Written questions by Ferguson.

What recent steps she has taken to help reduce waiting lists for Approved Driving Instructor exams; and what recent progress her Department has made in reducing those backlogs.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) is seeing an increased demand for Approved Driving Instructor (ADI) tests for those wishing to qualify as driving instructors. Since 2018-19, DVSA has seen a 152% increase in the number of those applying to start the ADI qualification process. This number continues to rise significantly and has increased to over 19,000 in 2024-25, a 17% increase compared to 2023-24DVSA recommends trainee ADIs use the ‘Book to Hold’ service. All tests must be paid for at the time of booking, including where tests are booked to ‘hold’. This gives DVSA an accurate picture of where demand is, and it can then ensure that it deploys its examiner resources in the right areas. Once ADI examiner programmes have been finalised, the DVSA will contact those on the hold list in the order they booked their test to hold to arrange a test.DVSA aims to train four more ADI examiners by the end of 2025. The agency has an ongoing national campaign to recruit more ADI examiners. This will help to increase the number of available ADI tests.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the UK-India free trade agreement on Scotland.

Our trade deal with India is great news for Scotland, increasing exports, growing our economy and securing jobs. Scottish products will benefit from significant tariff reductions. That includes whisky, where the current 150% tariff will be halved from day one, and reaching just 40% after 10 years. The Scotch Whisky Association has described this as ‘a once in a generation deal and a landmark moment for Scotch Whisky’. Other Scottish exports including chocolate, biscuits and salmon will reduce from a 33% tariff to 0%. And did the SNP back this transformation deal for Scotland? Of course not. They didn't back the US or EU deals either.

Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of workplace safeguarding rights for volunteers in the third sector.

Volunteers serve at the heart of our communities nationwide, dedicating their time to create positive change and enhance the lives of those around them. The Government is committed to supporting volunteering, which is critical to a vibrant, connected and resilient civil society.We monitor the rights and responsibilities placed on volunteers to ensure they are proportionate. These rights and responsibilities reflect that volunteers are not contracted employees, however sometimes do act on behalf of organisations. Legislation for paid employees or workers including the Equality Act 2010 and the Employment Rights Act 1996, does not apply to volunteers. Volunteers do have other protections, including through the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 and Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.

What estimate she has made of the (a) total cost to the public purse for, (b) proportion of her Department’s total expenditure that was spent on and (c) spend per head for transport infrastructure in (a) the North East and (b) England the last 15 years.

Figures on public sector expenditure at national and regional levels are published as part of HM Treasury’s Country and Regional Analysis (CRA) statistics (Available here for current and previous publications: ‌https:/‌‌/​‌‌‌www.gov.‌uk/​‌‌‌‌‌government/collections/‌‌​country-and-regional-‌analysis). In the most recent publication, figures are provided from 2019/20 to 2023/24.In 2023/24, capital expenditure from the Department for Transport and its partner bodies was £489m in the North East of England and £17,298m in England. Capital expenditure in the North East of England was 1.6% as a proportion of total Department for Transport expenditure. Capital expenditure in England was 57.1% as a proportion of total Department for Transport expenditure.Department for Transport Expenditure by Selected Regions, 2023/24 prices, £m (2019/20 to 2023/24)Expenditure2019/202020/212021/222022/232023/24Total Expenditure25,01035,11332,39330,03930,306Capital Expenditure in North East England336480511549489As a Proportion of Total Expenditure1.3%1.4%1.6%1.8%1.6%Capital Expenditure in England13,18614,48516,67516,95917,298As a Proportion of Total Expenditure52.7%41.3%51.5%56.5%57.1% Applying regional population estimates from the ONS to HMT’s Country and Regional Analysis data allows for a view of per capita spend by region. In 2023/24, capital expenditure per capita from the Department for Transport was £180 in the North East of England and £300 in England.Department for Transport Capital Expenditure by Selected Regions per capita, 2023/24 prices, £ (2019/20 to 2023/24)Region2019/202020/212021/222022/232023/24North East England127182193205180England234257295297300 The Government remains committed to driving prosperity across the United Kingdom, ensuring that growth is felt at both a regional and national level.

