Written questions by Jarvis.

What steps he is taking to introduce early diagnosis services for osteoporosis.

On 6 January 2025, NHS England published the new Elective Reform Plan, which sets out a whole system approach to hitting the 18-week Referral-to-Treatment target by the end of this Parliament.Part of the plan sets out funding to boost bone density DEXA scanning capacity, to support improvements in early diagnosis and bone health for conditions such as osteoporosis. This will provide an estimated 29,000 extra scans per year.As announced in the Get Britain Working white paper, we are delivering the joint Department for Work and Pensions, Department of Health and Social Care, and NHS England Getting It Right First-Time (GIRFT) Musculoskeletal (MSK) Community Delivery Programme. With a £3.5 million funding boost, GIRFT teams will deploy their proven Further Faster model to work with integrated care board leaders to further reduce MSK community waiting times, including for those with osteoporosis, and improve data, metrics, and referral pathways to wider support services.

Whether his Department plans to consult on the EPC of C or above requirement for rental properties.

The Government will consult shortly on increasing minimum energy efficiency standards in the domestic private rented sector. The consultation will include proposals for rented homes to achieve Energy Performance Certificate C or equivalent by 2030.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of fireworks on animal welfare.

Most people use fireworks in a responsible, safe, and appropriate manner and there are laws in place to address situations where fireworks are misused. The current regulatory framework is designed to support people to enjoy fireworks whilst lowering the risk of dangers and disruption to people, pets, and property.No assessment has been made of the potential impact of fireworks on animal welfare. To inform any future decisions the Government is engaging with businesses, consumer groups and charities to gather evidence on the issues and impacts of fireworks.

Media and Sport, if she will take steps to ban the ownership of UK newspapers by foreign states.

On 24 May 2024, new legislation came into effect which prevents newspaper and news magazine mergers resulting in any ownership, influence, or control by foreign states. This change was introduced by the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumer (DMCC) Act 2024, which added new powers to the Enterprise Act 2002.

Whether he has made an assessment of the (a) efficacy of and (b) adequacy of the provision of Clozapine.

Clozapine is licenced by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). Products are licenced by the MHRA where the benefit-risk assessment has been found to be positive in relation to quality, safety, and efficacy. Clozapine is marketed in different strengths and formulations, for the following indications.Firstly, Clozapine is indicated in treatment-resistant schizophrenic patients and in schizophrenia patients who have severe, untreatable neurological adverse reactions to other antipsychotic agents, including atypical antipsychotics. Treatment resistance is defined as a lack of satisfactory clinical improvement despite the use of adequate doses of at least two different antipsychotic agents, including an atypical antipsychotic agent, prescribed for an adequate duration. Secondly, Clozapine is indicated in psychotic disorders occurring during the course of Parkinson's disease, in cases where standard treatment has failed. Further information is available on the MHRA’s website, which is available at the following link:https://products.mhra.gov.uk/The Department is not aware of any supply issues regarding the provision of this medicine. Furthermore, decisions about what medicines to prescribe are made by the doctor or healthcare professional responsible for that part of the patient’s care. Prescribers are accountable for their prescribing decisions.It is for the responsible clinician to work with their patient and decide on the best course of treatment, with the provision of the most clinically appropriate care for the patient always being the primary consideration. Prescribers must always satisfy themselves that the medicines they consider appropriate for their patients can be safely prescribed and that they take account of appropriate national guidance on clinical effectiveness, as well as the local commissioning decisions of their respective integrated care boards (ICBs). The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has developed a Quality Standard on psychosis and schizophrenia in adults. NICE quality standards are concise sets of statements designed to drive quality improvements within a particular area of care and cover the NHS, public health, and social care. The Quality Standard recommends that adults with schizophrenia that have not responded adequately to treatment with at least two antipsychotic drugs are offered Clozapine, and provides quality measures to be used by service providers, commissioners, and healthcare professionals to assess the quality of care or service provision.

Whether he plans to extend access to Pancreatic Enzyme Replacement Therapy.

Clinicians are responsible for making prescribing decisions for their patients, taking into account best prescribing practice and the local commissioning decisions of their respective integrated care boards. They are also expected to take account of appropriate national guidance on clinical and cost effectiveness.Pancreatic Enzyme Replacement Therapy (PERT) is used by patients with conditions such as chronic pancreatitis, type 2 diabetes, and cystic fibrosis, in addition to being recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) for people with both operable and inoperable pancreatic cancer. The NICE has acknowledged that this is a priority area for quality improvement, and has included PERT in its quality standard for pancreatic cancer.

