Written questions by Duncan-Jordan.

What steps the Government is taking to encourage people to buy electric vehicles.

The Government offers several incentives to encourage people to buy electric vehicles. £120m of new funding was announced at the Autumn Budget to support the purchase of zero emission vans and wheelchair accessible vehicles through the Plug-in Vehicle Grants next financial year. Grants will also continue to incentivise the purchase of zero emission motorcycles, taxis, and trucks until at least the end of the 2024/25 financial year. There are also several tax measures designed to encourage the adoption of zero emission vehicles. They are exempt from paying Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) until April 2025, after which they will pay the lowest first year rates of VED at £10. Favourable Company Car Tax rates have also been set out to 2030 and will continue to strongly incentivise electric vehicle uptake.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to permit the controlled release of beavers into the countryside.

This is a devolved matter and the information provided therefore relates to England only. Defra will continue to work with Natural England to develop our approach to beaver reintroductions and management in England. Further information on this will be published in due course.

Innovation and Technology, whether he plans to take steps to ensure that the use of AI does not lead to large scale job losses.

A technology as transformative as AI will inevitably have an impact on the UK labour market. The Get Britain Working White Paper sets out how we will address key labour market challenges and spread opportunity. A key element of the AI Opportunities Action Plan, and our broader work on education, is focused on ensuring citizens have the right skills to adopt and take advantage of AI capabilities. We are working across government to understand and address the challenges and opportunities that AI presents.

What plans he has to meet with the leadership of the Lobular Moon Shot Project to discuss funding.

The Department invests £1.5 billion each year on research through its research delivery arm, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). NIHR research expenditure for all cancers was £133 million in 2023/24 reflecting its high priority.There are no current plans to meet with the leadership of the Lobular Moon Shot Project to discuss funding. Officials meet regularly with partners to discuss research investments and priorities. We are proud to have invested £29 million into the Institute of Cancer Research and the Royal Marsden NIHR Biological Research Centre in 2022, supporting their efforts to strengthen research into cancer, including lobular breast cancer. Wider investments into breast cancer research include a £1.3 million project to determine whether an abbreviated form of breast magnetic resonance imaging can detect breast cancers missed by screening through mammography, including lobular breast cancer. NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including into lobular breast cancer. Applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money and scientific quality.

With reference to page 24 of the Animals in Science Regulation Unit’s annual report for 2023, published on 17 December 2024, what steps her Department is taking to improve the ability of the inspection regime to detect animal welfare failings.

The Regulator’s annual report details the range of ways in which it detects non-compliance and seeks to drive greater compliance.Through a current regulatory reform programme, the Regulator is presently recruiting to have more Inspectors for compliance related activities and will be reviewing its compliance regime for continuous improvement.To provide assurance of compliance with the Regulations, the Regulator provides clear and accessible guidance and conducts regular on-site audits. The published framework for audit is based on clear benchmarks and assessing compliance through organisational governance to encourage greater commitment to compliance.

With reference to the Animals in Science Regulation Unit's Annual Report for 2023, published on 17 December 2024, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of (a) letters of reprimand and (b) other sanctions in response to (i) animals dying after being left without food or water and (ii) other animal welfare failings.

The Home Office takes non-compliance with the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 very seriously .The Regulator applies proportionate sanctions in cases of non-compliance in accordance with its published compliance policy, which aims to reduce the risk of future non-compliance.More rigorous sanctions are used in cases where animal welfare is impacted or there are significant systems failures.For cases of non-compliance where animals experienced adverse welfare outcomes there was a 48% reduction in 2023 compared to 2022.

Pursuant to the Answer of 18 December 2024 to Question 19860, Prisons: Repairs and Maintenance, whether the expected performance parameters of private sector providers have changed since these contracts were awarded.

The performance parameters of private sector providers are subject to ongoing contract management and are reviewed and, where appropriate, changed to align with the business requirements.

