Written questions by Bedford.

Communities and Local Government, what his planned timetable is for the implementation of local government reorganisation in Leicestershire.

As stated in the previous answer to Question UIN 68332 on 22 July, we do not have any plans to require local referenda as part of the local government reorganisation process. Under the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007, Parliament set out the statutory process for establishing unitary councils in two-tier areas. As set out in the invitation letter, areas must demonstrate how the local community has been engaged in developing proposals. As stated in the previous answer to Question UIN 53424 on 28 May, feedback on interim plans has been provided to all councils in Leicester and Leicestershire to support them as they progress work on developing final proposals. Their final proposals are due by 28 November 2025. Once any final proposals are submitted it will be for the government to consult as required by statute before deciding which proposal, if any, to implement. An indicative timetable is available on gov.uk.

Communities and Local Government, if he will make it his policy to introduce local referenda as part of Government consultations on local government reorganisation in Leicestershire.

As stated in the previous answer to Question UIN 68332 on 22 July, we do not have any plans to require local referenda as part of the local government reorganisation process. Under the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007, Parliament set out the statutory process for establishing unitary councils in two-tier areas. As set out in the invitation letter, areas must demonstrate how the local community has been engaged in developing proposals. As stated in the previous answer to Question UIN 53424 on 28 May, feedback on interim plans has been provided to all councils in Leicester and Leicestershire to support them as they progress work on developing final proposals. Their final proposals are due by 28 November 2025. Once any final proposals are submitted it will be for the government to consult as required by statute before deciding which proposal, if any, to implement. An indicative timetable is available on gov.uk.

Communities and Local Government, whether he plans to bring forward legislative proposals to extend the enforcement powers of local authorities in respect of (a) parking infringements and (b) obstructions to the public highway.

The Government recognises the importance of effective enforcement in maintaining safe and accessible public highways. Local authorities have a range of powers to enforce parking regulations and address obstructions on the highway under existing legislation, including the Traffic Management Act 2004 and the Highways Act 1980. We do not have plans to extend them.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has received representations from his US counterpart on freedom of speech in the UK.

Like the United States, the UK supports freedom of expression as a fundamental right and we have a long history of promoting freedom of expression globally, underpinned by our commitment to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

How many civil servants have salaries over (a) £150,000, (b) £200,000 and (c) £250,000.

Information on the number of civil servants by salary band is published annually as part of the Cabinet Office accredited official statistics publication, Civil Service Statistics. Information on the number of civil servants earning more than £150,000 and £200,000 as at 31 March 2025 can be found at Table 26 of the statistical tables published here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/civil-service-statistics-2025 Across the Civil Service, there are five earning over £250,000. All outputs are rounded to the nearest five in accordance with the disclosure control protocols for these accredited official statistics.

What discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Business and Trade on the actuarial regulation elements of the Government’s planned Audit Reform and Corporate Governance Bill.

The government will bring forward Audit Reform and Corporate Governance legislation when Parliamentary time allows. The government will set out further details in the autumn.

Whether her Department plans to introduce sight tests for drivers every two years.

All drivers, regardless of age, have a legal responsibility to inform the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) if they develop a medical condition that may affect their ability to drive. The Government is considering the current process of self-declaration and the challenges posed by an ageing population where certain conditions, including vision conditions, may become more prevalent. In the meantime, the current renewal at age 70 process remains as is, and drivers must legally declare any vision or medical conditions that may affect their ability to drive. Any options for change will be subject to public consultation.

With reference to the policy paper entitled Transport Decarbonisation Plan, published on 14 July 2021, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure that (a) people impacted by the withdrawal of the Arriva 28 bus service in Leicestershire and (b) other rural communities have adequate access to public transport.

