Written questions by Wilkinson.

Communities and Local Government, whether her Department is taking steps to require overseas landlords who own empty retail units to engage with local authorities.

This government has introduced High Street Rental Auctions, powers available to local authorities in England to require landlords, regardless of their country of residence, to rent out vacant commercial premises. As a deterrent it is a criminal offence for a landlord not to engage in the auction process and where they do not comply local authorities are empowered to progress with the measures in their absence. We want to ensure that councils across the country, such as Cheltenham Borough Council, have the support they need to implement the powers. To that end, a fund of £1 million is available to support delivery this financial year and a new burdens payment can be drawn down to meet the administrative costs. Furthermore our local authority early adopters are also available to offer practical support to help facilitate implementation.

Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to help support Cheltenham Borough Council to run high street rental auctions.

This government has introduced High Street Rental Auctions, powers available to local authorities in England to require landlords, regardless of their country of residence, to rent out vacant commercial premises. As a deterrent it is a criminal offence for a landlord not to engage in the auction process and where they do not comply local authorities are empowered to progress with the measures in their absence. We want to ensure that councils across the country, such as Cheltenham Borough Council, have the support they need to implement the powers. To that end, a fund of £1 million is available to support delivery this financial year and a new burdens payment can be drawn down to meet the administrative costs. Furthermore our local authority early adopters are also available to offer practical support to help facilitate implementation.

How much and what proportion of the £244 million to be spent on the development of new government hubs fund will be spent on relocating civil servants to Cheltenham.

The 2025 Spending Review confirmed £244 million investment supporting the relocation of roles out of Whitehall to complete the development of new hubs in the regions. Cheltenham will continue to be a vibrant Civil Service location and home to one of GCHQs strategic hubs. The Government Property Agency continues to work closely with departments based in Cheltenham.

Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the Spending Review 2025 on the Park Tennis Courts Programme.

The Government is determined to ensure that everyone has access to quality sport and physical activity opportunities. On 20 June, my Rt Hon Friend, the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, committed £400 million to continued investment in local sport facilities on 20 June, following the recent Spending Review. We will work closely with sporting bodies - including the Lawn Tennis Association - and local leaders to establish what each community needs and then set out further plans. The Park Tennis Court Programme was a joint investment between the UK Government and LTA that started in 2022 and concluded in 2024.

Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the Spending Review 2025 on the National Youth Strategy.

This Government fully recognises the importance of youth services to help young people live safe and healthy lives, and we are committed to giving all young people the chance to reach their full potential. The funding commitments within the National Youth Strategy will depend on departmental business planning processes, now underway following the recent spending review. The detail and scale of the funding commitments included in the strategy will also be shaped by engagement with young people and the youth sector.The Government will publish the strategy this autumn.

What support his Department is providing for local authorities to implement the Warm Homes Local Grant.

To support local authorities to implement the Warm Homes: Local Grant, the Government is funding a free Technical Assistance Facility called the Retrofit Information, Support and Expertise: ‘RISE’. RISE provides technical support for local authorities from when they request funding to beginning to upgrade homes, as well as access to experts, training and guidance to enhance their capability to deliver the scheme. All local authorities in England can access support through this facility. In addition, Government has procured a delivery partner to provide ongoing support to local authorities throughout the delivery period, with each project assigned a Delivery Support Manager to provide project delivery expertise.

What funding his Department is allocating to reduce the maintenance backlog at sites owned by Gloucestershire NHS Foundation Hospitals Trust.

The Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is set to receive £9.7 million in funding through the Estates Safety Fund 2025/26. This funding will help deliver vital safety improvements at the Gloucestershire Royal Hospital and the Cheltenham General Hospital, enhancing patient and staff environments, and reducing the levels of critical maintenance backlog.In addition, the Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board has also been provisionally allocated £53.1 million in operational capital funding, including primary care business as usual capital, for 2025/26 to allocate to local priorities, including maintenance backlogs.

Innovation and Technology, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of mobile phone signal on westbound rail routes from London.

Having travelled westbound from London to Wales and back again on a weekly basis for twenty four years I know how poor the signal is. That is why I am delighted that DfT have secured funding to introduce low-earth-orbit satellite connectivity on all mainline trains, significantly improving both the availability and internet data connection speeds for Wi-Fi connected passengers.Ofcom, the independent telecoms regulator, is responsible for reporting on the coverage of mobile networks in the UK. In 2019, Ofcom published data on mobile signal strength along UK railways based on measurement equipment installed on ‘yellow trains’. The Department for Transport and Network Rail are currently repeating this coverage measurement exercise. Ofcom continue to explore the feasibility of reporting on coverage on trains in the most relevant way.

What assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the support provided by Retrofit Information Support and Expertise to Cheltenham Borough Council for implementing works funded through the Warm Homes Local Grant.

Retrofit, Information, Support, and Expertise (RISE) is a free support service funded by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ), which provides training, guidance and support to help social housing providers, local authorities and their supply chains across England plan and deliver successful domestic retrofit programmes. For specific queries relating to support received or available to specific organisations, organisations are encouraged to engage with the RISE team directly at info@riseretrofit.org.uk . If organisations would like to speak to the department about the RISE service, you are welcome to contact DESNZ at: TAF mailbox. tafteam@energysecurity.gov.uk

How much funding he plans to allocate to midwife (a) training and (b) recruitment in the next 12 months.

