Written questions by Murphy.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure that (a) access to weigh in services with health visitors and (b) other postnatal support is provided (i) consistently and (ii) accessibly to new parents in (A) Basingstoke, (B) Hampshire and (C) England.

Local authorities have responsibility for commissioning public health services, including health visiting and services for all new parents. The Healthy Child Programme sets out the services and support families can expect and includes guidance on weighing, screening, immunisation, health improvement, wellbeing, and parenting, as well as five mandated health and development reviews.Department officials and NHS England have worked across the South East region to develop resources. This includes a Health Visiting Development Toolkit to help share best practice and ensure consistency.The Government is committed to raising the healthiest generation of children ever and strengthening the health visiting service. To achieve this, we must ensure that families have the support they need to give their babies and children the best start and the building blocks for a healthy life.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of introducing a national system for tracking gamete and embryo donors.

The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA), the United Kingdom’s fertility sector regulator, has advised that HFEA licensed clinics are required by law to provide treatment and outcome information on all gamete or embryo donations taking place at clinics. This information is published on the HFEA’s website. Clinics are required to monitor the usage of donor gametes and embryos in the UK, and to act in accordance with the guidance set out in the HFEA Code of Practice.The HFEA also runs the Opening The Register service, which enables people born through donor treatments in licenced clinics to trace their genetic origins.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential implications for its policies of paragraph 4.39 of the Competition and Markets Authority’s report entitled CMA project on Timeshare Disposal, released under FOI on 21 April 2015.

The Timeshare, Holiday Products, Resale and Exchange Contracts Regulations 2010 govern the sales of timeshares. They provide significant protections, including stipulating the information consumers must be aware of prior to purchase and a14 day right to exit, should the customer change their mind.Purchasers of timeshares are also protected by general consumer law, requiring contract terms be fair and bans mis-selling. The CMA expressed the view that some in-perpetuity clauses may be unfair, depending on circumstances.Enabling consumers to exit timeshares is a balance between protecting consumers wanting to leave and the interests of the business and those customers who remain and share admin costs.

What steps her Department is taking to support consumers who have experienced potential (a) mis-selling and (b) fraud on fractional timeshare finance products.

The government takes the issue of fraud very seriously and is dedicated to protecting the public from this devastating crime. Tackling fraud requires a unified and coordinated response from government, regulators, law enforcement and the private sector to better protect the public and businesses from fraud. The legislation surrounding the sale of timeshares and credit agreements relating to timeshares provide routes of redress where consumers have been misled. Firstly, it is an offence under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 for traders to engage in unfair commercial practices which mislead consumers, and it is punishable by a fine or imprisonment for up to two years. The Act will also afford rights of redress for consumers. Regarding the timeshare market specifically, the Timeshare, Holiday Products, Resale and Exchange Regulations 2010 provide protections for consumers buying and selling timeshares and other long-term “holiday club” memberships, including provision for consumers to withdraw from their contract. Consumers are protected from fraud in consumer law. Consumers that believe they have been fraudulently sold timeshare products should raise their concerns with the relevant enforcement authorities. In cases where a consumer took out a regulated financial product to purchase a timeshare, they may have recourse to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) if that product was mis-sold. When complaints are made to the FOS, these should be dealt with in a timely manner. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) Handbook, which sets out the rules on how the FOS should handle complaints, states that ‘the ombudsman will attempt to resolve complaints at the earliest possible stage’.  Ensuring timely outcomes is one of the FOS’s main priorities for 2025-26 and it has set itself a target to resolve 85 per cent of cases received in the year within 6 months.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of introducing legislation to provide consumers with a statutory right to exit in-perpetuity timeshare contracts.

The Timeshare, Holiday Products, Resale and Exchange Contracts Regulations 2010 govern the sales of timeshares. They provide significant protections, including stipulating the information consumers must be aware of prior to purchase and a14 day right to exit, should the customer change their mind.Purchasers of timeshares are also protected by general consumer law, requiring contract terms be fair and bans mis-selling. The CMA expressed the view that some in-perpetuity clauses may be unfair, depending on circumstances.Enabling consumers to exit timeshares is a balance between protecting consumers wanting to leave and the interests of the business and those customers who remain and share admin costs.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of in-perpetuity clauses in timeshare contracts on consumers.

The Timeshare, Holiday Products, Resale and Exchange Contracts Regulations 2010 govern the sales of timeshares. They provide significant protections, including stipulating the information consumers must be aware of prior to purchase and a14 day right to exit, should the customer change their mind.Purchasers of timeshares are also protected by general consumer law, requiring contract terms be fair and bans mis-selling. The CMA expressed the view that some in-perpetuity clauses may be unfair, depending on circumstances.Enabling consumers to exit timeshares is a balance between protecting consumers wanting to leave and the interests of the business and those customers who remain and share admin costs.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the time taken for the Financial Ombudsman Service to make final decisions on fractional timeshare finance products on consumers.

