Written questions by Conlon.

Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking through the Creative Foundations Fund to increase access to arts and culture in (a) Beckenham and Penge constituency and (b) other areas.

The government wants to ensure everyone has access to high quality institutions in the places they call home. The new Creative Foundations Fund will invest £85 million to support arts and cultural organisations across England to resolve urgent issues with their estates. This will ensure their buildings and infrastructure will provide improved user experience for visitors and ensure they can be enjoyed by visitors for many more years to come. Guidance for the fund was published at the end of May and Arts Council England will be accepting Expressions of Interest from 30 June. With grants available from £100,000 and up to £10 million, this fund is a significant opportunity for eligible organisations across the country, including those in the Beckenham and Penge constituency, to address their capital needs.

What steps her Department is taking to introduce mandatory early screening for dyslexia in (a) Beckenham and Penge constituency and (b) nationally.

This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life.The Core Content Framework and Early Career Framework, for trainee and Early Career Teachers (ECTs) respectively, cover the first three years or more at the start of a teacher’s career. They set out the core body of knowledge skills and behaviours that define great teaching, and from September 2025 will be superseded by the combined Initial Teacher Training and Early Career Framework (ITTECF), which sets out a minimum entitlement to training and must be used by providers of initial teacher training and those delivering training to ECTs to create their curricula. The ITTECF contains significantly more content related to adaptive teaching and supporting pupils with SEND.We recognise that the early identification of need and support is critical to improving outcomes for children and young people with SEND, including those with dyslexia, and measures have been introduced to support the effective teaching of reading. This includes the English Hubs programme, the publication of the reading framework and an updated list of high-quality systematic synthetic phonics programmes for schools.To improve early identification, we have commissioned evidence reviews from University College London which will highlight what the best available evidence suggests are the most effective strategies to identify and support children and young people with different types of needs in mainstream schools.Additionally, the ‘What Works in SEND’ research programme will research tools that schools can use to identify the needs of neurodivergent children. The research is expected to be completed by March 2026.

What steps her Department is taking to improve teacher training on dyslexia in mainstream settings in (a) Beckenham and Penge and (b) across the country.

This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life.The Core Content Framework and Early Career Framework, for trainee and Early Career Teachers (ECTs) respectively, cover the first three years or more at the start of a teacher’s career. They set out the core body of knowledge skills and behaviours that define great teaching, and from September 2025 will be superseded by the combined Initial Teacher Training and Early Career Framework (ITTECF), which sets out a minimum entitlement to training and must be used by providers of initial teacher training and those delivering training to ECTs to create their curricula. The ITTECF contains significantly more content related to adaptive teaching and supporting pupils with SEND.We recognise that the early identification of need and support is critical to improving outcomes for children and young people with SEND, including those with dyslexia, and measures have been introduced to support the effective teaching of reading. This includes the English Hubs programme, the publication of the reading framework and an updated list of high-quality systematic synthetic phonics programmes for schools.To improve early identification, we have commissioned evidence reviews from University College London which will highlight what the best available evidence suggests are the most effective strategies to identify and support children and young people with different types of needs in mainstream schools.Additionally, the ‘What Works in SEND’ research programme will research tools that schools can use to identify the needs of neurodivergent children. The research is expected to be completed by March 2026.

What steps she is taking to improve mental health support in schools in (a) Beckenham and Penge constituency and (b) other areas.

This government is committed to improving mental health support for all children and young people, including those in Beckenham and Penge. This is critical to high and rising standards in schools and breaking down barriers to opportunity, helping pupils to achieve and thrive in education.The government will provide access to specialist mental health professionals in every school by expanding Mental Health Support Teams (MHSTs), so every child and young person has access to early support to address problems before they escalate. On 16 May, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education announced that an additional 900,000 pupils in schools and learners in further education in England will be covered by an MHST over the next year, taking the total number of pupils covered by teams to around 60%. In Bromley local authority, 66% of pupils/learners and 55% of schools/colleges are supported by an MHST, as at end 2024/25, compared to 52% and 41% nationally, respectively.The government will also recruit an additional 8,500 new mental health staff to treat children and adults, and open new Young Futures Hubs with access to mental health support workers.To support education staff, the department provides a range of guidance and practical resources on promoting and supporting pupils’ mental health and wellbeing, such as a resource hub for mental health leads and a toolkit to help schools choose evidence-based early support for pupils.

What steps she is taking to use technology to improve school standards.

