Written questions by Savage.

Communities and Local Government, whether her Department had discussions with the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors on the composition of the Service Charge Residential Management Code expert panel.

Responsibility for reviewing and updating the current edition of the Service Charge Management Code rests wholly with the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), as owners of the Code. The Department had no role or influence in determining the composition of the expert panel or the terms of reference of the review. A draft 4th edition of the Code was published by RICS for public consultation in April 2022, and it will be for RICS to decide if and when the 4th edition of the code is published, or subject to further scrutiny. Once the revised code is published, Ministers will decide whether or not formally to approve it, in whole or in part, using powers under Section 87 of the Leasehold Reform and Urban Development Act 1993.

Communities and Local Government, whether her Department approved the membership of the expert panel that contributed to the draft of the fourth edition of the Service Charge Residential Management Code.

Responsibility for reviewing and updating the current edition of the Service Charge Management Code rests wholly with the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), as owners of the Code. The Department had no role or influence in determining the composition of the expert panel or the terms of reference of the review. A draft 4th edition of the Code was published by RICS for public consultation in April 2022, and it will be for RICS to decide if and when the 4th edition of the code is published, or subject to further scrutiny. Once the revised code is published, Ministers will decide whether or not formally to approve it, in whole or in part, using powers under Section 87 of the Leasehold Reform and Urban Development Act 1993.

Communities and Local Government, whether her Department plans to (a) publish for the purposes of public scrutiny and (b) make available to hon. Members for the purposes of parliamentary scrutiny the draft 4th edition of the Service Charge Residential Management Code prior to its formal adoption.

Responsibility for reviewing and updating the current edition of the Service Charge Management Code rests wholly with the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), as owners of the Code. The Department had no role or influence in determining the composition of the expert panel or the terms of reference of the review. A draft 4th edition of the Code was published by RICS for public consultation in April 2022, and it will be for RICS to decide if and when the 4th edition of the code is published, or subject to further scrutiny. Once the revised code is published, Ministers will decide whether or not formally to approve it, in whole or in part, using powers under Section 87 of the Leasehold Reform and Urban Development Act 1993.

Communities and Local Government, whether her Department had discussions with the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors on the inclusion of service charge payer representatives on the Service Charge Residential Management Code expert panel.

Responsibility for reviewing and updating the current edition of the Service Charge Management Code rests wholly with the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), as owners of the Code. The Department had no role or influence in determining the composition of the expert panel or the terms of reference of the review. A draft 4th edition of the Code was published by RICS for public consultation in April 2022, and it will be for RICS to decide if and when the 4th edition of the code is published, or subject to further scrutiny. Once the revised code is published, Ministers will decide whether or not formally to approve it, in whole or in part, using powers under Section 87 of the Leasehold Reform and Urban Development Act 1993.

Communities and Local Government, whether her Department provided terms of reference to the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors for the review and update of the Service Charge Residential Management Code; and if she will publish the terms of reference.

Responsibility for reviewing and updating the current edition of the Service Charge Management Code rests wholly with the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), as owners of the Code. The Department had no role or influence in determining the composition of the expert panel or the terms of reference of the review. A draft 4th edition of the Code was published by RICS for public consultation in April 2022, and it will be for RICS to decide if and when the 4th edition of the code is published, or subject to further scrutiny. Once the revised code is published, Ministers will decide whether or not formally to approve it, in whole or in part, using powers under Section 87 of the Leasehold Reform and Urban Development Act 1993.

Communities and Local Government, which teams in her Department are reviewing the draft of the 4th edition of the Service Charge Residential Management Code for (a) legal, (b) policy and (c) other considerations.

Responsibility for reviewing and updating the current edition of the Service Charge Management Code rests wholly with the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), as owners of the Code. The Department had no role or influence in determining the composition of the expert panel or the terms of reference of the review. A draft 4th edition of the Code was published by RICS for public consultation in April 2022, and it will be for RICS to decide if and when the 4th edition of the code is published, or subject to further scrutiny. Once the revised code is published, Ministers will decide whether or not formally to approve it, in whole or in part, using powers under Section 87 of the Leasehold Reform and Urban Development Act 1993.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to improve (a) public access, (b) environmental protections and (c) biodiversity enhancement for (i) rivers, (ii) lakes and (iii) other inland waterways.

