Written questions by Kumar.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of mediation services on resolving disputes for residents in Dudley; and what steps he is taking to ensure equality of access to those services.

The Government encourages the use of dispute resolution such as mediation, to allow parties to resolve their disputes earlier and more consensually, which saves them time, money and stress, and reduces the waiting time for a judicial hearing for cases that do not settle.Since 2024, all parties to money claims under £10,000 in the county courts in England and Wales are required to attend a free, one-hour mediation appointment with HMCTS’ Small Claims Mediation Service as an integrated step in the litigation journey. Parties can request any necessary adjustments, including translation or interpretation services, to ensure full participation in mediation appointments, and HMCTS assesses these needs individually to maintain accessibility.The Government is also committed to supporting more families reach agreement outside of court through mediation, where it is safe and appropriate to do so. The Family Mediation Voucher Scheme, introduced in April 2021, is available to families across England and Wales including those living in Dudley. The scheme offers up to £500 towards mediation costs and has already supported over 49,000 families. The Government has committed to continue funding the scheme until at least March 2026. Analysis of the first 7,200 cases completed under the scheme shows that 69% of participants reached a whole or partial agreement and did not need to go to court to resolve their issues.In addition, civil legal aid is available, subject to a means assessment, for the mediation of family disputes (for example over contact or financial arrangements) that the mediator has assessed as suitable for mediation.

Innovation and Technology, whether her Department has made an assessment of (a) the prevalence of shadow banning on social media platforms and (b) its potential impact on freedom of expression and online transparency.

The Online Safety Act ensures accountability for tech companies for the safety of their users while upholding freedom of expression online. The Act does not prevent adults from seeking out legal content.The Act requires the largest services to have clear and accessible Terms of Service, setting out what kinds of legal content for adults they do not accept and in what circumstances they may ban or suspend a user. These services are required to apply these terms consistently and transparently.

Whether his Department has considered the potential merits of implementing a Modern Service Framework for musculoskeletal conditions.

Everyone in the NHS is responsible for delivering high-quality care. As announced in the 10-Year Health Plan, as well as an overall quality strategy, the National Quality Board will oversee the development of a new series of service frameworks to accelerate progress in conditions where there is potential for rapid and significant improvements in quality of care and productivity.Early priorities will include CVD, mental health and the first ever service framework for frailty and dementia. The Government will consider other long-term conditions with significant health and economic impacts for future waves of Modern Service Frameworks.

If he will review the guidance on Section 251 of the NHS Act 2006 to ensure clarity and consistency for NHS Trusts engaged in developing digital health initiatives; and if he will take steps to engage citizens and stakeholders on this matter to enhance transparency and trust in NHS data practices.

Since May 2024, the Department and NHS England have been delivering a national programme of public engagement on health and social care data. To date, over 8,600 members of the public have been engaged. The aim is to understand people’s views on how their data is used and improve trust in NHS uses of data. The reports from the first two cohorts are available at the following link: https://transform.england.nhs.uk/key-tools-and-info/data-saves-lives/national-public-engagement-on-the-use-of-health-data/ The recommendations from this public engagement are being used to shape a planned public consultation with a view to making new regulations under section 251 of the NHS Act 2006, on the control of patient information.

What steps he plans to take to help ensure digital health services are accessible for patients in the most disadvantaged areas; and in what way he plans to support vulnerable communities with enhanced digital health resources in Dudley constituency.

We are using technology to help health and care professionals communicate better and enable people to access the care they need quickly and easily, when it suits them. Dudley Council is implementing digital technologies to support person-centred care, increase connectivity, reduce loneliness, and promote independence through the use of everyday technology.The Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust also aims to empower communities, provide access to health services, and improve overall outcomes through its digital strategy. Success is gauged through metrics like enhanced employee productivity, the successful upgrade of equipment, and the overall satisfaction and engagement of citizens with digital platforms.Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust uses the Allscripts Sunrise Electronic Patient Record system, which was deployed in May 2018 to consolidate patient information into a single digital platform.Patients are able to access NHS services, such as requesting GP appointments, managing secondary care appointments and NHS111 online through local online tools and the NHS App (which can also be accessed through a web browser). The NHS App is designed to meet international accessibility standards, and the services are routinely tested with a range of people with accessibility issues. However, digital health tools are part of a wider offering that includes face-to-face support with appropriate help for people who struggle to access digital services. NHS England has also published a framework for NHS action on digital inclusion and is developing further resources to support practical actions. All digital programmes are actively considering how they can contribute to improvements in healthcare inequalities and digital inclusion.We have also recruited over 2,000 NHS App ambassadors and 1,400 libraries to help people to learn how to use the NHS App.

What his planned timeline is for implementing digital transformation initiatives in the Dudley area; and what metrics he will use to measure success.

