Written questions by Maskell.

What discussions she has had with the Rail Delivery Group, Network Rail and British Transport Police on the potential merits of a standalone offence of assaulting a public transport worker.

There is no place for abuse or assault of any worker. Public transport workers and the wider public should be assured that where offenders commit acts of violence they will be arrested and brought before the courts. The railway has its own dedicated police force in the British Transport Police (BTP), to protect rail staff and passengers. Officials from my Department engage regularly with Rail Delivery Group, Network Rail and BTP, and have highlighted that public transport workers already have extensive protection in existing legislation such as the Offences Against the Person Act 1861 which also covers more serious violence such as actual bodily harm (ABH) and grievous bodily harm (GBH), and courts must already consider offences against public facing workers as an aggravating factor under the Police Crime and Sentencing Act 2022. We do not consider that a standalone offence is necessary, or will have the desired outcome of reducing assaults.

What assessment he has made of patient safety risks, including those relating to malnutrition, among people with severe and very severe ME/CFS in England.

In July this year, we published the final delivery plan (FDP) for myalgic encephalomyelitis, also known as chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), which focuses on boosting research, improving attitudes and education, and bettering the lives of people with this debilitating disease.To support healthcare professionals in the diagnosis and management of ME/CFS, as set out in the FDP, the Department has worked with NHS England to develop an e-learning programme on ME/CFS for healthcare professionals, with the aim of supporting staff to be able to provide better care and improve patient outcomes. All three sessions of the e-learning programme, with sessions one and two having universal access, whilst the third session is only available to healthcare professionals, are now available at the following link:https://learninghub.nhs.uk/catalogue/mecfselearning?nodeId=7288To support healthcare professionals in the diagnosis and management of ME/CFS, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence published guidance, which can be found at the following link:https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng206It recommends that people with ME/CFS should be referred for a dietetic assessment by a dietician with a special interest in ME/CFS if they are losing weight and are at risk of malnutrition. The guidance also states that clinicians should recognise that symptoms of severe and very severe ME/CFS may mean that people are unable to eat and digest food easily, and may need support with hydration and nutrition. It suggests that managing this risk could include oral nutrition and enteral feeding.The FDP includes an action for the Department and NHS England to explore whether a specialised service should be prescribed by my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, for very severe ME/CFS. Officials from the Department have commenced discussions with NHS England on how best to take forward this action.

Pursuant to the Answer of 15 October to Question 78154, how much of the £500 million allocated to local authorities for Family Help services is being allocated to help adoptive and kinship families with post placement support.

Family Help reforms are being delivered nationally through the Families First Partnership programme, offering services to all families, including adoptive and kinship families.On 20 November, we announced additional investment of £547 million, bringing total programme funding to £2.4 billion over this Spending Review period. This funding demonstrates the government’s commitment to invest in prevention, supporting local authorities and partners to deliver reformed help and protection services that make a real difference to families.It is for local authorities to determine how best to make use of these resources to support adoptive and kinship families with the help they need.The department will soon pilot a new Kinship Allowance in some local authorities in England, which will support around 4,500 children. This will test whether paying an allowance to cover certain costs can help increase the number of children taken in by family members and friends.

What steps she has taken to ensure family hubs are accessible for adoptive and kinship families.

Best Start Family Hubs (BSFHs) will be open to all families, including adoptive and kindship families. Best Start Family Hubs (BSFHs) are focused on universal, preventative services, targeting disadvantaged families. They can also serve as a non-stigmatising gateway for more targeted, intensive, support delivered by Family Help services and other interventions.Parents and carers including adoptive and kinship families will have access to a universal offer of parenting programmes through their local hub, alongside targeted support for those most in need.When adoptive and kinship families walk through the door of their local BSFH, they should be able to see evidence of various services co-located in one place and be easily connected to a wider range of support delivered elsewhere in the BSFH network.  BSFHs should bring together a wide range of statutory and non-statutory services for children ages 0 to 5 within BSFHs, spanning education, childcare, health and social care.

