Written questions by Jarvis.

How many and what proportion of trains were delayed between London Waterloo and Eastleigh in each financial year between 2015 and 2025.

The number and proportion of services between London Waterloo and Eastleigh which arrived within 15 minutes of the timetabled arrival for each year between 2020-21 and 2024-25 is set out in the table below. The year to date position is given for 2025-26. Data from before 2020-21 is stored in a legacy system and is not readily accessible. Eastleigh to WaterlooWaterloo to EastleighOn Time to 15 (Number)On Time to 15 (Percentage)On Time to 15 (Number)On Time to 15 (Percentage)2020-21722498.84%689998.53%2021-22743597.95%741897.17%2022-23712997.46%694795.82%2023-24717497.13%671794.50%2024-25735696.47%695693.17%2025-26 year to date144697.75%135198.04%

Whether her Department plans to introduce a Ukrainian language GCSE.

Decisions about which languages to offer at GCSE in England are taken by four independent awarding organisations – AQA, OCR, Pearson Edexcel and WJEC – rather than by central government. These organisations have the freedom to create a Ukrainian GCSE based on the subject content for modern foreign language set by the department. We have recently written to these organisations to ask them to consider introducing a Ukrainian GCSE.​The British government stands steadfast behind the Ukrainian people and the Ukrainian government. The department is proud to support children and families from Ukraine during their transition to a new life in the UK. To do our part to support the Ukrainian people, we are supporting the Ukrainian Ministry of Education and Science in policy development and this year have launched a UK-Ukraine Schools Partnership Programme, twinning 100 schools in the UK and Ukraine.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the UK is on track to meet United Nations Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.

The UK is committed to working with partners at home and abroad to accelerate progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030.The United Nations (UN) does not measure individual countries' progress towards the SDGs, but the collective global progress. However, there are complimentary reports produced using UN data that assess countries' progress towards achieving the SDGs, such as the Sustainable Development Report, which assessed the UK as ninth out of 166 countries in 2024, with a progress score of 82%. The UK's Voluntary National Review (VNR) in 2019 provided a detailed account of actions being taken to achieve the SDGs across the UK government and other actors. This government has not yet taken a decision on undertaking a second VNR.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure that cancer test results requested by secondary care are routinely shared with patients' GPs in a timely manner.

The Government is supporting NHS England to ensure that information on diagnoses and treatment, including cancer test results, are shared between services routinely and in a timely manner.NHS England has been supporting National Health Service trusts and foundation trusts in acquiring and developing the effectiveness of their electronic patient records, and support is available to bring trusts to an optimum level of digital maturity which will further reduce barriers to the sharing of information needed to treat patients. Further information can be found at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/data-and-clinical-record-sharing/The Department supported the NHS’s Connecting Care Records programme which joins up information based on the individual rather than through one organisation. Through targeted investment, local Connecting Care Record systems have been established in all integrated commissioning board areas. 97% of trusts and 92% of primary care networks are now connected, in order to share information such as medications, allergies, test results, and clinical correspondence.Furthermore, my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has announced the intention for there to be a single patient record which would provide a comprehensive patient record, reducing duplication when patients have to repeat their medical history when interacting with the NHS.

What is the daily messing rate for a soldier in the British army in each quarter in each of the past five years

The Daily Messing Rate (DMR) differs across our overseas bases and the multiple Operations and Exercises carried out across the globe each year. The table below sets out the DMR rates for each quarter of the last five years in the UK, for Service personnel, noting the differences in kcal requirements from May 2024; kcal requirementsQuarter3000 kcal4000 kcal5000 kcal20/21 Q1 (Apr-Jun 20)£3.58£4.14£6.3920/21 Q2 (Jul-Sep 20)£3.62£4.17£6.4120/21 Q3 (Oct-Dec 20)£3.63£4.19£6.4320/21 Q4 (Jan-Mar 21)£3.63£4.19£6.4321/22 Q1 (Apr-Jun 21)£3.64£4.21£6.4521/22 Q2 (Jul-Sep 21)£3.66£4.22£6.4721/22 Q3 (Oct-Dec 21)£3.63£4.11£6.0621/22 Q4 (Jan-Mar 22)£3.63£4.11£6.0622/23 Q1 (Apr-Jun 22)£3.69£4.18£6.1322/23 Q2 (Jul-Sep 22)£3.62£4.12£6.0722/23 Q3 (Oct-Dec 22)£3.62£4.12£6.0722/23 Q4 (Jan-Mar 23)£3.62£4.12£6.0723/24 Q1 (Apr-Jun 23)£3.90£4.52£6.4723/24 Q2 (Jul-Sep 23)£5.19£6.01£8.0123/24 Q3 (Oct-Dec 23)£5.28£6.11£8.1723/24 Q4 (Jan-Mar 24)£5.22£6.05£8.0524/25 Q1 (Apr 24 only)£5.22£6.05£8.05Note; Defence Catering Strategy Implemented from 1 May 24 (Revised kcal requirement and DMR calculation method).Quarter2900 kcal3600 kcal5000 kcal24/25 Q1 continued (May-Jun 24 only)£5.64£6.10£8.5624/25 Q2 (Jul-Sep 24)£5.64£6.11£8.5924/25 Q3 (Oct-Dec 24)£5.60£6.05£8.4524/25 Q4 (Jan-Mar 25)£5.65£6.12£8.88Current (Apr-Jun 25)£5.77£6.24£8.96