What comparative estimate she has made of the cost to the public purse of spending on road infrastructure in (a) the North East and (b) England over the last 15 years by (i) percentage of total Departmental spend and (ii) per head.

Figures on public sector expenditure at national and regional levels are published as part of HM Treasury’s Country and Regional Analysis (CRA) statistics (available here for current and previous publications: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/country-and-regional-analysis). In the most recent publication, figures are provided from 2019/20 to 2023/24.The figures included below are in 2023/24 prices.In 2023/24, capital expenditure for the Department of Transport and its partner bodies on national and local roads was £284m in the North East of England and £3,754m in England. Capital expenditure on national and local roads in the North East of England was 0.94% of total Department for Transport expenditure. Capital expenditure on national and local roads in England was 12.39% of total Department for Transport expenditure.Department for Transport Expenditure and Capital Expenditure on national and local roads by Selected Regions, 2023/24 prices, £m (2019/20 to 2023/24)Expenditure2019/202020/212021/222022/232023/24Total DfT Expenditure25,01035,11332,39330,03930,306Capital Expenditure in North East England: national roads and local roads193315301369284As a Proportion of Total DfT Expenditure0.77%0.90%0.93%1.23%0.94%Capital Expenditure in England: national roads and local roads4,0494,1763,5633,6413,754As a Proportion of Total DfT Expenditure16.19%11.89%11.00%12.12%12.39% Applying regional population estimates from the ONS to HMT’s Country and Regional Analysis data allows for a view of per capita spend by region. In 2023/24, capital expenditure per capita on national and local roads was £105 in the North East of England and £65 in England.Department for Transport Capital Expenditure on national roads and local roads by Selected Regions £ per capita, 2023/24 prices, (2019/20 to 2023/24)Region2019/202020/212021/222022/232023/24North East England73119114138105England7274636465 The Government remains committed to driving prosperity across the United Kingdom, ensuring that growth is felt at both a regional and national level.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to support democracy in Georgia.

On 16 December I spoke with Georgian Dream's Foreign Minister, Maka Bochorishvili, about recent events in Georgia, and about Georgia's negative democratic trajectory. I stressed that police violence targeting peaceful demonstrators, opposition figures and journalists was unacceptable. On 19 December, the UK implemented sanctions against the Minister and Deputy Minister of Internal affairs and three police officials responsible for these violent actions. We have also suspended all programme support to the Georgian government, restricted defence cooperation, and limited engagement with Georgian Dream representatives. We continue to call on Georgia to realign itself with European values.

What assessment he has made of the adequacy of the NHS supply of Futibatinib.

NHS England funds the use of licensed medicines that have been recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). Futibatinib is licensed by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency and has been recommended by the NICE for the treatment of previously treated advanced cholangiocarcinoma with FGFR2 fusion or rearrangement. However, Taiho Pharma Europe, the company that markets futibatinib, has advised NHS England that they are not currently able to supply it to the National Health Service. Patients with previously treated advanced cholangiocarcinoma with FGFR2 fusion or rearrangement are able to access a different treatment, pemigatinib, which is also licensed and recommended by the NICE for this indication.

What funding is available for patients to receive the immunotherapy drug Futibatinib through the NHS; and what criteria his Department uses to determine whether a patient is eligible for any funding.

NHS England funds the use of licensed medicines that have been recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). Futibatinib is licensed by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency and has been recommended by the NICE for the treatment of previously treated advanced cholangiocarcinoma with FGFR2 fusion or rearrangement. However, Taiho Pharma Europe, the company that markets futibatinib, has advised NHS England that they are not currently able to supply it to the National Health Service. Patients with previously treated advanced cholangiocarcinoma with FGFR2 fusion or rearrangement are able to access a different treatment, pemigatinib, which is also licensed and recommended by the NICE for this indication.

What recent assessment she has made of the potential impact of qualified teacher status on the quality of teaching.

