Written questions by Campbell-Savours.

What progress he has made on improving data on joint enterprise cases.

Joint enterprise is not a specific criminal offence. It is a common law doctrine which can apply in situations where two or more individuals have a common purpose to commit any criminal offence.The Ministry of Justice currently collects information on how many defendants are prosecuted and convicted of specific criminal offences but not whether those crimes are committed as part of a joint enterprise. We are, however, considering the feasibility of collecting data on joint enterprise cases as part of the development of the Common Platform, a criminal justice IT programme.Following a Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) pilot to monitor joint enterprise homicide and attempted homicide cases in February 2023, the CPS implemented a national monitoring scheme in 2024, using a mandatory case management system flag to track such prosecutions and ensure greater oversight. On 23 September, the CPS published its annual report on data collected during the period 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025, which can be found at: CPS Joint Enterprise National Monitoring Scheme 2024-25 | The Crown Prosecution Service.

Whether she has made an estimate of the financial impact of amending the 1987 Police Pension Scheme to allow widowers of police officers to retain survivor’s pension entitlement if they (a) remarry and (b) cohabit regardless of how the officer died.

The 1987 Police Pension Scheme provides survivor benefits to widows, widowers, and civil partners of police officers who die. In line with most public service pension schemes of that era, these benefits cease upon remarriage or cohabitation.With the introduction of the 2006 and 2015 Police Pension Schemes, all eligible officers were able to join a pension scheme that provides life-long survivor benefits for spouses, civil partners and unmarried partners, including for those who remarry or cohabit after losing a spouse.The 1987 police pension scheme is a closed scheme and there are no plans at this time to make any further improvements to benefits accrued in it.

What estimate his Department has made of the number of UK-trained physiotherapists excluded from NHS employment pathways in (a) Penrith and Solway constituency and (b) the UK.

The Department has not made an estimate of the number of physiotherapists trained in the United Kingdom who have been excluded from National Health Service employment pathways either in the Penrith and Solway constituency or across England.Decisions about recruitment are matters for individual NHS trusts. NHS trusts manage their recruitment at a local level, ensuring they have the right number of staff in place and with the right skills mix, to deliver safe and effective care.

What assessment she has made of the potential merits of raising the VAT threshold for (a) wine merchants and (b) other small businesses; and what steps she is taking to (a) support those businesses and (b) promote economic growth while maintaining compliance with fiscal policies.

At £90,000, the UK has a higher VAT registration threshold than any EU country and the joint highest in the OECD. This means the majority of UK businesses are kept out of the VAT system. As set out in the Plan for Change, the Government’s priority mission is to deliver strong, secure and sustainable economic growth to boost living standards in every part of the UK. Supporting businesses to grow is at the heart of this mission. The Government will be announcing further support for small businesses as part of the Small Business Strategy being published later this year.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of introducing free bus passes for people aged 60 and over on (a) social inclusion, (b) the economy and (c) the environment.

The English National Concessionary Travel Scheme (ENCTS) provides free off-peak bus travel to those with eligible disabilities and those of state pension age, currently sixty-six. The ENCTS costs around £700 million annually and any changes to the statutory obligations, would therefore need to be carefully considered for its impact on the scheme’s financial sustainability. No assessment has been made of the potential impact of lowering the age on social inclusion, the economy or the environment. Local authorities in England have the power to offer concessions in addition to their statutory obligations such as lowering the age of eligibility. Additional local concessions are provided and funded by local authorities from local resources. The government has confirmed £955 million for the 2025 to 2026 financial year to support and improve bus services in England outside London. This includes £243 million for bus operators and £712 million allocated to local authorities across the country. Funding allocated to local authorities to improve services for passengers can be used in whichever way they wish. This could include extending the discretionary concessions available in local areas to support the local economy and environment.

What assessment she has made of the potential merits of increasing the purchase price limit of (a) lifetime ISAs and (b) help-to-buy ISAs.

This Government is committed to helping first time buyers own their own home and our plan to build1.5 million more homes is key to delivering this commitment.

What assessment she has made of the potential merits of applying preferential (a) interest rates and (b) tax treatment for NS&I Green Savings bonds.

