Written questions by Raja.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of diesel operation on the Midland Main Line north of Leicester on emissions and air quality in a) Leicester and b) the East Midlands.

Prior to the decision being made to pause the Midland Main Line Electrification programme as part of Spending Review 2025, the benefits of the scheme were being assessed. The benefits of fully electrifying the Midland Main Line (MML) are predominately those that would deliver greener transport, such as reducing carbon and improving local air quality, particularly at stations, through trains using electric traction rather than diesel. Whilst not as clean as fully electric trains, the new intercity bi-mode trains currently being introduced by East Midland’s Railway are much cleaner and will contribute to improving air quality on the route. Station managers in areas with poor air quality are required to develop and implement Air Quality Improvement Plans (AQIPs) which should outline feasible measures to improve air quality. The AQIPs for Nottingham, Derby, Leicester, and Sheffield stations on the MML have been developed and must be reviewed and updated annually.

Communities and Local Government, what proportion of households on local authority housing waiting lists include at least one non-UK national.

Information on the nationality of all members of a household currently on local authority social housing waiting lists is not collected centrally. As such, it is not possible to determine the proportion of households on local authority social housing waiting lists containing at least one non-UK national.Limited information on the nationality of lead tenants is collected on a voluntary basis and is presented and contextualised for data quality in Section 6.7 of the Social housing lettings in England, tenants: April 2024 to March 2025 statistical publication, which can be found on gov.uk here.

What assessment her Department has made of levels of unemployment and underemployment among qualified teachers; and what steps she is taking to help improve increase retention and re-entry levels.

In the government’s Plan for Change, the department committed to recruiting an additional 6,500 expert teachers across secondary and special schools, and our colleges, over the course of this Parliament. Delivery is already underway: retaining more skilled teachers is key to delivering our pledge and our ‘Improve workload and wellbeing for school staff’ service, developed alongside school leaders, provides a range of resources for schools to review and reduce workload, and improve staff wellbeing. We are also providing targeted retention incentives worth up to £6,000 after tax for early career teachers in key subjects. These incentives are available alongside trainee bursaries worth up to £31,000 tax-free to improve recruitment, and a pay rise of nearly 10% over two years. We are already seeing improvement. The workforce has grown by 2,346 Full Time Equivalent between 2023/24 and 2024/25 in secondary and special schools. This year has one of the lowest leaver rates since 2010, with 1,700 fewer teachers leaving the state-funded sector, and more teachers are returning to state schools than at any point in the last ten years. The latest data showed 17,274 teachers returned to the classroom.

Whether her Department plans to expand or reform teacher training programmes to help improve access to the teaching profession.

This government is committed to putting education back at the forefront of national life. The aim is to deliver better life chances for all, through a system which works for all.In September 2025 we introduced the early career teacher entitlement (ECTE). The ECTE revised and improved the delivery of what we formerly referred to as the early career framework programme, maintaining the grounding in evidence, to ensure the highest standards of professional development for new teachers.The department recognises that continuous improvement is essential in order to transform the training and support for all new teachers, and we have committed to a full review of the delivery of the ECTE, including the content of the initial teacher training and early career framework in 2027 to ensure it continues to provide the best possible support for ECTs based on the most up to date evidence. This review will focus on increasing support for mentors, as well as for teaching pupils with special educational needs and disabilities.

Innovation and Technology, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that (a) Leicester and (b) the East Midlands benefit from national investment in emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence and advanced manufacturing.

The Government is putting technology at the heart of our mission to grow the UK economy.We are launching a £250 million procurement to expand the AI Research Resource, giving UK researchers and businesses free access to cutting‑edge compute so every region can benefit from nationwide innovation.The Government is also expanding access to free AI skills training, available to all adults across the UK, that aims to equip 10 million workers with practical AI skills by 2030, ensuring people and businesses in every region can take advantage of new technologies.Alone, Leicester City Council received £35,391.97 from the Digital Inclusion Innovation Fund for its ‘Let’s Get Digital’ project, which will help 150 peoples, this will build digital confidence for social inclusion, reducing service dependency and improving economic outcomes.The Government is also supporting UK medicine and med‑tech manufacturing through the £520 million Life Sciences Innovative Manufacturing Fund, bringing high‑value jobs to regions like the East Midlands, strengthening supply chains, and securing over £30 million of new investment.

What estimate he has made of the savings generated by reductions in NHS England staffing; and how are those savings being redirected into frontline patient care.

Creating a new joint organisation will streamline decision-making, reduce bureaucracy, and improve accountability. These changes are expected to generate significant efficiencies over time.The Department’s initial modelling demonstrate that the up-front investment in organisational change will be offset by long-term reductions in staffing and running costs, ensuring the programme delivers value for money and sustainable savings for the taxpayer. Current estimates expect that these changes will save £1 billion a year by the end of this Parliament, which is equivalent to 116,000 hip and knee operations.The Government is committed to transparency in how these figures are calculated. The methodology underpinning the £1 billion saving estimate will be set out through established mechanisms, including publication of supporting documentation where appropriate. This will ensure that both Parliament and the public are able to scrutinise the basis of the savings. Further detail will be brought forward over time, in line with our commitment to provide clear and timely information.The Department is committed to transparent, responsible, evidence-based policy making. We will publish proportionate assessments to support reforms. Assessments will be published to enable scrutiny and will be proportionate to the scale of reform.

