Written questions by Bonavia.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of strengthening criminal penalties for illegally killing hen harriers.

Bird of prey persecution is a national wildlife crime priority. Where any wild bird of prey is killed illegally the full force of the law should apply to proven perpetrators of the crime. The Government recognises that some stakeholders are often disappointed with the sentences that are passed down for such criminal acts but significant sanctions are already available for judges to hand down to those convicted of illegally killing birds of prey. Anyone who commits an offence under existing legislation such as the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 could face up to a six-month custodial sentence and/or an unlimited fine. Sentencing of those convicted of wildlife crimes remains a matter for judges, and these decisions are rightly taken independently of Government. Defra therefore has no current plans to strengthen the maximum penalties for illegally killing hen harriers.

Pursuant to the Answer of 9 September 2025 to Question 72603 on Universal Credit: Veterans, how many veterans in each district council in Hertfordshire (a) claim Universal Credit (UC), (b) are in receipt of the housing element of UC and (c) pay the housing element of UC to private landlords.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) started collecting data on the Armed Forces status of Universal Credit (UC) claimants in Great Britain (GB) in April 2021. By May 2025 data was held on the armed forces status of approximately 81% of the GB UC caseload. Armed forces status is self-reported by claimants and is not verified by the Ministry of Defence or Office for Veterans’ Affairs. A claimant’s status can be recorded as “currently serving”, “served in the past”, “not served” or “prefer not to say”. Data is not held on the total number of UC claimants who are currently serving in the Armed Forces or who have served in the past, but data is held on those who have identified themselves so far. The housing element of Universal Credit is paid to the claimant household rather than individuals. The following table shows (a) the number of claimants who have identified themselves as veterans in each district council in Hertfordshire, and the number of households containing at least one claimant who has identified themselves as a veteran in each district council in Hertfordshire that are (b) are in receipt of the housing element of UC and (c) have a tenure type of the Private Rented Sector. District councilThe number of claimants who have identified themselves as veterans as of May 2025The number of households receiving the housing element of Universal Credit, containing at least one claimant who has identified themselves as a veteran as of May 2025The number of households receiving the housing element of Universal Credit, with a tenure type of the Private Rented Sector, containing at least one claimant who has identified themselves as a veteran as of May 2025Broxbourne403010Dacorum906020East Hertfordshire604010Hertsmere402010North Hertfordshire805010St Albans403010Stevenage604010Three Rivers504010Watford503010Welwyn Hatfield604010Total Hertfordshire530380100 *NB columns may not sum to totals due to rounding 1. Figures are for Great Britain. Data is not collected on the Armed Forces status of UC claimants in Northern Ireland.2. Figures in the table have been rounded to the nearest ten in line with Department’s Official Statistics rounding policy: Background information note: DWP benefits statistical summary - GOV.UK.3. Further information on the caseload definition used for the UC official statistics can be found on Stat-Xplore: https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/ For the purposes of answering these questions:“Veterans” has been interpreted as referring to those who have declared having served in the past.“In Hertfordshire” has been interpreted as referring to those claimants residing in the Hertfordshire County Council area.The housing element of UC being paid to private landlords has been interpreted as referring to those claimants residing in the Private Rented Sector.

What steps her Department plans to take to increase the number of schools that have the recommended allergy safeguards in place.

Section 100 of the Children and Families Act 2014 places a duty on maintained schools, academies and pupil referral units to make arrangements for supporting pupils with medical conditions. Schools should ensure that pupils with medical conditions have full access to education, including school trips and physical education. In doing so, schools must have regard to the ‘Supporting pupils with medical conditions at school’ statutory guidance, which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/supporting-pupils-at-school-with-medical-conditions--3.The department intends to issue a consultation on an updated version of the current statutory guidance on ‘Supporting pupils with medical conditions at school’ this autumn.

