Written questions by Lamb.

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of restricting offences triable either way to summary trial except for the sentencing process.

Last November, we extended magistrates’ court sentencing powers from 6 to 12 months.This change is expected to save Crown Court time and help deliver the swifter justice that victims deserve.The Independent Review of the Criminal Courts is considering measures to ensure cases are dealt with more proportionately, including triable either-way offences.I do not want to pre-empt the recommendations of the Review but I welcome my Honourable Friend’s interest in this topic.

Innovation and Technology, what steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to encourage social media companies to tackle animal abuse content online.

Animal abuse content is horrific, and social media companies must do more to tackle it.Social media platforms and search services have duties to tackle animal abuse content and implement safety-by-design features under the Online Safety Act.Ofcom – the independent regulator - has published recommendations for how providers should tackle such content under their ‘illegal content duties’.These duties took effect on 17 March and Ofcom have strong enforcement powers to hold companies accountable for failing to meet their obligations.

What steps he is taking to tackle the shortage of licensed (a) aircraft engineers and (b) pilots.

My Department works with industry to identify any skills gaps to ensure their workforce is resilient. There are three main approaches Government is taking to support the pipeline of talent:- Encouraging opportunities for all with the ‘Generation Aviation’ programme raising the profile of aviation careers, removing barriers to access and attracting diverse and talented people to tackle new technologies, decarbonisation and other emerging trends. This includes the Reach for the Sky fund supporting outreach projects that only last week I announced the winners for 2025.- Making it easier to train engineers and pilots of the future by transforming the apprenticeships levy into a new growth and skills levy, which will offer greater flexibility to employers and learners. As well as encouraging industry to fully funded pilot training programmes and applaud effort of companies such as TUI and British Airways which have established sustainable pipeline for budding aviators.- Following EU exit, my Department sympathises with the difficulties faced by stakeholders in the aviation industry and establishing an effective personnel licensing regime that supports UK aviation remains a priority for us.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to his oral statement on British Indian Ocean Territory: Negotiations of 7 October 2024, Official Report, column 45, what guidance his Department has provided to Chagossians who are resident outside of Mauritian territory on accessing the trust fund.

After a treaty with Mauritius is ratified, the UK will capitalise a new trust fund for Mauritius to use in support of Chagossians. Separate to the Trust Fund, we will also increase our support to Chagossians living in the UK and around the world, through new and existing projects. As details of the Trust Fund will be agreed as part of the implementation of the Agreement after signature, no guidance has yet been issued.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will have discussions with his Mauritian counterpart on Chagossians returning to the Chagos Archipelago being able to undertake (a) subsistence and (b) commercial fishing activities in the Marine Protected Area.

Mauritius will be free to resettle the islands, other than Diego Garcia. It will be for Mauritius to set the terms of and manage any future resettlement. Ministers and officials continue to engage with their Mauritian counterparts as part of routine bilateral engagement.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will have discussions with his Mauritian counterpart on the return of Chagossians to the Chagos Archipelago without fear of (a) discrimination or (b) prosecution under the Criminal Code (Amendment) Act 2021 of Mauritius.

Mauritius will be free to resettle the islands, other than Diego Garcia. It will be for Mauritius to set the terms of and manage any future resettlement. Ministers and officials continue to engage with their Mauritian counterparts as part of routine bilateral engagement.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Mauritian counterpart on the return of Chagossians without a Mauritian passport but in possession of (a) British, (b) Seychellois or (c) other citizenship.

Mauritius will be free to resettle the islands, other than Diego Garcia. It will be for Mauritius to set the terms of and manage any future resettlement. Ministers and officials continue to engage with their Mauritian counterparts as part of routine bilateral engagement.

What estimate she has made of the Chagossian population residing in (a) the UK, (b) Mauritius, (c) the Seychelles and (d) all other countries; and how many Chagossians not residing in the UK have applied for British citizenship through the (i) British Indian Oceans Territory citizenship registration route and (ii) other routes, broken down by the country in which each applicant lived at the time of application.

The information requested is not held by the Home Office.However, the overall number of applications for British citizenship including those made through the British Indian Ocean Territory route is available on:Immigration system statistics data tables - GOV.UK.

What steps he is taking to ensure the long-term future of Crawley Urgent Treatment Centre.

Urgent Treatment Centres have played a vital role in supporting patients while A&Es were under high demand this winter. We’ve taken action – announcing an extra £26 billion at the budget, rolling out the new RSV vaccine, and ending the resident doctor strikes. The NHS Sussex Integrated Care Board (ICB) is responsible for decisions on commissioning services for the local community.

Communities and Local Government, whether her Department plans to implement the recommendations on a Housing Revenue Account agreement outlined in the report commissioned by Southwark council entitled securing the future of council housing, published in July 2024.

