Written questions by Davies.

What assessment her Department has made of trends in the levels of wholesale crime.

Shop theft continues to increase at an unacceptable level with more and more offenders using violence and abuse against shopworkers to do this. Everybody has a right to feel safe on the job and this Government is committed to taking retail crime seriously.Partnership working to tackle retail crime is essential. I am committed to chairing the Retail Crime Forum, which the Federation of Wholesale Distributors are a member of, to ensure we understand the needs of all retailers and to promote collaboration between the retail sector, security providers and law enforcement.This Government will introduce a new specific offence for assaults on shopworkers to protect them from violence and abuse. The scope of this new offence will be confirmed when legislation is brought forward.The Home Office Commercial Victimisation Survey 2023, published in May 2024, showed that theft by customer was the most prevalent type of theft experienced in the retail and wholesale sector, experienced by 26% of premises. The wholesale and retail sector experienced a higher prevalence of victimisation (41%) compared with most other commercial sectors.

What steps her Department is taking to help protect wholesale workers from crime.

Shop theft continues to increase at an unacceptable level with more and more offenders using violence and abuse against shopworkers to do this. Everybody has a right to feel safe on the job and this Government is committed to taking retail crime seriously.Partnership working to tackle retail crime is essential. I am committed to chairing the Retail Crime Forum, which the Federation of Wholesale Distributors are a member of, to ensure we understand the needs of all retailers and to promote collaboration between the retail sector, security providers and law enforcement.This Government will introduce a new specific offence for assaults on shopworkers to protect them from violence and abuse. The scope of this new offence will be confirmed when legislation is brought forward.The Home Office Commercial Victimisation Survey 2023, published in May 2024, showed that theft by customer was the most prevalent type of theft experienced in the retail and wholesale sector, experienced by 26% of premises. The wholesale and retail sector experienced a higher prevalence of victimisation (41%) compared with most other commercial sectors.

Whether she plans to introduce specific protections for wholesale workers.

Shop theft continues to increase at an unacceptable level with more and more offenders using violence and abuse against shopworkers to do this. Everybody has a right to feel safe on the job and this Government is committed to taking retail crime seriously.Partnership working to tackle retail crime is essential. I am committed to chairing the Retail Crime Forum, which the Federation of Wholesale Distributors are a member of, to ensure we understand the needs of all retailers and to promote collaboration between the retail sector, security providers and law enforcement.This Government will introduce a new specific offence for assaults on shopworkers to protect them from violence and abuse. The scope of this new offence will be confirmed when legislation is brought forward.The Home Office Commercial Victimisation Survey 2023, published in May 2024, showed that theft by customer was the most prevalent type of theft experienced in the retail and wholesale sector, experienced by 26% of premises. The wholesale and retail sector experienced a higher prevalence of victimisation (41%) compared with most other commercial sectors.

What steps she is taking with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care to develop a coordinated strategy for managing the health and wellbeing of children in custodial settings during future pandemics.

The Youth Custody Service (part of HMPPS) works with the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), the Department for Education, and NHS England’s Health & Justice Children's Team to ensure a co-ordinated strategy for managing the health and wellbeing of children in custodial settings, and to ensure appropriate resources and guidance are developed to support the children and young people secure estate (CYPSE) in responding to any new or emerging threats, including a future pandemic. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, the UKHSA with the support of the Youth Custody Service and other partners, commissioned a review into how to improve guidance and resources for secure children's settings on preventing and responding to infectious disease threats. Following this review, UKHSA has worked with partners on a co-ordinated strategy to ensure that these recommendations inform continuing work on preventing, preparing for and responding to infectious disease threats, and on pandemic preparedness in the CYPSE. The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Youth Custody Services – the final report of the Youth Custody Service’s COVID-19 Research and Evaluation Programme, published in October 2022 – is an extensive piece of research across the secure estate, which captured and assessed the experience of dealing with the threat of COVID-19. The results have not only informed recovery planning, but also became part of the wider plan to prepare for any future pandemic. Establishments and providers have been given greater flexibility in learning from this report to enable them to meet the individual needs of children, by enabling holistic and tailored service delivery, that is evidence-based.

