Written questions by Hall.

Communities and Local Government, what data her Department holds per local authority of the number of times local authorities have had to conduct repairs of private rented sector properties when private sector landlords have failed to do so in each year since 2015; and what the potential cost to the public purse was for each local authority.

The department does not collect data centrally on local authorities conducting repairs of private rented sector properties.

What assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the contribution of universities to economic growth through graduate outcomes.

English higher education (HE) providers generate around 300,000 first degree UK graduates each year, and over 100,000 post-graduates.These graduates generate significant economic impact: working first degree graduates in 2023 earned on average £6,500 more than non-graduates, which represents a proxy for their additional economic productivity. Graduates are also more likely to be employed, with 87.7% of working age (16 to 64 years old) first degree graduates in employment in 2023, compared to 69.7% of non-graduates. Further, graduates are critical in meeting skills shortages in priority areas, with 67% of working age first degree graduates in high-skilled employment in 2023, compared to 23.7% of non-graduates. Universities UK has estimated that the total economic impact of graduate skills from HE teaching and learning in 2021/22 will be £95 billion spread across the UK.Over 35,000 of these first degree graduates generated each year, and over 15,000 of the post-graduates, live in the North-West. Universities UK has estimated that first degree graduates in the North-West earn on average 36% more than non-graduates by age 31, and that the economic impact of teaching and learning from the North-West’s 18 HE providers has an economic impact of £9.85 billion annually.

What assessment she has made of the impact of graduate skills on the North West economy.

English higher education (HE) providers generate around 300,000 first degree UK graduates each year, and over 100,000 post-graduates.These graduates generate significant economic impact: working first degree graduates in 2023 earned on average £6,500 more than non-graduates, which represents a proxy for their additional economic productivity. Graduates are also more likely to be employed, with 87.7% of working age (16 to 64 years old) first degree graduates in employment in 2023, compared to 69.7% of non-graduates. Further, graduates are critical in meeting skills shortages in priority areas, with 67% of working age first degree graduates in high-skilled employment in 2023, compared to 23.7% of non-graduates. Universities UK has estimated that the total economic impact of graduate skills from HE teaching and learning in 2021/22 will be £95 billion spread across the UK.Over 35,000 of these first degree graduates generated each year, and over 15,000 of the post-graduates, live in the North-West. Universities UK has estimated that first degree graduates in the North-West earn on average 36% more than non-graduates by age 31, and that the economic impact of teaching and learning from the North-West’s 18 HE providers has an economic impact of £9.85 billion annually.

Whether he has had discussions with representatives from the energy sector on extending the skills passport to people (a) working in the nuclear sector and (b) entering the nuclear sector from the offshore oil and gas sector.

The skills passport is an industry-led project that seeks to support Oil and Gas workers to transition into roles in the Offshore wind sectors. Currently there are no plans to transition such workers into the nuclear sector through this passport. However, the passport will provide a solid foundation for either expansion into other sectors such as nuclear in the coming years, to make such a transition possible. The Government is committed to ensuring that the UK has the necessary skills needed to deliver our nuclear ambitions including through supporting the industry led National Nuclear Strategic Plan for Skills. The Plan is delivering fifteen projects supporting various aspects of the nuclear sector skills demand including two projects to attract and retain people from other industries, including Oil and Gas. The Destination Nuclear national communications campaign promotes the opportunities available in the sector and acts a centralised job board for the industry; and the Career Switchers project will provide nuclear upskilling support for those entering the sector with relevant engineering, trades support and business skills.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure that NHS mental health services do not exclude anyone because of a neurological diagnosis.

Access to National Health Service mental health services is based on clinical need, including for patients with a neurological diagnosis.More broadly, we know that too many people with mental health issues are not getting the support or care they need, which is why we will fix the broken system to ensure we give mental health the same attention and focus as physical health, and that people, including those with a neurological diagnosis, can be confident in accessing high quality mental health support when they need it.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure that people with Huntington’s disease have a named health professional who can coordinate their care.

