Written questions by Timothy.

When she plans to announce the (a) membership of and (b) terms of reference for the regional improvement for standards and excellence stakeholder group.

Regional improvement for standards excellence (RISE) teams have already paired over 350 schools with RISE advisers and supporting organisations, including some of our strongest trusts with a record of turning around struggling schools, to share expertise and boost standards. The department intends to publish the terms of reference, which include membership of the regional improvement for standards and excellence Operations Working Group on GOV.UK following its first meeting in December 2025.

Which funding source is being used to provide the (a) daily stipend and (b) other expenses for regional improvement for standards and excellence advisors.

Regional improvement for standards excellence (RISE) teams have already paired over 350 schools with RISE advisers and supporting organisations, including some of our strongest trusts with a record of turning around struggling schools, to share expertise and boost standards. The RISE Adviser budget forms part of Regions Group's resource departmental expenditure limit programme budget.

What the (a) duration and (b) terms and conditions of contracts are for regional improvement for standards and excellence advisors.

Regional improvement for standards excellence (RISE) teams have already paired over 350 schools with RISE advisers and supporting organisations, including some of our strongest trusts with a record of turning around struggling schools, to share expertise and boost standards.All current regional improvement for standards and excellence advisers’ contracts come to an end 30 April 2027. Advisers are employed via secondment agreement or via Public Sector Resourcing, using standard terms and conditions.

Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 20 October 2025 to Question 78992, how much meat was processed by each slaughterhouse using the (a) halal and (b) shechita methods in each year since 2020.

Data regarding the amount of meat resulting from animals slaughtered using the halal method or the shechita method is not collected.

Whether he plans to include targets to improve the diagnosis times for myeloma in the forthcoming National Cancer Plan for England.

Early diagnosis is a key focus of the National Cancer Plan, which will be published in the new year. It is a priority for the Government to support the National Health Service to diagnose cancer, including myeloma and other blood cancers, as early and quickly as possible, and to treat it faster, to improve outcomes.To tackle late diagnoses of blood cancers, the NHS is implementing non-specific symptom pathways for patients who present with symptoms such as weight loss and fatigue, which do not clearly align to a tumour type. Blood cancers are one of the most common cancer types diagnosed through these pathways.We will get the NHS diagnosing blood cancers earlier and treating it faster, and we will support the NHS to increase capacity to meet the demand for diagnostic services through investment, including for magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography scanners.The National Cancer Plan will include further details on how we will improve outcomes for cancer patients, including speeding up diagnosis and treatment, ensuring patients have access to the latest treatments and technology, and ultimately drive up this country’s cancer survival rates.

What the average processing time was for work visas for social care staff since July 2024.

The information requested is not currently available from published statistics,and the relevant data could only be collated and verified for the purpose ofanswering this question at disproportionate cost.However, it should be noted that those applying under the Health and Care Visabenefit from faster in-country processing times; are exempt from paying theImmigration Health Surcharge (IHS) and pay a lower fee for visas.

Media and Sport, whether she has made a recent assessment of the merits of (a) television licensing and (b) the BBC Charter.

The current BBC Royal Charter is due to expire on 31 December 2027.As the media landscape undergoes the next generational shift, the BBC too must adapt and be supported to do so. This Charter Review is a key opportunity to set the BBC up for success long into the future. It will consider a range of issues, including how the BBC can continue to prosper supported by a sustainable funding model.

What steps his Department taking to increase domestic recruitment of social care staff.

English local authorities have responsibility under the Care Act 2014 to meet social care needs, and statutory guidance directs them to ensure there is sufficient workforce in adult social care.However, the Government recognises the scale of the reforms needed to make the adult social care sector attractive, to support sustainable workforce growth, and to improve the recruitment of the domestic workforce.That is why we plan to introduce the first ever Fair Pay Agreement in 2028, backed by £500 million of funding, to improve pay and conditions for the adult social care workforce. This won’t just improve pay for some of the lowest paid workers in our economy but will also drive critical improvements in recruitment and retention in the sector.Ensuring staff have the skills and training needed to work in social care is also essential, both to attract people to join and remain in the workforce, and for the provision of high-quality care and support. That is why we have developed the Care Workforce Pathway, the first national career framework for adult social care, and we are investing £12 million in learning and development through the Learning and Development Support Scheme, to enable eligible staff to complete eligible courses and qualifications.We have also launched the 2025/26 adult social care recruitment campaign, which is running throughout October and January with advertising appearing on television, social media, radio, and online, showcasing authentic moments in care careers and driving people with the right skills and values to apply for paid vacancies in the sector.

What assessment he has made of the potential merits of increasing the maximum residency period for UK citizens in the EU from 90 days to 180 days.

HMG officials and Ministers, including myself, regularly engage EU and EU Member State counterparts on a range of issues affecting UK nationals. The EU allows for travel within the Schengen Area for up to 90 days in any rolling 180-day period; this is standard for third countries travelling visa-free to the EU. UK nationals planning to stay longer will need permission from the relevant Member State. The UK Government will continue to listen to and advocate for UK nationals.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with European Union counterparts on the residency rights of UK citizens in the EU.

Residency in the EU is primarily a matter for individual Member States, but ministers and officials frequently engage with a range of Member State counterparts to advocate for the rights and interests of British citizens living and working across the EU.

What steps his department is taking for suicide prevention training for (a) police officers, (b) paramedics, (c) firefighters and (d) other emergency responders.

