Written questions by Perteghella.

Whether he plans to reform the funding model for charitable hospices as part of the 10 year plan for health and social care.

We have committed to develop a 10-Year Health Plan to deliver an NHS fit for the future, by driving three shifts in the way health care is delivered, specifically: moving healthcare from hospital to the community; from analogue to digital; and from sickness to prevention. We will carefully consider policies, including those that impact people with palliative and end of life care needs, with input from the public, patients, health staff, and our stakeholders, including those in the hospice sector, as we develop the plan.Most hospices are charitable, independent organisations which receive some statutory funding for providing National Health Services.  The amount of funding charitable hospices receive varies by integrated care board (ICB) area, and will, in part, be dependent on the breadth of palliative and end of life care provision within each ICB catchment area.I recently met with NHS England and discussions have begun on how to reduce inequalities and variation in access to, and the quality of, palliative and end of life care in England.  We will consider next steps on palliative and end of life care, including hospice funding, in the coming months.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to tackle sewage dumping in the (a) rivers and (b) brooks of Stratford-on-Avon constituency.

The Government has taken immediate and substantial action to address water companies who are not performing for the environment or their customers. In July, we announced swift action to begin resetting the water sector, including ringfencing vital funding for infrastructure investment and placing customers and the environment at the heart of water company objectives. In September, the Government introduced the Water (Special Measures) Bill to give regulators new powers to take tougher and faster action to crack down on water companies damaging the environment and failing their customers. These are the first critical steps in enabling a long-term and transformative reset of the entire water sector.I would also refer the hon. Member to the Written Statement made by the Secretary of State on 18 July, HCWS3.

Communities and Local Government, if she will make it her policy to introduce a national minimum requirement for developers to build social rent homes as part of medium and large developments.

The government is committed to delivering the biggest increase in social and affordable housebuilding in a generation and we recently consulted on proposed reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework to support this objective. Specifically, the consultation proposed setting an expectation that local housing needs assessments explicitly consider the needs of those requiring Social Rent, and that local planning authorities specify their expectations on Social Rent delivery as part of broader affordable housing policies.The consultation closed on the 24 September and officials in my department are currently analysing responses with a view to publishing a government response before the end of the year. We have also committed to strengthening the existing developer contributions system and further details will be set out in due course.

If she will make it her policy to extend the length of time within which bereaved families can claim Bereavement Support Payments.

The 3-month time limit to claim the full amount of Bereavement Support Payment is consistent with most other benefits. An individual would need to be 21 months late in claiming Bereavement Support Payment to forfeit the entire benefit.

Communities and Local Government, if she will make it her policy to bring almhouses into the definition of affordable housing.

Our consultation on proposed reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework sought views on whether changes are needed to the definition of ‘affordable housing for rent’ to make it easier for organisations that are not Registered Providers, including almshouses, to develop new affordable homes.The consultation closed on the 24 September and officials in my department are currently analysing responses with a view to publishing a government response before the end of the year.

Whether she is taking steps with Chiltern Railways to reinstate direct rail travel between London and Stratford-upon-Avon.

Chiltern’s current timetable offers a service between London and Stratford Upon Avon with one change. Whilst noting that this is not a direct service, timetable decisions are for operators to make, balancing passenger demand, track availability, infrastructure constraints, and operational considerations. With these considerations in place, the operator has no current plans to offer a direct service from London Marylebone.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how he plans to respond to Chinese government interference in Tibetan religious practices; and what diplomatic steps he plans to take to tackle human rights issues in Tibet.

This Government stands firm on human rights, including China's repression of the people of Tibet. We will champion freedom of religion or belief for all abroad, and work to uphold the right to freedom of religion or belief through the UN, G7 and other multilateral fora, and through bilateral engagement.The Foreign Secretary raised human rights in his first meeting with China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi on 26 July.

What steps she plans to take to increase staff retainment in rail services.

We are working with operators to support recruitment and retention and ensure they have the staff they need to robustly deliver their timetables. We will deliver the biggest overhaul of our railways in a generation.

