Written questions by Welsh.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of border checks on the cut flower industry.

The Government is committed to protecting our biosecurity and we are using a risk-based approach to maintain the appropriate level of controls. Defra will continue to monitor for new and emerging risks and review the border control checks introduced under the Border Target Operating Model. GB plant health services have increased the number of plant health inspection staff to service the demand for import checks in England and Wales of EU plants and plant products. Inspector levels are being monitored to ensure these meet demand and deliver checks in line with set Service Level Agreements and ensure minimal trade disruption. Certain EU Medium Risk cut flowers have been subject to pre-notification since 1 January 2022. EU Medium Risk cut flowers have required a Phytosanitary Certificate since 31 January 2024, but there are now inspections for EU Medium Risk goods at the border since 30 April 2024. To reduce and prevent the introduction and establishment of invasive non-native species (INNS) we have prioritised horticulture as one of the top 5 pathways of introduction. We have developed a Horticulture Pathway Action Plan, available here: https://www.nonnativespecies.org/biosecurity/pathway-action-plans/horticulture-pap-for-great-britain/ which aims to address the most likely routes by which INNS can get into the country.

Pursuant to the Answer of 16 December 2024 to Question 19765 on Large Goods Vehicles: Concrete, when her Department plans to publish the findings from the call to evidence on weight limits for Volumetric Concrete Mixers.

The Department will publish its findings shortly.

What is his Department's planned timescale for the review of the British Coal Staff Superannuation Scheme.

The Government is committed to ending the injustice of the Mineworkers' Pension Scheme and the first increased payments due to the transfer of the Investment Reserve Fund to members were made at the end of November. The Government will soon start talks with the MPS Trustees on the future arrangements for surplus sharing. The Government is happy to consider any proposals for changes that the BCSSS Trustees wish to make once the new MPS arrangements have been agreed.

Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to help ensure that new housing developments are supported by adequate local infrastructure.

The National Planning Policy Framework sets out that the purpose of the planning system is to contribute to the achievement of sustainable development, including the provision of supporting infrastructure in a sustainable manner.Local development plans should address needs and opportunities in relation to infrastructure and identify what infrastructure is required and how it can be funded and brought forward. This will remain the case irrespective of whether any proposed reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework or wider national planning policy are taken forward.When preparing a Local Plan, Planning Practice Guidance recommends that local planning authorities use available evidence of infrastructure requirements to prepare an Infrastructure Funding Statement. Such Statements can be used to demonstrate the delivery of infrastructure throughout the plan-period.The government provides financial support for essential infrastructure in areas of greatest housing demand through the Housing Infrastructure Fund.The changes proposed as part of our recent consultation on proposed reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework are intended to support the increased provision and modernisation of various types of public infrastructure.The consultation closed on the 24 September and officials in my department are currently analysing responses with a view to publishing a government response before the end of the year.The government is also committed to strengthening the existing system of developer contributions to ensure that new developments provide appropriate affordable homes and infrastructure. Further details will be set out in due course.

What steps her Department is taking to reduce reoffending rates in Sherwood Forest constituency.

This Government is committed to reducing reoffending by giving people the tools they need to turn their backs on crime. To do that, we will increase prisoners’ access to purposeful activity, including education and employment, which we know can reduce reoffending by up to 9 percentage points.For example, we have recruited specialist education and employment roles in prisons to support and prepare prisoners for work on release. This includes Prison Employment Leads who match prisoners to jobs, and Neurodiversity Support Managers to help neurodiverse offenders to access education, skills and work opportunities. Both roles are currently in place at HMP Nottingham and HMP Ranby, two prisons close to Sherwood Forest constituency.We are determined to help ensure our hard-working probation staff can continue to deliver high-quality supervision and focus their time on those cases which need most attention including for offenders who reside in the Sherwood Forrest constituency. Operationally, we are focusing probation officer time and energy on the higher risk individuals they have to supervise outside of prison to ensure that the public continue to be protected. We have also committed to bring in at least 1,000 new trainee probation officers across the 2024/25 financial year, allowing for greater oversight and management of offenders once they leave prisons.

