Written questions by Vickers.

What support her Department provides to local authorities preparing bids for rail reopening projects.

The Department is open to requests for support and engages directly with local authorities as they develop business cases. It should be noted that rail enhancements projects are rarely proposed as 'bids' but rather considered on the basis of Business Cases and can be considered at any stage of development for entry into the portfolio in line with the Rail Network Enhancements Pipeline policy and Market Led Proposals guidance. The previous Government established a programme of potential railway reinstatement projects under the banner of ‘Restoring Your Railways’. Most of the projects in the programme were unfunded, which is why the programme was closed in July 2024.

What recent steps she has taken to increase staffing levels in the prison service.

We know that sufficient and skilled frontline staffing is fundamental to delivering safe, secure, and rehabilitative prisons. We remain committed to ensuring prisons are sufficiently resourced and that we retain and build levels of experience. The latest prison staffing numbers can be accessed in the HMPPS workforce quarterly publication: HM Prison and Probation Service workforce quarterly: June 2025 - GOV.UK.Substantive recruitment efforts will continue at all sites where vacancies exist or are projected, with targeted interventions applied to those prisons with the most need. We closely monitor staffing levels across the estate and look to provide short-term support where needed. Where prisons consider that their staffing levels will affect stability or regime, they can draw on support from other establishments in the short term, through processes managed centrally by HMPPS.On 22 May, the Government accepted all 13 of the recommendations put forward by the independent Prison Service Pay Review Body (PSPRB) for 2025/26. This year’s award represents an increase of at least 4% for all frontline prison staff, delivering another real-terms pay rise on top of the one provided last summer. This brings the starting salary for an entry-level officer (on the national rate, 39 hours with unsocial hours) from £34,494 to £35,875. The award was announced two months earlier than last year, recognising our commitment to accelerating the PSPRB timetable to deliver a timely pay award to staff.

What recent steps she has taken to reduce levels of antisocial behaviour in town centres in the North East.

This Government wants town centres to be vibrant, welcoming places where businesses thrive and people feel safe and come to shop, socialise and live.Police and Crime Commissioners are leading on targeted action to reduce crime and anti-social behaviour that blights our town centres and high streets as part of the Safer Streets Summer Initiative. The work is being delivered in partnership with councils, schools, health services, businesses, transport providers and community groups all playing a role over the summer.Under the initiative, partners will use targeted enforcement, visible policing and place-based interventions to reduce retail and street crime and anti-social behaviour in over 500 town centres and high streets, including Stockton-on-Tees, across England and Wales. The full list of the Safer Streets Summer Initiative locations (also shown regionally) can be found here: List of Safer Streets summer initiative locations - GOV.UKIn addition, the Home Office is also providing £66.3 million funding in 2025-26 to all 43 forces in England and Wales to deliver high visibility patrols in the areas worst affected by knife crime, serious violence and anti-social behaviour. Cleveland Police will receive £1,420,423 of this funding to use across the county.

What discussions her Department has had with police representative bodies on the (a) design and (b) eligibility criteria for a medal recognising medically discharged officers injured in the line of duty.

Any official award is a gift from the Government, on behalf of His Majesty The King to recognise individuals within policing and emergency services personnel. The creation of a new award requires cross Government consensus and approval from the Committee on The Grant of Honours, Decorations and Medals, before advice is put to HM The King to make his final decision.The Home Office will continue to consider proposals for new awards for members of the emergency services. It is only right that we recognise the sacrifices made by the emergency services, and it is important to make sure this is considering fully and carefully to ensure any changes are proportionate and effective.

What recent steps she has taken towards delivering a medal for police officers medically discharged due to injuries sustained while serving.

Any official award is a gift from the Government, on behalf of His Majesty The King to recognise individuals within policing and emergency services personnel. The creation of a new award requires cross Government consensus and approval from the Committee on The Grant of Honours, Decorations and Medals, before advice is put to HM The King to make his final decision.The Home Office will continue to consider proposals for new awards for members of the emergency services. It is only right that we recognise the sacrifices made by the emergency services, and it is important to make sure this is considering fully and carefully to ensure any changes are proportionate and effective.