The NHS Education and Training tariff funds clinical midwife placements at approximately £5,000 per full time equivalent post. The rate is adjusted by the Market Forces Factor and varies by region. In addition, eligible midwifery students can apply for the NHS Learning Support Fund (LSF). The LSF provides a non-repayable grant of at least £5,000 per student per academic year. We review the funding arrangements for both schemes annually.Funding for midwife training is demand led and is not capped by the Government. The total amount of funding depends on the number of students in the system.National Health Service trusts manage their recruitment at a local level. This includes allocating funding to ensure they have the right number of staff in place with the right skills mix, to deliver safe and effective care.To reform the NHS and make it fit for the future, we will publish a 10-Year Health Plan as part of the Government’s five long-term missions. Ensuring we have the right people, in the right places, with the right skills will be central to this vision. We will publish a new workforce plan to deliver the transformed health service we will build over the next decade and treat patients on time again.

How Retrofit Information Support and Expertise is supporting contractors to implement the Warm Homes Local Grant in Gloucestershire.

Retrofit, Information, Support, and Expertise (RISE) is a free support service funded by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ), which provides training, guidance and support to help housing providers and their supply chains across England, to plan and deliver successful domestic retrofit programmes. For specific queries relating to support received or available to supply chain organisations, including in specific regions. organisations are encouraged to engage with the RISE team directly at info@riseretrofit.org.uk . If organisations would like to speak to the department about the RISE service, you are welcome to contact DESNZ at: TAF mailbox. tafteam@energysecurity.gov.uk

With reference to the Spending Review 2025, published on 11 June 2025, how much funding has been allocated to her Department for police station (a) maintenance and (b) repairs.

Paragraph 5.35 of the Spending Review document, published on 11 June, sets out the overall financial allocation for policing in England in Wales.It is up to Chief Constables and directly elected Police and Crime Commissioners to make decisions on local resourcing and estates, including police stations. They are best placed to make these decisions based on their local knowledge and experience.

If he will make an assessment of the potential impact of moving civil servants to Cheltenham on his Departments staffing costs.

The 2025 Spending Review confirmed £244 million investment supporting the relocation of roles out of Whitehall to complete the development of new hubs in the regions. Cheltenham will continue to be a vibrant Civil Service location and home to one of GCHQs strategic hubs. The Government Property Agency continues to work closely with departments based in Cheltenham.

When the next batch of funding from the Warm Homes Local Grant will be available for Cheltenham Borough Council.

Cheltenham Borough Council participates in the Warm Homes: Local Grant (WH:LG) as part of a consortium led by Stroud District Council. Stroud District Council is expected to receive the initial payment of WH:LG funding shortly, subject to the Council completing any administrative actions requested. As the consortium lead, Stroud District Council will be responsible for managing any distribution of funding to consortium members, including Cheltenham Borough Council.

What assessment his Department has made of the capacity of skilled workers in Gloucestershire to implement the Warm Homes Local Grant before winter 2025.

The Government has not made a specific assessment of the capacity of skilled workers in Gloucestershire to implement the Warm Homes: Local Grant.Prior to beginning to upgrade homes, and drawing down the funding allocated for this, all local authorities participating in the scheme are required to demonstrate they have procured sufficient capacity to deliver the funding. Local authorities concerned that there is insufficient capacity in their area to deliver their project are encouraged to contact their assigned Delivery Support Manager for the scheme.

Whether she plans to include policies on tackling the backlog of (a) maintenance and (b) repairs to policing infrastructure in the forthcoming White Paper on policing.

The Home Office plans to publish a Police Reform White Paper later this year. It will set out a comprehensive package of reforms to policing in England and Wales that will drive quality, consistency and efficiency and ensure that all police forces are equipped to deliver the Government’s Safer Streets Mission and Plan for Change.We have been working closely with policing in the development of these important reforms. The new Joint Home Office and Policing Reform Team, which includes secondees from the National Police Chiefs’ Council, Association of Police and Crime Commissioners and other policing organisations, have been closely involved in helping to shape the police reform proposals and development of the White Paper.

What assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of Children Not In School registers at helping to prevent abuse of home-schooled children.

I refer the hon. Member for Cheltenham to the answer of 23 June 2025 to Question 57754.

Whether her Department has made an assessment of the percentage of first class train seats that were purchased in the last 12 months.

The Department has not made an assessment of the percentage of first class train tickets sold within the last 12 months.

How much funding her Department has been allocated for the Midlands Rail Hub.

The Chancellor’s commitment to progress Midlands Rail Hub West in the 2025 Spending Review follows the release of £123 million last year to design the first phase, which could be delivered by the early 2030s.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of increasing funding to newly formed combined authorities on public services.

Combined authorities have limited involvement in the day-to-day running of most public services but are able to use their convening powers to bring partners together to improve delivery across public services in their area. The majority of combined authority funds are devolved from central government, transferred from Police and Crime Commissioners or pooled from local authorities in the area, so do not change the amount of funding provided locally. Additional funding for newly formed combined authorities includes Investment Funds and Mayoral Capacity Funding. Full details of the funding allocated to each area can be found in their individual devolution agreements, published on gov.uk. For these reasons no assessment has been done on the impact of funding combined authorities on public services.