We are using technology to help health and care professionals communicate better and enable people to access the care they need quickly and easily, when it suits them. Dudley Council is implementing digital technologies to support person-centred care, increase connectivity, reduce loneliness, and promote independence through the use of everyday technology.The Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust also aims to empower communities, provide access to health services, and improve overall outcomes through its digital strategy. Success is gauged through metrics like enhanced employee productivity, the successful upgrade of equipment, and the overall satisfaction and engagement of citizens with digital platforms.Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust uses the Allscripts Sunrise Electronic Patient Record system, which was deployed in May 2018 to consolidate patient information into a single digital platform.Patients are able to access NHS services, such as requesting GP appointments, managing secondary care appointments and NHS111 online through local online tools and the NHS App (which can also be accessed through a web browser). The NHS App is designed to meet international accessibility standards, and the services are routinely tested with a range of people with accessibility issues. However, digital health tools are part of a wider offering that includes face-to-face support with appropriate help for people who struggle to access digital services. NHS England has also published a framework for NHS action on digital inclusion and is developing further resources to support practical actions. All digital programmes are actively considering how they can contribute to improvements in healthcare inequalities and digital inclusion.We have also recruited over 2,000 NHS App ambassadors and 1,400 libraries to help people to learn how to use the NHS App.

How much funding her Department plans to provide for the provision of English for Speakers of Other Languages courses in the West Midlands Combined Authority area in 2025-2026.

The Home Office does not fund Mayoral Combined Authorities for provision of English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL). Please refer to the response dated 4th July from my Ministerial colleague in the Department for Education, Janet Daby MP, the Minister for Children and Families, for more detail on how ESOL is funded [UIN 63247].

With reference to the UK's 41st place in the Hologic Global Women’s Health Index, what steps his Department is taking to improve women's health.

The Government is committed to prioritising women’s health as we build a National Health Service fit for the future. Our focus is on turning the commitments in the Women's Health Strategy into tangible action, such as providing emergency hormonal contraception free of charge at pharmacies on the NHS from October 2025, setting out how we will eliminate cervical cancer by 2040 through the new cervical cancer plan, and taking urgent action to tackle gynaecology waiting lists through the Elective Reform Plan. The 10-Year Health Plan for England, published on 3 July, sets out the vision to distribute power to patients, including women, and to revitalise the NHS, making it fit for the future.

Whether his Department plans to make eye tests mandatory for primary school children.

There are currently no plans to make eye tests mandatory for primary school children. The UK National Screening Committee recommends vision screening in school for children aged four to five years old, to look for reduced vision in one or both eyes.In addition to vision screening, free sight tests are widely available for children under 16 years old and under 19 years old in full time education. Free sight tests are also being made available for children and young people with special educational needs, attending special educational settings across England, where those settings choose to host a service.

What steps her Department plans to take to improve transport connectivity in Dudley constituency.

This Government is committed to restoring pride and trust in a transport system that works – day in, day out – for the people who rely on it. That is why we have allocated substantial funding to the West Midlands Combined Authority, to enable it to make the best decisions about how to maintain and improve its local transport network and connectivity, including in Dudley. This funding includes over £2.4 billion, until 2031/32, from the Transport for City Regions settlements, as well as an additional £8.6 million in 2025/26 for local highway maintenance, and more than £49 million in 2025/26 in bus funding.

What steps his Department is taking to increase economic growth in Dudley constituency.

The recently announced Industrial Strategy and Trade Strategy, forming part of our wider Growth Mission, aim to support businesses across the country by creating the conditions for companies to invest, employ and grow. Dudley, with its rich manufacturing heritage, will benefit from a range of new interventions, including measures to reduce energy costs and, assistance to develop and attract the right skills. As part of the West Midlands Combined Authority, Dudley has and will continue to benefit from enhanced support targeting the region including devolved funding for local leaders, to continue delivering the right support. We will also be publishing our Small Business Strategy soon which will set out further measures to increase economic growth in Dudley and across the country.

What comparative assessment she has made of the adequacy of the level of funding for EHCP plans in (a) the UK, (b) the West Midlands and (c) Dudley constituency.

​The department is providing an increase of £1 billion for high needs budgets in England in the 2025/26 financial year, following the Autumn Budget 2024. This brings total high needs funding for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) to over £12 billion.​Of that total high needs funding, the West Midlands region is being allocated over £1,228 million through the high needs funding block of the dedicated schools grant (DSG), an increase of over £95 million on their 2024/25 DSG high needs block, calculated using the high needs national funding formula. Dudley Council specifically is being allocated over £62 million through the high needs funding block of the DSG, an increase of over £5 million on 2024/25.​Local authorities allocate this funding to schools, colleges and other settings, to help them with the costs of SEND provision, including for those children and young people with education, health and care plans. The department provides operational guidance for local authorities to support their allocation of high needs funding: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/high-needs-funding-arrangements-2025-to-2026.

What steps his Department plans to take to support green projects in the Black Country.