NHS England specialised commissioning does not centrally commission dedicated care co-ordinators for Huntington’s Disease within integrated care boards (ICBs). ICBs are responsible for working with their local communities to understand the needs of the local populations and make decisions about how best to commission services that meet those needs, including the treatment of Huntington’s Disease, in partnership with other local commissioners and organisations.Steps are being taken to improve coordination of care for all rare diseases as a priority under the UK Rare Diseases Framework. England’s Rare Diseases Action Plans detail a range of measures to improve coordination of care. NHS England committed to include the definition of coordination of care in all new and revised services specifications for patients with rare diseases. All highly specialised centres are required to work collaboratively with other providers in the service and have shared care arrangements in place with local hospitals as required. The National Institute of Health and Care Research has commissioned research to provide the evidence needed to operationalise better co-ordination of care for rare diseases in the National Health Service.

What discussions (a) he and (b) his officials have had with the hospice and end of life care sector on future funding for the sector.

I have met with NHS England to discuss how to reduce inequalities and variation in access to, and the quality of, palliative and end of life care. I also recently met Together for Short Lives and one of the chairs of the Children Who Need Palliative Care All Party Parliamentary Group to discuss children’s palliative and end of life care, and funding was discussed at length at this meeting.Department officials meet regularly with palliative and end of life care stakeholders, including Hospice UK, Sue Ryder, Marie Curie, and Together for Short Lives. We, alongside key partners NHS England, will continue to proactively engage with our stakeholders, including the voluntary sector and independent hospices, on an ongoing basis, in order to understand the issues they face. We will consider next steps on palliative and end of life care, including funding, in the coming months.Additionally, we have committed to develop a 10-year plan to deliver a National Health Service fit for the future, by driving three shifts in the way health care is delivered. We will carefully be considering policies, including those that impact people with palliative and end of life care needs, with input from the public, patients, health staff, and our stakeholders as we develop the plan. More information about how to input into the 10-Year Health Plan is available at the following link:https://change.nhs.uk/en-GB/We have been actively encouraging our stakeholders to engage with that process to allow us to fully understand what improvements could be made.

What information her Department holds on the metrics by which the new Ofsted report cards will judge their inclusion criterion.

The department is working closely with Ofsted on inspection reform. Schools should be held accountable for their approach to inclusion so that all children are given the high quality support they need to learn and thrive. Report cards are currently in development and will be consulted upon in the new year.

What his planned timeline is for bringing the Armed Forces Covenant fully into law.

Our election manifesto committed to “strengthen support for our Armed Forces communities by putting the Armed Forces Covenant fully into law” to help improve their lives across a broad range of areas. We are now developing policy options to take this forward.

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of ensuring that the Curriculum and Assessment Review focuses on the provision of (a) inclusive and (b) nurturing approaches to education.

The Curriculum and Assessment Review is being independently conducted by a group of education leaders and chaired by Professor Becky Francis CBE. The terms of reference were published in July and are available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/curriculum-and-assessment-review.The review has been asked to consider how to remove both barriers to learning and ceilings to achievement. It will support the innovation and professionalism of teachers, enabling them to adapt how they teach the curriculum to their students’ lives and life experiences. It will also ensure that the curriculum appropriately balances ambition, excellence, relevance, flexibility and inclusivity for all children and young people.The role of the review group is to consider the evidence, the responses to the call for evidence and widespread engagement with the sector, and then make recommendations for the government to consider.The review group will publish an interim report early in 2025 setting out their interim findings and confirming the key areas for further work. The final review with recommendations will be published in autumn 2025.The government will consider changes in light of the recommendations of the review.

Education what steps her Department is taking to ensure Ofsted inspections assess the steps schools take to ensure children’s wellbeing on the school estate.

This is a matter for His Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Sir Martyn Oliver. I have asked him to write to my hon. Friend, the Member for Warrington South, and a copy of his reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he had with his Chinese counterpart on trade deals during his visit to China in October 2024.

The Secretary of State held wide-ranging talks with his counterpart during his visit to China in October 2024, covering the breadth of the UK-China bilateral relationship. He discussed the promotion of secure and resilient growth through increased trade and investment with China, which creates jobs, drives innovation, boosts productivity and provides economic stability and certainty for the UK economy.

Communities and Local Government, what information her Department holds on the number of assets that were bought by community groups through the Community Right to Bid process since its introduction.

Information about Assets of Community Value listed by local authorities is held locally, and is not collected by central Government. The Government has committed to introducing a stronger Community Right to Buy through the English Devolution Bill, as part of which we are considering any changes to the Assets of Community Value process that are required to ensure the policy functions as effectively as possible.

Communities and Local Government, what information her Department holds on the number of Assets of Community Value (a) listed by each local authority and (b) rejected by each local authority in the last three years.

