Written questions by Duncan-Jordan.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to ban the (a) use and (b) sale of (i) glue traps and (ii) wire snares.

This is a devolved matter, and the information provided therefore relates to England only. A ban on the use of glue traps is already in place. The Glue Traps (Offences) Act 2022 came into force in England on 31 July 2024. It prohibits the use of glue traps with limited exceptions for professional pest controllers, acting under a licence issued by Natural England, to preserve public health or public safety when there is no satisfactory alternative. The law does not prohibit the sale of glue traps in England and there are no current plans to ban sale. As outlined in our manifesto, we will bring an end to the use of wire snare traps. We are considering the most effective way to deliver this commitment and will be setting out next steps in due course.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to increase penalties for crimes against wildlife so that they are in line with sentences for other animal welfare offences.

Defra has no current plans to increase the penalties for committing crimes against wildlife. Wildlife crime is unacceptable, and significant sanctions are already available for judges to hand down to those convicted of such crimes. Anyone who commits an offence under existing legislation such as the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 could face up to a six-month custodial sentence and/or an unlimited fine. In addition, while the Animal Welfare (Sentencing) Act 2021 generally protects animals that are commonly domesticated, it can extend to wildlife as it prohibits causing unnecessary suffering to wild animals under human control, for example when they are held in a hand or caught live in a trap. Under this Act the maximum sentence for animal cruelty is five years, which is equal to the highest penalty in the world for such crimes. This sends a clear signal to any future potential offenders that animal cruelty will not be tolerated

If she will take steps to ensure that Equality Impact Assessments are produced each time (a) policies and (b) Bills are introduced.

The responsibility for equality impact assessments lies with individual departments when developing their policies and any new legislation. Departments are fully aware of their equality duties, including when an impact assessment may be appropriate, such as when new legislation is being considered.

Whether she has considered renaming the Attendance Allowance.

There are no plans to change the name of Attendance Allowance in England and Wales. Attendance Allowance is a devolved matter in Scotland. The Scottish Government is currently replacing it with Pension Age Disability Payment.

How many children were refused an education, health and care plan assessment by their local authority in the last financial year.

The department collects information on the number of requests for an education, health and care (EHC) needs assessment, the number of EHC needs assessments, and the outcome of these requests and assessments.This information can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/3216aeea-b67c-4fc7-e256-08dd5a6d191a. These figures and are the most up to date we hold and refer to the 2023 calendar year. We do not hold information on a financial year basis.Information on EHC plans maintained by local authorities, including requests for needs assessments, decisions made to assess and the number of plans issued is included in the statistical release, ‘Education, health and care plans’. The full publication can be read here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/education-health-and-care-plans.

If she will list the vessels certified by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency for DFDS’s roll-on roll-off ferry services to Jersey from (a) Poole and (b) Portsmouth.

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency currently do not certify any vessels operated by DFDS on services to Jersey from Poole or Portsmouth.The Maritime and Coastguard Agency are currently working with DFDS in relation to vessels taking up operations from these ports later in March 2025 and April 2025.

Whether she has had discussions with trade unions on seafarer jobs providing DFDS services to Jersey from (a) Poole and (b) Portsmouth.

Ministers and officials meet regularly with the trade unions to discuss seafarers. The issue of seafarer jobs on the new DFDS services to Jersey has not been raised.

Whether she has had discussions with harbour authorities in (a) Poole and (b) Portsmouth on the application of the Seafarers Wages Regulations 2024 on ferry services scheduled to operate from these ports in 2025.

Department for Transport officials engaged with all harbour authorities with services in scope of the Seafarers’ Wages Act 2023 and Regulations 2024 to explain how the legislation applies, ahead of it coming into force. This included Poole and Portsmouth.

If he will make an estimate of the number of households that are dependent on the Radio Teleswitch Service for energy meter connections in Poole constituency.

The Department does not hold constituency level data on remaining RTS meters, but we are regularly engaging with energy suppliers, Ofgem and the industry body Energy UK to review local plans for the switch-off. Energy suppliers have contacted all premises with RTS meters and Ofgem is encouraging customers to book an appointment to ensure they are provided with a replacement meter ahead of the switch-off.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will commission a review into the prevalence of fox hunting across England and Wales.

Defra has no current plans to commission a review into the prevalence of foxhunting. The Hunting Act 2004 makes it an offence to hunt a wild mammal with dogs except where it is carried out in accordance with the exemptions in the Act. The full details of the Hunting Act 2004 exemptions are available online at: www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2004/37/schedule/1. Those found guilty under the Act are subject to the full force of the law. Enforcement of the Hunting Act is an operational matter for the police.

