Written questions by Paul.

Which prison construction projects have been delayed as a result of the administration of ISG Construction and related contractors.

Awaiting answer.

For each prison construction project affected by the administration of ISG Construction and related contractors, whether a replacement contractor has been appointed and what the expected date is for construction work to recommence.

Awaiting answer.

For each prison construction project affected by the administration of ISG Construction and related contractors, what the expected completion date was before those administrations; and what the latest expected completion date is.

Awaiting answer.

What assessment he has made of the impact of delays to prison construction projects on the delivery of the Government’s target of 14,000 additional prison places by 2031.

Awaiting answer.

Food and Rural Affairs, what contingency planning his Department has undertaken to ensure the continued (a) affordability and (b) availability of nitrogen-based fertilisers for UK farmers.

Awaiting answer.

What steps she is taking to help increase the use of hydrogen in the transport system.

Awaiting answer.

What steps his Department is taking to develop and implement national evidence-based clinical guidelines for adult gender identity services across NHS England.

Awaiting answer.

How the experiences and clinical outcomes of individuals who have de-transitioned, alongside a range of patient outcomes, are being incorporated into the development of policy and clinical guidance in the provision of adult gender identity services.

Awaiting answer.

What discussions he has had with Capita on (a) its performance on delivering the Civil Service Pension Scheme (CSPS) and (b) how he will hold Capita to account for the ongoing lack of system access and payment delays.

The Cabinet Office awarded the contract to administer the Civil Service Pension Scheme to Capita in November 2023 under the previous government. I want to reassure you that the Government has taken firm action to help put things right as soon as possible. We have agreed a clear recovery plan with Capita, which includes specific milestones and accountability targets for delivery. For priority cases, we have deployed additional resources and improved communication with affected colleagues, so that staff, both former and serving, receive the quality of service and support they deserve.Furthermore, Capita remains subject to all SLAs within the contract, which includes system access and timely payments. We are applying contractual levers available to us to deal with performance failures, and we continue to explore all commercial avenues to hold them to account for the quality of their delivery. For example, existing Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) have been enhanced and strengthened to deliver improved performance and higher penalties for failure, including financial penalties. These have already applied in respect to Capita’s performance with recent issues and delays in administering the Civil Service Pension Scheme.The Minister for the Cabinet Office has met with the Capita CEO both before and after the transition. This oversight is supported by Cabinet Office officials and the taskforce, who remain in daily contact with Capita leadership. Ministers are regularly updated with progress being made to ensure the recovery remains on track.The pension scheme continues to make monthly pension payments to approximately 730,000 existing pensioner members on time.

What assessment his Department has made of the (a) prevalence of respiratory disease and (b) number of emergency hospital admissions for respiratory conditions in Reigate constituency compared with national averages; and what steps he is taking to ensure respiratory health is prioritised nationally, including through the introduction of a Modern Service Framework for respiratory care.

Data is available for emergency finished admission episodes (FAEs) where there was a primary diagnosis of 'respiratory conditions’. The following table shows the number of FAEs where there was a primary diagnosis of 'respiratory conditions’ for Reigate and England, for activity in English National Health Service hospitals and English NHS-commissioned activity in the independent sector, for 2024/25 and provisionally for 2025/26:Westminster Parliamentary Constituency of Residence2024/25 (August 2024 to March 2025)2025/26 (April 2025 to November 2025)Reigate920765England612,855511,558Source: Hospital Episode Statistics, NHS England. Available data on trends in respiratory conditions can be found on the Department’s Fingertips dataset. Data is not available by parliamentary constituency. Data is available at regional, county, unitary authority and integrated care board level. Information for Reigate can be found at the following link: https://fingertips.phe.org.uk/search/Respiratory#page/1/gid/1/pat/6/ati/501/are/E07000211/iid/40701/age/163/sex/4/cat/-1/ctp/-1/yrr/1/cid/4/tbm/1 The Government will consider long-term conditions for future waves of modern service frameworks (MSFs), including respiratory conditions. The criteria for determining other conditions for future MSFs will be based on where there is potential for rapid and significant improvements in quality of care and productivity. After the initial wave of MSFs is complete, the National Quality Board will determine the conditions to prioritise for new MSFs as part of its work programme.

