Written questions by Duncan-Jordan.

What plans his department has to introduce type one diabetes testing for all infants.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is the independent body responsible for providing clinical guidelines for the diagnosis, treatment and care of children and young people with diabetes. NICE’s NG18 guideline for type 1 and 2 diabetes recommends that children and young people with suspected type 1 diabetes are referred immediately (on the same day) to a multidisciplinary paediatric diabetes team with the competencies needed to confirm diagnosis and provide immediate care.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to help reduce the volume of exported plastic waste.

We are currently considering the role of exports in dealing with the UK’s plastic waste and how they can compliment domestic recycling. Defra is committed to building a circular economy that enhances industry competition and capitalises on the UK’s potential in plastic recycling and reprocessing, whilst realising our environmental objectives. The Government’s collection and packaging reforms will help to stimulate investment in the UK reprocessing infrastructure so we can reduce our dependency on plastic waste exports.

Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make an assessment with Cabinet colleagues of the potential impact of trends in the number of manufacturers using imported virgin plastic on (a) the environment and (b) revenues to the Exchequer.

There is currently no planned assessment regarding the potential impact of trends in the number of manufacturers using imported virgin plastic on the environment. HM Treasury and HM Revenue and Customs are currently evaluating the Plastic Packaging Tax, using analysis of environmental and tax data to assess the impact of the tax and will update in due course. Forecasts on tax revenues are published regularly by the Office for Budget Responsibility.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department plans to bring forward legislative proposals to remove incentives for plastic waste collectors to export rather than process waste domestically.

We are currently considering the role of exports in dealing with the UK’s plastic waste and how they can compliment domestic recycling. Defra is committed to building a circular economy that enhances industry competition and capitalises on the UK’s potential in plastic recycling and reprocessing, whilst realising our environmental objectives. The Government’s collection and packaging reforms will help to stimulate investment in the UK reprocessing infrastructure so we can reduce our dependency on plastic waste exports.

Whether he has had recent discussions with his Australian counterpart on uprating the UK state pension for British overseas pensioners living in Australia.

The policy on up-rating UK State Pensions paid overseas is longstanding and has been in place for over 70 years. UK State Pensions are payable worldwide, without regard to nationality, and are only uprated 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.

What support her Department is providing to local authorities to meet the ongoing costs of SEND provision until the announcement of reforms in 2026.

The department has allocated high needs funding of over £12 billion to help with the ongoing costs of supporting children and young people with complex special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) in the 2025/26 financial year.The funding announced at the 2025 spending review, which provided an increase of £4.2 billion, over the next three years, will help to facilitate reform of the SEND system. We are continuing to engage with children, parents and experts as we develop plans to ensure all children get the outcomes and life chances they deserve and will be setting out more detail in the Schools White paper in the new year.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the removal of funding for non-specialist spelling and grammar software, on university students in receipt of the Disabled Students' Allowance.

I refer the hon. Member for Yeovil to the answer of 9 September 2025 to Question 71715.

Whether she had discussions with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions prior to its decision to withdraw funding for non-specialist spelling and grammar software for university students receiving the Disabled Students' Allowance.

This change is entirely within the remit of the department. My right hon. Friends. the Secretary of State for Education and the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions therefore did not meet to discuss this matter prior to the decision being made. The department has made the decision to remove non-specialist spelling and grammar software from Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA) funding on the grounds that there are now free-to-access versions available with the required functionality to meet students’ disability-related support needs. It is therefore not an effective use of public money to continue to fund this type of software through DSA.

For what reason the proposed digital ID will be issued to children aged 13 to 16 years.

The Government has announced plans for a new national digital ID for all UK citizens and legal residents aged 16 and over, and we will consult on lowering the proposed minimum age to 13.Extending the national digital credential scheme to include 13–16-year-olds could streamline administrative processes involved in employing young people. Inclusion of this age group could also support children’s online safety by supporting age verification for online services in line with the Online Safety Act 2023.

What assessment she has been made of the potential impact of the recent increase in National Insurance on the provision of home to school transport for children with SEND.

I refer the hon. Member for Poole to the answer of 29 January 2025 to Question 26397.

What estimate she has made of the number contracts of home to school transport for children with SEND that have been handed back to local authorities since April 2025.

Local authorities are responsible for arranging home to school travel for eligible children. They deliver their duty through a mix of in-house services, passes for free travel on public transport and contracts with private transport operators. Such contracts are a matter for the council and the operator, but we encourage councils to have robust arrangements in place.

What assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of provision of home to school transport for children with SEND.

I refer the hon. Member for Poole to the answer of 20 October 2025 to Question 80605.

What assessment she has made of the potential merits of removing VAT from children’s bicycles.

VAT is a broad-based tax on consumption and the 20 per cent standard rate applies to most goods and services. Taxation is a vital source of revenue that helps to fund vital public services. Evidence suggests that businesses only partially pass on any savings from lower VAT rates. In some cases, reliefs do not represent good value for money, as there is no guarantee that savings will be passed on to consumers.

What steps his Department is taking against PPE Medpro after their failure to repay £122m of public money by the 4pm deadline on 15 October 2025.

PPE Medpro Ltd went into administration prior to the court’s announcement on 1 October 2025. The Department has instructed lawyers who are engaged with all relevant parties regarding enforcement of the court decision, and this includes the administrators.Due to the sensitive and legally complex nature of recovery activity we are unable to offer a detailed commentary on the discussions as this would risk compromising the legal team’s efforts.

If she will consider adding bicycle training onto the national curriculum.

Schools are best placed and have the flexibility to decide on the activities they provide to deliver a rounded and enriching education to suit their pupils’ needs. This includes cycling training programmes such as Bikeability. Physical education is a foundation subject in the national curriculum and compulsory at all four key stages.The department welcomes the opportunity for continued collaboration with Bikeability to create sustainable improvements in physical activity for young people. For example, through active travel and promoting the overall wellbeing benefits of physical activity, including through cycling.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for his policies of variations in licence fees set by local authorities for dog breeding.

Under The Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018 (the Regulations), a local authority can charge such fees as it considers reasonable to meet its statutory licensing responsibilities. The Regulations require local authorities to provide an annual return to the department outlining their licensing fees. That information is published here. Defra has recently completed its Post-Implementation Review of the Regulations and considered local authority returns and other evidence about the fees charged by local authorities. The review was published in December 2024 and can be found here. The Government is considering the review’s findings and will be outlining more detail on next steps in due course.

If the Prime Minister will attend the COP30 UN climate summit in person.

The Prime Minister plans to attend COP30.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department has considered revising its guidance to local authorities on dog breeding licence fees in relation to (a) if the licence is new or being renewed, (b) the scale of the licensed activity measured by the number of breeding dogs and (c) how far the cost recovery principle can cover enforcement.

Under The Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018 (the Regulations), a local authority can charge such fees as it considers reasonable to meet its statutory licensing responsibilities. The Regulations require local authorities to provide an annual return to the department outlining their licensing fees. That information is published here. Defra has recently completed its Post-Implementation Review of the Regulations and considered local authority returns and other evidence about the fees charged by local authorities. The review was published in December 2024 and can be found here. The Government is considering the review’s findings and will be outlining more detail on next steps in due course.

What information her Department holds on the (a) time, (b) money and (c) other resources spent on policing (i) fox hunting and (ii) related crimes in each of the last five years.

The enforcement of the Hunting Act is an operational matter for the police. This is in line with their duties to keep the peace, protect communities and prevent the commission of offences, working within the provisions of the legal framework set by Parliament.It is for individual Chief Constables to determine how their resources are deployed, and it is for locally elected PCCs to hold their forces to account. This includes consideration of how the police tackle the crimes that matter most to residents and businesses in rural and urban areas alike. The investigation and prosecution of all criminal offences, including consideration of whether an actual offence has been committed, is a matter for the police and Crown Prosecution Service who have comprehensive powers to take action under criminal law.

Whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of appointing a Commissioner for Older People and Ageing for England, in the context of equivalent commissioners in (a) Wales and (b) Northern Ireland.

The Government is committed to improving the lives of older people in England, and we are progressing towards a National Care Service based on higher standards, greater choice and control, and better joined up care between services, with over £4 billion of additional funding available for adult social care by 2028.We have previously considered the merits of appointing a Commissioner for Older People and Ageing in England, similar to those in Wales and Northern Ireland. However, we believe that the duties such a role would cover are already addressed through existing structures and initiatives across the health and social care system.In England, local authorities have statutory responsibilities under the Care Act 2014 to promote individual wellbeing, prevent or delay the development of care needs, and ensure a sustainable and diverse care market, including for older people. This includes duties to assess needs, shape local provision, and support people to live independently for as long as possible. These responsibilities are reinforced by the Care Quality Commission’s assurance framework, which monitors how well councils are delivering these duties and which helps drive improvement across the system.