Written questions by Gibson.

What recent discussions he has had with HM Courts and Tribunals Service on addressing the backlog of criminal cases in Wiltshire.

The outstanding caseload in the criminal courts remains one of the biggest challenges facing the Criminal Justice System.  Ministers meet regularly with the judiciary and HMCTS to discuss shared priorities, including the criminal courts caseload. For this financial year (25/26), this Government is funding a record allocation of Crown Court sitting days to deliver swifter justice for victims – 110,000 sitting days this year, 4,000 higher than the last Government funded. We also funded 108,500 sitting days in the Crown Court in the last financial year - the highest level in almost 10 years (since FY15/16).  We continue to build capacity in magistrates’ courts, with 14,636 magistrates in post as of April 2025 across England and Wales. This year alone, we are uplifting our programme to bring in 2,000 new and diverse magistrates over the next 12 months and will continue to recruit at high levels in future years – ensuring our benches reflect the communities they serve. We also continue to recruit high levels of legal advisers, securing resilience for years to come. However, the scale of the challenge is beyond what increasing sitting days can achieve.This is why the Government asked Sir Brian Leveson to chair an Independent Review of Criminal Courts, to propose once-in-a-generation reform that will improve timeliness in the courts and deliver swifter justice for victims. The first part of the Review now been published. We will carefully consider Sir Brian’s proposals before setting out the Government’s full response in the autumn.

Whether he has made an assessment of the adequacy of court capacity in Wiltshire to meet expected caseloads in the next five years.

This Government inherited record and rising courts backlog. In the criminal courts jurisdiction, we have funded a record-high allocation of 110,000 Crown Court sitting days across England and Wales this financial year to deliver swifter justice for victims, 4,000 more than in 24/25 under the previous Government. However, current national system performance and projected demand in coming years suggest the scale of the challenge is beyond what increasing sitting days can achieve. This is why the Government asked Sir Brian Leveson to chair an Independent Review of Criminal Courts, to propose once-in-a-generation reform that will improve timeliness in the courts and deliver swifter justice for victims. The first part of the Review now been published. We will carefully consider Sir Brian’s proposals before setting out the Government’s full response in the autumn. In Wiltshire, current Crown Court performance compares favourably with other centres. Between June 2024 and June 2025, new case receipts declined by 3%; and the outstanding caseload reduced by 18%, indicating that we do have the capacity to meet current demand in the Crown court. In the magistrates’ courts, our open caseloads rose steadily last year, demonstrating that the challenge we face is across the criminal courts structure, not solely in the Crown Court. We continue to recruit high levels of magistrates and legal advisers to secure resilience in the magistrates’ court for years to come.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what proportion of Official Development Assistance was spent on (a) in-donor refugee costs and (b) overseas (i) poverty reduction, (ii) humanitarian aid and (iii) sustainable development programmes in the last financial year.

The UK reports its Official Development Assistance (ODA) spend on a calendar year basis in the Statistics on International Development.Based on the provisional statistics published in April, in 2024, 20 per cent (£2.8 billion) of UK ODA was spent on in-donor refugee costs and 10 per cent (£1.4 billion) of UK ODA was spent on bilateral humanitarian assistance; this does not include humanitarian assistance spend through multilateral organisations.It is not possible to differentiate between programmes that support poverty reduction and sustainable development.Final figures for 2024 will be published in Statistics on International Development: Final UK ODA Spend 2024 on 18 September 2025. Provisional figures for 2025 will be published in Spring 2026.

Whether his Department has conducted region-specific modelling of economic spillover effects in (a) Wiltshire and (b) other counties.

The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) has not undertaken region-specific modelling of economic spillover effects for (a) Wiltshire or (b) other individual counties. In developing place-based policy, DBT may draw on cross-government evidence—for example, Office for National Statistics publications (e.g., subnational trade flows; UK input–output tables) and Department for Transport scheme appraisals of “wider economic impacts”—but these are not DBT analyses, are method- and scheme-specific, and are not designed to produce county-level spillover estimates. DBT keeps the available evidence under review to inform programmes where appropriate.

