Written questions by Jarvis.

What steps her Department is taking to support the growth of apprenticeships in Eastleigh constituency.

This government is transforming the apprenticeships offer into a new growth and skills offer, which will offer greater flexibility to employers and learners across the country, including in Eastleigh, and support the Industrial Strategy. In August, the department introduced new foundation apprenticeships for young people in targeted sectors, as well as shorter duration apprenticeships. These flexibilities will help more people learn new high quality skills at work and fuel innovation in businesses across the country. To support the growth of apprenticeships, the government provides £1,000 to both employers and training providers when they take on apprentices aged under 19, or 19 to 24-year-old apprentices who have an education, health and care plan or have been, or are, in care. We will also pay employers up to £2,000 for eligible foundation apprenticeships to contribute to the extra costs of supporting someone at the beginning of their career. Employers also benefit from not being required to pay anything towards employees’ National Insurance for all apprentices aged up to age 25, when the employee’s wage is below £50,270 a year.

Media and Sport, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of the increase in cost of Electronic Travel Authorisations on her Department’s target of 50 million annual visits to the UK by 2030.

DCMS closely monitors factors that may influence inbound tourism, including the cost of electronic travel authorisations (ETAs). We recognise the importance of balancing secure and efficient border processes with the need to remain competitive as a global tourism destination. DCMS continues to engage with the Home Office to ensure that any changes to the cost of ETAs are proportionate and informed by robust evidence on their potential impact on our 50m inbound target. Supporting the UK's tourism industry remains a priority, and we will continue to review any challenges to its growth.

With reference to his Department's policy paper entitled UK-EU Summit - Common Understanding, updated on 19 May 2025, what his expected timetable is for association of the UK to the European Union Erasmus+ programme.

We have agreed to work towards the association of the UK to the EU Erasmus+ programme. We are taking forward the next stage of negotiations on the clear mutual understanding that the UK will only associate to Erasmus+ on terms that provide value for money for the UK taxpayer. The timelines for any association will be subject to further discussion as part of these negotiations.

What steps he is taking to engage with young people to promote recruitment in the Armed Forces.

The Strategic Defence Review (SDR) 2025 is clear that Defence must now meet the longstanding challenge of recruiting and retaining new generations with different requirements. We are committed to the vision that long-term success depends on reconnecting society with the Armed Forces and the purpose of Defence, and for recruitment the focus should be on speed, drastically shortening the period between applicants expressing interest and joining. To achieve this, Defence will offer novel ways of entry into the Armed Forces that attract more people from a wider range of backgrounds. The Army and Navy are developing short term employment opportunities - “gap year” schemes - for young men and women across a variety of exciting roles that will upskill, provide apprenticeships, and a flavour of life in the Armed Forces. Full plans will be announced in due course now that we have published the SDR. Furthermore, the Armed Forces enjoy good relationships with schools, primarily in terms of engagement to support Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths curriculum areas but also in careers engagement, which collectively enhances our engagement with young people. The Armed Forces only visit schools when invited to do so, usually in support of career events, citizenship talks, science and maths challenges and other exercises. The Armed Forces do not target recruitment activity at under-16s, and no visits to schools by the Armed Forces are directly linked to recruitment, other than careers fairs which generally involve a range of employers. Presentations may be given highlighting Armed Forces careers, but no pupil is ever signed up or able to make a commitment to become a recruit during the course of a visit.

What assessment she has made of the potential implications of the policies set out in the Cabinet Office policy paper entitled UK-EU Summit - Common Understanding, updated on 19 May 2025, for the future of the Turing Scheme.

The government remains committed to providing opportunities to study and work abroad, especially for those students from disadvantaged backgrounds. That is why we have agreed to work towards association to the Erasmus+ programme on much better financial terms for the UK. The Turing Scheme is now in its fifth year, with placements starting this September. Details on the future of the Turing Scheme will be shared in due course.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the level of funding for International Climate Finance to support countries in the Global South in tackling climate change.

I refer the Honourable Member to the answer provided on 21 July to Question 66691.

What steps she is taking to ensure children in foster care are provided access to mental health support.

Children in foster care should be provided with access to mental health support at home and at school.The National Minimum Standards for fostering sets out that children should ‘live in a healthy environment where their physical, emotional and psychological health is promoted.’Children should have prompt access to doctors and other health professionals, including specialist services, when they need these services.The government is committed to providing access to specialist mental health professionals in every school by expanding Mental Health Support Teams.Alongside the Department of Health and Social Care, the department is reviewing and updating current statutory guidance on promoting the health and wellbeing of children in care.As part of the statutory guidance review, we are considering what changes are needed to better ensure that children in care, including those in foster care, and care leavers receive the necessary support for their mental health and wellbeing.