Evidence shows that high quality teaching is the most important in-school factor for improving the outcomes of children, which is why qualified teacher status (QTS) is so important. The government is committed to breaking down barriers to opportunity and ensuring the best life chances for every child. As part of this, we are ensuring that new teachers entering the classroom have, or are working towards, QTS.Teachers who have undertaken initial teacher training (ITT) leading to QTS have demonstrated that they meet all the teachers’ standards at the appropriate level and have had access to high quality, regulated training, followed by a statutory induction. The children in their classes will benefit from having professionally qualified, well-trained teachers.All primary and secondary ITT courses leading to QTS must incorporate the ITT Core Content Framework (CCF) in full. The CCF is based on the best available evidence of what makes high quality teaching. A review of the CCF alongside the Early Career Framework (ECF) was undertaken during 2023. Building on the evidence underpinning the frameworks, in addition to what the department learnt from the first few years of CCF implementation and ECF delivery, the content of the ITT, CCF and the ECF were reviewed and updated into the combined Initial Teacher Training and Early Career Framework (ITTECF). This covers the first three years or more of a teacher’s career and articulates what trainee and new teachers need to know and be able to do. From September 2025, the ITTECF will replace the CCF and become mandatory for accredited ITT providers to incorporate into their primary and secondary ITT courses leading to QTS.

What the average life expectancy is in (a) Gateshead Central and Whickham constituency and (b) each ward of that constituency.

Life expectancy estimates for Parliamentary constituencies are not available. Life expectancy estimates for local authorities in England are produced by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). The latest available figures from the ONS are for the three-year period 2020 to 2022. In that period, life expectancy at birth for the Gateshead local authority, which includes the constituency of Gateshead and Whickham, was 76.7 years for males, and 81.4 years for females.Life expectancy estimates for electoral wards are produced by the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID). The following table shows the latest available estimates of life expectancy at birth, separated by sex, for the five-year period of 2016 to 2020, in the electoral wards within the Gateshead Central and Whickham constituency:Electoral ward nameSexLife expectancy in years BridgesMale73.7 ChowdeneMale77.8 DeckhamMale74.1 Dunston and TeamsMale73.0 Dunston Hill and Whickham EastMale79.0 High FellMale74.5 Lobley Hill and BenshamMale74.7 Low FellMale80.8 SaltwellMale76.5 Whickham NorthMale77.9 Whickham South and SunnisideMale82.3 BridgesFemale78.6 ChowdeneFemale83.1 DeckhamFemale77.8 Dunston and TeamsFemale81.1 Dunston Hill and Whickham EastFemale83.8 High FellFemale78.6 Lobley Hill and BenshamFemale78.6 Low FellFemale83.8 SaltwellFemale84.8 Whickham NorthFemale80.3 Whickham South and SunnisideFemale87.6 Source: data is from the OHID’s Local Health profile, with further information on male and female life expectancy within the Gateshead local authority available, respectively, at the following two links: https://fingertips.phe.org.uk/profile/local-health/data#page/3/gid/1938133185/pat/502/par/E08000037/ati/8/are/E05001067/iid/93283/age/1/sex/1/cat/-1/ctp/-1/yrr/5/cid/4/tbm/1 https://fingertips.phe.org.uk/profile/local-health/data#page/3/gid/1938133185/pat/502/par/E08000037/ati/8/are/E05001067/iid/93283/age/1/sex/2/cat/-1/ctp/-1/yrr/5/cid/4/tbm/1/page-options/car-do-0 The profile also provides comparable estimates for the Gateshead local authority for the five-year period, from 2016 to 2020.

How many kinship carers are registered in Gateshead Central and Whickham constituency; and if she will make an estimate of the average number of kinship carers registered per constituency.