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of issuing guidance to prisons on supporting children in custody in different pandemic scenarios.

The Youth Custody Service (part of HMPPS) works with the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), the Department for Education, and NHS England’s Health & Justice Children's Team to ensure a co-ordinated strategy for managing the health and wellbeing of children in custodial settings, and to ensure appropriate resources and guidance are developed to support the children and young people secure estate (CYPSE) in responding to any new or emerging threats, including a future pandemic. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, the UKHSA with the support of the Youth Custody Service and other partners, commissioned a review into how to improve guidance and resources for secure children's settings on preventing and responding to infectious disease threats. Following this review, UKHSA has worked with partners on a co-ordinated strategy to ensure that these recommendations inform continuing work on preventing, preparing for and responding to infectious disease threats, and on pandemic preparedness in the CYPSE. The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Youth Custody Services – the final report of the Youth Custody Service’s COVID-19 Research and Evaluation Programme, published in October 2022 – is an extensive piece of research across the secure estate, which captured and assessed the experience of dealing with the threat of COVID-19. The results have not only informed recovery planning, but also became part of the wider plan to prepare for any future pandemic. Establishments and providers have been given greater flexibility in learning from this report to enable them to meet the individual needs of children, by enabling holistic and tailored service delivery, that is evidence-based.

What steps his Department is taking to reduce death rates from (a) alcohol, (b) drugs and (c) suicide in (a) the North and (b) coastal regions.

A vital part of delivering the Health Mission shift to prevention will be action to reduce the number of deaths due to alcohol and drug use, especially in deprived areas. In England, rates of drug poisoning and drug misuse deaths have a marked north-south divide, with the North East of England having consistently seen the highest rate of drug and alcohol deaths over the previous decade.The Department is continuing to invest in improvements to local drug and alcohol treatment and recovery services to ensure that those in need can access high quality help and support. The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities has an action plan to reduce drug and alcohol-related deaths, which is being reviewed in light of the recent Office of National Statistics data, to ensure that it is grounded in the latest understanding of the drivers of drug and alcohol related deaths, and is responding to these. Additionally, the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities has published Commissioning quality standard: alcohol and drug services, which provides guidance for local authorities to support them in commissioning effective alcohol and drug treatment and recovery services in their areas. Further information on the guidance is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/commissioning-quality-standard-alcohol-and-drug-servicesThe Department continues to work with all local areas to address unmet need and drug and alcohol misuse deaths, and to drive improvements in the continuity of care. This includes the Unmet Need Toolkit which can be used by local areas to assess local need and the causes of mortality, in order to plan to meet it.Earlier this year the Department published guidance for local authorities and their partnerships on how to review adult drug and alcohol-related deaths and near-fatal overdoses to prevent future deaths. This is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/preventing-drug-and-alcohol-deaths-partnership-review-process/preventing-drug-and-alcohol-deaths-partnership-review-processIt also published guidance on incident planning and preparedness for the emerging threat of potent synthetic opioids.As part of the NHS Long Term Plan, over £30 million of national funding has been invested between 2019 and 2025, on an ambitious programme to establish new, or optimise existing, Alcohol Care Teams (ACTs) in the 25% hospitals with the highest need, which is 47 out of 188 eligible sites in England. The ACTs identify people in hospital whose ill health is related to alcohol use, commence treatment for alcohol dependence, and refer to community alcohol treatment on discharge.The Government has committed to tackling suicide as one the biggest killers in this country. The 8,500 new mental health workers we will recruit will be specially trained to support people at risk to reduce the lives lost to suicide. The Suicide Prevention Strategy for England, published in September 2023, identifies a number of targeted actions at a national level. We are exploring opportunities to go further.79 organisations have been allocated funding up to March 2025 from the £10 million Suicide Prevention Grant Fund and are delivering a broad and diverse range of activity that will prevent suicides and save lives including in the North and in coastal areas. Organisations benefitting include Lancaster Men’s Hub, Stockton and District Advice and Information Service, and Cornwall Neighbourhoods for Change Ltd.

