Written questions by French.

Media and Sport, what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on the suitability of the NHS Health Survey in assessing problem gambling rates in the United Kingdom.

The Government is committed to reviewing all official statistics assessing gambling harm in the United Kingdom to help to build our picture of gambling harm. This includes the NHS Health Survey, and we will continue to engage with relevant officials in the Department for Health and Social Care about the NHS Health Survey and the evidence it provides on gambling harm.We are aware that the harms that can ensue from harmful gambling are many and diverse and we will use all available evidence to better understand the impact that harmful gambling can have on people. Considering the NHS Health Survey alongside the Gambling Commission’s Gambling Survey for Great Britain provides us with a wider understanding of the potential consequences that can arise from gambling and ensures that we have more frequent statistics on gambling harm rates. Policy and regulatory change is not based on single statistics or evidence sources, and we will continue to use evidence from a range of sources to assess harmful gambling in the United Kingdom.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of recent trends in the level of black cab numbers on (a) the elderly and (b) people with visual impairments or mobility issues.

The Government understands the importance of accessible taxis and private hire vehicles (PHVs) in supporting older and disabled people to live independent lives. All taxis in London and several other large cities in England are wheelchair accessible and we recognise the potential negative effect the decline in their number may have on the overall accessibility of taxi and PHV services in areas affected. Ultimately, the licensing of taxis and PHVs is a matter for local licensing authorities (LLAs) and the Government expects them to anticipate the needs of people in their area proactively, and to ensure that services meet a wide range of passenger needs. In doing so, LLAs are encouraged to follow the government’s Best Practice Guidance on Taxi and PHV Licensing and to be mindful of their broader duties under the Equality Act 2010.

Media and Sport, what discussions she has had with (a) the shadow football regulator and (b) supporters groups on fan engagement over kick-off time changes.

The Government fully appreciates the frustration and disappointment that fans might experience following kick off times being changed.Fan consultation is a key part of the licensing regime within the Football Governance Bill and the relevant matters have been deliberately designed to capture the wide array of club matters that may impact fans.Within such categories as “match-day and operational issues”, topics such as accessibility, ticket purchasing processes, and stewarding may all be relevant, depending on the club. The requirements mean that clubs and their supporters could choose to discuss kick off times in these meetings, if they choose to.However, kick-off times are not included on the face of the Football Governance Bill as, in the majority of cases, these are not within the control of the club. Ultimately, the scheduling of fixtures is a matter for the relevant league and the Football Association (the FA), in conjunction with broadcasters, local authorities, and the police.

Media and Sport, what discussions she has had with UK Sport on future funding for Olympic and Paralympic sport.

The Government will continue to support the successes of Team GB and ParalympicsGB. The Chancellor has confirmed that a multi-year investment will mean a total of £344 million is invested in Olympic and Paralympic success over the next cycle. This will support them through to the 2028 Olympic Games and provide excellent foundations for the 2032 Games and beyond.

Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of changes to employer National Insurance contributions on motor sport.

The Government has protected the smallest businesses and charities from the impact of the increase to Employer National Insurance by increasing the Employment Allowance from £5,000 to £10,500, which means that 865,000 employers will pay no National Insurance Contributions (NICs) at all next year, more than half of employers will see no change or will gain overall from this package, and all eligible employers will be able to employ up to four full-time workers on the National Living Wage and pay no employer NICs.The Government published a Tax Information and Impact Note on 13 November which sets out the impact of the employer NICs changes.

Media and Sport, whether she is taking steps to promote participation in American football.

The Government is committed to improving access to sports and physical activity for everybody, wherever they live. Sport and physical activity is central to achieving our health and opportunity manifesto missions, with the biggest gains coming from supporting those who are inactive to move more.Sport England provides investment to British American Football, the National Governing Body for American Football in Britain, which received up to £250,000 to invest in the growth and participation of American football.UK Sport recently awarded British American Football £500,000 in funding. The funding will specifically support the development of the elite Great Britain Flag Football Olympic programme over the next three and a half years – in the run up to the Los Angeles Summer Olympic Games in 2028.I have also met with the National Football League to discuss their plans for the sport in the UK.

Whether her Department has had discussions with Transport for London on the potential implications for her policies of Transport for London's planned revised Taxi and Private Hire Action Plan.