Food and Rural Affairs, what progress his Department has made on publishing a timeline to bring forward legislative measures to end trail hunting.

The Hunting Act 2004 makes it an offence to hunt a wild mammal, such as Foxes, with dogs except where it is carried out in accordance with the exemptions in the Act. The aim of Trail Hunting is to simulate traditional hunting as practised before the Hunting Act came into force. The trails are laid along a route that might be taken by the traditional quarry, through hedgerows and woods, along ditches, across fields, to simulate the natural movement of the wild mammal, e.g., a fox, as much as possible.  The most common method of laying the trail is to drag a scent infected sock or cloth along the ground. The scent occasionally lifted for a distance and dropped again, thus allowing the hounds to cast (search for the scent if they lose it). The Huntsman and followers often do not know where any of the trails have been laid, so that the days hunting will mimic its realistic form. The Government made a manifesto commitment to ban Trail Hunting as part of a set of measures to improve animal welfare. Work to bring this forward is at a very early stage and there is not yet an agreed timetable.

Whether she plans to introduce indefinite leave to remain for Ukrainians living in the UK.

I refer the Honourable Member to my answer given on 1 May to PQ UIN 47468.

What steps she is taking to improve pedestrian safety in areas of high footfall from potential vehicle incursions.

Homeland Security Group (HSG) works closely with the National Protective Security Authority (NPSA), who provide publicly available technical and practical advice relating to Hostile Vehicle Mitigation (HVM). This includes the 'NPSA Public Realm Design Guide for Hostile Vehicle Mitigation' document, available publicly at npsa.gov.uk.Additionally, the National Counter Terrorism Security Office provides support to local authorities and businesses through the ProtectUK platform (protectuk.police.uk) and networks like the UK-wide Counter Terrorism Security Advisor network, supporting the development of suitable mitigation measures to protect from vehicle incursions.

Whether she plans to introduce additional safety requirements for (a) temporary events and (b) fan zones to protect pedestrians from vehicle access.

Homeland Security Group (HSG) works closely with the National Protective Security Authority (NPSA), who provide publicly available technical and practical advice relating to Hostile Vehicle Mitigation (HVM). This includes the 'NPSA Public Realm Design Guide for Hostile Vehicle Mitigation' document, available publicly at npsa.gov.uk.Additionally, the National Counter Terrorism Security Office provides support to local authorities and businesses through the ProtectUK platform (protectuk.police.uk) and networks like the UK-wide Counter Terrorism Security Advisor network, supporting the development of suitable mitigation measures to protect from vehicle incursions.

What assessment she has made of the effectiveness of existing measures to prevent vehicles from entering areas with high pedestrian footfall.

Homeland Security Group (HSG) works closely with the National Protective Security Authority (NPSA), who provide publicly available technical and practical advice relating to Hostile Vehicle Mitigation (HVM). This includes the 'NPSA Public Realm Design Guide for Hostile Vehicle Mitigation' document, available publicly at npsa.gov.uk.Additionally, the National Counter Terrorism Security Office provides support to local authorities and businesses through the ProtectUK platform (protectuk.police.uk) and networks like the UK-wide Counter Terrorism Security Advisor network, supporting the development of suitable mitigation measures to protect from vehicle incursions.

What steps his Department is taking to improve early diagnosis of foetal alcohol spectrum disorder.

The Government recognises that foetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) can have a significant impact on the early years of development for children. As a result, it is crucial to diagnose FASD as early as possible. As part of the prevention efforts around FASD, the Department promotes a precautionary approach by advising that the safest option during pregnancy is to avoid alcohol altogether.The Department asked the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) to produce a quality standard in England for FASD, to help the health care system improve both diagnosis and support for individuals affects by FASD. This was published in March 2022 and is available at the following link:https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/qs204Healthcare providers continue to advise pregnant women about the risks of alcohol consumption, document alcohol use, and refer children with probable prenatal alcohol exposure for assessment.

