Written questions by Jarvis.

What assessment his Department has made of local variations in petrol and diesel prices between fuel retailers; and what steps he is taking to improve consistency and transparency.

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) recent annual report found that competition has not strengthened since 2023, which was consistent with significant price variations within and between local areas. Fuel Finder is now live, with all petrol filling stations in the UK required to publish their latest prices. Increasing price transparency will increase pressure on fuel retailers to compete strongly to attract consumers by lowering their prices, including at a local level. The CMA will continue to monitor the road fuel market using statutory information gathering powers and will use Fuel Finder data to further assess regional pricing.

What recent assessment her Department has made of trends in the level of jet fuel availability and pricing; what discussions she has had with airlines and industry stakeholders on fuel costs; and what assessment she has made of the potential impact of those factors on passenger airfares.

The Government is monitoring the impact of the conflict in the Middle East on fuel supplies, including jet fuel. In coordination with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero we have worked with fuel suppliers, airlines and airports to understand levels of jet fuel and pricing. There is no immediate cause for concern relating to fuel stocks, and speculation will not help airlines or passengers. Many airlines lock in fuel prices in advance, to help protect tickets from spikes in price. We encourage all airlines to do what they can to ensure tickets remain fairly and appropriately priced for passengers.

Innovation and Technology, what steps she has taken with Cabinet colleagues to (a) reduce the sale of counterfeit fashion goods and (b) improve coordination between enforcement agencies to tackle such activity.

(a) The Government is reducing the sale of counterfeit fashion goods by supporting Police, Trading Standards and Border Force to take targeted enforcement action, disrupt online sales, seize counterfeit goods and use Proceeds of Crime Act powers to recover criminal profits, ensuring counterfeiting does not pay.(b) Coordination is being strengthened through the IPO’s Counter-Infringement Strategy, the IPO-funded Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU) and the national network of IP Crime Coordinators. This is supported by further partnership working with Trading Standards and Border Force, alongside improved intelligence-sharing, training and multi-agency operations to tackle organised counterfeit supply chains.

What assessment her Department has made of the availability and accessibility of supported apprenticeships and supported internships for young people with Education, Health and Care Plans; whether a centrally held list of such apprenticeships and internships exists at a national or regional level; which Department or body is responsible for maintaining and communicating that information; and what steps are being taken to (a) improve transparency, (b) ensure such information is made publicly available and (c) ensure timely and coordinated responses between relevant Departments in supporting young people into suitable placements.

Since 2022, the department has invested around £33 million in supported internships to provide more opportunities for young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) to transition into sustained, paid employment.As set out in the SEND Code of Practice, local authorities must keep their educational and training provision under review, including the sufficiency of provision, and each local authority’s local offer must include information on supported internships.The availability of apprenticeships is determined by employers choosing to offer apprenticeship opportunities. The ‘Find an Apprenticeship’ service allows people to identify opportunities from Disability Confident employers.The government is working to ensure that a learning difficulty or disability is not a barrier to people who want to realise the benefits of an apprenticeship. Additional Learning Support funding is available to training providers to make reasonable adjustments to support apprentices with learning difficulties and disabilities. The government also pays £1,000 to both employers and providers for apprentices aged 16 to 18 and for apprentices aged 19 to 24 who have an education, health and care plan, or have been, or are, in local authority care.

What timetable her Department has set for completing consideration of the proposals of the Independent Review of Fraud; how she will monitor the effectiveness of the Fraud Strategy 2026–2029 in reducing online fraud and scams; and what powers will be conferred on the proposed Online Crime Centre to tackle online fraud.

The Government has received the Independent Review of Disclosure and Fraud Offence’s second report, Fraud in the Digital Age, and will publish it this in due course, alongside a statement of proposals progressed.Effectiveness of the Fraud Strategy 2026-2028 will be tracked through a governance and metrics framework, refined with delivery partners through better data, a theory of change, and targeted evaluations. We will also work with industry to set metrics on the prevalence of fraud on online platforms and on platforms’ performance in removing or blocking such activity.Backed by over £30m, the Online Crime Centre will bring together government, law enforcement, the intelligence community and industry to tackle online fraud to disrupt at scale, it will draw on existing enforcement powers.

What assessment his Department has made of the structure and variability of commission fees charged by ride-hailing platforms to drivers in the UK; and what steps he is taking to ensure transparency and fairness in the relationship between platforms and drivers.

