Written questions by Wrigley.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Civil Air Publication 1616 airspace change processes on his Department's ability to (a) test and (b) develop uncrewed air systems.

Airspace within the UK Flight Information Regions is neither specifically military nor civilian. The Joint Air Navigation Services Council is responsible for the management of airspace and Air Traffic Service provision with a Joint and Integrated Approach between the Department for Transport and the Ministry of Defence (MOD). The practical policy guidance to enact an airspace change is published in CAP1616. The MOD, through the Defence Airspace and Air Traffic Management (DAATM) organisation, is invited to comment on any relevant Airspace Change Proposal. DAATM is a stakeholder in the public consultation launched by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) on 25 September 2025 on ways to modernise and streamline the CAP1616 airspace change process and will comment on behalf of the MOD in time for the 18 December 2025 deadline. The update of CAP 1616 seeks to streamline the processes for modernisation of airspace requirements and the integration of new and innovative types of airspace users. Airspace requirements for military uncrewed air systems testing and development also fall under CAP1616.

What steps her Department is taking to ensure accountability in (a) financial management and (b) strategic leadership in academy trusts.

High and rising standards are at the heart of this government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity and ensure every child has the best life chances. Accountability is non-negotiable. This is why the government has committed to bring multi-academy trusts into the inspection system, to make the system fairer and more transparent, and enable direct intervention when schools and trusts are not performing to the required standards.The primary responsibility for the financial oversight of academy trusts rests with the trustees themselves, supported by the financial management and governance requirements set by the department in academy trusts’ Funding Agreements, the Academy Trust Handbook, the Academies Accounts Direction and the department’s Financial Support and Oversight Guidance for Academy Trusts. The department expects academy trustees to deliver strong governance, monitor the financial health of their trust or school and ensure it remains a going concern.All academy trusts must publish an annual report and accounts (their financial statements), which are audited by a registered statutory auditor. As part of their annual reports and accounts, academy trusts must also publish details of their objectives, achievements, and future plans, including what they have done to promote value for money in support of these projects. The department publishes data on academy finances on GOV.UK, as part of the Academies Sector Annual Report and Accounts and as part of the Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool.Where non-compliance or governance concerns are identified, the department will intervene in a way that is proportionate to the risk and preserves education provision. This can include issuing a trust with a Notice to Improve (NtI). Less than 1% of academy trusts are subject to an active NtI. In cases of financial or financial governance failure, NtIs issued to academy trusts and Investigation Reports are published on GOV.UK.

What steps her Department is taking to improve transparency in the (a) governance, (b) financial decision-making and (c) scrutiny of leadership in academy trusts.

High and rising standards are at the heart of this government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity and ensure every child has the best life chances. Accountability is non-negotiable. This is why the government has committed to bring multi-academy trusts into the inspection system, to make the system fairer and more transparent, and enable direct intervention when schools and trusts are not performing to the required standards.The primary responsibility for the financial oversight of academy trusts rests with the trustees themselves, supported by the financial management and governance requirements set by the department in academy trusts’ Funding Agreements, the Academy Trust Handbook, the Academies Accounts Direction and the department’s Financial Support and Oversight Guidance for Academy Trusts. The department expects academy trustees to deliver strong governance, monitor the financial health of their trust or school and ensure it remains a going concern.All academy trusts must publish an annual report and accounts (their financial statements), which are audited by a registered statutory auditor. As part of their annual reports and accounts, academy trusts must also publish details of their objectives, achievements, and future plans, including what they have done to promote value for money in support of these projects. The department publishes data on academy finances on GOV.UK, as part of the Academies Sector Annual Report and Accounts and as part of the Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool.Where non-compliance or governance concerns are identified, the department will intervene in a way that is proportionate to the risk and preserves education provision. This can include issuing a trust with a Notice to Improve (NtI). Less than 1% of academy trusts are subject to an active NtI. In cases of financial or financial governance failure, NtIs issued to academy trusts and Investigation Reports are published on GOV.UK.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will have discussions with her EU counterparts on exempting UK residents from obtaining a European Travel Information and Authorisation System travel permit before entering the Schengen area.