How many veterans in Hertfordshire (a) claim universal credit, (b) are in receipt of the housing element of universal credit and (c) pay the housing element of universal credit to private landlords.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) started collecting data on the Armed Forces status of Universal Credit (UC) claimants in Great Britain (GB) in April 2021. At first only new claimants were asked about their Armed Forces status. From June 2021 onwards, other UC claimants reporting changes in their work and earnings have also been able to report their status. From July 2021 onwards, UC agents have also been able to record claimants’ Armed Forces status if they are told about this via other means such as journal messages, face-to-face meetings or by telephone. Data coverage continues to improve over time and by May 2025 data was held on the armed forces status of approximately 81% of the GB UC caseload. It should be noted that Armed forces status is self-reported by claimants and is not verified by the Ministry of Defence or Office for Veterans’ Affairs. A claimant’s status can be recorded as “currently serving”, “served in the past”, “not served” or “prefer not to say”. Data is not collected on the specific branch of the Armed Forces that claimants are serving in or have served in in the past. Data is not held on the total number of UC claimants who are currently serving in the Armed Forces or who have served in the past, but data is held on those who have identified themselves so far. The way the data is collected means the claimants for whom an Armed Forces status is recorded may not be representative of the UC caseload as a whole. This means it is not yet possible to produce reliable estimates of the overall number or proportion of UC claimants who are currently serving in the Armed Forces or who have served in the past. For the purposes of answering these questions:“Veterans” has been interpreted as referring to those who have declared having served in the past.“In Hertfordshire” has been interpreted as referring to those claimants residing in the Hertfordshire County Council area.The housing element of UC being paid to private landlords has been interpreted as referring to those claimants residing in the Private Rented Sector. The number of claimants who have identified themselves as veterans in the Hertfordshire area as of May 2025 is: 530. The housing element of Universal Credit is paid to the claimant household rather than individuals. The number of households receiving the housing element of Universal Credit, containing at least one claimant who has identified themselves as a veteran in the Hertfordshire area as of May 2025 is: 380. Similarly, the number of households receiving the housing element of Universal Credit, with a tenure type of the Private Rented Sector, containing at least one claimant who has identified themselves as a veteran in the Hertfordshire area as of May 2025 is: 100. 1. Figures have been rounded to either the nearest ten, hundred, thousand or hundred thousand in line with Department’s Official Statistics rounding policy: Background information note: DWP benefits statistical summary - GOV.UK.2. Further information on the caseload definition used for the UC official statistics can be found on Stat-Xplore: https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/

What steps his Department is taking to increase funding for prostate cancer screening.

The UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC), which advises ministers on all screening matters, does not recommend population screening for prostate cancer. As such, England does not currently have a national screening programme that requires funding from the Department.As part of its commitment to review its recommendations, the UK NSC has commissioned an evidence review for prostate cancer screening. This will cover modelling the clinical effectiveness and cost of several approaches to prostate cancer screening. It will include different potential ways of screening the whole population and targeted screening aimed at groups of people identified as being at higher-than-average risk, such as black men or men with a family history of cancer.Once the modelling and evidence review are complete it will be considered by the UK NSC. Subject to no further revisions being required, the UK NSC plans to hold a public consultation towards the end of 2025. After this the UK NSC will make a recommendation. Ministers will then be asked to consider whether to accept the recommendation.

What assessment she has made of the merits of introducing mandatory education on the voting system for students in secondary school.

I refer my hon. Friend, the Member for Stevenage to the answer of 21 July 2025 to Question 68042.

For what reason her Department introduced mandatory renewal of driving licenses for drivers over 70 and every subsequent three years.

The requirement for driving entitlement to be renewed at the age of 70 and then at most every three years thereafter has been in place since 1976. Prior to this all drivers had been required to renew their driving entitlement every three years. Renewal at the age of 70 recognises that a person’s health may deteriorate in ways that affect driving. The driving licence renewal process provides a timely reminder to individuals to consider their health in the context of driving. All drivers, irrespective of their age, must still ensure they are medically fit to drive at all times and are legally required to inform the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency about the onset or worsening of a medical condition that could affect safe driving.

