for railways in Lincolnshire.

The Budget and first phase of the Spending Review reaffirmed our commitment to funding for rail and confirmed our commitments to transformative major projects. This builds on the regulatory settlement for the current 5-year period, which ensures continued funding for the railway. We will be looking in detail at how we can improve the railway further as part of the second phase of the Spending Review, and through the DfT Capital Review which ensures continued funding for the operations, maintenance and renewal of the railway infrastructure.

If she will make it her policy to introduce a cap on annual net migration.

The Prime Minister has made clear the Government will not be introducing a cap on migration. Instead, the Government wants to see immigration come down significantly and we will take an evidence-based approach, linking migration policy to skills policy so immigration is no longer used at the expense of home-grown talent.

Media and Sport, if she will make it her policy to ensure that a proportion of the money raised from the statutory levy on gambling operators will be allocated to (a) charities and (b) other organisations that focus on the prevention of gambling harms and that are not sponsored by the gambling industry.

As set out in the Government’s response to the consultation on the statutory levy, we will introduce a statutory levy charged to all licensed gambling operators to fund the research, prevention and treatment of gambling-related harm.The government is clear that the third sector will play an important role in the future levy system. NHS England, and appropriate bodies in Scotland and Wales, will commission treatment and support services, working collaboratively with the third sector. The levy will also provide sustainable funding to support the development of a coordinated approach to prevention, providing investment for organisations, including in the third sector, to develop and deliver harm reduction activities across Great Britain. Prevention remains a crucial part of the Government’s efforts to tackle gambling-related harm and it is important we take the time to get the policy right. The Department will continue to carefully consider the most effective approach to prevention and will publish a further response document setting out our final decisions in the coming months.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will ban the importation of pregnant cats in the last half of their pregnancy.

The Government recently announced its support for the Animal Welfare (Import of Dogs, Cats and Ferrets) Bill, a Private Members’ Bill sponsored by Dr Danny Chambers MP. The Bill will give the government powers to prevent the supply of low-welfare pets to Great Britain’s pet market. We will use these powers to prohibit the bringing into Great Britain of cats that are more than 42 days pregnant. We are fully supportive of this Bill and would like to see it pass through both Houses as soon as Parliamentary time allows.

How much police forces in England and Wales spent on roles related to equity, diversity and inclusion in the last three years.

The Home Office does not hold information relating to how much money is spent by police forces on roles related to equity, diversity and inclusion.Decisions on how funding and resources are utilised are an operational matter for Chief Constables and locally elected Police and Crime Commissioners, who are best placed to make resourcing decisions within their communities based on their local knowledge and experience.

What steps he is taking to increase (a) recruitment and (b) retention of NHS staff in (i) South Holland and the Deepings constituency and (ii) Lincolnshire.

This information is not collected centrally. National Health Service organisations are responsible for their own recruitment and develop their own workforce plans based on service needs. At a national level, we are committed to training the staff the NHS needs, and will work closely with partners in education to do this.NHS England continues to lead on a range of initiatives to boost the retention of existing staff and to ensure that the NHS remains an attractive career choice for new recruits. This includes a strong focus on improving organisational culture, supporting staff wellbeing, and promoting flexible working opportunities. It is continually reviewing the effectiveness of these, and their impact on the workforce.

If she will make an estimate of the number of people working illegally in the construction industry.

The government takes illegal working very seriously, and we are determined to clamp down on the employment of individuals with no right to work in the UK, including the sectors highlighted by the Rt Hon Gentleman. Since this government came to office, Immigration Enforcement’s Criminal and Financial Investigation teams have charged six individuals with employing illegal workers, compared to just four in the previous two and a half years combined. Those six charges may represent progress on the dismal record of inaction seen under the previous government, but they still add up to an unacceptably low rate of enforcement against businesses employing, and in many cases exploiting, illegal workers, and we are therefore determined to go further over the coming months and years.As part of this, we are also determined to establish a more comprehensive, accurate and up to date evidence base of the scale and nature of illegal working in the UK, which we hope will in due course allow us to provide robust answers to the questions raised by the Rt Hon Gentleman concerning the estimates of the number of people working illegally in specific, high-risk sectors and industries.

How many business owners have been charged with employing illegal workers in each of the last three years.

