Written questions by Scrogham.

Communities and Local Government, what measures will be used to assess the effectiveness of the Community Right to Buy Fund in sustaining community assets at risk of closure; and whether the Department will publi

Awaiting answer.

Communities and Local Government, how the Community Right to Buy Fund will interact with the wider Pride in Place programme and associated high street funding streams.

Awaiting answer.

Communities and Local Government, what criteria will be used to identify areas with historically low levels of investment for the purposes of allocating Community Right to Buy Fund support.

Awaiting answer.

Communities and Local Government, when the Community Right to Buy Fund will open for applications; and what the timetable is for allocating the £61 million announced on 16 June 2026.

Awaiting answer.

Communities and Local Government, what criteria will be used to select areas for the Community Power Pilots.

Awaiting answer.

Food and Rural Affairs, what recent progress her Department has made towards launching the proposed consultation on the licensing of animal rescue and sanctuary organisations; and what the expected timeframe

Awaiting answer.

When the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency expects Barrow driving test centre to reach its full staffing capacity; and when that centre was last operating at full capacity.

Following the recent qualification of a new driving examiner (DE), there are now three full time equivalent DEs conducting tests at Barrow-in- Furness driving test centre (DTC). The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) is satisfied that the current ...

What guidance his Department has issued on how care leavers aged up to 25 should evidence their entitlement to free NHS prescriptions, dental treatment and eye care.

The Department of Health is progressing work to operationalise the extension of free National Health Service prescriptions, dental treatment and eye care services for care leavers up to 25 years old. We will ensure that clear information is provided on th...

What steps his Department is taking to establish national accountability for improving brain cancer outcomes, including the development of a time sensitive clinical trials pipeline; and whether he

The National Cancer Plan, published on the 4 February 2026, sets out several commitments and ambitions, to be delivered within the next 10 years. The role of the reformed National Cancer Board will be to support and monitor the delivery of the commitments...

Whether she plans to introduce an essential user rebate on fuel costs for haulage, van and coach operators, in addition to the recent extension of the fuel duty freeze and the 12-month Vehicle Excise Duty holiday.

The Government keeps all taxes under review and will continue to monitor the situation and make the necessary decisions to help protect households and businesses from price increases from the conflict in the Middle East. The Government’s priorities will c...

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of (a) freezing fuel duty and (b) the introduction of a 12-month Vehicle Excise Duty for heavy good vehicles on the road haulage sector; and what assessment she h

On 20 May the Government announced a package worth around £600m, which combines broad support with targeted support for sectors most exposed to and affected by higher fuel prices. Concerning the broad support, the temporary 5p per litre fuel duty cut will...

Innovation and Technology, whether the Government is considering additional interim support for rural households and businesses that remain without access to gigabit-capable broadband while awaiting connection th

The Government is committed to ensuring at least 99% of premises receive gigabit broadband coverage by 2032. As of January 2026, Ofcom report that 88% of UK premises have access to a gigabit-capable connection.In the interim, most premises can access supe...

What recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Education on improving support for Service children with special educational needs and disabilities.

I have engaged with Department for Education (DfE) Ministers, including my hon. Friend, the Minister for Early Years Education (Olivia Bailey). We have discussed SEND support for children from Armed Forces Families and how the launch of the DfE’s Best Sta...

Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that the Valuation Office Agency is applying the statutory requirement to base Council Tax bandings on 1 April 1991 property values;

The Valuation Office will assess the council tax bands of all domestic properties in England based on their capital value in 1991. Information on how the Valuation Office assesses the banding of individual properties is available here. They continue to ca...

What assessment she has made of the impact of local authority assessment delays on service children with special educational needs and disabilities who relocate frequently due to Armed Forces postings; and what

The department recognises that Armed Forces life may present particular challenges for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). As part of our consultation on SEND reforms, I attended a roundtable hosted by the Armed Forces Communi...

What steps her Department is taking to improve the portability of Education, Health and Care Plans for service children with special educational needs and disabilities when families move between local authority

The department recognises that Armed Forces life may present particular challenges for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). As part of our consultation on SEND reforms, I attended a roundtable hosted by the Armed Forces Communi...

What guidance her Department provides to local authorities on recognising existing diagnoses and statutory support plans for armed forces families with special educational needs and disabilities when families m

The department recognises that Armed Forces life may present particular challenges for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). As part of our consultation on SEND reforms, I attended a roundtable hosted by the Armed Forces Communi...

What steps her Department is taking to ensure that teacher training and continuing professional development programmes include awareness of the specific needs of the children of armed forces personnel, particul

As part of our consultation on special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) reforms, I attended a roundtable hosted by the Armed Forces Community All-Party Parliamentary Group, to hear first-hand from armed forces families about the challenges they f...

What steps his Department is taking to ensure that the Modern Service Framework for Palliative and End of Life Care is implemented consistently by local integrated care boards; and when his Departm

We will publish an interim update on the Modern Service Framework (MSF) for Palliative Care and End-of-Life Care shortly. The final MSF will be published this autumn. The MSF will provide a clinically-led, evidence-based framework to support sustained imp...

What steps he is taking to ensure respiratory health is prioritised nationally, including through consideration of the introduction of a Modern Service Framework for respiratory care.

Modern service frameworks will define an aspirational, long-term outcome goal for a major condition and will then identify the best evidenced interventions and the support for delivery. Early priorities will include cardiovascular disease, severe mental i...