Written questions by Hall.

What steps her Department is taking to strengthen bilateral and multilateral cooperation with governments in countries with high incidences of livestreamed child sexual abuse production.

The Government is unequivocal in its commitment to protecting children from all forms of child sexual exploitation and abuse This includes ensuring that we are working to combat livestreamed abuse and ensuring that offenders cannot use technology to harm children with impunity.In order to tackle the threat and reduce livestreaming of child sexual abuse, which is an inherently transnational crime, the National Crime Agency (NCA) works in collaboration with law enforcement in the UK and internationally to pursue the highest harm offenders. The UK is also leading the way in supporting the building and developing thematic knowledge and operational capabilities of other international law enforcement agencies to work together to pursue offenders and safeguard children. In addition, the NCA is leading a number of initiatives with industry and engagement with the financial sector to specifically prevent and detect livestreaming offending. This includes work to build on the UK-supported report by the Action Taskforce (FATF) ‘Detecting, Disrupting and Investigating Online Child Sexual Exploitation’.This UK Government is prioritising our response to this crime, including crucial action through multilateral and bilateral forums to lead the way in ensuring there is robust international capacity to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse, including in response to livestreaming and other online offending, and working to keep children safe online and in communities around the world.

Whether she has held recent discussions with technology companies on the implementation of on-device detection tools to prevent livestreamed child sexual abuse.

The Government is unequivocal in its commitment to protecting children from online sexual abuse. Livestreamed abuse is a particularly abhorrent form of exploitation, and we are determined to ensure that offenders cannot use technology to harm children with impunity.The Online Safety Act introduces world-leading protections for children. It places robust duties on tech companies to prevent and swiftly remove illegal content, including child sexual abuse material, and to take proactive steps to protect children from harm. Ofcom, as the regulator, will have strong enforcement powers to ensure compliance.We also recognise the importance of device-level protections. I support the development and deployment of safety technologies that can help prevent abuse before it happens. This includes exploring the role of on-device tools that can detect and disrupt livestreamed abuse and other image-based harms, while respecting users' privacy and maintaining end-to-end encryption.The Government continues to work closely with law enforcement, industry, and child protection experts to ensure that the UK remains at the forefront of efforts to tackle online child sexual abuse.

Whether her Department plans to roll out mandatory suicide prevention training across emergency response services.

The College of Policing set the professional standards for police in England and Wales. The College’s core guidance includes the initial training for officers under the Policing Education Qualifications Framework which incorporates autism, learning disabilities, mental health and vulnerabilities. Through this, officers are taught to assess vulnerability and amend their approaches as required.The College further promotes the need for frameworks to assess vulnerability, to aid in consistent identification, support decision making, and to trigger appropriate safeguarding action. Such principles and practices are set out in a number of college products, including the Detention and Custody Authorised Professional Practice.Policing is operationally independent, and it is a matter for the chief constables of each force to decide which additional training their officers should undertake.

What steps her Department has taken to ensure that the UK’s Carbon Border Adjustment does not adversely impact business competitiveness.

The UK Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) will give UK industry confidence to invest in their decarbonisation efforts. The CBAM will ensure highly traded, carbon intensive products from overseas face a comparable carbon price to those produced here so that UK decarbonisation efforts lead to a true reduction in global emissions rather than simply displacing carbon emissions overseas. To ensure the costs of complying with the UK CBAM are proportionate, the UK CBAM will only apply to those importing CBAM goods valued at £50,000 or more over a rolling 12-month period. We estimate that will exclude 80% of CBAM goods but retain over 99% of imported emissions within the scope of the tax. Of those removed, over 70% are SMEs. An assessment of CBAM impacts on the economy and businesses will be provided when the policy is final or near final, in the form of a tax information and impact note. A draft version of this is available at:https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/draft-legislation-carbon-border-adjustment-mechanism/draft-tax-information-and-impact-note

Whether she plans to take steps to improve the delivery of financial literacy skills in secondary schools.

I refer the hon. Member for Solihull West and Shirley to the answer of 9 April to Question 43513.

What assessment she has made of the adequacy of financial education provision in the national curriculum for preparing young people to manage personal finances.

I refer the hon. Member for Solihull West and Shirley to the answer of 9 April to Question 43513.

What steps her Department is taking to ensure that all new Education, Health and Care Plans are issued within the statutory 20-week timeframe.