The information is not available as requested. The department does not collect information on the number of kinship carers or the average number of registrations per constituency. We do collect information on the numbers of foster care placements with family or friends. The latest figures at national level were published in a statistical release 'Children looked after in England including adoptions: 2022-23', which is available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/168a811f-bbe6-4988-a17b-08dcfae39e23. However, information on children looked after is collected at local authority level and is not held centrally for parliamentary constituency areas.In recent years, there have been two statistical reports on the number of kinship carers that have been produced by other government departments. In both cases, the data was only published at local authority level.On 7 November 2024, Ofsted published official statistics on 'Fostering in England 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024', which is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/fostering-in-england-1-april-2023-to-31-march-2024/fostering-in-england-1-april-2023-to-31-march-2024#family. This set of statistics presented figures on the number of family and friends households and carers, sometimes known as kinship care. The underlying data table provided by Ofsted can be accessed at: https://view.officeapps.live.com/op/view.aspx?src=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.publishing.service.gov.uk%2Fmedia%2F6729e321541e1dfbf71e8b5c%2FFostering_in_England_underlying_data_2024_final.ods&wdOrigin=BROWSELINK.The table indicates that there were 55 approved family and friends households in Gateshead local authority in 2023/24 compared to 45 in 2019/20.In September 2023, the Office for National Statistics published separate data on the proportion of households with kinship care by local authority area in the data release 'Kinship care in England and Wales: Census 2021', which can be found here: https://www.ons.gov.uk/releases/kinshipcareinenglandandwalescensus2021. These figures were derived using older data from the 2021 national census and showed detailed characteristics of children living in households without their parents but with other relatives in the year 2021. The report also presented the geographical distribution of kinship care households (Section 6). The proportion of households with kinship care arrangements (as a proportion of households of five people or fewer containing anyone aged 17 years and under) in Gateshead local authority was reported as 2.2%.

How many primary school children are (a) eligible for and (b) registered to receive free school meals in Gateshead Central and Whickham constituency.

The most recently published figures on free school meals (FSM) eligibility are from the January 2024 school census, published in June 2024 here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-pupils-and-their-characteristics.The statistics are based on counts of pupils who are eligible for FSM and are known by their school to be claiming. The department does not hold information on pupils who are eligible but do not claim.Where statistics were published prior to the changes in parliamentary constituency boundaries, they will be updated to reflect the new boundaries in the next publication of statistics. This is expected to be in June 2025 for schools’ and pupils’ statistics.The constituency of Gateshead Central and Whickham is made up of elements of two old constituencies: Gateshead and Blaydon. As of January 2024, 35% of pupils at state-funded primary schools in Gateshead and 21% of pupils at state-funded primary schools in Blaydon were eligible for and claiming FSM. This compares with 24% for the whole of England.The schools and pupils publication includes data at school level. This can be combined with information from ‘Get Information About Schools’ (GIAS) to identify parliamentary constituency, which can be accessed here: https://get-information-schools.service.gov.uk/. GIAS reflects the changes made following the general election parliamentary constituency changes. Updates to geographical data in GIAS are made on a quarterly basis using data published by the Office for National Statistics.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had recent discussions with his (a) French and (b) Mozambique counterpart on the alleged massacre of civilians by Mozambican military personnel at the TotalEnergies plant in 2021.

Our High Commissioner in Mozambique has raised the alleged massacre of civilians at the TotalEnergies plant in 2021 with representatives of the Government of Mozambique and local counterparts, alongside France and the US. The UK is offering continued support to Mozambique on responding to the ongoing IS-Mozambique insurgency in Cabo Delgado. This support includes programmes aimed at building local resilience to violent extremism, and security and human rights training of Mozambican Armed Forces.

How much has been (a) budgeted and (b) spent by the Care Quality Commission on the (i) design, (ii) development and (iii) rollout of its new regulatory platform.

The Care Quality Commission’s (CQC) budget for its new regulatory platform was £88.3 million. The actual cost of the regulatory platform is £92.4 million, including the utilisation of contingency, which isn’t accounted for in the budget, and so is the reason for the variance. The actual cost comprises spending on contingent labour, internal staffing, professional services, and non-pay costs. All spending during the CQC’s transformation was subject to appropriate governance, and any procurement was undertaken in line with public sector standards.The regulatory platform was gradually delivered and implemented over a five-year period to the end of March 2024. The CQC is unable to provide a breakdown of the figures into design, development, and rollout as the regulatory platform was broken down into various services and each of these had a different design, build, test, and deploy phase. These phases overlapped due to the phased rollout.

