Written questions by Darling.

What steps he is taking to support dementia carers.

The 10-Year Health Plan reaffirms our commitment to improve the lives of people drawing on care, unpaid carers, and the social care workforce through the first ever Fair Pay Agreement for the sector, as well as our commitment to the creation of a National Care Service, informed by Baroness Louise Casey’s independent commission into adult social care.The commission will build national consensus on how to create a National Care Service and will produce tangible, pragmatic recommendations that make adult social care more productive and preventative, giving people who draw on care, and their families and carers, more power in the system.In the meantime, to support unpaid carers, the Government has increased the Carer's Allowance weekly earnings limit from £151 a week to £196, the equivalent of 16 hours at the National Living Wage. This represents the largest increase in the earnings limit since the Carer’s Allowance was introduced in 1976, and the highest percentage increase since 2001. We are also committed to reviewing the implementation of Carer’s Leave and examining the benefits of introducing paid Carer’s Leave.

What steps he is taking to support people with pulmonary fibrosis.

NHS England is responsible for the commissioning of services for interstitial lung disease and funds the cost of anti-fibrotic treatments to treat this disease. Access to these treatments has recently been expanded to patients with non-idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, following the publication of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s technology appraisal Nintedanib for treating progressive fibrosing interstitial lung diseases, in November 2021.In order to increase awareness of pulmonary fibrosis, NHS England has established 13 Respiratory Clinical Networks across the country. These have been vital in providing clinical leadership for respiratory services and supporting services in primary care, including restoring spirometry, which is one of the tests used to diagnose pulmonary fibrosis.Pulmonary rehabilitation plays an important role in the management of patients with pulmonary fibrosis, and should be made available to all patients who would benefit from this intervention.

What steps he is taking to support people with multiple sclerosis.

Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for commissioning services for their local population, including for multiple sclerosis (MS). The Government expects ICBs to assess the demand for service provision when designing their local services.There are initiatives to support better care for patients with neurological conditions, such as MS, across England. These include the Getting It Right First Time Programme for Neurology, which aims to improve MS care by supporting the National Health Service to address variations in care and promote best practice. The Progressive Neurological Conditions Toolkit, published by NHS England’s RightCare Programme, supports healthcare systems in improving the care of individuals living with progressive neurological conditions, including MS. It aims to enhance local services and reduce hospital admissions by focusing on preventative care and optimising the delivery of services. NHS England’s Neurology Transformation Programme (NTP) is a multi-year programme to develop a new model of integrated care for neurology services. The NTP has collaborated with clinicians and patient groups to create specific pathways for MS, aiming to improve the quality and coordination of care. NHS England is also updating its Specialised Neurology service specification, which includes MS. Service specifications define the standards of care expected from organisations funded by NHS England to provide specialised care. The three shifts outlined in the 10-Year Health Plan will support people with long-term conditions, including those with MS, to better manage their condition and access services closer to home. For example, it will empower them to access their medical history and allow them to book and manage their appointments and medication.

What assessment he has made of the adequacy of existing treatment options for people with Secondary Breast Cancer.

To assess the adequacy of existing treatment options for people with secondary breast cancer, NHS England funded an audit into primary and metastatic breast cancer. Using routine data collected from patients diagnosed in a National Health Service setting, the audit brings together information to look at what is being done well, where it’s being done well, and what needs to be done better. On 12 September 2024, the National Cancer Audit Collaborating Centre published this audit, and the NHS is now acting on the findings.The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) evaluates all new licensed medicines and makes recommendations on whether they should be routinely funded by the NHS based on their costs and benefits. The NHS in England is legally required to fund medicines recommended by NICE. Since April 2018, NICE has recommended 24 of the 25 breast cancer medicines it has evaluated, and they are now available for the treatment of NHS patients.

What steps he is taking to support people with postural tachycardia syndrome.

Improving health outcomes for everyone living with a long-term condition, including postural tachycardia syndrome (PoTS), is a key part of the Government's mission to build a National Health Service fit for the future.People with PoTS can access a variety of NHS services that are locally commissioned by integrated care boards, which are responsible for ensuring that their local area has appropriate services in place to meet the needs of their population.Many patients can be diagnosed and managed effectively within primary care. In complex cases, or where patients do not respond to initial treatment, patients may be referred to specialised cardiology or neurology services.At a national level, NHS England has made additional support available. This includes a focus on healthy working environments, tools and resources to support line managers to hold meaningful conversations with staff to discuss their wellbeing, and emotional and psychological health and wellbeing support.The three shifts outlined in the 10-Year Health Plan will support people with long-term conditions, including those with PoTS, to better manage their condition and access services closer to home. For example, it will empower them to access their medical history and allow them to book and manage their appointments and medication.