The Department recognises the importance of ride-hailing platforms to the UK transport industry and continues to monitor published research and correspondence on employment practices in the sector.Commission arrangements are a contractual arrangement between the driver and employer. Where a driver is classified as a worker or employee, the employer must comply with employment law, ensuring that drivers receive at least the National Minimum Wage and paid holiday.The Government encourages platforms to operate fairly and is taking steps through its Plan to Make Work Pay, including a consultation on employment status and the establishment of the Fair Work Agency.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of declining pupil numbers on school budgets in Eastleigh constituency; and what steps her Department is taking to support schools experiencing financial deficits linked to declining pupil numbers.

School funding is increasing nationally by £1.7 billion in 2026/27, meaning that the core school budget will total £67 billion compared to £65.3 billion in 2025/26.Southampton and Hampshire local authorities allocate school funding for the constituency of Eastleigh. Through the dedicated schools grant, Southampton is receiving £6,893 per pupil on average and Hampshire is receiving £6,354 per pupil on average in financial year 2026/27 (including premises and excluding growth). Total funding for mainstream schools is growing by £17 million in Hampshire in 2026/27, compared to 2025/26 (a 1.6% increase) and by £3.3 million in Southampton (a 1.5% increase).We recognise the pressures caused by demographic changes in some areas. The lagged funding system, where schools are funded on the basis of their pupil numbers in the previous October census, helps to give schools more certainty over funding levels to aid their planning, and is particularly important in providing schools with falling pupil numbers, time to plan ahead with their budgets.

What discussions his Department has had with Integrated Care Boards in South East England on the suspension of funding for septoplasty, turbinate surgery and functional septorhinoplasty.

Integrated care boards are responsible for commissioning National Health Services for their local populations and for deciding which treatments are routinely offered, based on clinical evidence, local need, and available resources. Decisions about individual services are taken locally, and the Department does not routinely intervene in these commissioning decisions.

Innovation and Technology, if she will review the findings of the Spanish Data Protection Agency regarding the handling of biometric and personal data by Yoti; what safeguards are in place to help ensure that the use of Yoti complies with UK data protection law and protects users’ privacy and online safety; and what assessment she has made of the potential implications of these issues for the development and public trust in any future Government-led digital identity scheme.

Yoti provides a range of digital identity and facial age estimation services, and its Digital ID app service is certified against the UK digital verification services trust framework. Services certified against the framework are entitled to be on a statutory register, providing the public and businesses with confidence that a service is safe, accurate and trustworthy. Continued presence of Yoti’s service on that register should assure users of its compliance with the trust framework’s robust rules. The department is aware of the findings of the Spanish Data Protection Agency regarding this app and has reported them to the independent conformity assessment body that certified Yoti’s service against the trust framework. If that body finds that the service isn’t following the framework, they will report the non-conformity to Yoti, which Yoti must either fix or lose their certification and registration.If the department isn’t satisfied with the conformity assessment body’s assessment and determines that the trust framework isn’t being followed, we can remove services from the register independent of the certification process. The Government’s digital ID scheme is currently under consultation, and any findings regarding Yoti’s service have no implications for its development.

What assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of legal oversight and procedural safeguards in the enforcement processes used by the Child Maintenance Service; and if he will review (a) the process by which liability orders and summonses are issued, (b) the accuracy and treatment of historic arrears inherited from the Child Support Agency, and (c) the availability of data on outcomes for paying parents, including mortality rates.

The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) exists to ensure that children receive the financial support they are entitled to. When parents fail to financially support their children CMS have a range of enforcement powers that are provided for in the 1991 Child Support Act and the Collection and Enforcement regulations 1992. These include applying to the magistrates’ court for a Liability Order which gives formal recognition of debt a paying parent legally owes. Decisions surrounding which enforcement method to proceed with are carefully considered by caseworkers based on the case circumstances and the welfare of any qualifying children involved. Parents have a right to challenge the decisions taken by the CMS through established dispute and appeal routes. In 2018 an exercise to close all CSA cases with live liabilities was completed. As part of that, both parents were given the opportunity to challenge case information, including arrears balances, or decide whether the arrears should move to the CMS to be pursued. The annual Separated Families statistics, in particular section 6, report the estimated financial impact of child maintenance on non-resident parent households, including both Child Maintenance Service (statutory) arrangements and private (non-statutory) arrangements. The quarterly Child Maintenance Service statistics, particularly sections 6 to 9, contain information on the compliance and enforcement of arrangements made via the service. The Department has no plans to publish mortality data or other additional data relating to Paying Parents.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of parking fines on care workers providing in-home services; and if he will issue further (a) guidance and (b) introduce measures to support care workers who are required to park in close proximity to patients’ homes while carrying out their duties.