What representations her Department has received from police officers’ associations on the introduction of a medal for officers medically discharged as a result of service-related injuries.

Any official award is a gift from the Government, on behalf of His Majesty The King to recognise individuals within policing and emergency services personnel. The creation of a new award requires cross Government consensus and approval from the Committee on The Grant of Honours, Decorations and Medals, before advice is put to HM The King to make his final decision.The Home Office will continue to consider proposals for new awards for members of the emergency services. It is only right that we recognise the sacrifices made by the emergency services, and it is important to make sure this is considering fully and carefully to ensure any changes are proportionate and effective.

What role is being played by UK Armed Forces in NATO exercises involving Eastern European allies.

UK Armed Forces routinely exercise with our NATO Allies, testing our interoperability across all domains and our responses to the threats we face.So far in 2025, Royal Navy patrol boats have participated in exercises including BALTOPS, NATO's premier maritime-focused annual military exercise in the Baltic region and on Exercise HEDGEHOG in Estonia, with over 2000 British Army personnel taking part alongside NATO allies and partners in this multinational defence drill focused on strengthening Estonia's defence posture.In addition, the UK's persistent presence in Estonia and Poland under Operation CABRIT provides regular opportunities to exercise alongside our NATO allies.

What recent assessment she has made of employment support services for over-50s in the North East.

DWP currently offers employment support for eligible customers of all ages, through the network of Jobcentres across the UK, and through contracted employment programmes. We provide tailored support for those older jobseekers affected by low confidence, menopause, health and disability or caring pressures, and out of date skills or qualifications. Through Midlife MOTs, delivered in Jobcentres across the UK, and online, we support older people to assess their health, finances and skills. The Government is reforming Jobcentre Plus and creating a new jobs and careers service that will enable everyone, including the over-50s, to access support to find good, meaningful work, and support to help them progress in their careers. This includes an enhanced focus on skills and careers advice. As part of the national jobcentre work, in the North East, Employer and Partnership Teams work with a range of employers and partners to enhance the skills and employment support available locally for customers. Economic Inactivity Trailblazer areas have received a share of £80 million of funding in 2025/26 to design and test new interventions to support economically inactive people into the labour market. Across their interventions, the North East Combined Authority Economic Inactivity Trailblazer aims to support over a 1000 residents, including specific testing to support people over the age of 50.

How many and what proportion of NHS estates are in need of (a) major repairs and (b) replacement in the North East.

National Health Service trusts are legally responsible for managing and maintaining their estates using their operational capital allocations, and as part of this, they regularly assess the physical condition of their estate.The NHS England Estates Related Information Collection (ERIC) survey collects data from trusts on the condition of their estate annually, including backlog maintenance, and the projected cost of bringing all the buildings on each NHS site into acceptable condition. The latest ERIC data, from 2023/24 and including trusts in the North East, is available at the following link:https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/estates-returns-information-collection/management-information---provisional-summary-figures-for-2023-24Repairing and rebuilding our NHS estate is a vital part of our ambition to create an NHS that is fit for the future through our 10-Year Health Plan. The Government’s recently published 10 Year Infrastructure Strategy set out ten-year maintenance budgets for the public estate, confirming £6 billion per year for the maintenance and repair of the NHS estate up to 2034/35.

Whether she has considered reviewing controls on the (a) purchase and (b) possession of air weapons, in the context of recent trends in attacks on animals.

The possession and purchase of air weapons is subject to statutory controls. Higher powered air rifles that are over 12 foot pounds, must be held on a firearm certificate and air pistols over 6 foot pounds are prohibited weapons.Although lower powered air weapons can be possessed without a firearm certificate in England and Wales, they are still subject to control. For example, it is an offence to carry an air weapon in public without reasonable excuse, or for an air weapon pellet to be fired beyond the boundary of the land or dwelling where permission has been given to shoot. It is also an offence to intentionally or recklessly kill a pet animal or knowingly cause a pet animal to suffer unnecessarily, which could be committed by shooting at a domestic cat.We keep the law in this area under close review.

