Written questions by Davies.

Media and Sport, how much funding has been provided to Telford constituency in each of the last 6 financial years by a) her department b) the Arts Council.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport and its Arms Length Bodies record Exchequer funded grants data on the Government Grant Information System. The Government Grant Information System does not record grants by constituency or local authority level, however we have conducted a search based on postcodes and have identified the attached list of grants awarded to organisations within Telford since 2020 when central recording commenced. Information on grant giving can also be found at 360Giving (https://www.360giving.org/).There will be instances where a grant has been given to an organisation with a postcode based outside of Telford but where the grant recipient will have spent some or all the grant within projects that included Telford. This analysis is not included as this information is not recorded on the Government Grant Information System.Please note, information where a grant has been made to a voluntary sector organisation and that organisation has made onward grants in its own right is not included.Funding provided by Arts Council England (ACE) to projects and organisations in the Telford constituency over the same period, is set out in the table. Financial yearTotal Funding from ACE2025/26£1,603,7132024/25£1,469,9132023/24£891,1912022/23£1,431,5602021/22£2,417,1242020/21£5,404,439

If she will publish a policy to disregard VAT for the construction of budlings for the public benefit and services by charities.

The Government maintains a zero rate of VAT for the construction of new buildings that will be used solely for a relevant charitable purpose. Information on the definition of a relevant charitable purpose for the purpose of the zero rate of VAT can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/buildings-and-construction-vat-notice-708

When the contract tender will be published to construct the M54 M6 Link road.

The M54 to M6 Link Road was procured using the Regional Delivery Partnership framework, leading to a detailed design and build contract awarded by National Highways to Skanska Construction UK LTD on 23 October 2025. No future tendering exercises are scheduled on this scheme, given there is a contract in place.

How many hotels were used for asylum accommodation in Telford and Wrekin Local Authority area on 12 April in each of the last 6 years.

It is longstanding policy that the Home Office does not publicly comment on individual hotels which may or may not be utilised by the department.The Home Office does, however, publish statistics on a quarterly basis detailing the number of supported asylum seekers accommodated in each local authority area. These statistics can be found in at Immigration system statistics data tables - GOV.UK.

How much special grant funding was (a) provided to and (b) applied for by West Mercia Police for 2026-27.

West Mercia Police will receive up to £1.6m in 2026-27 to support the force with the additional costs of Operation Lincoln. Total additional costs were forecast as up to £2.6m.

When his Department will publish the details and allocations of its £550 million investment over the next three years in victim support services as part of the Government's violence against women and girls strategy.

This Government is committed to halving Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) in a decade. Ensuring victims receive the right and timely support is a key part of this mission. The Ministry of Justice has committed £550 million in funding for victim and witness support services over the next three years, including year-on-year increases. This includes funding for Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs), the Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Fund, and national services such as the Witness Service and the Homicide Service.We do not routinely publish the full Ministry of Justice budget for victim and witness support services. The budgets for individual PCC areas are published on each area’s website. A breakdown of grant funding for the previous financial year is published on an annual basis on the Government Grants Information System. The latest data, released in March 2026, covers the 2024-2025 financial year.

What sums his Department spent on providing (a) hormone replacement therapy for female patients and (b) testosterone replacement therapy for male patients in each of the last three years.

The NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) collects data relating to National Health Service dispensing in the community. Prescriptions do not state the purpose for which they are written. There may be instances where medicines are used for other conditions.The tables below set out Net Ingredient Costs (NIC). This is the basic price of a product excluding VAT. It does not take account of discounts, rebates, dispensing costs, fees and allowances paid to pharmacists and appliance contractors for the service they provide to the National Health Service, or prescription charge income received, where the single charge or prescription prepayment certificate fee is paid, or foregone where prescriptions are dispensed free of charge.The following table shows the NIC for prescriptions for medicines eligible for the hormone replacement therapy prescription pre-payment certificate where gender is recorded in NHSBSA data as female, that were prescribed by NHS organisations in England and subsequently dispensed in the community, by year, from 2023 to 2025:Calendar yearNIC (£, million)202320720242572025289 In addition, the following table shows the NIC for prescriptions for testosterone where gender is recorded in NHSBSA data as male, that were prescribed by NHS organisations in England and subsequently dispensed in the community, by year, from 2023 to 2025:Calendar yearNIC (£, million)202324.5202427.3202530.1Source: the British National Formulary (BNF)Note: Testosterone Replacement Therapy is not a named section within the BNF. Data the table is based on the products included in the BNF chemical substances of methyltestosterone, testosterone, testosterone enantate, testosterone propionate, testosterone undecanoate, and testosterone esters.