Significant work is underway to strengthen the quality and consistency of training across the system.NHS England published ‘Staying safe from suicide: Best practice guidance for safety assessment, formulation and management’ to support the Government’s work to reduce suicide and improve mental health services. The guidance requires all mental health practitioners to align their practice to the latest evidence in suicide prevention, and is available at the following link:www.england.nhs.uk/publication/staying-safe-from-suicide.The NHS England Medium Term Planning Framework states that in 2026/27, all integrated care boards must ensure mental health practitioners across all providers undertake training and deliver care in line with the ‘Staying safe from suicide’ guidance.

What steps she is taking to improve funding for speech and language (a) support and (b) specialists for children in (i) primary and (ii) secondary schools.

The department, in collaboration with NHS England, has extended the Early Language and Support for Every Child (ELSEC) programme, to strengthen early identification and intervention for children with speech, language and communication needs in early years settings and primary schools.Under the Best Start in Life strategy, the department continues to invest in evidence-based initiatives such as the Nuffield Early Language Intervention, which has demonstrated significant impact on oral language and early literacy, particularly for disadvantaged pupils.Recognising the critical role of speech and language therapists, the department is working closely with the Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England to improve access to community health services, including speech and language therapy, for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to enforce existing legislation against hare coursing.

The enforcement of existing legislation on hare coursing 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.

How many pupils receiving provision in special needs secondary schools live in locations from which it takes longer than 75 minutes to travel to school broken down by (a) local authority and (b) parliamentary constituency.

The requested information is not held by the department.

How many pupils receiving provision in special needs primary schools live in locations from which it takes longer than 45 minutes to travel to school broken down by (a) local authority and (b) parliamentary constituency.

The requested information is not held by the department.

What estimate her Department has made of the (a) total cost and (b) average cost per asylum seeker of adopting Crowborough Training Camp to house asylum seekers; and how much funding her Department plans to provide to Wealden District Council for each asylum seeker.

Lessons have been learned from inherited acquisitions of large sites under the previous government, which we are implementing to inform our future accommodation procurement. We are confident that the level of due diligence carried out on sites has improved, and that value for money assessments take place at the appropriate stage. We are working closely with key stakeholders including local health partners to minimise the impact on the local community. Costs will be included in the Departments Annual Report and Accounts in the normal way.

Food and Rural Affairs, if she will meet representatives from the UK mechanical recycling industry to discuss government support for the industry.

The Collection and Packaging Reforms – Simpler Recycling, Extended Producer Responsibility for Packaging (pEPR) and a Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) – will help stimulate investment in recycling services across the UK. In addition, Defra is working across Government to pinpoint any further interventions necessary to stabilise the sector and set it up for success. The Minister for Nature convened a roundtable with industry earlier this year and senior officials chaired a roundtable with representatives from the recycling industry in September. Government continues to consider how best to engage the sector.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to support the mechanical recycling industry.

The Collection and Packaging Reforms – Simpler Recycling, Extended Producer Responsibility for Packaging (pEPR) and a Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) – will help stimulate investment in recycling services across the UK. In addition, Defra is working across Government to pinpoint any further interventions necessary to stabilise the sector and set it up for success. The Minister for Nature convened a roundtable with industry earlier this year and senior officials chaired a roundtable with representatives from the recycling industry in September. Government continues to consider how best to engage the sector.

If she will make an assessment of the adequacy of safeguards for restricted private hire vehicle licences issued by local authorities.

The Government is responsible for setting the regulatory structure within which 263 licensing authorities in England administer the taxi and private hire vehicle (PHV) licensing regime. Licensing authorities must determine that all taxi and PHV drivers and PHV operators are ‘fit and proper’ to hold a licence but have flexibility on the requirements that must be met to demonstrate this. They must also ensure that vehicles are safe to carry members of the public.The Department for Transport issues guidance to assist licensing authorities to enable the provision of safe and accessible services through proportionate regulation. The Department’s statutory guidance to licensing authorities on exercising their taxi and PHV licensing functions to protect children and vulnerable adults sets out a robust set of safeguarding measures. Licensing authorities must have regard to the guidance and my Department expects them to implement the recommendations unless there is a compelling local reason not to do so. The statutory guidance applies across taxi and PHV licensing, including licences issued on a “restricted” basis.As recommended in the statutory guidance, all taxi and PHV licensing authorities in England (including East Cambridgeshire District Council) have advised the Department that for drivers they require the highest level of vetting available, an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check and a check of both the children’s and adults’ Barred Lists.

If she will make an assessment of the adequacy of the compliance of East Cambridgeshire District Council with her Department's guidance on the provision of restricted private hire vehicle licences.

The Government is responsible for setting the regulatory structure within which 263 licensing authorities in England administer the taxi and private hire vehicle (PHV) licensing regime. Licensing authorities must determine that all taxi and PHV drivers and PHV operators are ‘fit and proper’ to hold a licence but have flexibility on the requirements that must be met to demonstrate this. They must also ensure that vehicles are safe to carry members of the public.The Department for Transport issues guidance to assist licensing authorities to enable the provision of safe and accessible services through proportionate regulation. The Department’s statutory guidance to licensing authorities on exercising their taxi and PHV licensing functions to protect children and vulnerable adults sets out a robust set of safeguarding measures. Licensing authorities must have regard to the guidance and my Department expects them to implement the recommendations unless there is a compelling local reason not to do so. The statutory guidance applies across taxi and PHV licensing, including licences issued on a “restricted” basis.As recommended in the statutory guidance, all taxi and PHV licensing authorities in England (including East Cambridgeshire District Council) have advised the Department that for drivers they require the highest level of vetting available, an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check and a check of both the children’s and adults’ Barred Lists.