Pursuant to the Answer of 18 December 2024 to Question 19860 on Prisons: Repairs and Maintenance, if she will publish the 2023 assessment.

The assessment carried out in partnership with the Cabinet Office in 2023, was conducted in line with Cabinet Office guidance and was consistent with the options appraisal approach prescribed by HM Treasury. The information contained within the assessment is commercially sensitive and as such there is no intention to publish the assessment as this may prejudice future procurement exercises.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to reform the marine licensing process.

The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) is responsible for the operation of the marine licensing system. With Defra, the MMO seeks continuous improvement to ensure the system is streamlined, cost effective and proportionate, and supports economic growth and the delivery of environmental benefits. Defra is considering options for future reform which would be subject to stakeholder consultation in due course.

Whether her Department plans to redistribute sea worthy boats used in migrant crossings to youth groups such as Sea Scouts.

The material and equipment rescued by Border Force from small boat crossings is usually totally unsuitable for any use, and there are therefore no plans to redistribute it as suggested.

Whether she plans the Young Future Hubs to be jointly run with third sector partners.

Young Futures Hubs will bring together services to improve access to opportunities and support for young people at community level, promoting positive outcomes, supporting crime prevention and enabling young people to thrive. The department will make use of existing structures and build upon the successes of existing provision, partnerships and support. By having a more cohesive and integrated approach, with strategic centre points coordinating activity, we will reach more young people.Officials from across a range of departments are working together, using evidence of what works, to start to shape how the Young Futures Hubs will work in practice. We will require input and expertise from across the sector to design these hubs and will be engaging with local communities, the police, charities and other key partners to seek views on the design of the programme and explore options for their delivery. This includes considerations of the most suitable locations as well as how best to engage with those young people who would benefit most from their support.We will provide further detail on the future timelines for delivery as the work develops.

Whether Dorset will receive a Young Future Hub.

Young Futures Hubs will bring together services to improve access to opportunities and support for young people at community level, promoting positive outcomes, supporting crime prevention and enabling young people to thrive. The department will make use of existing structures and build upon the successes of existing provision, partnerships and support. By having a more cohesive and integrated approach, with strategic centre points coordinating activity, we will reach more young people.Officials from across a range of departments are working together, using evidence of what works, to start to shape how the Young Futures Hubs will work in practice. We will require input and expertise from across the sector to design these hubs and will be engaging with local communities, the police, charities and other key partners to seek views on the design of the programme and explore options for their delivery. This includes considerations of the most suitable locations as well as how best to engage with those young people who would benefit most from their support.We will provide further detail on the future timelines for delivery as the work develops.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will take steps to (a) incorporate marine ecosystems into the Greenhouse Gas Inventory and (b) ensure that (i) land and (ii) sea are integrated into the carbon capture strategy.

Defra is working in partnership with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero and Devolved Administrations – through the UK Blue Carbon Evidence Partnership – to address evidence gaps that currently prevent the inclusion of coastal and marine habitats in the Greenhouse Gas Inventory. Defra Group have funded five flux towers to provide important carbon emissions data for saltmarsh habitats. Alongside investment to deliver a roadmap setting out the steps needed for potential inclusion of saltmarsh in the Greenhouse Gas Inventory. Other marine habitats will be kept in consideration as the evidence base around them develops. Defra is committed to developing nature-based solutions to climate change on both land and sea. As demonstrated by the inclusion of both saltmarsh and seagrass as habitats in our net zero pathway, alongside a commitment of over £400 million of support for tree planting and peatland restoration in the Autumn Budget. Carbon Capture Usage and Storage (CCUS) will be essential to meeting our climate commitments. CCUS is used for the deep decarbonisation of certain industries – such as cement and chemicals – which have no alternative to decarbonise. In developing its thinking the Government will consider options and implications for delivering CCUS on both land and sea.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to support active restoration of coastal ecosystems; and if he will take steps to amend the licensing framework for that restoration.