If he will publish (a) transparent and (b) clearly reported data on hospital admissions and presentations to minor injury clinics due to dog bites, by healthcare trust in Great Britain.

NHS England currently publishes data on hospital admissions, including those due to dog bites. This data can be found at the following link:digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/hospital-admitted-patient-care-activity/2023-24In 2023/24, in England, there were 10,678 finished admission episodes with an external cause of being bitten or struck by a dog. This data is available nationally and not disaggregated by individual National Health Service trusts or minor injury unit. There are no current plans to change this approach.

What steps she is taking to support teachers' mental health.

I refer the hon. Member for Torbay to the answer of 9 May 2025 to Question 44781​.

If his Department will publish (a) transparent and (b) clear data on (i) hospital admissions and (ii) presentations to minor injury clinics due to dog bites in each healthcare trust in the most recent period for which data is available.

NHS England already published data on hospital admissions due to dog bites. This data can be found at the following link:digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/hospital-admitted-patient-care-activity/2023-24.In 2023/24, in England, there were 10,678 finished admission episodes with an external cause of being bitten or struck by a dog. This data is available nationally and is not disaggregated by individual National Health Service trusts or minor injury unit. There are no current plans to change this approach.

With reference to the Sight Loss Council's report entitled MakeTransportAccessible - creating the perfect world for blind and partially sighted people, published on 1 November 2023, what steps her Department is taking to tackle issues for visually impaired people on (a) public transport accessibility and (b) pavement parking.

The government is committed to improving public transport services so they are more inclusive and enable blind and partially sighted people to travel safely, confidently and with dignity. On 17 December, the government introduced the Bus Services (No.2) Bill to put the power over local bus services back into the hands of local leaders and is intended to ensure networks meet the needs of the communities who rely on them. The Bill includes measures which will make bus travel more accessible and inclusive, including requiring authorities to pay regard to new guidance on the safety and accessibility of stopping places. The government recognises the concerns which have been raised about floating bus stops, particularly. This is why the Department has accepted amendments to the Bus Services (No. 2) Bill which require the Secretary of State to publish statutory guidance on their provision and design within three months of Royal Assent. In addition, the Department will write to all local authorities requesting that they pause the introduction of any floating bus stops which require passengers to board and alight directly into a cycle track.On 1 October 2024, the first phase of the Public Service Vehicles (Accessible Information) Regulations 2023 came into force, meaning that newer vehicles providing local services must provide audible and visible information on stops, destinations and diversions. The majority of services will need to comply by October 2026.Ensuring the rail network is also accessible is at the heart of our passenger-focused approach to improving rail services. We know that the experience for disabled people when traveling on rail too often falls short of what is expected and what passengers deserve. We are committed to improving the experience for disabled passengers and have committed to publishing an accessibility roadmap to explain the actions we are taking to improve accessibility ahead of Great British Rail.  We have recently completed a programme to install platform edge tactile paving at every station that did not already have it in place or was due to have it installed as part of other enhancement or renewal work. Regarding pavement parking, the government understands that vehicles parked on the pavement can cause serious problems for all pedestrians and especially people with mobility or sight impairments. The Department intends to publish a formal response to the pavement parking consultation, including the government’s next steps to address pavement parking.

Whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of care experienced young people securing employment in the hospitality sector following the cessation of local authority support.

The department is committed to ensuring that young people leaving care have stable homes, access to health services, support to build lifelong loving relationships and are engaged in education, employment and training.The department fully recognises the potential benefits that employment in the hospitality sector offers to care leavers. 27 of the 237 organisations offering employment opportunities under our Care Leaver Covenant are from the hospitality industry. This includes Accor Hotels, Aramark, Birmingham Airport, Blackpool Pleasure Beach, PGL, Marston’s Brewery and Pubs, and Merlin Entertainments.Further, our Care Leaver Ministerial Board, co-chaired by my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education and my right hon. Friend, the Deputy Prime Minister, has been established to secure cross-departmental action to improve the outcomes and experiences of care leavers, including in relation to their employment.

What assessment the Government has made of the merits of introducing National Insurance Contributions exemptions for employers who hire individuals transitioning off working benefits.

The Government is committed to providing people who are out of work with the personalised support they need to find work, aiding the long-term ambition of an 80% employment rate. At the Spending Review, the Government increased funding for employment support to over £3.5 billion by 2028-29, helping people to access the skills they need to progress, tackling unemployment and inactivity and ensuring more people are in better jobs.There are a wide range of factors to take into consideration when introducing a tax relief. These include how effective the relief would be at achieving the policy intent, how targeted support would be, whether it adds complexity to the tax system, and the cost.

