Written questions by Joseph.

What assessment she has made of the potential merits of extending business rates relief to small businesses that are not in the retail, hospitality or leisure sectors.

Awaiting answer.

What steps he is taking to support small and medium sized businesses in a) Ashford constituency and b) Kent.

The Government’s Plan for Small Businesses, published in July, sets out the measures that the Government is taking to support small businesses across the UK. This includes tackling late payments, boosting access to finance, and removing red tape. This will enable small businesses, including those in Ashford constituency and Kent, to grow and thrive. SMEs can access DBT’s wealth of business and export support via business.gov.uk. SMEs in the Ashford constituency can also access the Kent and Medway Growth Hub to benefit from specialist business advice they need to start, grow and succeed.

Innovation and Technology, if she has made an assessment of the effectiveness of the rules governing data protection that require sites and services using age verification to delete submitted information once that data has been used.

The Government has not undertaken a specific assessment of the effectiveness of rules requiring the deletion of data submitted for age verification once it has been used.The UK’s data protection framework requires personal data to be minimised and not retained for longer than necessary, including where data is collected for age verification purposes. The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) is independent of Government and is responsible for monitoring and enforcing the UK’s data protection laws.In January 2024, the ICO published an updated Commissioner’s Opinion on age assurance for the Children’s Code (https://ico.org.uk/about-the-ico/media-centre/news-and-blogs/2024/01/ico-publishes-updated-commissioner-s-opinion-on-age-assurance-for-the-children-s-code/).

What recent assessment she has had made of the potential merits of extending tax relief for pension contributions for people aged 75 and over.

The Government wishes to encourage pension saving, to help ensure that people have an income, or funds on which they can draw, throughout retirement. This is why, for the majority of savers, pension contributions are tax-free. This makes pensions tax relief one of the most expensive reliefs in the personal tax system. In 2023/24 Income Tax relief on total contributions and investment income of pension funds and National Insurance relief on employer contributions for pension savings cost the Exchequer £78.2 billion, with around 68 per cent of Income Tax relieved at the Higher and Additional rates. Ending the provision of tax relief on pension contributions at the age of 75 is a longstanding feature of the pensions tax system. It is the age at which at which most people will bring or will have brought their pension into payment. The Government does not want pensions to become a vehicle for tax planning, and the Government does not intend to change these rules.

What assessment his Department has made of trends in the level of (a) respiratory disease and (b) the number of emergency hospital admissions for respiratory conditions in (a) Ashford constituency, (b) Kent and (c) the UK; and what steps he is taking to help improve respiratory health.

Data is available for emergency finished admission episodes (FAEs) where there was a primary diagnosis of 'respiratory conditions’. The following table shows the number of FAEs where there was a primary diagnosis of 'respiratory conditions’ for Ashford and England, for activity in English National Health Service hospitals and English NHS-commissioned activity in the independent sector, for 2024/25 and provisionally for 2025/26: Westminster Parliamentary Constituency of Residence2024/25 (August 2024 to March 2025)2025/26 (April 2025 to November 2025)Ashford830535England612,855511,558Source: Hospital Episode Statistics, NHS England. Available data on trends in respiratory conditions can be found on the Department’s Fingertips dataset. Data is not available by parliamentary constituency. Data is available at regional, county, unitary authority, and integrated care board level. Information for Kent is available at the following link: https://fingertips.phe.org.uk/search/Respiratory#page/1/gid/1/pat/15/ati/502/are/E10000016/iid/40701/age/163/sex/4/cat/-1/ctp/-1/yrr/1/cid/4/tbm/1

What steps he is taking to ensure that patients with known medical intolerances are able to be dispensed medication that is appropriate for their allergy.

Pharmacists are highly trained and skilled healthcare professionals. As part of dispensing medicines, pharmacists have a professional responsibility to inform patients about the medicines they are taking, and this may include mentioning any ingredients in the medicines based on any allergies or intolerances that the patient reports. Where a potential issue is identified, pharmacists can contact the prescriber to request an alternative medicine or recommend a different formulation or brand of medicine where appropriate.NHS England has made changes to enable pharmacists to access patient records when delivering clinical services such as Pharmacy First. This means pharmacists can view any known allergies or intolerances that are included in a patient’s record and use their professional and clinical judgement to supply medicines appropriate for the patient’s allergy or intolerance.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking with international partners to help tackle organised immigration crime.

Immigration crime is an international problem, and it can only be solved through international cooperation.That is why we have worked to develop agreements with France, Germany and Italy and others to break the business model of the criminal gangs, and why we are working upstream in Iraq, the Balkans, Ethiopia and elsewhere to disrupt smuggling supply chains, and reduce the drivers of illegal migration.