What assessment he has made of the potential merits of ensuring that parents have a legal right to appeal decisions by their local authority to refuse to assess their child for an EHCP.

This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) or in alternative provision receive the right support to succeed and thrive in their education and as they move into adult life.Parents have a legal right of appeal if a local authority decides not to assess their child for an education, health and care (EHC) plan. The first-tier SEND Tribunal hears appeals against local authority decisions in relation to EHC assessments and plans for children and young people. Parents and carers can appeal to the Tribunal about local authority refusal to assess a child or young person’s EHC needs, reassess their EHC needs, issue an EHC plan, update what is in an EHC plan, or maintain an EHC plan.Most EHC plans and assessments are concluded without a Tribunal hearing. Nationally, in the 2023 calendar year, there were 15,600 appeals to the Tribunal, equating to 2.5% of all appealable decisions subsequently resulting in Tribunal appeals.The department is exploring what more we can do to work with local authorities, particularly those with high appeal rates, to understand the reasons for and to address these issues. As an initial step, we jointly delivered with the Independent Provider of Special Educational Advice and the Council for Disabled Children, eight training sessions on 'SEND and the law' for local authority SEND caseworkers.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to help protect animal habitats from building developments.

Protected sites designated under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017 afford a high degree of statutory protection to some of our most valuable habitats. We are committed to making sure development contributes to nature’s recovery. The Planning and Infrastructure Bill gives us an opportunity to use development to support nature’s recovery, while providing greater speed and certainty for developers. We will use the Planning and Infrastructure Bill to establish a more efficient and effective way for obligations related to our most important sites and species to be discharged at a scale that has the greatest environmental benefits.

Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Justice on steps to ensure that offences of (a) reckless and (b) negligent behaviour which causes harm to wildlife are appropriately dealt with.

The Secretary of State has regular discussions with Ministry of Justice colleagues on a range of issues.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of publishing guidance on ethical principles for licensing of wildlife management.

This is a devolved matter, and the information provided therefore relates to England only. Wildlife conflicts are often minor and tolerable, especially if basic avoidance measures are employed. If the problem is significant enough to warrant action, options should be explored that avoid harmful impacts on the species concerned while still resolving the problem. In the first instance, legal non-lethal measures should be considered. Only if these fail, are impractical or deemed ineffective, should available legal lethal options be considered. Many laws in England protect and regulate how wild animals may be controlled and anyone carrying out wildlife management must ensure that they comply with the law. Many organisations have published Codes of Practice to summarise the law, as well as including information on best practice. Natural England can also offer advice on how to comply with laws that protect wildlife and the natural environment. The Government has no current plans to assess the merits of publishing guidance on ethical principles for licensing of wildlife management.

If he will make an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of trends in the level of (a) unemployment and (b) underemployment among healthcare professionals.

Decisions about recruitment are matters for individual National Health Service trusts. NHS trusts manage their recruitment at a local level, ensuring they have the right number of staff in place, with the right skill mix, to deliver safe and effective care. That said, the Government finds it unacceptable that trained professionals are struggling to find jobs when the health system has been overworked for years. Working with NHS England, we are committed to recruiting the staff we need to get patients seen on time.The NHS and universities can work to become anchor institutions across all our local areas, not just to drive employment opportunities through training for a career in the NHS and social care, but where we collectively work to drive growth in our economy.Data on the number of unemployed and underemployed healthcare professionals is not held centrally. The Government has committed to recruiting over 1,000 recently qualified general practitioners (GPs) through an £82 million boost to the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme (ARRS) over 2024/25, as part of an initiative to address GP unemployment and secure the future pipeline of GPs.We are investing an additional £889 million through the GP Contract to reinforce the front door of the NHS, bringing total spend on the GP Contract to £13.2 billion in 2025/26. This is the biggest increase in over a decade.Under recently announced changes to the GP Contract, in 2025/26 the ARRS will become more flexible, to allow primary care networks to respond better to local workforce needs. The two ARRS pots will be combined to create a single pot for the reimbursement of patient facing staff costs. There will be no restrictions on the number or type of staff covered, including GPs and practice nurses.

If he will make an assessment of the potential causes of (a) unemployment and (b) underemployment among qualified healthcare professionals.

