Written questions by Moon.

Whether he has made an assessment of the extent of geographical variation in access to NHS ear syringing and ear wax removal services; and what plans he has to support Integrated Care Boards to ensure consistent provision of these services.

The Department has not made a specific assessment. Integrated care boards have a statutory responsibility to commission cost-effective healthcare to meet the needs of their local populations. Guidance for patients on ear wax build-up, including when to seek advice from a pharmacist or general practitioner, is available at the following link:https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/earwax-build-up/

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether her Department has considered the potential merits of reforming the funding model of the BBC World Service so that it is fully funded by Government.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 25 February in response to Question 114008.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to support the long‑term sustainability of the BBC World Service.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 25 February in response to Question 114008.

Communities and Local Government, what oversight exists to ensure that housebuilders’ commitments to the Competition and Markets Authority regarding estate management governance are being delivered in practice, and what recourse is available to residents where those commitments are not being met.

I refer the hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 18 December 2025 (HCWS1210).

What assessment she has made of capacity considerations in class sizes for Key Stage 1 and 2 in schools with high levels of SEND; and whether she will consider a needs‑weighted pupil cap to reflect the additional time and support required.

The School Standards and Framework Act 1998 limits the size of an infant class to 30 pupils per teacher. An infant class is one in which the majority of children will reach the age of 5, 6 or 7 during the school year, i.e. Reception, Year 1 and Year 2.Through the reforms outlined in the Schools White Paper, we will ensure that children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) get the right support at every stage of their education.We are also committed to supporting local areas to create high-quality places that are suitable to meet the needs of children and young people with SEND, by investing at least £3.7 billion in high needs capital funding between 2025/26 and 2029/30. This is to support local authorities to provide places for children and young people with SEND, or who require alternative provision, across early years settings, schools, and colleges.As well as this, we are providing around £1.8 billion over the next three years for local area partnerships, including local authorities and Integrated Care Boards, to work together to develop a new ‘Experts at Hand’ offer. This is designed to strengthen the capability of mainstream education settings by providing access to professionals such as educational psychologists and speech and language or occupational therapists, providing earlier intervention and support for young people.

Whether the proposed Electric Vehicle Excise Duty pay per mile charge for plug in hybrid vehicles will apply only to the mileage driven using electric power, or to the vehicle’s total mileage.

Electric and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) cars will be in scope of electric Vehicle Excise Duty (eVED) on the basis they can be plugged in to charge, where the electricity input is not subject to a fuel duty equivalent. PHEVs have the capacity to drive in either electric or petrol mode and will continue to pay fuel duty on miles driven in petrol mode. In recognition of this, they will be subject to a reduced eVED rate of 1.5 pence per mile upon its introduction in April 2028 – half the rate of 3 pence per mile that will apply to fully electric cars. The government recognises that PHEV driving habits vary and that some motorists will drive more or less than 50% in electric mode. However, alternative options would require motorists to report their exact mileage driven in petrol versus electric mode, which is not considered a practical or proportionate approach. A reduced rate for PHEVs strikes the right balance between fairness, protecting motorists’ privacy and minimising administrative burdens on motorists.

Whether homeowners receiving support under the Warm Homes Plan will be free to choose their own accredited installer.

All installers participating in Government clean heat schemes must be Microgeneration Certification Scheme certified, a nationally recognised quality assurance scheme. Under the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, consumers choose their installer and are encouraged to obtain multiple quotes, to ensure they are content with the costs involved. Government will consult this year on options for bringing the oversight of energy efficiency and microgeneration installations for government schemes under closer government control. In Summer 2026, Government will launch an enhanced, impartial digital-first advice and information service that will act as the ‘national spine’ for home retrofit advice, enabling consumers to access trusted information and find accredited installers operating in their area.

Communities and Local Government, when the future homes standard will be published.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to Question UIN 108610 on 4 February 2026.

How many consumers who received heat pump installations under the Domestic Renewable Heat Incentive and Green Homes Grant Voucher Scheme have been left without redress following installer insolvency; and what support his Department provides to consumers in such circumstances.

