Written questions by Heylings.

Whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing legislation to remove parental rights from people convicted of rape in cases where a child has been conceived as a result of that offence.

The Government has received a number of representations seeking to broaden the parental responsibility measure in the Victims and Courts Bill, including proposals to restrict the exercise of parental responsibility by individuals convicted of rape in cases where a child has been conceived as a result of that offence. We are carefully considering these suggestions as the Bill progresses through Parliament.

What the freight throughput was in twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) passing through Felixstowe port in the most recent 12 months for which data are available; and how many and what proportion of those TEUs were transported out of the port by rail by destination distribution centre in the same period.

Container throughput passing through Felixstowe port in the calendar year 2023 was 3.246 million TEU. Source: DfT Port Freight Statistics 2023. Data for the 2024 will be published 30th July 2025.https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6698eaf1fc8e12ac3edaff36/port0203.ods The Department for Transport does not periodically collect data on hinterland movement of freight from seaports and therefore cannot provide the proportion of TEU that was transported out of the port by rail by destination distribution centre in the same period.

What recent assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of the use of Defence Bonds for financing military expenditure; and whether her Department has had recent discussions with financial investors on their issuance.

As the Prime Minister announced in February, we are fully funding the path to 2.5% by reducing ODA spending. That is why we can announce a £10.9bn real-terms increase to the MOD budget over the Spending Review period. On top of this, we are recognising the contribution provided by our intelligence agencies on defence, in line with practice among our Allies. This means that in 2027-28 we expect to reach 2.6% of GDPThe increase in defence spending will be funded by reducing ODA from 0.5% to 0.3% of Gross National Income (GNI) by 2027, and reinvesting it into defence.The government’s core gilt programme is the most stable and cost-effective way of raising finance to fund the day-to-day activities of the government, owing to the depth and liquidity of the market. This is, in part, down to the fungibility of the instruments issued to the market. Issuing bonds aimed at financing specific areas of spending risks fragmenting the gilt market, which would not be consistent with the government’s debt management objective of minimising the long-term cost of financing, taking into account risk.The government keeps under regular review the introduction of new debt instruments. The government would however need to be satisfied that any new instrument would meet value-for-money criteria, enjoy strong and sustained demand in the long term, and be consistent with wider fiscal objectives.

Pursuant to the Answer of 2 April 2025 to Question 39995 on Long Covid: Clinics, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of the delivery of long covid care by integrated care boards.

Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for commissioning services for people with long COVID. ICBs are allocated funding by NHS England to meet local need and priorities, and to improve outcomes.To support clinical leadership in this area, NHS England has worked in partnership with the British Society of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine to establish the Clinical Post-COVID Society to facilitate the ongoing sharing of best practice, to support people affected by long COVID. Further information about the society can be found at the following link:https://www.clinicalpcs.org.uk/Earlier this year, NHS England completed a long COVID stocktake, aiming to provide a nationwide overview of service delivery in commissioning and contracting, assessing access, activity, and outcomes. The findings confirmed the widely recognised challenges of significant variation in care delivery across England and a lack of comprehensive activity data.Executive NHS England board members were updated on the current provision of long COVID services, noting those challenges. Discussions considered service prioritisation and potential COVID Inquiry recommendations.

How many overheating incidents have been logged in NHS hospitals in the East of England in each of the last five years.

There were 665 overheating incidents logged in National Health Service hospitals in the East of England over the past five years. The following table shows the number of overheating incidents logged in NHS hospitals in the East of England in each of the last five years:YearOverheating incidents in East of England2023/24772022/231052021/222182020/212652019/20Not collectedSource: Estates Returns Information Collection data, available at the following link: https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/estates-returns-information-collection

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of support for the Mozambique LNG project on the UK’s international climate diplomacy priorities.