Decisions about recruitment are matters for individual National Health Service trusts. NHS trusts manage their recruitment at a local level, ensuring they have the right number of staff in place, with the right skill mix, to deliver safe and effective care. That said, the Government finds it unacceptable that trained professionals are struggling to find jobs when the health system has been overworked for years. Working with NHS England, we are committed to recruiting the staff we need to get patients seen on time.The NHS and universities can work to become anchor institutions across all our local areas, not just to drive employment opportunities through training for a career in the NHS and social care, but where we collectively work to drive growth in our economy.Data on the number of unemployed and underemployed healthcare professionals is not held centrally. The Government has committed to recruiting over 1,000 recently qualified general practitioners (GPs) through an £82 million boost to the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme (ARRS) over 2024/25, as part of an initiative to address GP unemployment and secure the future pipeline of GPs.We are investing an additional £889 million through the GP Contract to reinforce the front door of the NHS, bringing total spend on the GP Contract to £13.2 billion in 2025/26. This is the biggest increase in over a decade.Under recently announced changes to the GP Contract, in 2025/26 the ARRS will become more flexible, to allow primary care networks to respond better to local workforce needs. The two ARRS pots will be combined to create a single pot for the reimbursement of patient facing staff costs. There will be no restrictions on the number or type of staff covered, including GPs and practice nurses.

Whether he has made an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of recently announced increases in Social Work England registration fees.

As set out in the Children and Social Work Act 2017, Social Work England (SWE) is responsible for setting the level of registration fees. The relevant sections of the Act can be found here: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2017/16/part/2/enacted#section-36-4. Before determining the level of any fee, including any change, SWE must both consult publicly and gain approval of my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education.SWE launched a public consultation on changes to their fees on 19 February 2025. The consultation runs until 13 May 2025. More information on the proposed fee changes and public consultation can be found here: https://www.socialworkengland.org.uk/news/public-consultation-on-changes-to-our-fees-is-now-open/.

What steps his Department is taking to increase the utilisation of (a) unemployed and (b) underemployed healthcare professionals in the NHS.

Decisions about recruitment are matters for individual National Health Service trusts. NHS trusts manage their recruitment at a local level, ensuring they have the right number of staff in place, with the right skill mix, to deliver safe and effective care. That said, the Government finds it unacceptable that trained professionals are struggling to find jobs when the health system has been overworked for years. Working with NHS England, we are committed to recruiting the staff we need to get patients seen on time.The NHS and universities can work to become anchor institutions across all our local areas, not just to drive employment opportunities through training for a career in the NHS and social care, but where we collectively work to drive growth in our economy.Data on the number of unemployed and underemployed healthcare professionals is not held centrally. The Government has committed to recruiting over 1,000 recently qualified general practitioners (GPs) through an £82 million boost to the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme (ARRS) over 2024/25, as part of an initiative to address GP unemployment and secure the future pipeline of GPs.We are investing an additional £889 million through the GP Contract to reinforce the front door of the NHS, bringing total spend on the GP Contract to £13.2 billion in 2025/26. This is the biggest increase in over a decade.Under recently announced changes to the GP Contract, in 2025/26 the ARRS will become more flexible, to allow primary care networks to respond better to local workforce needs. The two ARRS pots will be combined to create a single pot for the reimbursement of patient facing staff costs. There will be no restrictions on the number or type of staff covered, including GPs and practice nurses.

What assessment she has made of the potential merits of continued funding of the Music Hub programme.

Music Hubs play a crucial role in providing music education both within the school curriculum and beyond. The government currently allocates £79 million annually to support the Music Hub programme, including funding for the 2024/25 academic year. The department has not yet confirmed the future funding levels for Music Hubs.

What assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the guidance entitled Working Together to Safeguard Children 2023 in preventing children from being returned to abusive parents.

Local authorities have a duty to protect all children, including those returning home from care.The statutory 'Children Act 1989 guidance and regulations volume 2: care planning, placement and case review' is clear that where the plan is for a child to return to the care of their family when they cease to be looked-after, there should be a robust planning and decision-making process to ensure that this decision is in the best interests of the child and will safeguard and promote their welfare.The multi-agency statutory guidance ‘Working together to safeguard children 2023’ reinforces the legal obligations for individuals and organisations to ensure the safety of children, including those returning home.Local statutory safeguarding partners, such as local authorities, integrated care boards and police chiefs have responsibility for the delivery and monitoring of multi-agency priorities and procedures to protect and safeguard children in the local area, and are required to publish an annual report on the effectiveness of their arrangements.Internal analysis of multi-agency safeguarding arrangements’ annual reports and on the impact of how the ‘Working together to safeguard children 2023' statutory guidance was strengthened in 2023 is encouraging, especially regarding how safeguarding partners are implementing its requirements.Ofsted also has a vital role to play in ensuring that the settings and services that support children are safe and effective, and that children leaving care are given the right support to achieve and thrive, with 100 local authorities now rated Good or Outstanding for children’s services.Protecting children at risk of abuse and stopping vulnerable children falling through cracks in services are at the heart of the government’s landmark Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, introduced on 17 December 2024.The department’s investment in reforms includes over £500 million for Family Help and child protection services. We expect Family Help to provide support where children in care may be able to return safely to their families.