Written questions by Hudson.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether the Government has plans to use Dover Bastion Point as part of the Border Target Operating Model.

The site at Bastion Point is currently retained in a non-operational state. The Government will explore further options for the site in the future. Defra continues to monitor and review the impact of the Border Target Operating Model. We work closely with industry, trade partners and enforcement agencies to minimise disruption and costs to trade, while continuing to protect our biosecurity.

What steps his Department is taking to increase the number of GP surgeries in Epping Forest constituency.

The Government wants everyone to be able to access a primary care professional when they need to. NHS England has overall responsibility for ensuring that there are sufficient primary medical services to meet the reasonable requirements of patients throughout the country. To do so, they will contract providers such as general practices (GPs) to provide these services.It is for local commissioners to determine what services and care pathways to put in place to best serve the needs of their patient population.  We expect commissioners to act if services are not meeting the reasonable needs of their patients. In the event of a closure, commissioners will assess the need for a replacement provider before transferring patients to alternative practices when a GP surgery closes.

Food and Rural Affairs, how much illegal meat coming into the UK was seized in (a) 2023 and (b) 2024.

Illegal meat seizures data captured as part of Defra’s African Swine Fever programme: 2023, 552 seizures, totalling 44,482 kg2024 (Jan- 11 Oct 2024), 576 seizures, totalling 42,470 kg

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help stakeholders prepare for the introduction of the third stage of the Border Target Operating Model on 31 January 2025.

The Government announced on 7 October that Safety and Security declarations will be required for EU imports from 31 January 2025. Readiness is assessed as being on track. A plan is in place that includes a comprehensive list of readiness activity, with engagement well underway with trade. On 13 September, Government announced an extension to the easement of import checks on medium-risk fruit and vegetables imported from the EU from January 2025 to 1 July 2025. Such products will not be subject to import checks at the GB border or charged the associated fees until this date. This easement is a temporary measure to ensure that new ministers have a full and thorough opportunity to review the planned implementation of further border controls, and an opportunity to listen to businesses across import supply chains.

Whether she plans to publish a response to her Department's review of RSHE statutory guidance launched by the previous Administration in May 2024.

The public consultation on the Relationships Education, Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) and Health Education statutory guidance was open for eight weeks and received over 14,300 responses.My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, has been clear that children’s wellbeing must be at the heart of this guidance for schools. Therefore, the government will look carefully at the consultation responses, discuss with stakeholders and consider the relevant evidence, including the Cass Review which has since been published, before setting out next steps.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the implications for his policies of the level of fly-tipping in Epping Forest constituency.

The department has not yet made any formal assessment of the implications of its fly-tipping policies. Local authorities are required to report fly-tipping incidents and enforcement actions to Defra, which the department publishes annually, at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/env24-fly-tipping-incidents-and-actions-taken-in-england. This data isn't available at a constituency level and excludes the majority of private-land incidents.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to tackle fly-tipping in (a) rural, (b) semi-rural and (c) urban communities.

Fly-tipping is a serious crime which blights communities and the environment and dealing with it imposes significant costs on both taxpayers and businesses. In our manifesto we committed to forcing fly-tippers and vandals to clean up the mess that they have created as part of a crackdown on anti-social behaviour. We will provide further details on this commitment, and other actions to tackle fly-tipping, in due course. In the meantime, Defra will continue to chair the National Fly-Tipping Prevention Group through which we work with a wide range of stakeholders such as local authorities, the Environment Agency and National Farmers Union, to promote good practice with regards to tackling fly-tipping, including on private land.

What steps his Department is taking to help improve access to GP appointments in (a) Epping Forest constituency and (b) England.