Technology is at the centre of mission-led government and our Plan for Change. The government is using the combined power of data, digital services and technology to modernise our education system, back our teachers and deliver for our children across the country.We are investing £25 million in upgrading wireless networks in schools through our Connect the Classroom programme next year, which will enable thousands more children to get online at school.We have published digital and technology standards to help schools and colleges make better decisions about technology, leading to safer, more cost-efficient practices and new learning opportunities for students.Our new service ‘Plan technology for your school’ will cut time and money spent on buying tech, helping leaders navigate an often-complex market and ensuring every penny spent will mean better standards for pupils and teachers. Further information can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/plan-technology-for-your-school.The department is supporting teachers to use technology well. All new teachers will be trained on the effective use of assistive technology to support children with special educational needs and disabilities.The EdTech Evidence Board pilot will explore how we build evidence of artificial intelligence products that work well, helping education settings choose products that work well for them and their classrooms.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of extending the Warm Homes Discount to households in receipt of means-tested benefits on people receiving those benefits.

We have recently consulted on the expansion of the Warm Home Discount, giving more eligible households £150 off their energy bills. These proposals would end the use of the property high cost to heat threshold, making all energy billpayers who are on a qualifying means tested benefit eligible for the Discount. This would bring around 2.7 million households on a qualifying means-tested benefit into the scheme – pushing the total number of households that would receive the discount next winter up to around 6 million. The consultation closed on 24 March, DESNZ has considered the responses and a Government response will be published in due course.

What recent progress her Department has made on improving neighbourhood policing in (a) Beckenham and Penge constituency and (b) the UK.

The Government is committed to strong neighbourhood policing for everyone in England and Wales, no matter where they live.As the Prime Minister announced on 10 April, by July, every community will have named, and contactable officers dedicated to addressing the issues facing their communities as part of the Government’s Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee.We are providing £200 million to police forces in financial year 2025/26 to support the first steps of delivering 13,000 more neighbourhood policing personnel.The Metropolitan Police has been allocated £45,639,456 from the £200 million fund for 2025/26. Based on their funding allocation, the projected growth for neighbourhood officers in the Metropolitan Police over 2025/26 will be 420 (FTE) police officers and 50 (FTE) Police Community Support Officers.

What recent progress he has made on establishing an infected blood compensation scheme.

The Infected Blood Compensation Scheme is now established in law, the regulations having been approved by Parliament in March. The Infected Blood Compensation Authority (IBCA) began compensation payments to people who are infected in December last year. As of 20 May, IBCA has contacted 1,033 people to begin a claim for compensation and has made offers to 236 people, totalling over £206 million. IBCA’s aim is that all registered infected people will have been contacted to start their claim by the end of this year.

What steps her Department is taking to tackle (a) shoplifting and (b) violence against shopworkers (i) in Beckenham and Penge constituency and (ii) nationally.

This Government is committed to tackling retail crime and is absolutely clear that everybody has a right to feel safe at their place of work. Through our Crime and Policing Bill, we have introduced a standalone offence of assaulting a retail worker to protect the hardworking and dedicated staff that work in stores.The Bill will also repeal existing legislation which makes shop theft of and below £200 a summary-only offence, which means it can only be tried in a magistrate’s court. This will send a clear message that any level of shop theft is illegal and will be taken seriously.We will provide £5 million over the next three years to continue to fund a specialist analysis team within Opal, the national policing intelligence unit for serious, organised acquisitive crime.We will also invest £2 million over the next three years in the National Business Crime Centre which provides a resource for both police and businesses to learn, share and support each other to prevent and combat crime.Further, the National Police Chiefs' Council will receive funding to give further training to police and retailers on prevention tactics. The training will aim to empower retailers to develop and implement tactics to prevent retail crime across all of the UK.I speak regularly with representatives of the retail sector and chair the Retail Crime Forum which brings together policing and industry to discuss practical ways to work together to tackle retail crime.

What steps her Department is taking to support victims of the Windrush scandal.

