Written questions by Murphy.

What steps are being taken to reduce access to treatment variations between ICBs for people with arthritis.

The Department is committed to improving timely diagnosis and management of arthritis and other musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions across England.The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has published guidance to support health and care professionals in the early diagnosis and management of rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis. These guidelines help ensure that patients receive evidence-based care as early as possible.NHS England is working to improve early diagnosis rates through its Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) rheumatology programme. This initiative focuses on reducing variation in care, improving referral pathways, and ensuring patients with suspected arthritis and other MSK conditions are assessed promptly by specialists.The Government has funded NHS England’s GIRFT programme to deploy its proven Further Faster model for MSK community services. The programme has been designed to reduce waiting times for community MSK appointments and to enhance access to quality treatment, working with integrated care board leaders to improve data and metrics and referral pathways to wider support services.We are working together to further develop the approach to better enable integrated care systems to commission the delivery of high quality MSK services in the community, which will benefit patients now and into the future.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure people are able to access a timely diagnosis for arthritis and musculoskeletal conditions.

The Department is committed to improving timely diagnosis and management of arthritis and other musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions across England.The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has published guidance to support health and care professionals in the early diagnosis and management of rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis. These guidelines help ensure that patients receive evidence-based care as early as possible.NHS England is working to improve early diagnosis rates through its Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) rheumatology programme. This initiative focuses on reducing variation in care, improving referral pathways, and ensuring patients with suspected arthritis and other MSK conditions are assessed promptly by specialists.The Government has funded NHS England’s GIRFT programme to deploy its proven Further Faster model for MSK community services. The programme has been designed to reduce waiting times for community MSK appointments and to enhance access to quality treatment, working with integrated care board leaders to improve data and metrics and referral pathways to wider support services.We are working together to further develop the approach to better enable integrated care systems to commission the delivery of high quality MSK services in the community, which will benefit patients now and into the future.

Whether he plans to take steps to ensure that families of staff seconded to his Department's non-departmental public bodies receive the same recognition of ordinary residence as direct employees of his Department.

The Ministry of Defence has no such plans as Non-Departmental Public Bodies have delegated authority over their HR policies, including the management of secondees.

What steps his Department is taking to reduce the time taken to process mandatory reconsiderations for Child Disability Living Allowance applications.

The Department is clear that decisions should be made without delay. The department has increased resources to help reduce wait times for Disability Living Allowance Child Mandatory Reconsideration decisions, by recruiting additional decision makers and reallocating decision makers from other parts of the department. If the decision maker considers that more time is needed to gather or consider evidence in an individual case, they must give themselves that time to ensure they are confident that the decision made is correct.

Whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of lone working practices introduced under the Co-op’s Project Lunar scheme on employee (a) safety and (b) wellbeing.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 5 September 2025 to Question UIN 71094.

What assessment she has made of the potential merits of requiring a unique provisional driving licence number to book a driving test to help tackle the (a) bulk buying of driving tests by bot accounts and (b) reselling of driving slots.

When booking a driving test every customer must provide their unique UK driving licence number. A driving licence number can be assigned to only one car practical driving test within the booking system at a time. DVSA encourages learner drivers to only use the official GOV.UK website to book and manage their driving test. The DVSA has published advice aimed at learner drivers warning them of the risks of using third party services/apps to book a practical driving test. Further information can be found on GOV.UK at: www.gov.uk/government/news/learner-drivers-warned-about-the-risks-of-driving-test-cancellation-finders. On 28 May, DVSA launched a public consultation on improving the rules for booking car driving tests. The consultation closed on 23 July. DVSA is reviewing the feedback given and will announce next steps as soon as possible. Further information on the consultation can be found at:www.gov.uk/government/consultations/improving-car-driving-test-booking-rules/improving-car-driving-test-booking-rules.

With reference to his Department's policy paper entitled Suicide prevention in England: 5-year cross-sector strategy, published on 11 September 2023, what steps his Department is taking to help provide postvention local support services.

We are committed to delivering the Suicide Prevention Strategy for England, which aims to reduce suicide rates and address the risk factors contributing to suicide, as well as improving support for those who have self-harmed or are bereaved by suicide.We are continuing to work towards the ambition and vision for improving bereavement support over the next five years, as set out in the strategy.NHS England commissioned the Support After Suicide Partnership to help local health systems to develop suicide bereavement and postvention support services, and which continues to offer support to local areas to embed suicide bereavement services in line with their core standards, which are available at the following link:https://hub.supportaftersuicide.org.uk/resource/summary-of-core-standards/A detailed description of the work involved can be found on their website, at the following link:https://hub.supportaftersuicide.org.uk/standards-intro/

What assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of providing funding to community-led suicide bereavement services.

