Written questions by Bishop.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure the continued availability of post office services in (a) Forest of Dean constituency and (b) other rural communities.

Government protects the sustainability of the branch network – and the rural network in particular - by providing funding on the basis that Post Office meets its minimum access criteria to ensure that, across the country, 99% of the population live within three miles of their nearest Post Office. Government works to ensure Post Office Limited maintains a minimum number of branches and a geographical spread of branches in line with published access criteria. Along with the annual £50 million subsidy, we are providing a further £37.5 million this year to safeguard services in the uncommercial parts of the network.

What steps her Department is taking to ensure adequate coverage of electric vehicle charging infrastructure in (a) rural areas and (b) the Forest of Dean.

The Government is committed to accelerating the roll-out of affordable charging infrastructure so that everyone, no matter where they live or work, can make the transition to an electric vehicle (EV). As of February 2025, the Government and industry have supported the installation of 74,334 publicly available charging devices, up 35% on this time last year. There was particularly strong growth in rural areas in 2024, with chargepoint numbers increasing by 45%. Going forward, Gloucestershire County Council has been allocated almost £3.7m capital and resource funding through the Local EV Infrastructure (LEVI) Fund to increase the number of local public chargepoints. LEVI funding allocations factored in the proportion of residents in rural areas, meaning local authorities in rural areas were allocated additional funding compared to urban ones.

Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to help support (a) youth centres and (b) youth services in the Forest of Dean.

This government recognises the value of youth centres and youth services, and has committed to co-producing a new National Youth Strategy. This is an opportunity to move away from one-size-fits all approaches from central government, bringing power back to young people and their communities and rebuilding a thriving and sustainable sector. We plan to publish the strategy in the summer.

What recent steps she has taken to help ensure the effective prosecution of (a) environment, (b) heritage, and (c) wildlife crime in the Forest of Dean constituency.

This Government is committed to working with the police and other partners to protect the environment, including our wildlife and our heritage sites across the country. This includes the constituency of the Forest of Dean which is covered by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) Area South West.Local CPS teams work alongside partner organisations in the three police force areas in the South West: Avon and Somerset, Devon and Cornwall, and Gloucestershire to tackle environment, heritage, and wildlife crime, including in the Forest of Dean constituency.More broadly, this Government is introducing tougher measures to clamp down on anti-social behaviour, stronger neighbourhood policing, and robust laws to prevent farm theft and fly-tippers.We have announced that the CPS will receive an additional £49m to support victims of crime and transform the services they provide to the public, and we are recruiting 13,000 more neighbourhood police and police community support officers across England and Wales.The National Police Chiefs’ Council Wildlife and Rural Crime Strategy 2022-2025 provides a framework through which policing, and its partners, can work together to tackle the most prevalent threats and emerging issues which predominantly affect rural communities.CPS prosecutors work closely with local police officers and officers from the National Wildlife Crime Unit to tackle all types of rural crime.The CPS also provides legal guidance on wildlife, rural, and heritage crime, which is available to all its prosecutors to assist them in dealing with these cases. It also provides specialist training to ensure that its prosecutors have the expert knowledge needed to prosecute these crimes.

Food and Rural Affairs, how many people in the Forest of Dean constituency have accessed financial support through the (a) Property Flood Resilience grant and (b) Flood Recovery Framework.

Following the extensive flooding in 2020, the Forest of Dean District Council participated in and managed the Property Flood Resilience Grant scheme that was activated in response. 25 residential properties and 1 business property benefitted from the Grant. The Forest of Dean District Council qualified for support under February 2020 activation of the FRF, where support was provided to 69 households and 10 businesses impacted.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department plans to update the UK Standard Industrial Classification codes to reflect the eligibility of the horticulture sector for energy support schemes.

Defra recognises certain horticultural growing methods are energy intensive and energy security is critical for these growers. We are working in collaboration across Government departments, including DESNZ, to ensure eligible horticultural businesses are appropriately considered in government energy schemes, funds, and policies.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of classifying horticulture as an Energy Intensive Industry.