While the UK supports the security aims of the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) and other measures the EU is implementing to modernise its border, we have consistently engaged EU counterparts to seek to minimise disruption for our nationals crossing the UK-EU border as those changes take effect, and we will continue to do so.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the recent appointments to the Food Strategy Advisory Board on (a) farmers and (b) animal welfare in Devon.

Members of the Food Strategy Advisory Board are senior leaders, appointed for their individual experience and leadership to ensure a broad range of expertise and perspectives across the food system. They do not represent their business interests, specific sectors or geographic areas. The Board’s role is to provide independent advice to support the development of the food strategy. As such, the impact of appointments is considered in terms of the collective insight they bring to national food policy, rather than on specific stakeholder groups or regions.

Whether her Department plans to (a) ring-fence and (b) increase funding for school infrastructure where buildings are assessed as structurally unsound.

The government has given a long-term commitment for capital investment through to 2034/35 to improve the condition of schools and colleges across England, including those which may have structural issues.The department is investing almost £3 billion per year by 2034/35 in capital maintenance and renewal of the school and college estate, rising every year from £2.4 billion in 2025/26.This is in addition to the investment of almost £20 billion in the School Rebuilding Programme through to 2034/35, delivering rebuilding projects at over 500 schools across England within the existing programme, with a further 250 schools to be selected within the next two years. Two schools within the Newton Abbey constituency, Dawlish College and Kenton Primary School, are already part of the programme. The department aims to set out further details on the process for selecting additional schools for rebuilding later this year.Where there are serious and urgent safety issues with school buildings, such as those which threaten closure of a school, and that cannot be managed locally by responsible bodies, the department provides additional advice and support on a case-by-case basis.

If he will take steps to fund the access to work programme for the rest of this parliament.

We are pleased to confirm continued funding for the Access to Work Scheme, which helps disabled people and those with health conditions to stay and remain in the workplace. Funding has been secured to continue the scheme for the entire Spending Review period. Following the close of the Pathways to Work Green Paper consultation at the end of June, we are considering all responses to the consultation and will set out our plans in due course. We will be reviewing all aspects of the Scheme now that the consultation has closed. We are continuing to work closely with stakeholders, and in particular disabled people and their representatives, on all aspects of our proposals. In addition to the consultation itself, we also established ‘collaboration committees’ that brought groups, including disabled people and other experts, to inform the design of the support we offer.

Innovation and Technology, whether she plans to implement a centralised issuance with decentralised data architecture model for a national digital identity system.

The Government will launch a public consultation on the new digital ID credential by the end of the year, seeking views on the design, build and delivery of the system.We will work closely with expert stakeholders, including the Information Commissioner’s Office and the National Cyber Security Centre, to make the programme as effective and secure as possible. Our approach will involve a federated data model, to ensure privacy and security.

With reference to section 58 of the Children Act 2004, if she will take legislative steps to remove the defence of reasonable punishment for parents.

The landmark Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, a key part of the government’s Plan for Change, represents the most transformative piece of child protection legislation in a generation, including wholesale reform of the children’s social care system and the introduction of measures to improve information sharing between education, police, health, justice and social workers to stop vulnerable children falling through the cracks.While the department is looking closely at the impact of the legal changes made in Wales and Scotland in relation to reasonable punishment, we have no plans to legislate at this stage.

What steps he is taking to support patients with postural tachycardia syndrome in Devon.

Many patients with postural tachycardia syndrome (PoTS) can be diagnosed and managed effectively within primary care. In complex cases, or where patients do not respond to initial treatment, patients may be referred to specialised cardiology or neurology services. Management of PoTS typically involves lifestyle changes and medications to help control symptoms, and can involve support from a multidisciplinary team. Integrated care boards (ICBs), with oversight from NHS England, have a statutory responsibility to commission services which meet the needs of their local populations, including for those with PoTS. It is the responsibility of ICBs, including the NHS Devon ICB, to work with clinicians, service users, and patient groups to develop services and care pathways that meet the needs of patients with PoTS.There are a number of policies outlined in the 10-Year Health Plan which should have a positive impact on care for patients with PoTS: more tests and scans delivered in the community; better joint working between services; and greater use of technology. These changes will help people with PoTS to manage their care closer to home.Neighbourhood Health Services will be organised around the needs of their patients. The plan will create joined-up working across hospitals and into community settings with multi-disciplinary teams who can provide wrap-around support services to people with PoTS or other long-term conditions.As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, the NHS App will be enhanced to allow patients to manage appointments, medications, and view or create their own care plans. Patients will be able to manage their care in one place, giving them direct access and preference over the services they need. My Medicines will enable patients to manage their prescriptions, and My Health will enable patients to monitor their symptoms and bring all their data into one place. Patients will be able to self-refer to services where clinically appropriate through My Specialist on the NHS App. This will accelerate their access to treatment and support.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, when her Department plans to respond to the correspondence from the hon. Member for Newton Abbot of 9 September 2025 with case reference MW10038.

