Written questions by Moon.

If he will make an assessment of the potential merits of extending the Energy Intensive Industries support scheme to include (a) metal manufacturing, (b) mining and (c) disposal of waste.

The British Industry Supercharger already covers manufacturers of iron, steel, aluminium and other metals, and mining companies, subject to the business-level test on electricity usage. Iron and steel manufacturers may also be eligible for compensation on indirect carbon costs stemming from electricity generation. We will conduct an eligibility review for the British Industry Supercharger in 2026 to account for changing business trends.

What steps her Department is taking to improve therapeutic continuity for adoptive families.

The department has supported therapeutic continuity in a range of ways. Therapy which began in 2024/25 could continue into 2025/26 for up to 12 months under transitional funding arrangements. Applications may continue to be made for therapy lasting up to 31 March 2026. The eligibility criteria for the adoption and special guardianship support fund have remained stable, enabling children to continue receiving therapy. The department has also maintained the range of therapies which may be funded.

What steps his Department is taking to improve postal services carried out by the Royal Mail in rural areas.

Ministers and officials have discussions with Royal Mail on a regular basis in its capacity as the universal service provider. It is for Ofcom, as the independent regulator of postal services, to set and monitor Royal Mail's service standards and decide how to use its powers to investigate and take enforcement action should Royal Mail fail to achieve its obligations without good justification.The Government's objective in relation to postal services continues to be to secure a sustainable universal service for users throughout the UK, including those in remote and rural areas.

What steps her Department is taking to secure seasonal workers for the (a) horticulture and (b) agriculture sector.

On 25 February, the Government announced that the Seasonal Worker route had been extended for five years, with 45,000 visas available for 2025, consisting of 43,000 for horticulture and agriculture and 2,000 for the poultry sector. The Government keeps the Seasonal Worker route under regular review.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure that clinical staff have an adequate understanding of deaf awareness.

Employers in the health system are responsible for ensuring that their staff are trained to the required standards to deliver safe and effective treatment for patients, and to deploy their staff in the best way to ensure the delivery of health services to their local populations.Since 2016, all National Health Service organisations and publicly funded social care providers are expected to meet the Accessible Information Standard (AIS), which details the recommended approach to supporting the information and communication support needs of patients and carers with a disability, impairment, or sensory loss, including deaf people.NHS England is working to support implementation of the AIS with awareness raising, communication, and engagement, and with a review of the current e-learning modules on the AIS. The intention is to ensure that staff, providers, and commissioners of services are aware of the AIS and the importance of meeting the information and communication needs of the disabled people using these services.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of improving basic amenities for Park Home residents.

On privately owned park home sites, the site owner is responsible for the amenities on site. Site owners are required to have a site licence, issued by local authorities. Local authorities have discretion to attach conditions to licences which may cover matters such as the site amenities, physical standards, and layout of the park. The Mobile Homes Act 2013 gave local authorities substantial enforcement powers to ensure they can take action if a site owner is found to have breached any of their site licence conditions.

What steps his Department is taking to improve implementation of the Accessible Information Standard to support deaf people.

Employers in the health system are responsible for ensuring that their staff are trained to the required standards to deliver safe and effective treatment for patients, and to deploy their staff in the best way to ensure the delivery of health services to their local populations.Since 2016, all National Health Service organisations and publicly funded social care providers are expected to meet the Accessible Information Standard (AIS), which details the recommended approach to supporting the information and communication support needs of patients and carers with a disability, impairment, or sensory loss, including deaf people.NHS England is working to support implementation of the AIS with awareness raising, communication, and engagement, and with a review of the current e-learning modules on the AIS. The intention is to ensure that staff, providers, and commissioners of services are aware of the AIS and the importance of meeting the information and communication needs of the disabled people using these services.

What progress her Department has made on developing a Behavioural Delivery Plan.

Children and staff should be able to learn and work in safe, calm environments and good behaviour is essential to ensuring all pupils can benefit from a high-quality education.To support schools the department has announced up to 90 new Attendance and Behaviour Hubs. These Hubs will be led by schools with excellent attendance and behaviour practice who will work closely with other schools to help improve their approach and drive-up standards of behaviour across our classrooms.Around 500 schools every year will benefit from intensive, one to one support and a further 4,500 schools will benefit from a schedule of termly regional events including training, best practice sharing events and open days.

What progress her Department has made on (a) reducing insurance costs for drivers and (b) the cross-Government motor insurance taskforce.

This Government is committed to tackle the high costs of motor insurance. The cross-Government motor insurance taskforce, launched in October, is comprised of ministers from relevant government departments and the Financial Conduct Authority and Competition and Markets Authority. The taskforce is supported by a separate stakeholder panel of industry experts representing the insurance, motor, and consumer sector. This Taskforce has a strategic remit to set the direction for UK Government policy, identifying short- and long-term actions for departments that may contribute to stabilising or reducing premiums. It will look at the increased insurance costs on consumers and the insurance industry, including how this impacts different demographics, geographies, and communities. The Government will provide updates in due course.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the use of pesticides by (a) local authorities and (b) other public bodies on the environment in public spaces.

