Written questions by Newbury.

What assessment she has made of the potential merits of zero-rating Value Added Tax on admission fees for indoor play facilities.

VAT is a broad-based tax on consumption, and the 20 per cent standard rate applies to most goods and services. Tax breaks reduce the revenue available for vital public services and must represent value for money for the taxpayer. One of the key considerations when assessing a new VAT relief is whether the cost saving is likely to be passed on to consumers. Evidence suggests that businesses only partially pass on any savings from lower VAT rates. The Government has no plans to zero-rate VAT on admission fees for indoor play facilities. The Government keeps all taxes under review.

What support her Department provides to care leaver university students outside of term time.

This government is committed to providing support for care leavers to ensure they have the practical and emotional support they need as they move towards independence.Local authorities must provide assistance to care leavers near to the place they are receiving education, including outside their home authority. This assistance may take the form of either providing the young person with suitable accommodation, or by paying them enough to secure suitable accommodation themselves.Care leavers must have pathway plans setting out what support they can expect from their local authority, including accommodation during term time, short vacations and summer vacation. If care leavers are unable to return to their former placements, they must be provided with alternative suitable accommodation. The requirement to assist with vacation accommodation lasts for as long as the young person continues on the course which has been agreed as part of their pathway plan.Care leavers who enter higher education (HE) are entitled to a statutory bursary of £2,000 from their local authority and many universities offer additional support within their access and participation regimes. This may include additional financial support, pastoral support and 365 days per year housing whilst they are at university.In addition, the Children's Commissioner for England has recently published a handbook for professionals working in HE on supporting care experienced students. The recommendations in the handbook come directly from care experienced young people and it includes practical proposals to improve their experience of HE.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of a mandatory charge for single-use coffee cups.

The Government recognises the urgent need to limit the environmental impact of single-use plastic, including fibre composite cups. The Government has committed to reducing waste by moving to a circular economy. The Secretary of State has convened a Small Ministerial Group on Circular Economy and asked his Department to work with experts from industry, academia, civil society, and the civil service to develop a Circular Economy Strategy for England; supporting Government’s Missions to kickstart economic growth and make Britain a clean energy superpower. We will consider the evidence for action right across the economy and evaluate what further interventions may be needed in the plastics sector as we develop the Circular Economy Strategy.

How many recipients of pensions under the Mineworkers' Pension Scheme in Cannock Chase constituency will be affected by the Government's return of money from the investment reserve fund to the scheme.

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave on 12 November to Question UIN 12551.

How many (a) pensioners and (b) dependents are recipients of the British Coal Staff Superannuation Scheme in Cannock Chase constituency.

We are unable to provide the breakdown requested. However, information from the trustees shows that, as at October 2024, the number of pensioner and dependant members in Cannock Chase was 530.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of lowering the turnover threshold of £1 billion for businesses that are required to fund the Groceries Code Adjudicator.

The Groceries Code Adjudicator (GCA) is currently funded by an annual levy on the 14 large retailers that are designated under the Code by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). The CMA assesses annually whether retailers which have a turnover exceeding £1bn of grocery sales in the UK should be designated under the Code. The £1bn threshold is set out in the Groceries (Supply Chain Practices) Market Investigation Order 2009 which is the responsibility of the CMA.

How much was lost to fraud in the NHS in each of the last five years.

The following table shows fraud losses in the National Health Service in England, for each of the last five years:YearFraud loss2019/20£17,400,0002020/21£12,400,0002021/22£20,700,0002022/23£26,400,0002023/24£24,200,000Source: NHS Counter Fraud Authority Consolidated Data Report.Notes:figures shown in this table are gross losses that do not include monies subsequently recovered as a result of loss recovery activity; andfigures shown relate to cases closed in the relevant year.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to reduce response times for applications to the Sustainable Farming Incentive.