What assessment his Department has made of trends in the level of social care standards across England; and what steps he is taking to support greater consistency of care provision.

National standards of care will be an integral part of the national care service we are building, so people can rely on consistent, high‑quality care wherever they live.We are already progressing towards this through our three objectives for adult social care: giving people real choice and control, joining up health and social care around people’s lives, and ensuring consistent high‑quality care underpinned by national standards.This year, the Government will set new national standards for care technologies and develop trusted guidance. This will mean that people and care providers can easily find out which technologies are fit for purpose, secure and meet compatibility requirements of health and social care systems in the future.At the same time, in partnership with the Department for Education, we are developing a catalogue of data standards for Children’s and Adult’s Social Care Case Management Systems. This will enable greater data sharing with other agencies involved in organising a person’s care, in turn, improving the experience of care, local authority efficiency and the quality of central government data collection and reporting.The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is the independent regulator for health and social care in England. CQC monitors, inspects and regulates adult social care services to make sure they meet fundamental standards of quality and safety. National measures of care quality have remained steady, with 85% of all social care settings regulated by the CQC rated Good or Outstanding on 2 January 2026. Where concerns on quality or safety are identified, the CQC uses its regulatory and enforcement powers available and will take action to ensure the safety of people drawing on care and support.The independent commission into adult social care is underway as part of our critical first steps towards delivering a national care service. Phase 1 will report this year.

What steps his Department is taking to consider the development of national standards for adult social care in England.

National standards of care will be an integral part of the national care service we are building, so people can rely on consistent, high‑quality care wherever they live.We are already progressing towards this through our three objectives for adult social care: giving people real choice and control, joining up health and social care around people’s lives, and ensuring consistent high‑quality care underpinned by national standards.This year, the Government will set new national standards for care technologies and develop trusted guidance. This will mean that people and care providers can easily find out which technologies are fit for purpose, secure and meet compatibility requirements of health and social care systems in the future.At the same time, in partnership with the Department for Education, we are developing a catalogue of data standards for Children’s and Adult’s Social Care Case Management Systems. This will enable greater data sharing with other agencies involved in organising a person’s care, in turn, improving the experience of care, local authority efficiency and the quality of central government data collection and reporting.The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is the independent regulator for health and social care in England. CQC monitors, inspects and regulates adult social care services to make sure they meet fundamental standards of quality and safety. National measures of care quality have remained steady, with 85% of all social care settings regulated by the CQC rated Good or Outstanding on 2 January 2026. Where concerns on quality or safety are identified, the CQC uses its regulatory and enforcement powers available and will take action to ensure the safety of people drawing on care and support.The independent commission into adult social care is underway as part of our critical first steps towards delivering a national care service. Phase 1 will report this year.

If her Department has made an assessment of the effectiveness of road signs used by local authorities to help prevent road causalities among (a) hedgehogs and (b) other small mammals.

The Department has made no such assessment. Local authorities are responsible for the installation of the small wild animal road signs.

What assessment she has made of the potential merits of increasing the Lifetime ISA property price limit above the current £450,000 threshold for first‑time buyers.

Data from the latest UK House Price Index shows that while the average price paid by first-time buyers has increased, it is still below the Lifetime ISA (Individual Savings Accounts) property price cap in all regions of the UK except for London, where the average price paid is affected by boroughs with very high property values. As of 2024/25 there were over 1.3 million LISA accounts open and, since its introduction in 2017, the LISA has helped 314,600 people purchase their first property. The Government keeps all aspects of savings tax policy under review.

What discussions his Department has had with private contractors working in the NHS on trade union recognition for employees.

There have been no specific discussions on this matter. The terms and conditions in the standard National Health Service contract, used to contract with private contractors in England, recognises the need to engage with trade unions where they are present and as applicable for that contract. Otherwise, private contractors are like any other employer and need to comply with the existing rules on trade union recognition, as set out in the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992.

What discussions his Department has had with private contractors working in the NHS on paying staff the same rates as equivalent NHS staff.

There have been no specific discussions on this with private contractors working in the National Health Service.Independent organisations commissioned by the NHS in England, such as general practices or social enterprises, are free to develop and adapt their own terms and conditions of employment, including the pay scales that they use. It is for them to determine what is affordable within the financial model they operate.

Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions her Department has had with South East Water on the continued imposition of a hosepipe ban for its customers.