What steps his Department is taking to improve training for health and social care staff in supporting patients with frontotemporal dementia.

Our health system has struggled to support those with complex needs, including those with dementia. Under the 10 Year Health Plan, those living with dementia will benefit from improved care planning and better services.We will deliver the first ever Modern Service Framework for Frailty and Dementia to deliver rapid and significant improvements in quality of care and productivity. This will be informed by phase one of the independent commission into adult social care, expected in 2026.The Modern Service Framework for Frailty and Dementia will seek to reduce unwarranted variation and narrow inequality for those living with dementia; it will set national standards for dementia care and redirect National Health Service priorities to provide the best possible care and support.We want all health and care staff to have received appropriate training to provide high quality care to people with dementia. Employers in the health system are responsible for ensuring that their staff are trained to the required standards to deliver appropriate treatment for patients. The required training needs are set out in the Dementia Training Standards Framework, which is available through Skills for Health.In January, we announced that the Care Workforce Pathway will expand to further support opportunities for career progression and development.The Care Workforce pathway is designed to be a foundation which will enable individuals to develop a ‘portable portfolio’ of skills attained both through learning programmes and practical experience within a range of care services, such as learning disabilities, autism or dementia.

What assessment she has made of the adequacy of support available to secondary school pupils who have not been awarded 5 GCSE's.

All 16 to 19 study programmes should be tailored to support students to progress to education at a higher level or into employment, or should prepare them for adult life.These study programmes should include substantial qualifications that stretch students. Students who are not awarded 5 GCSEs may take other level 2 qualifications to prepare them for employment or further study.Any student on a 16 to 19 study programme, who has not yet achieved an English and/or maths GCSE grade 4 or higher, must continue studying these subjects.In the 2025/26 academic year, the department has increased 16 to 19 funding for English and maths delivery and to help with the additional costs associated with teaching and supporting students who have not yet achieved English and/or maths GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 by the end of year 11.

What steps he has taken to ensure plans are in place to manage major power outages.

Maintaining a secure electricity supply is a key priority for Government. DESNZ work closely with the energy industry to ensure robust response plans are in place to mitigate the impacts of energy disruption. These emergency procedures and protocols are set out in the National Emergency Plan for Downstream Gas and Electricity which is available on the GOV.UK website.

What assessment he has made of the potential merits the installation of solar technology on home balconies.

The UK has huge potential for solar power, and the Government is committed to working with industry to radically increase our existing solar capacity, through a variety of methods, to meet the targets set out in the Clean Power Action Plan. Plug-in solar provides an opportunity for households to adopt solar more cheaply. The recently published Solar Roadmap includes an action for the Government to conduct a safety study this year. This safety study is currently out to tender, and the results will determine how we can progress with this work, with the aim of unlocking opportunities for plug-in solar in the near future.

What steps his Department is taking to promote initiatives to help reskill older workers without IT skills.

The Department for Work and Pensions currently offers support for those out of work, including older jobseekers, through its network of Jobcentres and through contracted employment programmes. Where a work coach becomes aware that a customer lacks digital skills, they can refer them to suitable provision for example, Foundation Digital Skills, and then onto Essential Digital Skills. In addition, work coaches and employers are supported by 50PLUS Champions working across all 37 Jobcentre Districts. 50PLUS Champions act as enablers, working collaboratively to strengthen the support available to customers over the age of 50. Examples of personalised activities that Champions organise for older jobseekers include digital awareness sessions and confidence building. Through Midlife MOT reviews, delivered in Jobcentres across the UK and the digital MOT online, we also support older people to review their health, finances and skills. The Government is reforming Jobcentre Plus and creating a new Jobs and Careers Service that will enable everyone, including the over 50s, to access support to find good, meaningful work, and support to help them progress in their careers. This includes an enhanced focus on skills and careers advice. The new service across Great Britain will be universal andavailable to anyone who wants to look for work, increase their earnings, re-train, upskill, or change their career.

What steps her Department is taking to support progression routes into higher education for students studying qualifications other than A-Levels; and what assessment she has made of the accessibility of university entry routes for students applying with qualifications other than A-Levels.

The department is committed to supporting diverse routes into higher education (HE). Students with qualifications other than A levels can progress to university, with many providers accepting these qualifications.HE providers are autonomous institutions who set their own entry requirements, many with high or additional entry requirements for some courses. While the department cannot intervene in individual cases regarding university admission policies, we remain committed to supporting progression routes.The department works closely with sector bodies such as UCAS and Universities UK, as well as individual providers, to ensure that admissions processes are inclusive and transparent. We also work with these bodies to ensure that T Levels are understood by universities as a high quality offer.The department continues to monitor accessibility and outcomes for students entering via vocational routes and are funding initiatives to widen participation and improve support for all learners.