The Sustainable Farming Incentive has been expanded to now include Countryside Stewardship Mid-Tier actions, with around a further 80 new actions now available for customers to select. The scheme is in the late stages of the controlled rollout, something always normally undertaken when new schemes are implemented to make sure that everything is working as expected for everyone. This allows the Rural Payments Agency to monitor all aspects closely, covering not only the technical elements of the application process but also including customer guidance and support. carrying out additional checks on all applications before issuing agreements. These checks are being scaled back as we move through this initial controlled period, and the number of agreements being offered has increased since the start of October.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has made a recent assessment of the adequacy of the (a) powers and (b) resources of the Environment Agency to regulate landfill sites.

The regulatory framework in place is designed to serve operators and protect the local community. Where poor performance does occur the Environment Agency has a range of powers to bring sites back into compliance and, where necessary, to take enforcement action against operators. Regulatory oversight of permitted sites is funded by permitting fees, which are calculated on a full cost recovery basis, in line with the Polluter Pays principle and HM Treasury’s managing public money guidance.

What recent progress her Department has made on bringing forward proposed reforms to the gender recognition certificate process.

In our manifesto, we committed to reforming gender recognition law. We will remove indignities for trans people who deserve recognition and acceptance whilst retaining the need for a diagnosis of gender dysphoria.We will set out our next steps on this work in due course.

If he will make an assessment of the potential merits of (a) returning the Mineworkers' Pension Scheme investment reserve to scheme members and (b) commissioning a review into future investment reserve surplus sharing arrangements.

The Government has ended the injustice of the Mineworkers’ Pension Scheme (MPS) and agreed the transfer the Investment Reserve Fund to members, so that the mineworkers who powered our country receive a fairer pension. The resulting bonus will increase pensions by 32% and should start to be paid in November. The Government will soon start talks with the MPS Trustees on the future arrangements for surplus sharing.

What steps his Department is taking to help decarbonise the gas grid.

The Government is committed to transforming Britain into a clean energy superpower, including providing the country with clean power by 2030, reducing bills, and transitioning homes to low carbon heating through the Warm Homes Plan. Gas will continue to play an important role in our energy system for decades to come, and a reliable gas network is essential to support the transition. We are also working with industry to support low-carbon gases such as hydrogen and bio methane.

If he will make an assessment of the potential merits of using the gas grid to support the decarbonisation of (a) domestic and (b) industrial space heating.

The Government is committed to transforming Britain into a clean energy superpower, including providing the country with clean power by 2030, reducing bills, and transitioning homes to low carbon heating through the Warm Homes Plan. Gas will continue to play an important role in our energy system for decades to come, and a reliable gas network is essential to support the transition. We are also working with industry to support low-carbon gases such as hydrogen and bio methane.

What steps his Department is taking to tackle fraud in the Energy Company Obligation scheme.

The Department works with the scheme administrator, Ofgem, to investigate and address any suspected misconduct under the ECO scheme. Dedicated work is ongoing on external assurance to review processes and procedures, and strengthening of fraud controls in future scheme design. Ofgem has dedicated teams working on counter fraud and whistleblowing. Ofgem leads on detection, prevention, deterrence, and takes action where there is evidence of fraud. If evidence of potential fraud is found, Ofgem engages with relevant authorities, such as Action Fraud. Additionally, TrustMark works with the department and Ofgem to engage with scheme providers to address and mitigate such activities.

Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to support the development of the esports industry.

The Government recognises the potential of the UK esports industry and its impact on the economy, with major tournaments hosted across the UK this year, including in Manchester, Birmingham and London.Kickstarting economic growth, and breaking down barriers to opportunity are two of this government's core missions. We are supporting the esports sector to grow, building on the success of our world-class creative industries. This includes support for the sector in looking at how to strengthen pathways into the esports workforce.The Government has identified the creative industries, which includes video games and esports, as a growth-driving sector within the Industrial Strategy. My department will produce an ambitious and targeted Sector Plan for the creative industries to be published alongside the Spending Review in spring 2025.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help (a) increase biodiversity on farms and (b) ensure that farms are financially sustainable.