This government is determined to put right the appalling injustices caused by the Home Office’s treatment of members of the Windrush community, making sure that those affected receive the compensation they deserve quickly and ensuring cultural change is embedded permanently into the fabric of the department.We are committed to engaging directly with the communities most affected to understand their views and priorities, and to ensure their voices are heard. Both I and the Home Secretary have met, and will continue to listen to, those directly affected by the scandal and representatives of groups advocating for them.In February, we launched the recruitment for a Windrush Commissioner, which marks a vital step in resetting the government’s response to the Home Office Windrush scandal. The Commissioner will serve as an independent advocate for those affected, assure delivery of the Windrush Compensation Scheme and hold the department to account as we learn the lessons of the past to drive improvements. The immediate priority is to appoint the right person into the role and ensure they engage swiftly with impacted communities to truly understand what they need and identify how the Commissioner can deliver meaningful change through their role.We have injected £1.5 into a programme of grant funding for organisations to provide support for Compensation Scheme applicants who need additional help with the application process, ensuring claimants feel supported.  We invited applications for funding on 11th April 2025, with successful organisations expected to be announced by summer 2025.Financial compensation cannot make up for what has been lost but we are committed to giving the maximum amount at the earliest point possible and doing so with compassion and understanding.This is why we introduced a new single named caseworker process in July so the individuals who apply for compensation are better supported and have increased transparency on the progress of their claim. The time taken to allocate claims has also been reduced significantly, down to six weeks from 3 months a year ago. The time taken to finalise a claim has similarly reduced significantly now down to approximately 3 months compared to 6-7 months a year ago.We also have a dedicated Vulnerable Persons Team who provide trusted help and advice to vulnerable people in urgent need. The Vulnerable Persons Team also administers the Urgent and Exceptional Payments policy, which provides immediate financial support to people in urgent need.

Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to support shared ownership leaseholders who are unable to sell their homes as a result of changes to lease terms following the implementation of the Building Safety Act 2022.

The Building Safety Act ensures that those who built defective buildings take responsibility for remedying them; that the industry contributes to fixing the problem; and that leaseholders are protected in law from crippling bills for historical safety defects.For shared owners, Schedule 8, paragraph 6(5) of the Building Safety Act provides that any contributions required towards remediation costs are capped according to the size of the share they own at the time their lease became qualified for the protections. This position does not change should a shared owner later increase their share by staircasing, including up to 100%.The government has also introduced guidance to support shared owners who continue to face challenges due to building safety issues, including that requests to sub-let should always be accepted by registered providers of social housing in England (though where required, shared owners may also need permission from their mortgage lender and/or the building’s freeholder).

What steps she is taking to support local authorities to ensure that children in foster care arrangements are placed in a suitable home.

The department is supporting local authorities to recruit and retain more foster carers so that councils can find more suitable foster homes, resulting in greater choice for better placement matching for the children in their care. Currently, there are 10 fostering regional programmes active across England, collaborating with 64% of all local authorities to recruit and retain foster carers who will provide loving homes local to the children who need them.As part of children’s social care reform, we are providing £15 million of funding in 2025/26 to recruit and retain more foster carers. We will also provide an additional £25 million for fostering covering the 2026/27 and 2027/28 financial years. As part of this model, we are supporting foster carers and children by expanding ‘The Mockingbird Family Model’. Evaluation shows that Mockingbird improves carer retention, meaning that local authorities have a greater number of suitable fostering places available.In addition, the department funds ‘Fosterlink’, a diagnostic support service for local authority fostering services, which reviews current processes to identify areas for service and practice improvements to support recruitment and retention. The department is also continuing to fund ‘Fosterline’, a free helpline service for current and prospective foster carers.

What steps his Department has taken to encourage small businesses to export in (a) Beckenham and Penge constituency and (b) the UK.

The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) is committed to supporting UK businesses, including those in the Beckenham and Penge constituency, to grow and export.Under the umbrella of the recently announced Business Growth Service, UK businesses can access DBT’s wealth of export support via Great.gov.uk. This comprises an online support offer and a wider network of support including the Export Academy, UK Export Finance and the International Markets network.We are targeting market access barriers in priority markets to open more opportunities for UK exporters and are looking at further proposals to help UK businesses to export more.

What discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on the UK's priorities for the UN Climate Change Conference 2025.

My Rt Hon friend the Secretary of State has regular discussions with Ministerial Colleagues on a number of issues, including driving forward the UK’s priorities for COP30. The joint work of countries committed to development, tackling climate change and multilateralism has never been more important. We are also working closely across Government to drive further international action, including withFCDO on the Global Clean Power Alliance and the Forest and Climate Leaders’ Partnership, andDefra on issues such as strong domestic action and international leadership on the Global Methane Pledge.

Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to provide safe accommodation for victims of domestic abuse.

This government is committed to tackling violence against women and girls and supporting victims of domestic abuse. Since 2021, local authorities in England have a duty under the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 to ensure victims of domestic abuse and their children have access to support within safe accommodation. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government provides funding to local authorities to deliver this duty. For 2025-26, £160 million has been allocated, a £30 million uplift from the previous year. This revenue funding is for local authorities to commission lifesaving support for victims and their children within safe accommodation. Funding for 2026/27 onwards will be a matter for the Spending Review. Statutory guidance to local authorities is available here providing further details on how the duty should be delivered. The current Affordable Homes Programme for 2021-2026 includes capital funding for new supply of supported housing, including domestic abuse safe accommodation. At Spring statement, the government announced an immediate injection of £2 billion to support delivery of the biggest boost in social and affordable housebuilding in a generation and contribute to our milestone of building 1.5 million safe and decent homes in this Parliament, including for victims of domestic abuse.

Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that sports facilities funding will encourage broader participation in sports by under-represented communities in (a) Beckenham and Penge constituency and (b) the UK.

The Government recognises that sports facilities are important to communities up and down the country. High-quality, inclusive facilities help people get active. Everyone, no matter who they are or where they live, should have access to high quality facilities and opportunities to participate in sport and physical activity. The Government has committed to continued funding for grassroots facilities. On 21 March, we announced £100 million funding to be delivered through the Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities Programme, supporting high-quality, inclusive facilities across the UK.Projects are required to demonstrate how they increase access and participation levels among under-represented groups, which includes women and girls, ethnic minority groups and disabled players. From 2025/26, the Football Foundation will use learnings from the Lionesses Futures Fund to inform the minimum ‘Women and Girls’ criteria for all major capital projects, which includes reserved peak-time slots, women and girls only evenings and priority booking for women and girl’s teams.Grassroots sport is also funded through the Government’s Arm’s Length Body, Sport England, who invest over £250 million in Exchequer and Lottery funding each year.

What steps his Department is taking to improve miscarriage care (a) in general and (b) for miscarriages occurring before 12 weeks of pregnancy.

The Government recognises that experiencing a miscarriage can be an extremely difficult time, and we are determined to make sure all women and babies receive safe, personalised, and compassionate care, particularly when things go wrong. It is vital that women seeking support, including in early pregnancy, get the care they need.We have launched the Baby Loss Certificate Service, which enables those who have experienced any pregnancy loss to record and receive a certificate to provide recognition of a baby loss, if they wish to do so. The Human Tissue Authority has also updated the guidance on the sensitive handling of pregnancy remains. We are continuing to work with NHS England to improve the Early Pregnancy Assessment Units’ services, by improving their availability and level of support. NHS England has also published a policy to support National Health Service employees and provide managers with advice on how to support people affected by baby loss, including paid leave.

Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to improve access to sports facilities for disabled people in (a) Beckenham and Penge and (b) the UK.

The Government is dedicated to making sport in this country accessible and inclusive for everyone. The Government has announced a further £100 million in funding to deliver new and improved multi-sport grassroots facilities and pitches across the whole of the UK. The Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities Programme’s aims include regular, weekly use by under-represented groups, including disabled people, so that everyone has the opportunity to participate.Sport England, the Government’s Arm’s Length Body for grassroots sport, is committed to increasing participation in sport and physical activity for disabled people and improving their access to sport facilities. Sport England runs specific initiatives like the 'We are Undefeatable' campaign, impacting directly on disabled people, and those with a long-term health condition. Sport England also has partnerships with organisations such as Disability Rights UK, Activity Alliance, Aspire, and Sense, to help more disabled people get active.

What steps her Department is taking to tackle mobile phone theft in (a) Beckenham and Penge constituency and (b) the UK.

On 6 February the Home Secretary brought together law enforcement and leading tech companies to drive greater collaboration in breaking the business model of mobile phone thieves.The Summit resulted in clear commitments from attendees to work in partnership, including to significantly boost the sharing of data and intelligence on mobile phone theft, in order to build a comprehensive picture of the problem and the role of organised crime networks.To aid police investigations and recovery of stolen goods, our Crime and Policing Bill also includes a measure to give police the power to enter and search premises for stolen property which has been electronically geolocation tracked to those premises, where it is not reasonably practicable to obtain a warrant without seriously prejudicing the entry and search purpose.Finally, we are committed to strengthening neighbourhood policing and through our Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee, we will place thousands of additional police officers and police community support officers in neighbourhood policing roles, to provide a more visible and effective response to the activities of mobile phone thieves operating in our communities.

What steps her Department is taking to tackle the antisocial use of off-road bikes in (a) Beckenham and Penge constituency and (b) the UK.

Tackling anti-social behaviour involving vehicles is a key priority for this Government, and a central part of our Safer Streets Mission.On 25 February 2025, the Crime and Policing Bill was introduced to Parliament. The Bill includes proposals to give the police greater powers to clamp down on all vehicles involved in anti-social behaviour, with officers no longer required to issue a warning before seizing these vehicles.This will allow the police to quickly remove the anti-social off-road bikes which blight our communities and send a clear message that their behaviour will not be tolerated.However, enforcement of the law in Beckenham and Penge, including in relation to tackling antisocial use of off-road bikes, will remain an operational matter for the Metropolitan Police.