What steps he is taking to increase the a) age, b) ethnic and c) socioeconomic diversity of magistrates.

We continue to make progress in building a magistracy that better reflects the communities it serves. Recent recruitment rounds have shown increasing diversity among applicants and new appointees, supported by targeted outreach and improvements to the recruitment process. In 2024/25, 23% of new appointees came from ethnic minority groups, 41% of new appointees were aged under 50, and around 3% of new appointees were from routine or manual occupations: Diversity of the judiciary: 2025 statistics - GOV.UK.

How many Crown Court Judges were assigned to Shrewsbury Crown Court on 1 March in each of the last 5 years including 2026.

This question has been interpreted to mean the total number of salaried Crown Court Judges assigned to Shrewsbury Crown Court on 1 March and not the number that actually sat on 1 March each year. 1 March 2025 and 1 March 2026 were on a Saturday and Sunday respectively.The number of salaried Crown Court Judges assigned to Shrewsbury Crown Court on 1 March for each of the past 5 years are as follows:1 March 2022: In Post: 3 – Full Time Equivalent: 1.91 March 2023: In Post: 3 – Full Time Equivalent: 2.11 March 2024: In Post: 3 – Full Time Equivalent: 2.21 March 2025: In Post: 4 – Full Time Equivalent: 3.21 March 2026: In Post: 3 – Full Time Equivalent: 3

What the was value of the special grant (a) applied for and (b) received by West Mercia Police in each of the last five financial years including 2026-27.

The Police Special Grant is contingency funding held by the Home Office to support policing with the additional costs of unexpected additional events or complex investigations.Home Office publishes the applications and decisions taken on Special Grant; data up to 2023/24 can be found at the link below:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/police-funding-special-grant-applicationsIn 2024/25 the West Mercia PCC requested £3.3m of Special Grant funding for the additional costs of Operation Lincoln and was awarded £1.5m.In 2025/26 the West Mercia PCC requested £2.9m and was awarded up to £1.7m.A request for funding in 2026/27 has been received and a decision will be confirmed in due course.

What estimate she has made of when the Office for Road and Rail will decide on the next phase new services on the West Coast Mainline.

ORR are currently considering multiple applications for access rights from public service operators on the West Coast Mainline to support service alterations and additions from the May 2026 timetable change. Access to the rail network is currently a matter for the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) in its capacity as independent regulator for the rail industry. DfT is unable to direct ORR in its decision-making or to influence the timing of decisions.

What information his Department holds on the date that a vacancy to become a Magistrate on the Shropshire bench was a) advertised b) recruited to.

For the Family Court, the most recent Shropshire vacancies were advertised from 1 February 2024 and closed on 29 February 2024. For the Adult (crime) Court, the vacancies were advertised from 2 July 2024 and closed on 29 July 2024.Appointments to the Shropshire bench arising from these campaigns were made in June and July 2025.We expect Shropshire to open its next recruitment in May 2026.

Communities and Local Government, what payment will replace the new homes bonus for local councils who (a) meet and (b) exceed their housing target; when this payment will take affect; and when the New Homes bonus will cease to exist.

The government has no plans to replace the New Homes Bonus. Further details on how the funding previously allocated to the New Homes Bonus was returned to the core Settlement are set out in the Final Local Government Finance Settlement published on 9 February 2026 which can be found on gov.uk here.

What assessment he has made of the adequacy of the Bereavement Support Payment in supporting widowed families.

Bereavement Support Payment (BSP) aims to provide support during the acute period following a bereavement by way of an initial lump sum followed by up to 18 monthly instalments with a higher amount paid for those with children. Where longer-term financial support is needed, benefits such as Universal Credit have been specifically designed to provide assistance with ongoing living costs. The Government keeps the eligibility of all benefits under review.

