Written questions by Hoare.

What the official closing date under section 14 of the Inquiries Act 2005 was for the public inquiry entitled Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust Inquiry.

The Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust was set up on 9 June 2010 when Sir Robert Francis was appointed as Chair of the Inquiry. On the same date, this was announced to Parliament by the then Secretary of State for Health, Andrew Lansley.Sir Francis submitted his final report to then Secretary of State for Health, Jeremy Hunt, on 5 February 2013, which officially closed the public inquiry. The report was published on 6 February 2013.

What the official set up date under section 5 of the Inquiries Act 2005 was for the public inquiry entitled Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust Inquiry.

The Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust was set up on 9 June 2010 when Sir Robert Francis was appointed as Chair of the Inquiry. On the same date, this was announced to Parliament by the then Secretary of State for Health, Andrew Lansley.Sir Francis submitted his final report to then Secretary of State for Health, Jeremy Hunt, on 5 February 2013, which officially closed the public inquiry. The report was published on 6 February 2013.

What the official set up date under section 5 of the Inquiries Act 2005 was for the public inquiries entitled (a) Jermaine Baker, (b) Manchester Arena Inquiry and (c) Anthony Grainger Inquiry.

The official set up dates are as follows:a) The Jermain Baker Inquiry: 12 February 2020b) The Manchester Arena Inquiry: 22 October 2019c) The Anthony Grainger Inquiry: 17 March 2016

What the official closing date under section 14 of the Inquiries Act 2005 was for the public inquiry entitled Al-Sweady Inquiry.

The final report of the Al-Sweady Inquiry was published on 17 December 2014. The last members of the Inquiry staff were released in January 2015 and final administrative wind-up procedures completed in March 2015.The chair of the Inquiry, Sir Thayne Forbes, wrote to the then Secretary of State confirming the fulfilment of his terms of reference (a so-called Section 14 letter), on 20 March 2015.

What the official closing date under section 14 of the Inquiries Act 2005 was for the public inquiry entitled ICL Inquiry.

The independent public inquiry entitled ICL Inquiry, officially closed when its final report was presented to the House of Commons and the Scottish Parliament under Section 26 of the Inquiries Act 2005 in July 2009.

What the official set up date under section 5 of the Inquiries Act 2005 was for the public inquiry entitled Inquiry into the circumstances of the Death of Bernard Lodge at Manchester Prison on 28 August 1998.

The Bernard Lodge inquiry was commissioned initially as an ad hoc investigation with no statutory powers. The investigation was converted to a statutory inquiry under section 15 of the Inquiries Act 2005 on 23 February 2009.

What the official closing date under section 14 of the Inquiries Act 2005 was for the public inquiries entitled (a) Robert Hamill Inquiry and (b) Billy Wright Inquiry.

Section 14(1) of the Inquiries Act 2005 sets out that for the purposes of the Act, an Inquiry comes to an end either:(a) on the date, after the delivery of the report of the inquiry, on which the chairman notifies the Minister that the inquiry has fulfilled its terms of reference, or(b) on any earlier date specified in a notice given to the chairman by the Minister.In the case of the Robert Hamill Inquiry, the original Inquiry Chair, Sir Edwin Jowitt, advised the then Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, the Rt Hon Owen Paterson MP, on 25 February 2011, that the Inquiry Panel had fulfilled its Terms of Reference. However, following announcement by the Public Prosecution Service for Northern Ireland in December 2010 of criminal proceedings against three individuals on charges of perverting the course of justice, it was agreed that the Inquiry Report would not be published or submitted to the Secretary of State until the conclusion of those legal proceedings. At that point, the Report was placed in a secure independent location, only accessible to the Inquiry Chair, Secretary and Solicitor. These legal proceedings have now concluded. A new Chair, Sir John Evans, was appointed on 7 October 2024 due to Sir Edwin unfortunately being unable to continue in the role. Steps are now being taken to publish the report.The Billy Wright Inquiry report was published on 14 September 2010 with the Inquiry Chair, Lord MacLean, advising the then Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, the Rt Hon Owen Paterson MP on 12 December 2010 that the Inquiry had fulfilled its Terms of Reference in line with section 14 of the Inquiries Act 2005.

What the official closing date under section 14 of the Inquiries Act 2005 was for the public inquiries entitled (a) Inquiry into the circumstances of the Death of Bernard Lodge at Manchester Prison on 28 August 1998 and (b) Azelle Rodney Inquiry.