When he plans to respond to the correspondence of 2 June from the hon. Member for Torbay.

We have received the Hon. Member’s correspondence of 2 June and we will respond shortly.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of establishing a national glaucoma pathway, in the context of similar models in (a) Wales and (b) Scotland.

In England, integrated care boards are responsible for commissioning primary and secondary eye cares services to meet identified local needs. This can include commissioning enhanced services in the community such as glaucoma referral refinement and glaucoma monitoring services.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential effectiveness of (a) the Get Set Progress scheme and (b) paid internship programmes for disabled people; and what discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues to (i) increase internships for disabled people and (ii) diversify the sources from which departments recruit.

Ministers have been encouraged by the briefing they have received on the ‘Get Set Progress’ scheme, but no assessment has been carried out by this department. Employers are crucial in enhancing employment opportunities and supporting disabled people and those with health conditions to thrive in the workforce. All employers have a duty under the Equality Act 2010 to make ‘reasonable adjustments’ in the workplace where a disabled person would otherwise be put at a substantial disadvantage compared with their colleagues. All government departments and employers must consider the Equality Act when providing internships. Civil Service internships are a matter for Government Skills, part of the Cabinet Office and supported internships are a matter for the Department for Education.

What plans he has to replace the Hawk T1 fleet used by the Red Arrows.

The Strategic Defence Review recommended that the Hawk T1 and T2 be replaced with a cost-effective advanced jet trainer. The future platform of the Royal Air Force aerobatic team is being considered at the same time, and a programme team is being established to deliver that capability.

How much funding his Department has allocated to (a) the Red Arrows and (b) other military display teams in the Spending Review 2025.

The Spending Review has set the Ministry of Defence's Departmental Expenditure Limits until Financial Year 2028-29 for Resource and until 2029-30 for Capital. These are at high-level and do not specify all spend across the Department.Funding for individual activities, such as display teams, will be decided on an annual basis as usual.

Whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of replacing the Work and Health programme that last took applicants in September 2024.

The decision to end the Work and Health Programme was made by the previous Administration. The Government is committed to reducing the disability employment gap. We have a clear ambition to raise the overall employment rate to 80%. We are delivering the biggest employment support package for disabled people and people with health conditions in more than a generation as part of our Pathways to Work Guarantee, which will provide work, health and skills support for disabled people and those with health conditions claiming out of work benefits. The Pathways to Work Guarantee is backed by £1 billion a year of new, additional funding by 2030 and a total of £2.2 billion over four years. Separate to this, our new, voluntary, locally led, Supported Employment programme, Connect to Work, is rolling out across England and Wales. Over the five-year duration of the programme, it will provide specialist employment support to over 300,000 disabled people, people with health conditions and those with complex barriers to employment. This is on top of our Jobcentre core offer, which includes the extended Restart Scheme, Disability Employment Advisers and 1000 Pathways to Work Advisers providing additional work coach support for disabled benefit recipients and those with work-limiting health conditions.

Communities and Local Government, how many civil servants are working on the communications campaign relating to pet-friendly tenancies following the Renters’ Rights Bill.

The successful implementation of the Renters’ Rights Bill is contingent on landlords, letting agents, and tenants understanding their rights and responsibilities under the new legislation. Once the Bill has achieved Royal Assent, we intend to deliver a campaign to raise awareness of the changes made by it. Publicising measures that allow tenants to request a pet will be an integral part of this campaign. It is not possible to break down costs or staffing numbers to indicate spend on specific messages relating to this Bill provision.

Communities and Local Government, how much funding her Department has allocated for the promotional campaign on pet-friendly tenancy rights following the Renters’ Rights Bill.

The successful implementation of the Renters’ Rights Bill is contingent on landlords, letting agents, and tenants understanding their rights and responsibilities under the new legislation. Once the Bill has achieved Royal Assent, we intend to deliver a campaign to raise awareness of the changes made by it. Publicising measures that allow tenants to request a pet will be an integral part of this campaign. It is not possible to break down costs or staffing numbers to indicate spend on specific messages relating to this Bill provision.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of rehoming banned breeds which have passed behavioural assessments.

In England and Wales, the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 prohibits the ownership of five types of dog; the Pit Bull terrier, the Dogo Argentino, the Fila Brasileiro, the Japanese Tosa, and the XL Bully. It is a criminal offence to sell, abandon, give away or breed any of these breed types. This is an important measure to protect public safety by reducing the number of these dogs in circulation over time.