What steps he is taking to enable earlier diagnosis for pancreatic cancer.

The Government recognises that pancreatic cancer is one of the most difficult cancers to diagnose early. Its symptoms are often vague and non-specific, meaning many patients are diagnosed at a late stage when treatment options are limited and outcomes are poor. This underlines the critical importance of improving routes to earlier diagnosis.To address this challenge, the National Health Service has implemented non-specific symptom (NSS) pathways across England. These services support faster and more accurate diagnosis for patients who present with symptoms that do not clearly indicate a specific type of cancer, including those often seen in pancreatic cancer. There are currently 115 NSS services operating, ensuring more patients benefit from quicker access to the right investigations.The NHS has launched a £2 million initiative funding 300 general practices (GPs) to identify pancreatic cancer early by screening high-risk patients over 60 years old with new diabetes diagnoses and unexplained weight loss for urgent testing. More than 300 GPs across England will begin using the initiative, with dozens rolling it out now, and the rest to be up and running in the autumn.

How many veterans received the housing element of universal credit in the Stevenage constituency in the latest period for which data is available.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) started collecting data on the Armed Forces status of Universal Credit (UC) claimants in Great Britain (GB) in April 2021. At first only new claimants were asked about their Armed Forces status. From June 2021 onwards, other UC claimants reporting changes in their work and earnings have also been able to report their status. From July 2021 onwards, UC agents have also been able to record claimants’ Armed Forces status if they are told about this via other means such as journal messages, face-to-face meetings or by telephone. Data coverage continues to improve over time and by November 2024 data was held on the armed forces status of approximately 78% of the GB UC caseload. It should be noted that Armed forces status is self-reported by claimants and is not verified by the Ministry of Defence or Office for Veterans’ Affairs. A claimant’s status can be recorded as “currently serving”, “served in the past”, “not served” or “prefer not to say”. Data is not collected on the specific branch of the Armed Forces that claimants are serving in or have served in in the past. Data is not held on the total number of UC claimants who are currently serving in the Armed Forces or who have served in the past, but data is held on those who have identified themselves so far. The way the data is collected means the claimants for whom an Armed Forces status is recorded may not be representative of the UC caseload as a whole. This means it is not yet possible to produce reliable estimates of the overall number or proportion of UC claimants who are currently serving in the Armed Forces or who have served in the past. For the purposes of answering these questions, “veterans” has been interpreted as referring to those who have declared having served in the past. The number of claimants who have identified themselves as veterans in the Stevenage constituency as of November 2024 is: 50. The housing element of Universal Credit is paid to the claimant household rather than individuals. The number of households receiving the housing element of Universal Credit, containing at least one claimant who has identified themselves as a veteran in the Stevenage constituency as of November 2024 is: 40. Similarly, the number of households receiving the housing element of Universal Credit, with a tenure type of the Private Rented Sector, containing at least one claimant who has identified themselves as a veteran in the Stevenage constituency as of November 2024 is: 10 1. Figures are for Great Britain. Data is not collected on the Armed Forces status of UC claimants in Northern Ireland.2. Figures in the table have been rounded to either the nearest ten, hundred, thousand or hundred thousand in line with Department’s Official Statistics rounding policy: Background information note: DWP benefits statistical summary - GOV.UK.3. Further information on the caseload definition used for the UC official statistics can be found on Stat-Xplore: https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/