What steps her Department takes to determine the level of funding required to facilitate an adequate number of crown court sitting days in each financial year.

Every year, the Government and the Judiciary agree a number of sitting days and an overall budget in what is known as the Concordat process.In June, the Judiciary reached an agreement with the former Lord Chancellor to sit 106,000 days in the Crown Court within a total budget of £275 million.The Lord Chancellor has since agreed to fund an additional 500 days, but it has become clear that there has been significant over-listing against this budget – with more trials scheduled than the funding allows.As a result of that, approximately 1,600 sitting days have had to be withdrawn. The level of impact will vary across regions and is being managed closely to ensure there is minimal disruption to all involved.

Communities and Local Government, what data her Department holds on the number of buildings over (a) 11 and (b) 18 metres in Gateshead Central and Whickham constituency that have aluminium composite material cladding.

The department collects data on the number of residential buildings over 18 metres in height in England with unsafe aluminium composite material (ACM) cladding. In the Gateshead Central and Whickham constituency, fewer than 10 such buildings have been identified, but the exact number cannot be disclosed to protect the privacy of individual buildings.Leaseholders in buildings over 11 metres or five storeys are protected from paying for remediation of safety defects if the developer has signed the developer remediation contract. Additionally, the Government has made £5.1 billion available through the Building Safety Fund and Cladding Safety Scheme to cover cladding repairs for buildings over 18 metres where no responsible developer can be identified.Furthermore, Remediation Contribution Orders provide leaseholders with a means to recover historical safety remediation costs from those responsible, such as developers.The Leasehold Advisory Service (LEASE), funded by the department, offers free legal advice to leaseholders.Developers who have signed the remediation contract are responsible for funding assessments and completing all fire safety work, including non-cladding issues, in line with PAS9980 standards for external works and relevant standards for internal works, all at their own expense.

Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure that leaseholders do not have to fund remedial building modifications associated with aluminium composite material cladding.

The department collects data on the number of residential buildings over 18 metres in height in England with unsafe aluminium composite material (ACM) cladding. In the Gateshead Central and Whickham constituency, fewer than 10 such buildings have been identified, but the exact number cannot be disclosed to protect the privacy of individual buildings.Leaseholders in buildings over 11 metres or five storeys are protected from paying for remediation of safety defects if the developer has signed the developer remediation contract. Additionally, the Government has made £5.1 billion available through the Building Safety Fund and Cladding Safety Scheme to cover cladding repairs for buildings over 18 metres where no responsible developer can be identified.Furthermore, Remediation Contribution Orders provide leaseholders with a means to recover historical safety remediation costs from those responsible, such as developers.The Leasehold Advisory Service (LEASE), funded by the department, offers free legal advice to leaseholders.Developers who have signed the remediation contract are responsible for funding assessments and completing all fire safety work, including non-cladding issues, in line with PAS9980 standards for external works and relevant standards for internal works, all at their own expense.

Communities and Local Government, whether it is her policy that developers are responsible for financing (a) aluminium composite material assessments and (b) subsequent fire safety remedial modifications other than cladding.

The department collects data on the number of residential buildings over 18 metres in height in England with unsafe aluminium composite material (ACM) cladding. In the Gateshead Central and Whickham constituency, fewer than 10 such buildings have been identified, but the exact number cannot be disclosed to protect the privacy of individual buildings.Leaseholders in buildings over 11 metres or five storeys are protected from paying for remediation of safety defects if the developer has signed the developer remediation contract. Additionally, the Government has made £5.1 billion available through the Building Safety Fund and Cladding Safety Scheme to cover cladding repairs for buildings over 18 metres where no responsible developer can be identified.Furthermore, Remediation Contribution Orders provide leaseholders with a means to recover historical safety remediation costs from those responsible, such as developers.The Leasehold Advisory Service (LEASE), funded by the department, offers free legal advice to leaseholders.Developers who have signed the remediation contract are responsible for funding assessments and completing all fire safety work, including non-cladding issues, in line with PAS9980 standards for external works and relevant standards for internal works, all at their own expense.