Written questions by Perteghella.

What assessment she has made of the impact of SATS on students’ mental health and wellbeing.

Awaiting answer.

What assessment has been made of the potential health risks of chemical flame retardants in upholstered furniture; and what plans the Government has to ban or restrict their use.

Awaiting answer.

Whether her Department has considered (a) introducing a fee waiver for applications for British citizenship for children and (b) reducing the level of fees for such applications.

Where changes to fee legislation are made, Impact Assessments are produced which identify potential impacts resulting from the changes. The most recent Equality Impact Assessment which includes considerations in respect of citizenship fees for children is published here:https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukia/2026/44/pdfs/ukia_20260044_en.pdf.Fees for immigration and nationality applications are kept under review. From 08 April 2026, the fee for an application to register as a British citizen for individuals under the age of 18 was reduced from £1,214 to £1,000. The reduction aligns with the Government’s commitment to lower financial barriers for children and young adults who are rooted in the UK and who may otherwise face challenges in accessing British nationality.Children seeking to register as a British citizen will have the fee waived if they are able to credibly demonstrate that they cannot afford the fee. In addition, where an application has been made by or on behalf of a child who is looked after by a Local Authority, no fee is payable and it is not necessary for the child’s financial circumstances to be evidenced.Information on eligibility for under-18 Fee Waiver applications can be found on GOV.UK at the link below:Get a citizenship application fee waiver if you’re under 18 - GOV.UK.

What recent assessment she has made of the effect of the current level of fees for child citizenship registration on access to British citizenship for children (a) born in the UK and (b) raised in the UK to parents with EU settled status.

Where changes to fee legislation are made, Impact Assessments are produced which identify potential impacts resulting from the changes. The most recent Equality Impact Assessment which includes considerations in respect of citizenship fees for children is published here:https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukia/2026/44/pdfs/ukia_20260044_en.pdf.Fees for immigration and nationality applications are kept under review. From 08 April 2026, the fee for an application to register as a British citizen for individuals under the age of 18 was reduced from £1,214 to £1,000. The reduction aligns with the Government’s commitment to lower financial barriers for children and young adults who are rooted in the UK and who may otherwise face challenges in accessing British nationality.Children seeking to register as a British citizen will have the fee waived if they are able to credibly demonstrate that they cannot afford the fee. In addition, where an application has been made by or on behalf of a child who is looked after by a Local Authority, no fee is payable and it is not necessary for the child’s financial circumstances to be evidenced.Information on eligibility for under-18 Fee Waiver applications can be found on GOV.UK at the link below:Get a citizenship application fee waiver if you’re under 18 - GOV.UK.

Whether she has made an assessment of the impact of the level of fees for child citizenship registration on access to British citizenship for children (a) born in the UK and (b) raised in the UK to parents with EU settled status.

Where changes to fee legislation are made, Impact Assessments are produced which identify potential impacts resulting from the changes. The most recent Equality Impact Assessment which includes considerations in respect of citizenship fees for children is published here:https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukia/2026/44/pdfs/ukia_20260044_en.pdf.Fees for immigration and nationality applications are kept under review. From 08 April 2026, the fee for an application to register as a British citizen for individuals under the age of 18 was reduced from £1,214 to £1,000. The reduction aligns with the Government’s commitment to lower financial barriers for children and young adults who are rooted in the UK and who may otherwise face challenges in accessing British nationality.Children seeking to register as a British citizen will have the fee waived if they are able to credibly demonstrate that they cannot afford the fee. In addition, where an application has been made by or on behalf of a child who is looked after by a Local Authority, no fee is payable and it is not necessary for the child’s financial circumstances to be evidenced.Information on eligibility for under-18 Fee Waiver applications can be found on GOV.UK at the link below:Get a citizenship application fee waiver if you’re under 18 - GOV.UK.

What assessment she has made of the adequacy of the level of current funding allocations for rural road maintenance in (a) Warwickshire and (b) Oxfordshire to address the effect on rural roads of (i) freeze-thaw conditions and (ii) heavy agricultural traffic.

The Government is investing a record £7.3 billion in local highway maintenance across England between 2026 and 2030. This long-term settlement gives local highway authorities the certainty they need to move away from short-term reactive repairs, including those caused by freeze-thaw conditions and heavy vehicles, and instead invest in preventative maintenance so that roads can be fixed properly and fewer potholes form in the first place.Over the four-year period to 2029–30, Warwickshire County Council is eligible to receive a total of £128.1 million of capital funding for highways maintenance. Oxfordshire County Council is eligible to receive a total of £167.9 million in capital funding for highways maintenance over the same period.Funding is allocated to local highway authorities based on a formula which considers road lengths and classification, and other assets like bridges and lighting columns. It is for local authorities to determine how best to spend this funding.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Energy Company Obligation scheme on (a) the delivery of energy efficiency measures, (b) employment levels in the retrofit sector, (c) business viability in that sector and (d) support for households in fuel poverty.

