Written questions by Olney.

How much was spent on the Pharmacy First awareness campaign.

The Pharmacy First advertising campaign has now run on several occasions. Evaluation of the November to December 2024 campaign showed a measurable increase in public awareness and confidence. Awareness that pharmacies can treat Pharmacy First conditions rose from 71% to 79%, trust in advice from the pharmacy team increased from 61% to 70%, and the proportion of people saying they would use a pharmacy if they experienced a Pharmacy First condition increased from 32% to 37%.The campaign was rerun between October 2025 and January 2026 to encourage people to seek treatment for seven common conditions at their local pharmacy, supporting continued efforts to relieve pressure on general practices over the winter period. The campaign used a wide range of media channels, including television, radio, outdoor advertising, social media, and online platforms. In 2025/26, NHS England spent £2.017 million on the Pharmacy First advertising campaign.

What criteria he uses to assess the effectiveness of the Suicide Prevention Strategy.

Data, evidence, and engagement with experts informed the actions that sit within the Suicide Prevention Strategy’s action plan. Government departments and other organisations responsible for delivering suicide prevention activity are accountable for the delivery of these actions to ensure progress is made against the ambitions set out in the strategy.The Department will continue to review emerging evidence and data, to ensure current actions remain suitable and to develop iterative actions, where required, to drive further progress. The Department has regular meetings with the National Suicide Prevention Strategy Advisory Group to aid the monitoring and delivery of the strategy.

When the mid-term review of the Suicide Prevention Strategy will be published.

Officials are reviewing the Suicide Prevention Strategy, including how best to present updates, acknowledging the successes of the strategy so far as well as re-invigorating cross-Government efforts to go further. The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Women’s Health and Mental Health will continue to work with officials and ministerial counterparts across Government to raise the profile of delivering the actions in the suicide prevention strategy, drive progress, and foster collective responsibility around suicide prevention.

What discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on the adequacy of funding for domestic abuse services.

The Freedom from Violence and Abuse: a cross-government strategy committed to invest more than £1 billion over the next three years to support victims, including: £550 million for victims’ services from the Ministry of Justice;£499 million for safe accommodation from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.This sits alongside wider investments, across government, to support victims.

What criteria will be used to consider potential sites for funding via the Structures Fund.

The Department for Transport surveyed local highway authorities and other transport stakeholders on the criteria for prioritising structures for investment through the Structures Fund in February 2026. The Department is currently considering responses to the survey and will confirm the criteria that will be used to prioritise schemes for funding in due course.

Whether she has held discussions with (a) Transport for London and (b) Hammersmith and Fulham Council on potential funding contributions for repairs for Hammersmith Bridge.

I wrote to you and members of the Hammersmith Bridge Taskforce, which includes Transport for London and Hammersmith and Fulham Council, on 27 February.I set out in my letter that I consider Hammersmith Bridge to be a good candidate for investment from the Structures Fund, and my Department intends to consider the viability of future funding for the next stage of works via this route.

How many sites has her Department shortlisted to potentially receive funding from the Structure Fund.

The Department for Transport surveyed local highway authorities and transport stakeholders on the assessment criteria for the Structures Fund in February 2026. We are currently considering the responses and will confirm the final prioritisation criteria in due course. Once these criteria are published, the Fund will be opened for investment proposals from local authorities, and the Department will then be able to confirm which, and how many, schemes are to receive funding from the Structures Fund.

If she will set the processes by which the Foreign Influence Registration Scheme collects data from individuals.

Those registering under FIRS do so through a dedicated IT platform. Comprehensive guidance on the scheme has been published on gov.uk. This includes guidance on what data needs to be registered and what data will appear on the public register.In addition, the Home Office has published a Privacy Information Notice setting out how data provided under the scheme is handled (https://foreign-influence-registration-scheme.service.gov.uk/Privacy).This includes how personal information inputted into registrations will be collected and stored securely in accordance with Home Office guidance and data policies.

How does the Home Office learn of, or uncover, incidents of transnational repression.

We continually assess potential threats in the UK and draw on a multisource model to build a comprehensive picture of that threat.The Government works closely with law enforcement, government departments, international partners, civil society and affected individuals to strengthen our understanding of reporting trends and methodologies, identify patterns of behaviour, and ensure appropriate safeguards are in place to prevent transnational repression (TNR). A dedicated team has now been established within the Home Office to coordinate this work and act as a focal point across HMG.The Government will continue to deepen its understanding of TNR and ensure that the systems used to detect, deter and counter this activity remain effective and proportionate.Anyone who believes they are a victim of state-directed activity should report incidents or suspicious activity to the police via 101, at a local police station, or 999 in emergencies.

