Written questions by Duncan-Jordan.

What steps he is taking to support pubs in Poole constituency.

The Government recognises the vital role that pubs, restaurants and other food outlets play in local communities and the economy, including in the Poole constituency.In April, we launched a Taskforce to review premises licensing and develop a more balanced system that safeguards communities while supporting responsible businesses. These reforms form part of the Small Business Strategy, which is designed to tackle late payments, improve access to finance and reduce unnecessary regulatory burdens.We are also creating a fairer business rates system, including permanently lower rates for retail, hospitality and leisure properties with a rateable value under £500,000. We continue to work closely with the sector through the Hospitality Sector Council to address challenges.

What estimate her Department has made of the number of home educated children with SEND in Poole constituency.

The department does not hold information on the number of home-educated children at constituency level.The latest statistics on elective home education (EHE) in England are available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/elective-home-education/2024-25-autumn-term.For the 2024/25 autumn term,16% of EHE children were recorded as receiving special educational needs support, whilst 6% of EHE children had an education, health and care plan. This compares with 14% and 5% of the overall school population.

What assessment his Department has made of on the potential impact of the domestic use of fireworks on (a) children (b) adults with PTSD and (c) domestic pets.

No recent assessment has been made of the potential impact of the domestic use of fireworks on children, adults with PTSD and pets. Building on the work of my predecessor, I will continue to engage with businesses, consumer groups and charities to gather evidence on fireworks-related issues and inform future action.I launched a public campaign on fireworks safety for this year’s fireworks season. The campaign features guidance for those running events to reduce the impact on the community, and social media materials that emphasise the risks from the misuse of fireworks, and the promotion of low noise fireworks.

What steps he is taking to improve enforcement laws for the misuse of fireworks in Poole constituency.

Enforcement powers exist for local authorities to take action when fireworks are unsafe, sold illegally or misused. Local authorities and the police also have powers to tackle anti-social behaviour caused by the misuse of fireworks. It is for local areas to decide how best to deploy these powers.I have launched a public campaign for this year’s fireworks season. The campaign includes social media materials with information on current legislation and the penalties for illegal use, as well as the risks from the misuse of fireworks.

Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of requiring internet service providers to carry out age verification checks rather than individual websites.

The Online Safety Act makes online services responsible for protecting all users from illegal content and activity, and children from harmful content. Under the Act, services must use age assurance to prevent children encountering the most harmful content. We recognise that there may be benefits to internet service provider-level interventions. We have recently brought into effect the new measures and wish to allow time to assess the Act’s effectiveness before introducing additional measures. Where evidence demonstrates that further action is necessary to protect children and the wider public, we will not hesitate to act.

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of amending Section 37 of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 to exclude any part of the Cannabis Sativa L plant with THC of 0.2% or less.

The flowers and leaves of the cannabis plant are controlled drugs under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 (‘the 1971 Act’) irrespective of their tetrahydrocannabinol (‘THC’) content. The Government has no plans to review the definition of cannabis for control purposes.Cannabis is a Class B controlled drug under Part 2 of Schedule 2 the 1971 Act. ‘Cannabis’ is defined in section 37(1) of the MDA 1971 and is, in essence, the plant or any part of the plant with the exception of the mature stalk; fibre produced from the mature stalk; or the seed of any such plant. It is also listed in Schedule 1 to the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001 (‘the 2001 Regulations’) and designated under the Misuse of Drugs (Designation) (England, Wales and Scotland) Order 2015 (2015 Order). As such, it is unlawful to possess, supply, offer to supply, produce, import or export this drug except under a Home Office licence.THC, as a cannabinol derivative, is separately controlled as Class B drug. It is also an offence to cultivate any plant of the genus Cannabis except under a Home Office licence. Cannabis-based products for medicinal use (‘CBPMs’) are defined separately in the legislation and placed in Schedule 2 to the 2001 Regulations. Specialist clinicians can prescribe unlicensed CBPMs (i.e. CBPMs without a marketing authorisation granted under medicines legislation) where they deem it clinically appropriate and in the best interests of their patients.

What assessment she has made of the potential reasons for recent trends in the levels of people that have been mistakenly recorded as having left the UK and subsequently had their child benefit stopped by HMRC.

As part of its ongoing efforts to reduce error and fraud in the Child Benefit system, HMRC undertook a pilot last year using international travel data. This pilot saw thousands of people who had left the UK but carried on claiming Child Benefit removed from the system, preventing around £17m in incorrect payments. This led to the expansion of the measure and investment in an additional 180 counter-fraud staff, announced at the Autumn Budget 2024, and is expected to save around £350 million over the next five years. In expanding the process over the past few months, a check of HMRC PAYE systems to look for continuing UK employment was excluded on around 23,500 enquiries in order to streamline the process, with a view to employment status being tested as part of any subsequent customer enquiry.   We have apologised for this. Following concerns being raised, swift action was taken to improve the processes. A decision was made on 29 October to reinstate the employment check for all cases with immediate effect, meaning that HMRC’s risking has a higher success rate for identifying ineligible claims. HMRC reviewed all compliance cases already opened and conducted a PAYE check. These checks were completed on 14 November. As of 31 October 2025, 3,673 out of 23,794 customers who have had a compliance enquiry opened following the expansion of the pilot have had their eligibility subsequently confirmed. Where there was evidence that customers had continued UK employment, HMRC reinstated payments automatically without any need for customer contact and those payments have been backdated. By the end of November, HMRC will have written to all customers who have not yet contacted them to provide a further 4 weeks to make contact. HMRC has also responded to the Treasury Select Committee to outline the steps it has taken in relation to this issue.

