Written questions by Wrigley.

Innovation and Technology, if she will take steps to increase competition in the telecoms tower market.

The government is committed to a competitive mobile market where consumers and business have access to high-quality, secure and affordable connectivity. We will publish a Mobile Market Review call for evidence in the coming months to help better understand how technological, structural and financial changes could impact the industry’s ability to invest in widespread high-quality connectivity, this includes impacts on the mobile tower market. The CMA and Ofcom have the duty to promote competition and protect consumers within telecoms markets. Where they identify anti-competitive behaviour, they have powers to investigate and implement measures to promote competition. Government works with these regulators where appropriate.

What steps he is taking to ensure people with (a) learning disabilities and (b) mental health challenges receive (i) adequate and (ii) consistent support through Access to Work.

In the Pathways to Work Green Paper, we consulted on the future of Access to Work and how to improve the scheme so that it helps more disabled people in work. Since Access to Work was first designed, the style, scope and cost of the support that people require has changed significantly, yet Access to Work has stayed broadly the same. There is a strong case for looking at the future role and purpose of Access to Work, as part of the wider changes to Get Britain Working. We have recently concluded (end of June) the Access to Work Collaboration Committees, in which we engaged with a range of stakeholders, including Disabled People’s Organisation representatives and lived experience users, to provide discussion, experience, and challenge to the design of the future Access to Work Scheme. Whilst the committees have now ended, we will seek opportunity to engage with stakeholders as we move forward with policy development, recognising the value of their input and expertise. We will be reviewing all aspects of the Scheme now that the consultation has closed.

Innovation and Technology, what discussions she has had with the Competition and Markets Authority on the potential impact of the merger of Vodafone and Three on the rollout of 5G.

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is an independent regulator and Government has no role in merger and remedies decisions on a competition basis. The Secretary of State has not discussed the potential impacts of the merger of Vodafone and Three on the rollout of 5G with them.However, the Secretary of State welcomes Vodafone UK and Three UK’s binding £11 billion investment commitment to upgrade the UK’s mobile networks to higher quality standalone 5G.

Innovation and Technology, with reference to the Draft regulations to commence Sections 61 to 64 of the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Act 2022, published on 7 May 2025, what recent discussions he has had with (a) telecommunication landlords and (b) prospective telecommunications landlords on the Electronic Communications Code 2017.

The technical consultation on draft regulations to commence Sections 61 – 64 of the Act, dealing with certain Renewal agreements closed on 2 July 2025. The department received submissions from a range of stakeholders in response to the consultation, including landowners, Wireless Infrastructure Providers and Mobile Network Operators. Officials have kept these stakeholders updated on progress to implement outstanding provisions of the PSTI Act, including sections 61 – 64. This has been done through group sessions, which site providers, operators and infrastructure providers have all been invited to attend. Officials have also shared these updates and listened to feedback as part of their routine engagement with stakeholders. This engagement has included regular and ad hoc meetings with specific organisations and representative groups.

What assessment has been made of the potential impact of changes to Access to Work funding on job coaching and support service providers.

No changes have been made to Access to Work policy, and we will announce any changes prior to them being implemented. The Department faces significant challenges assessing the effectiveness of Access to Work due to the difficulty in establishing a counterfactual. We will be reviewing all aspects of the Scheme now that the Pathways to Work Green Paper consultation has closed. We are considering responses to the consultation and will set out our plans in due course. We are continuing to work closely with stakeholders, and in particular disabled people and their representatives, on all aspects of our proposals.

Innovation and Technology, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of requiring tower companies to (a) improve coverage and (b) re-invest in new sites.

Tower companies play a key role in the market; they deliver the physical infrastructure that hosts telecommunications equipment. This allows mobile network operators to provide communities and businesses across the UK with the mobile coverage they need and expect. Outside of government funded programmes, investment into new telecommunications infrastructure is a commercial decision, but we want to ensure that any investment translates into real world impacts for consumers and businesses. This is why we are working with the industry to ensure that we have the right policy and regulatory framework in facilitate this, including removing barriers to deployment where they exist and it is practical to do so.

What assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the Access to Work scheme in supporting disabled people into (a) sustained employment and (b) meaningful work experience.

No changes have been made to Access to Work policy. We will be reviewing all aspects of the Scheme now that the Pathways to Work Green Paper consultation has closed. We are considering responses to the consultation and will set out our plans in due course. We are continuing to work closely with stakeholders, and in particular disabled people and their representatives.

Innovation and Technology, what information her Department holds on the number of telecommunication landlords that have ceased to host infrastructure since the Electronic Communications Code 2017 was implemented.

The Department has not undertaken comprehensive monitoring of the number of active Code agreements following the 2017 reforms. However, based on Ofcom reporting, 4G geographic coverage from at least one operator has increased from 78% in 2017 to 96% in July 2025. Ofcom also reports that 5G geographic coverage from at least one operator has reached 65% in July 2025 from the start of its rollout in 2019.Landowners can terminate agreements governed by the Electronic Communications Code for a number of reasons, including if they intend to redevelop the land. Any data on the number of terminated agreements alone would therefore not be indicative of the effectiveness of the 2017 reforms.Government has no plans to conduct a formal review of the 2017 reforms to the Electronic Communications Code before commencing the remaining sections of the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Act 2022.

How many work placements have been (a) delayed or (b) cancelled due to delays in processing Access to Work applications in the past 12 months.

We are committed to reducing the time taken to process Access to Work applications and are considering the best way to deliver that for customers. We have increased the number of staff processing Access to Work applications. We prioritise applications from customers who are about to start a job or are renewing existing support. The Department does not hold data on how many work placements may have been (a) delayed or (b) cancelled due to delays in processing Access to Work applications in the past 12 months.

What guidance his Department has provided to access to work administrators on communication with (a) service users, (b) employers and (b) providers.

Access to Work guidance is publicly available on gov.uk (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/access-to-work-staff-guide/access-to-work-staff-guide). All requisite information is contained therein. Access to Work staff receive training and coaching on the Access to Work principles and processes to ensure their communication is clear, effective in managing expectations and supported by explanations and signposting where necessary. In addition, the Department provides other mandatory learning including understanding responsibilities with customer equality and accessibility.

Who is able to reduce agreed hours for (a) self-employed job coaches and (b) support providers who have both (i) an agreed support plan under Access to Work and (ii) not had a consultation on the reduction of these hours.

The support that a customer will receive from Access to Work is dependent upon their needs and circumstances at the time they make an application. Case managers will use the current guidance to ensure Access to Work principles are considered when making a decision on support.

What steps he is taking to reduce waiting times for MP caseworker teams contacting his Department's correspondence email address.

The Department treats correspondence from Members of Parliament as a high priority. We are committed to improving response times and have taken steps to enhance the timeliness of replies to MP emails sent to the Department’s correspondence address. Over the past six months, we have seen a significant increase in the volume of correspondence. To address this, the Ministerial Correspondence Team is deploying additional resource, streamlining processes and improving systems.

What information his Department holds on the (a) methodology and (b) benchmarks used to determine hourly rates for self-employed job coaches under the Access to Work scheme; and whether these are shared with the providers affected.

The hourly rates for payment were developed following research into wages paid to support workers, including job coaches, based on live job listings and a job listing aggregation website. The hourly rates are used as a guide and if a customer is unable to secure a job coach within the published hourly rates then case managers have discretion to award an appropriate rate. The rates can be viewed in the Access to Work staff guide which is available here https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/access-to-work-staff-guide/access-to-work-staff-guide

If he will (a) conduct and (b) publish a data protection impact assessment on plans to introduce digital ID.

We will ensure that a Data Protection Impact Assessment is conducted in line with legal requirements under Article 35 of the UK GDPR, before implementing digital ID. Decisions on publication will be taken in accordance with ICO guidance.