The Government knows that access to reliable bus services is essential for providing access to work, education, vital services and leisure opportunities. The Government introduced the Bus Services (No. 2) Bill on 17 December as part of its ambitious plan for bus reform. The Bill will put passenger needs, reliable services and local accountability at the heart of the industry by putting the power over local bus services back in the hands of local leaders right across England, including in rural areas. The Bill includes a measure on socially necessary services so that local authorities and bus operators have to have regard for alternatives to changing or cancelling services. In addition, the Government has confirmed £955 million for the 2025 to 2026 financial year to support and improve bus services in England outside London. This includes £243 million for bus operators and £712 million allocated to local authorities across the country of which Leicestershire County Council has been allocated £8.2 million. Local authorities can use this funding to introduce new bus routes, make services more frequent and protect crucial bus routes for local communities. The Government reaffirmed its commitment to investing in bus services long-term in this Spending Review. On 11 June, the Government confirmed additional funding per year from 2026/27 to maintain and improve bus services, including taking forward franchising pilots and extending the £3 bus fare cap until March 2027. Furthermore, demand responsive transport (DRT) has the potential to improve the local transport offer in rural areas. The Department has funded 17 innovative DRT pilots through the Rural Mobility Fund, including the first Fox Connect DRT service in South West Leicestershire. Each scheme is taking part in a detailed monitoring and evaluation process. This will provide a strong base of evidence and good practice for DRT and a better understanding of both the role it can play in rural areas. Further Fox Connect services are being introduced to serve areas around other parts of Leicestershire such as Market Bosworth and Coalville.

What steps her Department is taking to help ensure that (a) nurseries in Mid Leicestershire and (b) other early years providers receive adequate levels of support to access childcare entitlements due to be implemented in September 2025; and what steps she is taking to support providers with (i) staffing, (ii) SEND provision and (iii) capital funding to meet increased demand.

It is the department’s ambition that all families have access to high-quality, affordable and flexible early education and care, giving every child the best start in life and delivering on our Plan for Change. In 2025/26, we plan to provide over £8 billion for the early years entitlements, an additional £2 billion (over 30% increase) in comparison to 2024/25 as we roll out the expansion of the entitlements. The department continues to help people discover rewarding early years careers through the ‘Do something Big’ national recruitment campaign, building on our pilot of delivering financial incentives in 38 local authorities this year. With regards to special educational needs and disabilities, inclusion funding will fund extra resources for providers to better support inclusion and early intervention.We have awarded £37 million of capital funding in the first phase to 300 primary schools which we expect will deliver up to 6,000 nursery places, with over 4,000 available from September 2025 to support the childcare expansion.

What steps her Department is taking to help ensure that (a) Leicestershire County Council and (b) other local authorities, apply the statutory guidance on Free Early Education Entitlement funding in a manner that (i) supports flexibility for working families and (ii) does not penalise private nurseries based on parental drop-off and collection times.

The department regularly speaks with all local authorities in England, including Leicestershire County Council, to monitor childcare sufficiency.The statutory guidance makes clear that local authorities should ensure that providers work with parents so that parents understand which hours and sessions can be taken as free provision. Not all providers will be able to offer fully flexible places, however providers should work with parents to ensure that, as far as possible, the pattern of the entitlement hours is convenient for parents’ working hours.Over 500,000 children will benefit from additional funded hours this term which means that hundreds of thousands of families are better able to balance work and family life, with parents who use their full entitlement saving an average of £7,500 a year, and more children getting the high quality early education that will give them the best start in life.

Representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, what estimate she has made of the potential savings to the public purse as a result of the scheme of MP's staffing and business costs in the (a) 2024-25 financial year and (b) 2025-26 financial year to date.

The Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA) submits its estimate to for the Speaker's Committee for IPSA to review on an annual basis, along with comparisons to prior years indicated . Significant changes are highlighted for discussion by the Committee and any changes to the scheme of MPs' Staffing and Business costs are subject to consultation. These documents are all a matter of public record.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department holds information on the number of dogs that have been transported from the UK to China for use as meat.