What consideration his Department has given to investment strategies for (a) Wiltshire and (b) other rural areas which do not fall within the catchment areas of (i) large cities and (ii) mayoral combined authorities.

The Office for Investment is aligned with the UK's Industrial Strategy, focusing on growth-driving and foundational sectors. The OfI will actively pursue and manage investment projects that support national growth missions and infrastructure strategies, across the UK and will support rural areas such as Wiltshire. I am delighted that Siemens Mobility is moving ahead with its £100 million investment in a rail infrastructure, digital engineering, and R&D facility after receiving Wiltshire County Council planning permission. Furthermore, German defence technology company, STARK, is opening a 40,000sq ft factory in Swindon, Wiltshire, producing military drones for NATO, creating over 100 skilled jobs.

With reference to the Answer of 23 July 2025 to Question 62821 on Manufacturing Industries: Rural Areas, what the evidential basis is for the conclusion that investment in city-based advanced manufacturing zones will produce positive economic spillover effects for rural communities in Wiltshire.

Everywhere will benefit from the Industrial Strategy’s national policy offer – there are clusters of the growth driving sectors across the whole country including in rural areas and our package addresses the biggest constraints to growth highlighted by these businesses.Our wider Growth Mission supports people and businesses across the country, including those in rural areas, through policies to create the conditions for businesses to invest and employ, and consumers to spend with confidence. This includes interventions in the Small Business Strategy.We recognise that rural areas offer significant potential for growth and are central to our economy and we are committed to improving the quality of life for people living and working in rural areas.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will publish his Department’s assessment of the potential impact of reductions in Overseas Development Assistance on UK-supported initiatives in (a) health system development, (b) girls’ education and (c) disability support in developing countries.

I refer the Hon Member to the Equalities Impact Assessment published for the 2025/26 Official Development Assistance programme allocations.

What recent steps she has taken to ensure young people in rural areas receive the financial skills needed to support long-term prosperity.

I refer the hon. Member for Chippenham to the answer of 9 April 2025 to Question 43513.

What recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of the Dedicated Schools Grant per pupil in Wiltshire relative to comparator authorities with similar pupil numbers and demographics.

Local authorities’ dedicated schools grant (DSG) allocations are calculated using the national funding formula (NFF), by reference to their numbers of pupils and schools, and their characteristics. The purpose of the NFF is not to give every school the same level of per pupil funding. It is right that schools with lots of pupils with additional needs, such as those indicated by measures of deprivation or low prior attainment, receive extra funding to help them meet the needs of all their pupils. In addition, schools in more expensive areas, like London, attract higher funding per pupil than other parts of the country to reflect the higher costs they face.We will take the time needed to consider changes to various funding formulae going forward, ensuring that we get any changes right, and recognising the importance of establishing a fair funding system that directs funding where it is needed.

What plans her Department has to embed financial education and investment literacy in apprenticeship programmes.

Apprenticeships are jobs that equip learners with the knowledge, skills and behaviours they need for a specific occupation. Employers, working in conjunction with Skills England, develop the content of apprenticeship standards according to the needs of their industries. This will include job-specific mathematics or English skills wherever relevant.In addition, the department funds apprentices to achieve up to level 2 qualifications in mathematics and English as part of their apprenticeship. The qualifications give apprentices the broader skills they need to thrive in work and life and the mathematics qualification includes content on calculating interest, discounts and percentage increases/decreases, probability and budgeting, as well as building confidence with numbers more generally. We require all 16 to 18-year-olds to achieve a level 1 or level 2 qualification as part of their apprenticeship, if they do not already hold one.

What recent assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of long-term exposure to PFAS in drinking water on public health.

