Written questions by Niblett.

Innovation and Technology, whether her Department reviewed the Crown Commercial Service's approximately £9 billion Memorandum of Understanding with Microsoft, signed in November 2024, in light of the CMA's findings that Microsoft's software licensing practices reduce competition in UK cloud markets and impose additional costs on public sector organisations.

Awaiting answer.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of Microsoft's bundling of Copilot into software licensing contracts on (a) competition in the software market and (b) costs for small and medium-sized enterprises.

Awaiting answer.

Innovation and Technology, what assessment her Department has made of the potential implications for its policies of the Competition and Markets Authority's decision of 31 March 2026 to launch a Strategic Market Status investigation into Microsoft's business software ecosystem; and what steps her Department is taking to help ensure that the investigation proceeds without delay from its scheduled commencement in May 2026.

Awaiting answer.

Innovation and Technology, what assessment her Department has made of the potential implications for its policies of the CMA's finding, published 31 March 2026, that the rapid integration of artificial intelligence into Microsoft's business software ecosystem creates risks of distorting competition in a critical layer of UK digital infrastructure.

Awaiting answer.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether it remains her policy to maintain the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017 in their current form.

Awaiting answer.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to restore nature at scale.

Awaiting answer.

Food and Rural Affairs, what recent steps her Department has taken to halt and reverse species decline.

Awaiting answer.

Communities and Local Government, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, on how the Government's planning reforms could support the creation of nature-rich places.

Awaiting answer.

Whether his Department is considering regulatory measures to prevent Meta withdrawing business pages without due process.

Awaiting answer.

Whether multiple whistleblowing disclosures relating to the same academy trust are routinely (a) cross-referenced and (b) reviewed collectively by her Department; what (i) thresholds and (ii) criteria are used to trigger further scrutiny, investigation and intervention in response to such disclosure; how safeguarding-related whistleblowing concerns within academy trusts are monitored and assessed at a national level; and what steps her Department takes to ensure appropriate oversight, transparency and accountability in cases where concerns involve senior leadership within academy trusts.

The department reviews each whistleblowing disclosure about academy trusts individually and assigns it to teams with relevant expertise. Related disclosures about the same trust are cross‑referenced, and systems track previous cases. A single regional team usually leads, based on the trust’s headquarters, with specialist input where needed to maintain a full understanding of the trust context.Where there is evidence of non‑compliance with legal requirements, particularly the Academy Trust Handbook, action is taken. This includes addressing repeated issues or governance failures, including safeguarding and financial concerns. Extra scrutiny applies to trusts recently subject to intervention, and unusually high case volumes relative to trust size may trigger further review.Actions aim to secure compliance with regulations, funding agreements, and statutory guidance. Breaches can lead to intervention, such as a published Notice to Improve with required actions and deadlines. My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education may also direct trusts to remedy breaches or bar unsuitable individuals from management roles.

If she will make it her policy to leave Motability VAT at nil / exempt for those accessing the scheme through the Armed Forces Independent Payment.

At Budget 2025 the government announced tax changes to the Motability scheme which will save over £1 billion over the next five years.  The VAT relief for top-up payments made to lease more expensive vehicles will be removed for new leases from July 2026, and Insurance Premium Tax will apply at the standard rate to insurance contracts on the Scheme. The VAT reliefs on weekly lease costs and vehicle resale will remain in place, and the tax changes will not apply to vehicles designed, or substantially and permanently adapted, for wheelchair or stretcher users.The tax framework for Motability, and other qualifying schemes, treats all eligible welfare benefits equally, and the Government has no plans to change this. Recent tax changes were designed to ensure Motability can continue to deliver affordability for its customers, for example through the continued provision of a broad range of vehicle models available without any top-up payments.

Food and Rural Affairs, when she plans to issue updated guidance on pet passports.

From 22 April 2026, new European Union regulations will apply which will affect the non‑commercial movement of pet dogs, cats and ferrets entering the EU from Great Britain. The European Commission have been clear that EU pet passports should only be issued to pet owners who have their main residence inside the European Union. Updated guidance on travelling to the EU from Great Britain is now available on GOV.UK, and any future updates will be published on the relevant pages. As announced at the UK-EU Leaders' Summit on 19 May 2025, the UK and EU have agreed to work towards a common Sanitary and Phytosanitary Area, which will mean taking pets on holiday into the EU will be easier and cheaper. Instead of getting an Animal Health Certificate (AHC) each time they travel, pet owners will be able to get a multiuse pet passport valid for travel to the EU. Until an agreement with the EU is reached, owners will still need an AHC for their dog, cat or ferret(s) if they are travelling from GB (England, Wales and Scotland) to an EU country.Discussions on the SPS agreement are progressing and the Government has committed, with the EU, to conclude negotiations before the next UK-EU Summit. Whilst these negotiations are ongoing, Defra is unable to provide detailed updates on the talks.

What steps he is taking to ensure that every Integrated Care Board in England has a dedicated care pathway in place for people living with young onset dementia.