The Government sets the regulatory structure within which 263 licensing authorities in England license the taxi and private hire vehicle sector and issues guidance to assist them in doing this. Transport for London are the licensing authority for London and the Department discusses a range of taxi and private hire vehicle licensing matters with them.

What plans she has for the provision of funding for the plug-in taxi grant from April 2025 onwards.

The Plug-in Taxi Grant (PITG) was introduced in 2017 to support the early market growth of zero emission capable taxis. To date it has provided over £70 million to support the purchase of over 10,000 vehicles of this type. The PITG is funded until at least the end of the current financial year. All grants and taxation measures remain under review to ensure they deliver the greatest value for money to the taxpayer.

Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential implications for her policies of the England and Wales Cricket Board's decision to revoke no objection certificates for English county cricket players.

Policies on when to issue “no objection certificates” for English county cricket players, which permit them to play in overseas tournaments, are a matter for the England and Wales Cricket Board in their stewardship of the game.

Media and Sport, what discussions she has had with (a) the England and Wales Cricket Board and (b) County Cricket Clubs on the sustainability of the county cricket system.

This Government wants a thriving sport sector, with robust National Governing Bodies that can use their nationwide remit to deliver sport to people across the country.I meet with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) on a range of topics, including the future of the sport, and have seen the work of their charitable arm, Chance to Shine, to encourage more children to take up cricket. It is for the ECB to work with County Cricket Clubs on the sustainability of the county cricket system and other issues.

For what reason it is her policy to exclude accessible taxi vehicles from the VAT exemption for disability-adapted motor vehicles.

Wheelchair accessible vehicles (WAVs) are subject to a zero rate of VAT when purchased by a disabled person for their personal use, or by a charity that will make the vehicle available to disabled people. Although taxis provide transportation services to disabled customers, they are not charities and not all their customers are wheelchair users. Therefore, this VAT relief does to extend to taxis that are WAVs. However, if a taxi driver is VAT registered, they are eligible to reclaim the VAT paid on their vehicle.

Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to promote participation in Rugby Union amongst (a) girls and (b) young women.

Everyone should have the opportunity to play sport and do regular physical activity. Schools play a key role in allowing all children to have high quality opportunities to take part in PE and sport, setting them up for a lifetime of physical activity. The expert-led review of the curriculum will ensure that no child misses out on a broad range of subjects, including PE and sport. This Government is also committed to supporting every aspect of women’s and girls’ sport, including rugby union and rugby league.Rugby Union and Rugby League are sports that are delivered through the Government-funded School Games programme, which provides children across the country with the opportunity to take part in local and accessible sport and physical activity.We provide the majority of support for grassroots sport through our arm’s-length body, Sport England, which annually invests over £250 million of National Lottery and Exchequer money. The Rugby Football League (RFL) and the Rugby Football Union (RFU) receive £11.9 million and £13.8 million funding from Sport England respectively across up to five years to help deliver strategic objectives, including tackling inequalities and improving access to sport.The women’s Rugby World Cup in 2025 will provide an opportunity to use the tournament as a springboard for women’s rugby. The RFU’s Impact 25 programme has been developed to create more opportunities for women and girls in all aspects of women’s rugby.

Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of measures announced in the Autumn Budget on the horseracing industry.

In order to repair the public finances and help raise the revenue required to increase funding for public services, the Government took difficult decisions at the Autumn Budget. Major tax measures were accompanied by Tax Information and Impact Notes in the usual way.The Government recognises the significant contribution that racing makes to British sporting culture and its importance to the British rural economy. In addition to the above measures, we recognise the unique position of horseracing and that the Horserace Betting Levy is vital for financial sustainability of the sport. The Minister for Gambling recently met representatives from the horseracing and betting industries and has written to both encouraging a voluntary deal that fairly reflects the relationship between racing and betting.Within the budget, the Government also announced its intention to publish a consultation next year on proposals to bring remote gambling (meaning gambling offered over the internet, telephone, TV, and radio) under a single tax, rather than taxing it through a three-tax structure. This consultation will consider the impacts of reforming gambling duties, and subsequently set out any expected impacts of any potential changes.

Media and Sport, whether she is taking steps to promote greyhound racing.