I apologise for the delay in responding to the hon. Member's correspondence. The Minister for International Development issued a response to the hon. Member on 16 October.

When her Department plans to respond to the correspondence from the hon. Member for Newton Abbot of 19 August 2025 with case reference MW09759.

The Minister for Policing and Crime has replied on 15 October.

What steps she is taking to support (a) South Western Railway and (b) Network Rail in improving the West of England mainline to prevent soil moisture deficits impacting rail journeys on that route.

The Department is in regular discussion with South Western Railway and Network Rail on the monitoring of conditions on the West of England Line to ensure services are restored as soon as it is safe to do so. Once soil moisture levels improve and the ground begins to rehydrate and settle, engineers will carry out lasting repairs to stabilise the embankments and restore track levels, allowing the normal timetable to return. Network Rail have plans for regional weather resilience and climate change adaptation, with £2.8 billion set aside at a national level in Control Period 7. We will work closely with Network Rail Wessex to ensure appropriate action is taken on the West of England line to minimise the risk of soil moisture deficit in future.

When his Department plans to respond to the correspondence from the hon. Member for Newton Abbot of 26 August 2025 with case reference MW09650.

A reply was sent to the hon. Member by the Minister of State for Social Security and Disability, on behalf of the Secretary of State, on 17 October 2025.

Media and Sport, when her Department plans to respond to the correspondence from the hon. Member for Newton Abbot of 21 August 2025 with case reference MW09328.

A response was sent on 15 October 2025. I apologise for the delay.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the planned (a) budgetary reductions and (b) structural reorganisation in NHS Devon on (i) waiting times for surgery and (ii) emergency care.

No formal assessment has been made on the potential impact of the planned budgetary reductions and structural reorganisation in NHS Devon on waiting times for surgery and emergency care.Following the Prime Minister’s announcement of the abolition of NHS England, we are clear on the need for a smaller centre, as well as scaling back integrated care board (ICB) running costs and NHS provider corporate cost reductions in order to reduce waste and bureaucracy.We have recently announced the Spending Review settlement which provides an additional £29 billion of annual day-to-day spending in real terms by 2028/29, compared to 2023/24. Ahead of asking the National Health Service to commence a multi-year planning round, we are now carefully reviewing how the settlement is prioritised, including making provision for redundancy costs.The 10-Year Health Plan sets out that ICBs must focus on their role as strategic commissioners, ensuring the best possible value in securing local services that improve population health and reduce inequalities.Each ICB is therefore responsible for considering local needs to meet the expectations set out in planning guidance.As of August 2025, 62.1% of pathways in NHS Devon ICB were completed within 18 weeks. This has improved by 3.4 percentage points since August 2024.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of creating neighbourhood level respiratory diagnostic hubs.