What steps he is taking to help support Integrated Care Boards to improve patient access in areas with high levels of deprivation.

Ensuring that funding for core services, provided via integrated care boards, are fairly allocated across practices nationwide is crucial and we recognise the importance of prioritising areas with high levels of deprivation. This is why we have committed to reviewing the general practice (GP) funding formula, so that resources are directed where they are needed most to improve patient access.Through our 10-Year Health Plan, it will be easier and faster to see a GP. We will end the 8:00am scramble for appointments, train more doctors, and will guarantee consultations within 24 hours for those who need one. In October 2024, we invested £82 million into the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme to support the recruitment of 2,000 individual GPs into primary care networks across England, helping to increase appointment availability and improve care for thousands of patients. The new £102 million Primary Care Utilisation and Modernisation Fund will create additional clinical space within over 1,000 practices across England. This investment will deliver more appointments and improve patient care.

Communities and Local Government, what additional resources have been allocated to Cleveland Fire Brigade in the last three financial years.

On 3 February, the Ministry published the 2025/26 Local Government Finance Settlement (LGFS) which sets out funding allocations for all local authorities, including Fire and Rescue Authorities. to support their operational and capital needs.These allocations, which include the National Insurance Contribution Grant, will see standalone fire and rescue authorities including Cleveland Fire Brigade receiving an increase in core spending power of £69.1 million in 2025/26. This is an increase of 3.6 per cent in cash terms compared to 2024/25.For 2025/26, Cleveland Fire Brigade will have a core spending power of £36.1 million, an increase of £1.2 million (3.4%) compared to 2024/25.In addition to the annual funding Settlement, the Government has allocated a number of extra resources to Cleveland Fire Brigade including the Fire Pensions Grant, the Protection Grant and the Fire New Dimension Grant.

What proportion of benefit claimants in the North East have been subject to sanctions in the last 12 months.

The Department regularly publishes monthly Universal Credit sanction rate statistics for Great Britain as part of the benefit sanction statistics. The latest statistics to May 2025 are available in table 2.1 of the latest benefit sanction statistics tables. Users can use the UC Sanction Rates dataset on Stat-Xplore to produce the same information for lower-level geographical breakdowns. After selecting the required geographies, firstly produce a table containing the monthly statistics for the total number of UC claimants in conditionality regimes where sanctions can be applied, i.e. "searching for work", "planning for work" and "preparing for work", and include those people with unknown conditionality regime too. Then produce a separate table containing the monthly statistics for the number of Universal Credit (UC) claimants with a payment that has been reduced due to a sanction using the sanction indicator. Note, the second table should be produced for all people, regardless of conditionality regime. After retrieving these separate tables from Stat-Xplore, calculate the sanction rate, which is the number of people on UC with a sanction, as a proportion of all people on UC in conditionality regimes where sanctions can be applied, both counted at the same point in time. Users can log in or access Stat-Xplore as a guest and, if needed, can access guidance on how to extract the information required.

What steps she is taking to improve access to face-to-face Jobcentre services in rural areas.

The majority of our current service provided by Jobcentres is through face-to-face appointments through a network of more than 630 jobcentres, spread across England, Scotland and Wales. As part of the new Jobs and Careers Service, we are testing changes to Jobcentre Plus, including alternative delivery of our services. This includes Jobcentre Vans which are testing new ways of supporting people, providing advice and support for all customers, not just those claiming benefits. Vans are currently being tested in three communities in both rural (Northeast Scotland and North and Mid Wales) and urban settings (Bolton, Greater Manchester), delivering some Jobcentre services via locations within the community, selected to best meet customer needs. As part of our test and learn approach to create the new Jobs and Careers Service, we will incorporate the learnings from these tests into the design of the new service and will continue to work closely with key partners to deliver solutions based on local needs.

What support is available for communities in the North East experiencing repeated incidents of arson.

