Written questions by Gilmour.

With reference to paragraph 3.19 of the Autumn Budget 2024, published on 30 October, if she will allocate funding to rebuild the B3191 between Watchet and Blue Anchor.

At the Budget on 30 October, the Chancellor announced £1.6 billion of capital funding for English local highway authorities for highway maintenance for the 2025/26 financial year, an increase of £500 million or nearly 50% compared to the current financial year.Funding allocations for individual local highway authorities for 2025/26, including Somerset Council, will be confirmed in due course. It is entirely a matter for Somerset Council how it spends this highway maintenance funding based on local needs, priorities, and circumstances.

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of exempting hospitality businesses from proposed changes to employer National Insurance contributions.

The Government has taken a number of difficult but necessary decisions on tax, welfare, and spending to fix the public finances, fund public services, and restore economic stability after the situation we inherited from the previous administration. The Government has protected the smallest businesses from the impact of the increase to employer National Insurance by increasing the Employment Allowance from £5,000 to £10,500, which means that 865,000 employers will pay no employer NICs at all next year. More than half of employers will see no change or will gain overall from this package and eligible employers will be able to employ up to four full-time workers on the National Living Wage and pay no employer NICs.

If he will make an assessment of the potential merits of further regulating social care micro-providers.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is the independent regulator of health and social care in England. The CQC has powers under the Health and Care Act 2008 to regulate adult social care services, to make sure they provide safe, effective, compassionate, and high-quality care. Where concerns on quality or safety are identified, the CQC uses the regulatory and enforcement powers it has available, and will take action to ensure the safety of people drawing on care and support. Providers of any size are required to be registered with, and therefore regulated by, the CQC, when they carry out personal care for people who are unable to provide it for themselves because of old age, illness, or disability, as defined in Regulation 2 (Interpretation) of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014). Any amendments to the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014 would be subject to the usual Parliamentary process, which would include a public consultation, and thus an opportunity to consider the merits of further regulation of social care providers.

With reference to the report by Gingerbread entitled Fix the CMS, published on 25 November 2024, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of (a) assigning (i) dedicated and (ii) named caseworkers for all Child Maintenance Service (CMS) cases, (b) implementing a digital contact platform for communicating with the CMS, (c) closing loopholes on the enforcement of CMS decisions, (d) training CMS staff in domestic abuse and (e) implementing the other recommendations of that report.

The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) continues to engage regularly with stakeholders as we consider CMS reform. We are currently considering the recommendations and our response to the Gingerbread report ‘Fix the CMS’.The CMS Service Modernisation Programme has delivered improvements to the customer experience enabling parents to access their on-line My Child Maintenance Case, ensuring parents can report changes of circumstances and access their digital communications at any time of the day. In addition, caseworker training to support vulnerable customers has been updated following invaluable engagement with stakeholders.The CMS has recently consulted on significant reforms and are analysing the responses. This included removing the Direct Pay service and managing all CMS cases in one service to allow the CMS to tackle non-compliance faster.  The consultation also sought views on how victims and survivors of domestic abuse can be better supported to use CMS and whether removing Direct Pay completely would benefit victims and survivors of domestic abuse. The Government will publish a response in due course.

If she will meet the hon. member for Tiverton and Minehead and the Peninsula Rail Task Force.

I’m pleased to advise that the Rail Minister Lord Hendy has accepted an invitation to meet with the Chair of the Peninsula Rail Task Force, Cllr Andrea Davis, and officials are currently making the necessary arrangements.

If his Department will make an assessment of the effectiveness of the use of heat pumps in (a) uninsulated and (b) improperly insulated homes.

Evidence shows that heat pumps are suitable for a diverse range of housing archetypes in the UK and the clear majority of properties. Modern heat pumps, capable of running efficiently at similar temperatures to an existing boiler, can increasingly be used in homes previously considered unsuitable for electrification. Other low-carbon heating solutions are available for properties that are not suited to a heat pump, and the government will continue to assess and support the options for all properties to decarbonise and reduce their energy use.

If his Department will make an assessment of the potential impact of the Energy Performance Certificate on the ability of households to manage heating bills.

Currently, Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) produce an energy efficiency rating (EER) based on the estimated running costs of the property. Basing the rating and recommendations of the EPC on cost is done with the aim of generating improvement which will lead to a reduction in energy costs. Last week, the Government published the consultation on EPC Reform, developed through close collaboration between DESNZ and MHCLG. The Government proposes using four key metrics for domestic EPCs: "fabric performance," "heating system," "smart readiness," and "energy cost." The Government is reviewing the methodology underpinning EPCs to make it fit for purpose to support net zero. The department is also reviewing consultation responses for the new building physics model, the Home Energy Model.

Communities and Local Government, if her Department will make an assessment of the adequacy of regulation on the duty of care transfer of vulnerable tenants from housing associations to village agents.

