Written questions by Madders.

What steps is her department taking to ensure National Highways includes the views of local residents in stakeholder consultations when deciding to remove lights over motorways.

The Department expects National Highways to carry out appropriate consultation where changes to the strategic road network may impact local communities. Where a proposal to remove lighting would directly affect a local community, National Highways would seek residents’ views through stakeholder consultation.

What steps he is taking to support the refineries sector while oil supplies are disrupted due to military conflict in the Middle East.

The Government recognises the critical role UK refineries are playing in ensuring our fuel security. The Government continues to monitor the evolving situation in the Middle East closely, but there is no indication that current global developments are affecting UK refineries’ ability to secure crude oil supplies. The Government is committed to a long-term future for the UK’s refining sector. Government is engaging with them to explore what steps can be taken to further support the sector, including considering the feasibility and impacts of including refined products in the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism in the future, and has recently concluded a call for evidence to shape the UK’s long-term strategy for the downstream oil sector.

What percentage of cars rented by her department are a) electric and b) UK made and what steps she is taking to encourage departmental travel conducted in cars manufactured in the UK.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Whether her department encourages officials to rent electric vehicles when hiring vehicles for official business.

The Government’s policy is that all official travel must be efficient and cost-effective. The Department does encourage the use of electric vehicles for vehicle hire. However, short-term vehicle hires can happen at short notice and are subject to vehicle availability at the time and the policies of the hire company.

What assessment she has made of the potential economic impact of delaying the inclusion of the refineries sector in a CBAM on the sector.

The government recognises the role that refineries play in energy security and the UK’s industrial base. The Government published a call for evidence (https://www.gov.uk/government/calls-for-evidence/future-of-the-uk-downstream-oil-sector/future-of-the-uk-downstream-oil-sector-call-for-evidence) on the future of the fuel sector on 23rd February 2026 in order to help understand the current state of the refining sector. Following a strategic and technical assessment by HMG, it has been decided not to expand the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) to refined oil products in January 2028. We are continuing to work with the sector to assess the options and case for expanding CBAM to refined oil products at a later date. We are unable to conclude that expanding the CBAM to refined oil products is technically feasible for January 2028, especially in an uncertain global environment where the potential adverse impacts of inclusion could not necessarily be managed effectively at such accelerated timelines.

What assessment he has made of the suitability of the provision of specialist eating disorder support for patients in Ellesmere Port and Bromborough constituency.

The Department is working closely with NHS England to strengthen community-based eating disorder services and to improve outcomes and recovery for patients, including in Ellesmere Port and Bromborough. Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for commissioning mental health services for local populations. In doing so, ICBs are expected to be evidence-based by assessing and responding to the needs of their local communities and to ensure services are provided equitably. The services offered to young people, those aged 13 to 18 years old, with an eating disorder are monitored for safety, quality, and performance by the Lead Provider Collaborative (LPC) Commissioning Team. A team of clinicians within the LPC work with the Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust and people with lived experience of eating disorder services to ensure they meet required quality, performance, and patient/carer standards. NHS England has also published new guidance on children and young people’s eating disorders, which places greater emphasis on early identification and intervention across the care pathway, including in schools and primary care settings.

What assessment he has made of the availability of specialist eating disorder support for patients in Ellesmere Port and Bromborough.

The Department is working closely with NHS England to strengthen community-based eating disorder (ED) services and to improve outcomes and recovery for patients, including in Ellesmere Port and Bromborough. Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for commissioning mental health services for local populations. In doing so, ICBs are expected to be evidence-based by assessing and responding to the needs of their local communities and to ensure services are provided equitably. Young people, between 13 and 18 years old, from Ellesmere Port and Bromborough access specialist ED care at Ancora House, the specialist General Adolescent Unit for Young Peoples mental health Services in Cheshire and Merseyside. There is a Day Hospital provision called Sapphire which offers a range of therapeutic interventions for young people with an ED. Care is also provided from the Cheshire and Merseyside Eating Disorder Service who are based at Ancora House. If specialist inpatient care is required, there are four dedicated beds at Ancora house, co-located with the ED Day Hospital. Adults with an ED from the Ellesmere Port and Bromborough area are supported in the specialist Community Eating Disorders service. If specialist inpatient care is required, patients receive this at the Oaktrees Specialist Eating Disorders Unit on the Clatterbridge Health Park. NHS England has also published new guidance on children and young people’s EDs, which places greater emphasis on early identification and intervention across the care pathway, including in schools and primary care settings.

What steps he is taking to enable patients with eating disorders in Ellesmere Port and Bromborough constituency to access specialist services.