The Government recognises the importance of managing public spaces sustainably and its first priority is to ensure that pesticides do not harm human or animal health or pose unacceptable risks to the environment. A pesticide may only be placed on the market following a thorough risk assessment that concludes all safety standards are met. All professional pesticide users must minimise the use of pesticides along roads and in areas used by the public, receive training and register with Defra. They are encouraged to follow the principles of Integrated Pest Management, which aims to reduce reliance on chemical pesticides by making use of lower risk alternatives and promoting natural processes. The UK Pesticides National Action Plan sets out how the Government will continue to promote the sustainable use of pesticides. It is for each Local Authority to decide the best way of delivering effective and cost-effective weed control without harming people or the environment. I recently held a roundtable with local authorities, the Local Government Association and the Pesticide Action Network to share best practice on reducing pesticide use. I am keen to see best practices shared more widely, helping to support effective, innovative and sustainable pesticide use across our public spaces. I am keen to see best practices shared more widely, helping to support effective, innovative and sustainable pesticide use across our public spaces.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of banning snares on animal welfare.

The Government will introduce the most ambitious programme for animal welfare in a generation. As outlined in our manifesto, we will bring an end to the use of snare traps in England. We are considering the most effective way to deliver this commitment and will be setting out next steps in due course.

What steps her Department is taking to ensure schools' policy responds to increases in Social, Emotional and Mental Health needs.

The department is committed to improving inclusivity and expertise in mainstream schools, including for pupils with social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) needs.To strengthen inclusive practice, the department has commissioned evidence reviews from University College London to identify effective strategies for supporting children and young people (0–25) with different types of needs, including SEMH needs.High-quality teaching is the most important in-school factor for improving outcomes. From September 2025, the new Initial Teacher Training and Early Career Framework (ITTECF) will set out a minimum training entitlement for new teachers, with significantly more content on adaptive teaching and special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), developed with input from SEND expertsTo ensure it remains effective, the department will review the ITTECF in 2027. This will include a focus on teaching pupils with SEND.The department also offers the Universal Services programme, which supports the school workforce in identifying and meeting the needs of children and young people with SEND, including those with SEMH needs.The government will expand Mental Health Support Teams (MHSTs), so every child and young person has access to early support to address problems before they escalate. ​By April 2026, we estimate that 60% of pupils in schools and learners in further education in England will be covered by an MHST, up from 52% in April 2025.To support education staff, the department provides guidance and practical resources on promoting pupils’ mental health and wellbeing, available here: https://mentallyhealthyschools.org.uk/whole-school-or-college-resources/.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of including a farm education option in the Sustainable Farming Incentive.

Educational access features as part of the wider Environmental Land Management (ELM) schemes and we are developing it further as a new 3-year capital item; we expect this to be available later in 2025. It will be a stand-alone capital item, though applicants must have an agri-environment or woodland agreement with management actions for this capital item. In countryside stewardship, currently eligible visitor groups are school age children and care farming groups only, but in the new educational access capital item, more diverse groups of people will be able to visit and benefit from an educational experience on farms and woodland across England. As part of the development of the new educational access capital item, funding levels were considered, and agreement holders will receive £363 per visit, up to a maximum of 25 visits per agreement year.

What steps her Department is taking to encourage the use of hydrotreated vegetable oil in the domestic production of sustainable aviation fuel.

Hydrotreated vegetable oil is a low carbon fuel made from oils and fats, which is used in rail or road transport. Oils and fats are also used to make a type of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) called HEFA or hydroprocessed esters and fatty acids. HEFA will play a vital role in our aviation decarbonisation journey. The UK is already producing and supplying this type of SAF, and we welcome the further development of this industry. The supply of HEFA SAF is incentivised by the UK’s SAF Mandate, which came into force this year. The SAF Mandate could deliver up to 6.3 megatonnes of carbon savings per year by 2040.

What steps his Department is taking to increase the provision of dentistry services in Camborne and Redruth constituency.

The Government plans to tackle the challenges for patients trying to access National Health Service dental care with a rescue plan to provide 700,000 more urgent dental appointments and recruit new dentists to the areas that need them most. To rebuild dentistry in the long term, we will reform the dental contract with the sector, with a shift to focus on prevention and the retention of NHS dentists.The responsibility for commissioning primary care services, including NHS dentistry, to meet the needs of the local population has been delegated to integrated care boards (ICBs) across England. For the Camborne and Redruth constituency, this is the Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly ICB. ICBs have been asked to start making extra urgent dental appointments available from April 2025. The Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly ICB is expected to deliver 10,910 additional urgent dental appointments as part of the scheme.ICBs have started to advertise posts through the Golden Hello scheme. This recruitment incentive will see up to 240 dentists receiving payments of £20,000 to work in those areas that need them most for three years. As of 10 April 2025, in England, there are 53 dentists in post with a further 44 dentists who have been recruited but are yet to start in post under this scheme. Another 256 posts are currently advertised.