What she is taking to ensure that UK residents are not mistakenly recorded as having left the UK and subsequently have their child benefit stopped by HMRC.

As part of its ongoing efforts to reduce error and fraud in the Child Benefit system, HMRC undertook a pilot last year using international travel data. This pilot saw thousands of people who had left the UK but carried on claiming Child Benefit removed from the system, preventing around £17m in incorrect payments. This led to the expansion of the measure and investment in an additional 180 counter-fraud staff, announced at the Autumn Budget 2024, and is expected to save around £350 million over the next five years. In expanding the process over the past few months, a check of HMRC PAYE systems to look for continuing UK employment was excluded on around 23,500 enquiries in order to streamline the process, with a view to employment status being tested as part of any subsequent customer enquiry. We have apologised for this. Following concerns being raised, swift action was taken to improve the processes. A decision was made on 29 October to reinstate the employment check for all cases with immediate effect, meaning that HMRC’s risking has a higher success rate for identifying ineligible claims. HMRC reviewed all compliance cases already opened and conducted a PAYE check. These checks were completed for all customers on 14 November. Where there was evidence that customers had continued UK employment, HMRC reinstated payments automatically without any need for customer contact and those payments have been backdated. By the end of November, HMRC will have written to all customers who have not yet contacted them to provide a further 4 weeks to make contact.

What estimate she has made of the number of people who have been mistakenly recorded as having left the UK and subsequently had their child benefit stopped by HMRC in the last 12 months.

As part of its ongoing efforts to reduce error and fraud in the Child Benefit system, HMRC undertook a pilot last year using international travel data. This pilot saw thousands of people who had left the UK but carried on claiming Child Benefit removed from the system, preventing around £17m in incorrect payments. This led to the expansion of the measure and investment in an additional 180 counter-fraud staff, announced at the Autumn Budget 2024, and is expected to save around £350 million over the next five years. In expanding the process over the past few months, a check of HMRC PAYE systems to look for continuing UK employment was excluded on around 23,500 enquiries in order to streamline the process, with a view to employment status being tested as part of any subsequent customer enquiry.   We have apologised for this. Following concerns being raised, swift action was taken to improve the processes. A decision was made on 29 October to reinstate the employment check for all cases with immediate effect, meaning that HMRC’s risking has a higher success rate for identifying ineligible claims. HMRC reviewed all compliance cases already opened and conducted a PAYE check. These checks were completed on 14 November. As of 31 October 2025, 3,673 out of 23,794 customers who have had a compliance enquiry opened following the expansion of the pilot have had their eligibility subsequently confirmed. Where there was evidence that customers had continued UK employment, HMRC reinstated payments automatically without any need for customer contact and those payments have been backdated. By the end of November, HMRC will have written to all customers who have not yet contacted them to provide a further 4 weeks to make contact. HMRC has also responded to the Treasury Select Committee to outline the steps it has taken in relation to this issue.

What steps he is taking to support disabled people to access employment by (a) ensuring that the Access to Work scheme is properly resourced and (b) addressing delays in (i) award decisions and (ii) reimbursements.

Access to Work has been providing support for over 30 years, and we know that for many, this support has been invaluable. Demand for the service has increased. In 2024/5 the number of customers in receipt of payment reached 74,190. This is an increase of 10% compared with 2023/24. Access to Work will continue to be funded as part of the Spending Review 2025. This will ensure continued support for disabled people and people with health conditions to stay and remain in the workplace.We recognise the importance of clearing the backlog, which is why we increased the number of staff working in this area by 27%. In the Pathways to Work Green Paper, we consulted on the future of Access to Work and how to improve the programme to help more disabled people into work and support employers. We are currently considering responses to the consultation that closed on 30 June and we will set out our plans as soon as we are in a position to do so.

What assessment he has made of the impact of the 10% decrease in the number of Access to Work claims approved between March 2024 and March 2025 on the number of disabled people being supported into work.

While the number of people who were approved for any Access to Work provision was 61,670 in 2024/25, the number of customers in receipt of payment in 2024/25 increased to 74,190. As Access to Work awards are approved for up to three years, customers receiving payments in 2024/25 may have been approved for support at any point between 2021/22 and 2024/25. In the Pathways to Work Green Paper, we consulted on the future of the Access to Work scheme. We also considered the role of employers in creating accessible and inclusive workplaces as well as how we can shape the market for aids, appliances and assistive technology, to reduce their cost and spread their adoption. We are considering responses to the consultation and will set out our plans in due course.

