Written questions by Jopp.

What stages of recruitment are still to be completed for the Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration role.

The Home Affairs Select Committee’s pre-appointment hearing with the Government’s preferred candidate took place on 11 February.Once Ministers have finalised the appointment and the terms of appointment have been agreed, the new ICIBI will be announced in the normal way.Ministers agreed to extend David Bolt’s appointment term as interim ICIBI for a further period of up to three months, to enable sufficient time to conclude the recruitment process for a permanent ICIBI and ensure a smooth transition.

If she will make an assessment of the potential impact of changes to the sentencing powers of magistrates on court backlogs since October 2024.

Last November, we extended magistrates’ court sentencing powers from 6 to 12 months. It is premature to assess the impact of the policy due to the time it has been in place. The change enables more cases to be retained in the magistrates’ courts, freeing up capacity in the Crown Court for other cases to be heard. In general, magistrates’ courts hear cases more quickly than the Crown Court, therefore these cases will be dealt with faster, helping deliver swifter access to justice for victims. We will be able to properly assess the impacts of extending these sentencing powers once the policy has been in place for a sufficient period of time. This will allow sufficient cases to have worked through the system with outcomes and the data associated with those outcomes.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has made an assessment of the water quality of water from places with floating solar panels on the source.

Defra has made no such assessment. The Government takes the quality of all of our waterways very seriously; cleaning up our rivers, lakes and seas is a top Government priority and that is why we have commissioned an independent review to fundamentally transform how our water system works.

Pursuant to the Answer of 7 March 2025 to Question 35580, how far does a person have to travel to a driving test centre for it to be considered accessible.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s travel distance criteria service level agreement, states that most customers live within a certain distance of a driving test centre (DTC) dependent on the population density of the local authority they live in. For example, in more densely populated areas of the country where the population is equal to or greater than 1,250 persons per square kilometre, such as Spelthorne, the practical test centre should be located so that most customers travel no more than seven miles to a test centre. For customers in Spelthorne, depending in which part of the constituency they live, Isleworth, Chertsey, Slough, Tolworth, and Uxbridge DTCs respectively are within this travel distance criteria.

Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 11 March 2025 to Question 36002 on Solar Power: Reservoirs, which legislation could impact what can and cannot be done regarding installing solar panels on a reservoir.

While Defra is responsible for policy on water, including on reservoirs, it is not responsible for the legislation that is likely to apply concerning the installation of solar panels on a reservoir.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of floating solar panels on reservoirs on the Environment Agency's risk designation for such reservoirs.

When considering the risk designation of reservoirs, the Environment Agency looks at the volume of water that could be stored by the reservoir, along with the potential loss of life that could occur should there be an uncontrolled release of that water. The use of the reservoir for things such as solar panels does not affect the risk designation. If solar panels were to be installed on a reservoir, the Environment Agency would recommend that a qualified Panel Engineer is consulted to assess any associated reservoir safety risk. It is worth noting that there is other legislation that may apply which could impact on what can and cannot be done.

What steps she is taking to ensure adequate (a) provision and (b) accessibility of driving test centres in Spelthorne.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) is committed to providing its customers with the best service possible. DVSA continually reviews its estate to ensure it represents good value for money and is efficient. It currently has no plans for any additional driving test centres (DTCs) in Spelthorne. Isleworth, Chertsey, Slough and Tolworth DTCs are all accessible test centres for customers in the Spelthorne area. More information for customers booking a practical test who have a disability, health condition, or learning difficulty, can be found on GOV.UK.

How many people who are subject to a live deportation order have applied under the EU Settlement Scheme in Spelthorne.

The information requested is not available from published statistics.

What assessment his Department has made of whether air quality is a contributing factor to autism.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s Clinical Knowledge Summary on autism states that the precise cause of autism is unknown, but that genetic factors play a substantial role in the aetiology, and a number of environmental factors are also thought to play a part in development. Further information is available at the following link:https://cks.nice.org.uk/topics/autism-in-adults/background-information/causes-risk-factors/

What steps he is taking to help protect small businesses from regulatory burden.

The Government is developing an ambitious regulatory reform agenda to ensure that future regulation, or reforms to regulation, work for businesses and supports the Government’s growth mission. It is essential that we continue to identify areas where the costs of regulations may be unnecessarily high and burdensome for businesses. As part of this, we are working across government to identify regulatory reforms that will support the Industrial Strategy and Small Business Strategy. Our plans for the government’s overall regulatory vision will be set out in due course.

Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to take legislative steps to instruct councils to overturn decisions on use class properties.

The government has no plans to legislate to require planning decisions, including those related to change of use, to be overturned.Local planning authorities have the power to revoke or modify planning permission under section 97 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990.However, such action can only be taken before a planning permission has been implemented and the local authority may be liable to pay compensation to the developer.