The government recognises the importance of providing access to the outdoors including blue spaces for people’s health and wellbeing and is working to ensure this is safe and appropriate. We are currently developing policy working closely with key stakeholders to improve access to nature, in line with our ambitious manifesto commitments to create nine new national river walks and three new national forests in England. This includes access onto unregulated inland waterways, taking account of environmental protection and biodiversity enhancement.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the Pathways to Work Green Paper proposals on people living with (a) Multiple Sclerosis and (b) other progressive neurological conditions; and what steps she plans to take to ensure that people with fluctuating or invisible disabilities do not lose access to Personal Independence Payment or other essential support.

The proposals outlined in our Green Paper, Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working aim to make the system fit to support people who need it now and in the future. Some information on the impacts of the Pathways to Work Green Paper was published alongside the Spring Statement and can be found at this link: Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working Green Paper - GOV.UK. More information on the impacts will be published in due course, a further programme of analysis to support development of the proposals in the Green Paper will be developed and undertaken in the coming months.With regards to the changes to the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) eligibility criteria, it is important to note that the PIP assessment considers the needs arising from a long-term health condition or disability, not the health condition or disability itself. Therefore, the impact of the PIP changes will depend on an individual’s circumstances.There will be no immediate changes to PIP eligibility. Our intention is that the changes will apply to new claims and award reviews from November 2026, subject to parliamentary approval. For those already on PIP, the changes will only apply at their next award review. The average award review is about three years. When people are reassessed, they will be reviewed by a trained assessor or healthcare professional and assessed on their individual needs and circumstances.We are consulting on how best to support those who are no longer eligible for PIP and linked entitlements, including how to make sure health and eligible care needs are met.In the Green Paper, we also announced that we are looking at recording assessments as standard to build greater trust in the system. The aim is to create greater transparency, using recordings as a learning opportunity to consider potential improvements to the quality of the assessment process, including improving our assessment of fluctuating conditions.

What steps her Department is taking to increase access to accredited online schools for pupils with (a) special educational needs and (b) mental health conditions who are unable to attend mainstream education.

I refer the hon. Member for South Cotswolds to the answer of 9 April 2025 to Question 43288.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, which UK-based charities and organisations have lost funding as a result of reductions to the Overseas Development Assistance budget since 2024; and if he will make an assessment of the potential impact on the delivery of international aid programmes.

This government remains fully committed to the UK playing a globally significant role on development; it is both in our national interest and in the interest of our partners across the globe.Detailed decisions on how the Official Development Assistance (ODA) budget will be used will be worked through as part of the ongoing Spending Review based on various factors including impact assessments

What steps her Department is taking to increase access to accredited online schools for pupils with (a) special educational needs and (b) mental health conditions who are unable to attend mainstream education.

The department introduced the Online Education Accreditation Scheme (OEAS) in April 2023 to ensure high standards of education and protect pupils receiving a full-time education online. Providers must meet online education standards to become accredited. The scheme is non-statutory. The department encourages all eligible providers to engage with the scheme and for commissioners to use accredited providers only.Online education should not be viewed as an equal alternative to attendance in school. The department expects schools to consider online education only as a last resort where the alternative would be no education and only after it has been established that the pupil is, or will be, absent from school. In such cases, remote education can have the benefit of allowing absent pupils to keep on track with their education and stay connected to their teachers and peers.Local authority commissioners, often in conjunction with a child’s school, can use online provision as a form of alternative provision for children with a medical condition or school refusal, where necessary adjustments have not been appropriate. Local authorities can also, as a last resort, provide online education for children who are new to an area and are awaiting a school place.Where it would not be appropriate for special educational provision to be delivered in a school, college or early years setting, a local authority may put in place education otherwise than at a school or college under section 61 of the Children and Families Act 2014. If a local authority chooses to specify education otherwise than at a school or college in an education, health and care plan, it will be statutorily responsible for securing the provision and funding it.

Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the policy paper entitled Technical annex: The combined environmental land management offer, published on 19 March 2024, whether it is his policy to financially incentivise permissive access.

