Written questions by Arthur.

Whether she is considering mandating an assessment of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems as part of the MOT test.

As set out in the Road Safety Strategy, the Government is committed to taking advantage of vehicle technologies to make our roads safer. The Strategy adopts the internationally recognised Safe System approach, acknowledging that vehicle technologies can significantly reduce risk when they function as intended, and that responsibility for safety is shared across government, manufacturers, repairers and the wider transport sector. My Department is currently exploring options for future policy decisions to maximise the benefits of vehicle technologies. This includes engagement on a wide range of issues related to advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), including vehicle maintenance. My Department is also consulting on mandating a range of ADAS in new vehicles, alongside a call for evidence seeking views on the ongoing maintenance of these systems. Given the importance of properly maintained vehicles for road safety, the Government keeps the MOT under continual review to ensure it remains effective as vehicle technology evolves. This includes considering how increasingly sophisticated systems, such as ADAS, can be appropriately monitored as part of wider vehicle safety assurance. Officials continue to gather and assess evidence to inform any future changes.

What discussions she has had with the Financial Conduct Authority and other relevant regulators on improving accessibility in digital banking; and what the outcomes were of those discussions.

HM Treasury ministers regularly meet with the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) to discuss consumers’ experiences of financial products and services. As a member of the Financial Inclusion Committee, the FCA was closely involved in the development of the Financial Inclusion Strategy which I published in November 2025. The Strategy includes a focus on digital inclusion and access to banking and considers accessibility as a theme across all product areas examined. It includes a range of interventions to address these issues, including the launch of an industry-led inclusive design working group which will examine how to make financial products more accessible. Consumer representatives have been invited to make submissions to the group which will inform its focus going forward. More widely, the Government works closely with the FCA to ensure that consumers get the right support with financial products and services. FCA guidance highlights the actions firms should take to understand the needs of customers who may be vulnerable and to consider these needs appropriately. This includes offering multiple channels of communication to their customers where possible, to ensure their products are accessible. The FCA’s Consumer Duty also seeks to raise the standard of care expected from firms for all customers. It aims to deliver products and services that offer fair value and are designed to meet customers’ needs, with a focus on delivering good outcomes and preventing harm. In addition, under the Equality Act 2010, all service providers must make reasonable adjustments to ensure their services are accessible.

What recent discussions she has had with her counterparts in the devolved Administrations about harmonising support for mobile children in Armed Forces families.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

What the timetable is for the UK’s potential accession to EUROFIMA; and what the next steps are in the Government’s consideration of participation.

The Department is exploring a range of financing structures to support investment in rolling stock, in partnership with private finance. The Department remains in active engagement with Eurofima, as one element of this work, to assess how its financing mechanisms could support future investment in the UK rolling stock market. The Government will update the House in due course once decisions have been taken on accession to the Eurofima Convention, to support wider rolling stock investment plans.

What assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Disability Confident Scheme.

In 2022, the department commissioned a survey to understand from members’ perspectives the impact that signing up to the scheme has had on their recruitment and retention attitudes and practices towards disabled people. The survey can be accessed on gov.uk using the following link: Disability Confident: survey of participating employers, May 2022 - GOV.UK The department also published the Disability Confident Employer Renewal Research that summarises the reasons why employers did not renew membership of the Disability Confident scheme in 2022, including some qualitative evidence on the scheme’s impact on attracting and recruiting staff with disabilities and/or organisational culture (but not retention) for some employers. This small scale qualitative research with employers can be accessed at Disability Confident Employer Renewal Research - GOV.UK The Disability Confident scheme is well-established and has huge potential, but it needs reform to deliver meaningful change. My officials and I have been working with a wide range of stakeholders, including disabled people and employers, to explore potential reforms. On 15 January 2026 I announced more details about our plans to reform the scheme Disability Confident scheme overhauled to boost workplace standards for disabled people - GOV.UK. We are planning a proportionate assessment of the different strands of the upcoming reforms: this is likely to include qualitative interviews to get insights from employers, conducting short surveys, and gathering feedback on specific processes and products to iteratively improve and adapt.

What steps she is taking to help ensure people in England and Wales cannot use home delivery services to order alcohol while intoxicated.

The Licensing Act 2003 regulates the sale and supply of alcohol. It is already an offence under the Act to sell alcohol to someone who is intoxicated. We are looking at how current licensing rules apply to home alcohol delivery services and speaking to experts and stakeholders to ensure these are effective.

