Written questions by Conlon.

What steps he is taking to improve community mental health services for young people in (a) Beckenham and Penge constituency and (b) England.

The Department recognises that children and young people, including in the Beckenham and Penge constituency, often face long waits for mental health support and are not receiving the care they need. We know that if that is to change, early intervention and prevention support in the community is vital. That is why we are providing £7 million of funding to extend support for 24 Early Support Hubs that have a track record of helping thousands of young people in their community.Building on this to go further, we are committed to providing open access mental health support for children and young people through Young Futures Hubs. Working with colleagues from across Government, we intend that the evidence and insights collected through our Early Support Hubs evaluation will support the delivery of Young Futures Hubs. This learning will inform our ambitions for community mental health and wellbeing support for children and young people, and ensure that they have access to the kinds of support they need.The Government will also recruit 8,500 additional mental health workers across child and adult mental health services and provide access to specialist mental health professionals in every school through expanding Mental Health Support Teams, so that every young person has access to early support to address problems before they escalate.

What steps her Department is taking to support high-street banking hubs in Beckenham and Penge constituency.

The Government understands the importance of face-to-face banking to communities and high streets in Beckenham and Penge and across the UK and is committed to championing sufficient access for all as a priority. This is why the Government is working closely with industry to roll out 350 banking hubs across the UK. The UK banking sector has committed to deliver these hubs by the end of this Parliament. Over 200 hubs have been announced so far, and over 100 are already open. The Financial Services and Markets Act 2023 granted the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) the responsibility and powers to seek to ensure the reasonable provision of cash withdrawal and deposit facilities. Under the FCA’s regime, LINK, the operator of the UK’s largest ATM network, is responsible for undertaking access to cash assessments. When a cash access facility such as a bank branch closes, or if LINK receives a request directly from a community, LINK assesses a community’s access to cash needs and can recommend a new service, such as a banking hub. A community request can be submitted to LINK via its website.Alternative options to access everyday banking services can be via telephone banking, through digital means such as mobile or online banking and via the Post Office. The Post Office Banking Framework allows personal and business customers to withdraw and deposit cash, check their balance, pay bills and cash cheques.

What steps she is taking to help end discrimination against disabled people.

This Government is committed to creating a more inclusive society, and championing the rights of disabled people. We will build on the insights shared by disabled people and their representative organisations, working closely with them so that their views and voices are at the heart of everything we do. Our new Lead Ministers for Disability network will help to ensure that we represent the interests of disabled people effectively and champion disability inclusion and accessibility across each government department, as they drive forward progress on our manifesto commitments and five missions. Our Equality (Race and Disability) Bill will introduce disability pay gap reporting for large employers and extend equal pay rights to protect workers suffering discrimination on the basis of race or disability. Mandatory pay gap reporting will help employers to identify and address where issues might lie. These recent steps work alongside the Equality Act 2010, which is the principal means through which disabled people are protected from discrimination in Great Britain. The Equality Act 2010 provides protection against discrimination, harassment and victimisation in the workplace and in wider society. It also requires employers and service providers to make reasonable adjustments for both job applicants and employees who meet the Act's definition of disability. Failure to make a reasonable adjustment is likely to be unlawful disability discrimination under the 2010 Act.

What steps she is taking to help ensure effective prosecution rates for (a) serious and (b) violent crime cases in Beckenham and Penge constituency.

We are taking strong action as part of our Plan for Change to tackle serious and violent crime.Our new Crime and Policing Bill will back our police by giving them enhanced and tougher powers to keep our streets safe, to tackle anti-social behaviour, and to crack down on knife crime.The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) prosecutes serious and violent crime robustly, providing early investigative advice on complex and serious offending to build strong cases and deliver justice for victims.The CPS is working with cross-government partners to support the delivery of the Safer Streets Mission and all CPS guidance and training is kept under constant review to ensure front-line prosecutors are equipped to prosecute these serious offences.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of compensation for water supply interruption in the Guaranteed Standards Scheme.