The Government recognises that protecting, restoring, and sustainably managing coastal and marine habitats – such as saltmarsh, seagrass and native oyster reefs – can provide biodiversity, climate adaptation and climate mitigation benefits. Defra has funded restoration of coastal ecosystems through schemes such as the Water Environment Improvement Fund and the Environmental Land Management Countryside Stewardship scheme. Defra is also funding the development of a Saltmarsh Code to enable saltmarsh carbon to be traded as a carbon offset and help drive private finance towards nature restoration. The Environment Agency’s Restoring Meadow, Marsh and Reef initiative is working to restore seagrass meadows, saltmarsh and native oyster reefs. It is working in partnership with environmental non-government organisations, industry, community groups, and academia to identify innovative funding opportunities, streamline regulatory processes, build capacity and share knowledge with partners to facilitate a larger programme of restoration. Defra officials are working with arms-length bodies to understand whether improvements could be made to the marine licensing regime to ensure that it appropriately enables habitat restoration.

How many people with a frozen overseas state pension live in (a) Canada and (b) Australia.

Data on State Pension caseloads that are not uprated overseas are published and this can be found on Stat-Xplore. Users can log in or access Stat-Xplore as a guest user and, if needed, can access guidance on how to extract the information required. As of the quarter ending May 2024, the number of individuals with an overseas state pension that live in a) Canada are 110,860 and b) Australia are 203,699.

If he will take steps to expand the reach of Start for Life services to (a) Poole and (b) other local authorities.

The Prime Minister’s Plan for Change outlined that there will be investment to continue to build up the Family Hubs and Start for Life programme. In 2025/26, this investment will fund the 75 local authorities in England with high levels of deprivation that are part of the existing programme.We will continue to evaluate the programme and assess evidence to support wider rollout in future financial years.

What steps she is taking to help protect funding streams for specialist domestic abuse services.

Supporting victims and witnesses remains a priority focus for the Department and ministers. Collectively we are committed to the Government’s pledge to halve Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) in a decade.As such, I have decided to protect VAWG victims’ spending in the Department by maintaining the same levels of funding for domestic abuse and sexual violence support for the next financial year (2025/26). Furthermore, in addition to providing a ‘core’ grant for services to support victims of all crime, I am providing ringfenced funding for Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) to commission domestic abuse and sexual violence support services, according to local need.

What steps he is taking to increase (a) the level of funding for and (b) access to Children's and Young People's Gender Services.

As my rt. Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, set out during his oral statement to Parliament on 11 December 2024, the Government and NHS England are committed to implementing the recommendations of the Cass Review.NHS England has opened three new services in the North West, London, and Bristol that offer a fundamentally different clinical model, embedding multi-disciplinary teams in specialist children’s hospitals. A fourth service in the East of England will open in spring of next year. NHS England is making progress towards its commitment for there to be a specialist children’s gender service in every region by 2026, which will increase capacity and reduce the waiting list.Investment in children and young people’s gender services in 2024/25 has more than doubled compared to 2023/24 and this will increase further as new services are established.

With reference to the oral statement entitled Puberty-suppressing Hormones of 11 December 2024, Official Report, column 914, what groups representing trans youth he consulted with before making his decision to extend the ban on puberty blockers.

A full list of groups which represent trans youth and that were consulted as part of the Government’s targeted consultation is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/proposed-changes-to-the-availability-of-puberty-blockers-for-under-18s/outcome/9702c8a7-3299-4a01-94dc-a63861786dd9

What estimate she has made of the potential savings to the public purse of means testing the winter fuel payment.

It is estimated that the changes to Winter Fuel Payments in England and Wales will save around £1.3 billion in 2024/25, rising to £1.5 billion by 2029/30. This figure has been published in the Office of Budget Responsibility’s Economic and Fiscal Outlook (October 2024), available here: https://obr.uk/docs/dlm_uploads/OBR_Economic_and_fiscal_outlook_Oct_2024.pdf