What date range of claims for the War Pensions Scheme is currently being processed by officials.

As at 20 April 2026, War Pension Scheme (WPS) case workers are completing the initial scrutiny of claims received during the week commencing 21 December 2025. To ensure workflow is managed effectively and fairly, all WPS cases are processed in strict date order, with priority given to those with a terminal illness and to claimants over the age of 90.

If she will make it her policy to bring in (a) relief and (b) reduction in Vehicle Excise Duty rates for UK-manufactured battery electric vehicles.

Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) is a tax on vehicles used or kept on public roads. As announced by the previous Government at Autumn Statement 2022, from April 2025, zero emission and hybrid cars, vans and motorcycles now pay VED in a similar way to petrol and diesel vehicles. Revenue from motoring taxes helps ensure we can continue to fund the vital public services and infrastructure that people and families across the UK expect.The Government annually reviews the rates and thresholds of taxes and reliefs to ensure that they are appropriate and reflect the current state of the economy. The Chancellor makes decisions on tax policy at fiscal events in the context of the public finances.

If she will make it her policy to take account of the impact of SUVs on (a) road maintenance, (b) pedestrian safety, and (c) public space in vehicle taxation.

Vehicles used or kept on public roads pay Vehicle Excise Duty (VED). Cars registered on or after 1 April 2017 pay a variable first year VED rate according to the emissions of the vehicle, before moving to a standard annual rate after the first year. For certain vehicle classifications, such as heavy goods vehicles (HGVs), VED liability is calculated in accordance with the vehicle's weight in order to reflect in part the road damage caused by heavier vehicles. However, this is not the case for cars, due in part to their relatively lower impact on road damage compared to heavier vehicles. When making changes to the tax system, the Government considers a range of trade-offs, such as complexity in the tax system and administrative burdens. The Government annually reviews the rates and thresholds of taxes and reliefs to ensure that they are appropriate and reflect the current state of the economy. The Chancellor makes decisions on tax policy at fiscal events in the context of the public finances.

Innovation and Technology, what steps the Government is taking to support the development of quantum communications technologies in Scotland.

DSIT has a stated mission to deploy an advanced UK quantum network at scale by 2035, supported through several funding initiatives in Scotland.DSIT funds the academic Integrated Quantum Networks (IQN) Hub led by Herriot-Watt University, and has committed £8m funding to the Fraunhofer Centre for Applied Photonics in Glasgow.DSIT funds university Centres for Doctoral Training in Quantum Informatics (Edinburgh) and Applied Quantum Technologies (Strathclyde, Glasgow, and Heriot-Watt).In March 2026, we announced over £1bn investment in UK quantum technology development over the next 4 years, with £125m dedicated for Quantum Networking - including a £20m UKRI funding competition on “Enabling Commercial Quantum Networking” that opened on 14th April.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of the UN's press release entitled UN High Commissioner for Human Rights warns against Israel’s legislative steps targeting Palestinians in violation of international law, published on 31 March 2026.

I refer the Hon Member to the joint statement issued by the Foreign Secretary and her counterparts from Australia, Germany, France, Italy, New Zealand on 29 March, which can be found on GOV.UK here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/joint-statement-on-israels-death-penalty-bill-29-march-2026.

Whether any lessons from the previous Rapid Charging Fund have informed the design of the new fund; what methodology will be used, as part of the new fund, to assess connection costs within applications; and what timetable has been set for the new fund to open to applicants.

A reliable, accessible public charging network to support electric vehicle drivers on long journeys is essential to support the electric vehicle transition.  The market has changed significantly since the £950 million Rapid Charging Fund was announced in 2020, with over 6,400 open-access, rapid and ultra-rapid charge points within one mile of the Strategic Road Network – more than quadrupling in the last three years (July 2022 – Oct 2025, Zapmap). We’re adapting our approach to meet the needs of industry today. We are using lessons from the Rapid Charging Fund pilot and continue to work with industry to deliver the right financial support, targeted where it is needed most. For example, improving provision at some motorway service areas where high connection costs have made charging infrastructure rollout uncommercially unviable. We expect to share more information later this year via a targeted industry consultation.

Whether she has made an assessment of the potential implications for her Department’s policies on (a) electric vehicle uptake, (b) automotive production, and (c) transport affordability for lower-income households of the French social leasing scheme.