What measures are being undertaken to recruit speech and language therapists.

The department is working closely with the Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England to improve access to community health services, including speech and language therapy, for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities. This includes extending the Early Language and Support for Every Child programme, trialling new ways of working to better identify and support children with Speech, Language and Communication Needs in early years settings and primary schools. In addition to the undergraduate degree route, speech and language therapists can also train via a degree apprenticeship. This route is now in its fourth year of delivery and offers an alternative pathway to the traditional degree route into a successful career as a speech and language therapist.

When she plans to announce the eligibility criteria for the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund (ASGSF) in 2026-27; whether her Department will provide funding for the ASGSF after April 2027; and, with reference to the Written Statement of 4 September 2025, HCWS908, if she will set out details of the proposed public engagement process.

The government has confirmed the adoption and special guardianship support fund (ASGSF) will continue in 2026/27 and that applications running into 2026/27 can now be made. Details of the ASGSF from April 2026 will be made available once departmental business planning decisions are completed. We will share details of the public engagement process on longer-term decisions as soon as possible in the new year.

Pursuant to the Answer of 15 October 2025 to Question 78154 on Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund, what steps she has taken to ensure (a) adoptive and (b) kinship families receive appropriate help from local authority Family Help services.

The department is committed to rebalancing the children’s social care system, which is why we are rolling out the Families First Partnership programme. On 20 November, we announced additional investment of £547 million, bringing the total funding provided for the programme to £2.4 billion over the next three years. This demonstrates our commitment to invest in prevention, supporting local authorities, working in collaboration with partners, to deliver reformed help and protection services that make a real, tangible difference to families.We will spend close to £1.5 billion over the next three years on improving family services and early years education. Best Start Family Hubs are backed by £500 million of this investment between 2026 and 2029.It is for local authorities to determine how best to make use of these resources to support adoptive and kinship families with the help they need.

Pursuant to the Answer of 22 July 2025 to Question 67594 on Adoption Support Fund, whether the equalities impact assessment was drafted prior to the date of her Department's decisions to amend the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund.

The equalities impact assessment (EIA) was drafted prior to the decisions to amend the adoption and special guardianship support fund. Following the announcement of the changes to the Fund, the EIA was prepared for publication and subsequently made available in the House Libraries.

What steps her Department is taking to assess the impact of the April 2025 changes to the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund, including (a) the reduction in the fair access limit and (b) reductions in funding for (i) assessments and (ii) match funding.

The new criteria for the adoption and special guardianship support fund will enable as many children and families as possible to access support. So far this year, over 12,500 applications have been approved, including almost 1,000 applications for specialist assessments. The department continues to monitor and assess the impact of the changes and is engaging with stakeholders.

What steps he is taking with the Chancellor of the Exchequer to co-produce policy changes to mobility allowances.

The PIP mobility element is in scope of the Timms Review, which aims to ensure PIP is fair and fit for the future. We will co-produce the Review with disabled people, and their organisations to ensure lived experience is at the heart of its work. We will provide an update shortly. We will not make changes to PIP eligibility, including for the mobility element, until the Review has concluded.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department has considered introducing method of production labelling for pork products to help consumers that are seeking to avoid products from farrowing crates.

We will consider the potential role of method of production labelling reform as part of the ongoing development of the government’s wider animal welfare strategy. On 12 June 2025, we published the summary of responses and the Government response to the fairer food labelling consultation, which was undertaken last year by the previous government. The response is available here on GOV.UK.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether she is taking steps to support farmers in Yorkshire to transition to free farrowing systems.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the Rt. Hon. Member for Birmingham Northfield, Laurence Turner, on 3 April 2025, PQ UIN 41698.

Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions she is having with (a) farming bodies and (b) animal welfare organisations on the potential for phasing out the use of farrowing crates by indoor pig farms.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 5 September 2025 to the hon. Member for Ashfield, PQ 73693.

