Written questions by Smart.

For what reason NHS England has designated vacuum bell therapy for pectus excavatum as the responsibility of Integrated Care Boards rather than including it within the specialised commissioning arrangements that cover surgical correction of pectus excavatum; and whether his Department plans to review that designation.

The factors that determine whether a service is a prescribed specialised service are: the number of individuals who require the service; the cost of providing the service or facility; and the number of people able to provide the service or facility.Vacuum bell therapy for pectus excavatum is not designated as a prescribed specialised service. Non surgical management of pectus excavatum is considered a pathway based intervention better managed through local medical pathways. Responsibility for commissioning therefore sits with integrated care boards (ICBs) rather than NHS England or the Department. There are no current plans to change this approach.NHS England will continue to encourage ICBs to prioritise commissioning non surgical medical treatments for patients with pectus excavatum as part of an integrated pathway. In addition, through the National Institute for Health and Care Research, the Department is funding the RESTORE trial, which will inform future commissioning decisions in relation to surgery. More information on the RESTORE trial is available at the following link:https://www.fundingawards.nihr.ac.uk/award/NIHR158749

What assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of the Disability Living Allowance claim form; and whether he plans to take steps to make the form easier to complete.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made with Cabinet colleagues of the level of the threat posed by Russia to UK elections.

The UK electoral system is highly resilient, and to date, we have not seen evidence of successful Russian interference in UK democratic processes. But we know that the Kremlin seeks to sow discord in the West and undermine our institutions. Working closely with our NATO and G7 allies, we will continue to unmask Russia’s deceptive agencies, sanction their leaders, and impede their operations.We continue to monitor the situation and have robust measures in place to counter any attempts at political interference.

What assessment his Department has made of the accessibility of the Disability Living Allowance claim form; and whether he plans to take steps to improve it.

An accessible online version of a DLA1 (new claim form) is available to download from gov.uk.All other DLA Child forms and letters are available as a reasonable adjustment for customers who require alternative methods to interact with the department. These include, but are not limited to, email accessible version, braille, large print, audio. All forms and letters are regularly reviewed to ensure they provide the customer with the information required and support a smooth customer interaction.

What the current average time taken is to pay Access to Work suppliers for services delivered; and what steps his Department is taking to reduce delays in paying suppliers.

Access to Work payment processing is currently at 10 working days for generic payments and 15 days for special aids and equipment. We are upskilling additional staff to deliver payments and reduce processing times.

What steps he is taking to improve training for Child Maintenance Service call handlers on (a) vulnerable people and (b) victims of domestic abuse.

The Department for Work and Pensions and the Child Maintenance Service (CMS) take the support of vulnerable customers, including victims and survivors of domestic abuse, extremely seriously.All CMS Caseworkers receive comprehensive technical training, including specific modules on identifying and supporting vulnerable customers and victims and survivors of domestic abuse. This Domestic Abuse training is kept up to date through mandatory two year refresher training to ensure colleagues maintain the requisite skills and knowledge.For the most complex domestic abuse cases, CMS uses a specialist team, which provides tailored support and reduces the need for victims and survivors to repeatedly recount their experiences.All Caseworkers can access the Every Call Matters Hub, which provides access to supporting products and call standards to support confidence and quality when speaking with customers.CMS aim to handle calls in a sensitive manner and ensure all customers get the help and support they need to use the service safely. This may include signposting to support organisations or reporting to the police where this may be necessary.Further work is ongoing to strengthen quality assurance processes, including call listening, to ensure that vulnerable customers and victims and survivors of domestic abuse consistently receive the appropriate level of service. Insight from quality assurance outcomes is used to support ongoing training and learning.

Whether she is taking steps to reduce the processing time of up to 18 weeks to obtain a Certificate of Sponsorship.

UKVI are constantly seeking to improve efficiency and reduce processing times however, we need to clarify that the 18 weeks is a service level agreement (SLA) not the processing time and the majority of applications are processed well within this SLA.

What assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of regulatory requirements for barbering businesses in ensuring that practitioners hold relevant qualifications and liability insurance.

Businesses in the hair and beauty sector including barber shops, hairdressers and beauty salons are required to comply with the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and associated regulations, which place duties on businesses to assess the risk of infection for employees and others affected by their work, including members of the public. While the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) are the policy lead for the hair and beauty sector, responsibility for enforcing health and safety legislation at individual businesses rests with the local authority in which the premises are located. Where there is evidence that risks are not being properly managed, local authorities may intervene and take appropriate enforcement action to ensure employees and customers are protected. Local authorities are also responsible for managing hygiene standards in businesses, but this is not within HSE’s remit.

What the planned timeline is for publishing a national implementation plan for the rollout of Fracture Liaison Services; and what milestones have been set for achieving nationwide coverage by 2030.

Fracture Liaison Services are commissioned by integrated care boards, which are well-placed to make decisions according to local need.Our 10-Year Health Plan committed to rolling out Fracture Liaison Services across every part of the country by 2030.Officials continue to work closely with NHS England to explore a range of options to provide better quality and access to these important preventative services.

When he plans to answer Question 112319, tabled on 10 February 2026.

A response has been issued here.

If she will take steps to align compensation available to people affected by roadworks with other forms of transport.

We are focused on tackling the cause of delays. We have raised fines for overruns to up to £10,000 a day. We have recently approved 7 lane rental schemes to charge those who dig up the busiest roads at the busiest times.

How many Golden Hello scheme places were filled at the end of 2024-25; whether he has extended the recruitment period for dentists under that scheme; and when recruitment for dentists under that scheme will end.

Integrated care boards are continuing to recruit dentists through the Golden Hello scheme. The scheme offers a £20,000 recruitment incentive payment to dentists to work in those areas that need them most for three years. The recruitment of dentists in underserved areas remains a priority.Golden Hello data will be published this year and will consist of data showing the regional distribution of the original allocation of posts and the number of posts recruited to at both a national and regional level.

Pursuant to the Answer of 17 February 2025 to Question 29847 on Death Certificates, if he will publish the findings of his Department's monitoring of the impact of the death certification reforms on the time taken to register deaths.

We believe the answer of 17 February 2025 refers to the answer given to Question 29570. The Department’s monitoring of the impact of death certification reforms, including the time to register a death, includes consideration of:the annual report of the National Medical Examiner, which was published on 11 September 2025, and the next annual report is expected in early Summer 2026. The report published on 11 September 2025 is available at the following link: https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/national-medical-examiner-report-2024/;published data from the Office of National Statistics (ONS), including the Analysis of death registrations since death certification reform, published on 9 October 2025, and we expect the ONS to publish a further report later in 2026. This report is available at the following link: https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/national-medical-examiner-report-2024/; andfeedback from a wide range of partners including NHS England, the National Medical Examiner, the Welsh Government, the General Register Office, the funeral sector and faith groups, and the Royal College of Pathologists.

What assessment she has made of the adequacy of funding for Social Work England to clear the fitness to practise backlog; and what her Department's target is for reducing the average time from referral to hearing outcome.

The department is the sponsor department for Social Work England (SWE), the independent regulator, and monitors their performance on an ongoing basis. Funding is provided to SWE annually and is based on the need to deliver against its business plan. SWE report into their board on case progression and are ahead of their current trajectory to reduce the backlog of fitness to practise cases awaiting a hearing. They also continue to increase the rate for hearings. SWE’s board papers are publicly available on their website.SWE consulted in October 2025 on the potential of introducing adjudicator consensual disposal. The proposed guidance would introduce a new process that allows adjudicators and social workers, in suitable cases, to reach an agreed outcome without the need for a disputed final hearing. This approach would enable cases to be resolved more quickly when both parties agree on the facts and appropriate sanctions. As the independent regulator of the social work profession, SWE will respond to their consultation in due course.

