Written questions by Anderson.

What steps his Department is taking to improve (a) diagnosis time and (b) medical care for people with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is now commonly referred to as metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), although the terms are still often used interchangeably.While the Department has not had any recent discussions with medical professionals about care for people with MASLD, NHS England has recently commenced a programme for the transformation of liver services. This programme is being led by the NHS England Hepatobiliary and Pancreas Clinical Reference Group (HPB CRG). HPB CRG is working with partners to co-produce resources to raise public knowledge and awareness of all forms of liver disease. In time, this may include incorporating liver health checks into the NHS Making Every Contact Count and NHS Health Checks initiatives.The HPB CRG is also aiming to improve early diagnosis and intervention through developing evidence-based best-practice pathways for both primary care and referral to secondary care services. The HPB CRG is looking at access and equity of access to diagnostic tests across England and exploring the applicability of automated Fib4 tests and Intelligent Liver Function Testing, potentially utilising community diagnostic centres.The British Society for Gastroenterology is currently updating its pathways and guidance for MASLD for both primary and secondary care, diagnostics, and treatment, which we anticipate will be published soon. There are also a number of ongoing National Institute for Health and Care Excellence assessments looking at new treatments for MASLD, including Resmetirom and Semaglutide. Outputs and recommendations are expected to be published in mid-2026.Clinical teams also have access to NHS England’s Getting it Right First Time Advice and Guidance toolkit and templates for gastroenterology, which feature advice on managing abnormal liver function tests and MASLD. These templates enable general practitioners to seek timely advice from secondary care specialists, helping to reduce unnecessary delays.

What recent discussions his Department has had with medical professionals about care for people with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is now commonly referred to as metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), although the terms are still often used interchangeably.While the Department has not had any recent discussions with medical professionals about care for people with MASLD, NHS England has recently commenced a programme for the transformation of liver services. This programme is being led by the NHS England Hepatobiliary and Pancreas Clinical Reference Group (HPB CRG). HPB CRG is working with partners to co-produce resources to raise public knowledge and awareness of all forms of liver disease. In time, this may include incorporating liver health checks into the NHS Making Every Contact Count and NHS Health Checks initiatives.The HPB CRG is also aiming to improve early diagnosis and intervention through developing evidence-based best-practice pathways for both primary care and referral to secondary care services. The HPB CRG is looking at access and equity of access to diagnostic tests across England and exploring the applicability of automated Fib4 tests and Intelligent Liver Function Testing, potentially utilising community diagnostic centres.The British Society for Gastroenterology is currently updating its pathways and guidance for MASLD for both primary and secondary care, diagnostics, and treatment, which we anticipate will be published soon. There are also a number of ongoing National Institute for Health and Care Excellence assessments looking at new treatments for MASLD, including Resmetirom and Semaglutide. Outputs and recommendations are expected to be published in mid-2026.Clinical teams also have access to NHS England’s Getting it Right First Time Advice and Guidance toolkit and templates for gastroenterology, which feature advice on managing abnormal liver function tests and MASLD. These templates enable general practitioners to seek timely advice from secondary care specialists, helping to reduce unnecessary delays.

What steps her Department is taking to support regional airports.

Regional airports connect all regions of the UK to national and international opportunities. They serve our local communities by supporting thousands of jobs while maintaining social and family ties and strengthening the bonds between the four nations. The UK aviation market operates predominantly in the private sector. Airports invest in their infrastructure to attract passengers and airlines, while airlines are well placed to deliver services to their customers by responding to demand for different routes. Ministers and officials at the Department meet regularly with regional airports to discuss issues such as regional air connectivity. Government supports connectivity through our joint funding of three Public Service Obligation (PSO) routes into London from Newquay, Dundee and Derry/Londonderry.

Communities and Local Government, what recent assessment he has made of the impact of immigration on housing availability.

I refer the hon. Member to the answers given to Question UIN 62663 on 22 July 2025 and to Question UIN 51990 on 19 May 2025.

Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to support independent museums.

This Government supports independent museums around the country through funding delivered via Arts Council England (ACE), with ACE investing over £80 million in museums in 2025/26 across its programmes. This funding includes £25 million to support museums across England with urgent infrastructure and maintenance backlogs through the Museum Estate and Development Fund, and a brand new £20 million Museum Renewal Fund, both announced last February, in addition to core programming funding for the over 200 museum sites forming part of the National Portfolio. As the National Development Agency for Museums, ACE also funds the Museum Development Network, providing expert advice to smaller museums across the country, and delivers Cultural Property functions that support museums with everything from insurance, to new acquisitions. Most recently, eligible independent museums could apply to the latest round of the £4 million DCMS/Wolfson Museums and Galleries Improvement Fund, launched in September 2025 to support local and regional museums to improve displays, enhance collections care and make exhibitions more accessible to wider audiences. Independent museums are also supported through government schemes including the VAT Refund Scheme for museums and galleries, and the Museums and Galleries Exhibitions Tax Relief.