Strengthened protection and compensation for households and businesses was announced as part of the Government’s initial steps towards ending the crisis in the water sector. As such, the government confirmed on 17 December 2024 that water customers around the country will benefit from significantly higher payments to compensate them for water company service failures – including supply interruptions – under reforms to the Guaranteed Standards Scheme (GSS). Following our public consultation, the Government is now bringing forward secondary legislation increasing compensation to double the previous amounts or more and introducing new standards to broaden the scope of the scheme, underscoring our commitment to hold companies to account and stand up for consumers.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to improve the resilience of water infrastructure.

Ofwat published their final determinations for Price Review 2024 on 19 December, which sets company expenditure and customer bills for 2025-2030. This will deliver substantial, lasting, improvements for customers and the environment through a £104 billion upgrade for the water sector. This is the highest level of investment in the water sector since privatisation. This investment will be crucial to deliver the improvements in the sector that the public expect to see. This includes 3,000 projects to reduce storm overflow discharges, a major expansion in new water assets (including progressing nine new reservoirs), cutting leakage down by 17% and tripling the rate of mains replacement. This investment will deliver substantial, lasting improvements for customers and the environment and will be crucial to deliver the improvements the public expect to see.

What assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of access to NHS dental services in (a) Beckenham and Penge and (b) England.

The Dental Statistics - England 2023-24, published by NHS Business Services Authority on 22 August 2024, is available at the following link:https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/statistical-collections/dental-england/dental-statistics-england-202324In NHS South East London Integrated Care Board, which includes Beckenham and Penge constituency, 43% of adults were seen by a National Health Service dentist in the previous 24 months to June 2024, compared to 40% in England; and 57% of children were seen by an NHS dentist in the previous 12 months to June 2024, compared to 56% in England.The Government plans to tackle the challenges for patients trying to access NHS dental care with a rescue plan to provide 700,000 more urgent dental appointments and recruit new dentists to areas that need them most.

Innovation and Technology, what steps his Department is taking to improve the access to digital services for small businesses in Beckenham and Penge constituency.

The government is committed to delivering nationwide gigabit connectivity coverage by 2030. According to the independent website, Thinkbroadband.com, 93% of premises, including business premises, in the Beckenham and Penge constituency are already able to access gigabit speeds. According to Ofcom’s Connected Nations report, over 99% of the constituency is covered by a 4G signal from at least one operator.No-one, anywhere in the UK, should have difficulty using government services. The Government is committed to ensuring that its online and digital services are as accessible as possible for citizens and businesses.Although there are globally recognised standards for digital accessibility, this is only part of designing an inclusive service. That is why we will be revising the government service standards to incorporate requirements covering wider issues of inclusion and looking at extending their scope into the wider public sector.

Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to support the sustainability of local media, including in Beckenham and Penge constituency.

Sustainability of local journalism is an area of particular concern for this Government, across the country, including in the Beckenham and Penge constituency.We are developing a Local Media Strategy, in recognition of the importance of this vital sector. Our vision is a thriving local media that can continue to play an invaluable role as a key channel of trustworthy information at local level, reporting on the issues that matter to communities, reflecting their contributions and perspectives, and helping to foster a self-confident nation in which everyone feels that their contribution is part of an inclusive national story.We are working across Government and with other stakeholders as the Strategy develops and will announce further details in due course.

What steps his Department is taking to help NHS Trusts improve neo-natal care.

NHS England is implementing recommendations from the Neonatal Critical Care Review (2019) by investing £45 million in increasing neonatal cot capacity and assigning care coordinators for all Neonatal Operational Delivery Networks to implement care programmes, improving parent and family experiences.The Government continues to work with NHS England as it delivers its 3-year maternity and neonatal plan to grow its workforce, develop a culture of safety, and ensure women receive safe, compassionate care. NHS England has made good progress already, with 548 full-time equivalent (FTE) cot-side nurses having been recruited to expand the neonatal workforce, as well as the consultant obstetrician workforce increasing to 1,968 FTE. NHS England has funded a lead midwife focusing on retention for every trust, with the retention programme continuing in 2024/25.Additionally, neonatal nurses can undertake a Qualification in Specialty (QIS) training for neonatal care. This enables them to provide a higher level of care to critically ill or premature babies and offer crucial support to other nurses in the daily care of these babies.

