Written questions by Darling.

Whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a national framework inclusion strategy on accessible and inclusive banking.

Ensuring all individuals have access to the appropriate financial services and products they need is a key priority for Government and is vital to supporting people’s financial resilience and wellbeing. It is also an essential part of achieving inclusive growth and ensuring individuals are able to fully participate in the economy.As part of prioritising financial inclusion, the Government is working closely with the financial services sector to roll out at least 350 banking hubs which provide individuals and businesses up and down the country with in-person cash and banking services. I am committed to considering what more can be done to support accessible and inclusive banking for all.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department is taking steps to help increase the population of wild beavers.

The Government supports species reintroductions where there are clear benefits for nature, people and the environment. All reintroductions in England are expected to follow the Code for Reintroductions and other Conservation Translocations. We will continue to work with Natural England to develop our approach to beaver reintroductions in England.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will hold discussions with the Secretary of State for the Home Department on the potential merits of amending visa rules for fishing crew to provide additional (a) employment and (b) welfare rights.

The Government understands that there are labour shortages across our seafood sectors, and ensuring sufficient labour availability in critical sectors is a Defra priority. The welfare of workers is of utmost importance to this Government as we look to build a coherent approach to skills, migration and labour market policy.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to protect fishing grounds in the context of the increase in (a) offshore wind energy developments and (b) protected areas.

Food security is national security. That is why the new Government will always back our great British fishing industry. We are engaging with industry and across Government on the spatial prioritisation programme to champion to protect the fishing sector. We will go further by tearing down unnecessary trade barriers that block our fishing exports and push for more fish to be caught in British waters.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will take steps to develop a national fishing strategy.

I have recently heard the representations of the National Federation of Fishermen’s Organisations and others on the benefits of a national fishing strategy. This is something to discuss further with the industry and with colleagues in the Devolved Administrations given fisheries issues are largely devolved.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department plans to provide grant funding to support the modernisation of the fishing industry.

Decisions on future funding for the fishing industry will be taken through the Spending Review processes and in light of Government priorities, including food security, protecting nature and growing the economy.Food security is national security, and a sustainable fishing industry is an important part of that. Decisions on future funding for the fishing industry will be taken through the Spending Review processes. Discussions on the opportunities and challenges facing the industry over the last two months have been helpful in gaining an understanding of what other types of support or Government action may be appropriate. These discussions will continue.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will take steps to introduce incentives to replace older fishing vessels with fuel-efficient alternatives.

Decisions on future funding for the fishing industry will be taken through the Spending Review processes and in light of Government priorities, including food security, protecting nature and growing the economy.Food security is national security, and a sustainable fishing industry is an important part of that. Decisions on future funding for the fishing industry will be taken through the Spending Review processes. Discussions on the opportunities and challenges facing the industry over the last two months have been helpful in gaining an understanding of what other types of support or Government action may be appropriate. These discussions will continue.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will take steps to provide grant funding for the refurbishment of (a) fishing ports and (b) processing infrastructure.

Decisions on future funding for the fishing industry will be taken through the Spending Review processes and in light of Government priorities, including food security, protecting nature and growing the economy.Food security is national security, and a sustainable fishing industry is an important part of that. Decisions on future funding for the fishing industry will be taken through the Spending Review processes. Discussions on the opportunities and challenges facing the industry over the last two months have been helpful in gaining an understanding of what other types of support or Government action may be appropriate. These discussions will continue.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of (a) providing additional Government funding and (b) co-funding with fishing groups to help improve the development of fisheries management plans.

Decisions on future funding for the fishing industry will be taken through the Spending Review processes and in light of Government priorities, including food security, protecting nature and growing the economy.Food security is national security, and a sustainable fishing industry is an important part of that. Decisions on future funding for the fishing industry will be taken through the Spending Review processes. Discussions on the opportunities and challenges facing the industry over the last two months have been helpful in gaining an understanding of what other types of support or Government action may be appropriate. These discussions will continue.