What steps his Department is taking to reduce alcohol-specific deaths.

A vital part of delivering the Health Mission shift to prevention will be action to reduce the health harms and resulting deaths from excess alcohol consumption. The Department is continuing to invest in improvements to local drug and alcohol treatment services. Funding for drug and alcohol treatment services is provided through the Public Health Grant. In addition to the Public Health Grant, the Department allocated local authorities £267 million in 2024/25 to improve the quality and capacity of drug and alcohol treatment and recovery. An additional £105 million from the Department of Health and Social Care, the Department for Work and Pensions, and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government is improving treatment pathways and recovery, housing, and employment outcomes for people affected by drug and alcohol use.Earlier this year the Department published guidance for local authorities and their partnerships on how to review adult drug and alcohol-related deaths and near-fatal overdoses to prevent future deaths. This is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/preventing-drug-and-alcohol-deaths-partnership-review-process/preventing-drug-and-alcohol-deaths-partnership-review-processAdditionally, the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities has published Commissioning quality standard: alcohol and drug services, which provides guidance for local authorities to support them in commissioning effective alcohol and drug treatment and recovery services in their areas. Further information on the guidance is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/commissioning-quality-standard-alcohol-and-drug-servicesThe Department will soon publish the UK Clinical guidelines on alcohol treatment, which will include recommendations on developing effective, accessible, and inclusive services. The Department continues to work with all local areas to address unmet need and drug and alcohol misuse deaths, and to drive improvements in the continuity of care. This includes the Unmet Need Toolkit which can be used by local areas to assess local need, and plan to meet it.As part of the NHS Long Term Plan, over £30 million of national funding has been invested between 2019 and 2025, on an ambitious programme to establish new, or optimise existing, Alcohol Care Teams (ACTs) in the 25% hospitals with the highest need, which is 47 out of 188 eligible sites in England. The ACTs identify people in hospital whose ill health is related to alcohol use, commence treatment for alcohol dependence, and refer to community alcohol treatment on discharge.

What steps his Department is taking to help tackle regional inequalities in community resilience in the national resilience review.

The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster committed to undertaking a review of UK national resilience in his statement to the House of Commons on 19 July, in response to the Covid-19 Inquiry’s Module 1 report. The review is expected to conclude in Spring 2025. It will be informed by the voices of local leaders, the Four Nations, businesses, voluntary and community sector representatives and academics. It will also consider recommendations from public inquiries into Covid-19 and the Grenfell Tower tragedy. As part of this review I recently met with representatives of those disproportionately impacted during crises, faith groups, businesses and charities who support a range of communities, and earlier in the year convened a roundtable of 11 Northern Local Resilience Forum representatives during a recent visit to the North East.

If he will take steps to use evidence-based measures of community resilience for funding decisions.

The UK’s long standing resilience architecture is based upon the concept of subsidiarity, where local responders are best placed to identify the risks in their areas, understand the needs of their communities and to put appropriate plans and capability in place to respond to those risks. The Government has commenced a review of resilience, which includes considering how we can help Local Resilience Forums strengthen resilience throughout their communities. Treasury guidance already sets out requirements for policymakers to consider the appraisal and evaluation of policies and programmes.

What steps she plans to take to ensure (a) teachers and (b) school staff have adequate (i) knowledge of and (ii) confidence in teaching autistic children.