Pursuant to the Answer of 5 January 2026 to the Question 98986 on Police: Workplace Pensions, whether her Department has identified a solution.

I refer the Hon. Member to my answer given to question 98986.

What steps his Department will take to improve mental health provision and outcomes for young people.

For children and young people in distress or struggling with their mental health, fast access to early, high-quality support is critical. Mental health support teams play a key role in this, providing early intervention for mental health conditions like anxiety and depression, while also assisting schools to develop a whole-school approach to positive mental health and wellbeing. By spring 2026, up to 900,000 more children and young people will have access to mental health support teams compared to Spring 2025, with full national coverage planned by 2029.Alongside this, early support hubs provide drop-in mental health support for 11- to 25‑year‑olds without the need for a referral. The Government recently confirmed an additional £7 million funding boost for early support hubs across England, enabling 10,000 additional mental health and wellbeing interventions over the next 12 months. The Government is also establishing the first of 50 Young Futures Hubs to bring local services together within communities and offer early advice and wellbeing support for young people who may not meet thresholds for specialist National Health Service care.We’re also tackling the longest waits for specialist mental health services for children and young people by reducing regional variation and improving access. Our goal is to make services more productive, so children and young people spend less time waiting for the treatment they need. Together, these initiatives, backed by recruitment of almost 8,000 additional mental health workers for adults and children since July 2024, are expanding timely, local support, reducing the need for escalation to specialist services and helping young people receive the right help at the right time, in the right place.

Communities and Local Government, what estimate his Department has made of the change in the funding available for Surrey Fire and Rescue Service in (a) each financial year between 2026-27 and 2028-29 and (b) 2025-26.

Multi-year funding allocations were published at the final Local Government Finance Settlement on 9 February 2026. The final 2026-27 Local Government Finance Settlement will make available £78 billion in Core Spending Power for local authorities in England in 2026-27, a 6.1% increase compared to 2025-26. By the end of the multi-year Settlement (2028-29), the government will have provided a 15.5% increase in Core Spending Power for local authorities in England, worth over £11.4 billion, compared to 2025-26. Surrey Fire and Rescue Service is primarily funded by the Central Government and council tax precept via its parent authority, Surrey County Council. In 2026/27 Surrey County Council will have a core spending power of £1271.2 million, an increase of 6.6% compared to 2024-25. For Surrey County Council, the Settlement will make available up to £1275.2 million in Core Spending Power by 2028-29, an increase of 6.9% since 2024-25. The majority of funding in the Local Government Finance Settlement is unringfenced recognising that local leaders are best placed to identify local priorities. Fire and rescue services play a crucial role in making our communities safer, both in prevention and in responding to emergencies.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the Local Government Finance Settlement 2026-27 to 2028-29 on the financial sustainability of Surrey Fire and Rescue Service.

Multi-year funding allocations were published at the final Local Government Finance Settlement on 9 February 2026. The final 2026-27 Local Government Finance Settlement will make available £78 billion in Core Spending Power for local authorities in England in 2026-27, a 6.1% increase compared to 2025-26. By the end of the multi-year Settlement (2028-29), the government will have provided a 15.5% increase in Core Spending Power for local authorities in England, worth over £11.4 billion, compared to 2025-26. Surrey Fire and Rescue Service is primarily funded by the Central Government and council tax precept via its parent authority, Surrey County Council. In 2026/27 Surrey County Council will have a core spending power of £1271.2 million, an increase of 6.6% compared to 2024-25. For Surrey County Council, the Settlement will make available up to £1275.2 million in Core Spending Power by 2028-29, an increase of 6.9% since 2024-25. The majority of funding in the Local Government Finance Settlement is unringfenced recognising that local leaders are best placed to identify local priorities. Fire and rescue services play a crucial role in making our communities safer, both in prevention and in responding to emergencies.

