Written questions by Wilson.

If she will make an assessment of the potential impact of ending transitional protections for free school meals on levels of school funding.

This government is committed to breaking down barriers to opportunity and tackling child poverty. We have now announced that we are extending free school meals to all children from households in receipt of Universal Credit from September 2026. It will lift 100,000 children across England out of poverty and put £500 back in families’ pockets, supporting parents in decisive action to improve lives ahead of the Child Poverty Strategy coming later this year.Providing over half a million children from the most disadvantaged backgrounds with a free, nutritious lunchtime meal every school day will also lead to higher attainment, improved behaviour and better outcomes, meaning children get the best possible education and chance to succeed in work and life.Transitional protections have been in place since 2018 to ensure no one who gained FSM eligibility would lose it while Universal Credit was rolled out. Following our expansion of eligibility from September 2026, it is our intention to end all protections.Schools will receive an increase in funding as a result of the change in FSM policy. We have set aside over £1 billion in funding over the multiyear spending review period to cover the cost of additional free meals, after taking into account the removal of protections.There will be no impact of the removal of FSM protections on the pupil premium or related disadvantage funding during the spending review period. Pupils that are currently protected will remain so for 6 years after they receive FSM under the "FSM6" categorisation.Over the longer term, we are reviewing how we allocate pupil premium and related funding to schools and local authorities to ensure it is targeted to those who need it most, while maintaining the overall amount we spend on these funding streams.

What discussions he has had with Royal Mail on improving (a) service and (b) delivery.

Ministers and officials have discussions with Royal Mail on a regular basis in its capacity as the universal service provider. It is for Ofcom, as the independent regulator of postal services, to set and monitor Royal Mail’s service standards and decide how to use its powers to investigate and take enforcement action should Royal Mail fail to achieve its obligations without good justification. Ofcom is investigating Royal Mail’s performance in the 2024-25 financial year for failing to meet its regulated targets. The government expects that Ofcom will continue to closely monitor Royal Mail’s performance and take action where appropriate.

What steps he is taking to support access to postal services for small businesses.

The government recognises that small businesses are critical to our communities and essential to our economic success. We are committed to hardwiring the voice of small business into everything we do and collaborating with businesses and workers to kickstart and rebuild our economy. The universal postal service ensures that SMEs have access to an affordable service, both in the UK and internationally. Ofcom, as independent regulator for the postal sector, is responsible for securing the provision of a universal postal service. In its 2023-24 Post Monitoring Report, Ofcom found that overall three-quarters (74%) of SMEs were satisfied with the quality of service they receive from Royal Mail, while overall satisfaction with other providers stood at 81%.

What steps her Department is taking to improve the affordability of rail fares in (a) Twickenham constituency and (b) London.

We are overhauling the fares and ticketing system to make it easier for passengers to trust that they are buying the right ticket and getting the best fare, with the move to Great British Railways passengers will be able to receive a more consistent offer across the network. We need to balance affordability for both passengers and taxpayers as we reform fares and deliver Great British Railways, ensuring everyone gets a fair deal. Transport in London is devolved to the Mayor of London and Transport for London (TfL) – this includes responsibility for setting fares on TfL services. We know the success of the London transport network is critical for both the capital and the UK’s economy, which is why in the spending review TfL received a four-year settlement of £2.2 billion.

Whether the announced expansion to Free School Meals eligibility will affect eligibility for Free School Transport.

100,000 children will be lifted out of poverty by the end of this Parliament, through the extension of free school meals (FSM) to all households on Universal Credit. Children who meet the new, higher threshold for FSM from September 2026 will not automatically be entitled to ‘extended rights’ home to school travel. The government’s overriding priority is to tackle child hunger.Children will continue to be eligible for ‘extended rights’ home to school transport if they live in a household with an income below the existing FSM threshold and meet the eligibility criteria relating to the distance between their home and school. Further information about a new mechanism for assessing eligibility for ‘extended rights’ home to school travel will be available shortly.

How many overseas voters from Twickenham constituency are impacted by frozen British Pensions; and what steps she is taking to support those overseas voters.

UK State Pensions are payable worldwide, without regard to nationality, and are only up-rated abroad where there is a legal requirement to do so, for example in countries with which we have a reciprocal agreement that provides for up-rating. The policy on up-rating UK State Pension paid overseas is a longstanding one and has been in place for over 70 years, including under recent Conservative and Liberal Democrat governments. People move abroad for many reasons, and it is for individuals to weigh up the factors involved. Information regarding the effect of living abroad on State Pension entitlement is available on GOV.UK.The Department does not hold information on overseas voters from a specific constituency among those with frozen pensions.