What steps his Department is taking to reduce reoffending rates.

Reoffending in England and Wales costs taxpayers £22.7 billion per year (adjusted to 24/25 prices). Tackling reoffending is crucial to reducing crime, reducing demand on prison and probation services and protecting the public.Working across Government, we are taking steps to tackle the root causes of reoffending by investing in a range of interventions which address offenders’ underlying criminogenic needs and support their rehabilitation journey. This includes, but is not limited to, education, employment, accommodation and substance misuse treatment services.We have launched regional Employment Councils, which for the first time bring businesses together with prisons, probation, and the Department for Work and Pensions to support prison leavers. We are expanding our community accommodation service to support prison leavers at risk of homelessness by providing up to 12 weeks of temporary accommodation for those under probation supervision. And we have funded Incentivised Substance-Free Living units (ISFLs) in 85 prisons, where prisoners sign a behaviour compact, agree to be regularly drug tested and can access enhanced opportunities compared to a standard wing.

Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to reduce homelessness in (a) Ashfield constituency and (b) Nottinghamshire.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 99477 on 19 December 2025.

What steps her Department are taking to ensure rural communities can access in person banking services.

Banking is changing, with many customers benefitting from the convenience and flexibility of managing their finances remotely. However, Government understands the importance of face-to-face banking to communities and is committed to supporting sufficient access for customers in rural areas and across the country.Through the Financial Services and Markets Act 2023, the Government gave the Financial Conduct Authority regulatory responsibility for access to cash. Its rules ensure cash continues to be a viable method of payment for the millions of people who depend on it by providing reasonable access to cash withdrawal and deposit facilities for individuals and businesses, including free services for personal accounts. In addition to traditional bank branches, the financial services industry is committed to rolling out 350 banking hubs across the UK by the end of this Parliament. Over 240 hubs have been announced so far, and more than 200 are already open. Government is working closely with industry on this commitment, including through regular ministerial engagement. Most recently, on 8 January, I chaired a roundtable with banks, Cash Access UK and UK Finance to discuss banking hubs. Banking hubs are allocated based on independent assessments by LINK, which consider factors such as branch closures, cash reliance and community vulnerability. The criteria also differentiate between rural and urban areas. For example, LINK applies a wider three-mile catchment area in rural locations to recognise that villages often rely on nearby market towns. Customers can also access everyday banking services at a nearby Post Office. The Post Office Banking Framework allows personal and business customers of participating banks to withdraw and deposit cash, check their balance, pay bills and cash cheques at over 10,000 Post Office branches across the UK. The Government protects the Post Office network by setting minimum access criteria. These include ensuring that 99% of the UK population lives within three miles of a Post Office and 90% of the population within one mile.Beyond bank branches, banking hubs and Post Office banking services, some banks also provide points of access through initiatives such as pop-up services in libraries and community centres, or mobile banking vans serving remote areas. The Government supports initiatives which give customers access to in-person banking, as well as digital access.

What recent assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the national safeguarding guidelines for (a) primary and (b) secondary schools.

Schools and colleges have a critical role to play in protecting children and keeping them safe. The department publishes statutory safeguarding guidance Keeping children safe in education (KCSIE) which all schools and colleges must have regard to when carrying out their duties to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. KCSIE is subject to regular review to ensure it is kept up to date and relevant. We are proposing to make changes to KCSIE 2026 and plan to launch a public consultation very soon.

If he will make it his policy to reopen local magistrate courts that have been closed to help clear the court case backlog.

50% of magistrates’ courts were closed under previous Governments between 2010 and 2020.Estate capacity is not a limiting factor to sitting the funded days in the magistrates courts. In other words, we are investing in more court staff, legal aid and judge time so that magistrates can hear more cases - up to £450 million in additional courts funding per year. There is therefore a difference between system capacity and physical capacity of courtrooms. Running courtrooms requires not just available courtrooms, but judicial time, and sufficient numbers of legal professionals.We continue to keep the court estate under review to ensure it meets operational priorities. Projects to boost court capacity across the country include a new Magistrate’s Court in Blackpool and an additional 18 court rooms in the City of London.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she plans to review the suitability of Turkey as a recipient of foreign aid.

Decisions on allocations of Official Development Assistance for the next three years are currently under consideration, and will be announced in the usual way.

What steps the UK is taking to combat international drug trafficking networks.

Drugs have a devastating impact on the health of individuals and communities.The Home Office and UK Law Enforcement, particularly Border Force and the National Crime Agency, delivers a significant amount of operational activity to detect and seize illicit drugs being trafficked to the UK and to secure our border. Our strategy focuses on working closely with law enforcement partners upstream to stop drug trafficking at source and across the supply chain, targeting the gangs responsible, and bringing them to justice.In the year ending March 2025, Border Force seized over 150 tonnes of illegal drugs from overseas; the highest amount on record and a 40% increase on the amount seized in the year ending March 2024.Serious criminals are constantly developing their approaches to traffic drugs into the UK in response to our efforts at the border and we recognise that we must continue to adapt our approach.

