Written questions by Jarvis.

What steps his Department is taking to promote workplace diversity and inclusion.

DBT’s Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) Framework - Embracing Fairness for All (2024-28) is aligned to the cross-Civil Service strategy and includes specific actions such as training to build inclusive line management capability. The framework sets out our approach to D&I, aiming to enhance opportunity, fairness and belonging for all our people, in all our locations by using data to ensure it is evidence led. We work with our Diversity and Inclusion Networks to collaborate and engage on D&I activity.

What recent assessment he has made of the condition of court buildings.

This Government inherited a crumbling court estate – a symbol of a crumbling justice system. Historical underfunding over the last 14 years has resulted in challenges across the court and tribunal estate, with an estimated maintenance backlog of £1.3 billion.It is vital that the infrastructure of our courts and tribunals does not prevent hearings from taking place and that court conditions are acceptable for the staff who serve within the system and the public that are served by it. It is a government priority to ensure that cases can be heard, and victims can be given the justice that they deserve. That is why this Government announced a boost in court and tribunal capital maintenance and project funding from £120 million last year, to £148.5 million for 2025/26.HMCTS keeps the condition of court buildings under review. Maintenance funding is prioritised to meet operational priorities and make sure our courts and tribunal are safe, secure, meet statutory requirements and protect continuity of service We are also investing in the courts of the future - delivering new, modern and sustainable buildings that meet the needs of a changing justice system. This includes the new 18 courtroom City of London Law Courts, a new 30 hearing room London Tribunals building, and a purpose-built Magistrates’ and County Court in Blackpool.

Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to ensure that there is an adequate supply of age-appropriate housing for people over 65.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 74681 on 12 September 2025.

What assessment she has made of trends in reported violent crime in Eastleigh constituency in the last 12 months.

Hampshire police recorded 3,350 violence against the person offences in Eastleigh in 2024/25, a 3% fall compared with the previous year (3,446 offences). This included one offence of homicide.We are progressing towards this Government’s mission to make our streets safer. But we are not complacent and recognise there is much more to do, which is why we will continue to work across-government to tackle violent crime including our ambition to halve knife crime and violence against women and girls in a decade.

Whether his Department plans to make an assessment of the effectiveness of telephone-based disability benefit assessments.

An assessment of whether each of the channels - telephone, video and face to face - for initial health assessments drive different award outcomes and impact Annually Managed Expenditure (AME) has recently been undertaken. The results will be published in due course. This is in addition to the research published last year, which can be found on GOV.UK. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/health-assessment-channels-research/health-assessment-channels-research

What steps he is taking to improve coordination between children’s and adult mental health services to support young people transitioning between them.

A key priority for children and young people’s (CYP) mental health services is ensuring continuity of care and a smooth transition for patients moving to adult services.NHS England released funding in 2022/23 to improve, transform and focus improvement on the young adult mental health pathway. As of 2024/25, the majority of integrated care boards report that they have improved the way that they manage transitions to adult services, including removing rigid age-based thresholds for transition and ensuring that there are strong working relationships and embedded shared responsibility between CYP and adults’ mental health services.NHS England is developing a personalised care framework which sets out the core principles of care that people should expect when accessing mental health services. This will be applicable across CYP and adults’ services to ensure that transitions are smooth and care is consistent across settings.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure the proactive management of Mounjaro shortages for patients with Type 2 diabetes.

We are not currently aware of any supply issues with Mounjaro preparations. We have a range of well-established processes and tools to manage supply issues if and when they arise and to mitigate risks to patients.

Whether his Department plans to review protocols around medical consent.

Consent to care and treatment is a regulated activity in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2009, which set out that the registered person must have suitable arrangements in place for obtaining, and acting in accordance with, the consent of service users in relation to the care and treatment provided for them.Protocols around obtaining medical consent are set out in professional guidance from the General Medical Council, Decision making and consent. This includes advice on what professionals should tell patients and what they should record. The guidance came into effect in 2020 and was updated in 2024. The guidance is available at the following link:https://www.gmc-uk.org/professional-standards/the-professional-standards/decision-making-and-consent

Media and Sport, what steps she is taking with the Secretary of State for Education to ensure that her proposals for curriculum reform align with the needs of the creative industries.

The Creative Industries Sector Plan sets out this Government’s 10-year plan to tackle barriers to growth and maximise opportunities across the sector, with the aim of making the UK the number one destination for creativity and innovation by 2035. The plan sets out how Government and industry are working together to grow a creative workforce that supports job creation and drives economic growth in this high-potential sector, through an education and skills system aligned with business needs. The Plan has been designed in collaboration with business, Devolved Governments, and regions, with the Creative Industries Taskforce also playing a crucial role in gathering wider views from across industry.The Plan includes delivering a curriculum in England that readies young people for life and work, including in creative subjects and relevant skills. The Independent Curriculum and Assessment Review is one of the ways that Government will deliver on the commitment to reform the system for the benefit of the creative talent pipeline. The Review has a focus on all subjects in the national curriculum and is being informed by evidence, data and in close consultation with education professionals and other experts. This includes over 7,000 responses to the public call for evidence, including from the creative industries. The Review final report and Government response will be published in the autumn.

What recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of apprenticeship (a) uptake and (b) completion rates among businesses in Eastleigh constituency.