How many veterans in receipt of the housing element of universal credit were in private rented accommodation in the Stevenage constituency in the latest period for which data is available.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) started collecting data on the Armed Forces status of Universal Credit (UC) claimants in Great Britain (GB) in April 2021. At first only new claimants were asked about their Armed Forces status. From June 2021 onwards, other UC claimants reporting changes in their work and earnings have also been able to report their status. From July 2021 onwards, UC agents have also been able to record claimants’ Armed Forces status if they are told about this via other means such as journal messages, face-to-face meetings or by telephone. Data coverage continues to improve over time and by November 2024 data was held on the armed forces status of approximately 78% of the GB UC caseload. It should be noted that Armed forces status is self-reported by claimants and is not verified by the Ministry of Defence or Office for Veterans’ Affairs. A claimant’s status can be recorded as “currently serving”, “served in the past”, “not served” or “prefer not to say”. Data is not collected on the specific branch of the Armed Forces that claimants are serving in or have served in in the past. Data is not held on the total number of UC claimants who are currently serving in the Armed Forces or who have served in the past, but data is held on those who have identified themselves so far. The way the data is collected means the claimants for whom an Armed Forces status is recorded may not be representative of the UC caseload as a whole. This means it is not yet possible to produce reliable estimates of the overall number or proportion of UC claimants who are currently serving in the Armed Forces or who have served in the past. For the purposes of answering these questions, “veterans” has been interpreted as referring to those who have declared having served in the past. The number of claimants who have identified themselves as veterans in the Stevenage constituency as of November 2024 is: 50. The housing element of Universal Credit is paid to the claimant household rather than individuals. The number of households receiving the housing element of Universal Credit, containing at least one claimant who has identified themselves as a veteran in the Stevenage constituency as of November 2024 is: 40. Similarly, the number of households receiving the housing element of Universal Credit, with a tenure type of the Private Rented Sector, containing at least one claimant who has identified themselves as a veteran in the Stevenage constituency as of November 2024 is: 10 1. Figures are for Great Britain. Data is not collected on the Armed Forces status of UC claimants in Northern Ireland.2. Figures in the table have been rounded to either the nearest ten, hundred, thousand or hundred thousand in line with Department’s Official Statistics rounding policy: Background information note: DWP benefits statistical summary - GOV.UK.3. Further information on the caseload definition used for the UC official statistics can be found on Stat-Xplore: https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/

How many veterans were claiming universal credit in the Stevenage constituency in the latest period for which data is available.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) started collecting data on the Armed Forces status of Universal Credit (UC) claimants in Great Britain (GB) in April 2021. At first only new claimants were asked about their Armed Forces status. From June 2021 onwards, other UC claimants reporting changes in their work and earnings have also been able to report their status. From July 2021 onwards, UC agents have also been able to record claimants’ Armed Forces status if they are told about this via other means such as journal messages, face-to-face meetings or by telephone. Data coverage continues to improve over time and by November 2024 data was held on the armed forces status of approximately 78% of the GB UC caseload. It should be noted that Armed forces status is self-reported by claimants and is not verified by the Ministry of Defence or Office for Veterans’ Affairs. A claimant’s status can be recorded as “currently serving”, “served in the past”, “not served” or “prefer not to say”. Data is not collected on the specific branch of the Armed Forces that claimants are serving in or have served in in the past. Data is not held on the total number of UC claimants who are currently serving in the Armed Forces or who have served in the past, but data is held on those who have identified themselves so far. The way the data is collected means the claimants for whom an Armed Forces status is recorded may not be representative of the UC caseload as a whole. This means it is not yet possible to produce reliable estimates of the overall number or proportion of UC claimants who are currently serving in the Armed Forces or who have served in the past. For the purposes of answering these questions, “veterans” has been interpreted as referring to those who have declared having served in the past. The number of claimants who have identified themselves as veterans in the Stevenage constituency as of November 2024 is: 50. The housing element of Universal Credit is paid to the claimant household rather than individuals. The number of households receiving the housing element of Universal Credit, containing at least one claimant who has identified themselves as a veteran in the Stevenage constituency as of November 2024 is: 40. Similarly, the number of households receiving the housing element of Universal Credit, with a tenure type of the Private Rented Sector, containing at least one claimant who has identified themselves as a veteran in the Stevenage constituency as of November 2024 is: 10 1. Figures are for Great Britain. Data is not collected on the Armed Forces status of UC claimants in Northern Ireland.2. Figures in the table have been rounded to either the nearest ten, hundred, thousand or hundred thousand in line with Department’s Official Statistics rounding policy: Background information note: DWP benefits statistical summary - GOV.UK.3. Further information on the caseload definition used for the UC official statistics can be found on Stat-Xplore: https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/

What steps he is taking to increase levels of research into Parkinson's disease.

