Written questions by Gilmour.

What steps his Department is taking to tackle disparities in length of periods of poor health between (a) people in Somerset and (b) the national average.

The United Kingdom faces significant health inequalities, with life expectancy varying widely across and within communities. The Government is committed to building a fairer Britain by tackling the structural inequalities that contribute to poor health, particularly for disadvantaged groups.The population health priorities in the South West focus on improving population health outcomes and reducing health inequalities and health disparities for inclusion groups. This includes increasing the detection and treatment of people with hypertension, improving the uptake of health checks, increasing the number of people supported to stop smoking, improving the support to people at risk of self-harming, and increasing the number of people affected by long term sickness who are supported back into employment.The Somerset local authority received £23.1 million in Public Health Grant funding in 2024/25. This provides services such as stop smoking, drug and alcohol treatment, health visiting and school nursing, sexual health, and NHS Health Checks among others, all of which contribute to addressing health inequalities.In the South West region, assurance and support for inequalities and inclusion is led by the regional health inequalities team, who work as a blended team across both NHS England and the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities, and who collaborate with national and integrated care system colleagues, including the Directors of Public Health within the region. The health inequalities team supports systems to accelerate the narrowing of gaps in population health outcomes relating to specific South West priorities, and supports the national Core20PLUS5 approach and the implementation of the digital inclusion framework.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department can take to ensure (a) existing drainage infrastructure is maintained and cleaned to appropriate levels to deal with high water volumes and (b) that future drainage infrastructure is built with resilient water capture systems to avoid flooding events, in the context of flooding in Tiverton and Minehead constituency.

The Environment Agency (EA) maintains assets and infrastructure, including flood relief channels to divert water during heavy flows. EA monitoring teams use telemetry systems to identify and respond to high levels, while field teams ensure water conveyance is maximised by removing obstructions and blockages from channels & trash screens, including proactive checks in advance of expected high rain volumes. We work alongside partner agencies such as Highways & Local Authorities whose duty is to ensure road gulleys are clear to allow surface water to drain and roads to remain open. Protecting communities from the dangers of flooding is one of Defra’s top priorities. Watercourse management responsibilities fall to different bodies. Riparian landowners are required to keep watercourses clear of anything which could cause an obstruction to the flow of water on their land, or downstream if washed away. The Environment Agency has permissive powers to undertake maintenance on main rivers. Lead local flood authorities (LLFAs) or internal drainage boards (IDBs) have permissive powers for ordinary watercourses. The Environment Agency focuses its efforts on those activities which will achieve the greatest benefit in terms of protecting people and property from flooding. The Government is investing a record £2.65 billion over two years in building, maintaining and repairing our flood and coastal defences, better protecting 52,000 properties. We are also shifting £108 million towards maintenance to shore up creaking defences, benefitting a further 14,500 properties.

If she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the decision to withdraw funding for the Level 3 NVQ Diploma in Stone Masonry Heritage and Skills on (a) the preservation of heritage skills and (b) the employment prospects of people trained in this field.

The government has a central mission to drive forward opportunity and growth, which relies on people having the skills needed to thrive in life and work. The construction sector is vital in driving economic prosperity and providing career opportunities for people at all ages and stages of their careers. For this reason, the department works closely with the construction sector to ensure our skills offer meets the needs of the sector.Stonemasonry is a key skill, which is why an apprenticeship covering several stonemasonry occupations is available. This apprenticeship is, however, at level 2 and not at level 3. The Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education is currently working with industry to split this apprenticeship standard into a level 2 Stonemason apprenticeship and a level 3 Craft Stonemason apprenticeship, to better meet the needs of the sector. Classroom qualifications can be developed against occupational standards.On 12 December 2024, the government announced the outcomes of the review of qualifications reform at level 3 in England. As part of this review, three level 3 qualifications in Stonemasonry will continue to have public funding removed from 31 July 2025. Awarding organisations have had the opportunity to appeal where necessary, so that specialist qualifications could be retained if it was demonstrated that they were needed. Full details of the review outcomes can be accessed at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/review-of-level-3-qualifications-reform-provisional-outcomes.The department has continued to remove funding from existing level 3 qualifications, not only because the standards are at level 2, but also due to the qualifications having less than 100 enrolments for three successive years, highlighting that a classroom-based qualification at level 3 is not being sufficiently used.At level 2, there are still four qualifications in Stonemasonry available to young people and adults. These qualifications are used currently within apprenticeships and are closely aligned with the industry standards by design.The department wants to ensure that qualifications are developed at the right level to enable people to enter skilled employment, and where qualifications attract public funding, we want to ensure that they are needed. Where they are not needed, including having very low levels of enrolments, we will continue to remove public funding so that students and employers have a simpler range of qualifications to choose from.

Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of including (a) ingress and (b) egress routes for water in new building developments.

This government recognises the importance of development being resilient to flooding from all sources, including from surface water. The revised National Planning Policy Framework published on 12 December 2024 makes clear that developments of all sizes should use sustainable drainage techniques where the development could have drainage impacts. These are designed to control surface water runoff and provide benefits for water quantity, water quality, biodiversity and amenity by lowering flow rates and increasing water storage capacity.

If her Department will make an assessment of the financial impact of transitioning from ESA to Universal Credit on adults with preventing disabilities.

We have interpreted your question to mean ‘To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if her Department will make an assessment of the financial impact of transitioning from ESA to Universal Credit on adults with preventable disabilities’. The Government has given a commitment that those sent a managed migration notice requiring them to claim Universal Credit, where eligible, will not have a lower entitlement to Universal Credit than they had total existing benefit entitlement at the point they claim. Transitional Protection is available to ensure this commitment is met, including for those with preventable disabilities.

Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to address the failures in remedial work to combat mould in rented properties, in the context of the associated health risks.

The government is committed to ensuring that rented homes are safe, decent, warm, and free from damp and mould.The Deputy Prime Minister made a Written Ministerial Statement on 6 February (HCWS423) confirming that the government will bring Awaab’s Law into force for damp and mould in social housing in October this year. The Renters’ Rights Bill, which is currently progressing through the House of Lords, will apply Awaab’s Law to the private rented sector.Social housing tenants who have already reported a problem to their landlord about damp and mould and who are dissatisfied with the response can make a complaint to the Housing Ombudsman. Through the Renters’ Rights Bill, we are introducing a new Private Rented Sector Landlord Ombudsman Service which will be mandatory for nearly all private landlords to join.In addition, all tenants who think their house or flat is in a seriously dangerous condition can take their landlords to court under the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018.

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of extending business rate relief to include angling boats as small businesses.

Small Business Rate Relief (SBRR) is available to businesses with a single property below a set rateable value (RV). Eligible properties with an RV under £12,000 will receive 100 per cent relief and there is also tapered support available to properties valued between £12,000 and £15,000. More information about SBRR can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/apply-for-business-rate-relief/small-business-rate-relief Charitable rates relief provides 80% relief to eligible properties. More information about charitable rates relief can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/apply-for-business-rate-relief/charitable-rate-relief To be considered a rateable hereditament, a boat has to have a sufficient degree of permanence, as defined by case law. Examples include floating restaurants, nightclubs and tourist attractions. Further information on the business rates treatment of boats can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/rating-manual-section-6-part-3-valuation-of-all-property-classes/section-670-mooringsAt the Autumn Budget, the Government published the ‘Transforming Business Rates’ Discussion Paper, which sets out priority areas for reform. This paper invited stakeholders to help co-design a fairer business rates system that supports investment and is fit for the 21st century. As set out in the Discussion Paper, the government is open to receiving written evidence on priority areas.

If her Department will make an assessment of the adequacy of the eligibility criteria for Rateable Charity Relief for charity organisations using (a) tidal mooring and (b) harbour spaces.

Small Business Rate Relief (SBRR) is available to businesses with a single property below a set rateable value (RV). Eligible properties with an RV under £12,000 will receive 100 per cent relief and there is also tapered support available to properties valued between £12,000 and £15,000. More information about SBRR can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/apply-for-business-rate-relief/small-business-rate-relief Charitable rates relief provides 80% relief to eligible properties. More information about charitable rates relief can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/apply-for-business-rate-relief/charitable-rate-relief To be considered a rateable hereditament, a boat has to have a sufficient degree of permanence, as defined by case law. Examples include floating restaurants, nightclubs and tourist attractions. Further information on the business rates treatment of boats can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/rating-manual-section-6-part-3-valuation-of-all-property-classes/section-670-mooringsAt the Autumn Budget, the Government published the ‘Transforming Business Rates’ Discussion Paper, which sets out priority areas for reform. This paper invited stakeholders to help co-design a fairer business rates system that supports investment and is fit for the 21st century. As set out in the Discussion Paper, the government is open to receiving written evidence on priority areas.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether (a) he and (b) his officials are taking diplomatic steps to ensure that (i) Avinatan Or and (ii) the remains of Yossi Sharabi are returned by Hamas.

