Written questions by Anderson.

What steps his Department is taking to increase uptake for bowel cancer screenings.

Coverage of bowel cancer screening has been increasing in recent years. In 2019, 60.5% of people took the offer up, while now it is 71.8%.The bowel cancer screening programme has standards, including thresholds. The acceptable threshold is the lowest level of performance which screening services are expected to attain. The achievable threshold represents the level at which the screening service is likely to be running optimally.The threshold levels have recently been reviewed, with changes taking effect from 1 April 2025. The new coverage thresholds for people aged between 60 and 74 years old is an acceptable level of more than or equal to 62%, and an achievable level of more than or equal to 76%.To further increase coverage across England, NHS England is doing the following:delivering new approaches to communicating with people about screening through the NHS App;incorporating the reasonable adjustment flag into screening to ensure that people get information in the way they want, and that adjustments are made to support people at appointments;has recently updated the bowel cancer screening leaflets and is updating the bowel cancer screening letters to improve accessibility; andhas made the bowel cancer screening faecal immunochemical test kit more accessible for people who are blind or partially sighted.

What steps his Department is taking to improve support in the court system for victims of (a) rape and (b) sexual violence.

To ensure that victims, including those of rape and sexual violence, receive the right and timely support, the Ministry of Justice has announced record investment of £550 million in victim support services over the next three years of this Spending Review period.In addition, this Government is also taking decisive action to address long-standing issues that impact victims of rape and sexual violence. This includes:Funding a record number of sitting days and uncapping Crown Court sitting days in 26/27, so that more rape and other sexual offence cases can be heard.Introducing the Courts & Tribunals Bill to drive down the Crown Court caseload and reduce delays.Introducing a package of legislative measures to protect victims of sexual violence in particular from unnecessary and intrusive cross-examination about their personal lives at court.Announcing that we will introduce free Independent Legal Advisors this year, for victims and survivors of adult rape to help them to understand their legal rights.Testing the Operation Soteria model in courtrooms, to ensure rape cases focus on suspects, not victims.Rolling out trauma-informed training for all court staff, so that those who come into contact with victims at court understand how best to support their experience.

Whether he plans to review the medical exemption list for prescription charges.

The Government currently has no plans to review or amend the list of medical conditions that entitle someone to apply for a medical exemption certificate. No assessment has been made of the potential impact of prescription charges on people with inflammatory bowel disease.

What recent assessment he has made of the potential impact of prescription charges on people with IBD.

The Government currently has no plans to review or amend the list of medical conditions that entitle someone to apply for a medical exemption certificate. No assessment has been made of the potential impact of prescription charges on people with inflammatory bowel disease.

What steps he is taking to increase access to medication for people with IBD.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is the independent body that makes recommendations on whether all new medicines and significant licence extensions for existing medicines should be routinely funded by the National Health Service in England based on an assessment of clinical and cost effectiveness. In the last three years, NICE has recommended five new drugs for the treatment of moderate to severe Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, including upadacitinib, risankizumab, mirikizumab, etrasimod, and guselkumab. The NHS in England is legally required to fund medicines recommended by NICE, normally within three months of the publication of final guidance.

What steps he is taking to create an attractive business environment for inwards investment in the electronics industry.

The Government is ensuring the UK remains a top destination for foreign investment through policy stability, improving planning and championing competitive sectors. We are creating investable opportunities that drive productivity, highquality jobs and sustainable growth. The 2025 Trade Strategy builds on improvements to the Office for Investment to ensure our trade and international agreements strengthen FDI.The Industrial Strategy supports electronic firms through commitments to supply chains for advanced manufacturing including power electronics, clean energy technologies and digital. Priorities include automotive, batteries, aerospace, space and advanced materials, while semiconductors are identified as a key technology with its own semiconductor programme.

What steps he is taking to support electronic device repair businesses.

The Department offers a range of support offers for SMEs across the UK, including those in the electronic device repair sector as featured in the new Business Growth Service website. These measures are set out in the Small Business Plan released in July 2025; this includes the most significant legislative reforms in 25 years to tackle late payments; unlocking billions of pounds in financial support; removing unnecessary red tape; revitalising High Streets and boosting Digital and AI Adoption among small businesses. In Ashfield, and across Nottinghamshire, businesses can access free, impartial business advice through the government-backed Derbyshire & Nottinghamshire Growth Hub.

