Written questions by Johnson.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure health services meet children and young people’s specific health needs.

The Government is committed to raising the healthiest generation of children ever and ensuring that all children can access timely support that meets their health needs.We are delivering on the vision for neighbourhood health set out in the 10-Year Health Plan to bring care closer to babies, children, and young people. Neighbourhood health services will work together with Best Start Family Hubs, schools, and colleges so that children get support quickly, including those with special educational needs and disabilities.Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for commissioning services that meet the diverse needs of their local populations, including children. All ICBs in England are required to have an Executive Lead for Children and Young People, to ensure the interests of children are reflected in decision-making.ICB funding allocations were issued alongside the NHS Medium-Term Planning Framework, which set out targets to improve children’s experiences of the health system. The framework also states that National Health Service organisations should explicitly consider the needs of children and young people in integrated plans. The priorities set out in the framework should be reflected in ICBs’ spending plans for coming financial years. The framework can be accessed at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/medium-term-planning-framework-delivering-change-together-2026-27-to-2028-29/

Whether his Department is taking steps to increase the share of NHS expenditure directed towards children and young people.

The Government is committed to raising the healthiest generation of children ever and ensuring that all children can access timely support that meets their health needs.We are delivering on the vision for neighbourhood health set out in the 10-Year Health Plan to bring care closer to babies, children, and young people. Neighbourhood health services will work together with Best Start Family Hubs, schools, and colleges so that children get support quickly, including those with special educational needs and disabilities.Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for commissioning services that meet the diverse needs of their local populations, including children. All ICBs in England are required to have an Executive Lead for Children and Young People, to ensure the interests of children are reflected in decision-making.ICB funding allocations were issued alongside the NHS Medium-Term Planning Framework, which set out targets to improve children’s experiences of the health system. The framework also states that National Health Service organisations should explicitly consider the needs of children and young people in integrated plans. The priorities set out in the framework should be reflected in ICBs’ spending plans for coming financial years. The framework can be accessed at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/medium-term-planning-framework-delivering-change-together-2026-27-to-2028-29/

What steps the his Department is taking to ensure ICBs prioritise the health needs of children and young people.

The Government is committed to raising the healthiest generation of children ever and ensuring that all children can access timely support that meets their health needs.We are delivering on the vision for neighbourhood health set out in the 10-Year Health Plan to bring care closer to babies, children, and young people. Neighbourhood health services will work together with Best Start Family Hubs, schools, and colleges so that children get support quickly, including those with special educational needs and disabilities.Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for commissioning services that meet the diverse needs of their local populations, including children. All ICBs in England are required to have an Executive Lead for Children and Young People, to ensure the interests of children are reflected in decision-making.ICB funding allocations were issued alongside the NHS Medium-Term Planning Framework, which set out targets to improve children’s experiences of the health system. The framework also states that National Health Service organisations should explicitly consider the needs of children and young people in integrated plans. The priorities set out in the framework should be reflected in ICBs’ spending plans for coming financial years. The framework can be accessed at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/medium-term-planning-framework-delivering-change-together-2026-27-to-2028-29/

What assessment he has made of trends in the level of geographic variation in access to tissue-freezing services; and what steps his Department is taking to ensure equitable access to advanced treatments, accurate genome sequencing and research participation.

Pathology services in England are delivered through 27 regional pathology networks, and offer a comprehensive range of tests, including the analysis of brain tissues.Individual pathology services maintain their own standard operating procedures (SOPs) for fresh, or the snap-freezing of, tissue samples. These SOPs outline local capabilities and practices.It is important that everyone, regardless of where they live, can access the latest innovations in the health and care system through research. The Department invests over £1.6 billion each year in research through the National Institute of Health and Care Research (NIHR). The NIHR's investments for capital equipment, technology, and modular buildings supports NHS trusts across England to deliver high-quality research to improve the health of the population. This investment includes cutting edge research equipment and fixed assets such as ultra-low and cryogenic freezers, to strengthen research capacity and improve access to samples for research.The Government also supports the Rare Cancers Private Members Bill. The bill will make it easier for clinical trials to take place in England, by ensuring the patient population can be more easily contacted by researchers.

What estimate he has made of the funding required to ensure equitable access to tissue-freezing services for cancer patients across England; and whether his Department is taking steps to reduce regional disparities.

Pathology services in England are delivered through 27 regional pathology networks, and offer a comprehensive range of tests, including the analysis of brain tissues. Individual pathology services maintain their own standard operating procedures (SOPs) for fresh, or snap-freezing, of tissue samples. These SOPs outline local capabilities and practices.It is important that everyone, regardless of where they live, can access the latest innovations in the health and care system through research. The Department invests over £1.6 billion each year in research through the National Institute of Health and Care Research (NIHR). The NIHR’s investments for capital equipment, technology, and modular buildings support National Health Service trusts across England to deliver high-quality research to improve the health of the population. This investment includes cutting edge research equipment and fixed assets such as ultra-low and cryogenic freezers, to strengthen research capacity and improve access to samples for research.The Department is exploring options to expand brain tissue freezing capacity.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of social rent provision within the proposed 2,350-home Peel Waters development in Liverpool.

