Written questions by Gibson.

Whether he plans to set a clear timetable for confirming and implementing the final proposals arising from the NHS dental contract quality and payment reforms 2026 consultation; and if he will publish a deadline by which (a) NHS dental professionals, (b) commissioners and (c) patients can expect both the Department’s response and the commencement of the resulting reforms.

We recently held a public consultation on a package of changes to improve access to, and improve the quality of, National Health Service dentistry, which will deliver better care for the diverse oral health needs of people across England. The consultation closed on 19 August.The Government is considering the outcomes of the consultation and will publish a response in due course, with the expectation of implementing the reforms from April 2026.

When the Government plans to respond to feedback provided in its consultation on NHS dentistry contract: quality and payment reform, published 8 July 2025.

The Government is considering the outcomes of the consultation and will publish a response in due course.

What progress has been made on the development of a strategy for asylum accommodation; if she will list the other Government departments that are involved in this work; and what steps her Department is taking to consult (a) local authorities, (b) the devolved administrations and (c) relevant community organisations during the development of the strategy.

As part of our commitment to end the use of all asylum hotels and reduce costs for taxpayers, the Home Office has been working in collaboration with other government departments and local authorities to develop a more sustainable model of accommodation which seeks to reduce competition for affordable housing and help deliver new supply.As part of this, the Home Office’s Asylum Accommodation Programme is now working in collaboration with other government departments to deliver a range of sites, including potential former military sites, that contribute to a more flexible estate. Decisions on the use of alternative asylum accommodation sites will be made on a site-by-site basis.The government is also investing £500 million to develop this new, more sustainable accommodation model. This funding will be delivered by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government in partnership with the Home Office and local councils, in order to deliver better outcomes for communities and taxpayers. This new funding will complement ongoing Home Office reforms to the asylum accommodation estate, including pilot schemes to repurpose derelict buildings and to develop other community-led alternatives to the use of hotels. We continue to keep the strategy under review as progress continues.

When she will publish her Department's post-16 education and skills strategy.

The government is developing a comprehensive strategy for post‐16 education and skills and will shortly publish the Post-16 Education and Skills White Paper.

What assessment he has made of how the total value of child maintenance arrears owed in Wiltshire has changed since 2015; and what steps he is taking to reduce the level of arrears.

The statistical information requested for Wiltshire is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost. The Government is dedicated to ensuring parents meet their responsibilities to provide their children with financial support and the Child Maintenance Service will do everything within its powers to make sure parents comply. Where parents fail to pay their child maintenance, the Service will not hesitate to use its enforcement powers, including deductions from earnings orders, removal of driving licences, disqualification from holding a passport, and committal to prison. The Service is committed to using these powers fairly and in the best interests of children and separated families.

What assessment he has made of the total (a) amount of child maintenance arrears owed and (b) number of children for whom maintenance was outstanding in Wiltshire in each of the past five years.

The information requested is not readily available and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

What steps his Department is taking to improve the process for (a) selecting and (b) prioritising cases from the daily court lists to ensure that cases involving people charged with breaching bail conditions in violent domestic abuse cases are (i) heard within the required legal timeframes and (ii) not released due to court scheduling delays.

Listing and case management decisions are made by the judiciary in collaboration with court listing officers, who prioritise cases involving vulnerable witnesses. The judiciary prioritise cases in line with the Criminal Practice Directions which set out the key principles for managing court lists, available at: Criminal Procedure Rules 2025 and Criminal Practice Directions 2023 - GOV.UK. Cases involving defendants held in custody overnight, including those accused of breaching bail conditions, are a priority. To support this, HMCTS has introduced measures such as a national forum for listing officers to share best practice.In December 2024, the Government commissioned the Independent Review of the Criminal Courts, led by Sir Brian Leveson, to propose reform to improve timeliness in the courts and deliver swift justice for victims. Work on Part 2 of the review will consider how the end-to-end process in the criminal courts could be improved to maximise efficiency and ensure public protection in the sorts of cases highlighed in the question. This work is underway and we expect it to be finalised later this year.

What estimate he has made of the total amount of child maintenance arrears owed to date in Wiltshire; and how this compares to the national average.