Whether his Department has completed an impact assessment and cost-benefit analysis of the proposed reforms to NHS England; and if so, when it will be published.

Work is progressing at pace to develop the design and operating model for the new integrated organisation, and plan for the smooth transfer of people, functions and responsibilities.It is only right that with such significant reform, we commit to carefully assessing and understanding the potential impacts, as is due process. These ongoing assessments will inform our programme as appropriate.We are committed to transparency and will ensure that, following necessary appraisal, all relevant information is made accessible to Parliament. This includes the Impact Assessment that will accompany the primary legislation. Subject to the will of Parliament, the passage of the Bill is expected by March 2027.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure that local NHS commissioning decisions use spare capacity in the independent sector to reduce NHS waiting lists.

Reducing waiting lists is a key part of the Government’s Health Mission, and we are committed to putting patients first by ensuring that they are seen on time and that they have the best possible experience of care. Since the Government came into office, the waiting list for routine appointments, operations, and procedures in England has now been cut by 312,369. This is despite 30.1 million referrals onto the waiting list.Fit for the Future: The 10-Year Health Plan for England and the Partnership Agreement between NHS England and the Independent Healthcare Providers Network reaffirmed our continued commitment to using independent sector capacity to improve access, reduce backlogs, and build a sustainable healthcare system.Between April 2025 and November 2025, the latest month for which data is available, over 1.1 million pathways have been taken off the waiting list by independent sector providers, with independent sector providers delivering 9.9% of all elective ordinary and day case procedures for the National Health Service.Commissioning decisions are for integrated care boards to make, who have a duty to arrange health services for the patients they are responsible for while living within their financial allocations. We expect decisions by local systems to support efforts achieving the goal of at least 65% of patients waiting no longer than 18 weeks for treatment by March 2026 whilst living within financial budgets set for 2025/26. NHS England has clearly set out that any decision to set activity management plans must not in any way restrict patient choice of provider.

I) what metrics his Department will use, and ii) over what timeframe, to judge whether the reforms to NHS England deliver (a) improved productivity, (b) reduced bureaucracy, and (c) better patient outcomes.

My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, has set out his objectives for the wider health and care system through the 10-Year Health Plan which sets ambitious targets for the wider health and care sector to deliver the three big shifts: from hospital to community; from analogue to digital; and from sickness to prevention. The reforms to NHS England, and the wider health and care landscape, are a key component in delivering on this vision for a transformed National Health Service. As such, these reforms will be primarily judged and assessed against the extensive targets set out in this plan. Further information on the plan is available at the following link:https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6888a0b1a11f859994409147/fit-for-the-future-10-year-health-plan-for-england.pdfWork is also continuing at pace to develop specific metrics and targets for the new Department of Health and Social Care that is being created. As is the case for any Government department, we will also develop specific metrics and targets for the new Department of Health and Social Care, which will be shared with Parliament and published.

What steps her Department is taking to protect police officers from being attacked whilst on duty in a) Leicester, b) The East Midlands, and c) the UK.

Assaults on emergency workers are unacceptable and will not be tolerated. Our police officers and staff perform vital roles in serving and protecting the public, often under challenging and dangerous circumstances and they should be protected in return.The Government is committed to supporting Chief Constables in meeting their responsibilities for the health and safety of those who work in policing. We are determined that the Police Covenant makes a tangible difference and have provided ongoing funding for the National Police Wellbeing Service (NPWS). The NPWS ensures police officers and staff have access to the health and wellbeing support they need, including providing personal and family support for those who have been victims of assault.

What steps his Department is taking following the closure of NHS Commissioning Support Units to (a) support staff affected, and (b) ensure that functions previously delivered by those units continue to be provided safely and effectively.

As integrated care boards (ICBs) develop their strategic commissioning role and skills, commissioning support functions will be rationalised. This will result in commissioning support units (CSUs) being closed.Given wider changes in the system, including the larger geographical area of ICBs and the move to a more simplified operating model, for the National Health Service a whole, it is logical to integrate the work undertaken by CSUs into the other organisations that will make up the more streamlined, efficient NHS in future. The closure of CSUs will simplify the landscape and create efficiencies, and will strengthen the strategic commissioning skills in ICBs by giving them the freedom to develop these.A plan has been developed to ensure all services provided by CSUs and all CSU staff are mapped and destinations clarified, where function will continue, and workshops have been held with NHS England Regions to understand ICB intentions and timelines for the transfer of functions and staff and with the Department and NHS England on functions that may form part of the new Department. Governance arrangements are in place across NHS England and the CSUs to oversee the transition of functions and the safe closure of CSUs.Staff are being supported through this transition. The CSU Leadership Team hold regular all staff briefings where information on the abolition is cascaded. The CSUs are actively involving the trade unions. A voluntary redundancy scheme has been launched within the CSUs that mirrors that within NHS England. Staff are being actively informed about the scheme through the all-staff briefings.