Government responsibility for delivering Parkinson’s disease research is shared between the Department of Health and Social Care, with research delivered via the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, with research delivered via UK Research and Innovation.Between the financial years 2019/20 and 2023/24, the Government spent a total of £79.1 million on research into Parkinson’s disease. Research spend is calculated retrospectively, with a time lag due to annual reporting lapses, and so 2023/24 is the most recent financial year we have data for.As well as funding research itself, the NIHR invests significantly in research expertise and capacity, specialist facilities, support services, and collaborations to support and deliver research in England. Collectively, this forms NIHR infrastructure. NIHR infrastructure enables the country’s leading experts to develop and deliver high-quality translational, clinical, and applied research into Parkinson’s disease. For example, in financial year 2022/23, the NIHR Clinical Research Network enabled 114 studies related to Parkinson’s disease to be conducted in the National Health Service.The Government is continuing to invest in Parkinson’s disease research. For example, the UK Dementia Research Institute, primarily funded by the Government, is partnering with Parkinson’s UK to establish a new £10 million research centre dedicated to better understanding the causes of Parkinson’s and finding new treatments.The NIHR continues to welcome funding applications for research into any aspect of human health and care, including Parkinson’s disease. These applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money, and scientific quality.Welcoming applications on Parkinson's disease to all NIHR programmes enables maximum flexibility both in terms of the amount of research funding a particular area can be awarded, and the type of research which can be funded.

What assessment she has made of the potential merits of taking steps to help ensure that the transition of children from foster care to adoption does not have a detrimental impact to the (a) children and (b) former foster parents.

The transition from foster care to adoption is a critical period that can significantly impact both the children involved and their former foster parents.Statutory guidance on placing adopted children states that a clear plan to move a child from foster care to an adoptive placement must be agreed. In many cases a series of introductory meetings will be needed, and guidance is clear that foster carers should be supported by their social worker on such arrangements. What is important is that both the child and prospective adopter feel well prepared before the placement and are happy with the pace of the introductions and date of the placement.Adoption England are implementing National Matching Practice Standards, which includes detail on how children should move in with their adoptive families. The Standards state that professionals involved with the child should ensure an appropriate plan is made to enable the child to maintain relationships with their foster family following the period of introductions to their prospective adoptive family.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether she has had discussions with Cabinet colleagues on the potential merits of introducing a dedicated animal cruelty unit within the police force.

The Department regularly meets other Government departments to discuss animal welfare issues including enforcement. Under the Animal Welfare Act 2006, local authorities, the Animal and Plant Health Agency and the police all have powers to investigate allegations of animal cruelty or poor welfare. These bodies will work in close partnership with welfare charities, including the RSPCA, to ensure that the welfare of animals is protected.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the merits of introducing a national register of breeders to improve safeguards against animal abuse.

In relation to dogs, under the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018 (the Regulations), commercial and high-volume dog breeders must hold a licence issued by their local authority. Licensees must meet strict statutory minimum welfare standards which are enforced by local authorities who have powers to issue, refuse, vary or revoke licences. The department has completed a review of the Regulations which can be found here. The department is considering the review’s findings and will outline any next steps in due course.

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of implementing an adjusted rate of tax for army reservists that is separate to their civilian incomes.

The Government fully supports Reservists in volunteering for service alongside their regular employment. Accordingly, Reservists are eligible for an annual tax-free lump sum. Information on this can be found on the Army Reserves pay and benefits webpage. We keep our policies and processes under constant review, to ensure that they attract people to serve and incentivise them to stay.Introducing a separate, adjusted rate of tax for army reservists’ income would add complexity to the tax system and be costly at a time when the Government has already had to take a number of difficult but necessary decisions on tax, welfare, and spending to restore economic stability, fix the public finances, and support public services.