The Department regularly engages with French counterparts on policy, including support for zero emission vehicles, and is carefully reviewing the recent (10 April) announcement of the third iteration of the French Government’s Social Leasing scheme.

What steps she is taking to help reduce the upfront costs of EVs.

The Government is reducing the upfront costs of zero emission vehicles by providing grants for zero emission cars, vans, trucks, and wheelchair accessible vehicles; this includes the £2 billion Electric Car Grant, which has already helped over 90,000 drivers to choose an electric vehicle.

What steps her Department is taking to support the development of skills in the environmental health sector.

The Post-16 Education and Skills White Paper set out reforms to the skills system to ensure skills provision is aligned to the needs of the Industrial Strategy and support people to train in sectors which support growth and meet priority skills needs. The department is working across government to achieve these aims.Several universities deliver Environmental Health provision spanning BScs, MScs, and degree apprenticeships. All courses are professionally regulated by the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health and support people to access careers in this occupation.The Environmental Health Practitioner apprenticeship allows individuals to develop the knowledge and skills needed to work in areas such as environmental protection, food safety, housing standards and public health. Skills England works with employers to ensure that apprenticeship content is relevant and up to date. It will soon be updating the Environmental Health Practitioner assessment plan in line with new Apprenticeship Assessment Principles to ensure that the assessment is proportionate, timely and efficient while retaining rigour and validity.These reforms and polices are applicable in England. Skills policy in Scotland is devolved and is a matter for the Scottish Government.

What steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to support joined up working in the development of skills in the environmental health sector.

The Post-16 Education and Skills White Paper set out reforms to the skills system to ensure skills provision is aligned to the needs of the Industrial Strategy and support people to train in sectors which support growth and meet priority skills needs. The department is working across government to achieve these aims.Several universities deliver Environmental Health provision spanning BScs, MScs, and degree apprenticeships. All courses are professionally regulated by the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health and support people to access careers in this occupation.The Environmental Health Practitioner apprenticeship allows individuals to develop the knowledge and skills needed to work in areas such as environmental protection, food safety, housing standards and public health. Skills England works with employers to ensure that apprenticeship content is relevant and up to date. It will soon be updating the Environmental Health Practitioner assessment plan in line with new Apprenticeship Assessment Principles to ensure that the assessment is proportionate, timely and efficient while retaining rigour and validity.These reforms and polices are applicable in England. Skills policy in Scotland is devolved and is a matter for the Scottish Government.

What discussions she has had with (a) UK Visas and Immigration and (b) universities on the implementation of student visa compliance measures.

The department will crack down on abuse of our immigration system by strengthening requirements for universities. This will involve tighter enforcement by government on visa approvals and course enrolments and completions. The Immigration White Paper set out that we will retain the graduate visa but reduce its duration from 2 years to 18 months, whilst maintaining the 3-year duration for PhD students. This will maintain our competitive post-study offer whilst ensuring individuals on this route obtain employment in graduate level roles and contribute to the country’s skills needs more quickly.The new International Education Strategy has confirmed this government's continued commitment to welcome legitimate international students who meet the requirements to study in the UK. International students positively impact our HE sector and become global ambassadors for the UK.

What steps he is taking to improve the timeliness of NHS appointment notifications; and what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of different communication methods, including letters, text messages and email.

The Government is committed to supporting access to care and reducing missed appointments. The NHS App provides a core national channel for patients to view, receive, and manage appointment information across a range of care settings whilst ‘NHS Notify’ enables National Health Service organisations to send letters, text messages, and emails from a single platform.Communication assessment work done by NHS England’s Behavioural Science Unit showed that such tailored messaging significantly increased patient response rates.

When her Department plans to publish its response to the Net Zero Ports consultation.

We received 65 responses to the Net Zero Ports call for evidence, and plan to set out the findings later this year. These valuable stakeholder insights will shape our policy approach to the role of ports in maritime decarbonisation.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of establishing a statutory national register of heritage trees.

Ancient and veteran trees are our most important trees and considered irreplaceable habitats. They are protected through planning policy, and local authorities can grant additional protections to individual high-value trees through Tree Preservation Orders. Defra is continuing to focus on improving how these protections are implemented, to ensure these trees are safeguarded in practice as well as in policy, while also considering what further measures could be included in a new Trees Action Plan.