NHS England is committed to delivering high quality care and support for every person with dementia at every age, and central to this is the provision of personalised care.The Well Pathway for Dementia highlights that services need to be integrated, commissioned, monitored, and aligned with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s (NICE) standards for each component of the pathway. It makes it clear that the needs, wishes, and preferences of each individual, including those with young onset dementia, should be taken into account when planning and providing their care.The provision of dementia health care services is the responsibility of local integrated care boards (ICBs). NHS England would expect ICBs to commission services based on local population needs, taking account of NICE’s guidelines. It is the responsibility of ICBs to work within their geographical area to offer services that meet the needs of their population.

If she will hold discussions with the Royal British Legion on the potential impact of changes to VAT rules on price lists for poppy appeal items.

HMT Ministers regularly meet a wide array of stakeholders as part of the tax policymaking process. The Government recognises the importance of Remembrance events and the role they play in honouring those who have served. Where a charity chooses to offer its goods or services for free and invite voluntary donations, no VAT is charged. Charities also rightly enjoy generous tax reliefs, worth over £6 billion in 2024, including Gift Aid, exemptions from corporation tax and a number of VAT reliefs to support fund-raising activities. However, where charities sell goods and services, for example charging a set price, and the charity is VAT registered, it must charge VAT unless a VAT relief is available.

Whether he plans to take steps to (a) prioritise and (b) increase the speed of access to (i) vaccines and (ii) other preventative treatments for recurrent urinary tract infections, once approved.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) evaluates new licensed medicines, to determine whether they represent a clinically effective and cost-effective use of National Health Service resources. NICE aims to publish guidance on new medicines as close as possible to the date that the drug receives its marketing authorisation from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency.NICE published a guideline, Urinary tract infection (recurrent): antimicrobial prescribing, with the reference code NG112, which includes recommendations on treatments for preventing recurrent urinary tract infection, including antibiotic prophylaxis and methenamine hippurate. Recommendations on methenamine hippurate were updated in 2024 following a review of current evidence. This guideline is available at the following link:https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng112The recommendations in the guideline represent the view of NICE, arrived at after careful consideration of the evidence available. When exercising their judgement, NHS professionals and practitioners are expected to take this guideline fully into account, alongside the individual needs, preferences, and values of their patients or the people using their service. It is not mandatory for the NHS to apply the recommendations, and the guideline does not override the responsibility of healthcare practitioners to make decisions appropriate to the circumstances of the individual, in consultation with them, and their families and carers or guardian where appropriate. NICE does not manage the delivery of NHS care or monitor compliance with its guidelines.

Whether any (a) vaccines and (b) alternative preventative treatments for recurrent urinary tract infections are (i) currently under review by UK regulatory bodies and (ii) expected to enter the UK market.

The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is an executive agency of the Department and regulates medicine, medical devices, and blood components for transfusion in the United Kingdom, with responsibility for ensuring medicines meet appropriate standards of safety, quality, and efficacy.At present there are no pending vaccines or new medicines awaiting market authorisation for urinary tract infections by the MHRA. The MHRA is ready to support companies that are looking to introduce new medicines to the United Kingdom market, offering regulatory and scientific advice to help companies at any stage of the product development process. The MHRA has established procedures in place to review any applications we receive to evaluate the benefit risk of a product. The exact timeframe will depend on the type of submission the company makes.The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) evaluates new licensed medicines, to determine whether they represent a clinically effective and cost-effective use of National Health Service resources. NICE aims to publish guidance on new medicines as close as possible to the date that the drug receives its marketing authorisation from the MHRA.The MHRA and NICE have launched an aligned pathway for the assessment of medicines enabling access for patients three to six months earlier for those medicines using this route.

Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to support leaseholders who are unable to sell or re mortgage their homes because mortgage lenders require an EWS1 form, but where the building’s freeholder or managing agent has confirmed that an EWS1 assessment is not required under current Government guidance and therefore refuses to commission one.

An EWS1 form is an industry valuation tool. It is not a government, legal or regulatory requirement, nor is it a safety certificate. Not all lenders ask for an EWS1 as part of their requirements to offer a mortgage, but whether they do remains a commercial decision.Officials in my department continue to work with lenders to encourage them to accept alternative forms of assurance, such as a comprehensive Fire Risk Assessment. As part of the Fire Safety Act 2021 all buildings require an up-to-date Fire Risk Assessment that includes the external wall of the building and building owners are legally responsible for carrying them out. Where an assessment shows remedial works are not needed, there should be no barrier to lending.Since 2022 ten major banks and building societies have committed to consider mortgage applications, even if a property has building safety issues, provided either the building has funding for cladding remediation, or the leaseholder has completed a ‘Leaseholder Deed of Certificate’. An EWS1 form is not required in these cases.

What estimate he has made of the workload and associated cost to GP practices arising from the expansion of Advice and Refer under the 2026/27 GP contract; and what funding has been allocated to general practice to cover those costs.

Awaiting answer.

Whether he has made an assessment of the adequacy of the level of funding in the 2026/27 GP contract for the level of activity delivered by general practice.

Awaiting answer.

What assessment he has made of the financial and workforce impact of the requirement to deliver same-day responses to all clinically urgent requests under the 2026/27 GP contract on GP practices.

Awaiting answer.