Whether her Department plans to (a) collect and (b) publish annual statistics on the number of animals bred for scientific purposes but not used in scientific procedures.

The Home Office is presently reviewing the collection and publication of additional statistics on animals that were bred but not used in scientific procedures.

Whether the NHS plans to fund abiraterone for patients with high-risk non-metastatic prostate cancer.

The Department has had no such discussions. Abiraterone does not have a marketing authorisation for use in the treatment of high-risk, non-metastatic prostate cancer and has not been evaluated for that indication by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). The NICE makes recommendations for the National Health Service in England on the vast majority of new and significant licence indications, but does not evaluate medicines that are used outside their marketing authorisations or “off-label”.NHS England considered abiraterone as an off-label treatment for the treatment of hormone sensitive, non-metastatic prostate cancer through its clinical policy development process in 2024/25. Through this process NHS England confirmed that there was sufficient supporting evidence to support the routine commissioning of abiraterone in this indication, but it has not been possible to identify the necessary recurrent funding to support the commissioning of abiraterone for this purpose, or any other treatments within the prioritisation round. Should the funding position change and a further prioritisation round take place, abiraterone for the treatment of hormone sensitive, non-metastatic prostate cancer will be reconsidered.

If she will take steps to (a) mandate allergy safety policies in all schools, (b) ensure the provision of individual healthcare plans for every child with an allergy, (c) mandate staff training on (i) allergy awareness, (ii) anaphylaxis management and (iii) responding to emergencies involving allergies in schools and (d) mandate the provision of emergency adrenaline auto-injectors in every school.

Section 100 of the Children and Families Act 2014 places a duty on maintained schools, academies and pupil referral units to make arrangements for supporting pupils with medical conditions. The accompanying statutory guidance on ‘Supporting pupils with medical conditions at school’ makes clear to schools what is expected of them in taking reasonable steps to fulfil their legal obligations and to meet the individual needs of pupils with medical conditions, including allergies. The guidance can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/supporting-pupils-at-school-with-medical-conditions--3.Schools should ensure they are aware of any pupils with medical conditions and have policies and processes in place to ensure these can be well managed. Policies should set out how staff will be supported in carrying out their role to support pupils, including how training needs are assessed and how training is commissioned and provided. Any member of school staff providing support to a pupil with medical needs should have received suitable training.The statutory guidance recommends the use of individual healthcare plans as good practice for pupils with medical conditions, providing clarity about what needs to be done, when and by whom.Schools can purchase spare adrenaline auto-injectors from a pharmacy without a prescription and for use in an emergency situation.

What steps he is taking to monitor levels of disguised employment in the hair and beauty sector.

This Government recognises the immense economic and social value of the hair and beauty industry, and we know it can be difficult for some to understand their tax obligations. We are working with the industry on producing educational material to help businesses remain within the rules, including providing clarity for those using the ‘rent-a-chair’ model which we are due to publish on GOV.UK this month.We are committed to tackling false self-employment where HMRC will investigate evidence suggesting businesses have misclassified individuals for tax purposes. We are also combatting high street crime, for example the National Crime Agency has been coordinating Operation Machinize, which saw 265 premises visited where officers secured freezing orders over bank accounts totalling more than £1 million.

What steps he is taking to provide diagnostic training for GPs to recognise the symptoms of hyperemesis gravidarum.

We recognise that hyperemesis gravidarum is a debilitating condition that can have a devastating impact on women and their families.The standard of medical training is the responsibility of the General Medical Council (GMC), which is an independent statutory body. The GMC has the general function of promoting high standards of education and co-ordinating all stages of education to ensure that medical students and newly qualified doctors are equipped with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes essential for professional practice.The curriculum for general practice (GP) specialty training is set by the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP), and must meet the standards set by the GMC and be formally approved by them. The curriculum emphasises the skills and approaches a GP must develop in order to ensure accurate and timely diagnoses and treatment plans for their patients. This is assessed by the Membership of the Royal College of General Practitioners Examination. The RCGP GP training curriculum includes “emesis” as a symptom of concern during pregnancy.Qualified GPs are responsible for ensuring their own clinical knowledge remains up-to-date, and for identifying learning needs across their whole scope of practice, as part of their continuing professional development and professional evaluation by the GMC.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure proactive management of medicine shortages.

