Written questions by Opher.

Media and Sport, what was the evidential basis of her Department's decision to reduce the level of VAT relief available through the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme.

The Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme was previously funded to March 2025. In January this government announced that we would extend the Scheme for one year with an overall budget of £23 million in recognition of the importance of listed places of worship both in terms of heritage and to their local communities. This has enabled religious organisations to continue to claim grants in respect of eligible VAT costs paid towards repairs and renovations. To ensure this budget remains affordable, claims are now capped at £25,000 per place of worship. These changes to the scheme were necessary given the level of fiscal challenges we inherited, a number of unfunded commitments made by the previous government and the pressures on other parts of the heritage and cultural sectors. In terms of the evidential basis for decisions, the Department was able to look at average spend since 2017 and, without the cap, spending was c£29m out of a maximum envelope of £42m. To ensure this budget was affordable, a cap was introduced. Based on the Department’s analysis of this data, 94% of applications will be unaffected by the change, and most claims are under £5,000.

What steps she is taking to support (a) foster carers, (b) kinship carers and (c) adoptive parents.

The Transformation Fund, announced in the spring, builds on the £15 million investment for foster care in the Budget. The department will provide an additional £25 million over two years, beginning in the 2026/27 financial year.Foster carers receive the national minimum allowance to cover the costs of looking after children in their care, uplifted each year in line with inflation and earnings. Our investment includes the rollout of the Mockingbird Family model, which offers peer support to foster carers and children. We also continue to fund Fosterline, a free helpline for current and prospective foster carers.To support kinship carers, the government announced £40 million to pilot the Kinship Allowance in some local authorities, supporting eligible kinship carers with the additional costs of taking parental responsibility for a kinship child. The pilot will launch in late autumn and support approximately 5,000 kinship children until March 2029. In addition, the department funds training and peer support groups for kinship carers.In April, the department announced £8.8 million for Adoption England to improve adoption services and support regional adoption agencies to respond more effectively to adoptive families in crisis. The £50 million adoption and special guardianship support fund will continue to enable families to access a significant package of therapeutic support.

What steps she is taking to increase volunteering opportunities for disabled people.

The Pathways to Work Green Paper, published in March, highlights the value of volunteering in the transition from inactivity to employment. The Department’s Strategic Relationship Team (SRT) has worked closely with the Shaping the Future with Volunteering Group to demonstrate the benefits volunteering can bring for Jobcentre Plus customers, in particular those that are furthest away from the labour market. SRT has developed a toolkit and delivered a campaign to raise the awareness of volunteering opportunities, dispel myths, share good news stories and demonstrate how this may be a stepping stone into employment. Whilst the focus is not specifically on volunteering for disabled customers volunteering is proven to support people with health conditions, building confidence and helping to improve mental and physical health and wellbeing and is an ideal solution for those further away from the labour market to help remove barriers, build skills and confidence, and therefore acts as an employment enabler without any risk to benefit claims.

What steps he is taking to improve the quality of information provided on (a) choice over pregnancy, (b) menopause care and (c) the availability of free contraceptive pills at pharmacies.

It is important that women are provided with accurate information that enables them to make informed choices about their care, including contraceptive choices and menopause.Pharmacies are well placed to advise patients on the options available to them when accessing oral contraception on the National Health Service. Contraceptive pills are available from pharmacies on prescription or when issued as part of the NHS Pharmacy Contraception Service. The service launched in April 2023 and enables pharmacists to initiate and continue ongoing supplies of contraception initiated in general practice surgeries and sexual health services. Later in 2025, the service will expand to include emergency hormonal contraception (EHC), which means women will have access to the ‘morning-after pill’ free of charge at pharmacies on the NHS, thereby ending the current situation where free EHC is only available in some areas. NHS England has launched an online tool to help educate individuals wishing to access the service and to signpost where they can find a participating pharmacy.The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence published their updated menopause guideline in November 2024 and recommended more treatment choices for menopause symptoms. The updated guideline aims to support healthcare professionals by providing them with the information they need to support evidence-based decisions about treatment choices, as well as information and support about menopause. There are also a range of resources and support that pharmacies can signpost patients to, for example the NHS website and the NHS menopause factsheet, which was created to help women understand and manage symptoms and know how to seek help.