The safe release of all hostages, including those with strong UK-links, is a top priority for the government. The current ceasefire deal must secure their release, protect both Israelis and Palestinians, and allow the safe distribution of aid.The UK is working with international partners to ensure the stability of the ceasefire agreement, so that it is implemented in full. In doing so, we aim to secure the release of all hostages, including those with strong UK-links: Eli Sharabi, Oded Lifshitz, Avinatan Or. And we also aim to ensure that the remains of Yossi Sharabi are returned to his family.The UK will continue to work with Israel, the Palestinian Authority, the US and regional partners to build consensus for a post-conflict Gaza governance and security framework that supports conditions for a permanent and sustainable peace.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had discussions with his (a) Israeli, (b) US and (c) Qatari counterparts on the (i) safety and (ii) potential early release of (A) Eli Sharabi and (B) Oded Lifshitz.

The safe release of all hostages, including those with strong UK-links, is a top priority for the government. The current ceasefire deal must secure their release, protect both Israelis and Palestinians, and allow the safe distribution of aid.The UK is working with international partners to ensure the stability of the ceasefire agreement, so that it is implemented in full. In doing so, we aim to secure the release of all hostages, including those with strong UK-links: Eli Sharabi, Oded Lifshitz, Avinatan Or. And we also aim to ensure that the remains of Yossi Sharabi are returned to his family.The UK will continue to work with Israel, the Palestinian Authority, the US and regional partners to build consensus for a post-conflict Gaza governance and security framework that supports conditions for a permanent and sustainable peace.

If she will make an assessment of the impact of the withdrawal of Winter Fuel payments on pensioners who (a) are not in receipt of Pension Credit and (b) have an annual income below £15,000.

The Government has had to make hard choices to bring the public finances back under control. The policy change ensures that the Winter Fuel Payment will be better targeted to low-income pensioners who need it most. Information on pensioners with incomes below £15,000 affected by the change to Winter Fuel Payment policy is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost. However, the Department has produced some analysis on the impacts of the change in policy on poverty levels which was published here: Winter Fuel Payments eligibility change - Letter from the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions.

Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 28 October 2024 to Question 10798 on African Swine Fever and to the Answer of 19 December 2024 to Question 19080 on Foot and Mouth Disease, what recent assessment his Department has made of the risk of a domestic (a) African swine fever and (b) foot and mouth disease outbreak.

Whilst we have never had an outbreak of African Swine Fever (ASF) in the UK, it remains a key priority in terms of exotic notifiable disease preparedness. The overall risk of an incursion is currently assessed to be medium, and we continue to prepare for a possible outbreak. To safeguard the UK’s pork and pig industries, Defra, Devolved Governments, together with the pig industry and veterinary bodies have been working together to raise awareness of the risks of the introduction of ASF to the UK. Defra announced further controls in September 2024, restricting the movement of pork and pork products into Great Britain. The risk of incursion of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) to Great Britain was increased to medium following the confirmation of disease in Germany on the 10 January 2025. The Government has taken decisive and rapid action to protect the UK by suspending the commercial import of susceptible animals from Germany and restricting personal imports of animal products from across the EU. The UK has robust contingency plans in place to manage the risk of this disease as set out in the Foot and Mouth Disease Control Strategy for Great Britain supported by the Contingency plan for exotic notifiable diseases of animals in England.

Food and Rural Affairs, how many tonnes of (a) illegal and (b) banned products of animal origin (POAO) have been seized at the Port of Dover since September 2022.

Please see the table below for total seizures of illegal meat year on year. The figures quoted are seizures from all ports who had returned seizure data to us from September 2022 onwards as part of Defra African Swine Fever programme. This does not reflect all illegal meat seizures. We are unable to provide further levels of detail as we do not release details of the location of seizure; this information could risk undermining border security, by providing intelligence in our resource deployment and targeting Total seizures for full year on year are as follows: 2022 (Sept-Dec)3745kg202344,482kg202492,270kg

If he will make an assessment of the adequacy of funding for research into epilepsy.