The Chairs of the Bernard Lodge and Azelle Rodney Inquiries completed their investigations and submitted reports, which were published on 15 December 2009 and 5 July 2013, respectively.

What the official closing date under section 14 of the Inquiries Act 2005 was for the public inquiries entitled (a) Anthony Grainger Inquiry, (b) The Litvinenko Inquiry and (c) Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse.

a) The Anthony Grainger Inquiry published its report on 11 July 2019.b) The Litvinenko Inquiry published its final report on 21 January 2016.c) The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) closed under section 14 of the Inquiries Act on 31 March 2023.

What recent steps she has taken to progress proposals for a medal of recognition for police officers injured in the line of service.

Any official award is a gift from the Government, on behalf of His Majesty The King to recognise individuals within policing and emergency services personnel. The creation of a new award requires cross Government consensus and approval from the Committee on The Grant of Honours, Decorations and Medals, before advice is put to HM The King to make his final decision.The Home Office will continue to take steps to consider proposals for new awards for members of the emergency services. It is only right that we recognise the sacrifices made by the emergency services, and it is important to make sure this is considering fully and carefully to ensure any changes are proportionate and effective.

How many people pay income tax at age (a) 16, (b) 17, (c) 18, (d) 19, (e) 20 and (f) 21.

Estimates for the number of Income Tax taxpayers in thousands aged 16, 17, 18, 19, 20 and 21 for the tax year 2022 to 2023 are set out in the table below. Note that the figures here only relate to Income Tax; individuals are likely to pay other taxes as well. AgeEstimated number of Income Tax taxpayers (thousands)16-21713 Source: Survey of Personal Incomes, tax year 2022-23 Notes on the table1. The tax year 2022 to 2023 is the latest year for which these figures are available.2. Estimates are presented in thousands.3. The estimates for 16 and 17 year olds have been combined to avoid suppression due to small sample sizes.4. The data underlying the Survey of Personal Incomes is based on a large sample of over 900,000 individuals with incomes reported to HMRC. As is the case with the published Personal Incomes Statistics, these figures are statistical estimates and will be subject to sampling variation.5. This table only covers individuals with some liability to tax.6. For more information about the Survey of Personal Incomes please refer to the supporting documentation. https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/personal-incomes-statistics-for-the-tax-year-2022-to-2023/personal-income-statistics-2022-to-2023-supporting-documentation

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the removal of the £2 cap on fairs on the number of people using buses in (a) Dorset and (b) England.

The final monitoring and evaluation report into the impact of the £2 bus fare cap, including analysis on bus usage, was published on 12 February, and the Department does not plan to publish any further reports on the £2 fare cap.Trends in bus usage will continue to be monitored and reported through the Department’s national statistics which are published annually.

If she will publish an analysis of the trends in bus usage for the full duration of the £2 bus cap.

The final monitoring and evaluation report into the impact of the £2 bus fare cap, including analysis on bus usage, was published on 12 February, and the Department does not plan to publish any further reports on the £2 fare cap.Trends in bus usage will continue to be monitored and reported through the Department’s national statistics which are published annually.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to encourage more young people into farming.

Encouraging more young people into farming and land-based careers is vital to ensure a skilled workforce is in place and the longer-term viability of the sector. Defra works closely with The Institute for Agriculture and Horticulture (TIAH) which is encouraging young people and new entrants into farming in its capacity as an industry led professional body for the farming industry. This includes leading a cross-industry initiative to address common negative misconceptions about the sector and providing free TIAH membership for students. Furthermore, the Government has launched Skills England to ensure there is a comprehensive suite of apprenticeships, training and technical qualifications for individuals and employers to access, which are aligned with skills gaps and what employers need. It will work with its partners to ensure that regional and national skills needs are met.

Communities and Local Government, what funding will be made available to small and medium size businesses when transitional arrangements for the UK Shared Prosperity Fund end.

After March 2026, the UK Shared Prosperity Fund will end. Beyond this, the government is providing targeted, long-term local growth funding to support growth across the UK, completing the transition from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. This includes:Establishing a new local growth fund, including a 10-year capital settlement from 2026‑27 to 2035‑36, for specific mayoral city regions in the North and Midlands with the highest productivity catch-up and agglomeration potential.Investing in up to 350 deprived communities across the UK, to fund interventions including community cohesion, regeneration and improving the public realm.For local government as a whole, the government's funding reforms will move funding to the places that need it, ensuring that funding is targeted effectively at the places and services that need it most and allocated in a way that empowers local leaders to deliver against local priorities.DBT will lead on the broader SME strategy setting out the government's vision for SMEs and we will work across government to ensure effective support.Funding related to the Rural England Prosperity Fund is a matter for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to help tackle loneliness in rural areas.