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 in their education and as they move into adult life. The department is committed to improving inclusivity and expertise in mainstream schools, as well as ensuring special schools cater to those with the most complex needs.All teachers are teachers of SEND, and high quality teaching is central to ensuring that pupils with SEND are given the best possible opportunity to achieve at school. Consideration of SEND underpins the Initial Teacher Training (ITT) Core Content Framework (CCF) and Early Career Framework (ECF). These frameworks were produced with the support of sector experts and have been designed to support all pupils to succeed, including those identified within the four areas of need set out in the SEND Code of Practice.All mainstream schools must have a special educational needs co-ordinator (SENCO) who must be a qualified teacher, or the headteacher, working at the school. On 1 September 2024, the government introduced a new mandatory leadership level National Professional Qualification (NPQ) for SENCOs. The NPQ will play a key role in improving outcomes for children and young people with SEND by ensuring SENCOs consistently receive high quality, evidence-based training. This is crucial given the central role SENCOs play in supporting pupils with SEND.Universal SEND Services brings together SEND-specific continuing professional development and support for the school and further education workforce. The programme aims to improve outcomes for children and young people, including those with autism. The contract offers autism awareness training and resources. Over 200,000 professionals have received autism training from an Autism Education Trust training partner since the programme launched in May 2022.

What assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the national standards underpinning transitional support provided to young people with SEND.

For too long the education and care system has not met the needs of all children and young people, particularly those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), with parents struggling to get their children the support they need and deserve.This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with SEND receive the right support to succeed in their education and develop the skills they need as they move into adult life. We are committed to improving inclusivity and expertise in mainstream settings, as well as ensuring special schools cater to those with the most complex needs, restoring parents’ trust that their child will get the support they need.The department is working closely with experts on reforms and recently appointed Dame Christine Lenehan as Strategic Advisor for SEND. Dame Christine will play a key role in convening and engaging with the sector, including leaders, practitioners, children and families, as the department considers the next steps for the future of SEND reform.Successful transitions must be well-planned. Poor support for and around transitions was a clear theme in the issues raised when the previous government consulted on the SEND and alternative provision green paper of March 2022.All local authorities must set out the support available to help children and young people with SEND prepare for and transition to adulthood as part of their local offer. This should be co-produced with children, young people, and their families to ensure it meets local needs.For children and young people with an education, health, and care (EHC) plan, there must be a focus from year 9 onwards on preparing the young person for adulthood as part of their plan’s annual review. This focus must continue until the young person’s EHC plan ceases. Planning for the transition to adulthood should result in clear outcomes being agreed that are ambitious and stretching, and which are tailored to the needs and interests of the young person.Ofsted undertook a thematic review into ‘Preparation for Adulthood’ this year to find out the extent to which local area partners are working together effectively to prepare children and young people with SEND for adulthood. The report’s findings are expected to be published soon.

What assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the commissioning of local children services to ensure that every young person with SEND has access to (a) timely and (b) quality transition support.

For too long the education and care system has not met the needs of all children and young people, particularly those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), with parents struggling to get their children the support they need and deserve.This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with SEND receive the right support to succeed in their education and develop the skills they need as they move into adult life. We are committed to improving inclusivity and expertise in mainstream settings, as well as ensuring special schools cater to those with the most complex needs, restoring parents’ trust that their child will get the support they need.The department is working closely with experts on reforms and recently appointed Dame Christine Lenehan as Strategic Advisor for SEND. Dame Christine will play a key role in convening and engaging with the sector, including leaders, practitioners, children and families, as the department considers the next steps for the future of SEND reform.Successful transitions must be well-planned. Poor support for and around transitions was a clear theme in the issues raised when the previous government consulted on the SEND and alternative provision green paper of March 2022.All local authorities must set out the support available to help children and young people with SEND prepare for and transition to adulthood as part of their local offer. This should be co-produced with children, young people, and their families to ensure it meets local needs.For children and young people with an education, health, and care (EHC) plan, there must be a focus from year 9 onwards on preparing the young person for adulthood as part of their plan’s annual review. This focus must continue until the young person’s EHC plan ceases. Planning for the transition to adulthood should result in clear outcomes being agreed that are ambitious and stretching, and which are tailored to the needs and interests of the young person.Ofsted undertook a thematic review into ‘Preparation for Adulthood’ this year to find out the extent to which local area partners are working together effectively to prepare children and young people with SEND for adulthood. The report’s findings are expected to be published soon.

What steps her Department is taking to help ensure young people with SEND develop real skills for life.