Defra recognises certain horticultural growing methods are energy intensive and energy security is critical for these growers. We are working in collaboration across Government departments, including DESNZ, to ensure eligible horticultural businesses are appropriately considered in government energy schemes, funds, and policies.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of allowing the importation of ethically-sourced puppies that are under six months old.

The Government recently announced its support for the Animal Welfare (Import of Dogs, Cats and Ferrets) Bill, a Private Members’ Bill sponsored by Dr Danny Chambers MP. The Bill will close loopholes in the non-commercial pet travel rules that are abused by unscrupulous traders and give the government powers to prevent the supply of low-welfare pets to the United Kingdom. We will use these powers to prohibit the bringing into Great Britain of puppies and kittens under six months old. This prohibition and any appropriate exemptions will be delivered via secondary legislation at a later date. Any such exemptions will need to be finely balanced against the risk of creating loopholes that could be exploited.

What steps she is taking to improve educational opportunities for young people in the Forest of Dean.

All young people should have every opportunity to succeed, no matter who they are or where they’re from. Through our work to deliver the Opportunity Mission, the department will improve opportunities and life chances across the country, including for young people in the Forest of Dean, breaking the unfair link between background and success.The department is committed to helping all young people to achieve and thrive at school and to build skills for opportunity and growth, ensuring that every young person can follow the pathway that is right for them.High and rising standards in every school are at the heart of this mission. The department aims to deliver these improvements through excellent teaching and leadership, a high- quality curriculum and a system which removes the barriers to learning that hold too many children back.As one of our first steps for change, the department is committed to recruiting an additional 6,500 new expert teachers. Additionally, we have launched an independent, expert-led Curriculum and Assessment Review which seeks to deliver an excellent foundation in the core subjects of reading, writing and maths. The Review also seeks to deliver a curriculum which is rich and broad, inclusive and innovative, readying young people for life and work, reflecting the diversities of our society.The department has also introduced the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill to give every family the certainty that they will be able to access a good local school for their child, where they can achieve and thrive, regardless of where they live.The government is developing a comprehensive strategy for post‐16 education and skills, to break down barriers to opportunity, support the development of a skilled workforce in all areas, including the Forest of Dean, and drive economic growth through our Industrial Strategy.This includes the establishment of Skills England to ensure we have the highly trained workforce needed to deliver the national, regional and local skills needs of the next decade. It will ensure that the skills system is clear and navigable for individuals, for both young people and older adults, strengthening careers pathways into jobs across the economy.The Forest of Dean benefits from colleges such as ​Hartpury College, which is delivering ​£16.7 million​ of FE and skills provision. The college is delivering T Levels in agriculture related subjects.The Autumn Budget 2024 provided an additional £300 million revenue funding for further education (FE) for the 2025/26 financial year to ensure young people are developing the skills this country needs. £50 million of this funding has been made available to FE colleges and sixth-form colleges for the period April to July 2025. This one-off grant will enable colleges, such as Hartpury College, to respond to current priorities and challenges, including workforce recruitment and retention. Schools and academies will also continue to get grant funding for their 16 to 19 provision over this period.Local Skills Improvement Plans (LSIPs) support the department’s long term priority to drive local economic growth by reshaping the skills system to better align provision of post-16 technical education and training with local labour market needs.The Gloucestershire LSIP, which includes the Forest of Dean, recognises local challenges, such as the net exportation of young people and a declining working-age population, and identifies key skills needs in priority local sectors, including agriculture, agritech and land management, construction, and digital industries. The plan proposes a range of actions to resolve issues, such as enhancing careers advice for young people in education and developing new provision through quality apprenticeships, T Levels and full time 16 to 19 study programmes, as well as via routes including Boot Camps and adult education budget programmes. The LSIP also advocates better signposting and guidance for employers to increase awareness of local existing provision which may already meet skills needs.The department is developing new foundation apprenticeships to give more young people a foot in the door at the start of their working lives whilst supporting the pipeline of new talent that employers will need to drive economic growth and could benefit young people in the Forest of Dean. This signals an important step towards realising a youth guarantee, which brings together a range of existing and new entitlements and provision so that 18 to 21-year-olds can access training, an apprenticeship, or support to find work in England. The department and the Department for Work and Pensions are developing the guarantee with mayoral authorities to provide local, tailored support and will work with local areas on future expansion.