National planning policy is clear that local planning authorities should assess the size, type and tenure of housing needed for different groups in the community, including those who require social and affordable housing, and reflect this in planning policies. In December 2024, the government published a revised National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), which made clear that local authorities should consider the particular needs of those who require social rent. The government is currently consulting on further reforms to the NPPF, including proposals designed to further support the delivery of social housing. These include reforms to the viability system and specifying a minimum proportion of social rent housing that would be required of major development unless otherwise specified in development plans. The consultation can be found on gov.uk here and will remain open for responses until 10 March 2026.

Communities and Local Government, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of amending the National Planning Policy Framework to require a minimum of 20 per cent social rent housing in all new residential developments.

National planning policy is clear that local planning authorities should assess the size, type and tenure of housing needed for different groups in the community, including those who require social and affordable housing, and reflect this in planning policies. In December 2024, the government published a revised National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), which made clear that local authorities should consider the particular needs of those who require social rent. The government is currently consulting on further reforms to the NPPF, including proposals designed to further support the delivery of social housing. These include reforms to the viability system and specifying a minimum proportion of social rent housing that would be required of major development unless otherwise specified in development plans. The consultation can be found on gov.uk here and will remain open for responses until 10 March 2026.

Communities and Local Government, if he will take steps to review the definition of affordable housing within planning policy to ensure it is aligned with social rent levels to better reflect local income levels.

National planning policy is clear that local planning authorities should assess the size, type and tenure of housing needed for different groups in the community, including those who require social and affordable housing, and reflect this in planning policies. In December 2024, the government published a revised National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), which made clear that local authorities should consider the particular needs of those who require social rent. The government is currently consulting on further reforms to the NPPF, including proposals designed to further support the delivery of social housing. These include reforms to the viability system and specifying a minimum proportion of social rent housing that would be required of major development unless otherwise specified in development plans. The consultation can be found on gov.uk here and will remain open for responses until 10 March 2026.

If she will make it mandatory for all schools to hold spare AAIs, and ensure relevant staff are trained in their use.

The Human Medicines (Amendment) Regulations 2017 have allowed all schools to buy adrenaline auto-injectors (AAI devices) without a prescription for emergency use on children who are at risk of anaphylaxis but whose own device is not available or not working. The Department of Health and Social Care has published non-statutory guidance to accompany this legislative change, which is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/using-emergency-adrenaline-auto-injectors-in-schools. The department is working with DHSC and NHS England to consider how we might extend the availability of adrenaline auto-injectors in schools.

If she will publish the evaluation of the serious violence reduction order pilot.

Serious Violence Reduction Orders (SVROs) were piloted for two years throughout Merseyside, Sussex, Thames Valley and West Midlands police force areas. The pilot took place between 19 April 2023 and 18 April 2025.The pilot has been independently evaluated and looks at the effectiveness of SVROs, including the use of the SVRO stop and search power and the effectiveness of SVROs in reducing reoffending and knife carrying.

With reference to the document entitled Fair pay agreement consultation impact assessment, published in October 2025, if he will award an interim uplift to the pay of frontline care workers in the 2026-27 and 2027-28 financial years to address the immediate workforce recruitment and retention challenges before a negotiated fair pay agreement is implemented in the 2028-29 financial year.

Under the Employment Rights Bill, the Government will set up the Fair Pay Agreement, establishing a form of sectoral collective bargaining which will empower employers, worker representatives, and others in partnership to negotiate fair pay, and terms and conditions.The Government is taking steps to establish Fair Pay Agreements. These steps are essential to getting this right and ensuring meaningful reform for the adult social care sector. This includes our public consultation, which closes on 16 January.This will support the delivery of our Plan to Make Work Pay, which is already delivering for care workers through changes to the minimum wage, putting more money into their pockets. The Employment Rights Bill will also end exploitative zero-hours contracts, with one in five carers on a zero-hour contract, and give workers rights to statutory sick pay from day one of absence due to illness.Currently, most workers are employed by private sector providers who set their pay and terms and conditions, independent of the Government.We know this is an issue now, and in the meantime the Government is making available approximately £4.6 billion of funding for adult social care in 2028/29 compared to 2025/26, to support the sector in making improvements. This includes £500 million for the Fair Pay Agreement, the most significant investment in improving pay and conditions for adult social care staff to date.

What discussions she has had with hospitality businesses on the potential impact of the current rate of VAT on the viability of those businesses.

The Government recognises the significant contribution made by hospitality businesses to economic growth and social life in the UK. The Chancellor and other Ministers meet with a range of businesses and their representatives to understand the impacts of Government policy, including hospitality businesses.

What assessment she has made of the adequacy of (a) spending by the rail industry on private security and (b) her Department's funding for the British Transport Police.