UK Export Finance is currently in talks with project sponsors and other lenders, including export credit agencies, and other stakeholders, regarding the latest status of the Mozambique LNG project. At present, UKEF is engaged in conducting relevant due diligence which has yet to conclude.UK Export Finance follows internationally recognised frameworks for managing environmental, social & human rights risks and impacts of relevant projects. UKEF will take proper account of relevant factors, including international climate change and human rights issues.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of support for the Mozambique liquefied natural gas project on the UK’s international human rights obligations.

UK Export Finance is currently in talks with project sponsors and other lenders, including export credit agencies, and other stakeholders, regarding the latest status of the Mozambique LNG project. At present, UKEF is engaged in conducting relevant due diligence which has yet to conclude.UK Export Finance follows internationally recognised frameworks for managing environmental, social & human rights risks and impacts of relevant projects. UKEF will take proper account of relevant factors, including international climate change and human rights issues.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of UK support for the Mozambique liquefied natural gas project on the global clean energy transition.

UK Export Finance is currently in talks with project sponsors and other lenders, including export credit agencies, and other stakeholders, regarding the latest status of the Mozambique LNG project. At present, UKEF is engaged in conducting relevant due diligence which has yet to conclude.UK Export Finance follows internationally recognised frameworks for managing environmental, social & human rights risks and impacts of relevant projects. UKEF will take proper account of relevant factors, including international climate change and human rights issues.

Whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of adopting a spatial energy planning approach to better align land use planning with net zero objectives.

In October 2024, the UK, Scottish and Welsh governments, jointly commissioned the National Energy System Operator to develop a Strategic Spatial Energy Plan (SSEP): the first ever spatial energy plan for Great Britain, to support a more actively planned approach to energy infrastructure across both land and sea. The SSEP will help bring about an efficient and net zero consistent energy system and provide greater clarity to industry, investors, consumers and the public. The plan’s methodology was published in May 2025, with the SSEP due to be published in 2026.

Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to (a) streamline and (b) better resource Neighbourhood Plans in (i) less affluent communities and (ii) other communities.

Following the Spending Review, my Department has announced that it is unable to commission new neighbourhood planning support services for 2025 onwards. Technical support which has already been awarded will continue to be provided but must be completed before the end of March 2026. The government remains of the view that neighbourhood plans can play an important role in the planning system. Communities can continue to prepare neighbourhood plans where they consider that doing so is in their best interests.

What plans his Department has to publish a national strategy on community energy.

The Government recognises the importance of communities being at the heart of the energy transition and the benefits of communities owning energy infrastructure in their own community. Great British Energy will take forward the Local Power Plan and working alongside DESNZ to unlock regulatory changes will drive forward an expanded community energy sector across the UK. We will say more about the Local Power Plan in due course.

What assessment he has made of the merits of policy in (a) Denmark, (b) Germany and (c) other countries in increasing community energy.

My Department regularly looks to good practice from other countries and will continue to build on those experiences and lessons learned as we jointly develop the Local Power Plan with Great British Energy.

Whether he plans to publish clear guidance on the definition of community energy; what steps he is taking to tackle (a) capacity and (b) skills shortages in its development; and what steps he is taking to ensure that funding can be (i) accessed and (ii) utilised at local level.

The Government recognises the role community energy plays in ensuring that the public benefits directly from the energy transition and, in partnership with Great British Energy (GBE), is taking steps to maximise that role, including exploring a definition for community energy which could provide clarity to a number of relevant stakeholders when engaging with community energy organisations. GBE will supercharge existing support to local and community energy projects. To support stakeholders in accessing and deploying funding, GBE will also provide commercial, technical and project planning assistance, increasing capacity and capability to build a pipeline of successful projects in local areas.

Whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing statutory Locally Determined Contributions; and what assessment he has made of the resources that would be required by local authorities to deliver them effectively.

The Government recognises the important role of local places in driving action to help realise our national net zero targets. Local government has autonomy and flexibility in how they choose to deliver net zero, according to the varying needs and opportunities of each local area. Government provides a range of support for local government to deliver net zero; for example, Great British Energy, our new publicly-owned energy company, will support local energy generation by partnering with local government to increase the roll-out of renewable energy projects. Government also funds the Local Net Zero Hubs which support local authorities across England to develop net zero projects and attract commercial investment, including through information and knowledge-sharing.