The Government supports local places to drive action to deliver green projects and help realise our national net zero targets. Great British Energy will partner with community energy groups and local government, including Mayoral Strategic Authorities, to support the development of clean energy projects. Government also funds the Local Net Zero Accelerator pilot programme (including in West Midlands Combined Authority) to test how to support local places to leverage in commercial net zero investment at scale, alongside five Local Net Zero Hubs (including the Midlands Net Zero Hub) to support local government to develop net zero projects and attract commercial investment.

Whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of publishing records of incidents and fatalities at nurseries.

The department’s priority is to grow high-quality, affordable and flexible education and care for children, whilst ensuring their safety, giving every child the best start of life and delivering on our Plan for Change.The department is responsible for setting the standards which early years settings such as nurseries must follow, these are set out in the early years foundation stage statutory framework. The department has responsibility for policy on inspection and registration but how it is implemented is for Ofsted to decide and to be held to account by Parliament.Given the sensitivity and quality of the information around incidents, Ofsted do not publish incident data as routine statistics. However, their annual report and accounts include some national level data on notifications that may relate to incidents. The latest is accessible at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/67e575d987cebda7c4ca4cde/31795_Ofsted_Annual_Report_and_Accounts_2023-24_-_Accessible.pdf.Ofsted can only commit to publishing national headline data about the number of complaints or notifications relating to incidents.

If he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the emissions trading scheme on the clay brick and rooftile industry.

UK Emissions Trading Scheme (UK ETS) participants, including the clay brick and rooftile sector, are provided with free allocations, reducing their exposure to the carbon price and mitigating their risk of carbon leakage whilst continuing to provide an incentive to decarbonise at the least cost route. This approach is currently being reviewed to ensure we can better target support for sectors most at risk of carbon leakage. We are very mindful of the impact of the ETS on industrial participants, and have committed to an ongoing assessment of the scheme’s effectiveness – outputs of this review will be published in 2026. Interim outcomes of this review can be found on gov.uk.

Media and Sport, whether her Department plans to make an assessment of the adequacy of the (a) accessibility and (b) range of youth facilities in areas where the population is expanding.

We will not be making an assessment of youth facilities based on areas where populations are expanding. Local Authorities have a statutory duty to secure, so far as is reasonably practicable, sufficient provision of educational and recreational leisure-time activities for young people in their area.The government has committed to introducing simpler and fairer allocations for councils, using the most up-to-date data and taking account of growing demand. As part of the Fair Funding Review 2.0 consultation, which is open until Friday 15 August, we are inviting views on using projections to increase the accuracy of allocations across the multi-year Settlement.DCMS recognises the importance of ensuring that Local Authorities are appropriately supported to deliver accessible and effective youth provision. In 2025/26, we will commit £8m to launch the Local Youth Transformation Pilot which will test a new way of working and supporting local authorities to deliver for young people.

What assessment he has made of the potential merits of including incontinence in medical training for all healthcare professionals.

No assessment has been made. The standard of training for healthcare professionals is the responsibility of the independent statutory regulatory bodies who set the outcome standards expected at undergraduate level and approve courses. Higher education institutions write and teach the curricula content that enables their students to meet the regulators’ outcome standards. Whilst not all curricula may necessarily highlight a specific condition, they all nevertheless emphasise the skills and approaches a healthcare professional must develop in order to ensure accurate and timely diagnoses and treatment plans for their patients, including for incontinence. Employers in the health system are responsible for ensuring that their staff are trained to the required standards to deliver safe and effective treatment for patients.

Whether his Department plans to take steps to increase awareness of the importance of pelvic floor strength for women before pregnancy to prevent post pregnancy incontinence.

Supporting women’s health before, during, and after pregnancy is a priority for the Government. The women’s health area on the National Health Service’s website brings together over 100 health topics for women seeking health information, including information and advice on planning for pregnancy, keeping well in pregnancy, and pelvic health. NHS England has rolled out perinatal pelvic health services to support the prevention and identification of pelvic floor dysfunction, including incontinence, during pregnancy and post-birth. Additionally, NHS England the Royal College of General Practitioners have published guidance on the six to eight week postnatal check-up. This check-up provides personalised postnatal care for women’s physical and mental health, including a specific section on pelvic floor health.

Communities and Local Government, what plans her Department has taken to help tackle land banking.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 60243 on 24 June 2025.

Whether her Department plans to review guidance on the application process of the Household Support Fund.

The Department for Work and Pensions have no plans to review the guidance on the application process for this iteration of the Household Support Fund, having reviewed and updated the guidance to launch the scheme on 1 April 2025. Local Authorities have the discretion to design their own local schemes within the parameters of the guidance and grant determination that the Department for Work and Pensions have set out for The Fund. Every Local Authority must operate part of their scheme on an application basis, to allow the opportunity for individuals struggling with the cost of essentials to ask for further support.