Whether the NHS 10-year-plan will include measures on (a) midwifery and (b) neo-natal care.

While there are outstanding examples of maternity and neonatal care, there are also real issues that need to be addressed. We are determined to ensure that all women and their babies receive safe, personalised, and compassionate care, but improvements will take time to implement.We have committed to develop a 10-year plan to deliver a National Health Service fit for the future. As we work to develop and finalise the plan, I would encourage those concerned about maternity care to engage with that process so we can identify what the potential solutions are. Further information is available at the following link:https://change.nhs.uk/en-GB/

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing new and specific criminal offences relating to the irresponsible sale and use of catapults used to (a) injure people, (b) maim or kill animals and (c) damage property.

We are clear that catapults should not be used for illegal purposes, whether against wildlife, people or property.The law already provides the police with powers relating to the use of any item as an offensive weapon including a catapult, for example if used with anti-social behaviour or for criminal damage.Under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and the Wild Mammals (Protection) Act 1996, there are also offences around injuring and inflicting unnecessary suffering on wildlife. These measures give the police powers to deal with cases where wildlife is attacked, including cases involving the misuse of catapults.We continue to keep all relevant legislation under review in the interests of public safety.

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing criminal sanctions for the irresponsible (a) sale and (b) use of catapults.

We are clear that catapults should not be used for illegal purposes, whether against wildlife, people or property.The law already provides the police with powers relating to the use of any item as an offensive weapon including a catapult, for example if used with anti-social behaviour or for criminal damage.Under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and the Wild Mammals (Protection) Act 1996, there are also offences around injuring and inflicting unnecessary suffering on wildlife. These measures give the police powers to deal with cases where wildlife is attacked, including cases involving the misuse of catapults.We continue to keep all relevant legislation under review in the interests of public safety.

What steps his Department is taking to help support parents who have suffered from baby loss.

The Government recognises that experiencing a baby loss can be an extremely difficult time and we are determined to make sure all women, babies and their families receive safe, personalised and compassionate care, particularly when things go wrong.Many trusts have specialist bereavement midwives, who are trained to care for and support parents and families who have suffered the loss of their baby. All trusts are now signed up to The National Bereavement Care Pathway, which acts as a set of standards and guidance that trusts should follow when a patient has suffered a baby loss.Paid Parental Bereavement Leave was introduced in 2020. This entitlement is available to parents who lose a child under 18 years old, including where a baby is stillborn after 24 weeks of pregnancy.In February 2024, the Department launched the Baby Loss Certificate service. This service is a non-statutory, voluntary scheme to enable those who have experienced any pregnancy loss to record and receive a certificate to provide recognition of their loss if they wish to do so.

What steps he is taking to improve the standard of care available in the NHS for those suffering with liver conditions in (a) England and (b) Beckenham and Penge constituency.

The commissioning of services for liver conditions is the responsibility of integrated care systems. Integrated care systems are responsible for decisions on commissioning health services and reviewing those services to ensure they best meet the needs of their local population.NHS England has a Hepatobiliary and Pancreas Clinical Reference Group which provides clinical advice to NHS England in support of the commissioning of specialised services. By working in partnership with key stakeholders, the Clinical Reference Group helps drive improvements in the quality, equity, experience, efficiency, and outcomes of specialised services. The Clinical Reference Group is currently reviewing its service specification in relation to liver and pancreatic care, which is scheduled for completion before the end of the current financial year.Residents with liver conditions across the London Borough of Bromley, including those residing in Beckenham and Penge, are supported by the King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. The King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust offers a leading Liver Unit which treats a diverse range of liver conditions as well as rare diseases, alongside a tertiary treatment service for liver cancer. The trust also hosts the Institute of Liver Studies, which is a partnership between King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and Kings College London.Liver disease is a broad term for several conditions affecting the liver and pancreas, but the most prevalent cause of liver-related ill health and death is alcohol-related liver disease.The Department allocated local authorities £267 million in 2024/25 to improve the quality and capacity of drug and alcohol treatment and recovery. An additional £105 million from the Department of Health and Social Care, the Department for Work and Pensions, and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government is improving treatment pathways and recovery, housing, and employment outcomes for people affected by drug and alcohol use. The London Borough of Bromley was allocated £338,703 of targeted funding in 2024/25 for drug and alcohol treatment and recovery systems.