Neighbourhood level respiratory diagnostic hubs support our vision of delivering more diagnostics and care outside of hospitals and in communities. Respiratory diagnostic hubs have been piloted and developed in many parts of England, and this learning will be informing the development of more neighbourhood health services.Community diagnostic centres (CDCs) are also supporting this vision, as 170 CDCs are now operational across England. All standard model CDCs are required to offer a range of diagnostic tests that support the diagnosis of respiratory conditions, including spirometry and lung function tests.CDCs offer local populations a wide range of diagnostic tests, including respiratory diagnostic services, closer to home and with greater choice on where and how they are undertaken, reducing the need for hospital visits and speeding up diagnosis, whilst also reducing pressure on hospitals.We are continuing to invest in expanding diagnostic capacity in the National Health Service, including through increasing CDC capacity. As set out in the Elective reform Plan, we plan to build up to five more CDCs in 2025/26, alongside increasing the operating hours of existing sites so that more offer services 12 hours a day, seven days a week.Integrated care boards (ICBs) play a vital role in commissioning and shaping diagnostic services to meet the needs of their local populations. Addressing the earlier diagnosis and treatment of their populations with respiratory conditions is a significant priority for ICBs.ICBs are responsible for commissioning Local Enhanced Services, including respiratory diagnostics, which are not agreed nationally and can vary in scope and funding to fit local needs.Activity and waiting times for the main respiratory tests are not included in the National Diagnostic Activity and Waiting Times Collection. However, NHS England’s National Diagnostic Programme undertakes an annual snap-shop data collection in respiratory diagnostics to understand levels of activity and waiting times for a range of respiratory tests within trusts across England.NHS England’s Respiratory Programme, in collaboration with national stakeholders, has also developed a standardised spirometry data capture template. This tool is designed to support ICBs in consistently recording and reporting spirometry activity, enabling improved oversight, service planning, and equitable access to respiratory diagnostics.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure that (a) integrated care boards and (b) trusts provide a (i) locally enhanced service and (ii) similar arrangement to support the establishment of respiratory diagnostic hubs.

Neighbourhood level respiratory diagnostic hubs support our vision of delivering more diagnostics and care outside of hospitals and in communities. Respiratory diagnostic hubs have been piloted and developed in many parts of England, and this learning will be informing the development of more neighbourhood health services.Community diagnostic centres (CDCs) are also supporting this vision, as 170 CDCs are now operational across England. All standard model CDCs are required to offer a range of diagnostic tests that support the diagnosis of respiratory conditions, including spirometry and lung function tests.CDCs offer local populations a wide range of diagnostic tests, including respiratory diagnostic services, closer to home and with greater choice on where and how they are undertaken, reducing the need for hospital visits and speeding up diagnosis, whilst also reducing pressure on hospitals.We are continuing to invest in expanding diagnostic capacity in the National Health Service, including through increasing CDC capacity. As set out in the Elective reform Plan, we plan to build up to five more CDCs in 2025/26, alongside increasing the operating hours of existing sites so that more offer services 12 hours a day, seven days a week.Integrated care boards (ICBs) play a vital role in commissioning and shaping diagnostic services to meet the needs of their local populations. Addressing the earlier diagnosis and treatment of their populations with respiratory conditions is a significant priority for ICBs.ICBs are responsible for commissioning Local Enhanced Services, including respiratory diagnostics, which are not agreed nationally and can vary in scope and funding to fit local needs.Activity and waiting times for the main respiratory tests are not included in the National Diagnostic Activity and Waiting Times Collection. However, NHS England’s National Diagnostic Programme undertakes an annual snap-shop data collection in respiratory diagnostics to understand levels of activity and waiting times for a range of respiratory tests within trusts across England.NHS England’s Respiratory Programme, in collaboration with national stakeholders, has also developed a standardised spirometry data capture template. This tool is designed to support ICBs in consistently recording and reporting spirometry activity, enabling improved oversight, service planning, and equitable access to respiratory diagnostics.

Whether modelling of the number of clinicians needed to meet patient needs will help inform the proposed 10-year Workforce Plan.

We will publish a 10-Year Workforce Plan to create a workforce ready to deliver a transformed service. The 10-Year Workforce Plan will ensure the National Health Service has the right people in the right places, with the right skills to care for patients, when they need it. It will draw on a range of modelling and evidence to set out the best estimate of the workforce that is needed to deliver the 10-Year Health Plan.

How many road collisions took place between vehicles and horses in 2024; and what proportion of these were a result of a vehicle passing too closely or quickly.

There were 56 reported personal injury collisions, on public roads (including footways), involving at least one ridden horse and another vehicle in Great Britain 2024.In 15 cases, a police officer attended the scene of the collision and recorded at least one contributory factor or road safety factor. In 12 of these 15 collisions (80%), a factor related to speed or passing too closely to another road user was assigned to a vehicle other than the ridden horse that was involved in the collision.