The Department funds research into epilepsy via the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). There are currently no plans to assess the adequacy of funding for research into epilepsy, however, the NIHR continues to welcome high quality applications for research into any aspect of human health and care, including prevention, management, and treatment of epilepsy and the related conditions.These 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 the public and health and care services, value for money, and scientific quality. Welcoming applications on epilepsy to all NIHR programmes enables maximum flexibility, both in terms of the amount of research funding a particular area can be awarded, and the type of research which can be funded.The NIHR committed £31.5 million of funding to 28 epilepsy research projects in the five years from April 2019 to March 2024. Additionally, over this period, more than 5,000 people were enabled to participate in epilepsy research by the NIHR Clinical Research Network, now the NIHR Research Delivery Network.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.

What his planned timetable is to introduce early diagnosis services for osteoporosis.

On 6 January 2025, NHS England published the new Elective Reform Plan, which sets out a whole system approach to hitting the 18-week referral to treatment target by the end of this Parliament. Further information on the Elective Reform Plan is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/reforming-elective-care-for-patients/Part of the plan sets out funding to boost bone density scanning capacity, to support improvements in early diagnosis and bone health conditions such as osteoporosis. This will provide an estimated 29,000 extra scans per year.As announced in the Get Britain Working white paper, we are delivering the joint Department for Work and Pensions, Department of Health and Social Care, and NHS England Getting It Right First-Time (GIRFT) Musculoskeletal (MSK) Community Delivery Programme. With a £3.5 million funding boost, GIRFT teams will deploy their proven Further Faster model to work with integrated care board leaders to further reduce MSK community waiting times, including for those with osteoporosis, and improve data, metrics, and referral pathways to wider support services.

What assessment he has made of the adequacy of the support for out of hours doctors services in (a) Tiverton and Minehead constituency and (b) England.

No such assessment has been made by the Department. The commissioning of out of hours services, and to what extent those services are supported, is the responsibility of local commissioners in partnership with their providers, and in the best interest of their populations.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the proposed changes to the cost of acquiring a waste exemption permit on future trends in the level of landfill.

The Environment Agency (EA) charges consultation (including proposals to charge for waste exemptions) is now closed. The EA expects businesses that register and comply with waste exemptions without the requirement for an environmental permit, will continue to do so and pay the associated waste exemption charges. The EA does not expect waste exemption charges to result in an increase in landfill, where specific wastes are banned and landfill tax applies. Further information on the charges consultation, the points raised by industry and our responses to them will be included in a forthcoming consultation response document to be published by the EA. The EA has carried out an affordability impact analysis of the charge proposals. Key findings are detailed in the public consultation and any changes will be noted when the consultation response is published.

If she will make an assessment of the adequacy of current council tax guidance for the valuation of farm properties with outbuildings.

The Valuation Office Agency (VOA) publishes its guidance manual here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/council-tax-manual/council-tax-practice-notes. Practice Note 2, Appendix 2 refers. Technical experts are also available internally to provide support to VOA staff as required. The VOA’s guidance is kept under review and updated when needed.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of EU parcel regulations on the ability of small and medium-sized enterprises to trade with the EU.

The Government is aware of the EU Commission’s proposed reforms to the Union Customs Code (UCC), which include proposals aimed at addressing significant increases in volumes of parcels imported directly to consumers. The Government will continue to monitor the progress of the proposed reforms through the EU institutions and will monitor potential impacts on UK businesses. Various forums exist for UK-EU dialogue on issues such as this, including the UK/EU Trade Specialised Committee on Customs and Rules of Origin.

Media and Sport, what assessment her Department had made of the adequacy of existing legislation to ensure copyright protections across the creative industries.

The government recognises the importance of the UKs copyright regime to the economic success of the creative industries, one of eight growth-driving sectors as identified in our Industrial Strategy. We are committed to supporting rights holders by ensuring they retain control over and receive fair payment for their work, especially as technology advances to include AI. We are actively working with stakeholders to ensure copyright protections remain robust and fit for purpose.Although existing legislation gives creative rights holders control over the use of their protected works, we are aware that this can be very difficult to implement in practice in the context of AI, especially for individual firms and creators. The application of existing copyright legislation in the context of AI training is disputed, both in the UK and internationally, with many high-profile court cases underway. Right holders are finding it difficult to control use of their works to train AI models, and want greater ability to manage that activity and be paid for it.Responses to our Copyright and AI consultation, published 17 December and closing 25 February, will inform our approach to the design and delivery of a solution to the current dispute over copyright legislation. Our aim is to clarify the copyright framework for AI – delivering legal certainty through a copyright regime that provides creators with real control, transparency, and helps them licence their content, while supporting AI developers' access to high-quality material, so that they can train leading AI models in the UK.