There are approximately 14,000 licensed medicines and the overwhelming majority are in good supply. Where supply issues do arise, we know how frustrating and distressing these can be for patients, and we work closely with industry, the National Health Service, and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency to resolve the issues as quickly as possible, to ensure patients can access the medicines they need.Medicine supply chains are complex, global, and highly regulated and there are a number of reasons why supply can be disrupted, many of which are not specific to the United Kingdom and outside of Government control, including manufacturing difficulties, access to raw materials, sudden demand spikes or distribution issues, and regulatory issues.While we can’t always prevent supply issues from occurring, we have a range of well-established processes and tools to manage them when they arise and mitigate risks to patients. These include close and regular engagement with suppliers, use of alternative strengths or forms of a medicine to allow patients to remain on the same product, expediting regulatory procedures, sourcing unlicensed imports from abroad, adding products to the restricted exports and hoarding list, and use of Serious Shortage Protocols. In addition, we will issue communications to the NHS which provides management advice and information on the issue to healthcare professionals, including pharmacists, so they can advise and support their patients.The resilience of UK supply chains is a key priority, and we are committed to helping to build long term supply chain resilience for medicines. We are continually learning and seeking to improve the way we work to both manage and help prevent supply issues and avoid shortages. The Department, working closely with NHS England, is taking forward a range of actions to improve our ability to mitigate and manage shortages and to strengthen our resilience.

Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of the UK Games Fund in supporting the (a) long-term growth and (b) global competitiveness of the UK video game industry.

The Government is committed to supporting the growth of the UK’s video games sector as part of the upcoming creative industries sector plan, having identified the creative industries as one of eight priority sectors in the industrial strategy. We recognise the challenges faced by the video games sector, and the wider creative industries, when it comes to accessing finance. These challenges are outlined in the Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre 2024 report on Growth Finance for the Creative Industries. To address these issues at an early stage, the Government has announced £5.5 million funding for the UK Games Fund (UKGF) for 2025/26, which will provide grants to early-stage studios across the UK to develop prototypes and new intellectual property, and run development programmes for new graduates. Previous independent evaluation found that UKGF programmes served a well-established and identifiable gap within the sector – the provision of early stage funding and support to companies and teams seeking to develop video games. DCMS has commissioned a further independent evaluation of the UKGF which will be published in due course. Additionally, video games companies can benefit from Video Games Expenditure Credit, the UK Global Screen Fund, and access support from the Create Growth Programme. In January 2025 we announced that the British Business Bank will increase its support for the creative industries, including video games, as an area of high growth potential as part of the Industrial Strategy. Further detail will be set out in the Creative Industries Sector Plan, to be published in the coming months.

Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential barriers to accessible finance faced by video game developers.

The Government is committed to supporting the growth of the UK’s video games sector as part of the upcoming creative industries sector plan, having identified the creative industries as one of eight priority sectors in the industrial strategy. We recognise the challenges faced by the video games sector, and the wider creative industries, when it comes to accessing finance. These challenges are outlined in the Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre 2024 report on Growth Finance for the Creative Industries. To address these issues at an early stage, the Government has announced £5.5 million funding for the UK Games Fund (UKGF) for 2025/26, which will provide grants to early-stage studios across the UK to develop prototypes and new intellectual property, and run development programmes for new graduates. Previous independent evaluation found that UKGF programmes served a well-established and identifiable gap within the sector – the provision of early stage funding and support to companies and teams seeking to develop video games. DCMS has commissioned a further independent evaluation of the UKGF which will be published in due course. Additionally, video games companies can benefit from Video Games Expenditure Credit, the UK Global Screen Fund, and access support from the Create Growth Programme. In January 2025 we announced that the British Business Bank will increase its support for the creative industries, including video games, as an area of high growth potential as part of the Industrial Strategy. Further detail will be set out in the Creative Industries Sector Plan, to be published in the coming months.

Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to improve access to investment and funding for video game developers in the UK.

The Government is committed to supporting the growth of the UK’s video games sector as part of the upcoming creative industries sector plan, having identified the creative industries as one of eight priority sectors in the industrial strategy. We recognise the challenges faced by the video games sector, and the wider creative industries, when it comes to accessing finance. These challenges are outlined in the Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre 2024 report on Growth Finance for the Creative Industries. To address these issues at an early stage, the Government has announced £5.5 million funding for the UK Games Fund (UKGF) for 2025/26, which will provide grants to early-stage studios across the UK to develop prototypes and new intellectual property, and run development programmes for new graduates. Previous independent evaluation found that UKGF programmes served a well-established and identifiable gap within the sector – the provision of early stage funding and support to companies and teams seeking to develop video games. DCMS has commissioned a further independent evaluation of the UKGF which will be published in due course. Additionally, video games companies can benefit from Video Games Expenditure Credit, the UK Global Screen Fund, and access support from the Create Growth Programme. In January 2025 we announced that the British Business Bank will increase its support for the creative industries, including video games, as an area of high growth potential as part of the Industrial Strategy. Further detail will be set out in the Creative Industries Sector Plan, to be published in the coming months.