For too long the education and care system has not met the needs of all children and young people, particularly those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), with parents struggling to get their children the support they need and deserve. This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with SEND receive the right support to succeed in their education and develop the skills they need as they move into adult life. We are committed to improving inclusivity and expertise in mainstream settings, as well as ensuring special schools cater to those with the most complex needs, restoring parents’ trust that their child will get the support they need. As part of our commitment to helping children and young people with SEND to develop the skills they need as they move into adult life, the department is investing up to £18 million until 2025 to build capacity in supported internships. We aim to double the number of internships each year to around 4,500, to support more young people with education, health and care (EHC) plans to gain the skills to transition into employment. The SEND code of practice is clear that all children and young people with SEND should be prepared for adulthood. This includes supporting children and young people to develop independence, contribute to their community, develop positive friendships, be as healthy as possible and, for the majority of young people, prepare them for higher education and/or employment. For those with an EHC plan, there must be a focus from year 9 onwards on preparing the young person for adulthood as part of their plan’s annual review. This focus must continue until the young person’s EHC plan ceases. Planning for the transition to adulthood should result in clear outcomes being agreed that are ambitious and stretching, and which are tailored to the needs and interests of the young person. Ofsted undertook a thematic review into ‘Preparation for Adulthood’ this year to find out the extent to which local area partners are working together effectively to prepare children and young people with SEND for adulthood. The report’s findings are expected to be available soon.

If he will publish a breakdown of the cost to the public purse of NHS spend on (a) branded pharmaceuticals, (b) generic pharmaceuticals and (c) companion diagnostics in the last 12 months.

On 7 November 2024, the NHS Business Service Authority published data on the costs of medicines, appliances, dressings, and medical devices prescribed within primary and secondary care in England. This report is available at the following link:https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/statistical-collections/prescribing-costs-hospitals-and-community-england/prescribing-costs-hospitals-and-community-england-2023-24.A breakdown of the prescribing costs in England between branded and generic medicines is available for primary care only, and can be found at the following link:https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/statistical-collections/prescription-cost-analysis-england/prescription-cost-analysis-england-202324.Such publications do not account for income received under the 2024 voluntary scheme for branded medicines pricing, access, and growth (VPAG) or the statutory scheme. Information on how the VPAG and the statutory scheme, which operate United Kingdom-wide, control the cost of sales of branded medicines to the National Health Service is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/voluntary-scheme-quarterly-net-sales-and-payment-informationVPAG and statutory scheme sales data does not reflect the total cost to the NHS. The publication reports net sales of non-exempt products and non-exempt companies only, and is exclusive of additional costs such as pharmacy and wholesaler margins.

If he will make an estimate of the projected net NHS spend on medicines (a) before and (b) after accounting for forecast rebates due via the (i) Voluntary Scheme for Branded Medicines Pricing, Access and Growth and (ii) Branded Health Service Medicines (costs) Regulations 2018 for the next five years.

Annex 3 of the document titled Annexes to the 2024 Voluntary Scheme for Branded Medicines Pricing, Access and Growth outlines the forecasts of measured sales and payments from branded medicines. This document is available at the following link:https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/657b2993254aaa000d050de1/Annexes-2024-voluntary-scheme-for-branded-medicines-pricing-access-and-growth.pdf

What steps he plans to take to ensure that the priorities of (a) children and (b) young people with cancer are included within the ten-year plan.

We are committed to getting the National Health Service diagnosing cancer earlier and treating it faster, so that more patients survive this horrible set of diseases. This includes children, teenagers, and young adults.The Department is taking steps to improving waiting times for cancer diagnosis across all cancer patient groups in England. We will start by delivering an extra 40,000 scans, appointments, and operations each week to ensure that patients are seen as quickly as possible.We are also working with the NHS to maximise the pace of the roll-out of additional diagnostic capacity, delivering the final year of the three-year investment plan for establishing Community Diagnostic Centres, with capacity prioritised for cancer. This will help us continue to meet the Faster Diagnosis Standard, which aims to ensure that over 75% patients have cancer diagnosed or ruled out within 28 days of referral from a general practice (GP) or screening service.To support timely and effective referrals, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has set out detailed guidance for GPs on the symptoms of cancer in children and young people, recommending referral within 48 hours for those presenting with a range of potential cancer symptoms.Lord Darzi’s independent investigation into the NHS highlighted that there is more to be done to increase the speed at which patients are diagnosed with and treated for cancer. His report will inform our 10-year plan to reform the NHS, which will include further details on how we will improve cancer diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes. This includes children and young people.On 21 October 2024, the Department launched a national engagement exercise to inform the plan. We encourage people and organisations who would like to share their views on the priorities of children and young people with cancer to do so via the online platform, change.NHS.UK. Following the engagement exercise, the Department will carefully consider how the priorities of this group should be reflected in the plan and any subsequent work.