What steps she is taking to help reduce the number of children in poverty in Forest of Dean constituency.

Delivering our manifesto commitment to tackle child poverty is an urgent priority for this Government, and the Ministerial Taskforce is working to publish a Child Poverty Strategy which will deliver lasting change. The Strategy will look at levers across four key themes of increasing incomes, reducing essential costs, increasing financial resilience; and better local support especially in the early years. This will build on the reform plans underway across government and work underway in Devolved Governments. The Taskforce is listening to experts and campaigners and engaging with families, charities, campaigners and leading organisations across the UK to shape and inform the Strategy. The vital work of the Taskforce comes alongside our commitments to triple investment in breakfast clubs to over £30 million, introduce a Fair Repayment Rate for deductions from Universal Credit, and increase the National Living Wage to £12.21 an hour from April to boost the pay of three million workers.

What steps she is taking to improve (a) employment and (b) apprenticeship opportunities for young people in Forest of Dean constituency.

As part of the Get Britain Working White Paper the government announced that we will launch a new Youth Guarantee for all young people aged 18-21 in England to ensure that they have access to further learning, help to get a job or an apprenticeship.The Department for Work and Pensions and the Department for Education are working closely with the eight Mayoral Strategic Authorities in England who will begin delivering the Youth Guarantee Trailblazers announced in the Get Britain Working white paper from Spring 2025. The Youth Guarantee Trailblazers will test how new local leadership, accountability structures and existing provision can be integrated into a cohesive education, training and employment support offer to tackle the rising number of young people who are not participating in education, employment or training.We will use the learning from these Trailblazers to inform the future design and development of the Youth Guarantee as it rolls-out across the rest of England, which will include Forest of Dean constituency.DWP currently provides young people aged 16-24 on Universal Credit with labour market support through an extensive range of interventions at a national and local level. This includes flexible provision driven by local need, nationwide employment programmes and other appropriate support, including Sector-based Work Academy Programmes, work experience and apprenticeships.The Government is also reforming the apprenticeships offer into a more flexible growth and skills offer, aligned to the industrial strategy. The Department for Education is working to introduce new foundation apprenticeships for young people, as well as shorter duration apprenticeships, in targeted sectors. These will help more people learn new high-quality skills at work, fuel innovation in businesses across the country, and provide high-quality entry pathways for young people.

What steps her Department is taking to monitor the efficiency of firearms licensing authorities.

The Firearms Act 1968 gives responsibility for the issuing of firearms licences to Chief Officers of Police.Since November 2021, however, the Statutory Guidance issued by the Secretary of State requires forces to make certain checks on the suitability of the applicant to hold a license and ensure their subsequent continuous assessment. The application process is now also supported by the refreshed Authorised Professional Practice (APP) and a national training programme.The NPCC Lead on Firearms Licensing is currently developing a new performance framework for police forces. In addition, His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services will later this year be undertaking a thematic inspection in respect of firearms licensing.

If she will make it her Department’s policy to create a unified national firearms licensing authority.

The Firearms Act 1968 gives responsibility for the issuing of firearms licences to Chief Officers of Police.Since November 2021, however, the Statutory Guidance issued by the Secretary of State requires forces to make certain checks on the suitability of the applicant to hold a license and ensure their subsequent continuous assessment. The application process is now also supported by the refreshed Authorised Professional Practice (APP) and a national training programme.The NPCC Lead on Firearms Licensing is currently developing a new performance framework for police forces. In addition, His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services will later this year be undertaking a thematic inspection in respect of firearms licensing.

Communities and Local Government, whether she has plans to amend the Homelessness Code of Guidance to clarify the obligations of local authorities at the (a) presentation, (b) initial interview and (c) assessment stage.

Our Homelessness Code of Guidance provides a summary of the homelessness legislation duties, powers and obligations on housing authorities and others towards people who are homeless or threatened with homelessness.We keep the Homelessness Code of Guidance under review and update it regularly to provide up to date relevant advice, following changes to legislation and feedback from our Homelessness Advice and Support Team of advisors who meet regularly with local authorities.