An evaluation of the evidence on polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) toxicity is ongoing through the Committee on Toxicity.The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has contributed to an expert advisory group recommendation to the Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI) on the introduction of a regulatory limit of 0.1 micrograms per litre for the sum of 48 individual PFAS to protect public health. The Advisory Group Recommendations are available at the following link:https://dwi-production-files.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/28110805/Recommendations-and-full-report-of-the-advisory-group-Dec-2024.pdfThis is in line with the recent DWI March 2025 Guidance. This will limit exposures through drinking water, and thus any potential impact. The Guidance is available at the following link:https://dwi-production-files.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/24141825/DWI_PFAS-Guidance_Mar_2025.pdf

Whether she plans to amend the high needs funding formula to reflect current levels of need and not historic expenditure.

Our aim is to establish a fair education funding system that directs resources to where they are most needed and enable improved support and outcomes for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).Because it is important that we take the time needed to review the high needs national funding formula, the structure of the formula is largely unchanged for the 2025/26 financial year allocations to local authorities.The department is considering the funding required for future years and how it is to be allocated, following the conclusion of the recent spending review. Our objective is that future funding for SEND supports our plans for reforming the SEND system, which will be set out in further detail in a White Paper in the autumn.

If she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the national funding formula on educational outcomes in (a) rural areas, (b) Wiltshire and (c) other counties with lower levels of funding.

The government recognises the essential role that small schools play in their communities, many of which are in rural areas. The schools national funding formula (NFF) accounts for the particular challenges faced by small schools in rural areas through the lump sum and sparsity factor.In the 2025/26 financial year, the sparsity factor provides eligible primary schools up to £57,400, and all other eligible schools up to £83,400. In 2025/26, 64 schools in Wiltshire attract additional funding through the sparsity factor. In addition to this, all small and rural schools have benefited from the increase to core factors in the NFF in 2025/26, including the NFF lump sum set at £145,100. The lump sum provides a fixed amount of funding that is particularly beneficial to small schools, as it is not affected by pupil numbers.The purpose of the schools NFF is not to give every school the same level of per pupil funding. It is right that schools with lots of pupils with additional needs, such as those indicated by measures of deprivation or low prior attainment, receive extra funding to help them meet the needs of all their pupils.

Innovation and Technology, what financial support his Department provides for early-phase trials into (a) neuroblastoma and (b) other rare paediatric cancers.

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology invests approximately £200 million into cancer research annually via UK Research and Innovation, particularly via Innovate UK and the Medical Research Council (MRC). In parallel, the Department of Health and Social Care funds cancer research via the National Institute for Health and Care Research and invested £133 million in 2023/24. UKRI and NIHR does not ringfence funding for specific cancer types. However, from 2020-2024 MRC committed £982,632 to research on neuroblastoma, this includes a project to develop and clinically test a new probe to diagnose and aid resection of tumours in children.

What guidance his Department provides to (a) GPs and (b) health visitors to aid the early diagnosis of neuroblastoma.

General practice teams are expected to follow guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. Where symptoms are suggestive of neuroblastoma, appropriate referral to a specialist must be made.Health visitors are not responsible for making diagnoses, but they play a vital role in providing advice and support to families and in recognising when a child may require further clinical assessment. They remain vigilant for signs that could indicate serious health concerns, including cancers, in line with professional guidance and protocols.

Whether her Department has set any targets for improving employment rates among autistic adults; and what additional support is being provided to employers to create neurodiverse-friendly workplaces.