What steps he is taking to support NHS staff working in Newton Abbot constituency.

The health and wellbeing of all National Health Service staff is a top priority. Local employers across the NHS have in place arrangements for supporting staff including occupational health provision, employee support programmes, and a focus on healthy working environments. At a national level, NHS staff have access to the SHOUT helpline for crisis support alongside the Practitioner Health service for more complex mental health and wellbeing support, including trauma and addiction.As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, we will roll out Staff Treatment hubs to ensure all staff have access to high quality occupational health support, including for mental health. To further support this ambition, we will work with the Social Partnership Forum to introduce a new set of staff standards for modern employment, covering issues such as access to healthy meals, support to work healthily and flexibly, and tackling violence, racism and sexual harassment in the workplace.

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of preventing (a) housing developers, (b) management companies and (c) housing associations from imposing blanket bans on amateur radio antennas.

The Department for Business and Trade has no plans to make an assessment on preventing companies from imposing blanket bans on amateur radio antennas.

What information his Department hold on the average processing time for Access to Work grant applications for work experience placements.

The Department does not hold data on the average processing time for Access to Work grant applications specifically for work experience placements. These applications are included within the overall processing times for Access to Work.For details on the average processing time for Access to Work grant applications from April to June 2025, please refer to the answer I gave on 3 July 2025 to Question UIN 63906.

What steps his Department has taken to help ensure the adequacy of Access to Work grants to fund the support requirements of employers offering placements.

Funding has been secured to continue the scheme for the entire Spending Review period. In the Pathways to Work Green Paper, we consulted on the future of Access to Work and how to improve the scheme so that it helps more disabled people in work. Since Access to Work was first designed, the style, scope and cost of the support that people require has changed significantly, yet Access to Work has stayed broadly the same. We are considering responses to the consultation and will set out our plans in due course. The findings from this will inform the chosen future direction of Access to Work. Once this is established, we will consider timelines and work closely with stakeholders to ensure an appropriate transition.

What information his Department holds on the number of complaints submitted by disabled service users to the Access to Work scheme which were not resolved within the 20-working-day target in the last 12 months.

The standard definition of a complaint across DWP is: Any expression of dissatisfaction about the service provided which is not resolved by operational staff as normal business. An ‘Official’’ complaint would be received in writing and usually via the local MP or authorised advocate on behalf of the customer. These complaints would be logged and dealt with in line with our official complaints policy. ‘Official’ complaints have a 20-working day target.During the period 01/11/2024 – 31/10/2025, 106 were received and 3 were not resolved within the target date. ‘Other’ complaints are also received but are dealt with informally as part of normal business and are usually handled in real-time by our DWP Telephony staff. Other complaints have a 15-working day target.During the period 01/11/2024 – 31/10/2025, 909 were received and 4 were not resolved within the target date. What is not a complaintabout government policy or lawthat have already been investigated or are currently being investigated by the Independent Case Examiner or the Parliamentary Health Service Ombudsmanthat are, or have been, subject to legal proceedings, including legal settlementsdissatisfied with a benefit or pension decision Please note that the data supplied is derived from unpublished management information, which was collected for internal Departmental use only, and have not been quality assured to National Statistics or Official Statistics publication standard. They should therefore be treated with caution.

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of increasing the availability of medicinal cannabis for epilepsy patients in Devon.

The licenced cannabis-based medicine Epidyolex is available on the National Health Service in England for the treatment of seizures associated with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, Dravet syndrome, and tuberous sclerosis complex. This follows approval from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).NICE has assessed the available evidence, and concluded that there is a clear need for more evidence to support routine prescribing and funding decisions of unlicensed cannabis-based products for medicinal use. NHS funding decisions follow established procedures that ensure equitable distribution of funding, prioritising those medicines that have proved their safety, quality, and clinical and cost effectiveness.