What assessment he has made of the adequacy of the support available to (a) families and (b) carers of people with frontotemporal dementia.

The Government recognises the vital role of families and unpaid carers and is committed to improving dementia care and ensuring carers have the support they need.Under the 10 Year Health Plan, those living with dementia will benefit from improved care planning and better services. We will deliver the first ever Modern Service Framework for Frailty and Dementia to deliver rapid and significant improvements in quality of care and productivity.To support carers, we are equipping and supporting carers by making them more visible, empowering their voices in care planning, joining up services, and streamlining their caring tasks by introducing a new ‘MyCarer’ section to the NHS App. The Government is also reviewing the implementation of carer’s leave and the potential benefits of introducing paid leave.From 7 April, the Carer's Allowance weekly earnings limit increased from £151 to £196, the largest rise since its introduction. Local authorities, under the Care Act 2014, have a duty to provide high-quality, sustainable support services for carers.

What steps he is taking to reduce waiting times for applications to the Access to Work grant.

As set out in the Green Paper, we are reforming Access to Work to improve the scheme so that it helps more disabled people into and on in work. We are committed to reducing waiting times for claims and we prioritise customers starting a job in four weeks. Nevertheless, Access to Work is demand-led and tailored to the needs of each customer. We are continuing to streamline delivery practices and have increased the number of staff processing claims. Since May 2024, 118 additional staff have been redeployed to support Access to Work.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the funding model for fire and rescue services.

On 3 February, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government published the 2025/26 Local Government Finance Settlement (LGFS) which sets out funding allocations for all local authorities, including Fire and Rescue Authorities. These allocations, which include the National Insurance Contribution Grant, will see standalone fire and rescue authorities receiving an increase in core spending power of £69.1 million in 2025/26. This is an increase of 3.6 per cent in cash terms compared to 2024/25. Overall, fire and rescue authorities received around £2.87 billion in 2024/25. In addition to settlement funding, the Government has provided Fire and Rescue Authorities with several grants intended for specific purposes, such as the Fire Pensions Grant and Protection Uplift Grant.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of trends in UK aid spending on (a) water, (b) sanitation and (c) hygiene programmes.

UK bilateral Official Development Assistance (ODA) expenditure on water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) is published annually in the Statistics on International Development. The latest report shows UK bilateral ODA for WASH totalled £37 million in 2023, £45 million in 2022, £78 million in 2021, and £110 million in 2020. Figures for 2024 will be published on the 18th of September 2025.In parallel with this reduction, we have changed our approach to WASH, moving away from the direct delivery of WASH services at scale, to working in partnership with governments to strengthen the systems needed to provide and sustain WASH services. This can also help secure additional resources, including domestic funding, climate finance and private investment, extending our overall impact.

What assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of the Health and Safety Executive’s approach to asbestos management in non-domestic buildings.

HSE is a non-departmental public body. Whilst it has responsibility for its own policy, it reports direct to DWP ministers. The Work and Pensions Committee held an inquiry into HSE’s approach to asbestos management and published a report in 2022. I am now working with HSE on how it will tackle Great Britain’s asbestos legacy using a variety of regulatory interventions. Asbestos in non-domestic buildings is a key ministerial priority, and HSE provides regular updates and assurance to ministers about its approach to asbestos management.

Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of the potential impact of breeding brachycephalic animals on animal welfare; and what steps her Department is taking to raise public awareness of health issues faced by those animals.

To provide a detailed scientific view on the range of issues faced by breeding dogs and cats, the Department commissioned two independent Opinions from the Animal Welfare Committee (AWC). One Opinion assessed the welfare implications of specialised canine reproductive practices, and one on the welfare implications of current and emergent feline breeding practices. The Government welcomes the AWC’s Opinions and is carefully considering their recommendations. Defra also supports the work of the UK Brachycephalic Working Group which is comprised of academia, the veterinary profession and leading animal charities.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of low noise vehicles on (a) visually impaired people and (b) guide dogs.

Electric vehicles play a key role in contributing to a quieter and cleaner environment, but the Department recognises the potential risks posed by quiet electric vehicles to pedestrians, other vulnerable road users and animals.Vehicle approval requirements have been introduced to mandate sound generators, known as Acoustic Vehicle Alerting Systems (AVAS), on new types of quiet electric and hybrid vehicles. This has applied to new vehicles being registered since 1 July 2021. The requirements ensure that electric and hybrid vehicles will always produce a minimum level of noise below twelve miles per hour and during reversing.