Integrated care boards are responsible for commissioning mental health services for local populations. In Ellesmere Port and Bromborough, young people access specialist eating disorder services at Ancora House. A clinical assessment will determine which level of care they require to meet their needs. Adult patients in Ellesmere Port and Bromborough access specialist eating disorder services through a specialist community eating disorders service (CEDS). This is accessed by referral by general practitioner or other health professional. If the CEDS assess the patient as requiring specialist inpatient care, the patient will be referred into the Oaktrees Specialist Eating Disorders Unit where a multidisciplinary team of clinicians assess suitability for admission.

What estimate he has made of the number of patients referred to care outside the local area for patients with eating disorders in Ellesmere Port and Bromborough constituency.

We do hold this data, however as it is below five at the current time we cannot provide an exact value. This is standard statistical disclosure control guidance, where counts of less than five are suppressed to stop individuals being identified.

What assessment she has made of the adequacy of the City of Wolverhampton Council's safeguarding standards for obtaining taxi and private hire vehicle licenses.

The Department’s statutory guidance sets out a robust set of measures that taxi and private hire vehicle licensing authorities should act on to safeguard the most vulnerable in society. This recommends that licensing authorities should require taxi and private hire vehicle (PHV) drivers to undertake an enhanced DBS and barred lists check as part of its licensing processes. The City of Wolverhampton Council has advised that it requires this important safeguard and carries out automated criminality checks on a daily basis. We undertake regular surveys of all licensing authorities to better understand how all licensing authorities ensure the safety of their passengers. Data from the Department’s 2026 survey of licensing authorities in England, which includes details on safeguarding polices, will be published in summer. The Government is legislating to tackle inconsistencies in taxi and PHV licensing. As a first step, the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill seeks a power for the Secretary of State to set national minimum standards. The power was approved by the House of Commons, and the Bill is now being considered by the House of Lords. If passed, this would enable government to set robust standards for licensing right across England, to keep vulnerable children and, indeed, all members of the public safe, wherever they live or travel.

If he will consider conducting a review of electric vehicle manufacturing in the UK.

The Government remains firmly committed to the EV transition and increasing vehicle manufacturing in the UK. This is why we have committed £4 billion of capital and R&D funding through to 2035 for our flagship DRIVE35 (Driving Research and Investment in Vehicle Electrification) programme which will support the latest R&D in strategic vehicle technologies, accelerate commercial scale up, and unlock investment in their industrialisation. We continue to listen closely to feedback from vehicle manufacturers.In addition, we are investing an additional £1.3 billion in the Electric Car Grant, taking total funding to £2 billion, and extending it until 2030 which will mean more motorists will benefit from discounts of up to £3,750.

What assessment had been made by DHSC or provided to DHSC by NHS England about the potential impact on the NHS of proposed changes to introduce the full refund model for VAT in the NHS.

The Department has not made a formal published assessment of the potential impact on the National Health Service of the proposed changes to introduce a full refund model for VAT under section 41 of the Value Added Tax Act 1994.The Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England have engaged with HM Treasury and HM Revenue and Customs through cross-Government discussions to understand the potential implications of the proposals for the NHS, including the interaction with NHS funding flows and the principle that any reform would need to be fiscally neutral.NHS England has provided input to the Department to support this engagement, including analysis of existing VAT recovery arrangements and high-level consideration of the potential impacts of moving from the current Contracted Out Services regime to a full refund model. This work has been undertaken to inform cross-Government discussions and data-gathering exercises led by HM Treasury, rather than as a standalone assessment of the impact on NHS services.

What steps he is taking to reduce energy costs for vehicle manufacturers.

Our new British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme will reduce electricity costs by up to 25% from 2027, bringing electricity costs more in line with other economies in Europe, and help level the playing field for British businesses.The scheme will benefit frontier manufacturing industries identified in the Industrial Strategy, such as automotive, as well as foundational manufacturing industries in their supply chains. Responses to the recent Government consultation are currently being reviewed, and Government's response will be published shortly.

What assessment he has made of 1) the challenges faced by electric vehicle manufacturers and 2) the output of electric vehicle manufacturing in the UK.

The Government acknowledges the challenges the EV sector faces due to volatile consumer demand. However, our ambition is to make the UK one of the best locations in the world to manufacture electric vehicles. We engage closely with UK industry on the challenges it faces and how we can ensure the sector remains internationally competitive and a global leader in innovation.Our flagship DRIVE35 (Driving Research and Investment in Vehicle Electrification) commits £4 billion of capital and R&D funding to the British automotive industry through to 2035. It will support the latest research and development, accelerate commercial scale up, and increase capital investment in zero emission vehicles, batteries and their supply chains. In addition, we are making an additional £200 million available for EV charging infrastructure on top of the £400 million committed at the summer 2025 Spending Review.

What enforcement action his Department plans to take against companies found to be wrongly engaging people as self-employed.