What assessment he has made of the potential causes of the diagnoses of autism in young people.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s Clinical Knowledge Summary on autism states that the precise cause of autism is unknown, but that genetic factors play a substantial role in the aetiology, and a number of environmental factors are also thought to play a part in development. Further information is available at the following link:https://cks.nice.org.uk/topics/autism-in-adults/background-information/causes-risk-factors/

What assessment his Department has made of whether diet is a contributing factor to autism.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s Clinical Knowledge Summary on autism states that the precise cause of autism is unknown, but that genetic factors play a substantial role in the aetiology, and a number of environmental factors are also thought to play a part in development. Further information is available at the following link:https://cks.nice.org.uk/topics/autism-in-adults/background-information/causes-risk-factors/

Media and Sport, what plans she has to help protect small music venues.

The Government response to the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee's report on grassroots music venues sets out our commitment to working with the sector to support the sustainability of the entire music ecosystem. In particular, the Government is urging the live music industry to introduce a voluntary levy on tickets for stadium and arena shows, to help safeguard the future of the grassroots music sector.The Government has also announced £2.5m of continued funding for the Arts Council England’s Supporting Grassroots Music Fund for 2025-26. This enables grassroots music venues, recording studios, promoters and festivals to apply for grants of up to £40,000 to develop new revenue streams, make repairs and improvements, and enhance the live music experience for music lovers across the UK.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to reinstate dredging to increase river capacity.

Where watercourse maintenance is the responsibility of the Environment Agency (EA), it focuses its efforts on those activities which will achieve the greatest benefit in terms of protecting people and property from flooding. This includes dredging, which the EA will undertake an assessment of, working in close consultation with local communities. For many locations, there are more effective ways to protect land and communities from floods as part of a catchment-based approach.

What discussions she has had with Transport for London on including Spelthorne within the Oyster Zone.

Ministers and officials have regular conversations with Transport for London on a variety of issues. Transport in London is devolved to the Mayor and TfL is responsible for operational decisions. Operators can consider and propose zonal changes where a positive business case can be demonstrated.

What steps his Department plans to take to help small businesses with rent increases.

Small businesses are vital to our high streets and communities, and an essential part of the government’s mission for economic growth. Financial support for small businesses is available through the British Business Bank. Further advice and support are available through the Business Support Service, local Growth Hubs, and the Help to Grow: Management scheme. The Government is also taking forward a package of measures to tackle late payments, helping to improve the cash flow for small businesses across the UK.

Media and Sport, if he will visit Shepperton Studios.

Yes, ministers are keen to visit studios across the country, including Shepperton, and to continue to support the UK’s incredible film and HETV sector, which contributes billions to our economy, fuels tens of thousands of jobs and is a huge source of soft power on the global stage.

Whether her Department plans to take steps to support the provision of sixth form education in Spelthorne constituency.

The department is committed to improving access to educational opportunities for all young people by ensuring that they can access a quality educational offer that adds value and helps them to achieve their long term career aspirations and goals.There are six state-funded mainstream secondary schools in the Spelthorne constituency area, two of which have sixth forms: St Paul’s Catholic College (Ascension Catholic Academy Trust) and The Bishop Wand Church of England School (Instanter Learning Trust). St Paul’s is rated Outstanding by Ofsted, with a high performing sixth form, and Bishop Wand is rated Good. Spelthorne residents also attend Salesian School, another Ofsted rated Outstanding school, in neighbouring Runnymede.While these schools account for most of Spelthorne’s 16-18 year-olds, significant numbers also attend nearby further education colleges: Strode’s College in Egham (rated Good by Ofsted) and Esher Sixth Form College (rated Outstanding by Ofsted). Smaller numbers travel to Woking College and Harrow, Richmond & Uxbridge College.In terms of the oversight of local provision, local authorities have a statutory duty to identify and track the participation of 16 and 17 year-olds in education. This includes supporting those who are not participating to do so and making sure that there is sufficient and suitable education and training provision to meet their needs. If a local authority identifies a need for additional provision, they can negotiate with existing providers to expand their provision. Where that provider is an academy, the academy trust can then make a ‘significant change’ request for the department to consider.The local authority can also approach the department to submit a case to address a gap in post-16 provision for young people. The department has not received such a request from Surrey County Council, nor any significant change requests from Spelthorne schools.

If he will make an assessment of the potential merits of floating solar panels on reservoirs.

The Clean Power Action Plan calls for the rapid acceleration of solar deployment to 45-47 GW by 2030, which will require significant increases in all types of solar. The UK has already seen successful floating solar PV projects, such as the Queen Elizabeth II Reservoir. The Government is following with interest the ongoing research into floating solar PV deployment, whilst recognising current challenges with regards to technology and cost. The joint Government/Industry Solar Taskforce is looking at this technology and other innovative solar solutions. These will be highlighted in the Solar Roadmap, due for publication in Spring.