The department does not collect this data. For the DRHI installers were required to be members of the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS)and a Chartered Trading Standards Institute approved Consumer Code, which provided routes for complaints handling and alternative dispute resolution. Access to redress in cases of installer insolvency depends on individual circumstances. For the GHGVS consumers were required to seek advice from a suitably qualified TrustMark registered installer before they applied for a voucher. Consumers are entitled to remediation by their installer or, failing that, the insurance-backed guarantee, or using the TrustMark dispute resolution process to seek redress The department’s role is limited to signposting consumers to appropriate sources of support, such as the Consumer Code, MCS or independent advice services.

What inspection regime was in place for verifying the quality and compliance of heat pump installations funded under the Domestic Renewable Heat Incentive and the Green Homes Grant Voucher Scheme; how many installations were physically inspected; and what steps his Department is taking to ensure that future government-funded installations are subject to independent on-site verification.

Installers participating in government clean heat schemes, including the Domestic Renewable Heat Incentive (DRHI) and Green Homes Grant Voucher Scheme (GHGVS), must be Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) certified. MCS is responsible for setting and upholding technical standards for small scale renewable technologies, and accredited installers are subject to annual audits and site‑based assessments. Annually for the DRHI, approximately 400 randomly selected, and up to 250 risk-based site audits occur. GHGVS installers required suitable TrustMark qualifications. TrustMark conducts site audits, but the department does not hold statistics on this.

What processes were in place to verify that accredited installers participating in government heat pump schemes held the required seven-year Insurance Backed Guarantee cover; how many installers were found to have inadequate cover; and what steps his Department is taking to help resolve cases where consumers have been left without recourse due to installer insolvency.

The Government requires installers participating in government heat pump schemes to be certified under the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS). MCS has required installers to provide a minimum of two years’ cover through Insurance Backed Guarantees, increasing to six years under the reformed MCS.MCS holds information on installer insurance and checks are carried out to ensure that installers hold appropriate cover. The Government is closely monitoring the implementation of MCS’ scheme reforms, which will include measures to support consumers even if installers are no longer trading.

Whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing an electric vehicle salary sacrifice scheme for civil servants on the decarbonisation of the public sector.

The Civil Service has had a history of providing benefits that are attractive and value for money and that support green policies such as season ticket and bike loans to help manage travel costs as well as the Cycle to Work Scheme. As part of work on the future Civil Service Reward Strategy, a wide range of approaches and benefits are currently under consideration. Officials continue to work closely with government departments and other key stakeholders as this work develops.

Communities and Local Government, what criteria his Department plans to use to select areas eligible for the £15 million programme to address long term rough sleeping; and whether Cornwall Council will be considered for inclusion.

On Thursday 26 February the government published allocations for the Long-Term Rough Sleeping Innovation Programme. All councils in England were considered for inclusion, with funding allocated to areas with the greatest long-term rough sleeping pressures. You can find details of allocations on gov.uk here.

Whether her Department has access to real time data on attendance and exclusions at academies.

Improving attendance and tackling school exclusion early is central to the government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity. High-quality, timely data enables early identification of need and delivery of a support-first approach.Thanks to our world-leading data collection, the department has access to near real-time attendance data for schools, including academies. For each morning and afternoon session, schools must record the relevant attendance and absence code for each pupil. This includes Code E, which is used when a pupil is absent due to suspension or permanent exclusion. Code E is recorded as absence but not classified as unauthorised absence.Using this attendance data, key actors can take a curious approach to identify patterns in pupil movement that could suggest off-rolling or other concerning practices, including off-site direction and managed moves, and will follow up on a targeted basis with responsible bodies to understand and challenge where there are possible concerns.Formal data on suspension and permanent exclusion is also collected through the termly school census, which is published two terms in arrears.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the UK Port Waste Reception Facilities regime in supporting the disposal of fishing gear; and whether he plans to strengthen or standardise requirements across ports.