We know that patients across the country are finding it harder than ever to see a general practitioner (GP), and we are committed to fixing the crisis in GPs. Our plan to restore GPs will require both investment and reform. We will increase the proportion of funding for GPs and are already investing £82 million to recruit 1,000 newly qualified GPs. This will increase the number of GP appointments delivered, secure the future pipeline of GPs, and take pressure off those currently working in the system.Additionally, we will introduce Neighbourhood Health Centres to bring together vital health and care services, ensuring healthcare is closer to home and that patients receive the care they deserve. The Government will also bring back the family doctor by incentivising GPs to see the same patient.

Whether her Department has had discussions with the Mayor of London and Transport for London on improvements to the quality of service on the central line.

Transport in London is devolved and is the responsibility of the Mayor of London and TfL. Government has regular discussions with TfL on a range of issues, however, it is for them to assess the quality of their services and make decisions on investment.

Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to support grassroots sports clubs in Epping Forest.

The Government is committed to ensuring that everyone, regardless of background, has access to and benefits from quality sport and physical activity opportunities.The Government provides the majority of funding for grassroots sport through our Arm’s Length Body, Sport England - which annually invests over £250 million in Exchequer and Lottery funding in areas of greatest need to tackle inactivity levels through community-led solutions.Epping Forest has benefitted from £424,995 of investment under the Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities Programme, the Park Tennis Court Renovation Programme, and the Swimming Pool Support Fund to date.The Government is acting to support more people to get onto the pitch wherever they live through the delivery of £123 million UK-wide through the Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities Programme in 2024/25.

Whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of removing the cap on adult social care costs on the cost of adult social care.

We inherited a commitment to implement charging reform in October 2025, which included the cap on care costs. The full policy would have cost government an additional £4bn by 2030 on adult social care spend per year.Public finances are in their worst position since the Second World War. Funding was not guaranteed by the previous government and preparations for full rollout were not on track, therefore the cap on care costs would have been impossible to deliver by next October.We are committed to building consensus on the long-term reform needed to create a National Care Service based on consistent national standards. We will set out next steps for a process that engages with adult social care stakeholders, including cross-party and people with lived experience of care.

With reference to her Department's guidance for local authorities entitled Travel to school for children of compulsory school age, published in January 2024, if she will make an assessment of the adequacy of Part 1: Local authorities, statutory duty in relation to eligible school children.

The department’s home to school transport policy aims to make sure that no child is prevented from accessing education due to a lack of transport. Local authorities must arrange free travel to school for children of compulsory school age, 5 to 16, who attend their nearest school and would not be able to walk there because of the distance, their special educational needs, disability or mobility problem, or because the nature of the route means it would be unsafe for them to do so. The department formally consulted on the statutory guidance for local authorities in 2019, and continued to engage with key partners until the updated guidance was published in June 2023. We continue to engage with local authorities on a regular basis on this issue.

What steps he is taking to help facilitate access to to Omnipod 5 insulin pumps for people with type 1 diabetes.

Omnipod 5 is one of several insulin pumps that are available through the Insulin Pumps, Continuous Glucose Monitoring, Closed Loop Insulin Delivery Systems and Associated Products Framework hosted by NHS Supply Chain. NICE Technology Appraisal TA943 recommends Hybrid Closed Loop (HCL) systems to eligible type 1 patients. More information on the appraisal is available at the following link:https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ta943HCL links a continuous glucose monitor to an insulin pump, via a computer-based algorithm, to automatically adjust the insulin dosages given and help people with diabetes keep their blood sugar levels stable. Omnipod 5 is available as part of two HCL combinations that are currently included on the NHS Supply Chain framework. NHS England has agreed cost-effective prices with industry suppliers, is promoting the NHS Supply Chain framework for integrated care boards and National Health Service trusts to call off and is offering ICBs reimbursement funding in contributing towards the incremental costs of delivering HCL to their local population.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to ensure the UK's biosecurity.

The department remains vigilant to potential global disease threats and has in place robust measures to prevent and detect disease incursion, as well as maintaining capacity to contain and eradicate outbreaks, should they occur. Our robust, risk-based border control regime safeguards against the import of pests, disease threats and invasive species through trade in animals and plants and their associated products.