The government takes the issue of fraud very seriously and is dedicated to protecting the public from this devastating crime. Tackling fraud requires a unified and coordinated response from government, regulators, law enforcement and the private sector to better protect the public and businesses from fraud. The legislation surrounding the sale of timeshares and credit agreements relating to timeshares provide routes of redress where consumers have been misled. Firstly, it is an offence under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 for traders to engage in unfair commercial practices which mislead consumers, and it is punishable by a fine or imprisonment for up to two years. The Act will also afford rights of redress for consumers. Regarding the timeshare market specifically, the Timeshare, Holiday Products, Resale and Exchange Regulations 2010 provide protections for consumers buying and selling timeshares and other long-term “holiday club” memberships, including provision for consumers to withdraw from their contract. Consumers are protected from fraud in consumer law. Consumers that believe they have been fraudulently sold timeshare products should raise their concerns with the relevant enforcement authorities. In cases where a consumer took out a regulated financial product to purchase a timeshare, they may have recourse to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) if that product was mis-sold. When complaints are made to the FOS, these should be dealt with in a timely manner. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) Handbook, which sets out the rules on how the FOS should handle complaints, states that ‘the ombudsman will attempt to resolve complaints at the earliest possible stage’.  Ensuring timely outcomes is one of the FOS’s main priorities for 2025-26 and it has set itself a target to resolve 85 per cent of cases received in the year within 6 months.

What steps her Department is taking to support veterans who were advised to claim Personal Independence Payment instead of Armed Forces Independence Payment.

Veterans are able to access the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS), which provides compensation for injury or illness caused or made worse by Service on or after 6 April 2005. For serious injuries and illness, the AFCS provides a tax-free index-linked income stream known as the Guaranteed Income Payment (GIP). The Armed Forces Independence Payment (AFIP) is an additional allowance which provides financial support for eligible service personnel and veterans who have an AFCS GIP. It is an alternative to PIP (and other disability benefits), based on separate eligibility criteria, but paid at the same rate as the combined enhanced daily living and mobility components. The eligibility criteria for AFIP is not due to change.If a veteran is advised to claim PIP rather than AFIP, it is most likely due to the fact that they would not be eligible for AFIP. If the long-term condition or disability is not service-related or if the GIP is below 50% of the veteran's salary, then PIP would be considered rather than AFIP.

What assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of training available to school and children's social care staff on (a) recognising and (b) responding to anxiety-led behaviour in children.

This government is committed to improving mental health support for all children and young people. This is critical to breaking down barriers to opportunity and helping pupils to achieve and thrive in education.Support from the department includes an online resource hub that hosts practical and evidence-informed resources to support the delivery of a whole school approach to mental health and wellbeing. The hub includes support for responding to anxiety-related issues and can be found here: https://www.mentallyhealthyschools.org.uk/whole-school-or-college-resources/.Mental Health Support Teams (MHSTs) continue to roll out in schools and colleges across the country, delivering evidence-based interventions for early mental health issues and supporting mental health leads with their whole school approach. As of April 2024, MHSTs covered 44% of pupils in schools and learners in further education in England and the department expects coverage to have reached at least 50% of pupils and learners this year. Through expanding MHSTs, the government will make sure that every young person has access to early support to address problems before they escalate.Statutory guidance for virtual school heads sets out that they should, where possible, work with designated teachers to ensure that schools are able to identify signs of potential mental health issues and know how to access further assessment and support where necessary. This includes ensuring that schools understand the impact that issues such as trauma and attachment difficulties can have on looked-after and previously looked-after children.Provision of continuing professional development for employed social workers is a matter for their employer. The regulator for the social work profession, Social Work England, sets the professional standards which all social workers must meet. These require social workers to promote the strength and wellbeing of people, including children, and provide or support people to access advice and services tailored to meet their needs.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of changes to the planning system in the Planning and Infrastructure Bill on the protection of chalk streams.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 45278 on 30 April 2025.

What assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of the extent to which unmet support needs related to Special Educational Needs and Disability are considered in assessments of parenting capacity during child protection and pre-proceeding processes.

As a child-centred government, we are taking forward significant reform of children’s social care to rebalance the system towards earlier intervention and ensure that children and families get access to the right help, at the point of need. Our Families First Partnership programme, backed by over £500 million in 2025/26, emphasises the importance of a whole family approach throughout the system of help, support and protection.The department’s statutory guidance ‘Working together to safeguard children’ encourages local authorities to consider appointing a Designated Social Care Officer who can help strengthen the links between social care services and the special educational needs and disabilities system, and co-ordinate children’s educational, health and care needs assessments with other social care assessments. The guidance is also clear that practitioners should consider the needs of parents when assessing whether a child is in need of protection. In pre-proceedings, the local authority should work in partnership with families and, where possible, any extra support or services needed to support the family should be identified and put in place.

What assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of training available to (a) Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services and (b) other healthcare staff on recognising and responding to anxiety-led behaviour in children.

It is the responsibility of each provider of mental health services to ensure that training meets the learning needs of their staff and that all staff adhere to and keep themselves appraised of National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidance. Additionally, NHS England provides a number of further training programmes that are accessible to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services and other healthcare staff. We will also publish a refreshed workforce plan to deliver the transformed health service we will build over the next decade, and treat patients on time again.  We will ensure the National Health Service has the right people, in the right places, with the right skills to deliver the care patients need when they need it.