How many residents have been charged interest on late payments to HMRC in each year since 2015.

We do not hold aggregated data on the total number of individuals who have paid late payment interest.

What was the average waiting time in 2025 for an NHS Talking Therapy appointment following referral.

The latest published annual statistics for NHS Talking Therapies services in England for 2024/25 show that the mean average waiting time in days between the date the referral request was received and the date of first appointment, where the referral had a first attended appointment in the year, was 21.5 days.As of 31 December 2025, there were 118,988 open referrals to NHS Talking Therapies services in England yet to have a first appointment.

How many people are currently on the NHS Talking Therapy waiting list in the UK.

The latest published annual statistics for NHS Talking Therapies services in England for 2024/25 show that the mean average waiting time in days between the date the referral request was received and the date of first appointment, where the referral had a first attended appointment in the year, was 21.5 days.As of 31 December 2025, there were 118,988 open referrals to NHS Talking Therapies services in England yet to have a first appointment.

Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the capabilities of UK data centres to meet the energy usage required with the increasing use of AI.

The Government keeps UK data centre capability under review and works closely with energy regulators, network operators and industry.Through the AI Energy Council, Government is assessing system‑wide impacts, promoting energy efficiency and clean power solutions, and ensuring that growth in AI compute supports economic growth without undermining energy security or climate objectives.Through AI Growth Zones, the Government is streamlining planning, improving access to power and crowding in investment, while ensuring developments are located where energy system impacts can be managed effectively.UK Data and AI infrastructure is subject to the UK’s environmental and planning frameworks, which require assessment of impacts such as energy use. Larger data centres, which will be able to apply through the recently introduced Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project route, will also be subject to these requirements.

Food and Rural Affairs, what are the average cost differences between smart water meter bills and flatline bills.

Customers can be charged for water and sewerage through either the rateable value (unmetered) or via metered volume. Smart meters automatically monitor water usage, enabling water companies and customers to receive more regular data on water consumption. Smart metering offers an opportunity for customers to save money on their bills through identifying water wastage through leaks. Whilst the impacts on bills depend on individual circumstances and customer billing plans, the 2024 Baringa report on smart water metering showed that moving from unmetered charging to a ‘dumb’ meter can reduce water consumption by 12–15% and transitioning directly to smart meters can lead to reductions of up to 17%. Customers may wish to contact the Consumer Council for Water (CCW) for additional support and advice on getting a smart meter installed and the impacts this could have on their bills. Customers can use the CCW water meter calculator, to assess any potential bill savings they could make if they installed a smart water meter.

Whether he has made an estimate of the average cost difference between smart meter and flatline bills.

Smart meters help households to manage their energy use and reduce bills by enabling suppliers to bill them for their actual, rather than estimated, energy use. Households with additional low carbon technology can also save on their energy bills by switching to tariffs that are enabled by smart meters with rates designed to incentivise flexible energy use. For example, an EV driver could potentially save £330 annually by smart charging overnight. Households with heat pumps could also save over £250 annually by shifting to a smart tariff and using their heat pump flexibly to pre-heat their homes during cheaper periods.

What steps she is taking to help ensure that children from non-privileged backgrounds continue to have access to music and dance training, including through supporting the Music and Dance Scheme Schools.

I refer the hon. Member for Richmond Park to the answer of 12 February 2026 to Question 111332.

What plans her Department has to provide long-term funding certainty for schools supported by the Music and Dance Scheme.

I refer the hon. Member for Richmond Park to the answer of 12 February 2026 to Question 111332.

How she plans to support the Music and Dance Scheme Schools that face financial challenges.

I refer the hon. Member for Richmond Park to the answer of 12 February 2026 to Question 111332.

What discussions her Department has had with Transport for London on the distribution of the structure fund for repairs and renovations.

The Department is currently seeking views from key stakeholders, including Transport for London, on how best to design and deliver the Structures Fund.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of Think Pharmacy First campaign on helping to encourage people use pharmacies for treatment.

The Pharmacy First advertising campaign has now been run on several occasions. Data collected from the campaign run from November to December 2024 showed an increase in public knowledge that pharmacies can treat ‘Pharmacy First’ conditions, from 71% to 79%, and trust in the advice given by the pharmacy team increased from 61% to 70%. Public intention to use the pharmacy if they experienced any of the Pharmacy First conditions increased from 32% to 37%. This positive shift in people’s attitudes is reflected through an increased use of the Pharmacy First service. There were 198,794 completed clinical pathways in October 2024, the month before the advertising campaign. This increased to 259,323 completed clinical pathways during December 2024. A second public advertising campaign on Pharmacy First ran from 20 October 2025 to 4 January 2026. Evaluation of this most recent campaign is underway.