Written questions by Bailey.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to introduce new clean air targets in line with World Health Organisation guidelines; and if he will fund (a) local and (b) regional authorities to tackle the worst areas of air pollution in the course of this parliament.

The Government is committed to meeting current legal targets for air quality, including the targets recently set under the Environment Act 2021, and will review the policy measures needed to achieve them. We will deliver a comprehensive Clean Air Strategy, including a series of interventions to reduce emissions so that everyone’s exposure to air pollution is reduced. The World Health Organisation (WHO) air quality guidelines are intended to inform the setting of air quality standards and are not ready-made targets for direct adoption as they do not consider achievability or individual countries’ circumstances. However, we will consider WHO guidelines as part of an evidence led process when considering future targets.

What assessment she has made of the adequacy of child safeguarding monitoring after a child’s parent is imprisoned.

HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) has recently reviewed its Child Safeguarding and Prison Public Protection policies, so as to enhance their effectiveness, notably in relation to monitoring and mitigating risks to children. HMPPS staff are required to check if prisoners received into custody have caring responsibilities for any children, to exchange information with Children’s Services and record known safeguarding concerns. There are robust arrangements for monitoring those cases where an adult in prison is identified as posing a risk to children. HMPPS has worked with the Department for Education to review and update the Working Together to Safeguard Children statutory guidance, which was published in December 2023. The updated guidance helps to strengthen the arrangements between HMPPS and local Children’s Services, particularly in relation to responding to child safeguarding concerns and collaborating to improve outcomes for children at risk of abuse or neglect. In July this year we produced the first official statistics on children of prisoners, estimating that over the course of a year around 193,000 children in England and Wales may be affected by a parent being in, or going to, prison. We recognise there is more that can be done to make sure that children with a parent in prison do not fall through the cracks, which is why this Government has committed to ensuring that those young people are identified and offered the support they need.

How many children have (a) parents and (b) guardians who are imprisoned; and how many of those children are living without an adult guardian.

The Government recently published the first official statistics to estimate the number of children affected by parental imprisonment using administrative government data. It's estimated that between 1 October 2021 and 1 October 2022 there were around 193,000 children with a parent in prison. These statistics take a broad view of parental responsibility and include those with caring responsibility, legal guardianship, or primary care for a child, and therefore we are unable to split the data out into separate figures for those with a parent and those with a guardian. The Department for Education who hold responsibility for children, and the Ministry of Justice both fully recognise the importance of being able to identify children with a parent in prison.

What steps her Department is taking to communicate with (a) people and (b) households eligible for Pension Credit who have not yet applied for it to encourage Pension Credit take up.

In order to maximise the take-up of Pension Credit, we have been running an extensive national campaign since September on a range of channels, including print and broadcast media to encourage pensioners to check their eligibility and make a claim. The campaign targets potential pension-age customers, as well as friends and family who can encourage and support them to apply. We continue to engage with a range of external partners who can help promote Pension Credit through their own channels and networks. Building on last year’s ‘Invitation to Claim’ trial, the Department will be directly contacting approximately 120,000 pensioner households who are in receipt of Housing Benefit and who may also be eligible for, but not currently claiming, Pension Credit. We can identify and target these households using DWP’s Housing Benefit data. We are also asking local authorities to support our Pension Credit campaign - the Secretary of State and the Deputy Prime Minister wrote to all local authorities in August. Many already undertake their own initiatives to identify eligible households and promote take-up; and over 160 local authorities have responded positively to our ‘call for action’.

What steps she is taking to support the children of people who are imprisoned.

The Government recently published the first official statistics to estimate the number of children affected by parental imprisonment using administrative government data. It's estimated that between 1 October 2021 and 1 October 2022 there were around 193,000 children with a parent in prison. We fully recognise the importance of being able to identify children with a parent in prison to make sure they receive the support they need, which is why a commitment on this was included in our manifesto.The Ministry of Justice is working closely with the Department for Education who hold responsibility for children to determine how effectively identify these children and provide support for both them and for the parent in prison. The support will be informed by learnings from previous interventions and pilots, and engagement both with those with lived experience and organisations from the Voluntary, Charity and Social Enterprise sector.

What steps her Department takes to identify (a) people and (b) households eligible for Pension Credit who have not applied for it.

Building on last year’s ‘Invitation to Claim’ trial, the Department will be directly contacting approximately 120,000 pensioner households who are in receipt of Housing Benefit and who may also be eligible for, but not currently claiming, Pension Credit. We can identify and target these households using DWP’s Housing Benefit data. In order to maximise the take-up of Pension Credit, we have been running an extensive national campaign since September on a range of channels, including print and broadcast media to encourage pensioners to check their eligibility and make a claim. The campaign targets potential pension-age customers, as well as friends and family who can encourage and support them to apply. We continue to engage with a range of external partners who can help promote Pension Credit through their own channels and networks. We are also asking local authorities to support our Pension Credit campaign - the Secretary of State and the Deputy Prime Minister wrote to all local authorities in August. Many already undertake their own initiatives to identify eligible households and promote take-up; and over 160 local authorities have responded positively to our ‘call for action’Like all means-tested benefits, a person’s eligibility for Pension Credit and the amount they may get depends on their specific financial and personal household circumstances, information which DWP does not have. That’s why it is not currently possible to accurately identify people who may be entitled to Pension Credit just from DWP data.