The government takes illegal working very seriously, and we are determined to clamp down on the employment of individuals with no right to work in the UK, including the sectors highlighted by the Rt Hon Gentleman. Since this government came to office, Immigration Enforcement’s Criminal and Financial Investigation teams have charged six individuals with employing illegal workers, compared to just four in the previous two and a half years combined. Those six charges may represent progress on the dismal record of inaction seen under the previous government, but they still add up to an unacceptably low rate of enforcement against businesses employing, and in many cases exploiting, illegal workers, and we are therefore determined to go further over the coming months and years.As part of this, we are also determined to establish a more comprehensive, accurate and up to date evidence base of the scale and nature of illegal working in the UK, which we hope will in due course allow us to provide robust answers to the questions raised by the Rt Hon Gentleman concerning the estimates of the number of people working illegally in specific, high-risk sectors and industries.

What recent estimate she has made of the number of people working illegally in car washes.

The government takes illegal working very seriously, and we are determined to clamp down on the employment of individuals with no right to work in the UK, including the sectors highlighted by the Rt Hon Gentleman. Since this government came to office, Immigration Enforcement’s Criminal and Financial Investigation teams have charged six individuals with employing illegal workers, compared to just four in the previous two and a half years combined. Those six charges may represent progress on the dismal record of inaction seen under the previous government, but they still add up to an unacceptably low rate of enforcement against businesses employing, and in many cases exploiting, illegal workers, and we are therefore determined to go further over the coming months and years.As part of this, we are also determined to establish a more comprehensive, accurate and up to date evidence base of the scale and nature of illegal working in the UK, which we hope will in due course allow us to provide robust answers to the questions raised by the Rt Hon Gentleman concerning the estimates of the number of people working illegally in specific, high-risk sectors and industries.

For what reason there is no mention of (a) farming and (b) agriculture in the Government's industrial strategy entitled Invest 2035: the UK's modern industrial strategy, published in October 2024.

The Industrial Strategy identified eight growth-driving sectors but all sectors can shape and will benefit from wider policy reform through the Industrial Strategy’s cross-cutting policies alongside the broader Growth Mission. This will create the pro-business environment for all businesses to invest and employ, with growth that supports high-quality jobs and ensures that the benefits are shared across people, places, and generations. The Government is engaging with the food, drink and farming industries regularly. The Government has committed £5 billion to the farming budget for England over two years directed at sustainable food production and nature’s recovery.

How many and what proportion of GP surgeries in South Holland and the Deepings constituency are rated as (a) outstanding and (b) good by the Care Quality Commission.

As of 27 November 2024, there are nine general practice surgeries in the South Holland and the Deepings constituency. Of these, one, or 11%, is rated Outstanding, and eight, or 89%, are rated Good by the Care Quality Commission.

What steps she is taking to improve access to public transport in rural areas within (a) South Holland and the Deepings constituency and (b) 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 Deepings, Lincolnshire and rural areas right across England. In addition, the government has confirmed £955 million for the 2025 to 2026 financial year to support and improve bus services in England outside London. This includes £243 million for bus operators and £712 million allocated to local authorities. Local authorities can use this funding to introduce new bus routes, make services more frequent and protect crucial bus routes for local communities. Lincolnshire County Council has been allocated £11.8 million.

If she will take steps to collect data on the number of applications to stay in the UK that are made on the basis of a sham (a) marriage and (b) civil partnership.

The Government takes abuse of the spouse and partner immigration routes very seriously. Family migration must be based on a genuine and subsisting marriage or relationship. The Home Office focuses its efforts on disrupting facilitators as well as prosecuting individuals involved in sham marriages and civil partnerships.The Home Office will also investigate if, at any point, there are reasonable suspicions of a sham relationship, for example following applications for permission to enter or stay, or where there is supporting intelligence or evidence gathered during operations.The Home Office continues to enhance its reporting capabilities of recorded sham marriage data and is recording the number of sham marriage and civil partnership applications that it detects. However, it is not possible to state how many applications to stay are made on the basis of a sham marriage or civil partnership.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to ensure that active funding programmes focused on supporting farmers and farming communities abroad is value for money.