Since ECO was launched in January 2013, it has delivered around 4.5 million measures in around 2.6 million properties (up to the end of February 2026). Of these measures, 52% were insulation measures while the rest were heating and micro-generation measures. An evaluation of ECO4 is underway, which is looking at scheme impacts on supply chain growth, specialisation and workload from the perspectives of installers, as well as the proportion of ECO4 beneficiary households who were in fuel poverty prior to ECO4. Evaluation reports will be published later this year.

What assessment he has made of the consistency of (a) response times and (b) service provision by Patient Advice and Liaison Services (PALS) across NHS organisations.

No assessment has been made of the consistency of National Health Service trusts in responding to Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) enquiries.Generally, there are no required national timeframes or service standards for responding to enquires made to PALS. However, where PALS are responding to complaints raised under the formal NHS complaints process, they must follow the requirements in The Local Authority Social Services and National Health Service Complaints (England) Regulations 2009 which set out in law the minimum standards NHS organisations must adhere to.The 10-Year Health Plan committed the Department and NHS England to improving the handling of patient complaints, including to update complaint regulations. It is intended that this will also consider related matters, such as the introduction of new forms of feedback and the role of PALS services. This will be within the portfolio of the new National Director for Patient Experience, for which recruitment is underway.

Whether she has made an assessment of the impact of the level of fees for child citizenship registration on access to British citizenship for children (a) born in the UK and (b) raised in the UK to parents with EU settled status.

Where changes to fee legislation are made, Impact Assessments are produced which identify potential impacts resulting from the changes. The most recent Equality Impact Assessment which includes considerations in respect of citizenship fees for children is published here:https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukia/2026/44/pdfs/ukia_20260044_en.pdf.Fees for immigration and nationality applications are kept under review. From 08 April 2026, the fee for an application to register as a British citizen for individuals under the age of 18 was reduced from £1,214 to £1,000. The reduction aligns with the Government’s commitment to lower financial barriers for children and young adults who are rooted in the UK and who may otherwise face challenges in accessing British nationality.Children seeking to register as a British citizen will have the fee waived if they are able to credibly demonstrate that they cannot afford the fee. In addition, where an application has been made by or on behalf of a child who is looked after by a Local Authority, no fee is payable and it is not necessary for the child’s financial circumstances to be evidenced.Information on eligibility for under-18 Fee Waiver applications can be found on GOV.UK at the link below:Get a citizenship application fee waiver if you’re under 18 - GOV.UK.

Whether his Department plans to issue national guidance on (a) response times and (b) service standards for Patient Advice and Liaison Services (PALS).

No assessment has been made of the consistency of National Health Service trusts in responding to Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) enquiries.Generally, there are no required national timeframes or service standards for responding to enquires made to PALS. However, where PALS are responding to complaints raised under the formal NHS complaints process, they must follow the requirements in The Local Authority Social Services and National Health Service Complaints (England) Regulations 2009 which set out in law the minimum standards NHS organisations must adhere to.The 10-Year Health Plan committed the Department and NHS England to improving the handling of patient complaints, including to update complaint regulations. It is intended that this will also consider related matters, such as the introduction of new forms of feedback and the role of PALS services. This will be within the portfolio of the new National Director for Patient Experience, for which recruitment is underway.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of access to the Certificate of Sponsorship priority service on (a) recruitment, (b) workforce capacity and (c) service provision in the care sector.

The number of daily priority slots available has recently been increased to 120 requests per day, alongside a reduction in the service level agreement timescales for standard requests. In addition to this, organisations operating within the care sector can have their Certificate of Sponsorship requests prioritised without the associated fees via the support of a letter from a Director of Adult Social Services (DASS) submitted to UKVI to a dedicated mailbox established for this process.Priority change of circumstances for sponsors - GOV.UKUK visa sponsorship for employers: Certificates of sponsorship - GOV.UKYou can apply for extra undefined certificates through the sponsorship management system.You can also pay to get a decision within 5 working days.

What the status is of Warwickshire County Council's request to her Department, submitted on 25 February 2026, for revocation of the Direct Academy Order on Great Alne Primary School; and when her Department plans to respond.