What assessment he has made of the potential merits of creating a legal duty on councils to (a) meet climate targets and (b) tackle the loss of wildlife.

The Government recognises the importance of local places in driving net zero action. Local government has autonomy and flexibility in how they deliver net zero, according to each local area’s varying needs and opportunities. DESNZ regularly engages with local government on key net zero issues, including through the Local Net Zero Delivery Group.The Government’s strengthened biodiversity duty was introduced through the Environment Act 2021. This duty requires all public authorities to consider actions to conserve and enhance biodiversity. The strengthened duty will ensure public authorities make the conservation and enhancement of biodiversity a core part of the delivery of their functions.

What plans her Department has for Bitcoin seized from criminal activity.

The Home Office is responsible for the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 (POCA).POCA equips law enforcement agencies with a range of powers to deprive criminals of their money, or other property connected to criminal activity, and recover the proceeds of crime, including cryptocurrencies.In April 2024, new powers came into force to enable law enforcement to more effectively investigate, seize, and recover the proceeds of crime within the cryptoasset ecosystem.As with all assets, action to seize, recover and manage cryptoassets is for operational agencies, such as independent law enforcement bodies, and the courts to consider.Criminal proceeds recovered via POCA can subsequently be returned in compensation to victims (following criminal conviction) or reinvested for use in tackling crime through the Asset Recovery Incentivisation Scheme (ARIS) and ARIS ‘Top Slice’ grant.Further Information on both ARIS can be found in the data tables within the Asset Recovery Statistical Bulletin, which is published annually by the Home Office: Asset recovery statistics, financial years ending 2019 to 2024: Data Tables.

Which organisations received funding through the Industry Initiative component of the Warm Home Discount scheme in the last 12 months; and how much each organisation received.

The Department sets the overall policy and spending targets for the scheme but the financial responsibility for delivering these initiatives lies with energy suppliers. For more detailed information on the latest assessment of WHD delivery (2023/24), including data on industry initiatives, please visit https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/publications/warm-home-discount-annual-report-scheme-year-13 . The data for Scheme Year 14 (2024/25) will be published in due course.

Whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of removing the tax exemption from woodlands.

Income Tax and Corporation Tax do not apply to woodlands managed on a commercial basis and with a view to making profits. This treatment was introduced in 1988 to prevent high-income individuals sheltering other income from tax by setting it against expenditure on forestry.

What estimate he has made of the value of support accessed through the Industry Initiative component of the Warm Home Discount scheme in the most recent year where data is available.

Ofgem administer the Warm Home Discount Scheme Industry Initiatives of behalf of the Department. Their most recent assessment was for winter 2023/24 where Industry Initiatives delivered £76.4 million in support (£65.5 million in England & Wales and £10.9 million in Scotland) – an increase of £44.3 million compared with winter 2022/23. These initiatives supported over 2.8 million consumers across Great Britain by providing a range of services, including energy efficiency measures, energy and smart meter advice, debt assistance, benefit checks, and financial assistance payments. The Department sets the overall policy and spending targets for the scheme, but the financial responsibility for Industry Initiatives lies with the suppliers. In 2023/24, 47 Industry Initiatives were funded in England & Wales and 25 in Scotland. The services and their associated consumer support values included: Energy efficiency measures: £21.79m (England & Wales)Energy advice: £11.63m (England & Wales), £2.47m (Scotland)Debt assistance: £11.51m (England & Wales), £1.17m (Scotland)Financial assistance payments: £9.72m (England & Wales), £4.35m (Scotland)Benefit checks: £5.01m (England & Wales), £0.66m (Scotland)Mobile homes: £0.84m (England & Wales), £0.21m (Scotland)Referrals: £0.06m (England & Wales)Over 1.7 million consumers were supported in England & Wales and nearly 1.1 million in Scotland. For more detailed information on this latest assessment, please visit https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/publications/warm-home-discount-annual-report-scheme-year-13

Which services accessed funding through the Industry Initiative component of the Warm Home Discount scheme in the most recent year where data is available; how much funding was received by each supplier; and what the value was of support accessed by consumers through each service.