What steps he is taking to help ensure that statutory duties for safeguarding (a) children with special educational needs and disabilities and (b) other children are met, in the context of the NHS England model framework for integrated care boards.

NHS England has asked the integrated care boards (ICBs) to act primarily as strategic commissioners of health services and to reduce the duplication of responsibilities within their structure. NHS England provided additional guidance to ICBs, National Health Service trusts, and NHS foundation trusts in a letter on 1 April 2025, where ICBs were tasked with developing plans setting out how they will manage their resources to deliver across their priorities. This letter is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/working-together-in-2025-26-to-lay-the-foundations-for-reform/NHS England is actively engaged with ICB executive leads for special educational needs and disability (SEND) across the system, to ensure that ICBs continue to ensure that statutory duties and accountabilities for children with SEND are met. We will be working with a range of partners and stakeholders to review the proposals to ensure that statutory duties, as laid out in legislation, continue to be met for children with SEND.NHS England is actively engaging with safeguarding professionals across the system, including those in local government, ICBs, and provider organisations, to ensure that safeguarding responsibilities are not compromised.This engagement is being supported by the NHS Safeguarding Accountability and Assurance Framework 2024 and the National Safeguarding Steering Group ICB Safeguarding Protocols, which outline the roles, accountabilities, responsibilities, and expectations for safeguarding across NHS-funded care. NHS England is also setting up a joint working group with the Local Government Association to carefully consider issues relating to safeguarding.Ministers and the Department will work with the new transformation team at the top of NHS England to ensure ICBs continue to fulfil their functions effectively within the running costs cap and unlock the benefit of working at scale to deliver better care for their population.

If her Department will make an assessment of the adequacy of Heathrow Airport's regulatory framework.

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) determines the specific regulatory model for Heathrow independently of Government. The CAA’s primary duty in setting the price cap at Heathrow is to protect consumers’ interests. Officials are working closely with the CAA to better understand the various positions on the right regulatory framework to facilitate expansion.

What assessment he has made of the potential merits of including strokes as a Category 1 ambulance call.

No such assessment has been made. NHS England’s guidance recommends ambulance services increase the clinical assessment of 999 calls, including increasing the proportion of Category 2 calls, which are those calls classified as an “emergency” and which include serious time-sensitive incidents such as strokes. Calls are clinically navigated, validated, and triaged in ambulance control centres to ensure the sickest patients are prioritised for ambulances.NHS England's Emergency Call Prioritisation Advisory Group determines the appropriate ambulance response for various clinical situations and triage codes, and works in conjunction with the Clinical Coding Review Group, and the National Ambulance Service Medical Director's group, to ensure clinical guidance is up-to-date and effective.

What assessment he has made of the potential merits of a national roll out of the category 2 segmentation pilots run by (a) London Ambulance Service and (b) West Midlands Ambulance Service to prioritise the most urgent calls.

No such assessment has been made. NHS England guidance recommends ambulance services increase the clinical assessment of 999 calls, to ensure the sickest patients are prioritised for ambulances and patients that do not need a face-to-face response are transferred to services more appropriate to their needs.The NHS England 2025/26 priorities and operational planning guidance identified reducing avoidable ambulance dispatches and conveyances and reducing hospital handover delays as key improvement areas, with the expectation that ambulance services increase the proportion of Category 2 calls that are clinically navigated, validated and triaged in ambulance control centres.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the length of ambulance response times on outcomes for stroke patients.

No such assessment has been made. NHS England’s guidance recommends ambulance services increase the clinical assessment of 999 calls, to ensure the sickest patients are prioritised for ambulances.The National Stroke Service Model and the National Service Model for an Integrated Community Stroke Service set out an evidence based pathway for joined-up stroke care throughout the patient journey. The service models set out that high quality stroke care should include fast emergency response and better-informed ambulance service 999 calls, to reduce mortality and disability.

When she will publish the Aviation Night Noise Effects report.

The Aviation Night Noise Effects study is expected to conclude later this year and we intend to publish the report as soon as possible once it has been reviewed.

How many civil servants are working on Heathrow expansion.