The Government is committed to tackling and preventing arson. We know the serious impact that arson can have on both individuals and the wider community.We are committed to ensuring fire services have the resources they need to do their vital work and to keep the public safe from fires, including those caused by arson. Decisions on how their resources are best deployed to meet their core functions are a matter for each fire and rescue authority.

Whether he plans to include specialist assessments by dementia nurses as standard evidence in NHS Continuing Healthcare eligibility decisions.

There are no plans to update NHS Continuing Healthcare (CHC) guidance regarding mobility assessments or specialist assessments by dementia nurses. The CHC assessment process is supported by the Decision Support Tool. This provides practitioners with a way to bring together and record an individual’s needs in the twelve ‘care domains’, including mobility. The assessment should consider the ways in which an individual’s needs interact with one another, for example how cognition impacts on mobility.Eligibility for CHC is not determined by diagnosis or condition but is assessed on a case-by-case basis considering the totality of an individual’s needs, ensuring a person-centred approach. Someone with specialist knowledge of an individual’s condition, for example dementia, should be involved in the process. Assessments should take into account evidence from a comprehensive range of assessments relating to the individual. For individuals with dementia, this could include specialist assessments by dementia nurses.

What steps he is taking to improve the retention of social care workers in areas with a high rate of vacancies.

English local authorities have responsibility under the Care Act 2014 to meet social care needs, and statutory guidance directs them to ensure there is sufficient workforce in adult social care. Skills for Care data suggests the adult social care workforce is growing. Skills for Care data shows in 2024/25 there were 1.6 million filled posts, an increase of 52,000, or 3.4%, from 2023/24. Skills for Care data also shows that the turnover rate decreased from 25.8% in 2023/24 to 24.7% in 2024/25 in the independent sector. The Government is committed to a well-supported adult social care workforce who are recognised as the professionals they are. Those with the opportunity to develop and progress in their role are far more likely to remain within the adult social care workforce. That is why we are delivering an ambitious programme of reforms with the aim of attracting people to join and remain in the sector, help professionalise the workforce, and improve the quality and experience of those receiving care. These include delivering the first universal career structure for the whole adult social care sector, a Learning and Development Support Scheme backed by up to £12 million funding in 2025/26, and introducing a Fair Pay Agreement.

What recent estimate he has made of defence procurement spending in the (a) Tees Valley and (b) North East.

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) publishes annual statistics on expenditure with industry and commerce by UK region. On the 11 September 2025 the Department will publish the next edition which will be found here: MOD regional expenditure with industry: index - GOV.UK and will cover MOD for expenditure with commerce and industry for Financial Year 2024-25. This will include a breakdown of spending by region, including a breakdown for the North-East but we are unable to disaggregate that to the Tees Valley as this represents a sub region. The Department system currently captures data at regional level.

What discussions he has had with local authorities on Ministry of Defence estate (a) disposal and (b) redevelopment.

As part of ensuring defence’s role as an engine for growth, the Ministry of Defence holds frequent discussions with Local Authorities across the country when formulating plans for the disposal of sites for which there is no further Defence requirement, and plans for redevelopment on the operational estate. These discussions cover a wide range of policy matters ranging from town planning, environmental and heritage matters, to transport and ecology.

What recent discussions he has had with Integrated Care Boards on the provision of gluten-free bread and flour mixes for patients diagnosed with coeliac disease.

My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has not held any meetings with integrated care boards (ICBs) or patient groups on the provision of gluten free (GF) bread and flour mixes for patients diagnosed with coeliac disease.Following consultation, the legislation restricting the prescribing of GF foods to bread and mixes came into force in December 2018, and NHS England’s guidance on prescribing GF foods in primary care was subsequently issued to clinical commissioning groups, now ICBs. Following a review in 2019, the position in England remains that GF bread and mixes can be provided to all eligible coeliac patients on a National Health Service prescription, and a wide range of these items continue to be listed in Part XV of the Drug Tariff. NHS England currently has no plans to update the guidance.