Ofgem administer the Warm Home Discount Scheme Industry Initiatives of behalf of the Department. Their most recent assessment was for winter 2023/24 where Industry Initiatives delivered £76.4 million in support (£65.5 million in England & Wales and £10.9 million in Scotland) – an increase of £44.3 million compared with winter 2022/23. These initiatives supported over 2.8 million consumers across Great Britain by providing a range of services, including energy efficiency measures, energy and smart meter advice, debt assistance, benefit checks, and financial assistance payments. The Department sets the overall policy and spending targets for the scheme, but the financial responsibility for Industry Initiatives lies with the suppliers. In 2023/24, 47 Industry Initiatives were funded in England & Wales and 25 in Scotland. The services and their associated consumer support values included: Energy efficiency measures: £21.79m (England & Wales)Energy advice: £11.63m (England & Wales), £2.47m (Scotland)Debt assistance: £11.51m (England & Wales), £1.17m (Scotland)Financial assistance payments: £9.72m (England & Wales), £4.35m (Scotland)Benefit checks: £5.01m (England & Wales), £0.66m (Scotland)Mobile homes: £0.84m (England & Wales), £0.21m (Scotland)Referrals: £0.06m (England & Wales)Over 1.7 million consumers were supported in England & Wales and nearly 1.1 million in Scotland. For more detailed information on this latest assessment, please visit https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/publications/warm-home-discount-annual-report-scheme-year-13

What recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Industry Initiative component of the Warm Home Discount scheme.

Ofgem administer the Warm Home Discount Scheme Industry Initiatives of behalf of the Department. Their most recent assessment was for winter 2023/24 where Industry Initiatives delivered £76.4 million in support (£65.5 million in England & Wales and £10.9 million in Scotland) – an increase of £44.3 million compared with winter 2022/23. These initiatives supported over 2.8 million consumers across Great Britain by providing a range of services, including energy efficiency measures, energy and smart meter advice, debt assistance, benefit checks, and financial assistance payments. The Department sets the overall policy and spending targets for the scheme, but the financial responsibility for Industry Initiatives lies with the suppliers. In 2023/24, 47 Industry Initiatives were funded in England & Wales and 25 in Scotland. The services and their associated consumer support values included: Energy efficiency measures: £21.79m (England & Wales)Energy advice: £11.63m (England & Wales), £2.47m (Scotland)Debt assistance: £11.51m (England & Wales), £1.17m (Scotland)Financial assistance payments: £9.72m (England & Wales), £4.35m (Scotland)Benefit checks: £5.01m (England & Wales), £0.66m (Scotland)Mobile homes: £0.84m (England & Wales), £0.21m (Scotland)Referrals: £0.06m (England & Wales)Over 1.7 million consumers were supported in England & Wales and nearly 1.1 million in Scotland. For more detailed information on this latest assessment, please visit https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/publications/warm-home-discount-annual-report-scheme-year-13

For what reason her Department has not published service standards for the time taken for applications for Family visas made on the basis of a person’s private life to be considered.

The Home Office keeps all aspects of the immigration system under regular review, including service standards for processing visa applications.

How many midwives were working in the NHS in England at the most-recent point for which figures are available; how many of those qualified (a) in the UK and (b) outside of the UK, by country; and what estimate he has made of the number that will be working in the NHS in future years from each of these categories.

NHS England publishes Hospital and Community Health Services workforce statistics for England. This covers staff working for hospital trusts and in integrated care in England. This data is drawn from the Electronic Staff Record, the human resources system for the National Health Service. This data shows that as of April 2025, there are 24,959 full time equivalent midwives working in NHS trusts and other core organisations in England. Further information is available at the following link:https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/nhs-workforce-statisticsThe Department does not hold information on how many NHS midwifes qualified in the United Kingdom and outside of the UK, by country. However, NHS England publishes data on the nationality of its staff, which may be of interest as context. The latest information on the nationality of NHS staff by staff group is available at the following link, in tab 14 of the file named Preliminary – NHS HCHS Workforce Statistics, Trusts and core organisations – data tables, April 2025:https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/nhs-workforce-statistics/march-2025The Department has made no specific estimate of the number of UK and non-UK qualified midwives who will be working in the NHS in future years. We will publish a 10 Year Workforce Plan to create a workforce ready to deliver a transformed service. They will be more empowered, more flexible, and more fulfilled.

How many and what proportion of people diagnosed with hypertension through the NHS Health Check programme were subsequently tested for chronic kidney disease in each of the last five years.