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer given on 18 June 2025 to Question 61081

If he will have discussions with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the potential merits of reforming Employment Allowance rules to ensure that NHS dental practices are adequately encouraged to provide predominantly NHS care.

HM Treasury has provided funding to cover the additional cost of employer National Insurance contributions for public sector employers only. This is based on the Office for National Statistics definition of public sector organisations and does not include independent primary care contractors such as dentists.We recognise this is disappointing, but we have had to take necessary decisions to fix the foundations in the public finances. The National Health Service in England invests approximately £4 billion on dentistry every year, of which £3 billion is spent on primary care dentistry. NHS planning guidance is now published and sets out funding available to integrated care boards for 2025/2026.

Whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of eligibility requirements for Employment Allowance relief on decisions by dental practices to maintain their NHS commitments.

HM Treasury has provided funding to cover the additional cost of employer National Insurance contributions for public sector employers only. This is based on the Office for National Statistics definition of public sector organisations and does not include independent primary care contractors such as dentists.We recognise this is disappointing, but we have had to take necessary decisions to fix the foundations in the public finances. The National Health Service in England invests approximately £4 billion on dentistry every year, of which £3 billion is spent on primary care dentistry. NHS planning guidance is now published and sets out funding available to integrated care boards for 2025/2026.

Whether his Department has made an estimate of the number of NHS dental practices expected to reduce their NHS activity below 50% in order to qualify for Employment Allowance relief.

HM Treasury has provided funding to cover the additional cost of employer National Insurance contributions for public sector employers only. This is based on the Office for National Statistics definition of public sector organisations and does not include independent primary care contractors such as dentists.We recognise this is disappointing, but we have had to take necessary decisions to fix the foundations in the public finances. The National Health Service in England invests approximately £4 billion on dentistry every year, of which £3 billion is spent on primary care dentistry. NHS planning guidance is now published and sets out funding available to integrated care boards for 2025/2026.

What assessment he has made of the operational effectiveness of his Department's (a) water and (b) wastewater services contracted with third party providers.

Project Aquatrine is the collective project name of three Public Private Partnership agreements between strategic water and wastewater suppliers and the Ministry of Defence (MOD). Project Aquatrine established strategic management of water and sewerage services across the MOD estate. The project has clearly defined objectives and Key Performance Indicators to track progress and ensure accountability. It has been successful in achieving its objectives of improving water and wastewater services across MOD sites in Great Britain. Key successes include reduced leakage, improved water quality, and increased efficiency.

Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to require local referenda for local government reorganisation proposals in Leicestershire.

As I stated in my answer to Question UIN 38850 on 20 March 2025, we do not have any plans to require local referenda as part of the local government reorganisation process. Under the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007, Parliament set out the statutory process for establishing unitary councils in two-tier areas. As set out in the invitation letter, areas must demonstrate how the local community has been engaged in developing proposals.

What discussions her Department has had with the International Monetary Fund on the borrowing rates being paid by the UK government.

The Government does not comment on specific financial market movements. Financial market movements including gilt yields are determined by a wide range of international and domestic factors. Demand for UK debt remains strong, and we continue to monitor developments.As part of ongoing engagement with many different stakeholders relevant to the conduct of economic and fiscal policy, the Government engages regularly and constructively with the IMF, and values their independent advice.

Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the proposed football regulator on the average price of a premiership football game ticket.

The impact assessment for the Football Governance Bill estimates that the cost of regulation for all 5 divisions in scope of the regime will be between £103 million and £149 million, over a ten-year period. The Government does not believe that these costs will justify increases in ticket prices as they will be distributed proportionately across clubs over a significant period of time.

What discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Defence on the strategic importance of future trade agreements on the African continent.

DBT works closely with all government departments, including the Ministry of Defence, to consider all aspects of our trading relationships with Africa, and our strategic approach fully aligns with our recently published Trade Strategy and Industrial Strategy.