National Savings and Investments’ (NS&I) core remit is to raise cost-effective finance for the Government. In setting the interest rate on its products, NS&I must adhere to its operating framework. Specifically, this is to balance the interests of savers by offering a fair rate; the taxpayer by delivering cost-effective financing; and the financial services sector by acting transparently and supporting a fair and competitive market. Green Savings Bonds (GSB) are a fixed-term savings product where deposits contribute to green initiatives as selected by the Government. GSBs sit alongside Green Gilts issued by the Debt Management Office, funds from which count towards meeting the Green Financing remit. The interest rate on GSBs is kept under regular review and changes are recommended by NS&I to HM Treasury as appropriate. In setting the interest rate, NS&I – as outlined above – seeks to balance the interest of savers, taxpayers, and financial services sector.Interest earned on savings accounts, with the exception of ISAs, are subject to tax. Along with some other competitor accounts, GSBs are designed to be held for the full term and savers can only access their money, including compounded interest, at the end of the fixed-term, which is when any tax is due. HMRC outlines that any tax is paid on maturity when the saver benefits from the interest earned on the fixed-term product.

What steps he is taking to help support primary care staff providing mental health services in Penrith and Solway constituency.

General practice is funded to deploy mental health practitioners, bridging the gap between primary care and specialist mental health services, with over 1,200 employed in England as of December 2024.Our 10-year health plan will deliver more care locally, supporting people to stay healthier including with their mental health.We will recruit 8,500 mental health workers across children’s and adult mental health services to bring waiting times down.

Whether his Department plans to repeat the Reproductive Health Survey for England 2023; and whether he plans to take steps to record (a) the experiences of those with endometriosis and (b) diagnosis time for those with endometriosis.

The Department recognises the importance of understanding the experiences of women living with endometriosis. In 2023, the Department commissioned the Women's Reproductive Health Survey to gather views on women’s experiences in all aspects of their reproductive health, including menstrual problems and endometriosis. A report on the initial findings has been published, and is available at the following link:https://www.lshtm.ac.uk/research/centres-projects-groups/reproductive-health-survey-england#researchThe Department will update plans to conduct the survey again in due course. The Department also commissions research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The NIHR has recently funded a qualitative study into patient and healthcare professionals' experiences of the management, diagnosis, and treatment of endometriosis. Further information is available at the following link:https://fundingawards.nihr.ac.uk/award/NIHR156216.An ongoing Office for National Statistics study is investigating the impact of endometriosis on women's labour market outcomes. One component of this study is linking primary and secondary care data to better understand diagnosis times for endometriosis.

What proportion of patients waiting for gynaecological surgery are waiting for surgery for thoracic endometriosis.

This data is not held in the format requested. As set out in the Plan for Change, we will ensure that 92% of patients return to waiting no longer than 18 weeks from referral to treatment by March 2029, a standard which has not been met consistently since September 2015.

What the average time taken to diagnose multiple sclerosis was in each of the last five years.

We do not hold data in the format requested. The latest data for referral to treatment waiting times in England, from January 2025, shows there were under 233,000 pathways waiting for a neurology appointment, 53.8% of which had been waiting less that 18 weeks.On 6 January 2025, NHS England published the new Elective Reform Plan, which sets out a whole system approach to hitting the 18-week referral to treatment target by the end of this Parliament. We have delivered an additional two million appointments between July and November 2024, compared to the same period in 2023, seven months ahead of schedule, as a first step in our commitment to ensuring that patients can expect to be treated within 18 weeks. These additional appointments have taken place across a number of specialities, including neurology.

What steps his Department plans to take to ensure accurate recording of a presumed diagnosis of endometriosis in primary care.

General practices are expected to follow National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) clinical guidance for the treatment and management of clinical conditions, as part of meeting the reasonable needs of patients. The NICE guidance on endometriosis is available at the following link: https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng73?UID=83951178202532511728

What the average time taken to diagnose ankylosing spondylitis was in each of the last five years.

We do not hold data in the format requested. To support health and care professionals in the early diagnosis of musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions, such as ankylosing spondylitis, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has published expert guidance on the diagnosis and management of spondyloarthritis in over 16 year olds, which is available at the following link:https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng65The NICE guidance aims to raise awareness of the features of spondyloarthritis and provide clear advice on what action to take when people with signs and symptoms first present in healthcare settings.As announced in the Get Britain Working white paper, we are delivering the joint Department for Work and Pensions, Department of Health and Social Care, and NHS England Getting It Right First-Time (GIRFT) MSK Community Delivery Programme. With a £3.5 million funding boost, GIRFT teams will deploy their proven Further Faster model to work with integrated care board leaders to further reduce MSK community waiting times, including for those with ankylosing spondylitis, and improve data, metrics, and referral pathways to wider support services.