What steps his Department is taking to promote inward investment in electric appliance manufacturing in the UK.

The Department promotes inward investment in electric appliance manufacturing through targeted support from the Office for Investment and our global investment network. We work closely with devolved administrations and local partners to showcase the UK’s strengths, including world‑class R&D. Investors can access tailored advice, regulatory support, and incentives such as capital allowances and funding for innovation.The enhanced Office for Investment is actively pursuing and managing major investment projects that support national growth missions and infrastructure strategies, helping to make the UK the best investment destination in the world.

What steps she is taking to help promote British made buses.

The Government is committed to supporting the long-term strength and competitiveness of our bus manufacturing sector. In March 2025, the Minister for Roads and Buses launched the UK Bus Manufacturing Expert Panel, bringing together industry experts and local leaders to ensure the UK remains a leader in bus manufacturing. A key objective of the panel is to develop a pipeline of future bus orders to give better planning certainty to the sector and UK-based manufacturers. This pipeline has been published at: 10-year zero emission bus order pipeline - GOV.UK.Separately, on 12 March 26, my Department announced an additional £73.2 million of funding for 484 zero emission buses through the Zero Emission Bus Regional Area Programme (ZEBRA) for which UK manufacturers have already won the majority of orders for the 2,500 buses delivered so far.We are also providing further opportunities for UK manufacturers with the £15.6 billion of funding available over five years to improve local transport across some of the biggest city regions, giving local leaders the ability to allocate funding to upgrade and decarbonise their fleets.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to help raise public awareness of the dangers of irresponsible electronic waste disposal.

The WEEE Compliance Fee, paid under the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Regulations 2013 by electrical producers is used to provide project funding for consumer awareness campaigns in the UK, which are managed by Material Focus and highlight the importance of proper disposal and recycling of electrical waste. Defra recognises the importance of continued innovation in public awareness campaigns for the collection and treatment of waste electricals and electronics. The Circular Economy Growth Plan will consider the evidence for action right across the economy and evaluate what interventions may be needed. The Circular Economy Growth Plan is due to be published soon.

What recent assessment she has made about the potential impact of importing Chinese built electric buses on UK security.

The Government takes national security seriously and works closely with the transport sector and others to understand and respond to vulnerabilities for all transport modes.

What steps he is taking to promote British made electronic (a) devices and (b) appliances to consumers.

The government is supporting British made electronic devices and appliances by backing domestic manufacturers, promoting innovation, and strengthening product standards. We work closely with industry bodies such as AMDEA (Association of Manufacturers of Domestic Appliances), who lead consumer information campaigns helping shoppers identify high quality UK made products. We also continue to uphold strong safety standards through the Office for Product Safety and Standards. Through this partnership approach, we aim to boost the visibility, competitiveness and consumer confidence in British made electronics and appliances.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made about the potential impact of scale of electronic waste on the environment.

Defra has not conducted a formal assessment of the potential impact of scale of electronic waste on the environment. We recognise that this is an important issue which is why electrical and electronic waste is being considered under the Circular Economy Growth Plan which we intend to publish soon.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to help ensure electronic waste is safely disposed.

The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Regulations 2013 are founded on the principle of Extended Producer Responsibility, which requires the producers of electrical and electronic equipment to take responsibility for the environmental impact of the products they place on the market when they become waste. Under the WEEE Regulations, the cost of the collection, transport and subsequent environmentally sound treatment and recycling of household waste is financed by producers through membership of a Producer Compliance Scheme. Electrical and electronic equipment is part of our Circular Economy Growth Plan which considers the evidence for action right across the economy and what interventions may be needed. We intend to publish the Circular Economy Growth Plan soon.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to help reduce levels of electronic waste.

Defra is actively exploring how we can support circularity in electrical and electronic equipment; a successful transition to a Circular Economy aims to eliminate waste and promote sustainability through reuse and resource efficiency. As part of this, we recognise the importance of continued innovation in methods to reduce levels of waste electricals and electronics.

What steps his Department is taking to help improve the availability of (a) apprenticeships and (b) training courses in the electronic device repair industry.