The government are giving careful consideration to the recommendations of the report in question as part of our ongoing commitment to support local authorities facing Housing Revenue Account financial pressures.

If he will take steps to make ormeloxifene available.

There are currently no plans to make ormeloxifene available. It is critical that medicines used in the United Kingdom are safe and effective and as such, medicines cannot be marketed in the UK without a marketing authorisation. These are granted by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), which assesses all medicines with regard to their quality, safety, and effectiveness. Ormeloxifene has not been licensed by the MHRA. It is the responsibility of the company to apply to the MHRA for a marketing authorisation. Should an application for it be received, the MHRA will consider this accordingly.In England, most new licensed medicines are appraised by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) to determine whether they represent a clinically and cost-effective use of National Health Service resources. If the manufacturer of ormeloxifene seeks a licence from the MHRA, then it may be considered for evaluation by the NICE.

What his timetable is for mental health professionals to be present in schools; and what qualifications they will have.

We know that waits for mental health services are far too long, including for children and young people. That is why we will recruit 8,500 additional mental health workers across child and adult mental health services, and introduce a specialist mental health professional in every school.We will set out our timeline for introducing access to specialist mental health professionals in due course. It is a minimum for a specialist mental health professional to have at least a level three vocational qualification, or equivalent level of relevant study.

Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to take steps to enable communities covered by a borough council to retain (a) mayors, (b) honorary freemen and (c) honorary aldermen; and how appointments of other local officers of dignity will be made after unitarisation.

The Government is committed to ensuring that the treasured historic and ceremonial rights and privileges of local communities will be protected through the local government reorganisation process. General regulations governing unitarisation exercises provide that honorary freemen and aldermen of predecessor local authorities retain their status for the relevant successor unitary authorities.After reorganisation, parish councils may make ceremonial appointments for their area. Where there is no such parish, at the request of the council involved, we can establish charter trustees for the areas of predecessor borough or city areas to preserve their historic rights and privileges, including the ability to appoint a mayor, deputy mayor, and honorary freemen and aldermen. We recognise this as an important issue for areas and if there will be a need for legislation to establish charter trustees this will be discussed with the area in advance of reorganisation.

What steps she is taking to help increase the completion rates for EHCP applications within 20 weeks in West Sussex County Council.

It is important that, where required, education, health and care (EHC) plan assessments are progressed promptly and, if needed, plans are issued as quickly as possible so that children and young people can access the support they need.The department knows that local authorities have seen an increase in the number of assessment requests and that more needs to be done to ensure that some local areas deliver more effective and timely services. This includes better communication with schools and families.The last local area special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) inspection by Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission for West Sussex was in November 2023, which found inconsistent experiences and outcomes for children and young people with SEND. Five areas for improvement were identified in the inspection report, including an area specific to the timeliness and quality of EHC plans:To identify and address ‘waiting well’ arrangements and gaps in service provision to meet the needs of children and young people with SEND.To ensure children identified as at high risk for aspiration are fully assessed and have access to video-fluoroscopy.To develop a strategy to improve the processes, quality and the timeliness of EHC plans.To implement oversight and commissioning arrangements of suitable specialist school places and alternative provision.To strengthen their strategic approach to preparation for adulthood.The department’s regional team has put in place systems to track outcomes against these areas for improvement and the progress made by children and young people with SEND. To assist the local area, the department has deployed a SEND advisor to offer support and advice. The advisor’s work has included monthly meetings with the local authority to review their statutory progress and to discuss their action plan, analysis of EHC plan data and trends, facilitation of best practice exchange with other local areas, and providing advice and guidance to enhance the quality of EHC plans.

Communities and Local Government, what role the Office of Local Government will play in examining council spending.

We are currently reviewing the role of Office for Local Government and we will announce the outcome shortly. Scrutiny of council spending is clearly important, and that is why we are committed to overhauling the broken local audit system we inherited.We have already taken decisive action to help clear the significant backlog of unaudited accounts and will shortly set out longer-term plans to fix local audit.

If she will make an assessment of the potential impact of levels of Housing Benefit subsidy on the capacity of local authorities to meet their statutory homelessness duties.

We recognise the financial pressures which local authorities are experiencing. MHCLG are increasing funding for homelessness services from next year by £233 million compared to this year (2024/25). Levels of Housing Benefit subsidy for temporary accommodation are kept under review and future decisions will be taken in the context of the government’s missions, goals on housing and the current fiscal context.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what plans he has for engagement with the Chagossian community during the transfer of sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius.

Ministers and officials will continue to regularly engage with members of the Chagossian community on a range of issues, including on the implementation of the agreement reached between the United Kingdom and Mauritius. We recognise the importance of the islands to Chagossians and have worked to ensure this agreement reflects their interests.