What recent assessment her Department has made of the potential causes of people being not in employment, education or training in rural areas.

The government is determined to break down barriers to opportunity for all young people and transform their life chances, including those in rural areas and the wider area of Cornwall.Young people are entitled to participate in education and training up to age 18. Local authorities have statutory duties to support young people into education and training, including identifying and helping those who are currently not in education, employment or training (NEET). The department has published guidance to help local authorities identify young people at an increased risk of becoming NEET, based on characteristics such as a learning difficulty or disability, or poor school attendance, so they can be given extra support.The government will establish a Youth Guarantee of support to access training, an apprenticeship, or help to find work for all 18 to 21-year-olds, to prevent them becoming excluded from the world of work at a young age. £45 million has been allocated to eight Mayoral Strategic Authority Trailblazers to develop the Youth Guarantee. The department will work with local areas on future expansion.The government recognises that transport can be an issue for some young people, particularly in rural areas. The 16 to 19 Bursary Funding is allocated directly to schools and colleges to support financially disadvantaged young people who need additional support to help them with costs such as transport. Post-16 transport guidance requires local authorities to make the necessary transport arrangements or provide financial support to ensure young people can participate in education or training.

What steps her Department is taking to reduce numbers of people not in education, employment or training in Cornwall.

The government is determined to break down barriers to opportunity for all young people and transform their life chances, including those in rural areas and the wider area of Cornwall.Young people are entitled to participate in education and training up to age 18. Local authorities have statutory duties to support young people into education and training, including identifying and helping those who are currently not in education, employment or training (NEET). The department has published guidance to help local authorities identify young people at an increased risk of becoming NEET, based on characteristics such as a learning difficulty or disability, or poor school attendance, so they can be given extra support.The government will establish a Youth Guarantee of support to access training, an apprenticeship, or help to find work for all 18 to 21-year-olds, to prevent them becoming excluded from the world of work at a young age. £45 million has been allocated to eight Mayoral Strategic Authority Trailblazers to develop the Youth Guarantee. The department will work with local areas on future expansion.The government recognises that transport can be an issue for some young people, particularly in rural areas. The 16 to 19 Bursary Funding is allocated directly to schools and colleges to support financially disadvantaged young people who need additional support to help them with costs such as transport. Post-16 transport guidance requires local authorities to make the necessary transport arrangements or provide financial support to ensure young people can participate in education or training.

What steps her Department is taking to help tackle increased demand for Education, Health and Care Plans driven by Speech, Communication and Language Needs.

The department is aware that speech, communication and language needs are a key driver of the increasing demand for education, health and care (EHC) plans, and that local authorities have experienced increased demand for EHC plans and of the pressure this places on workforce capacity.The department, in partnership with NHS England, is delivering the ‘Early Language and Support for Every Child’ (ELSEC) programme. This is trialling new ways of working to better identify and support children with speech, language and communication needs in early years and primary schools by intervening early to reduce the need for an EHC assessment. This is being delivered through nine regional pathfinder partnerships within our special educational needs and disabilities and alternative provision change programme.We also know that continuing to build the pipeline of speech and language therapists is essential. That is why we introduced the speech and language degree apprenticeship, which is now in its third year of delivery and offers an alternative pathway to the traditional degree route into a successful career as a speech and language therapist.The government is committed to funding evidence-based early language interventions in primary schools. The department has invested over £20 million in the Nuffield Early Language Intervention (NELI), which is an evidence-based programme for children needing extra support with their speech and language development.

What recent assessment her Department has made of potential merits of introducing a new public media campaign to promote the (a) financial and (b) environmental benefits of electric vehicles.

The Government is committed to accelerating the transition to zero emission vehicles and increasing awareness of the benefits of electric vehicle ownership. We are working closely with the electric vehicle sector and key partners to ensure that we are delivering consistent and clear information to drivers about making the switch to electric vehicles and charging infrastructure. Combating misinformation is a key part of this, and we continue to assess how we can do this most effectively.

What steps her Department is taking to improve the grid connection process for electric vehicle charging infrastructure.

We are radically reforming the grid connections process to remove speculative projects and accelerate connections for investments that will support our clean power and growth missions, including electric vehicle charging infrastructure. Ofgem has committed £22.2 billion over five years to upgrade local grids vital to this transition. In December 2024, the Government published the outcome of a review on improving the grid connection process for electric vehicle charging infrastructure. The review addresses common issues surrounding the rollout of EV infrastructure and grid connections, outlines best practice, and clarifies roles and responsibilities. Addressing these issues will ensure the transport and energy sectors can deliver charging infrastructure at the pace needed to support the transition.