What the average time taken to diagnose endometriosis was in each of the last five years.

This data is not held centrally. The Government is committed to prioritising women’s health and improving the care for gynaecological conditions, including endometriosis.The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) published an update to the guideline on endometriosis diagnosis and management in November 2024. This makes firmer recommendations for healthcare professionals on referrals and investigations for women with suspected endometriosis, which will help women receive a diagnosis and treatment more quickly.For many women with symptoms of endometriosis, the initial pharmacological treatment takes place in primary care and can be in parallel with a referral for further investigations. As a result, looking at diagnosis times alone is unlikely to be the only measure of whether women are receiving care for endometriosis in a timely matter. NHS England is looking into metrics that best reflect the timely access to care and outcomes for women, including for endometriosis. This work will explore whether time to diagnosis is the optimum measure.An ongoing Office for National Statistics investigation is looking into the impact of endometriosis on women's labour market outcomes. One component of this study is linking primary and secondary care data to better understand diagnosis times for endometriosis.

What data his Department uses to monitor endometriosis diagnosis waiting times.

It is unacceptable that women can wait up to 10 years for an endometriosis diagnosis. We achieved our manifesto pledge of 2 million extra appointments seven months early. This includes appointments for endometriosis, and our new agreement with the independent sector will help cut waiting lists faster. An ONS study is linking primary and secondary care data to better understand diagnosis times for endometriosis.

Communities and Local Government, which local authorities claimed emergency financial assistance money under the Bellwin scheme of emergency financial assistance to local authorities in each of the last 15 years; and how much money was received in each case.