We recognise the important role that community-led organisations can play in suicide prevention and suicide bereavement services. While there is no specific national funding allocated for suicide bereavement services, integrated care boards are responsible for commissioning health and care services to meet the needs of their local populations, which may include working with community-led organisations. As part of the 10-Year Health Plan, we are committed to working closely with voluntary, community, and social enterprise stakeholders as we begin this journey to transform mental health services, tackle the drivers of mental ill-health, and create the conditions to nurture good mental health and wellbeing for all.

Representing the Church Commissioners, what steps the Church of England is taking to help tackle poverty.

Church of England churches are involved in over 30,000 social action projects, hosting food banks, breakfast clubs, and much more besides. The Lords Spiritual continue to use their place in the House of Lords to raise concerns about poverty, and have long called for the two-child limit to be scrapped as the most effective means of reducing child poverty.

If he will bring forward legislative proposals for statutory paid bereavement leave (a) for people grieving the loss of a loved one to suicide and (b) in general.

The loss of a loved one is one of the hardest things a person can experience. This is why we have introduced a new right to bereavement leave in the Employment Rights Bill which will be available to those grieving the loss of a loved one, including to suicide.The Bill deals with the introduction of leave only, and we will be consulting further on the detail this Autumn. However, it will be at employers' discretion to offer pay, as many already do.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of sustained funding for school-aged wraparound childcare.

The department’s vision is for a modern childcare system for parents of school age children that is high quality, affordable, accessible and inclusive for all families from the day children start primary school, no matter where they live in the country or what days or hours they work. Officials are working closely with local authorities, schools and providers to develop this.This will build on existing programmes such as the National Wraparound Childcare programme, the Holiday Activities and Food programme and Free Universal Breakfast clubs to ensure families are supported.The government is also delivering on its pledge to provide a free breakfast club in every state-funded school with primary-aged children, starting with 750 early adopters. Additionally, the department recently confirmed investment of over £600 million to make Best Start Holiday Activities and Food Clubs available for the next three years.

Whether she plans to produce a strategy on widening the availability of wraparound childcare.

The department’s vision is for a modern childcare system for parents of school age children that is high quality, affordable, accessible and inclusive for all families from the day children start primary school, no matter where they live in the country or what days or hours they work. Officials are working closely with local authorities, schools and providers to develop this.This will build on existing programmes such as the National Wraparound Childcare programme, the Holiday Activities and Food programme and Free Universal Breakfast clubs to ensure families are supported.The government is also delivering on its pledge to provide a free breakfast club in every state-funded school with primary-aged children, starting with 750 early adopters. Additionally, the department recently confirmed investment of over £600 million to make Best Start Holiday Activities and Food Clubs available for the next three years.

Whether she plans to renew the (a) Wraparound Childcare Programme and (b) Holiday Activities and Food Programme in 2026.

The department’s vision is for a modern childcare system for parents of school age children that is high quality, affordable, accessible and inclusive for all families from the day children start primary school, no matter where they live in the country or what days or hours they work. Officials are working closely with local authorities, schools and providers to develop this.This will build on existing programmes such as the National Wraparound Childcare programme, the Holiday Activities and Food programme and Free Universal Breakfast clubs to ensure families are supported.The government is also delivering on its pledge to provide a free breakfast club in every state-funded school with primary-aged children, starting with 750 early adopters. Additionally, the department recently confirmed investment of over £600 million to make Best Start Holiday Activities and Food Clubs available for the next three years.

If she will take steps with Cabinet colleagues to develop a cross-government strategy for the future of school-aged childcare funding after 2026.

The department’s vision is for a modern childcare system for parents of school age children that is high quality, affordable, accessible and inclusive for all families from the day children start primary school, no matter where they live in the country or what days or hours they work. Officials are working closely with local authorities, schools and providers to develop this.This will build on existing programmes such as the National Wraparound Childcare programme, the Holiday Activities and Food programme and Free Universal Breakfast clubs to ensure families are supported.The government is also delivering on its pledge to provide a free breakfast club in every state-funded school with primary-aged children, starting with 750 early adopters. Additionally, the department recently confirmed investment of over £600 million to make Best Start Holiday Activities and Food Clubs available for the next three years.

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of a (a) cross-industry and (b) cross-departmental taskforce to review long-term strategy for the wraparound childcare sector.