The Level 3 Digital Device Repair Technician apprenticeship standard is available to support the electronic device repair industry, and other occupational standards are available to facilitate engineering and manufacturing skills more widely. To improve the availability of apprenticeships, from the next academic year, the government will fully fund apprenticeship training costs for eligible people aged under 25 at non-levy paying employers. The department currently pays the full training costs for young apprentices aged 16 to 21 at non-levy paying employers and apprentices aged 22-24 who have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) or have been, or are, in local authority care. From October 2026, non-levy paying employers will also receive a £2,000 incentive payment when they take on, as new employees, apprentices under the aged of 25, to help them meet the additional costs of supporting a young person at the beginning of their career. This is in addition to the £1,000 that the Government already pays to both employers (of all sizes) and providers for apprentices aged 16-18, and for apprentices aged 19-24 who have an EHCP or have been, or are, in local authority care. On top of this, employers will receive additional payments of up to £2,000 for foundation apprenticeships and employers are not required to pay anything towards employees’ National Insurance for all apprentices aged up to age 25 (when the employee’s wage is below £50,270 a year).

Innovation and Technology, what steps she is taking to ensure electrical devices built in the UK are made to high durability standards.

The government is committed to ensuring products made in the UK are to a high standard. The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology is not responsible for device durability standards. The Department for Business and Trade works closely with domestic manufacturers and industry bodies to strengthen standards and support shoppers in identifying high quality UK made products.

What steps she is taking to improve accessibility to Mobility Assessment Centres in (a) Nottinghamshire and (b) the East Midlands.

The Department for Transport is working closely with the Mobility Centres network (England) and DVLA to provide accessible and timely access to driving and mobility assessments. The Department recently provided additional funding to Mobility Centres, including to Centres across the Midlands, to facilitate the provision of assessments. It also provides targeted funding to support the upgrading of vehicle fleets, and to enhance the range of vehicle adaptations available. Better equipped and funded Centres will continue to improve accessibility for disabled and older people who live in the Midlands.

What data her department holds about the proportion of provisional driving license applications that were not assessed within DVLA target waiting times.

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) aims to process all applications as quickly as possible. There are no delays in applications for a provisional licence where there is no medical condition involved. The DVLA’s target for driving licence applications is to dispatch 95 per cent within three working days for straightforward online applications and 90 per cent within ten working days for straightforward paper applications. In the current financial year, the DVLA has achieved 100 per cent for online applications and 99.9 per cent for paper applications. Driving licence applications where a medical condition must be investigated can take longer to process as the DVLA is often reliant on receiving information from third parties, including medical professionals, before a licence can be issued. The DVLA is currently experiencing an increase in the volume and complexity of driving licence applications. Unfortunately, this has led to longer waiting times for some customers. In 2024/25 the DVLA made more than 830,000 medical licensing decisions with forecasts showing that more than 925,000 medical applications and notifications will be received in 2025/26. To keep up with growing customer demand and to offer a better service, the DVLA is updating its online service and is launching a new casework system which will deliver significant improvements to drivers with medical conditions. These enhancements, alongside the recruitment of additional staff to deal with medical applications and answer telephone calls, will deliver real improvements for customers.

Whether her department has held recent conversation with the DVLA regarding the time taken to process provisional driving license applications involving non-complex medical conditions.

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) aims to process all applications as quickly as possible. There are no delays in applications for a provisional licence where there is no medical condition involved. The DVLA’s target for driving licence applications is to dispatch 95 per cent within three working days for straightforward online applications and 90 per cent within ten working days for straightforward paper applications. In the current financial year, the DVLA has achieved 100 per cent for online applications and 99.9 per cent for paper applications. Driving licence applications where a medical condition must be investigated can take longer to process as the DVLA is often reliant on receiving information from third parties, including medical professionals, before a licence can be issued. The DVLA is currently experiencing an increase in the volume and complexity of driving licence applications. Unfortunately, this has led to longer waiting times for some customers. In 2024/25 the DVLA made more than 830,000 medical licensing decisions with forecasts showing that more than 925,000 medical applications and notifications will be received in 2025/26. To keep up with growing customer demand and to offer a better service, the DVLA is updating its online service and is launching a new casework system which will deliver significant improvements to drivers with medical conditions. These enhancements, alongside the recruitment of additional staff to deal with medical applications and answer telephone calls, will deliver real improvements for customers.