The Chancellor announced on 29 January that the government supports expansion that is in line with our legal, environmental and climate obligations and has invited proposals for a third runway at Heathrow Airport, to be brought forward by the summer. As the lead Department supporting this key priority, we are working with colleagues across government to ensure appropriate resource to support the successful delivery of this work.

What steps her Department is taking to ensure that plans for Heathrow’s expansion do not result in increased costs for passengers.

It is important to the Department that airport expansion is delivered in a way which ensures minimal cost to the consumer.The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) determines the specific regulatory model for Heathrow independently of Government. The CAA’s primary duty in setting the price cap at Heathrow is to protect consumers’ interests.

If she will make it her policy to undertake a comprehensive review of Heathrow’s economic regulation before a final decision on a third runway is made.

It is important to the Department that airport expansion is delivered in a way which ensures minimal cost to the consumer.The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) determines the specific regulatory model for Heathrow independently of Government. The CAA’s primary duty in setting the price cap at Heathrow is to protect consumers’ interests. Officials are working closely with the CAA to better understand the various positions on the right regulatory framework to facilitate expansion.

What steps she is taking to support the Metropolitan Police.

The Metropolitan Police will receive up to 3.8 billion pounds in funding in the current financial year, an increase of more than 262 million when compared to last year’s police settlement.That includes an increase of more than 63 million pounds in the National and International Capital City Grant, recognising the increased demands on the Met from policing the capital city.We will continue to work closely with the Met and the Mayor’s Office to support them in keeping Londoners safe.

What estimate she has made of the cost to the NHS as a result of the changes to PIP in the Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working Green Paper.

No formal assessment has been made.We are consulting on how best to support those who are affected by the new eligibility changes, including how to make sure health and care needs are met, and we are working closely with the Department for Health and Social Care on this.At the heart of our reforms is a drive to protect the most vulnerable while ensuring disabled people and people with health conditions are given equal chances and choices to get jobs and stay in work. Through these reforms, we will be investing an extra £1bn a year in employment support by the end of the decade, in addition to work we have already begun. We know from evaluations and analysis that the department has published that good work is good for people’s mental and physical health, and that giving people support to get jobs provides an overall saving to the Exchequer and to society, including by reducing the costs and pressures on the NHS.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of proposals in the Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working Green Paper on young people.

The Pathways to Work Green Paper set out a range of proposals and plans to reform health and disability benefits and employment support. Some information on the impacts of the reforms has been published in the evidence pack, impacts analysis and equality analysis at:[https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/pathways-to-work-reforming-benefits-and-support-to-get-britain-working-green-paper]. The equality analysis examines a range of protected characteristics, including age. A further programme of analysis to support development of the proposals in the Green Paper will be developed and undertaken in the coming months. The reforms announced in the Green Paper, including our new employment support package, will help to provide the support that young people need to succeed. There are nearly one million young people (16-24) not in Education Employment and Training, and the number is rising. Our future depends on young people being able to achieve their full potential. The period when young people transition from full-time education to building their careers is critical in shaping their professional future. We know that disengaging from employment and learning during early adulthood can have a lasting and detrimental impact on both career prospects and health and well-being. The Government is launching the Youth Guarantee to ensure that all young people aged 18-21 in England can access quality training opportunities, an apprenticeship or help to find work. In the Pathways to Work Green Paper, we are consulting on raising the age someone can access the Universal Credit Health Element to 22, which would remove a potential disincentive to work during this time. It would also be on the basis that resources may be better spent on improving the quality and range of opportunities available to young people through the guarantee, so they can move towards a life of learning, training or work rather than a life on benefits.

Whether she plans to update health costs of noise impacts in Transport Appraisal Guidance.

TAG, or Transport Analysis Guidance, provides information on the role of transport modelling and appraisal. We keep our guidance and values under review with the aim of ensuring that they are based on the best available evidence and meet the needs of decision makers.

If she will set a minimum acceptable level of noise for Heathrow expansion proposals.

The government supports airport expansion and has invited proposals for a third runway at Heathrow. It expects any proposals to be brought forward by the summer and is clear that any scheme must be delivered in line with the UK’s legal, climate and environmental obligations. Once proposals have been received the government will review the Airports National Policy Statement, which sets clear requirements to mitigate the impacts of expansion on the environment and affected communities, and which provides the basis for decision making on granting development consent for a new runway at Heathrow.