The Environment Agency has been in contact with South East Water throughout the drought to ensure the company has followed its drought plan. The decision for removal of the hosepipe ban, is for South East Water as outlined in the sections 76 and 76A-C of the Water Industry Act 1991.

Pursuant to the Answer of 16 October 2025 to Question 81640 on Parking: Disability, whether her Department has had recent discussions with Kent County Council on its use of powers under Part IV of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 to mark out disabled parking bays.

Kent County Council, as the traffic authority for Kent, are wholly responsible for exercising their powers under Part IV of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984. Whilst the Department does not typically intervene in local authority decision making on marking out disabled parking bays, it publishes guidance to local authorities to support them in carrying out their responsibilities. These can be found on GOV.UK.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of checks on goods coming into the UK at Sevington on the protection of a) public health and b) animal health.

Border checks undertaken by competent authorities at the Sevington SPS Border Control Post are an important element of the system designed to manage biosecurity risks. The Sevington facility is enabling the implementation of SPS controls at the border on EU goods under the Border Target Operating Model which are providing assurance that the underlying systems of controls are working as intended. These controls include import conditions, certification signed by veterinarian and plant certification authorities in exporting countries, risk assessments, border checks, and other intelligence led controls.

What steps his Department is taking to improve ambulance waiting times in (a) Ashford constituency and (b) Kent.

The Government recognises that in recent years ambulance response times have not met the high standards patients should expect.We are determined to turn things around. Our Urgent and Emergency Care Plan for 2025/26, backed by almost £450 million of capital investment, commits to reducing ambulance response times for Category 2 incidents to 30 minutes on average this year. We are also tackling unacceptable ambulance handover delays by introducing a maximum 45-minute standard, supporting ambulances to be released more quickly and get back on the road to treat patients.The latest National Health Service performance figures for the South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust, which serves Ashford and Kent, show that Category 2 incidents were responded to in 29 minutes 57 seconds on average, and the mean handover time was 18 minutes 10 seconds, meeting the targets set by the plan.

When his Department plans to announce the new membership of the National Quality Board.

In our 10-Year Health Plan we committed to reintroducing a new, rigorous focus on high-quality care for all, and that as part of this we will revitalise the National Quality Board. The next meeting of the National Quality Board is in December, and we continue to review its membership to ensure it is an effective decision-making body. The membership includes representatives from a wide range of organisations and arms-length bodies in the health and care sector.

What assessment he has made of the adequacy of the application of food safety regulations to (a) the vehicles and (b) the bags used by delivery drivers.

Food safety regulations in the United Kingdom apply to all stages of the food supply chain, including the transport and delivery of food by vehicles and in bags. These requirements are set out in the Food Safety and Hygiene (England) Regulations 2013, which implement assimilated Regulation (EU) No 852/2004 on the hygiene of foodstuffs. Under these regulations:- vehicles used for food delivery must be kept clean, maintained in good condition, and designed to prevent contamination. Where necessary, they must be capable of maintaining appropriate temperatures for chilled or frozen foods;- hot food must be kept at 63˚C or above. However, limited periods outside temperature control are permitted, to accommodate the practicalities of handling during the preparation, transport, storage, display, and service of food, provided that it does not result in a risk to health; and- delivery bags and containers must also be kept clean and made from materials that are easily maintained and suitable for food contact. They must protect food from contamination and, where required, maintain safe temperatures during transport.The Food Standards Agency (FSA) provides guidance to food businesses on how to meet these requirements, including advice on cleaning, temperature control, and preventing cross-contamination. Businesses are expected to assess and manage these risks through their food safety management systems.The existing legal framework is considered sufficient to ensure food safety during delivery, provided businesses comply with their responsibilities.Local authorities are responsible for enforcing these food hygiene requirements as part of their role in regulating food businesses. Further information is available on the FSA’s website at the following link:https://www.food.gov.uk/business-guidance/food-safety-for-food-delivery

What steps his Department is taking to ensure more GP practices join the veteran friendly GP accreditation programme.

NHS England, in partnership with the Royal College of General Practitioners, is continuing to encourage general practices (GPs) to participate in the Armed Forces Veteran Friendly GP accreditation scheme. This voluntary initiative is available to GPs across England and is free to access. To date, over 99% of primary care networks have at least one accredited GP in their area.100% of National Health Service trusts and foundation trusts in England are now officially accredited as Veteran Aware. This achievement, led by the Veterans Covenant Healthcare Alliance, reflects a national commitment to provide compassionate, personalised care to serving personnel, reservists, veterans, and their families.In addition, the Department announced the National Training and Education Programme which will see NHS staff across England receiving dedicated training to help them identify and support patients with military backgrounds.