This Government will champion British farming. Our new deal for farmers will build a resilient and healthy food system, that works with nature and supports British farmers. We have already delivered on our commitment to restore stability by continuing the rollout of the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI), whose objectives include increase of biodiversity on farms. We are optimising SFI and other farming schemes that include biodiversity objectives. This includes Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier and Landscape Recovery’s Round 1, both of which support farmers in protecting and enhancing the natural environment and increasing biodiversity. We will ensure these schemes work efficiently for farmers, food security and the environment. To support British farmers, we will also:Get British food exports moving again.Protect farmers from being undercut by low welfare and low standards in trade deals.Use Government purchasing power to back British produce.Steer private investment in rural areas including broadband rollout in our rural communities.Speed up the building of flood defences and natural flood management schemes, including through a new flood resilience taskforce to protect our rural homes and farms.Introduce a land-use framework which balances long-term food security and nature recovery.

What steps her Department is taking to make Jobcentres more effective at helping unemployed people into (a) work and (b) training.

Government has set an ambition to get to an 80% employment rate, alongside raising living standards and tackling insecurity at work. The Government plans to tackle economic inactivity, support people into good work and help them to progress.Proposed reforms include: A new public employment and careers service to help get more people into work and to progress in work.Working with local areas to tackle economic inactivity including the development of joined-up work, health and skills plans for the economically inactive, with input from mayors, local councils, the NHS, businesses, colleges and the voluntary sector to address barriers and deliver employment opportunities for local people.A youth guarantee for all people aged 18 to 21 to ensure that they can access quality training opportunities, an apprenticeship or employment support.DWP will shortly publish a white paper to these effects.

What assessment his Department has made of the (a) effectiveness and (b) value for money of the Boiler Upgrade Scheme for increasing the number of heat pump installations.

Up to the end of August 2024, the Boiler Upgrade Scheme has paid out 32,572 vouchers towards low carbon heating systems. The Government is carrying out an independent evaluation of the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, with its first set of interim findings due to be published in due course.

What steps her Department is taking to increase the provision of level (a) five and (b) six qualifications in areas that do not have a university.

The department continues to support access to higher level qualifications to break down barriers to opportunity and support economic growth.The department continues to support learners who wish to progress from Level 3 to a higher level, whether that is to study at university, a higher level or degree apprenticeship, or a Level 4 or 5 classroom-based qualification, including Higher Technical Qualifications (HTQs), which have been approved as providing the skills that employers need.The introduction of HTQs at Level 5 is aimed at providing high quality, employer-led qualifications that meet the needs of local economies and improves the accessibility and flexibility of higher education. These qualifications are designed to be delivered by further education colleges and other providers and are flexible, offering full-time, part-time and online learning options. This allows breadth of access, meaning that individuals who do not live near a university may be able to access higher technical education through a college.The department also continues to support the delivery of higher and degree apprenticeships, which allow individuals to earn while they learn and gain qualifications up to Level 6. This approach helps to ensure that training is closely aligned with industry needs.Additionally, institutions like the Open University offer Validation Programmes enabling institutions without their own degree-awarding powers to offer validated higher education programmes. Such initiatives can help to ensure that high quality degrees are accessible to learners in areas that do not have a university.The department is also setting up Skills England, a new body, to bring together central and local government, businesses, training providers and unions to meet the skills needs of the next decade across all regions, providing strategic oversight of the post-16 skills system aligned to the government’s Industrial Strategy.The government will bring forward a comprehensive strategy for post-16 education to break down barriers to opportunity, support the development of a skilled workforce, and drive economic growth through our Industrial Strategy.

Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions he has had with businesses on steps to reduce the (a) manufacture and (b) distribution of single-use plastic products other than wet wipes.

The Secretary of State has not held discussions on reducing the manufacture and distribution of single-use plastic products with businesses. However, officials have met with industry stakeholders through the Ocean Plastics Leadership Network (OPLN), this includes producers, brands and retailers. Discussions involved reducing plastic production, including single-use plastics, and working towards a circular economy for plastics, including encouraging design for reuse and recycling. Furthermore, legislation that will ban the sale and supply of single-use vapes was laid in parliament on 23 October. Officials have consulted and are having ongoing discussions with various industrial stakeholders regarding the ban, which is due to come into force in England on 1 June 2025. The Devolved Governments are also introducing bans, and we anticipate a shared UK wide implementation date.