What steps he is taking to improve (a) diagnosis and (b) referral rates for 13–24-year-olds with cancer.

We are committed to getting the National Health Service diagnosing cancer earlier and treating it faster, so that more patients survive this horrible set of diseases. This includes children, teenagers, and young adults.The Department is taking steps to improving waiting times for cancer diagnosis across all cancer patient groups in England. We will start by delivering an extra 40,000 scans, appointments, and operations each week to ensure that patients are seen as quickly as possible.We are also working with the NHS to maximise the pace of the roll-out of additional diagnostic capacity, delivering the final year of the three-year investment plan for establishing Community Diagnostic Centres, with capacity prioritised for cancer. This will help us continue to meet the Faster Diagnosis Standard, which aims to ensure that over 75% patients have cancer diagnosed or ruled out within 28 days of referral from a general practice (GP) or screening service.To support timely and effective referrals, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has set out detailed guidance for GPs on the symptoms of cancer in children and young people, recommending referral within 48 hours for those presenting with a range of potential cancer symptoms.Lord Darzi’s independent investigation into the NHS highlighted that there is more to be done to increase the speed at which patients are diagnosed with and treated for cancer. His report will inform our 10-year plan to reform the NHS, which will include further details on how we will improve cancer diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes. This includes children and young people.On 21 October 2024, the Department launched a national engagement exercise to inform the plan. We encourage people and organisations who would like to share their views on the priorities of children and young people with cancer to do so via the online platform, change.NHS.UK. Following the engagement exercise, the Department will carefully consider how the priorities of this group should be reflected in the plan and any subsequent work.

What progress his Department has made on the NHS Long Term plan target of increasing clinical trial participation for children and young people with cancer to 50% by 2025.

The Department is committed to maximising our potential to lead the world in clinical trials and ensuring clinical trials are more accessible, including for children and young people. The Department does not hold data on the overall percentage of children and young people with cancer that are enrolled in clinical trials nationwide, but does collect data on participation through National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) funded infrastructure.The Department funds research and research infrastructure through the NIHR. NIHR-funded infrastructure is enabling clinical trial participation for children and young people with cancer. In particular, the NIHR Clinical Research Network, now the NIHR Research Delivery Network, supported 117 cancer studies which children and young people were eligible for between 2021/22 and 2023/24, and across all these studies, 6904 total participants were recruited during this timeframe.Through the NIHR, the Department also jointly funds the Experimental Cancer Medicine Centre Paediatric Cancer Network with Cancer Research UK and the Little Princess Trust, which brings together clinicians and translational scientists to run early phase clinical trials for children and young people with cancer.

Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate his Department made of the number of cases of avian influenza within the game bird population.

The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) assesses the impact gamebird releases have on the likelihood of transmission of avian influenza to wild birds, and between wild birds and kept birds. These risk assessments are available as part of the APHA’s ‘Animal diseases: international and UK monitoring’ collection on GOV.UK.

Innovation and Technology, what discussions he has had with Ofcom on the adequacy of its reporting on the quality of phone signals for consumers.

Far too often the data published by Ofcom does not match consumers’ experience of using mobile networks. I wrote to Ofcom in August, asking them to set out steps to improve their mobile coverage reporting. I have also met with the regulator to discuss the concerns raised in my letter, and Ofcom has agreed to explore what steps could reasonably be taken to improve the data.