What assessment she has made of the potential merits of increasing the maximum income threshold for free school meals eligibility for children in families with no recourse to public funds in line with the eligibility criteria introduced on 4 June 2025.

This government is committed to breaking down barriers to opportunity and tackling child poverty. The department has now announced that we are extending free school meals (FSM) to all children from households in receipt of Universal Credit from September 2026. Providing over half a million children from the most disadvantaged backgrounds with a free, nutritious lunchtime meal every school day will also lead to higher attainment, improved behaviour and better outcomes, meaning children get the best possible education and chance to succeed in work and life.Children from households with no recourse to public funds can receive FSM, subject to meeting income criteria set by the department in our published guidance.The department does not hold exact figures for FSM-eligible children from households with no recourse to public funds. In total, 2.2 million school pupils are eligible to receive FSM on the basis of low income. This figure includes children who are eligible under the criteria for households with no recourse to public funds.

What estimate her Department has made of the number of children in families subject to no recourse to public funds provisions that have received the families receiving additional support (FRAS) entitlement for eligible 2-year-olds in each of the last five years.

Families in receipt of additional forms of support to children in ‘no recourse to public fund’ households have been eligible for the 15-hours entitlement since September 2022.The early years census data collects data on the number of children taking up the entitlement for families in receipt of additional forms of support, however, the department is unable to break this down by immigration status.

How many children in families subject to no recourse to public funds provisions have received the concession on access to free school meals introduced in 2022; and what the breakdown is of those figures by (a) region and (b) year since 2022.

This government is committed to breaking down barriers to opportunity and tackling child poverty. The department has now announced that we are extending free school meals (FSM) to all children from households in receipt of Universal Credit from September 2026. Providing over half a million children from the most disadvantaged backgrounds with a free, nutritious lunchtime meal every school day will also lead to higher attainment, improved behaviour and better outcomes, meaning children get the best possible education and chance to succeed in work and life.Children from households with no recourse to public funds can receive FSM, subject to meeting income criteria set by the department in our published guidance.The department does not hold exact figures for FSM-eligible children from households with no recourse to public funds. In total, 2.2 million school pupils are eligible to receive FSM on the basis of low income. This figure includes children who are eligible under the criteria for households with no recourse to public funds.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of her Department's proposed disapplication of Section 132 of the Highways Act 1980 on public safety.

My Department has made no such proposal. It is for local authorities to determine how to use the powers at their disposal, including those within the Highways Act 1980.

What information her Department holds on trends in the number of (a) hate crimes and (b) instances of racism in communities that have not (i) taken flags down and (ii) removed graffiti.

The Home Office publishes official statistics on hate crime offences recorded by the police in England and Wales. The latest release, including information on trends, can be found here: Hate crime, England and Wales, year ending March 2024 - GOV.UKThe Home Office does not hold information on whether flags or graffiti were present or removed from the communities the offences took place in.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment her Department has made of the potential risks of the unauthorised placing of flags on lampposts; and whether she has issued guidance to local authorities on (a) their removal and (b) how to de-escalate community tensions.

The Government supports the flying of flags across the country. Flags should be an embodiment of bringing our country and our communities together. Guidance exists, such as ‘Flying flags: a plain English guide” - as set out in the Town and Country Planning (Control of Advertisements) Regulations 2007 (as amended in 2012 and 2021) – which outlines the regulations related to the flying of flags in England.

Communities and Local Government, if she will make it her policy to publish a community safety strategy.

The Government’s Safer Streets Mission led by the Home and Plan for Change commitments set out a whole-system approach to reduce serious harm and restore public confidence in policing and the criminal justice system. Central to this is our ambitions to strengthen neighbourhood policing; tackling anti-social behaviour and making town centres safer and more secure; and halving violence against women and girls and knife crime within a decade.