The Department has not made a formal assessment of the impact of parking fines on care workers providing in‑home services.Parking policy is devolved to local authorities, which already have the discretion to offer exemptions or dedicated permit schemes for health and social care workers where appropriate. At present, local authorities remain best placed to determine appropriate support and parking arrangements, taking account of local conditions and existing pressures.We are introducing the first ever Fair Pay Agreement for adult social care. The Fair Pay Agreement will bring together employers, worker representatives, and other to negotiate play and terms and conditions for the sector. This is intended to improve pay, support recruitment, and retention.

If his Department will make an assessment of (a) the prevalence of respiratory disease and (b) the number of emergency hospital admissions for respiratory conditions in Eastleigh constituency compared with national averages.

Data is available for emergency Finished Admission Episodes (FAEs) where there was a primary diagnosis of 'respiratory conditions’. The following table shows the number of FAEs where there was a primary diagnosis of 'respiratory conditions’ for Eastleigh and England, for activity in English National Health Service hospitals and English NHS commissioned activity in the independent sector, for 2024/25 and provisionally for 2025/26:Westminster Parliamentary Constituency of Residence2024/25 (August 2024 to March 2025)2025/26 (April 2025 to November 2025)Eastleigh1,170935England612,855511,558Source: Hospital Episode Statistics, NHS England Available data on trends in respiratory conditions can be found on the Department’s Fingertips dataset. Data is not available by parliamentary constituency. Data is available at regional, county, unitary authority, and integrated care board level. Information for Eastleigh can be found at the following link: https://fingertips.phe.org.uk/search/Respiratory#page/1/gid/1/pat/6/ati/501/are/E07000086/iid/40701/age/163/sex/4/cat/-1/ctp/-1/yrr/1/cid/4/tbm/1

What assessment his Department has made of the access to (a) treatment and (b) support services for people with musculoskeletal conditions.

The Government recognises the importance of access to treatment and support services for people with musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions.To improve access to treatment for those with MSK conditions, we are working to deliver the Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) MSK Community Delivery Programme. GIRFT teams are working with health system leaders to further reduce MSK community waiting lists, which are the highest of all community waiting lists in England, and improve data, metrics, and referral pathways to wider support services.The 10-Year Health Plan will also support people including those with MSK conditions to better manage their condition and access services and support through the three health shifts.For example, as part of a major transformation of the National Health Service under the 10-Year Health Plan, patients with MSK conditions will also soon be able to bypass their general practices (GPs) and directly access community services, including physiotherapy, pain management, and orthopaedics, in the NHS App. The landmark change will deliver faster treatment for the flare up of existing conditions including arthritis, backpain, and joint pain, while enabling GPs to focus on more complex cases, reducing pressure on hospitals, and freeing up GPs.

What steps his Department is taking to support children and young people with arthritis.

The Government is committed to supporting children and young people with arthritis to ensure they get timely, quality care.Services for children with suspected arthritis are commissioned in line with the national service specification for paediatric rheumatology services.The national service specification helps to reduce waiting times for diagnosis by mandating clear referral pathways and rapid access to specialist paediatric rheumatology teams. It sets national standards requiring timely triage of suspected cases, prioritisation of urgent referrals, and availability of multidisciplinary expertise for early assessment. The specification ensures consistency across regions, minimises delays caused by local variation, and supports faster initiation of diagnostic tests and treatment planning.NHS England’s Getting It Right First Time Paediatric Rheumatology programme is aimed at improving care for children and young people with inflammatory, autoimmune, and rheumatic conditions. Led by specialists, it uses data-driven, "deep-dive" peer reviews of all National Health Service trusts to reduce unwarranted variations, improve transition services, and standardise best practice.Additionally, the 10-Year Health Plan’s commitments to expand community diagnostic centres for quicker access to tests, introduce digital tools to support early symptom monitoring and triage, and improve the integration between primary care and specialist services will further streamline referral pathways and ensure children receive timely assessment and treatment.

If his Department will take steps to help support private gym and health facilities facing rising operating costs.

The Government recognises pressures from rising operating costs on small businesses, including private gyms and health facilities. From April 2026, we are introducing permanently lower business‑rate multipliers for retail, hospitality and leisure properties, worth nearly £900 million a year and benefiting over 750,000 premises.We remain committed to supporting businesses across the economy by reducing the administrative burden of regulation by £5.6 billion this Parliament and providing a £4.3 billion package to protect ratepayers from increases in business rates bills.