What plans she has to reduce the backlog of driving tests.

On the 23 April, the Secretary of State for Transport appeared before the Transport Select Committee and announced that the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) will take further actions to reduce waiting times for all customers across Great Britain. Since this announcement DVSA has: Asked volunteers currently working in other roles, but qualified to examine, to carry out practical driving tests. Reintroduced overtime pay incentives for everyone delivering driving tests. The additional testing allowance (ATA) scheme launched 1 June 2025. DVSA believes the introduction of the ATA will encourage both driving examiners (DE) and those in other roles to provide additional tests. Continued to work towards doubling new entrant training capacity. By 31 July 2025, DVSA aims to double its permanent training resource from 13 to 26 trainers. This will ensure newly recruited DEs can qualify as quickly as possible. Launched a public consultation on improving the rules for booking car driving tests, on 28 May. Views are being sought from the driver training industry, learner drivers and other interested parties on changes which aim to prevent learner drivers being exploited by those who resell tests at a higher price. The consultation will close at 11:59pm on 23 July 2025. Further information on these actions and progress of DVSA’s plan to reduce driving test waiting times, which was announced in December 2024, can be found on GOV.UK.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has made an assessment of the merits of modernising the licensing system for forestry operations to provide greater protection for ancient woodlands.

England’s trees and woodlands are protected by a number of regulatory regimes. These include the felling licence regime, the environmental impact assessment regulations, tree preservation orders, sites of special scientific interest and the planning regime. Defra recently conducted and published a review into how ancient woodland and ancient and veteran trees are protected by the National Planning Policy Framework. We are working to take forward the findings.

Innovation and Technology, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of bringing forward legislative proposals to require employers to provide cyber security training, in the context of the recent cyber security incidents in the retail sector.

The cyber security of the UK economy is a priority, which is why the government already offers free cyber security training via the National Cyber Security Centre website. This includes the “Top Tips for Staff”, an online, accessible cyber security training package for organisations of all sizes and sectors, and the new Cyber Governance Code of Practice, which includes a training package to help boards and directors manage digital risks in their organisations. More widely, the government offers a range of guidance to help organisations improve their cyber resilience and many of these products recommend staff training. Existing legislation - including the Security of Network & Information Systems Regulations (2018) and the Data Protection Act (2018) - includes recommendations for organisations in scope to provide appropriate training for their staff. This year we will introduce the Cyber Security and Resilience Bill to improve UK cyber defences and better secure our essential services and the IT infrastructure they rely upon. Later this year, the government will publish a new National Cyber Strategy setting out how we will approach the challenges and opportunities of cyber security.

If he will bring forward legislative proposals to ensure that victims of cardiac arrest are immediately referred to the cardiac rehabilitation programme.

In December 2024, to support local systems to commission high quality cardiac rehabilitation, NHS England published the document, Commissioning standards for cardiac rehabilitation. This document is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/commissioning-standards-for-cardiovascular-rehabilitation/These standards of care complement the British Association of Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation’s Standards and Core Components document, published in 2023, to support the delivery of high-quality care and adherence to evidenced-based practice. More information is available at the following link:https://static1.squarespace.com/static/66cc563eecc7a22020c7da6c/t/66ffa8f20aef5d0b272c6b0e/1728030962905/BACPR+Standards+and+Core+Components+2023.pdfPatients who survive cardiac arrest and their families are supported through referral to local services within the National Health Service; this will include rehabilitation such as cardiac and neurological rehabilitation and mental health services for psychological support.There are different pathways for cardiac arrest survivors, depending on the severity of the damage caused by the cardiac arrest. For people being discharged from secondary care and those with ischemic heart disease, namely myocardial infarction, cardiac rehabilitation services are available in every region. For this reason, the Government does not currently have plans to bring forward legislative proposals on this issue.