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of extending bereavement support payments to widowers who were unmarried and living with their partner but who were not pregnant or eligible for child benefit.

Bereavement Support Payment is currently only available to those who are married, in a cohabiting relationship with dependent children, or in a civil partnership. A marriage or civil partnership is a legal contract associated with certain rights. including entitlement to benefits derived from another person's National Insurance contributions such as Bereavement Support Payment. In February 2023, the Government extended bereavement benefits to cohabitees with children in response to two court judgments. However, for families without children, the basic principle for only paying BSP where there was a legal union remains. The Government keeps the eligibility of all benefits including Bereavement Support Payments, under review.

What plans his Department has to increase funding into (a) the causes of and (b) treatments for Tourette’s syndrome.

NHS England’s e-Learning for Healthcare has produced modular online learning resources in relation to Tourette’s and other tic disorders within its neurodevelopmental disorder and healthy schools programme domains, which are freely accessible to all, including service providers.The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has produced guidance on suspected neurological conditions, which includes recommendations on treatment for tics and involuntary movements in adults and children. This guidance is available at the following link:https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng127/The Department funds research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health and social care, including Tourette’s syndrome. 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 patients and health and care services, value for money, and scientific quality. In all areas, the amount of NIHR funding depends on the volume and quality of scientific activity. The NIHR has funded a number of research projects on Tourette’s syndrome. For example, the NIHR has funded the Online Remote Behavioural Treatment for Tics study to evaluate online behavioural interventions for children with tics and Tourette’s syndrome. Researchers at the NIHR’s Great Ormond Street Biomedical Research Centre are also supporting the TIC Genetics programme, which aims to identify the genetic factors that cause Tourette Syndrome using a family-based approach.

What steps is he taking to improve support for children and young people with Tourette’s syndrome.

NHS England’s e-Learning for Healthcare has produced modular online learning resources in relation to Tourette’s and other tic disorders within its neurodevelopmental disorder and healthy schools programme domains, which are freely accessible to all, including service providers.The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has produced guidance on suspected neurological conditions, which includes recommendations on treatment for tics and involuntary movements in adults and children. This guidance is available at the following link:https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng127/The Department funds research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health and social care, including Tourette’s syndrome. 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 patients and health and care services, value for money, and scientific quality. In all areas, the amount of NIHR funding depends on the volume and quality of scientific activity. The NIHR has funded a number of research projects on Tourette’s syndrome. For example, the NIHR has funded the Online Remote Behavioural Treatment for Tics study to evaluate online behavioural interventions for children with tics and Tourette’s syndrome. Researchers at the NIHR’s Great Ormond Street Biomedical Research Centre are also supporting the TIC Genetics programme, which aims to identify the genetic factors that cause Tourette Syndrome using a family-based approach.

What plans his Department has to increase the number of specialist practitioners (a) researching and (b) treating Tourette’s syndrome.

NHS England’s e-Learning for Healthcare has produced modular online learning resources in relation to Tourette’s and other tic disorders within its neurodevelopmental disorder and healthy schools programme domains, which are freely accessible to all, including service providers.The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has produced guidance on suspected neurological conditions, which includes recommendations on treatment for tics and involuntary movements in adults and children. This guidance is available at the following link:https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng127/The Department funds research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health and social care, including Tourette’s syndrome. 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 patients and health and care services, value for money, and scientific quality. In all areas, the amount of NIHR funding depends on the volume and quality of scientific activity. The NIHR has funded a number of research projects on Tourette’s syndrome. For example, the NIHR has funded the Online Remote Behavioural Treatment for Tics study to evaluate online behavioural interventions for children with tics and Tourette’s syndrome. Researchers at the NIHR’s Great Ormond Street Biomedical Research Centre are also supporting the TIC Genetics programme, which aims to identify the genetic factors that cause Tourette Syndrome using a family-based approach.

Whether the Fit For Future Fund will include purchasing new equipment for endoscopy services used to diagnose bowel cancer.

Increasing capacity to meet demand for diagnostic services and returning to waiting time standards for cancer, including the Faster Diagnosis Standard, are both priorities for the Government.It is our ambition to introduce a new Fit For the Future fund to provide the National Health Service with the latest technology and to replace outdated equipment to make diagnoses, including cancer diagnoses, more accurate and timely, and to improve the experience for patients.More detailed plans for future funding will be informed by NHS England's assessment of priorities, and will be set out at the earliest opportunity.