Written questions by Sewards.

What steps he is taking to help ensure NHS dental practices have the capacity to treat more patients.

The Government plans to tackle the challenges for patients trying to access National Health Service dental care with a rescue plan to provide 700,000 more urgent dental appointments and to recruit new dentists to the areas that need them most. To rebuild dentistry in the long term and increase access to NHS dental care, we will reform the dental contract, with a shift to focus on prevention and the retention of NHS dentists.The responsibility for commissioning primary care, including dentistry, to meet the needs of the local population has been delegated to all integrated care boards (ICBs) across England. For the Leeds South West and Morley constituency, this is the NHS West Yorkshire ICB. NHS dentists are required to update their NHS website profiles at least every 90 days to ensure patients have up-to-date information on where they can access care.

What steps she is taking to (a) improve SEND provision and (b) recruit more educational psychologists.

The department recognises that the current special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system is not working and that, for far too long, too many children and families have been failed by it. This government is determined to address the problems and restore parents’ trust that their children will get the support they need. The department has been restructured so that SEND is now treated as part of mainstream schooling, but the government knows that this is only a small step on the road to fixing the system. The department will listen to, and work with, families to fix the foundations and deliver long-term renewal.The department understands the critical role educational psychologists play in the support available to children and young people, including those with SEND. Whilst it is the responsibility of local authorities, as employers, to recruit to their educational psychology services, the department is taking measures to support these services by investing in building the training pipeline.​The department is investing over £21 million to train 400 more educational psychologists from this year. This builds on the £10 million currently being invested in a cohort of over 200 trainees who began their training in September 2023.​Following graduation, trainees who have had their training funded by the department are required to remain in local authority employment for a minimum period. To support local authority services to recruit and retain their educational psychology workforce, this requirement will increase to three years for those trainees beginning their course this year. This will allow local authority services to benefit from the public investment in training, and support their delivery of statutory assessments and wider work.

What discussions her Department has had with relevant stakeholders on (a) autonomous delivery robots and (b) other emerging technologies in transport systems.

I have attended the Cenex Expo, focused on Net Zero and Connected Automated Mobility. At Cenex I attended a roundtable to discuss next steps for the CAM sector and how to ensure public understanding. I also participated in a demonstration of an Ohmio vehicle. I have also visited Wayve, a UK developer of self-driving technology. As you will appreciate, the new Government is still in its early stages, and I am carefully considering next steps in this policy area and the stakeholders I should meet to inform those decisions.

What steps his Department is taking recruit more full-time healthcare support workers.

The National Health Service has been facing chronic workforce shortages for years and we have to be honest that bringing in the staff the NHS needs will take time. The Government will make sure the NHS has the staff it needs to be there for all of us when we need it.We are committed to training the staff we need to ensure patients are cared for by the right professional, when and where they need it. We will launch a 10-Year Health Plan to reform the NHS and make it fit for the future.

What steps her Department is taking to help recruit more driving examiners to tackle the backlog of outstanding practical tests.

In response to increased demand for car practical driving tests, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) has reviewed its recruitment process and increased its recruitment effort to bring in 450 new driving examiners over the next 12 months. As part of this, DVSA has already recruited and is training 250 new examiners this year, and is working to recruit and train another 200, focusing on areas where the demand is highest.

Innovation and Technology, whether his Department has made an (a) estimate of the potential private sector investment in (i) autonomous delivery robots and (ii) other autonomous technologies by 2030 and (b) assessment of the potential implications of such investment for the Government's economic growth agenda.

A 2021 BEIS report estimated the total economic impact of robotics and autonomous systems uptake across a range of selected sectors (logistics, agriculture, food & drink, construction, energy, infrastructure and health; and excluding manufacturing) to be worth £6.4 billion by 2035 on current adoption trends, and £150 billion under full automation. The department has not undertaken a formal assessment of private sector investment estimates by 2030 in autonomous technologies, including delivery robots.

What recent discussions she has had with (a) mayors and (b) local councils on supporting people back into work.

I’ve been pleased to meet many of our local leaders to discuss how we meet the shared challenge of our 80% employment rate, recognising that local people know best what their communities need.