Registered providers of social housing must ensure that the safety of tenants is considered in the design and delivery of landlord services and take reasonable steps to mitigate any identified risks to tenants. In addition, registered providers must take action to deliver fair and equitable outcomes for tenants, including by understanding the diverse needs of tenants, including those arising from protected characteristics, language barriers, and additional support needs. Housing associations may refer a tenant to a village agent but there is not a mechanism through which they can transfer the duty of care. In any situation where a village agent provides care or support for vulnerable tenants, a housing association remains responsible for considering the safety of tenants and their diverse needs.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether the record-keeping requirement for the Sustainable Farming Initiative for 2024 will be maintained.

For Sustainable Farming Incentive, the Rural Payments Agency carries out desk-based administrative checks on a sample basis which can include requesting and checking the nature and quality of any supporting evidence, such as receipts and farm records. There are no plans to remove this requirement.

Communities and Local Government, if her Department will make an assessment of the potential impact of mechanical failure of Magna Air Source heat pumps in social housing on tenants.

Heat Pumps are often a highly effective low carbon alternative to a traditional gas boiler and can save families around £100 a year compared to a gas boiler through the effective use of a smart tariff. However, as with any repair, social housing providers like Magna should ensure any heat pumps installed are well maintained and fixed promptly in line with their regulatory standards when maintenance issues arise.While Housing Associations are independent organisations and are responsible for their own performance and management, tenants can raise a formal complaint through their landlord’s complaint process and through the Housing Ombudsman if the landlord fails to take appropriate action.

What assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of Office for Budget Responsibility forecasts of long-term alcohol consumption trends; and what assessment she has made of the potential impact of those trends on estimated future receipts from Alcohol Duty.

The OBR recently reviewed its forecasts of tax receipts from alcohol duty and commented on this in its Economic and Fiscal Outlook, published in October. Its updated forecast reflects lower-than-anticipated alcohol consumption in 2024-25, and a reduction in alcohol consumption growth over the medium term. Following a request for further detail in respect of the price elasticities used in its alcohol duty costings, the OBR also published updated price elasticities for alcohol in July 2024. The government carefully considers OBR forecasts as part of its tax policy-making process and keeps all taxes under review.

With reference to her Department's policy paper entitled Alcohol Duty uprating, published on 30 October 2024, if she will publish an estimate of the future administrative and operational costs to businesses associated with the withdrawal of the temporary easement on 1 February 2025.

At the recent Budget, the Chancellor confirmed that the current temporary wine easement will end as planned from 1 February 2025. By this time, the wine industry will have had over two years to adapt to the strength-based alcohol duty system. The summary of impacts from the alcohol duty reforms announced at Spring Budget 2023, including the wine easement, can be found here: Alcohol Duty Reforms - GOV.UK The Budget also announced that alcohol duty will be uprated in line with RPI inflation on 1 February 2025, except on qualifying draught products. A Tax Information and Impact Note was published alongside this Budget announcement. This is available here: Alcohol Duty uprating - GOV.UK HMRC plans to evaluate the impact of the new rates and structures three years after the changes took effect on 1 August 2023.  The Government welcomes evidence from industry on the impact of the changes so far.

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of establishing a cross-Departmental body with responsibility for missing person investigations, in the context of the multi-agency responsibilities for those investigations.

The Government recognises the need for an effective multi-agency response to missing person investigations.The Missing Persons Authorised Professional Practice (APP), issued by the College of Policing, sets out best practice guidance for all missing person investigations for police forces in England and Wales in order to prevent missing incidents as well as ensure that all safeguarding partners play a role in an investigation. This includes multi-agency enquiries. The APP for missing persons is publicly available on the College’s website.In addition to the APP, the National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for Missing Persons has developed the ‘Multi-agency response for adults missing from health and care settings’ framework, which is being rolled out, and the ‘Missing Children from Care’ framework, which has been piloted in West Yorkshire. These frameworks outline good practice that can be adopted by local areas when setting up their own multi-agency protocols for the strategic and operational response to a missing incident, with an aim to ensure that the appropriate safeguarding partner responds in the best interest of the missing person.

How many people have been reported missing from (a) hospitals and (b) other health care settings in each of the last four years for which data is available.

The following table shows a count of patient safety incidents, reported as occurring where the incident category is absconder or missing patient, broken down by care setting, each year from 2020/21 to 2023/24:Care setting of occurrence2020/212021/222022/232023/24Acute or general hospital13,79215,54117,54513,911Ambulance service7664143141Community and general dental service613611Community nursing, medical and therapy service, including community hospital814745801309Community optometry or optician service812952840Community pharmacy0181General practice83917Learning disabilities service14316414394Mental health service10,65411,39613,2817,146Total25,57428,22232,27521,620Source: National Reporting and Learning System, NHS England.Notes:an absconder or missing patient is not a direct equivalent of ‘reported missing’ as it includes issues such as leaving without signing a discharge against medical advice form, or failing to return from agreed leave on time, rather than consisting solely of reports of patients who abscond or who are reported missing to the police.the data also includes reports of patients who are missing from a follow-up, for instance, those who should have been asked to return to a clinic for review but whose call back for a further appointment has been missed.