Actions for permissive access are included in the Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier offer where they will benefit from input from Natural England advisers to ensure improvements represent value for money and link into the existing PROW network. Details of the new Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier offer were announced in December 2024.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of existing regulatory mechanisms for property management companies on mixed tenure estates; and what her planned timetable is for the implementation of provisions in the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Bill designed to support freeholders seeking to change their management company.

I refer the Hon Member to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 21 November 2024 (HCWS244).

Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 14 November 2024 to Question 13418 on Countryside: Access, by when he plans to make further announcements on his policy on access to nature.

The Government recognises the importance of providing access to the outdoors for people’s health and wellbeing and is working to ensure that this access is safe and appropriate. We are committed to increasing access to nature and have already set out several ambitious manifesto commitments to expand opportunities for the public to enjoy the outdoors, including the creation of nine new national river walks and three new national forests in England. We are currently developing policy to improve access to nature, working closely with other government departments and key stakeholders. In addition, we are already delivering key initiatives aimed at increasing access to green spaces and the countryside, including: Completing the King Charles III England Coast Path, which will become the longest waymarked and maintained coastal walking route in the world. With over 2,400 miles of the route now approved and 1,430 miles already open, this will also create 250,000 hectares of new open access land within the coastal margin.Designating Wainwright’s Coast to Coast route as a National Trail across the north of England.Delivering the £16 million ‘Access for All’ programme, which is designed to make our protected landscapes, national trails, forests, and the wider countryside more inclusive and accessible to all. In addition, the Government has made the decision to repeal the cut-off date for the registration of historic rights of way, preventing the loss of hundreds of miles of unregistered paths. This will ensure that these paths remain available to the public for future generations. This change will be formally enacted when parliamentary time allows.

What steps her Department is taking to (a) prevent third-party brokers from bulk-booking driving test slots via the DVSA online system and (b) to reduce waiting times for learner drivers in rural areas.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s (DVSA) main priority is upholding road safety standards while it works hard to reduce car practical driving test waiting times. On the 18 December 2024, DVSA set out further plans to reduce driving test waiting times across the country. These steps include recruiting 450 driving examiners (DEs). Full details of these steps can be found on GOV.UK. DVSA is committed to providing customers with the best service possible and continually reviews its estate, including in rural areas, to ensure it represents good value for money and is efficient. To ensure fairness for everyone wanting to book a practical driving test, DVSA continues to work hard to combat the unscrupulous practice of reselling tests and has announced further measures to review the driving test booking system. On the 18 December 2024, a call for evidence was launched, seeking views on the current rules to book tests. This will lead to consultation on improving processes, with potential future legislative changes. On 6 January 2025, DVSA also introduced tougher terms and conditions for the service driving instructors use to book and manage car driving tests for their pupils.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of reducing funding for level 7 healthcare apprenticeships on skills shortages in the NHS; and what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Education on that funding.

Skills England and the Department for Education are reviewing the growth and skills offer, including whether employers will fund level 7 apprenticeships outside of the levy. Ministers, officials, NHS England, and a range of stakeholders across the sector have been feeding into this review and will continue to work closely with Skills England to ensure that the National Health Service has access to the skilled workforce patients need, as we rebuild the NHS and make sure it is there for us all when we need it.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of cuts to funding for level 7 healthcare apprenticeships on the availability of Advanced Clinical Practitioners in the NHS.

I refer the hon. Member for South Cotswolds to the answer of 28 March 2025 to Question 39189.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of cuts to funding for level 7 healthcare apprenticeships on the deliverability of the NHS long-term workforce plan.

I refer the hon. Member for South Cotswolds to the answer of 28 March 2025 to Question 39189.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of cuts to funding for level 7 apprenticeships on the availability of Chartered Town Planners in local government.

I refer the hon. Member for South Cotswolds to the answer of 20 January 2025 to Question 23140.

What steps the Government is taking to ensure households who have installed solar panels are benefitting from the wholesale rise in energy.

Households with solar panels benefit through significantly reduced electricity bills. They can also export the excess energy they generate to the grid, and receive payment for doing so, via the Smart Export Guarantee (SEG). The SEG is a market-led mechanism that captures the value of small-scale exported electricity and was introduced to help meet net zero commitments at the lowest cost to consumers and businesses.