This Government is committed to improving the quality of life for people living and working in rural areas, so that we can realise the full potential of rural communities.The Department for Culture, Media and Sport supports the Tackling Loneliness Hub, an online platform which assists professionals who are working to reduce loneliness to connect and share learning, including those in rural areas. In April, the government extended the Know Your Neighbourhood Fund, making up to £4.5 million available to tackle loneliness and increase volunteering. This will help improve social connections in 27 disadvantaged areas in England, 9 of which are rural and small urban areas.The Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs is supporting rural communities to address loneliness through its funding support for the modernisation and improvement of village halls. A further £750k in grant funding has been made available in 2025/26. Village halls host the delivery of a wide range of essential services and wider social and recreational activities, which help to address social isolation.

What further steps she plans to take to make rural bus routes sustainable.

The Government introduced the Bus Services (No.2) Bill on 17 December as part of its ambitious plan for bus reform. The Bill puts the power over local bus services back in the hands of local leaders and is intended to ensure bus services reflect the needs of the communities that rely on them right across England, including in rural areas in North Dorset. The government has committed to increasing accountability by including a measure on socially necessary services so that local authorities and bus operators have to have regard for alternatives to changing or cancelling services. In addition, the Government has confirmed £955 million for the 2025 to 2026 financial year to support and improve bus services in England outside London. This includes £243 million for bus operators and £712 million allocated to local authorities across the country, of which Dorset Council has been allocated £3.8 million. Local authorities can use this funding to introduce new bus routes, make services more frequent and protect crucial bus routes for local communities. The Government has reaffirmed its commitment to bus services in this Spending Review by confirming additional funding of around £900 million of revenue funding each year from 26/27 to maintain and improve vital bus services, including taking forward bus franchising pilots, and extending the £3 bus fare cap until March 2027.

Food and Rural Affairs, what mental health support the Government provides to farmers.

Delivery of mental health interventions sits with the Department for Health and Social Care, who are investing in mental health to ensure it receives the same attention as physical health. This includes the hiring of 8,500 new mental health support workers, which will reduce delays and provide faster treatment closer to people’s homes – including in rural communities. Defra is supporting farming welfare organisations through funding the Farmer Welfare Grant. This aids organisations to deliver projects which will support mental health and build resilience in local farming communities. One recipient, the Farming Community Network, is using the funding to expand their FarmWell platform. This online resource is available to anyone and provides business and personal resilience advice on topics including mental health, isolation, depression and suicide. Currently, grant recipients operate in Cumbria, Durham, Lancashire, Northumberland, Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and online via the FCN’s FarmWell platform. Subject to budget prioritisation, we aim to continue and expand support for mental health in the agricultural sector and increase the number of areas receiving grant funding. The RPA also runs a Welfare Forum, which brings together England’s largest farming and welfare organisations that provide mental health support to discuss issues farmers are facing.

Communities and Local Government, what funding will be made available to small and medium size businesses when transitional arrangements for the Rural England Prosperity Fund end.

After March 2026, the UK Shared Prosperity Fund will end. Beyond this, the government is providing targeted, long-term local growth funding to support growth across the UK, completing the transition from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. This includes:Establishing a new local growth fund, including a 10-year capital settlement from 2026‑27 to 2035‑36, for specific mayoral city regions in the North and Midlands with the highest productivity catch-up and agglomeration potential.Investing in up to 350 deprived communities across the UK, to fund interventions including community cohesion, regeneration and improving the public realm.For local government as a whole, the government's funding reforms will move funding to the places that need it, ensuring that funding is targeted effectively at the places and services that need it most and allocated in a way that empowers local leaders to deliver against local priorities.DBT will lead on the broader SME strategy setting out the government's vision for SMEs and we will work across government to ensure effective support.Funding related to the Rural England Prosperity Fund is a matter for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

How many students require transport to mainstream schools (a) nationally and (b) in Dorset.

The department has not routinely collected data about the number of children who have their home-to-school travel arranged by local authorities. We intend to improve this area, so that central and local government have the robust evidence required to inform decision making.In February 2025, the department launched a voluntary data collection about the home-to-school travel arrangements local authorities make for eligible children. The data collection exercise closed in mid-March. We are currently analysing the data and will be sharing findings with local authorities.