The Department is committed to working with the rail industry as we move towards the creation of Great British Railways to ensure that security provision on the network keeps staff and passengers safe. The Department are currently undertaking analysis of private security spend by the 14 train operating companies that have been or are due to be nationalised. The British Transport Police (BTP) budget is set by the British Transport Police Authority (BTPA). BTP's costs are passed on to individual Train Operating Companies and Network Rail. BTPA sets the BTP’s budget annually following proposals from the Force and views from industry. BTP work closely with BTPA and industry operators to make final resourcing decisions with their agreed budget. In the year 2025/26 BTP received a 5.9% budget increase. The budget for 2026/27 will be set by the BTPA imminently following engagement with the rail industry. Like other police forces the BTP has operational independence, so the BTP Chief Constable and Chief Officers use a variety of data to inform the deployment of officers and other resources, following the agreement of the budget.

What assessment she has made on (a) value for money and (b) quality of service of bringing outsourced rail security provision in-house as contracts expire.

Ensuring value for money is a requirement for all DfT contracted train operators. Publicly owned train operators also have a duty to follow the guidance on managing public money.

Which of the train companies contracted to the DfT have outsourced security contracts; and the value and length of those contracts are.

The majority of DfT contracted train operators have contracts for specialist passenger facing security provision. Contract details for public sector operators can be found at this link https://www.gov.uk/contracts-finder. Details of private sector operators’ contracts are commercially confidential.

Communities and Local Government, if he will make it mandatory for all new housing development projects to ensure that 50% of the developed units are built for social rent, allowing the remaining 50% to be used for affordable or market-rate/luxury housing.

The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) makes clear that local authorities should assess the size, type, and tenure of housing needed for different groups, including those who require affordable housing (including Social Rent), and reflect this in their planning policies.This includes setting out the proportion and type of affordable housing that should be expected of new development, including the minimum proportion of Social Rent.Policy requirements, particularly for affordable housing, should be set at a level that takes account of affordable housing and infrastructure needs and allows for the planned types of sites and development to be deliverable, without the need for further viability assessment at the decision-making stage.

How many individuals over the age of 18 have been convicted under section 1 of the Assaults on Emergency Workers (Offences) Act 2018 in each year since its introduction.

The Ministry of Justice routinely publishes data on the number of convictions at criminal courts for an assault on an emergency worker by age and ethnicity in England and Wales. This data can be found in the Outcomes by Offences data tool, which can be downloaded from the Criminal Justice Statistics landing page here: Criminal Justice Statistics. This data is part of a range of data produced by the Ministry of Justice which includes a broader review of ethnicity and the criminal justice system.Data on those with a mental health condition or a neurodivergent profile is not collated centrally by the Ministry of Justice. Where an individual is convicted, sentencing guidelines stipulate that the court must consider issues of neurodiversity at sentencing, taking an individualistic approach, recognising that the levels of impairment caused by any condition will vary significantly between individuals.

How many individuals arrested under section 1 of the Assaults on Emergency Workers (Offences) Act 2018 were also arrested for other offences at the same time in each year since that Act's commencement; and in how many of those cases the other offences were subsequently dropped.

The information requested is not held by the Home Office.The Home Office collects and publishes data on arrests in England and Wales, by financial year, sex, ethnicity, age group, offence group, and Police Force Area, as part of the Police Powers and Procedures statistical series. The latest data is available here: Stop and search, arrests, and mental health detentions, March 2025 - GOV.UKHowever, data is collected by broader offence group, e.g. ‘Violence against the person’, therefore data on arrests for more specific offences such as those under section 1 of the Assaults on Emergency Workers (Offences) Act 2018 are not available

How many individuals were arrested under section 1 of the Assaults on Emergency Workers (Offences) Act 2018 in each year since its introduction; and how many of those arrests resulted in no further action or were not charged.

The information requested is not held by the Home Office.The Home Office collects and publishes data on arrests in England and Wales, by financial year, sex, ethnicity, age group, offence group, and Police Force Area, as part of the Police Powers and Procedures statistical series. The latest data is available here: Stop and search, arrests, and mental health detentions, March 2025 - GOV.UKHowever, data is collected by broader offence group, e.g. ‘Violence against the person’, therefore data on arrests for more specific offences such as those under section 1 of the Assaults on Emergency Workers (Offences) Act 2018 are not available

What data his Department holds on the ethnicity of individuals convicted under section 1 of the Assaults on Emergency Workers (Offences) Act 2018; and what steps are being taken to monitor and address any disparities.

The Ministry of Justice routinely publishes data on the number of convictions at criminal courts for an assault on an emergency worker by age and ethnicity in England and Wales. This data can be found in the Outcomes by Offences data tool, which can be downloaded from the Criminal Justice Statistics landing page here: Criminal Justice Statistics. This data is part of a range of data produced by the Ministry of Justice which includes a broader review of ethnicity and the criminal justice system.Data on those with a mental health condition or a neurodivergent profile is not collated centrally by the Ministry of Justice. Where an individual is convicted, sentencing guidelines stipulate that the court must consider issues of neurodiversity at sentencing, taking an individualistic approach, recognising that the levels of impairment caused by any condition will vary significantly between individuals.