Communities and Local Government, what consideration his Department has given to ensuring that council tax flexibility for fire and rescue services is applied across different governance models, including services delivered through county councils and standalone fire and rescue authorities.

Local authorities are responsible for deciding the level of their council tax. The Secretary of State sets referendum principles for a range of local authorities with different responsibilities, including fire services. The principles are considered on an annual basis, taking into account any changes in those responsibilities, and are consulted on as part of the annual Local Government Finance Settlement.

Communities and Local Government, whether his Department plans to review the funding distribution methodology for fire and rescue authorities following the Fair Funding Review 2.0.

The Government recognises that the current fire funding formula was designed over a decade ago. In line with responses to the principles of reform consultation in December 2024, the Government updated the fire and rescue relative needs formula by using the most up-to-date data available. We will work with the fire sector on a comprehensive review of the formula ahead of the next Spending Review and will be engaging with stakeholders shortly.

What steps her Department has taken to ensure ongoing independent expert scrutiny of police conduct and the full transparent investigation of this conduct where required.

This Government is currently reforming the statutory systems for investigating allegations of police misconduct (whether these are identified internally or via public complaints).The most serious and sensitive matters including deaths and serious injuries and allegations of serious corruption must be referred immediately to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) for assessment and, where IOPC deems it necessary, immediate, independent investigation.The IOPC publishes summaries and reports on its work, wherever it is possible to do so and regularly publishes press releases providing updates on high profile cases. We introduced reforms to these systems via the Policing and Crime Bill and announced further steps in Chapter 4 of the Police Reform White Paper published on 26 January 2026, including working with the IOPC to increase transparency further.

Innovation and Technology, on what date the cross-departmental team established to address the findings of Baroness Bertin’s Independent Pornography Review formally commenced its work; and when is that team expected to provide its findings and recommendations.

The ‘Freedom from Violence and Abuse: a cross-government strategy to build a safer society for women and girls’ committed to creating a joint team to address the issues in Baroness Bertin’s Review. The team is now established and is formed by the Home Office, Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, Ministry of Justice, and Department for Culture, Media and Sport. The team is examining the evidence to inform the government’s approach to pornography policy carefully.

Innovation and Technology, if she will make it her policy that types of pornographic content that it would be illegal to distribute offline, such as scenes depicting incest and scenes of simulated child abuse, are subject to equivalent controls online.

The Online Safety Act (OSA) already places robust duties on online platforms to tackle illegal and harmful pornographic content. Platforms are required to prevent users from encountering such content, and services that host or allow access to pornography must have effective measures, such as age verification, to protect children. In 2025, the government announced that strangulation will be made a priority offence under the OSA, requiring platforms to take swift action against this content.Following the Independent Pornography Review, a cross-government joint team has been established to inform the government’s approach to pornography policy.

What assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the current regulatory framework for Research Ethics Committees (RECs), including the Governance Arrangements for Research Ethics Committees, in providing adequate guidance for RECs considering research proposals pertaining to gender and sex.

No specific assessment has been made by the Department. The Health Research Authority (HRA) and the devolved administrations provide a Research Ethics Service so that research proposals relating to their areas of responsibility can be reviewed by a Research Ethics Committee (REC) for all kinds of health and social care research proposals within the scope of the UK Policy Framework for Health and Social Care research, including those pertaining to gender and sex.A REC is a group of people appointed to review research proposals to assess formally if the research is ethical. This means the research must conform to recognised ethical standards. RECs protect the rights, safety, dignity and wellbeing of research participants and the Governance Arrangements for Research Ethics Committees, a United Kingdom wide policy, describes what is expected from RECs when reviewing research proposals.Each REC is required to adopt the UK Standard Operating Procedures approved by, or on behalf of, its appointing authority, and each REC is audited against these standards on a rolling basis. RECs reviewing Clinical Trials of Investigational Medicinal Products must be accredited by the UK Ethics Committee Authority before they can review applications to ensure committees comply with legislation and uphold standards.The HRA has a duty to provide an efficient and robust research ethics review service to protect participants.