The department wants to ensure that education, health and care (EHC) assessments are progressed promptly and, if needed, high-quality plans are issued as quickly as possible so that children and young people can access the support they need.The department continues to monitor, challenge and work closely with local authorities that have issues with EHC plan timeliness. Where there are concerns about a local authority’s capacity to make the required improvements, we ensure that the cause of these problems is identified with the local authority and that an effective recovery plan is implemented. Where needed, the department deploys specialist special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) advisors to help identify the barriers to carrying out the EHC plan process in a timely way and to address these through practical plans for recovery, alongside addressing other areas of weakness in provision.

What steps her Department is taking to improve the availability of driving tests.

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 23 April, the Secretary of State for Transport appeared before the Transport Select Committee and announced that DVSA will take further actions to reduce driving test waiting times across the country.Further information on these actions and progress on the plan can be found on GOV.UK at: www.gov.uk/government/news/transport-secretary-acts-to-make-thousands-of-extra-driving-tests-available-each-month.

Whether her Department plans to provide longer-term capital funding settlements for Government departments to support the (a) maintenance and (b) renewal of public service facilities.

The government has, for the first time, announced long-term maintenance budgets for the health, education, and justice estates as part of the 10 Year Infrastructure Strategy. This protects departments’ maintenance budgets in real terms, delivering at least £10 billion per year by 2034-35 to maintain and repair health, education and justice infrastructure. This is in addition to significant investment in rebuilding assets and delivering additional capacity where it is needed – such as almost £20 billion in the School Rebuilding Programme and up to £24 billion in the New Hospital Programme over the next 10 years.

With reference to the publication entitled Animals in Science Regulation Unit annual report 2023, published on 17 December 2024, what assessment she has made of trends in the level of animals impacted by non-compliance incidents in British laboratories; and what steps her Department is taking to (a) reduce the number of non-compliance cases, (b) improve animal welfare standards in scientific research and (c) support the transition to non-animal research methods.

The Home Office Regulator takes non-compliance with the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 very seriously. The numbers of non-compliance cases vary in any given year. The total number of non-compliance cases reduced from 175 to 169 cases from 2022-23. Between these same years there was also a 48% reduction in adverse welfare cases.All establishments licensed to breed or supply animals, or to carry out regulated procedures on animals in the United Kingdom are subject to the full requirements of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (ASPA).The Regulator conducts audits to assure establishments' compliance with the terms of their licences, the Code of Practice and with ASPA. Each establishment will receive an audit at least every three years if it does not hold special species and at least every year if it holds specially protected species.The Regulator is undertaking a structured programme of reforms to most effectively deliver its purpose of protecting animals in science through maintaining compliance with the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986. The effect of the changes will be strengthened protections for animals; increased adherence to the principles of replacement, reduction, and refinement; an enhanced quality of service for the science sector; and increased assurance to the public of the protections the UK continues to deliver for animals in science. The programme will increase the total number of Inspectors from 17 at the end of 2023, to 22 by end of 2025.The Government is committed to supporting non-animal alternatives and will publish a strategy to support their development, validation and adoption later this year.

What steps her Department is taking to help (a) reduce delays in Education, Health and Care Plan assessments and (b) ensure consistency in provision across local authorities; and whether she plans to provide additional resources to areas with high caseloads.

The department wants to ensure that education, health and care (EHC) assessments are progressed promptly and, if needed, high-quality plans are issued as quickly as possible so that children and young people can access the support they need.The department continues to monitor, challenge and work closely with local authorities that have issues with EHC plan timeliness. Where there are concerns about a local authority’s capacity to make the required improvements, we ensure that the cause of these problems is identified with the local authority and that an effective recovery plan is implemented. Where needed, the department deploys specialist special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) advisors to help identify the barriers to carrying out the EHC plan process in a timely way and to address these through practical plans for recovery, alongside addressing other areas of weakness in provision.

Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that funding for film and creative industry projects is distributed equitably across the North West.

There are creative industries clusters and micro clusters in every part of the UK and they , all of which are equally crucial to the delivery of our Growth Mission. We are keen to ensure that there are no cultural not-spots in the country and that everyone has an equal chance to pursue a career in the creative industries whether they live in a major metropolitan area or not. The new 10-year Creative Industries Sector Plan seeks to tackles barriers to growth and maximises opportunities across the Creative Industries sector throughout the UK. As part of this, Liverpool City Region Combined Authority and Greater Manchester Combined Authority will also receive shares of the £150million Creative Places Growth Fund which can be used to support the Creative Industries in local towns in the North West. Arts Council England (ACE) supports organisations through their National Portfolio (NPOs) programme which provides funding of over £450 million a year to arts organisations across the country, many of which provide programmes in local community settings. Between 2023 and 2026 almost £50 million per annum will be invested into organisations in the North West through the NPO programme, including in areas outside major city hubs.The British Film Institute (BFI) works with a network of partners across the country, including the North West, both to administer funding and to deliver activity under their ten-year strategy, Screen Culture 2033. For example, through the BFI’s National Lottery Screen Clusters Fund, Screen Manchester and Liverpool Film Office, as partners in Screen Alliance North, have received funding to support below-the-line skills and training activity across the North. This includes workshops with industry professionals for students at Warrington Vale Royal, helping to connect them with local employment opportunities.

What assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the National Crime Agency’s efforts to disrupt livestreamed child sexual abuse networks involving UK-based offenders.

The Government is unequivocal in its commitment to protecting children from all forms of child sexual exploitation and abuse This includes ensuring that we are working to combat livestreamed abuse and ensuring that offenders cannot use technology to harm children with impunity.In order to tackle the threat and reduce livestreaming of child sexual abuse, which is an inherently transnational crime, the National Crime Agency (NCA) works in collaboration with law enforcement in the UK and internationally to pursue the highest harm offenders. The UK is also leading the way in supporting the building and developing thematic knowledge and operational capabilities of other international law enforcement agencies to work together to pursue offenders and safeguard children. In addition, the NCA is leading a number of initiatives with industry and engagement with the financial sector to specifically prevent and detect livestreaming offending. This includes work to build on the UK-supported report by the Action Taskforce (FATF) ‘Detecting, Disrupting and Investigating Online Child Sexual Exploitation’.This UK Government is prioritising our response to this crime, including crucial action through multilateral and bilateral forums to lead the way in ensuring there is robust international capacity to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse, including in response to livestreaming and other online offending, and working to keep children safe online and in communities around the world.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of freight crime on the economy since 2020.

The Government is aware of the rising frequency of freight crime and the damaging impact it can have on businesses and the economy. The Government is working closely with the police, wider automative industry, and the National Vehicle Crime Intelligence Service (NaVCIS) to ensure the response to vehicle crime is strong as it can be. The National Vehicle Crime Working Group has established a network of vehicle crime specialists, involving every police force in England and Wales, to share information about emerging trends in vehicle crime. The Government is also continuing to work closely with Opal, the police’s national intelligence unit focused on serious organised crime, which has a vehicle crime intelligence desk covering freight crime. The freight crime data from the National Vehicle Crime Intelligence Service is:YearNo. of OffencesTotal Loss Value20204,481£94.9 million20214,434£71.4 million20225,086£66 million20235,373£68 million

What steps her Department is taking to reduce levels of (a) poverty and (b) economic inequality in the North West; and what recent assessment she has made of trends in the level of regional disparities in (i) income and (ii) living standards.

The Government has set out a Plan for Change that includes raising living standards in every part of the United Kingdom. To deliver this, we have taken action to support households facing the greatest hardships by increasing the National Living Wage by 6.7%, introducing a Fair Repayment Rate to cap deductions from Universal Credit, uplifting the Universal Credit standard allowance to 5% above CPI by 2029-30, and expanding the Warm Homes Discount to every billpayer on means-tested benefits. Furthermore, at the Spending Review we expanded Free School Meals to lift 100,000 children out of poverty, funded the biggest boost to social and affordable housing in a generation, provided £1bn a year (including Barnett impact) for a new Crisis and Resilience Fund, and extended the £3 Bus Fare Cap in England. This is in addition to investing in 350 deprived communities across the UK, to fund interventions including regeneration, community cohesion and improving the public realm. The Government is also investing in infrastructure in the North West to spur economic growth, boost wages and increase living standards, providing £4.1bn to the North West via the Transport for City Regions fund. It has recommitted to £160m of funding over 10 years for Investment Zones in Greater Manchester and Liverpool, and reconfirmed support for Liverpool City Region Freeport. Local partners expect Greater Manchester Investment Zone to deliver £1.1 bn in private sector investment and 32,000 jobs, and expect Liverpool City Region’s Investment Zone to generate £320m in private investment and 4,000 jobs. The latest Office for National Statistics data shows that in 2022 Gross Disposable Household Income (GDHI) per head was £19,752 in the North West compared to £22,789 for the UK. The Plan for Change sets out that living standards at a regional level is measured by regional Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per head. The latest ONS data shows that GDP per head, in real terms (2022 prices), was £33,170 per head in the North West and £37,135 per head for the UK in 2023. GDP per head was £23,555 per head in the North West in 1998 compared to £28,570 for the UK.

What steps she is taking to consult (a) disabled children, (b) young people and (c) families on SEND reforms under development.