Blood pressure is one of seven risk factors for cardiovascular disease assessed in the NHS Health Check, and it is also a risk factor for chronic kidney disease. Individuals who have a high blood pressure reading during their NHS Health Check are referred to their general practice for further clinical investigation, and subsequent diagnosis of hypertension and management where appropriate.Data is currently not collected on the number of individuals who, following their NHS Health Check, are diagnosed with hypertension and are subsequently tested for chronic kidney disease.We are considering how to improve data collection and monitoring of the NHS Health Check following the National Audit Office report.

What steps his Department is taking to increase (a) referral to and (b) uptake of testing for chronic kidney disease among people diagnosed with hypertension through the NHS Health Check programme.

Individuals who have a high blood pressure reading during their NHS Health Check are referred to their general practice for further clinical investigation, and subsequent diagnosis of hypertension and management where appropriate.In 2024, NHS England incorporated a new indicator into the CVDPREVENT audit to monitor the measurement of kidney function, a urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio test, in people with hypertension, as recommended in National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines.

What steps she is taking to support (a) dyscalculic learners and(b) learners with maths learning difficulties.

This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), including dyscalculia, receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life.The department funds the Maths Hubs programme, a school-led network aimed at improving the teaching of mathematics for all pupils in publicly funded schools. The programme covers primary, secondary and special schools and uses a mastery-based teaching approach, which aims to secure understanding of key concepts. This includes training for teachers on techniques such as avoiding cognitive overload by breaking the learning down into small manageable steps, using representations to expose mathematical structure, and ensuring that learning is sequenced in a coherent manner so it makes sense to pupils.Professionals can access online training to develop their understanding how the curriculum support learners. This includes approaches to support learners who face barriers to understanding of maths, such as those with SEND or dyscalculia.

Whether he plans to review the criteria for which applications to join the British Army are rejected on medical grounds.

This Government inherited a recruitment crisis, with targets being missed every year for the past 14 years, and is taking decisive action to get recruitment back on track. This has included the largest pay rise to personnel in decades and scrapping 100 outdated policies that slow recruitment down. Defence is committed to a diverse workforce and is seeking to ‘select in’ rather than ‘select out’ and is focused on work to review the current policies for Armed Forces recruiting. An update to Joint Service Publication (JSP) 950 Leaflet 6-7-7, which outlines the medical entry standard for the Armed Forces, was published in August 2024 following an intensive period of review undertaken by clinical experts, Defence personnel staff and the recruiting agencies. Recent updates to policy include; new regulations for a range of conditions including asthma and eczema, and candidates with Autism Spectrum Disorder may now be able to join the Armed Forces providing they meet certain criteria.

Innovation and Technology, if he will hold discussions with Ordance Survey on the potential merits of making the Ordnance Survey Maps Premium (a) service and (b) app available to the public for free.

Ordnance Survey is a public corporation, operating on a commercial basis. Ministers meet regularly with the leadership of Ordnance Survey to discuss how the company can support the Government’s priorities.Ordnance Survey makes its authoritative geospatial data available to the public and private sectors, including individuals, directly and through commercial partners. A free version of the OS Maps app, which uses data that Ordnance Survey makes available under Open Government Licence, is used by over a million people every month. The premium subscription provides additional features and has over half a million active subscribers. It is already freely available to key users such as Mountain Rescue in Scotland, England and Wales.

What plans her Department has to raise awareness of the availability of Pension Credit this winter.

The Government wants all pensioners to get the support to which they are entitled. That is why since Autumn 2024 we have been running the biggest ever Pension Credit take-up campaign. The Department’s campaign to raise awareness of Pension Credit has continued in numerous stages between January and July 2025 and has included radio, print and social media adverts as well as continuing work with stakeholders. We plan to continue promotional activity from Autumn through to the end of the financial year with the campaign aimed at eligible pensioners who are not yet claiming, and their friends and family, as we work to increase the take up of Pension Credit.

Innovation and Technology, what information his Department holds on the amount of income generated by the Ordnance Survey from public subscriptions in the last five years.

Since 2022-23, Ordnance Survey has published the revenue from paying subscribers to the OS Maps platform and app in its Annual Report and Accounts, and these are set out below.2022/23: £8.4m2023/24: £9.5mThe Annual Report and Accounts for 2024-25 will be published in due course and laid before Parliament.