What plans she has to review the School Food Standards; and if she will update those standards in line with the UK’s climate targets.

The school food standards regulate the food and drink provided at lunchtime and at other times of the school day. Compliance with the school food standards is mandatory for all maintained schools, academies and free schools. It is important that children eat nutritious food at school and the department encourages schools to have a whole school approach to healthy eating.The government has the ambition to source half of all food served in public sector settings from local producers or food that has been produced by growers certified to higher environmental standards, where possible. The government wants to use the purchasing power of the public sector food supply chain to lead the way and to set the tone in delivering the government’s wider ambitions on sustainability, animal welfare, economic growth, nutrition and health. The department has also committed to supporting schools to drive up their sustainable practices on food. Schools can voluntarily follow the government buying standards, which include lots of good advice around sustainable sourcing.Ministerial teams are working with departmental officials on plans to deliver the government’s manifesto commitments, including making quick progress to deliver breakfast clubs in every primary school. The department’s aim is to deliver better life chances for all through a system which works for all. As part of this, as with all government programmes, the department will keep its approach to school food under continued review.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department plans to take steps to (a) bring forward legislative proposals to improve protections for farmed fish; and what steps his Department is taking to strengthen the sustainability of the UK's fishing industry.

The Animal Welfare Committee’s updated Opinion on the welfare of farmed fish at the time of killing was published last year. A GB-wide farmed trout joint Government and industry working group is now examining the issues raised in the report to explore the potential options for more detailed welfare at killing requirements. The Scottish Government are also working closely with the salmon industry. In line with the Fisheries Act 2020 the Government is making progress delivering Fisheries Management Plans which maintain or restore fish stocks to sustainable levels. Through fisheries negotiations with coastal states our objective is to set Total Allowable Catches in line with the best scientific advice to make sure that stocks are managed over the long term within sustainable limits whilst ensuring stock-building initiatives account for socio-economic considerations.

Whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of the PIP review process on (a) vulnerable and (b) disabled claimants.

Regular reviews are a key feature of Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and ensure that payments accurately match the current needs of claimants. Awards can be paid at one of eight rates dependent on the claimants needs. Award durations are based on the likelihood of claimant’s needs changing. Award durations can vary from nine months to an on-going award. Guidance ensures that those claimants on the highest level of support whose needs will not improve receive an ongoing award of PIP with a light touch review at the 10-year point. We understand that assessments can be stressful for some claimants which is why reviews are carried out without the need for the claimant to attend an assessment where sufficient and robust evidence is provided. Where an assessment is required, our Assessment Providers will choose the most appropriate method such as a phone, video or in-person assessment.

What steps she plans to take to ensure the continuation of the triple lock on state pensions.

The Government has committed to up-rating the basic and new State Pensions by the Triple Lock for the length of this Parliament. Through our commitment to protect the Triple Lock, over 12 million pensioners will benefit. Over the course of this Parliament, the full yearly rate of the new State Pension is forecast to increase by around £1,700.

If she will take steps to require pension funds to comply with the climate rules in the Paris Agreement.

Occupational pension schemes with assets of £1billion or more have been required to publish annual reports setting out how they are managing climate risks and opportunities in line with the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) since 2022. These reports include, so far as they can, how their portfolio investments are consistent with the Paris Agreement goal of limiting temperature increase to 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial levels. A growing number of financial institutions and companies are setting goals to achieve net zero emissions in their business plans, and developing climate transition plans to map out how they will achieve this. Our manifesto committed to introducing new requirements in relation to transition plans for listed companies and financial institutions, including pension schemes.

What steps she is taking to reduce the cost of court transcripts for victims.

We currently offer free transcripts of the judge’s sentencing remarks in some circumstances and are piloting extending this to victims of rape and serious sexual offences.I understand transcripts may help individuals obtain closure on traumatic events.Transcripts must be 100% accurate. Anyone who has used voice dictation technology will know mistakes can be made. I will continue to keep this under review but have to balance costs against many other competing priorities within the court budget.