What assessment the Department has made of the potential impact of reducing NHS-funded activity delivered by independent sector providers on local waiting times in (a) Leicester, (b) The East Midlands and (c) England.

Reducing waiting lists is a key part of the Government’s Health Mission, and we are committed to putting patients first by ensuring that they are seen on time and that they have the best possible experience of care. Since the Government came into office, the waiting list for routine appointments, operations, and procedures in England has now been cut by 312,369. This is despite 30.1 million referrals onto the waiting list.

What recent estimate she has made of the average waiting time for SEND assessments in each local authority in England.

Information on the number and percentage of education, health and care (EHC) plans issued within the statutory 20 week deadline, with and without statutory exceptions to that deadline applying, is part of the latest statistical release published on 26 June 2025 at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/education-health-and-care-plans/2025.The table linked below shows the number and proportion of plans issued within, and over, the statutory 20-week deadline, excluding where statutory exceptions to that deadline apply, for each local authority in England during the 2024 calendar year: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/adbf152d-5d22-42d2-c78b-08de38576300.

Communities and Local Government, what recent assessment he has made of the financial sustainability of local authorities projecting significant drawdowns from reserves within the next three years.

The government considers reserves to be an important part of the resources available to local authorities.We encourage local authorities to consider how they can use their reserves to maintain services in the face of pressures, taking account, of course, of the need to maintain appropriate levels of reserves to support their financial sustainability and future investment.Data from the 2024-5 financial year can be found on gov.uk here.Further information about an individual local authority's reserves can be found in the financial accounts published by that authority. The government will continue to monitor the level of local authority reserves.

Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to i) support local authorities in managing temporary accommodation costs and ii) ensure value for money in capital investment programmes.

The government has increased funding for homelessness services to over £1 billion, including a £50 million top up to the Homelessness Prevention Grant announced in December 2025. We are also investing £3.5 billion in homelessness and rough sleeping services over the next three years, through more flexible multi-year funding arrangements that enable councils to invest more in prevention.We are also providing £950 million capital for the fourth round of the Local Authority Housing Fund - the largest round of the fund to date - to support local authorities in England to increase the supply of better-quality temporary accommodation and to support resettlement.At Autumn Budget 2025, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury announced he will work across government to improve the value for money of homelessness services and achieve better outcomes so that we can improve the supply of good-value-for-money and good-quality temporary accommodation and supported housing.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of above inflation council tax increases on the delivery of local public services in a) England and b) Leicester.

The Department has not made specific assessments on the impacts of council tax increases on the delivery of local public services. It is for individual councils to set their own level of council tax. The government intends to maintain a core 3% referendum principle and a 2% adult social care precept and will consult on this at the provisional local government finance settlement. Local authorities who wish to set their council tax level above the referendum threshold must obtain the approval of local voters.

Food and Rural Affairs, how many Basic Payment Scheme 2023 claimants have accessed support through the Farming Resilience Fund since October 2021.

We do not hold the information in a form that allows us to identify Basic Payment Scheme 2023 claimants specifically. However, the scale-up phase of the Farming Resilience Fund ran from late 2022 to early 2025. During this phase, over 17,000 beneficiaries received one-to-one support through the Fund. Providers also offered group support, such as webinars and workshops, which reached around a further 12,000 beneficiaries.

What steps his Department is taking to help ensure that local authority taxi and private hire licensing enforcement policies are brought into line with the Statutory Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle Standards.

We are currently reviewing licensing authorities’ compliance with existing guidance issued by the Department on actions they should take on licensing matters including safety. Where key safety recommendations from the guidance are not being followed, licensing authorities will be held to account.

If he will take steps to review NHS communications to ensure that language on (a) pregnancy and (b) breast feeding reflects biological sexes.

We are committed to working with NHS England to ensure health communications are as clear as possible and appropriately reflect sex as a protected characteristic in the Equality Act 2010. This includes communications about pregnancy and breast feeding. In April, in its judgment in the case of For Women Scotland Ltd v. The Scottish Ministers, the Supreme Court announced that it had reached a unanimous decision that the terms ‘man’, ‘woman’, and ‘sex’ in the Equality Act 2010 refer to biological sex. We welcome the clarity this brings. We recognise that there will be occasions when National Health Service providers want to specifically acknowledge patients with differing characteristics, including the transgender community. This may mean that trusts and providers decide to use additive language, for example “women and trans men”, to ensure health communications reach the largest audience.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the proposed international students levy on economic growth in (a) Leicester, (b) the East Midlands and (c) the United Kingdom; and if she will ensure the policy is reviewed prior to implementation.

The international student levy will fund the reintroduction of targeted maintenance grants for disadvantaged students to break down barriers to opportunity through our Plan for Change.This will help support more students from the lowest income households progress into and excel in higher education. This will also support our national Opportunity Mission, through which the government is breaking the damaging link between background and success.The government will set out further details on the levy at Autumn Budget.We expect the UK to remain a highly attractive study destination. Our world-class higher education sector can offer a fulfilling and enjoyable experience to international students from around the world.