What assessment she has made of the potential merits of Social Work England's proposals for adjudicator consensual disposal as a means of expediting fitness to practise cases.

The department is the sponsor department for Social Work England (SWE), the independent regulator, and monitors their performance on an ongoing basis. Funding is provided to SWE annually and is based on the need to deliver against its business plan. SWE report into their board on case progression and are ahead of their current trajectory to reduce the backlog of fitness to practise cases awaiting a hearing. They also continue to increase the rate for hearings. SWE’s board papers are publicly available on their website.SWE consulted in October 2025 on the potential of introducing adjudicator consensual disposal. The proposed guidance would introduce a new process that allows adjudicators and social workers, in suitable cases, to reach an agreed outcome without the need for a disputed final hearing. This approach would enable cases to be resolved more quickly when both parties agree on the facts and appropriate sanctions. As the independent regulator of the social work profession, SWE will respond to their consultation in due course.

How many staff are working in the team responsible for reviewing records relating to the period in which Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor served as the UK's Special Representative for International Trade and Investment, expressed as (a) number of staff and (b) full-time equivalent hours.

The Department for Business and Trade is leading the Government’s response to the Humble Address on Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s appointment as Special Representative on Trade and Investment. A small, Director-led team is co-ordinating work to identify relevant records, assisting Ministers to meet their obligations to the House, and supporting the ongoing police investigation into Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s conduct in office. The team is also working to support the Government’s response to the Humble Address on Peter Mandelson. The team is drawing extensively on support from officials across the Department, particularly staff with expertise on historical records management. The team is also working closely with other Whitehall Departments, particularly teams in the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and the Cabinet Office. We will update the House on this work as soon as is practicable.

Whether any of the staff working in the team responsible for reviewing records relating to the period in which Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor served as the UK's Special Representative for International Trade and Investment are also working on the Government response to the Humble address on Mandelson.

The Department for Business and Trade is leading the Government’s response to the Humble Address on Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s appointment as Special Representative on Trade and Investment. A small, Director-led team is co-ordinating work to identify relevant records, assisting Ministers to meet their obligations to the House, and supporting the ongoing police investigation into Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s conduct in office. The team is also working to support the Government’s response to the Humble Address on Peter Mandelson. The team is drawing extensively on support from officials across the Department, particularly staff with expertise on historical records management. The team is also working closely with other Whitehall Departments, particularly teams in the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and the Cabinet Office. We will update the House on this work as soon as is practicable.

Whether the staff working in the team responsible for reviewing records relating to the period in which Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor served as the UK's Special Representative for International Trade and Investment are dedicated exclusively to that work.

The Department for Business and Trade is leading the Government’s response to the Humble Address on Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s appointment as Special Representative on Trade and Investment. A small, Director-led team is co-ordinating work to identify relevant records, assisting Ministers to meet their obligations to the House, and supporting the ongoing police investigation into Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s conduct in office. The team is also working to support the Government’s response to the Humble Address on Peter Mandelson. The team is drawing extensively on support from officials across the Department, particularly staff with expertise on historical records management. The team is also working closely with other Whitehall Departments, particularly teams in the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and the Cabinet Office. We will update the House on this work as soon as is practicable.

What the expected timeline is for the publication of the first tranche of documents relating to the period in which Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor served as the UK's Special Representative for International Trade and Investment.

We have set up a dedicated team to coordinate work across Government to search historic paper and electronic files and identify documents on Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s role and appointment as Special Representative for Trade and Investment in 2001. This Government is committed to complying as quickly as possible with the Humble Address of 24 February while avoiding publication of information that the Thames Valley police believe could prejudice their live investigation into Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s conduct in public office.

Innovation and Technology, what steps her Department is taking to help tackle misinformation online.

This issue is, rightly, of huge concern. The Online Safety Act is already protecting users from illegal dis- and misinformation online, including foreign interference. We are already taking further action, including launching a campaign to support children’s resilience to misinformation. Where we need to take further action, especially to protect UK democratic processes, we will.