The department’s vision is for a modern childcare system for parents of school age children that is high quality, affordable, accessible and inclusive for all families from the day children start primary school, no matter where they live in the country or what days or hours they work. Officials are working closely with local authorities, schools and providers to develop this.This will build on existing programmes such as the National Wraparound Childcare programme, the Holiday Activities and Food programme and Free Universal Breakfast clubs to ensure families are supported.The government is also delivering on its pledge to provide a free breakfast club in every state-funded school with primary-aged children, starting with 750 early adopters. Additionally, the department recently confirmed investment of over £600 million to make Best Start Holiday Activities and Food Clubs available for the next three years.

What steps he is taking to ensure adequate funding for grassroots organisations delivering peer support to people bereaved by suicide.

Commissioning responsibility for local suicide bereavement services, sits with integrated care boards (ICBs) and it is for them to commission appropriate services for their local population while considering their overall financial position. The NHS Long Term Plan committed that, from 2019/20, every area of the country would receive funding for suicide prevention and bereavement services by 2023/24. £57 million was allocated from the overall investment in mental health services in three annual waves via specific System Development Funding. Local systems had the flexibility to design bereavement services to best meet the needs of their local population, which could include peer support and specialist postvention services.From 2023/24, funding for local suicide bereavement services has been included within System Development Funding allocations for adult crisis services. ICBs are able to spend this wider allocation flexibly according to the needs of their local population and the amounts invested in local suicide prevention and bereavement services cannot be separately identified.

What steps he is taking to ensure that families bereaved by suicide have access to local, specialist postvention support.

Commissioning responsibility for local suicide bereavement services, sits with integrated care boards (ICBs) and it is for them to commission appropriate services for their local population while considering their overall financial position. The NHS Long Term Plan committed that, from 2019/20, every area of the country would receive funding for suicide prevention and bereavement services by 2023/24. £57 million was allocated from the overall investment in mental health services in three annual waves via specific System Development Funding. Local systems had the flexibility to design bereavement services to best meet the needs of their local population, which could include peer support and specialist postvention services.From 2023/24, funding for local suicide bereavement services has been included within System Development Funding allocations for adult crisis services. ICBs are able to spend this wider allocation flexibly according to the needs of their local population and the amounts invested in local suicide prevention and bereavement services cannot be separately identified.

What steps she is taking to ensure mortgage availability for people wishing to purchase residential properties that were converted from office space.

The availability and pricing of mortgages is a commercial decision for firms in which the Government does not intervene. However, the UK benefits from a competitive mortgage market; prospective buyers are encouraged to shop around and speak to a mortgage broker to find the best possible product for their circumstances. We are also helping buyers who may struggle to save for a large deposit by delivering on our manifesto commitment to a permanent mortgage guarantee scheme. The scheme is permanently available and will help to ensure mortgages are available for first-time buyers and home movers with small deposits across the UK, supporting our mission to boost economic growth across the country and make sure people are better off. More broadly, in response to the Prime Minister’s and Chancellor’s request for reforms to support growth, the Financial Conduct Authority have launched a major programme of work to refresh its mortgage lending rules, including to support first-time buyers’ access to mortgages. We welcome the actions that the Financial Conduct Authority have already taken as part of this work, including reminding firms of the flexibility available within the stress testing rules which allows lender to offer larger loans to customers, and its Discussion Paper, which is an important step towards putting home ownership within reach of many more. The Government also welcomes the recent decision of the Financial Policy Committee of the Bank of England to reform the flow limit, enabling lenders to offer more mortgages at over 4.5 times buyers’ income - helping up to 36,000 more first-time buyers own their own home in the first year.

What steps her department is taking to increase the use of phone blocking (a) techniques and (b) technologies in prisons.

His Majesty’s Prison & Probation Service (HMPPS) is committed to tackling the threat to prison security posed by illicit mobile telephones. We have a wide-ranging programme in place to prevent them from entering prisons; to detect and disrupt their use by prisoners if they are smuggled in; and to investigate cases where a prisoner may have committed an offence.As part of their local security strategies, prisons are able to deploy a range of measures to detect items of contraband, including X-ray body scanners, and Enhanced Gate Security that utilises X-ray baggage scanners and metal detection. Owing to security and operational sensitivities, however, it would not be appropriate to comment in detail on the countermeasures HMPPS has in place.

What assessment he has made of the potential merits of a quoted portfolio in the British Business Bank.

The British Business Bank does have some quoted holdings, largely as a result of post-investment corporate activity. The focus of the Bank is on strengthening private markets. Any expansion of the Bank’s mandate into public markets would need a comprehensive analysis of options and is unlikely to be undertaken in isolation from other measures to incentivise increased investment into those markets by institutional investors.