Awaiting answer.

What recent assessment she has made of the potential merits of (a) introducing a fee waiver for applications for British citizenship for children and (b) reducing the level of fees for such applications.

Where changes to fee legislation are made, Impact Assessments are produced which identify potential impacts resulting from the changes. The most recent Equality Impact Assessment which includes considerations in respect of citizenship fees for children is published here:https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukia/2026/44/pdfs/ukia_20260044_en.pdf.Fees for immigration and nationality applications are kept under review. From 08 April 2026, the fee for an application to register as a British citizen for individuals under the age of 18 was reduced from £1,214 to £1,000. The reduction aligns with the Government’s commitment to lower financial barriers for children and young adults who are rooted in the UK and who may otherwise face challenges in accessing British nationality.Children seeking to register as a British citizen will have the fee waived if they are able to credibly demonstrate that they cannot afford the fee. In addition, where an application has been made by or on behalf of a child who is looked after by a Local Authority, no fee is payable and it is not necessary for the child’s financial circumstances to be evidenced.Information on eligibility for under-18 Fee Waiver applications can be found on GOV.UK at the link below:Get a citizenship application fee waiver if you’re under 18 - GOV.UK.

What recent assessment she has made of the potential merits of introducing a reduced-cost pathway to British citizenship for children who (a) were born in the UK, (b) have resided in the UK for 10 years or more and (c) are in full-time education.

No recent assessment has been made of potential cost reductions for specific cohorts of children applying to register as British citizens.Fees for immigration and nationality applications are kept under review. From 08 April 2026, the fee for an application to register as a British citizen for individuals under the age of 18 was reduced from £1,214 to £1,000. The reduction aligns with the Government’s commitment to consider measures to reduce the financial barriers to young adults, who have lived here through their childhood, from accessing British nationality.Children seeking to register as a British citizen will have the fee waived if they are able to credibly demonstrate that they cannot afford the fee. In addition, where an application has been made by or on behalf of a child who is looked after by a Local Authority, no fee is payable and it is not necessary for the child’s financial circumstances to be evidenced.Information on eligibility for under-18 Fee Waiver applications can be found on GOV.UK at the link below:Get a citizenship application fee waiver if you’re under 18 - GOV.UK.

What guidance exists for local authorities making permanent school closure decisions during the period before Local Government Reorganisation.

Awaiting answer.

What plans his Department has for a successor to the Energy Company Obligation scheme (ECO4), including (a) a timetable for its introduction and (b) arrangements for the transition between schemes.

The Government has decided not to replace ECO4 when it ends this year. While the scheme has played an important role, it has faced significant challenges, particularly around poor-quality installations. This does not mean reducing support for low-income households. The Warm Homes Plan will provide targeted assistance through public funding and support the workforce to access new opportunities through £15bn of investment. The Government also announced at the Budget an additional £1.5bn in grant-funding for low-income families. To support this transition, ECO4 has been extended until the end of 2026 to enable remediation and minimise disruption to the supply chain.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of SATs on Y6 pupils’ mental health and wellbeing.

Awaiting answer.

What assessment he has made of (a) the adequacy of funding for the Energy Company Obligation scheme (ECO4) following its extension and (b) the level of funding available to support delivery.

Energy supplier obligation schemes will not be continuing. The government has agreed to a 9-month extension of ECO4 until 31 December 2026 to allow installers to carry out any remedial works needed following findings of non-compliance in external wall insulation. The extension will support the remediation process and assist an orderly close-down of ECO where energy suppliers can fulfil their delivery obligations, however it is not supported by a new levy or increased targets.

What assessment she has made of whether the current arrangements for the Certificate of Sponsorship priority service, including (a) the number of available slots and (b) the allocation process, are sufficient to ensure that requests are processed in a timely and equitable manner.

The number of daily priority slots available has recently been increased to 120 requests per day, alongside a reduction in the service level agreement timescales for standard requests. In addition to this, organisations operating within the care sector can have their Certificate of Sponsorship requests prioritised without the associated fees via the support of a letter from a Director of Adult Social Services (DASS) submitted to UKVI to a dedicated mailbox established for this process.Priority change of circumstances for sponsors - GOV.UKUK visa sponsorship for employers: Certificates of sponsorship - GOV.UKYou can apply for extra undefined certificates through the sponsorship management system.You can also pay to get a decision within 5 working days.

What guidance exists for local authorities making permanent school closure decisions during the period before Local Government Reorganisation.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.