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education is engaging with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) charities, stakeholders, young people and parents and carers on a wide variety of issues, including through weekly engagement sessions via webinars, meetings and visits. She also conducts roundtables with charities and campaigners, the most recent of which was in June.As a new Minister, I am committed to engagement with young people, families, teachers and experts in SEND. These engagements will carry on throughout the White Paper consultation period into the autumn and beyond, including consulting with disabled children, young people and families on SEND issues.

Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to support the (a) cultural identity and (b) creative sector growth of towns in the North West that are outside major metropolitan areas.

There are creative industries clusters and micro clusters in every part of the UK and they , all of which are equally crucial to the delivery of our Growth Mission. We are keen to ensure that there are no cultural not-spots in the country and that everyone has an equal chance to pursue a career in the creative industries whether they live in a major metropolitan area or not. The new 10-year Creative Industries Sector Plan seeks to tackles barriers to growth and maximises opportunities across the Creative Industries sector throughout the UK. As part of this, Liverpool City Region Combined Authority and Greater Manchester Combined Authority will also receive shares of the £150million Creative Places Growth Fund which can be used to support the Creative Industries in local towns in the North West. Arts Council England (ACE) supports organisations through their National Portfolio (NPOs) programme which provides funding of over £450 million a year to arts organisations across the country, many of which provide programmes in local community settings. Between 2023 and 2026 almost £50 million per annum will be invested into organisations in the North West through the NPO programme, including in areas outside major city hubs.The British Film Institute (BFI) works with a network of partners across the country, including the North West, both to administer funding and to deliver activity under their ten-year strategy, Screen Culture 2033. For example, through the BFI’s National Lottery Screen Clusters Fund, Screen Manchester and Liverpool Film Office, as partners in Screen Alliance North, have received funding to support below-the-line skills and training activity across the North. This includes workshops with industry professionals for students at Warrington Vale Royal, helping to connect them with local employment opportunities.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of reintroducing private finance through public private partnerships for neighbourhood health centres on the NHS; and how those proposals differ from previous private finance initiative models.

As set out in the 10 Year Health Plan, the Department, alongside the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority, is working on a business case to look at the feasibility of using a public private partnership (PPP) model for Neighbourhood Health Centres, with a decision expected in the Autumn Budget.Any new PPP models will be subject to market testing and will build on lessons learned from past government experience, models currently in use, and the March 2025 National Audit Office report, ‘Lessons Learned: private finance for infrastructure’.The Department conducted a successful preliminary market engagement exercise over summer 2025, and this is feeding into the business case.

With reference to section 8 of the Crime and Policing Bill, what guidance will be given to police forces on the circumstances in which a vehicle should be seized without warning.

We are amending the Police Reform Act 2002 through the Crime and Policing Bill to allow the police to seize vehicles which are used in an anti-social manner without having to first give a warning to the offender, as is currently required in some circumstances.We will work with the College of Policing and the National Police Chiefs’ Council to assess what guidance is required to forces on the implementation of these changes.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of waiting times for gynaecology treatment on women’s health outcomes; and what steps he is taking to improve access to timely care.

The Government is committed to prioritising women’s health as we build a National Health Service fit for the future. Our focus is on turning the commitments in the Women's Health Strategy into tangible action, such as providing emergency hormonal contraception free of charge at pharmacies on the NHS from October 2025; setting out how we will eliminate cervical cancer by 2040 through the new cervical cancer plan; and taking urgent action to tackle gynaecology waiting lists through the Elective Reform Plan.As set out in the Plan for Change, we have committed to return to the NHS constitutional standard that 92% of patients, including women waiting for gynaecological care, wait no longer than 18 weeks from referral to treatment by March 2029. We provided additional investment in the Autumn Budget that has enabled us to fulfil our pledge to deliver over two million more elective care appointments early. More than double that number, 4.9 million more appointments, have now been delivered.The Elective Reform Plan, published in January, sets out the reform we will undertake to return to the 18-week standard, and to ensure patients have the best possible experience while they wait. This includes commitments to offer patients care closer to home, in the community, including piloting gynaecology pathways in community diagnostic centres for patients with unscheduled bleeding on hormone replacement therapy. We have also committed to increasing the relative funding available to support gynaecology procedures with the largest waiting lists.We know the vital role general practitioners (GPs) have to play in the Government’s mission to tackle NHS waiting lists. This is why we have expanded the Advice and Guidance scheme, investing £80 million to keep patients off the waiting list, with GPs working more closely with hospital specialists to access expert advice to make sure patients can access timely, high quality care.