Innovation and Technology, what steps he plans to take to support rural households in Tiverton and Minehead constituency with gaining broadband connections, in the context of (a) Connecting Devon and Somerset and (b) Airband deciding to scale back Airband’s contract agreements to deliver full fibre to properties in the region.

We are considering how Project Gigabit can support the rollout of fast, reliable broadband to premises that have been descoped from Airband’s contracts with Connecting Devon and Somerset. This may include bringing more premises into the scope of Project Gigabit contracts in the region or supporting suppliers to deliver more projects through the Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme. In some cases, premises that were set to be connected by Airband have since been included in suppliers’ commercial plans, so will no longer require public subsidy to receive access to a gigabit-capable broadband connection.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the council tax levy for second homes on the chalet industry; and whether chalets will qualify as second homes for the purpose of council tax.

From April 2025 councils will have the power to charge a discretionary premium of up to 100% on dwellings which are unoccupied and substantially furnished. The Government recognises there may be circumstances where it may not be appropriate for a premium to apply. That is why the Government is introducing exceptions to premiums from April 2025. Further information on these exceptions is available in: guidance.

What plans his Department has for the role hospices will play in shifting care into the community.

We have committed to develop a 10-Year Health Plan to deliver an National Health Service fit for the future, by driving three shifts in the way health care is delivered. We will carefully be considering policies, including those that impact people with palliative and end of life care needs, with input from the public, patients, health staff, and our stakeholders as we develop the plan.One of the three shifts that the plan will deliver is around the Government’s determination to shift more healthcare out of hospitals and into the community. This includes our commitment to trial neighbourhood health centres, to ensure that patients receive personalised care in the most appropriate setting. Palliative and end of life care services, including hospices, will play an important role in our considerations of the services those centres should host. More information about how they can input into the 10-Year Health Plan is available at the following link:https://change.nhs.uk/en-GB/

What assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of (a) PeakSave and (b) other energy tariff rates for communities without the signal needed to install a smart meter.

The Government has made no such specific assessment, as tariffs and energy contracts are a commercial matter for suppliers. However, the Government does want consumers to have access to a range of tariffs, so they can choose the contract that best suits their needs and can help to reduce energy bills. In circumstances where a supplier may not currently be able to offer a smart meter, Ofgem has been clear that suppliers are obligated under their licence conditions to ensure that a suitable metering system is installed.

Innovation and Technology, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of transitioning from analogue landline systems to a digitised service on (a) Tiverton and Minehead constituency and (b) other rural areas.

The industry-led migration from analogue to digital landlines (“the PSTN migration”) poses some specific risks for rural constituencies, for instance where areas may be more prone to power outages or lack mobile coverage. The Department is working with communications providers to ensure that they are mitigating these risks wherever possible, for example by encouraging the industry to provide improved power resilience to vulnerable customers. Since the general election, the government has brought together communications providers, government departments, local government, telecare providers and water companies to ensure that the transition proceeds smoothly and stably. This has led to a new Charters of Commitments signed by industry to ensure additional protections for vulnerable customers and for Critical National Infrastructure.

What steps his Department is taking to (a) increase funding for epilepsy research and (b) improve treatment options for patients with epilepsy.

The Department funds research into epilepsy via the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The NIHR spent almost £19 million on 46 epilepsy research projects in the five years from April 2019 to March 2024. Additionally, over this period, more than 9,500 people were enabled to participate in epilepsy research by the NIHR Clinical Research Network, now the NIHR Research Delivery Network.The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including epilepsy. Applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money, and scientific quality.The NIHR also works closely with other Government funders, including UK Research and Innovation, which is funded by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and includes the Medical Research Council, to fund research into epilepsy to improve treatments and prevent poor health outcomes for patients.We want a society where every person, including those with long-term conditions such as epilepsy, receives high-quality, compassionate continuity of care, with their families and carers supported. We will change the National Health Service so that it becomes not just a sickness service, but one that is able to prevent ill health in the first place. This will help us be better prepared for the change in the nature of disease, and allow our services to focus more on the management of chronic, long-term conditions, including epilepsy.At the national level, there are a number of initiatives supporting service improvement and better care for patients with epilepsy, including the RightCare Epilepsy Toolkit and the Getting It Right First Time Programme for Neurology, with further information on both available, respectively, at the following two links:https://gettingitrightfirsttime.co.uk/academy-resources/population-health/https://gettingitrightfirsttime.co.uk/medical_specialties/neurology/NHS England has also established a Neurology Service Transformation Programme, a multi-year, clinically led programme to develop a new model of integrated care for neurology services, including for epilepsy.