The latest data on apprenticeship starts and achievements in the Eastleigh parliamentary constituency are published in the Apprenticeships statistics publication and can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/20473790-6c7d-416e-f87c-08de0724494a​This has been available since 17 July 2025. Finalised figures for the 2024/25 academic year will be published in the Apprenticeships: November 2025 statistics publication.​Achievement rates are not available for individual parliamentary constituencies, but nationally (England) they can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/apprenticeships/2024-25#content-7

Whether he has had discussions with (a) tea industry representatives, (b) Fairtrade organisations and (c) international partners on ensuring that tea (i) farmers and (ii) other workers receive a living wage in (A) Kenya and (B) other producing countries.

No, we have had no such specific discussions, but we actively engage with Kenyan counterparts and remain committed to promoting fair trade and workers' rights, including decent working conditions and living wages.

Whether she plans to reintroduce three-year grant settlements for schools participating in the music and dance scheme.

The government fully supports the arts and the development of a skills pipeline into the creative industries.The department is providing £36.5 million for the Music and Dance Scheme this academic year.Any introduction of multi-year funding agreements will be considered in due course.

What steps her Department is taking to ensure that schools have access to speech and language specialists.

The government is committed to ensuring that every child has the best start in life. This includes all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), including speech, language and communications needs such as Developmental Language Disorder.We know that continuing to build the pipeline of speech and language therapists (SaLT) is essential. The department is working closely with the Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England to improve access to community health services, including speech and language therapy, for children and young people with SEND.In addition to the undergraduate degree route, SaLTs can now also train via a degree apprenticeship. This route is entering its fourth year of delivery and offers an alternative pathway to the traditional degree route into a successful career as a SaLT.In partnership with NHS England, the department has extended the Early Language and Support for Every Child programme, trialling new ways of working to better identify and support children with speech, language and communication needs in early years settings and primary schools.

What assessment she has made of the adequacy of the level of funding for the Music and Dance Scheme.

The government fully supports the arts and the development of a skills pipeline into the creative industries.The department is providing £36.5 million for the Music and Dance Scheme this academic year.Any introduction of multi-year funding agreements will be considered in due course.

What assessment she has made of trends in the level of school meal debt; and whether she plans to take steps to support families to reduce that debt in the child poverty strategy.

To help break down barriers to opportunity and tackle child poverty, the government will be extending free school meals to all children from households in receipt of Universal Credit from September 2026. This will lift 100,000 children across England out of poverty and put £500 back in families’ pockets, supporting parents in decisive action to improve lives ahead of the Child Poverty Strategy.The Child Poverty Strategy in the autumn will deliver measures to tackle the structural and root causes of child poverty. The Taskforce is considering all available levers to reduce child poverty and recognises the importance of financial resilience for low-income families. Increasing financial resilience is one of the four key themes for the strategy, and in February the Taskforce met with external experts to discuss this topic specifically.

What assessment she has made of the adequacy of the availability of mental health support within universities.

This government is committed to ensuring students in higher education (HE) have access to effective mental health support. This is why my noble Friend, the Minister for Skills, has recently appointed a new HE Student Support Champion to lead a reconvened HE Mental Health Implementation Taskforce. Full details of the new champion will be announced shortly.The taskforce is instrumental in assessing and driving improvements in mental health support across the sector, including taking forward recommendations from the recent national review of HE student suicides.The government also strongly supports the University Mental Health Charter Programme and Award, run by Student Minds. This programme provides a robust framework for universities to improve their mental health provision and is a valuable tool for driving sector-wide change.

Media and Sport, what recent discussions she has had with the BBC on digitising the BBC archives.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport meets regularly with representatives of the BBC on a range of matters.With regard to the digitisation of the BBC archives, the BBC has an obligation under their Framework Agreement to both maintain an archive, and give the public reasonable opportunities to visit the archive and view material kept there. As the BBC is operationally and editorially independent of the Government, decisions on how it discharges its obligations in relation to its Archive Services are a matter for the BBC.

Media and Sport, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of enabling access to BBC iPlayer for license fee payers while abroad.

Under the Charter the BBC is required to act in the public interest, serving all audiences through the provision of impartial, high-quality and distinctive output and services which inform, educate and entertain. With regard to the provision of services internationally, as the BBC is operationally independent, decisions on whether and how the BBC makes its content available to licence fee payers abroad are therefore for the BBC to make independent of government.DCMS has not made an assessment of the potential merits of enabling access to BBC iPlayer for license fee payers while abroad. However, it is worth noting that the ability of the BBC to make content available is limited in large part due to rights agreements. The BBC does not hold the international rights to many of the programmes it carries on iPlayer, and therefore cannot provide audiences outside the UK with access to the iPlayer service.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of the human rights situation in Eswatini.

Since reopening our High Commission in Eswatini in 2019, the UK has been active in promoting good governance and the rule of law, through engagement with trade unions, political groups and civil society organisations as well as with the three branches of government. The UK supports the Swazi people indirectly through programmes delivered by UN agencies (including the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP)), their implementing partners and the Global Fund, as well as through advocacy and engagement with local Human Rights Defenders and state authorities.

How many and what proportion of Child Maintenance Service cases lapse each year due to failure to trace the paying parent.

The statistical information specific to the scenario you have given is not collated centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost to the Department. The Government is committed to ensuring parents meet their financial obligations to their children. Where a paying parent fails to take responsibility for paying their child maintenance and cannot be traced, the Child Maintenance Service (CMS) will take immediate action and do everything within its powers to trace the paying parent. The CMS have a range of enforcement powers that can be used against those parents who consistently refuse to meet or evade their obligations to provide financial support to their children. We are committed to using these powers fairly and in the best interests of children and separated families to ensure compliance.