What assessment he has made of the adequacy of NHS support for people with (a) cirrhosis, (b) genetic conditions and (c) other liver conditions in (i) Beckenham and Penge constituency and (ii) the rest of England.

The Government is committed to improving the lives of those living with rare diseases, such as rare, genetic liver conditions.Since June 2022, 42 integrated care boards (ICBs) across England have been responsible for arranging healthcare services in the National Health Service which meet the needs of their respective populations. The ICB responsible for arranging healthcare services for Beckenham and Penge would be NHS South East London ICB. This ICB is the best placed to understand the policies and arrangements in place for the provision of local NHS healthcare services, including for most liver condition services which are delegated to ICBs.NHS England commissions a specialist paediatric liver service from three hospitals Birmingham Women's and Children's Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. This service provides assessment, diagnosis and management of children with all forms of liver disease. This includes provision of emergency, elective and planned care.

What steps he is taking to inform households of the Warm Homes Plan.

We have kick-started the Warm Homes Plan by announcing in October 2024 an initial £3.4 billion in funding for heat decarbonisation and energy efficiency over the next 3 years. In November, we announced we were almost doubling funding for the Boiler Upgrade Scheme in 2025/26 and changing planning regulations for heat pumps. We will set out full details of the Warm Homes Plan following the Spending Review.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of increasing the accountability of water company executives in the Water (Special Measures) Bill [HL].

For too long, water companies have discharged unacceptable levels of sewage into our rivers, lakes and seas. This Government is determined to ensure that executives have the right incentives to turn the performance of water companies around and agree that it is absolutely necessary to increase the accountability of water companies for wrongdoing. That is why the Water (Special Measures) Bill will provide the most significant increase in enforcement powers for the regulators in a decade, giving them the teeth they need to take tougher action against water companies and their executives. This Bill will ensure companies are held accountable by ensuring that imprisonment will always be available to the courts as a sentencing option where investigations by the environmental regulators have been obstructed. It will also enable automatic and severe fines for wrongdoing, making it possible for the regulators to take swift action against minor to moderate offences where currently a lengthy investigation is required. The Bill will introduce a statutory duty for all water companies in England and Wales to publish annual Pollution Incident Reduction Plans, and associated Implementation Reports. Chief Executives will be required to approve both the plan and the report and will be personally liable for their publication. We are also providing Ofwat with the powers to stop the payment of executive bonuses where companies breach specified standards relating to criminal liability, financial, environmental or consumer matters. Furthermore, under the new powers, Ofwat will test to ensure directors and executives meet clear standards of fitness and propriety before being appointed.

With reference to Clean Power 2030 Action Plan: A new era of clean electricity, published on 13 December 2024, what progress his Department has made on achieving clean power by 2030.

In addition to publishing our Clean Power 2030 Action Plan the Government has taken rapid action towards meeting our 2030 targets by: lifting the ban on onshore wind, establishing Great British Energy, consenting almost 2 GW of nationally significant solar, and delivering a record-breaking renewables auction. As announced last week, the Government will bring forward a Planning and Infrastructure Bill with new measures to prioritise projects and streamline the legal framework for critical infrastructure through the planning process.

What discussions he has had with his international counterparts on global cooperation on tackling climate change.

My Rt hon Friend the Secretary of State and I have regular discussions with international counterparts on global cooperation on tackling climate change, both bilaterally and in multilateral fora. For example, at COP29 we met directly with more than a dozen counterparts and worked closely with many more in order to reach the final agreement in Baku. This will continue to be a focus for both my Rt hon Friend and I throughout 2025 as we approach COP30 in Belem.