Defra engages with ports, the fishing sector and Devolved Governments on a range of marine litter and waste issues. Defra has not made an assessment of UK Port Waste Reception Facilities, which are managed by the Department for Transport and the Maritime and Coastguard Agency. The international Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) sets international regulations covering the various sources of ship-generated waste pollution within individual Annexes of the Convention. To protect the marine environment further and to strengthen the prohibition requirement under the Merchant Shipping Regulations implementing MARPOL, the Merchant Shipping and Fishing Vessels (Port Waste Reception Facilities) Regulations 2003 set requirement for ports and terminals to provide adequate reception facilities for the delivery of ships-generated waste. The UK is working collaboratively at the International Maritime Organisation to address actions that have been identified under its 2025 Action Plan and 2021 Strategy on marine plastic litter from ships, in particular abandoned, lost and discarded fishing gear.

Food and Rural Affairs, what criteria her Department will apply when deciding which organisations are invited to participate in the forthcoming consultation on banning trail hunting; and whether bodies which have disregarded existing hunting law will be ruled out of playing a role in shaping future hunting law.

The Government intends to hold a consultation on its plans to ban trail hunting. Defra will be guided by the Government's consultation principles in shaping the proposed consultation.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of compound interest on the long-term balances of student loan borrowers including those with intermittent or low earnings.

It is important that student loans are subject to interest, to ensure that those who can afford to do so contribute to the full cost of their degree. Lower earning borrowers, and those who do not go on to repay their loan in full, are protected. The regulations provide that at the end of the loan term any outstanding loan debt, including interest accrued, will be cancelled at no detriment to the borrower. Debt is never passed on to family members or descendants.Borrowers on intermittent incomes are also protected as repayments are based on earnings, not on the rate of interest or the size of debt. This means if their income drops, so do their repayments. Interest rates do not have an immediate cash impact on the cost of living for borrowers, as interest rates do not affect monthly student loan repayments.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment has she made of the potential impact of the changes to the sovereignty of the Chagos Islands on the protection of the marine environment of the Chagos Archipelago.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 21 November 2025 in response to Question 90684.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department is taking steps to (a) define and regulate the classification of ocean plastic and related environmental claims and (b) tackle marketing practices where products are marketed as made from ocean plastic or beach clean materials that are sourced from conventional consumer plastic waste or unrelated recycled materials.

Under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 (DMCCA), businesses are prohibited from misleading consumers and must have evidence to substantiate any claims made. Where a business markets a product as made from ocean plastic or beach clean materials, but either does so falsely, or does not have evidence to substantiate the claim, the business may be infringing the consumer protection provisions of the DMCCA and could be subject to enforcement action. This Government is committed to transitioning towards a circular economy where resources are kept in use for longer and waste is designed out. We will soon publish a Circular Economy Growth Plan that sets out how the Government will deliver a more circular and more prosperous economy. The plan will set out the biggest opportunities in sectors right across the economy, including chemicals and plastics.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of requirements relating to safe and suitable flooring within the reformed Decent Homes Standard for social and privately rented homes; and whether further guidance will be issued to ensure flooring standards support (a) tenant safety, (b) accessibility and (c) overall housing quality.

My Department published its response to the Decent Homes Standard consultation on 28 January 2026. It can be found on gov.uk here. Following analysis of the evidence received, we decided that floor coverings should not be included as a mandatory requirement within the new standard. This reflects the need to balance the costs of improving existing stock with the investment required to increase the supply of social and affordable housing, alongside the wider projected costs of delivering the new standard. Increasing supply will help move people, including many vulnerable children, out of unsuitable temporary accommodation. Recognising that the absence of appropriate floor coverings can affect tenant safety, accessibility and overall housing quality, particularly for families with young children, older people and disabled tenants, the government intend to issue strengthened best practice guidance encouraging social landlords to retain good quality floor coverings between tenancies. We are also establishing a working group and pilot with the sector to identify cost effective ways for tenants most in need to access essential floor coverings and wider furnishings.