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of reducing the price of bus travel for people under the age of 25 via an equivalent scheme to the 16-25 railcard.

Bus services are predominantly run on a commercial basis, where private operators decide on the level at which fares are set. Many bus operators offer reduced fares for young people, and the Department for Transport’s latest concessionary travel statistics show that in the year ending March 2025, youth concessions are offered by at least one commercial bus operator in 73 out of 85 local authority areas in England outside London. Local authorities can also introduce fares initiatives in their local areas. The government has allocated £712 million to local authorities to support and improve bus services in 2025/26 including Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP) and Bus Service Operators Grant funding. BSIP funding can be used in whichever way local authorities wish to improve services for passengers, which could include introducing fares initiatives for young people. The government is exploring options for targeted fares measures that deliver value for money to the taxpayer, to ensure affordable bus travel is always available for the groups who need it most – such as young people.

If she will make an estimate of the number of magistrates recruited since the 2022 recruitment campaign.

Recruitment rates for the magistracy are published in the annual Judicial Diversity Statistics, found here. As of 01 April 2024, there were 14,576 active magistrates in England and Wales, an increase of 2,907 since the start of the Magistrate Attraction and Recruitment Campaign in January 2022. Of these, 786 were re-appointments following changes to the Mandatory Retirement Age. The next set of statistics for the period April 2024 to March 2025 will be published in July 2025.

How many police officers have been recruited by Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary since 2020.

The Home Office collects and publishes data annually on the number of police officers joining the police service in the ‘Police Workforce, England and Wales’ statistical bulletin which can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/police-workforce-england-and-wales.Information on the number of police officers joining the police service between the years ending 31 March 2007 to 2024 can be found in the ‘Joiners Open Data Table’ here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/669a9161fc8e12ac3edb0081/open-data-table-police-workforce-joiners-240724.ods.

What steps his Department is taking to increase the accessibility of Fracture Liaison Services for people with osteoporosis.

Fracture Liaison Services (FLS) are a globally recognised care model and can reduce the risk of refracture for people at risk of osteoporosis by up to 40%. We remain committed to rolling out FLS across every part of the country by 2030. That is what the Secretary of State promised before the election, and what he is delivering. In the meantime, we are investing in 14 high-tech DEXA scanners, which are expected to provide an extra 29,000 scans to ensure people with bone conditions get diagnosed earlier.

What the average wait time in Southampton General Hospital's Accident and Emergency Department was in (a) December 2024 and (b) January 2025.

The data is not available in the format requested. The latest provisional published data for the median average time spent at emergency departments at the University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust for November 2024 was 232 minutes. Information relating to December 2024 will be published on 13 February 2025, and information relating to January 2025 will be published on 13 March 2025.

What steps he is taking to improve (a) diagnosis and (b) treatment pathways for patients with (i) hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, (ii) Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome and (iii) Mast Cell Activation Syndrome.

The Government is committed to improving the lives of those living with rare diseases, such as hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (hEDS) and mast cell activation syndrome. The UK Rare Diseases Framework sets out four priorities, collaboratively developed with the rare disease community, which include helping patients get a final diagnosis faster and improving access to specialist care, treatments, and drugs. We remain committed to delivering under the framework and will publish an annual England action plan in 2025. With over 7,000 identified rare diseases, the framework and action plans focus on shared challenges across all rare diseases.NHS England has a website page on hEDS and this notes the passing of information on to the National Congenital Anomaly and Rare Diseases Registration Service (NCARDRS) to help scientists look for better ways to prevent and treat this condition. NHS England’s website page is available at the following link:https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/ehlers-danlos-syndromes/Be Part of Research is a tool that can support people living with rare diseases in engaging with research. Currently on Be Part of Research there is a study recruiting those with hEDS to take part in research to help advance the understanding of diagnostic imaging in this condition. Further information is available at the following link:https://bepartofresearch.nihr.ac.uk/trial-details/trial-detail?trialId=24730&location=&distance=To improve awareness of postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (PoTS) amongst healthcare professionals, and specifically general practitioners, the Royal College of General Practitioners provides training on PoTS as part of its syncope toolkit. Further information is available at the following link:https://elearning.rcgp.org.uk/course/view.php?id=500In addition, the NICE has produced a clinical knowledge summary on blackouts and syncope, last updated in November 2023, which outlines how clinicians should assess and diagnose PoTS. The NICE’s clinical knowledge summary is available at the following link:https://cks.nice.org.uk/topics/blackouts-syncope/diagnosis/assessment/

If he will ensure that the investment reserve of the British Coal Staff Superannuation Scheme is transferred back to members.