Communities and Local Government, whether she is taking steps to increase the level of funding for social rent homes at the spending review.

The government will set out details of new investment to succeed the 2021-26 Affordable Homes Programme at the Spending Review. This new investment will deliver a mix of homes for sub-market rent and homeownership, with a particular focus on delivering homes for social rent.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, when the meeting agreed in principle between the Minister of State for the Middle East, North Africa, South Asia, Commonwealth and United Nations, the Moroccan Ambassador to the UK and representatives of British investors for Paradise Beach Golf Resort will take place.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) remains committed to helping all British investors affected by the failure of the Paradise Golf & Beach Resort (PGBR) development and will continue in its efforts to work with the Moroccan authorities to help them receive the compensation to which they are entitled. On 11 February, I met the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Morocco to the United Kingdom and raised PGBR with him to encourage a satisfactory resolution to this longstanding issue. FCDO officials in London continue to raise the issue with their counterparts in the Embassy of the Kingdom of Morocco.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department is taking steps to help support British investors affected by the Paradise Beach Golf Resort development in Morocco.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) remains committed to helping all British investors affected by the failure of the Paradise Golf & Beach Resort (PGBR) development and will continue in its efforts to work with the Moroccan authorities to help them receive the compensation to which they are entitled. On 11 February, I met the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Morocco to the United Kingdom and raised PGBR with him to encourage a satisfactory resolution to this longstanding issue. FCDO officials in London continue to raise the issue with their counterparts in the Embassy of the Kingdom of Morocco.

Whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a public information campaign to tackle common misinformation on electric vehicle ownership and charging.

Government is committed to accelerating the transition to zero emission vehicles and increasing awareness of the benefits of electric vehicle ownership. We are working closely with the electric vehicle sector and key partners to ensure that we are delivering consistent and clear information to drivers about making the switch to electric vehicles and charging infrastructure. Combating misinformation is a key part of this, and we continue to assess how we can do this most effectively.

What assessment she has made of the effectiveness of (a) salary sacrifice schemes and (b) the Plug In Car grant in increasing uptake of electric vehicles.

Favourable taxation measures to support electric vehicles (EVs), including Salary Sacrifice, remain a key driver of new EV sales. EVs bought through salary sacrifice schemes can also play a key role in supporting the used EV markets, where these cars are often sold after the end of their lease. Most cars in the UK are bought in the used market.The Plug-in Car Grant (PICG) closed to new orders in 2022. The Government supported over 360,000 vehicles through the PICG scheme. An independent evaluation of this scheme concluded that it had a material impact on demand for new EVs.

What the uptake of the Plug In Car grant was for (a) working and (b) non-working people.

The Government holds data only on the number of vehicles supported thought the Plug-in Car Grant. We do not hold any data that identifies the employment status of recipients.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the introduction of low benefit-in-kind rates for electric vehicles on GDP since 2020-21.

Company cars in the UK are subject to an emissions-based regime, which taxes vehicles based on their list price as well as their CO2 emission level. The Government recognises that this regime plays an important role in the electric vehicle transition. In July 2019, the Government announced new company car tax rates for the tax years 2020 to 2025, which included generous incentives for electric vehicles. These were legislated for as part of the Finance Act 2020. The Government subsequently announced rates for 2025 to 2028 at Autumn Statement 2022, and rates for 2028 to 2030 at Autumn Budget 2024. Alongside each fiscal event where the changes were announced, an accompanying Tax Information and Impact Note was published setting out expected economic, equalities and other impacts of the new rates. In each of these notes, the rates were not expected to have any significant macroeconomic impacts, such as impacts on GDP and job creation. At Budget 2024, the Chancellor announced £2 billion of funding to 2030 to support the zero emissions vehicle manufacturing base and supply chain, recognising the value that the industry delivers for the UK and its ongoing transition.

What assessment she has made of the impact of the introduction of low benefit-in-kind rates for electric vehicles on supply chain security since 2020-21.

Company cars in the UK are subject to an emissions-based regime, which taxes vehicles based on their list price as well as their CO2 emission level. The Government recognises that this regime plays an important role in the electric vehicle transition. In July 2019, the Government announced new company car tax rates for the tax years 2020 to 2025, which included generous incentives for electric vehicles. These were legislated for as part of the Finance Act 2020. The Government subsequently announced rates for 2025 to 2028 at Autumn Statement 2022, and rates for 2028 to 2030 at Autumn Budget 2024. Alongside each fiscal event where the changes were announced, an accompanying Tax Information and Impact Note was published setting out expected economic, equalities and other impacts of the new rates. In each of these notes, the rates were not expected to have any significant macroeconomic impacts, such as impacts on GDP and job creation. At Budget 2024, the Chancellor announced £2 billion of funding to 2030 to support the zero emissions vehicle manufacturing base and supply chain, recognising the value that the industry delivers for the UK and its ongoing transition.