What steps his Department is taking to support research into Mast Cell Activation Syndrome; and what steps he is taking to improve training for NHS healthcare professionals in the diagnosis and management of that condition.

The Department funds research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The NIHR funds clinical, public health, and social care research and works in partnership with the National Health Service, universities, local government, other research funders, patients, and the public, and the NIHR also funds global health research.The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health and care, including mast cell activation syndrome. These applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money, and scientific quality. Further information is available at the following link:https://www.nihr.ac.uk/get-involved/suggest-a-research-topicNHS England Specialised Commissioning has published a Service Specification for Specialist Allergy Services, which covers the responsibilities of specialised commissioned providers with regard to patients with mastocytosis and related disorders. This includes the expectation for specialist allergy services to be provided by multidisciplinary teams, led by physicians with evidence of training and/or experience in the practice of allergy or immunology. Further information is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/specialist-allergy-services-adults-service-specification-v2.9.pdfThe management of service users with mastocytosis is provided by specialised allergy/immunology, dermatology, and haematology services. The lead clinician will vary at different centres, but specialist allergy input should be readily available.

What discussions he has had with the Department for Transport on their priorities for the 2026 UK-EU summit.

Cabinet Office Ministers and officials have regular and ongoing discussions with counterparts across the Department for Transport regarding a wide range of policy issues, including preparations for the upcoming 2026 UK-EU summit. These discussions are facilitated through established Cabinet Committee structures.

What steps he is taking to improve awareness and prevention of all strains of meningitis among students and school staff; and whether he has reviewed the adequacy of current guidelines relating to meningococcal group B.

Meningococcal disease, both meningitis and septicaemia, is an uncommon but serious disease caused by meningococcal bacteria. The MenACWY vaccine offers good protection against several strains of meningococcal disease and is routinely offered to teenagers in school Years 9 and 10. However, it does not protect against all strains. Other strains, such as Meningitis B (MenB), can circulate among young adults. From 2015, the MenB vaccine has been available on the National Health Service as part of routine childhood immunisations, but most students would not be vaccinated.The importance of raising awareness in parents, teenagers, and other adults about the signs and symptoms of meningitis and septicaemia remains key. There are a range of resources developed by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), co-branded with the NHS, that set out these key messages and their importance, such as the teenage guide to immunisation. The guide is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/immunisations-for-young-peopleThe UKHSA collaboratively produces a university vaccine communications toolkit. This is shared with the distribution lists of Universities UK and the Association of Managers of Student Services in Higher Education, and is available at the following link:https://find-public-health-resources.service.gov.uk/University%20vaccine%20communications%20toolkit/UNI24In addition, United Kingdom guidance on the public health management of meningococcal disease provides clear advice on the management of confirmed and probable cases of invasive meningococcal disease, including MenB, to minimise onward transmission and further associated cases. This guidance is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/meningococcal-disease-guidance-on-public-health-managementThe Department makes decisions on vaccination programmes following careful consideration of independent expert advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI). The JCVI does not currently recommend a routine MenB booster vaccination for adolescents and young adults. JCVI routinely reviews new evidence as it emerges, and my Rt. Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, announced on 17 March that the JCVI has been asked to reexamine eligibility for meningitis vaccines. Decisions on routine vaccination programmes are taken on the basis of independent advice from the JCVI. As ever, we will carefully consider its advice.

What assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of Bereavement Support Payment for widows and widowers raising dependent children; and what steps he is taking to provide longer-term support for widows and widowers who are raising bereaved children following the end of Bereavement Support Payment.

Bereavement Support Payment (BSP) aims to provide support during the acute period following a bereavement by way of an initial lump sum followed by up to 18 monthly instalments with a higher amount paid for those with children. Where longer-term financial support is needed, benefits such as Universal Credit have been specifically designed to provide assistance with ongoing living costs. The Government keeps the eligibility of all benefits under review.

What steps he is taking to support businesses with their operating costs.

We are committed to reducing operating costs for all UK businesses, including those in Eastleigh and across Hampshire.We are reducing the annual administrative burden of regulation by £5.6bn by 2029, enabling UK businesses to unlock growth and boost innovation.Introducing e-invoicing will also increase efficiency and streamline tax administration.Tackling late payments will give the UK the strongest legal framework in the G7, intending to legislate as soon as parliamentary time allows. We will publish our response to the late payment consultation setting out the measures we will take forward.In addition, we are protecting full apprenticeship funding and extending it up to under 25s reducing administrative barriers further.