What steps he is taking to ensure that rural and off-grid communities are fully integrated into the UK’s grid transition.

Distribution Network Operators (DNOs) are upgrading local electricity distribution networks to enable the decarbonisation of households and businesses across Great Britain, including in rural areas. For the current electricity distribution price control (2023-2028), Ofgem have allowed £22.2bn of upfront investment, including £3.1bn for network upgrades for low-carbon technologies. Regional Energy Strategic Plans will consider local area energy requirements and will inform DNO investment plans for the next electricity distribution price control (2028-2033), ensuring timely reinforcement of local electricity networks for rural communities.

Whether he plans to introduce additional regulatory mechanisms to ensure the financial viability of community energy schemes under the Great British Energy Bill.

The Government recognises the role community groups play in our efforts to tackle climate change. In March, we published a response to a consultation, started by the previous government, on the barriers to community energy. We will learn from the responses to the consultation to inform our future work on community energy. The Government also recognises requests to take steps to better enable local energy markets. The Secretary of State previously commissioned Ofgem to explore the policy and regulatory barriers and solutions for the community energy sector. The energy industry has also been working to make changes to industry rules to support local trade of energy, including modification P442 of the Balancing and Settlement Code, which came into effect in February 2025. The Department is working closely with Ofgem and other key stakeholders to develop this work further.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure that consumers choosing not to share personal data through loyalty schemes are not disadvantaged in terms of (a) pricing and (b) access to services.

Recent amendments to the Price Marking Order 2004 will ensure that loyalty pricing does not mislead non-member customers about the price of an item. This reflects the paramount principle that the price payable at the till should be clear and transparent.Where prices are clear and transparent, businesses are free to introduce loyalty schemes and consumers can make an informed decision about where to shop and whether to join such a scheme.

Whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of establishing a Commissioner for Older People and Ageing.

The Department has not made an assessment. We believe the duties of such a role are covered by work elsewhere in the system. For instance, the Chief Nurse champions and raises the profile of nursing in social care and works alongside the Chief Social Worker for Adults, to increase the recognition and appreciation of all social workers in the care sector.Baroness Casey, as part of the independent commission, has been tasked to start a national conversation about what care and support working age adults, older people, and their families should expect from adult social care.The commission is tasked with producing tangible, pragmatic recommendations that can be implemented in a phased way over a decade. It will aim to make adult social care more productive, preventative, and to give people who draw on care, and their families and carers, more power in the system. Baroness Casey will report on medium-term recommendations in 2026, and longer-term recommendations by 2028.The 10-Year Health Plan will also set the vision for what good joined-up care looks like for people with a combination of health and care needs, including for older people. It will set out how to support and enable health and social care services, and wider services, to work together better to provide that joined-up care.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help secure the release of Peter and Barbie Reynolds from detention in Afghanistan.

We are supporting the family of two British nationals who are detained in Afghanistan. I have met their family and am closely monitoring this case. We are unable to provide comment on the detail of individual consular cases in line with relevant UK data protection legislation: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/foreign-commonwealth-development-office/about/personal-information-charter.

Whether her Department has made an assessment of the effectiveness of Level 7 apprenticeships in helping people to attain higher-level qualifications while in paid employment.

The department knows that level 7 apprenticeships can open up opportunities for young people, supporting them to begin careers as solicitors or accountants for example, and we are keen for this to continue. That is why, in line with our mission to break down barriers to opportunity, we will continue to fund level 7 apprenticeships for those under the age of 22, or those aged 22 to 24 who have an education, health and care plan or have been in local authority care. We are also encouraging more employers to invest in upskilling their staff over 22 to level 7 where it delivers a benefit to the business and the individual. This will enable apprenticeship opportunities to be rebalanced towards young people.