What assessment she has made of the potential merits of extending the Orchestra Tax Relief scheme to include a cappella choirs.

The Government recognises the importance of the creative industries, including orchestras, and supports them through funding and through the tax system. Orchestra Tax Relief (OTR) provides tax relief on production costs and provided around £50 million of support in 2023‑24. There is currently no other country in the world which offers such a tax relief for orchestras. In considering any changes to existing tax reliefs or introducing new ones, Government has to consider a wide range of factors, including the specific aims of the relief, the costs and complexity of designing and administering new provisions, and fairness. Decisions on tax are taken by the Chancellor at fiscal events, in the context of overall public finances.

Whether his Department has considered the potential merits of extending the 18-month limit on the Bereavement Support Payment.

Bereavement Support Payment (BSP) aims to provide support during the acute period following a bereavement by way of an initial lump sum followed by up to 18 monthly instalments with a higher amount paid for those with children. Where longer-term financial support is needed, benefits such as Universal Credit have been specifically designed to provide assistance with ongoing living costs. The Government keeps the eligibility of all benefits under review.

How much money has been recovered from each provider of asylum hotels through the excess profit clause in each contract in each of the last four years.

Excess profits of £45.9m have been returned to the Department in relation to the Asylum Accommodation and Support Contract’s profit share provisions.

Innovation and Technology, whether she has considered introducing minimum quality standards for 5G coverage from mobile providers.

The Government’s ambition is for all populated areas of the UK to have access to higher quality standalone 5G by 2030, and we are committed to working with industry to support the rollout of standalone 5G across the UK.The Government is undertaking a Mobile Market Review to assess the impact of technological, structural and financial market developments on investment in comprehensive high-quality mobile connectivity. On 10 February 2026, Government published a Call for Evidence to support this assessment, and all stakeholders are encouraged to engage in this process ahead of it closing on 21 April 2026.As part of the Call for Evidence, we are asking for detailed evidence on how the Government should think about, and define, ‘good’ mobile coverage in relation to the quality of service provided to consumers, businesses and the public sector. We are also looking to understand if there is evidence to suggest that the Government’s standalone 5G coverage ambition should go further.

Innovation and Technology, what steps her Department is taking to improve the quality of 5G available on rail networks.

Our ambition is for all populated areas to have higher quality standalone 5G by 2030. As part of the Government’s Mobile Market Review Call for Evidence, launched on 10 February 2026, we are asking for detailed evidence on how government should think about, and define, ‘good’ mobile coverage in relation to the quality of service provided to consumers, businesses and the public sector. In the 10 Year Infrastructure Strategy (June 2025), the Government committed to work with Ofcom and other regulators to assess the telecommunications needs of the transport sector, including rail networks, by December 2026. My officials are undertaking this assessment alongside the Department for Transport, the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority, and Ofcom, the regulator for telecommunications. The Department for Transport has secured funding to introduce low-Earth-orbit satellite connectivity on all mainline trains, which will significantly improve both the availability and internet data connection speeds for Wi-Fi connected passengers. My officials are also working with Ofcom to improve the evidence base on mobile connectivity across the rail network, as recommended by the Public Accounts Committee.

Innovation and Technology, what steps his Department is taking to accelearate the rollout of standalone 5G to a) urban and b) rural areas in the UK.

The Government’s ambition is for all populated areas of the UK to have access to higher quality standalone 5G by 2030. Our ambition goes further than just the largest towns and cities and includes many rural areas across the UK. Delivery of this ambition is commercially led by the three mobile network operators (MNOs).The network operators have committed significant investment which aligns with Government’s ambition and we are working with MNOs to ensure that this investment translates into benefits for communities right across the UK.Significant progress has already been made with Ofcom reporting in their Connected Nations Report 2025 that standalone 5G is now available outside of 83% of premises across the UK, but we know there is more to do in some areas.Government is undertaking a Mobile Market Review to assess the impact of technological, structural and financial market developments on investment in comprehensive high-quality mobile connectivity across the UK.In parallel we are working to identify and address barriers to deployment of mobile infrastructure. This includes publishing a call for evidence to help determine where planning rules could be relaxed to support the deployment of mobile infrastructure, which closed on 26, February. We are now reviewing the evidence gathered which will inform our next steps.