What assessment she has made of the adequacy of the condition of roads in (a) Forest of Dean constituency and (b) Gloucestershire.

This Government takes the condition of our country’s roads very seriously and is committed to supporting local authorities in maintaining and renewing their local highway networks. Under Section 41 of the Highways Act 1980, Gloucestershire County Council is the local highway authority responsible for the condition and maintenance of roads in the Forest of Dean constituency. The Government has allocated Gloucestershire County Council £35.3 million for 2025/26 to help them carry out their local highway maintenance responsibilities. This is £9.4 million more than in the current financial year, an increase of around 36%. It is Gloucestershire County Council’s responsibility to decide how that funding is used, based on local needs and priorities. The Government publishes statistics each year on the condition of local roads in different local highway authorities, and these are available on gov.uk.

What steps her Department is taking to support the maintenance of roads in the Forest of Dean constituency.

This Government takes the condition of our country’s roads very seriously and is committed to supporting local authorities in maintaining and renewing their local highway networks. Under Section 41 of the Highways Act 1980, Gloucestershire County Council is the local highway authority responsible for the condition and maintenance of roads in the Forest of Dean constituency. The Government has allocated Gloucestershire County Council £35.3 million for 2025/26 to help them carry out their local highway maintenance responsibilities. This is £9.4 million more than in the current financial year, an increase of around 36%. It is Gloucestershire County Council’s responsibility to decide how that funding is used, based on local needs and priorities. The Government publishes statistics each year on the condition of local roads in different local highway authorities, and these are available on gov.uk.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to ensure the protection of birds of prey in the Forest of Dean.

While Defra has not implemented any protections specific to the Forest of Dean, all birds of prey are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. It is an offence to kill or injure or take any wild bird; take, damage or destroy the nest of any wild bird (while that nest is in use or being built); and take or destroy an egg of any wild bird. Bird of prey persecution is a UK wildlife crime priority and Defra supports the work of the national Bird of Prey Crime Priority Delivery Group, which brings together police, government and stakeholders from conservation and country sports organisations to tackle bird of prey persecution. Furthermore, Defra is a principal funder of the National Wildlife Crime Unit (NWCU), which helps prevent and detect wildlife crime (including bird of prey crime) by obtaining and disseminating intelligence, undertaking analysis which highlights local or national threats and directly assisting law enforcers in their investigations.

What assessment he has made of the potential merits of developing a national strategy to place defibrillators in high need areas.

The Government is committed to improving access to Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) in public spaces and reducing inequalities in access to these life saving devices. Following the depletion of the existing AED fund, launched in in September 2023, the Government approved a further £500,000 in August 2024 to fulfil existing applications to the fund.The Department selected a joint bid from Smarter Society as its independent partners to manage grant applications. Smarter Society has reviewed funding applications against requirements specified by the Department. Although no decision has been made to develop a national strategy to place defibrillators in high need areas, these requirements are to ensure that resources are allocated to where there is the greatest need, for instance remote communities with extended ambulance response times, places with high footfall and high population densities, hotspots for cardiac arrest including sporting venues and venues with vulnerable people, and deprived areas.

If she will take steps to ensure that (a) self-employed people and (b) employees are not subject to higher taxation on both their earnings and state pension.

At Autumn Budget 2024 we made no changes to the rates of income tax, which means employed and self-employed people will see no increase in the rate of income tax that apply to their earnings or state pension income.

If will make an assessment of the potential merits of a national firearms application process.

The Firearms Act 1968 gives responsibility for the issuing of firearms licences to Chief Officers of Police. Since November 2021, however, the Statutory Guidance issued by the Secretary of State requires forces to make certain checks on the suitability of the applicant to hold a license and ensure their subsequent continuous assessment. The application process is now also supported by the refreshed police Authorised Professional Practice (APP) and a national training programme.We keep the framework of firearms licensing controls under constant review as it is important that we maintain strong controls on firearms to safeguard the public.