The FCDO employs robust systems and frameworks to ensure we achieve high standards of value for money and spend British taxpayers' money well. For example, by reviewing programmes annually, assessing how they perform against FCDO priorities and making improvements.The Independent Commission for Aid Impact (ICAI) scrutinizes the effectiveness and value for money of UK aid. In June 2023, ICAI scored the UK's agriculture portfolio (covering all UK delivery programmes, investments and research funding related to agriculture) Green-Amber, reflecting its substantial achievements and recommending areas for improvement. The Government accepted all of ICAI's recommendations. A follow-up ICAI report in May 2024 commended the strength of FCDO's response to the recommendations.

If she will make an estimate of the number of hours of police time spent each week on investigating non crime hate incidents.

The Home Office does not currently hold force-level data on the recording of non-crime hate incidents.

What steps she is taking to tackle retail crime in rural communities.

Shop theft continues to increase at an unacceptable level, up 29% on year up to June 2024, with more and more offenders using violence and abuse against shopworkers to do this. We won’t stand for this.As part of the Safer Streets Mission, we will introduce a new offence of assaulting a retail worker to protect the hardworking and dedicated staff that work in stores. We will also end the effective immunity granted to shop theft of goods under £200, and provide over £7 million over the next three financial years to support the police tackling retail crime.These measures will apply to shop workers and retails in urban and rural communities, and this Government is clear that no matter where you live, when you report a crime, it should be properly investigated with victims having faith justice will be delivered, and criminals facing meaningful consequences

If he will take steps to create a memorial in central London to nuclear test veterans.

A memorial commemorating all personnel of the Combined Services Task Force, who served during the UK’s nuclear tests, is located at the National Memorial Arboretum, which is the focal point for commemorating all those who have served in the UK Armed Forces. We are also aware of a number of other local Nuclear Test Memorials across the UK. The Ministry of Defence has no current plans for further memorials to nuclear test veterans. Memorials are typically financed by public subscription and are located with the permission of the relevant local authority.

What estimate her Department has made of the number of farmers who will be affected by changes to business property relief in (a) Lincolnshire and (b) South Holland and the Deepings constituency.

I refer the Honourable Member to the PQ referenced 12250 published on 11th November 2024 at: https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2024-11-01/12250. The Chancellor also recently wrote to the Chair of the Treasury Select Committee on this issue, and her letter may be of interest: https://committees.parliament.uk/publications/45691/documents/226235/default/.

What steps she is taking to help support victims of domestic abuse in (a) rural and (b) remote areas.

This Government recognises that victims in rural and remote areas face particular barriers to fleeing abuse and accessing support. That is why we continue to fund specialist domestic abuse helplines for victims across England and Wales to enable everyone to access advice and support. We are already driving forward a range of activities which will support rural victims. The Victims and Prisoners Act will require local commissioners to develop joint needs assessments for victims of domestic abuse to identify and address gaps in support. Furthermore, on 24 October, the Home Secretary announced a package of reforms to improve the police response to victims of VAWG related crimes. Our new VAWG strategy to be published next year will lay out our plans for any future initiatives and research, including for victims in rural and remote areas.

What steps he is taking to support hospices in (a) rural and (b) remote areas.

Most hospices are charitable, independent organisations which receive some statutory funding for providing National Health Services. The amount of funding each charitable hospice receives varies both within and between integrated care board (ICB) areas. This will vary depending on demand in that ICB area but will also be dependent on the totality and type of palliative and end of life care provision from both NHS and non-NHS services, including charitable hospices, within each ICB area.Due to the way the hospice movement organically grew, hospice locations were largely not planned with a view to providing even access across the country, or to prioritise areas of greatest need based on demographics. Therefore, there are inequalities in access to hospice services, especially for those living in rural or socio-economically deprived areas. NHS England has developed a palliative and end of life care dashboard, which brings together all relevant local data in one place. The dashboard helps commissioners understand the palliative and end of life care needs of those in their local population, thereby enabling ICBs to put plans in place to address and track the improvement of health inequalities.I have met NHS England to discuss how to reduce inequalities and variation in access to, and the quality of, palliative and end of life care. We, alongside key partners NHS England, will continue to proactively engage with our stakeholders, including the voluntary sector and independent hospices, on an ongoing basis, in order to understand the issues they face.