The Government is receptive to representations regarding the BCSSS. I recently met with the Trustees of the Scheme to discuss their proposals, and will be discussing the matter with the Treasury in due course.

What assessment he has made of the adequacy of NHS funded IVF treatment in Eastleigh constituency.

Funding decisions for health services in England are made by the integrated care boards (ICBs) and are based on the clinical needs of their local population. ICBs are expected to commission fertility services in line with National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s (NICE) guidelines. We are aware that compliance with these guidelines is variable.The NICE is currently reviewing the fertility guideline and will consider whether the current recommendations for access to NHS-funded treatment are still appropriate. We expect this review to be published later in 2025.The Department is working with NHS England to consider future policy options to support ICBs to provide more equitable in vitro fertilization (IVF) services. No assessment has been made of the of NHS-funded IVF treatment in the Eastleigh consistuency.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to publish an anti-littering strategy.

Littering is a crime that blights communities and the environment. This Government is considering what further steps are needed to help local authorities reduce litter and keep their streets clean. In the meantime, we are introducing a Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) for drinks containers which is planned to launch in England, Northern Ireland and Scotland in October 2027.DRS introduces a redeemable deposit on single-use in-scope drinks containers which can be claimed back by customers when returned. This will reduce litter, increase recycling rates, create high quality recycled materials for producers and promote a circular economy. This Government has also introduced legislation banning the supply of single use vapes in England from 1 June 2025. A ban on these throwaway items will help to protect our environment and future generations from the harmful effects of single use vapes, whilst reducing litter.

How many instances of mobile phone theft have been reported in Eastleigh constituency since 2020.

The Home Office collects information on the number of theft offences recorded by the police in England and Wales. It is not possible to identify from these data which crimes involved the theft of a mobile phone. The Office for National Statistics publish estimates of mobile phone theft for England and Wales, but these figures are not available for smaller geographic areas. The latest Office for National Statistics estimates can be found at:https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/crimeandjustice/datasets/focusonpropertycrimeappendixtablesWe will shortly be holding a Home Office Mobile Phone Theft Summit, drawing together representatives from the mobile phone industry, including tech companies, and law enforcement to see what more can collectively be done to break the business model of mobile phone thieves.As part of our Safer Streets Mission, this government is determined to crack down on theft and other crimes that make people feel unsafe in our communities, including strengthening neighbourhood policing, tackling anti-social behaviour and restoring public confidence.

Whether she plans to include extra-curricular activities within her Department's curriculum and assessment review.

Extracurricular activities, although not within the independent Curriculum and Assessment Review’s remit, clearly interact with the content of the curriculum. This government is interested in recommendations that help to deliver a rich and broad curriculum.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of moratoriums on the building of incinerators.

Over the last 14 years, England has seen recycling rates stall, meaning too much waste is dealt with through incineration or thrown in landfill. Under new plans, published alongside Defra’s Residual Waste Infrastructure Capacity Note, the Government makes clear it will only back new waste infrastructure projects if they meet strict local and environmental conditions. Projects will need to maximise efficiency and support the delivery of economic growth, net zero and the move to a circular economy. Defra’s analysis shows that there remain certain areas in England where significant volumes of household waste are sent to landfill and that non-household waste is also sent to landfill. Disposing of waste in landfill has a greater negative environmental impact than recovering the energy through incineration. Therefore, we have taken this step to support our transition to a circular economy, end the stagnated recycling rates in England and support the waste hierarchy in minimising waste sent to landfill. Those developing energy recovery facilities (at all stages in the process) are encouraged to consider forecast changes to future capacity, demand, and the Government's circular economy opportunities, in light of the evidence published in the Capacity Note. And we expect those granting permissions to consider these changes in any decisions they make.

What steps he is taking to help schools maintain the wellbeing of young people affected by bullying.

All schools must have a behaviour policy with measures to prevent all forms of bullying. Schools are free to develop their own anti-bullying strategies to suit their specific needs and are held to account by Ofsted.​The department has published advice to ...

What steps her Department is taking to ensure that children with with epilepsy have individual healthcare plans.

Statutory guidance on ‘Supporting pupils at school with medical conditions’ recommends the use of individual healthcare plans as good practice. Individual healthcare plans can help schools support pupils with medical conditions, providing clarity about wh...