Information about Assets of Community Value listed by local authorities is held locally, and is not collected by central Government. The Government has committed to introducing a stronger Community Right to Buy through the English Devolution Bill, as part of which we are considering any changes to the Assets of Community Value process that are required to ensure the policy functions as effectively as possible.

Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of setting national (a) standards and (b) timescales for repairs to social housing.

All social homes should be decent, safe and warm. The government have committed to bringing forward the regulations necessary to introduce Awaab’s Law in the Social Rented Sector, and to consulting on a new Decent Homes Standard and Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards early next year. We will set out an assessment of the costs and impacts of the relevant requirements alongside each consultation and subsequent consultation response.

Whether he plans to standardise data systems for prescriptions between (a) health authority areas, (b) the NHS and (c) GP community services.

Approximately 95% of all primary care prescriptions are standardised using the Electronic Prescription Service (EPS). The EPS allows prescribers to send prescriptions electronically to a dispenser, such as a pharmacy, nominated by the patient. This makes the prescribing and dispensing process more efficient and convenient for patients and healthcare workers. The EPS is a national service and transcends health authority or integrated care board boundaries, because a prescriber using the EPS can prescribe a prescription that can be dispensed in any pharmacy in England. The EPS can also be used by prescribers in urgent and emergency care, using the NHS 111 or 111 Online services.The Digital Medicines programme is introducing this capability for secondary care, specifically acute and community hospital trusts and mental health trusts, so National Health Service trusts can implement and use EPS, where clinically and legally appropriate, meaning patients treated in secondary care settings will also be able to receive their medicines from any dispensary in England.

If he will make an assessment of the potential merits of reviewing levels of standing charges paid by consumers who mainly use energy generated by their own solar panels and wind turbines.

Standing charges cover the costs energy suppliers take on to provide consumers with electricity, which vary by location, and although these levies are a commercial matter for suppliers, and are regulated by Ofgem, we know that too much of the burden of the bill is placed on them. The Government has worked constructively with the regulator on the issue of standing charges, and we are committed to lowering the cost of them. Ofgem’s recently published discussion paper sets out the options for how standing charges could be reduced, including by moving some supplier operational costs off standing charges onto the unit rate, increasing the variety of tariffs available for consumer in the market, and in the longer term, reviewing how system costs are allocated. Ofgem's publication can be found here: https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/call-for-input/standing-charges-domestic-retail-options. We will continue to support Ofgem in this work and ensure that standing charges are reduced.

Whether people with an assistance dog require documentation to enter food retail outlets and licensed premises.

There are no rules or regulations that make it a requirement for people with assistance dogs to have documentation to enter retail outlets, licensed premises or any other premises of businesses or service providers. The Equality Act 2010 places a general duty on businesses and service providers to make reasonable adjustments to allow disabled people, including people with assistance dogs, access to goods and services so they are not placed at a substantial disadvantage compared to non-disabled people.The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) is responsible for enforcing the Equality Act. It has published guidance - ‘Assistance Dogs: a guide for businesses and service providers’ - to help those bodies understand what they can do to meet their legal duties to assistance dog owners.Duties and protections under the Equality Act are ultimately enforceable through the courts, and anybody who thinks that they have been discriminated against - including where access to an assistance dog has been refused - can take legal action to seek to resolve the issue. The EHRC will support people who have experienced discrimination through that process.This Government fully supports the principle that guide dogs and assistance dogs should always be allowed access, except in the most exceptional circumstances.

Food and Rural Affairs, when he plans to bring forward legislative proposals on banning puppy farming.

The Government will introduce the most ambitious programme for animal welfare in a generation. As outlined in our manifesto, we will bring an end to puppy farming. We are considering the most effective way to deliver this commitment and will be setting out next steps in due course.

If she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the cost of (a) badges and (b) piping for school uniforms on household expenditure.

The department has not assessed the impact of the cost of specific designs for school uniforms on household expenditure. However, the department recently published its latest research on the cost of school uniforms, which is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cost-of-school-uniforms-survey-2023.This research surveyed parents and carers of children aged 4 to 16 attending state-funded schools in England and found that average uniform expenditure decreased as the range of outlets from which parents/carers were allowed to purchase items increased. The average spend on items was significantly lower where all could be purchased from anywhere (£227.29), than where all had to be purchased from a designated shop or from a school (£283.90).That is why as part of the King’s Speech, the department has committed to legislate to limit the number of expensive branded items of uniform and PE kit that schools can require.