How many people have used probation services in Sherwood Forest constituency in each of the last 12 months.

The table below shows the number of people under supervision on the last day of each of the last 12 months.Caseload periodNumber of offenders31 July 202332531 August 202332730 September 202333131 October 202333930 November 202334731 December 202334331 January 202435329 February 202434431 March 202434230 April 202434031 May 202433930 June 2024341 Notes:[1] Offenders may be subject to multiple sentences. Each person is counted once only in the total even if they are subject to several types of probation supervision on the date shown. For example, if a person is subject to both a community order and a Supervision Default Order on the date shown, then the person would be counted once only within the total of all Probation Service supervision.[2] Includes offenders subject to a court order or pre- or post-release supervision.[3] Excludes suspended sentence orders without requirements attached.[4] These statistics are a further breakdown of the probation caseload in the Offender Management Statistics Quarterly publication. A published breakdown by Probation Service region is included in table 6.8.[5] The figures presented in this table are based on offenders subject to probation supervision on the date shown who have a recorded main (home) address in the parliamentary constituency of Sherwood Forest. This table does not account for those with no fixed address or recorded postcode. Over the time periods covered in the table, the number of offenders with no fixed address or recorded postcode ranged from 12% to 14% of the total number of offenders subject to probation supervision in England and Wales.[Note 6] The constituency was formerly known as Sherwood. It was renamed as a result of the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, with minor boundary changes. These changes came into effect for the 2024 general election. All periods in this table are based on the latest composition of the constituency. Data sources and qualityThe figures in this table have been drawn from administrative IT systems which, as with any large-scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing. Source: National Delius case management system. PQ 16865 (Ministry of Justice; Analysis Directorate: PPR)

Communities and Local Government, how many young people are (a) classified homeless and (b) in emergency accommodation in Sherwood Forest constituency.

The annual homelessness statistics includes age of applicants in temporary accommodation by local authority as of 31 March 2024. This information is available at table TA5 - Additional_temporary_accommodation_breakdowns__31_March_2024.ods.

What steps her Department is taking to ensure adequate access to education for children who are certified blind in Sherwood Forest constituency.

The government’s ambition is that all children and young people receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life. We are committed to improving inclusivity and expertise in mainstream schools, as well as ensuring special schools cater to those with the most complex needs, restoring parents’ trust that their child will get the support they need.It is the responsibility of local authorities, schools, and further education settings to commission appropriately qualified staff to support the education of children and young people in their area. All schools have duties under the Equality Act 2010 towards individual disabled children and young people. They must make reasonable adjustments to prevent them being put at a substantial disadvantage. To teach a class of pupils with vision impairments, a teacher is required to hold the relevant Mandatory Qualification for Sensory Impairment (MQSI). The department is committed to ensuring a steady supply of teachers of children with vision impairment in both specialist and mainstream settings.The Children and Families Act 2014 requires all local authorities to publish a local offer of services for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities in their area, to ensure that families are aware of services that are available in their area and are able to contribute to shaping the services to meet local needs. Information about the support available for children with sensory impairment should be included within that local offer.

What recent guidance her Department has issued on whether parents may make enquiries in respect of the availability of state school places for their children to more than one (a) local authority and (b) academy trust.

The rights of parents to make enquiries about the availability of school places, including across multiple local authorities or academy trusts, is set out in the School Admissions Code. This is mandatory and imposes requirements and guidelines relating to the functions of the local authority and all state schools’ admission authorities, including academy trusts. The School Admissions Code was last updated in 2021 and can be found here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1001050/School_admissions_code_2021.pdf.Paragraph 2.23 of the Schools Admissions Code states that a parent can apply for a place for their child at any school and at any time to the relevant admission authority.Paragraph 2.27 of the School Admissions Code states that local authorities must provide information on available places in their area to prospective parents. To enable local authorities to do this, the admission authorities for all schools in the area must provide the local authority with details of the number of places available at their schools whenever this information is requested.