The information requested on the total amount of child maintenance arrears owed in Wiltshire is not readily available and would incur disproportionate cost to obtain. The Department publishes Child Maintenance Service (CMS) statistics regularly and the relevant information for Great Britain can be accessed from Table 5 of the supplementary tables in the latest release. Table 5 counts how much child maintenance due has accumulated since the CMS began, in 2012. At the end of June 2025 this was £734.3m. This figure does not include arrears incurred with the Child Support Agency pre-2012. The CMS collected 93% of all maintenance owed since it was established in 2012. The CMS has a low percentage of unpaid maintenance with 7% (£734.3 million) of the total maintenance due to be paid since the CMS began in 2012, still to be collected through Collect & Pay. This has steadily fallen since the 17% due to be paid in March 2015.

Whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of fiscal incentives to encourage capital investment in (a) hydrogen and (b) fuel cell manufacturing facilities.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer is supporting a range of incentives to encourage capital investment in hydrogen. The Government has awarded contracts to 11 projects through the first hydrogen allocation round and £500mn was allocated for the development of the first hydrogen transport and storage network through the spending review. At Spring Statement 2025, the government committed to removing Climate Change Levy costs from electricity used in electrolysis to produce hydrogen. This will lower costs and support the growth of low carbon hydrogen production, which will play an important role in decarbonising hard-to-electrify industrial sectors. UK Export Finance also aims to deliver £10bn in clean growth financing by 2029; DRIVE35, the government’s programme of capital and R&D funding for the automotive industry, will provide £2.5bn for zero-emission vehicle manufacturing, including fuel cells; and the Aerospace Technology Institute Programme offers grants to UK fuel cell manufacturers investing in UK-based research and development.

What plans his Department has to support exports of UK-manufactured hydrogen and fuel cell technologies to international markets.

Hydrogen and fuel cell technologies constitute a frontier Industrial Strategy sector, so the government has committed targeted support to boost exports by showcasing UK capabilities through our global network, increasing access to international supply chains, and expanding clean energy sector agreements. UK Export Finance can offer a range of support for overseas sales, and as set out in the new Trade Strategy, aims to deliver £10bn in clean growth financing by 2029. Additionally, DRIVE35 will provide £2.5bn for zero-emission vehicle manufacturing including fuel cells, and the Aerospace Technology Institute Programme offers grants to UK fuel cell manufacturers investing in UK-based research and development.

Whether he has had discussions with industry stakeholders on opportunities to grow UK-based manufacturing of hydrogen and fuel cell equipment by 2030.

The Government recognises the need for strong, home-grown clean energy supply chains to support good jobs and support sustainable economic growth as we accelerate to net zero. Our Clean Industries Sector Plan sets out a strong offer for domestic manufacturing such as the £1bn Great British Energy supply chain fund included in our comprehensive Public Finance Institution offer, as well as considering expanding the Clean Industry Bonus to hydrogen.My officials in the UK and overseas are working closely with UK-based companies to highlight and develop opportunities across the hydrogen value chain both in the UK and abroad.

Innovation and Technology, what research and innovation funding streams are available to support companies developing hydrogen and fuel cell technologies in the UK.

Innovate UK supports businesses innovating in hydrogen and fuel cells through several initiatives, including DRIVE35, a £2.5 billion programme supporting businesses conducting R&D in manufacturing zero emission vehicles. The Department for Transport delivers R&D funding to develop clean maritime technologies including hydrogen and fuel cell technologies through its UK Shipping Office for Reducing Emissions (UK SHORE). Other funding streams include Innovation Loans and Investor Partnerships, which can help commercialise highly innovative late-stage R&D projects. Information on all Innovate UK competitions can be found at https://apply-for-innovation-funding.service.gov.uk/competition/search.

Whether he plans to introduce additional incentives for hydrogen project developers to source (a) equipment and (b) components from UK manufacturers.

In the Industrial Strategy, we set out the UK's potential to be a global leader in both hydrogen deployment and supply chains, given the shared skills and infrastructure from the oil and gas sector, existing strengths in innovation, and our supportive policy environment. We have a strong offer for domestic manufacturing including support from our Public Finance Institutions and deployment certainty through Hydrogen Allocation Rounds (HARs). Additionally, we welcome the industry-led voluntary ambition of 50% UK local content for hydrogen across the value chain from 2030.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure that UK-manufactured (a) hydrogen and (b) fuel cell technologies are affected by (i) current and (ii) future (A) hydrogen production and (B) usage schemes.