The table below sets out the Bellwin payments made to local authorities by financial year in each of the last 15 financial years. 2010-11AuthorityGrant Paid (£) South Lakeland District Council30,348 Allerdale Borough Council302,847 Cumbria County Council408,297 Cumbria Police Authority148,049Total for year4889,541 2011-12AuthorityGrant Paid (£)Total for year00 2012-13AuthorityGrant Paid (£) City of Lincoln Council24,870 Royal Berkshire Fire Authority404,640 Calderdale Metropolitan Borough Council76,668 Gateshead Council393,939 Herefordshire Council218,499Total for year51,118,6162013-14AuthorityGrant Paid £ Devon County Council3,023,598 Richmondshire District Council915 Herefordshire Council2,048,963 Teignbridge District Council38,234 Newark & Sherwood District Council3,407 Uttlesford District Council16,643Total for year65,131,7602014-15AuthorityGrant Paid £ Arun District Council44,134 Basingstoke & Deane Borough Council563,383 Boston Borough Council123,230 Bournemouth Borough Council50,736 Buckinghamshire & Milton Keynes Fire Authority36,964 Christchurch Borough Council39,867 Copeland Borough Council130,350 Croydon Council2,006,683 Dartford Borough Council22,054 Devon and Somerset Fire & Rescue Service509,936 Devon County Council789,567 Dorset County Council413,400 Dorset County Council332,315 Dover District Council6,602 Elmbridge Borough Council66,692 Exeter City Council8,339 Fareham Borough Council5,888 Great Yarmouth Borough Council172,466 Guildford Borough Council50,424 Hampshire County Council3,612,261 Havant Borough Council25,865 Herefordshire Council3,090,340 Isle of Wight58,167 Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service12,492 Kent County Council982,732 Lewes District Council5,737 Maidstone Borough Council130,373 Malvern Hills District Council19,249 New Forest District Council151,514 Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service23,166 Norfolk Police (OPCC)3,745 North Devon Council24,987 North Norfolk District Council47,262 Oxford City Council210,142 Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service9,017 Royal Berkshire Fire Authority2,101,673 Runnymede Borough Council216,144 Scarborough Borough Council164,189 Sedgemoor District Council87,326 Somerset County Council778,411 Somerset County Council615,006 South Hams District Council100,510 South Oxfordshire District Council60,029 South Somerset District Council39,481 Spelthorne Borough Council68,491 Suffolk Fire & Rescue Service1,373 Surrey County Council2,382,887 Tandridge District Council82,294 Taunton Deane Borough Council36,176 Teignbridge District Council260,896 Test Valley Borough Council194,824 Tewkesbury Borough Council23,614 Thanet Council36,162 Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council99,177 Torbay Borough Council102,912 Tunbridge Wells Borough Council18,407 Waveney District Council19,638 Waveney District Council31,694 Waverley Borough Council43,736 Waverley Borough Council55,975 West Berkshire Council652,396 West Dorset District Council47,240 West Oxfordshire District Council7,959 West Somerset District Council5,175 West Sussex County Council37,510 Weymouth and Portland Borough Council23,412 Wiltshire Council745,588 Winchester City Council75,715 Windsor & Maidenhead Royal Borough406,373 Worcester City Council51,701 Wycombe District Council27,634 Wyre Borough Council31,784 Wyre Forest District Council62,001Total for year7323,575,5932015-16 Grant Paid (£)Total for year00 2016-17AuthorityGrant Paid £ Allerdale Borough Council218,274 Bury Council111,490 Calderdale Council1,029,731 Carlisle City Council377,912 Chorley Council74,238 City of York Council170,700 Cumbria County Council2,185,838 Eden District Council23,077 Lancashire Fire & Rescue Service63,123 North Yorkshire County Council176,449 North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Authority302,982 Northumberland County Council1,082,555 Ribble Valley Borough Council50,903 Rochdale Borough Council139,674 Salford City Council80,485 Selby District Council13,740 South Lakeland District Council177,581 Wyre Council15,701Total for year186,294,4532017-18AuthorityGrant Paid (£) Kensington and Chelsea RB7,045,389Total for year17,045,3892018-19AuthorityGrant Paid (£) North Norfolk District Council8,825 Scarborough Borough Council171,471 Waveney District Council88,280Total for year3268,5762019-20AuthorityGrant Paid (£) Leicestershire Combined Fire and Rescue243,832 East Lindsey District Council149,905 Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue Service418,293 Richmondshire District Council180,762 Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service376,177 High Peak Borough Council30,370 Mansfield District Council197,639Total for year71,596,978 2020-21AuthorityGrant Paid (£) South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Authority497,260 Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council535,997 Calderdale Council265,762 Rossendale Borough Council9,217 Herefordshire Council1,112,310 Hereford & Worcester Fire and Rescue Service33,086 Malvern Hills District Council24,827 Newark and Sherwood District Council17,718 Shropshire Council58,567 Telford & Wrekin Council53,324 Worcester City Council6,279 Worcestershire County Council63,060 Wyre Forest District Council10,156Total for year132,687,5642021-22 Grant Paid (£)Total for year002022-23 Grant Paid (£)Total for year002023-24 Grant Paid (£) Canterbury City Council133,485Total for year1133,4852024-25 Grant Paid (£) Merton Council653,124 Northumberland County Council166,007Total for year2819,131Link to the Bellwin guidance:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/bellwin-scheme-guidance-notes-for-claims/bellwin-scheme-of-emergency-financial-assistance-to-local-authorities-guidance-notes-for-claims

Whether he plans to end single-word ratings for Care Quality Commission assessments.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is currently focussing on making the improvements recommended in the reviews carried out by Dr Penny Dash, Sir Professor Mike Richards, and Professor Vic Raynor. This includes work to develop new ratings characteristics, make changes to how the CQC uses scoring in assessments, and develop a new handbook for providers, which will explain clearly how assessments are carried out.A specific review of one-or two- word ratings for health and social care providers is therefore not a priority currently, but will be kept under review.

What steps his Department is taking to help reduce waiting lists for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder assessments in Penrith and Solway constituency.

It is the responsibility of the integrated care boards in England to make available the appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population, including for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) assessments, in line with relevant National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines.We are supporting a taskforce that NHS England has established to look at ADHD service provision and support across sectors, and their impact on patient experience. The taskforce is bringing together expertise from across a broad range of sectors, including the National Health Service, education, and justice, to better understand the challenges affecting people with ADHD, including timely access to services and support.Alongside the work of the taskforce, NHS England will continue to develop a national ADHD data improvement plan, carry out more detailed work to understand the provider and commissioning landscape, and capture examples from local health systems which are trialling innovative ways of delivering ADHD services to ensure best practice is captured and shared across the system.