Whether his Department has had recent discussions with Ofcom on the future of the second class stamp price cap.

Ministers and officials meet with Ofcom regularly to discuss a range of issues in relation to its role as the independent regulator for the postal sector.Affordability is at the heart of Ofcom's regulatory framework. On 4 November, Ofcom published a call for input into its review of pricing and affordability of postal services, which closes on 5 December. Ofcom will consult on its approach ahead of the expiry of the current control on Second Class letter prices in early 2027.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether she has made an assessment of the effectiveness of Natural England’s Recovering Nature for Growth, Health and Security strategy.

Natural England worked closely with Defra and other stakeholders in development of their new strategy entitled ‘Recovering Nature for Growth, Health and Security’, which has been shared and discussed with Ministers. The strategic outcomes and approaches described in the strategy align with Defra and Government priorities.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of amending the Welfare of Racing Greyhounds Regulations 2010 to remove the requirement for racing greyhounds to be identified by earmarking.

One of the original objectives of the Welfare of Racing Greyhounds Regulations 2010 was to improve the traceability of greyhounds in England during and after their racing life. The 2010 Regulations therefore require all greyhounds racing in England to be permanently identified by both microchip and ear tattoo. Any future review of the 2010 Regulations would include assessing the merits of still requiring two methods of permanent identification for racing greyhounds.

What steps she is taking to develop reading for pleasure in schools.

The department knows that reading for pleasure is hugely important and brings a range of benefits.That is why we are launching the National Year of Reading 2026, in collaboration with the National Literacy Trust. It aims to address long-term declines in reading enjoyment through engaging new audiences, reshaping public attitudes and building the systems needed to embed lasting, meaningful change.On 29 September, my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, committed over £10 million of funding to guarantee a library for every primary school by the end of this parliament. The government will set out further details of the scheme in due course.The government has also committed £27.7 million this financial year to support and drive high and rising standards in reading. This includes supporting the teaching of phonics, early language and reading for pleasure via the English Hubs programme.

What will the NHS offline alternative consist of for people who are digitally excluded, in the context of NHS digitalisation.

Patients who prefer face-to-face appointments in physical settings will continue to access care through their local National Health Service provider. This is about expanding choice, not replacing traditional services.We will be working with marginalised groups, including through the Voluntary Community and Social Enterprise Health and Wellbeing Alliance that represents communities who share protected characteristics or that experience health inequalities. Inclusion will be a core priority as the organisation evolves.

How many homes in the Poole constituency will be (a) modernised and (b) upgraded under the Defence Housing Strategy.

At this stage, we are unable to confirm how many Defence Homes will be improved within the Poole constituency. Currently, planning is at relatively high level across the whole estate which tells us that around nine out of ten Defence homes will need to be modernised or upgraded under the implementation of the Strategy over 10 years, in a carefully planned renewal programme.

With reference to the Written Statement of 5 November 2025 on Keep Britain Working Review: Government Response, HCWS1020, if he will publish a categorisation of the nature of the health problems affecting the additional 800,000 people that have become economically inactive since 2019.

DWP publishes data, as part of its Employment of Disabled People Official Statistics publication, on the number of people who are economically inactive due to long-term sickness. These statistics are broken down by main and main or secondary long-term health condition (Tables EIA016 and EIA017). The latest data covers the period from April to June 2013 to the same quarter of 2025.

What assessment she has made as to the potential merits of Transitional Tax-Free Amount Certificates.

A Transitional Tax-Free Amount Certificate (TTFAC) is an official document issued by a pension scheme provider or insurer. It confirms the actual amount of tax-free lump sums an individual received before 6 April 2024, when the Lifetime Allowance was abolished. Since the Lifetime Allowance was abolished, a standard calculation is used to establish an individual’s remaining tax-free allowances, unless an application for a TTFAC has been made. The standard calculation assumes that 25% of all benefits taken before April 2024 were tax-free.This assumption can disadvantage individuals who:• Took less than 25% tax-free cash,• Waived their tax-free lump sum entitlement, or• Had complex arrangements or protections.The TTFAC allows individuals who are disadvantaged by the standard calculation to evidence the actual tax-free amount they took, potentially increasing their remaining tax-free allowances to better reflect the position they were in prior to the abolition of the Lifetime Allowance.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of amending the Welfare of Racing Greyhounds Regulations 2010 to include dog nose prints as an means of identifying racing greyhounds.

One of the original objectives of the Welfare of Racing Greyhounds Regulations 2010 was to improve the traceability of greyhounds in England during and after their racing life. The 2010 Regulations therefore require all greyhounds racing in England to be permanently identified by both microchip and ear tattoo. Any future review of the 2010 Regulations would include assessing the merits of still requiring two methods of permanent identification for racing greyhounds.