The Government acknowledges the importance of greyhound racing to the nation’s culture and economy, for example employing over 5,400 people across the country.The Department continues to engage with the Greyhound Board for Great Britain (GBGB) on developments in the industry.The GBGB receives funds through the British Greyhound Racing Fund (BGRF) in the form of voluntary contributions from bookmakers on betting turnover on licensed greyhound racing, which sit alongside commercial deals between the betting and racing industries. The Department is also engaging with bookmakers to underline the importance of the voluntary levy to support the growth and sustainability of the sport.Crucial to that sustainability is implementation of GBGB’s welfare strategy “ A Good Life for Every Greyhound”.

Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to increase participation in cricket amongst (a) women and girls and (b) young people in schools.

Every child should have the opportunity to play sport and do regular physical activity. Schools play a key role in allowing all children to have high quality opportunities to take part in PE and sport, setting them up for a lifetime of physical activity. This Government is also committed to supporting every aspect of women’s sport, including cricket, and ensuring all women and girls, no matter their background, have the opportunity to access sport and physical activity.The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) is the National Governing Body for cricket and has committed to making the sport as inclusive as possible for children and young people through their new strategy and state school action plan. I have also seen the work of their charitable arm, Chance to Shine, to encourage more children to take up cricket.We provide the majority of support for grassroots sport through our Arm’s Length Body, Sport England, which annually invests over £250 million of National Lottery and government money. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) receive £10.2 million funding from Sport England across up to five years to help deliver strategic objectives, including tackling inequalities and improving access to sport.

Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to increase participation in rugby (a) union and (b) league amongst school children.

Everyone should have the opportunity to play sport and do regular physical activity. Schools play a key role in allowing all children to have high quality opportunities to take part in PE and sport, setting them up for a lifetime of physical activity. The expert-led review of the curriculum will ensure that no child misses out on a broad range of subjects, including PE and sport. This Government is also committed to supporting every aspect of women’s and girls’ sport, including rugby union and rugby league.Rugby Union and Rugby League are sports that are delivered through the Government-funded School Games programme, which provides children across the country with the opportunity to take part in local and accessible sport and physical activity.We provide the majority of support for grassroots sport through our arm’s-length body, Sport England, which annually invests over £250 million of National Lottery and Exchequer money. The Rugby Football League (RFL) and the Rugby Football Union (RFU) receive £11.9 million and £13.8 million funding from Sport England respectively across up to five years to help deliver strategic objectives, including tackling inequalities and improving access to sport.The women’s Rugby World Cup in 2025 will provide an opportunity to use the tournament as a springboard for women’s rugby. The RFU’s Impact 25 programme has been developed to create more opportunities for women and girls in all aspects of women’s rugby.

Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the change to the rate of employer National Insurance contributions on Charlton Athletic football club.

The government has protected the smallest businesses and charities from the impact of the increase to Employer National Insurance by increasing the Employment Allowance from £5,000 to £10,500, which means that 865,000 employers will pay no NICs at all next year, more than half of employers will see no change or will gain overall from this package, and all eligible employers will be able to employ up to four full-time workers on the National Living Wage and pay no employer NICs.The government published a Tax Information and Impact Note on 13 November which sets out the impact of the employer NICs changes.

Whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of providing funding for new rolling stock for Southeastern metro services.

Southeastern is currently out to market with a live procurement exercise to replace its ageing metro fleet. This could be through refurbishing or cascading existing rolling stock, new build, or a combination of both. Any replacement rolling stock will be subject to a successful business case, required to support the investment decision and ensure value for money.

Media and Sport, what discussions she as had with the Rugby Football Union on the the future of rugby union in England.

I met with the Rugby Football Union in early November to discuss the future of the sport and my department is in regular contact with the rugby union authorities. The department continues to work with the RFU and the wider sport sector to support the ongoing sustainability of elite level sport.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to bring forward legislative proposals to tackle (a) puppy and kitten smuggling and (b) ear cropping of dogs.

This Government was elected on a mandate to introduce the most ambitious plans to improve animal welfare in a generation. As outlined in our manifesto we will end puppy smuggling. Ear cropping has rightly been banned in the UK for over 15 years. Under the Animal Welfare Act 2006, it is an offence in England and Wales to carry out a non-exempted mutilation e.g., where a surgical procedure is not carried out for medical purposes, such as the cropping of a dog’s ears. While the practice is illegal in the UK, we recognise that the current legislative framework can be abused by traders who import these dogs from abroad. We are considering the most effective ways to deliver our commitments and will be setting out next steps in due course.