What steps her Department is taking to encourage outdoors learning in schools.

The department believes all children and young people should have access to a broad and balanced curriculum and a variety of enrichment opportunities at school. The value of nature for outdoor learning and for learners’ wellbeing is fundamentalto the department Sustainability and Climate Change Strategy and it is woven throughout initiatives such as the National Education Nature Park. Delivered by the Natural History Museum, it provides curriculum aligned resources and encourages children and young people to get outside and take action to improve the biodiversity of their school grounds. It also supports the development of physical and mental wellbeing through active, hands-on engagement with the natural world. The value of outdoor learning is being recognised and promoted through our upcoming Enrichment Framework, which includes 'Nature, outdoors and adventure' as one of five categories that schools and colleges should seek to cover in a broad and well-rounded enrichment offer.

What data her Department holds on the reliability of bus services in England.

The Department for Transport publishes data on bus reliability and punctuality in England. This can be found on GOV.UK at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/bus-statistics-data-tables#bus-reliability-and-punctuality-bus09.

What steps her Department is taking to help improve reliability on the railways.

Improving performance is one of this Government’s strategic priorities for transport, we are determined to enhance services for passengers and deliver better value for money for the taxpayer. In response to our challenge to improve performance, the rail industry has set out a Performance Restoration Framework, with five clear areas of focus to recover performance to acceptable levels, including timetable resilience, staffing and how to keep trains moving during disruptive events. The Department has been clear with operators and Network Rail about its expectations on performance, and how operators and Network Rail will deliver for passengers and meet their needs - this includes cancellations. The Department expects train operators to mitigate disruption and provide reliable services for passengers wherever possible. To improve reliability and reduce traincrew related cancellations, we have developed a seven-point plan for traincrew, which we have built into business plan requirements. Operators have provided a concise, data-driven and evidence-based plan for how they will deliver the seven-point plan as part of their Business Plan responses, which were submitted in early December. These plans cover staffing levels, recruitment, training, overtime and planning efficiency to improve reliability. The Rail Minister is continuing to meet with the Managing Directors of all train operators and their Network Rail counterparts, to address poor performance and demand immediate action to raise standards.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of banning of petrol and diesel car sales after 2030 on the attractiveness of the UK as a destination for investment.

In 2024, the UK exported 77% of the cars it produced, and non zero emissions cars can continue to be sold internationally beyond 2030.

What steps he is taking to ensure that imported electrical products meet British safety standards.

UK product safety regulations require that all consumer products placed on the market must be safe. The Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 2016 place responsibilities on importers of electrical products to ensure their safety and compliance with the law. The Office for Product Safety and Standards and Local Authority Trading Standards enforce these laws and can require the removal of non-compliant or unsafe products from supply. While standards can be designated by Government as a voluntary route for businesses to demonstrate compliance with the law, businesses remain responsible for ensuring products comply with the full regulatory requirements.

What recent assessment he has made of the potential impact of the banning of petrol and diesel car sales after 2030 on the British automobile manufacturing industry.

The Government remains committed to the transition to Zero Emission Vehicles, and to making sure the transition works for industry. That is why we introduced significant changes to the ZEV Mandate last year, allowing for greater flexibility in meeting the targets. We have also committed £4 billion in funding for DRIVE35, which is the biggest government investment in our automotive sector in decades. In addition, we are investing an additional £1.3 billion in the Electric Car Grant.

What assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the national curriculum in teaching British values.

All schools are expected to actively promote fundamental British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, and mutual respect and tolerance for those of different faiths and beliefs.Schools are free to include a full range of issues, ideas, and materials in their curriculum.Following the Curriculum and Assessment Review, the government will make citizenship statutory at key stages 1 and 2. Content at primary and secondary will include media literacy, law and rights, democracy and government, to enable children to be informed and active participants in society. Covering these issues in citizenship will ensure we continue to focus on schools’ role in developing fundamental British values, including mutual tolerance and respect.Proposals will be consulted on from 2026 and we are working towards a first teaching of the new curriculum from September 2028.

What steps his Department is taking to strengthen the resilience of the military from potential cyber attack.

Defence prioritises cyber security of its systems and implements a range of measures, including security and monitoring tools, to support cyber resilience and protect as far as possible from attack. Details of the measures are not shared publicly for security reasons. In autumn 2025 we established Defence Cyber & Electromagnetic Force (DCEMF) to unify and advance previously fragmented and nascent capabilities, while empowering leadership to deliver operational advantage across the domain. This is in recognition of the critical importance of Cyber and Electromagnetic operations and capabilities in an increasingly complex and uncertain geopolitical environment. The DCEMF plays a central role in ensuring the UK remains competitive against peer adversaries in cyberspace and electromagnetic operations, driving the development of a technologically advanced Integrated Force capable of outthinking, outmanoeuvring, and outpacing its opponents.