In the plan to Make Work Pay (October 2024), government committed to raising awareness of all forms of neurodiversity in the workplace. This includes autism. We are supporting employers to be more inclusive in their workplace practices. In January this year we launched an independent panel of academics with expertise and experiences of neurodiversity. This will build on the work of the independent Buckland Review which reported to the previous government in February 2024, and which focused more narrowly on autism employment. The panel will consider the reasons why neurodivergent people have poor experiences in the workplace, and a low overall employment rate, making their recommendations to employers and government later this summer. The Secretaries of State for Work and Pensions and Business and Trade have also asked Sir Charlie Mayfield to lead the independent review Keep Britain Working. While not specific to neurodiversity, this review is considering how best to support and enable employers to recruit and retain more people with health conditions and disabilities, promote healthy and inclusive workplaces, and how to support more people to stay in or return to work. Sir Charlie Mayfield will deliver his final report in the autumn. Our existing support includes:Connect to Work which will make supported employment available to around 100,000 people each year in England and Wales, including autistic people. This will build on Local Supported Employment, which is offering supported employment to people who are autistic, have a learning disability or both;Our digital information service, Support with Employee Health and Disability, which provides tailored guidance on supporting employees in common workplace scenarios involving health and disability, including supporting autistic employees or employees with learning disabilities; andThe voluntary Disability Confident scheme which encourages employers to create disability inclusive workplaces and to support disabled people to get work and get on in work. The employment of autistic people is estimated using data from the Annual Population Survey (APS), which looks at the employment circumstances of the UK population. It is the largest household survey in the UK and is the recommended source for employment-related statistics, such as estimates of the number of people in employment or unemployed.

What steps she is taking to establish (a) accessible formats, (b) alternative communication methods and (c) other formal consultation mechanisms to allow disabled people to contribute to the Timms Review.

We published the Terms of Reference for the review (the Timms Review) on 30 June 2025, and will be updating them shortly.As set out in the Terms of Reference, we are committed to co-producing the review with disabled people, the organisations that represent them, experts, clinicians, MPs, and other stakeholders. We will engage widely over the summer to design the process for the work of the review and consider how it can best be co-produced to ensure that expertise from a range of different perspectives is drawn upon.We will work on how to embed disabled people in the leadership of the group, ensuring that we include those with relevant lived and professional experience. We will also set up arrangements to involve disabled people much more broadly.

When she plans to publish details on how (a) disabled people and (b) representative organisations can contribute to the Timms Review of the PIP assessment.

We published the Terms of Reference for the review (the Timms Review) on 30 June 2025, and will be updating them shortly.As set out in the Terms of Reference, we are committed to co-producing the review with disabled people, the organisations that represent them, experts, clinicians, MPs, and other stakeholders. We will engage widely over the summer to design the process for the work of the review and consider how it can best be co-produced to ensure that expertise from a range of different perspectives is drawn upon.We will work on how to embed disabled people in the leadership of the group, ensuring that we include those with relevant lived and professional experience. We will also set up arrangements to involve disabled people much more broadly.

If her Department will publish a timetable for stakeholder engagement in the Timms Review.

We published the Terms of Reference for the review (the Timms Review) on 30 June 2025, and will be updating them shortly.As set out in the Terms of Reference, we are committed to co-producing the review with disabled people, the organisations that represent them, experts, clinicians, MPs, and other stakeholders. We will engage widely over the summer to design the process for the work of the review and consider how it can best be co-produced to ensure that expertise from a range of different perspectives is drawn upon.We will work on how to embed disabled people in the leadership of the group, ensuring that we include those with relevant lived and professional experience. We will also set up arrangements to involve disabled people much more broadly.

Communities and Local Government, what mechanisms exist for residents to report breaches of the fit and proper person requirements (a) anonymously and (b) safely; and what steps her Department is taking to ensure that those mechanisms are effective.

The fit and proper person test, which applies to a site owner or the person appointed to manage a park homes site, is aimed at ensuring that those managing park home sites are competent to do so. Local authorities are responsible for assessing this test and enforcing against breaches of the legislation. Anyone who has concerns about a site owner’s conduct or capability should contact the local authority. Concerns can be shared anonymously in writing or by phone, however it is for each authority to decide how they treat anonymous reports. If, after a person has been included in the register, new evidence relevant to the person's inclusion in the register becomes available, the local authority may decide to remove them from the register or impose additional conditions that must be met to retain their entry on the register. Where properly applied by local authorities, the fit and proper person legislation has been shown to be effective. We will continue to monitor its operation and consider whether any changes are required.