Bogus or false self-employment is unacceptable and we are committed to robustly tackling it. HMRC will investigate evidence that suggests companies may have misclassified individuals for tax purposes. Employers can also be taken to an employment tribunal if they seek to deny people their employment rights and avoid their own legal obligations by claiming someone is self-employed when they are not.

What steps she is taking to provide support for the electric motorcycle industry after the end of the Plug-in Motorcycle Grant.

The Government has committed £7.5 billion over the next decade to support industry and the public as they transition to zero emission vehicles.Ending the £500 Plug-in Motorcycle Grant is not expected to have a significant impact on uptake of zero emission motorcycles or on riders. The Government will continue to work with industry and monitor the development of the zero emission motorcycle market and the need for any further interventions on an ongoing basis.

What response was provided by DHSC to the consultation by HM Treasury around changes to the VAT treatment of public bodies under Section 41 of the VAT Act.

The Department of Health and Social Care did not submit a formal response to HM Treasury’s consultation on proposed changes to the VAT treatment of public bodies under section 41 of the Value Added Tax Act 1994.The consultation, VAT and the Public Sector: Reform to VAT Refund Rules, was published by HM Treasury on 27 August 2020 and closed on 19 November 2020.As a central Government department, the Department of Health and Social Care engaged with HM Treasury and HM Revenue and Customs through cross-Government discussions to consider the potential implications of the proposals for the health and care system, including National Health Service bodies, rather than responding as a stakeholder in its own right.

What assessment she has made of the potential merits of requiring licensed taxi and private hire vehicle drivers to obtain a DBS check.

The Government response to Baroness Casey’s National Audit on Group-based Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse committed to legislate to tackle the inconsistent standards of taxi and PHV driver licensing. As a first step, the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill seeks a power for the Secretary of State to set national minimum standards for taxi and PHV licensing. The power was approved by the House of Commons, and the Bill is now being considered by the House of Lords. If passed, this would enable government to set robust standards for licensing right across England, to keep vulnerable children and, indeed, all members of the public safe, wherever they live or travel. The Department continues to consider further options for reform, including out-of-area working and enforcement. We need to ensure that taxis and PHVs are able to work in a way that facilitates the journeys passengers want and need to make, in a consistently safe way, whilst achieving the best overall outcomes for passenger safety. The Government is currently consulting on making all local transport authorities responsible for taxi and PHV licensing. Administering licensing across larger areas would further increase consistency in licensing and enable better resourced authorities to make better use of their enforcement powers. The Department’s existing statutory guidance recommends that licensing authorities should require taxi and private hire vehicle (PHV) drivers to undertake an enhanced DBS and barred lists check as part of its licensing processes. All licensing authorities in England have advised that they require this.

What steps her Department has taken to implement Baroness Casey's recommendation on stopping out of area taxis from the National Audit on Group-Based Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse report.

The Government response to Baroness Casey’s National Audit on Group-based Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse committed to legislate to tackle the inconsistent standards of taxi and PHV driver licensing. As a first step, the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill seeks a power for the Secretary of State to set national minimum standards for taxi and PHV licensing. The power was approved by the House of Commons, and the Bill is now being considered by the House of Lords. If passed, this would enable government to set robust standards for licensing right across England, to keep vulnerable children and, indeed, all members of the public safe, wherever they live or travel. The Department continues to consider further options for reform, including out-of-area working and enforcement. We need to ensure that taxis and PHVs are able to work in a way that facilitates the journeys passengers want and need to make, in a consistently safe way, whilst achieving the best overall outcomes for passenger safety. The Government is currently consulting on making all local transport authorities responsible for taxi and PHV licensing. Administering licensing across larger areas would further increase consistency in licensing and enable better resourced authorities to make better use of their enforcement powers. The Department’s existing statutory guidance recommends that licensing authorities should require taxi and private hire vehicle (PHV) drivers to undertake an enhanced DBS and barred lists check as part of its licensing processes. All licensing authorities in England have advised that they require this.

What information is being provided to his Department by NHS England on the progress on insourcing previously outsourced services within the NHS.

We do not routinely collect data on outsourcing or insourcing arrangements. Outsourcing transactions which involve the creation of new subsidiaries or material changes to existing subsidiaries are reportable to NHS England for review in line with its published subsidiary transaction guidance.As set out on 26 September 2025, NHS England will shortly consult on updating the subsidiary transaction guidance to confirm that subsidiaries involving the transfer of National Health Service staff will now only be approved in a limited number of circumstances, and only where there is clear local union support and protection of NHS terms and conditions, including pension access. Subsidiary transaction proposals involving the transfer of NHS staff are paused while NHS England undertakes this consultation, unless they are supported by local unions.