The UK is taking a whole-system approach to developing a hydrogen economy, putting in place the policy and regulatory frameworks needed to support deployment and attract private investment across the full hydrogen value chain. We are driving demand through our hydrogen production and hydrogen transport and storage business models and supporting manufacturers of hydrogen equipment, including fuel cells, through our comprehensive Public Financial Institution offer, which includes Great British Energy, National Wealth Fund and the British Business Bank. We are also improving the visibility of the UK supply chain through “Meet the Specifier” and “Meet the Buyer” events. We will publish a UK Hydrogen Strategy later this year which will set out clear priorities for collaboration with industry.

How many hours of (a) initial and (b) refresher training Universal Credit agents receive on supporting claimants with learning disabilities or mental health conditions; and at what intervals refresher training is mandated.

Universal Credit agents and Work Coaches receive a range of training to equip them to support customers with health conditions, learning disabilities, and additional or complex needs throughout their role. Key training includes: Mandatory mental health learning – 2-day course for all customer contact roles, including a focus on communication methods.Induction/onboarding training – New starters at DWP receive training to support customers with additional needs and mental health conditions as part of their technical learning journey.Refresher learning - (optional, on-demand) point of need learning to support customers with learning disabilities and mental health conditions.Training is available at points of need to support continuous development throughout their role.

What training his Department provides to (a) Universal Credit agents and (b) Work Coaches on communicating with claimants who have learning disabilities or mental health conditions when responding to messages via (i) online journals and (ii) telephone.

Universal Credit agents and Work Coaches receive a range of training to equip them to support customers with health conditions, learning disabilities, and additional or complex needs throughout their role. Key training includes: Mandatory mental health learning – 2-day course for all customer contact roles, including a focus on communication methods.Induction/onboarding training – New starters at DWP receive training to support customers with additional needs and mental health conditions as part of their technical learning journey.Refresher learning - (optional, on-demand) point of need learning to support customers with learning disabilities and mental health conditions.Training is available at points of need to support continuous development throughout their role.

What performance metrics his Department uses to monitor whether Universal Credit agent responses to online journal messages are (a) accessible and (b) compliant with Departmental guidance for claimants with learning disabilities or mental health conditions.

There is no performance metric to monitor accessibility within the Department. However, all staff complete mandatory training on the Public Sector Equality Duty, and a wide range of support is available—including instructions, guides, and awareness sessions—to help staff make reasonable adjustments and provide accessible services. Universal Credit Agents receive dedicated training to interact effectively and sensitively with customers, particularly those with learning disabilities or mental health conditions, to ensure that everyone receives the support they need.

What estimate her Department has made of the (a) staffing, (b) system, (c) compliance and (d) other costs of (i) implementing and (ii) administering the proposed changes to Agricultural Property Relief and Business Property Relief; and if she will take steps to publish an estimate prior to the reforms taking effect in April 2026.

I refer to the answer given on 5 September 2025 at UIN 70546 :https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2025-08-29/70546

What recent assessment he has made of the potential impact of staff shortages in His Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service on delays to criminal trials in Wiltshire.

Staffing allocations are in line with current workload across the courts in Wiltshire, although recruitment can be an issue, particularly in Swindon where the competition in the job market is high. That said, administrative staff at both the Crown Court and magistrates’ courts in Wiltshire are at or near compliment. A shortfall in legal advisers in the magistrates’ courts in Wiltshire has had an impact on trial timeliness. To mitigate the impact of reduced sittings, His Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service has implemented a detailed plan to address the position, and a rolling programme to recruit trainee legal advisers to support magistrates’ court capacity is part of this. There is currently legal adviser capacity to sit 54 crime courts per week and this is expected to rise in line with the planning, stabilising at 65 courts per week in 12-months time. In addition, the measures implemented to address the situation will see a dedicated trial blitz in late 2025 and which is supported by inter-agency collaboration.

When he plans to launch the review into the Disability Confident Scheme.

My officials and I have been working with a wide range of stakeholders—including disabled people, the Devolved Governments, disability organisations, employers, and sector experts—throughout the summer to explore potential reforms to the Disability Confident Scheme. This includes considering how to support Small and Medium sized Enterprises (SMEs) better, strengthen validation processes, enhance promotion of the scheme, and improve transparency and accountability. These reforms aim to make the scheme more robust while building better support for both employers and disabled people in and out of work. The Government is working towards announcing next steps for improving the scheme later this autumn