Whether the Government plans to take steps to increase transparency around the recruitment of Deputy Police and Crime Commissioners.

The arrangements enabling a Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) to appoint a deputy and the functions a deputy can exercise, are set out within the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011.Before appointing a deputy, a PCC must notify the local Po...

What guidance her Department provides on rules governing the recruitment of Deputy Police and Crime Commissioners.

The arrangements enabling a Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) to appoint a deputy and the functions a deputy can exercise, are set out within the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011.Before appointing a deputy, a PCC must notify the local Po...

What progress she has made on (a) rail and (b) station improvements in (i) Torbay and (ii) Devon.

The Chancellor set out on 29 July a range of pressures on public spending, including £2.9 billion of unfunded transport specific spending. Following this, the Secretary of State’s Written Ministerial Statement on 30 July set out that the Department is undertaking an internal review of its capital spend portfolio. This will support the development of our new long-term strategy for transport.The review will consider several projects under the former Restoring Your Railway programme.Any decisions about the capital spend portfolio will be subject to broader discussions and fiscal decisions made at Budget and Spending Review.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will take steps to ensure water quality monitoring data is published all year round.

The Environment Act places monitoring duties on the water industry to improve transparency and reduce harm from sewage discharges. As outlined in Section 82, the Continuous Water Quality Monitoring programme will require water companies to continuously measure the quality of water upstream and downstream of their storm overflows and sewage disposal works. In addition, the Government’s Water (Special Measures) Bill will require independent event duration monitoring of all sewage outlets, to support greater scrutiny of water company activity.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he plans to take to help improve the quality of bathing water around Britain's shores.

During the bathing water season, the Environment Agency (EA) will carry out a sampling programme at the 451 designated bathing water sites in England to provide robust monitoring of water quality. The EA will also have action plans with clear objectives for every designated bathing water that is classified ‘poor’ or is at risk of being so. Targeted action and partnership working can have a significant positive impact on bathing water quality and the EA will work with partners, water companies and local communities to improve and protect water quality. The Water (Special Measures) Bill also delivers on our manifesto commitment to put water companies under tough special measures by strengthening regulation and begin the work of cleaning up our rivers, lakes, bathing waters and seas.

What estimate she has made of the number of (a) private school pupils in (i) Devon, (ii) Torbay and (iii) Plymouth who will transfer into the state sector in this and each of the next five years and (b) surplus places in state secondary schools in each of those areas in each of those years.

This government is committed to ending the VAT exemption that private schools enjoy. The impact of this policy is being fully considered. As part of this process, the department is sharing sector insights, including input from school leadership, student perspectives and input from parents and caregivers. Following scrutiny by the Office for Budget Responsibility, further details of the government’s assessment of the expected impact will be published at the Budget in the usual way. The department will be monitoring demand and capacity using its normal processes and working with local authorities to meet any pressures. Institute for Fiscal Studies research indicates that the number of pupils who may switch schools as a result of these changes is likely to represent a very small proportion of overall pupil numbers in the state sector. The government expects any displacement to take place over several years, reducing immediate pressures. This research can be found here: https://ifs.org.uk/articles/how-should-we-interpret-parties-public-spending-pledges-election and https://ifs.org.uk/publications/tax-private-school-fees-and-state-school-spending. The department cannot be certain of the precise level, if any, of transfer from independent to state sectors additional to the movements between schools, and between the private and state sectors, which happen each year in all parts of the country.

Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of placing a duty on local authorities to provide overnight parking for motorhomes on local authority owned land.

Parking is the responsibility of local authorities, and it is for them to determine what is best for their own area. My department has no plans to consider such a duty.Should members of the public wish to influence policies, statutory guidance allows local residents to petition their Local Council to initiate a formal review of parking policies in their area. Councillors will then vote on the action to be taken.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to her Department's policy paper entitled Our Long-Term Plan for Towns, published on 1 October 2023, what her planned timetable is for providing targeted support to Torquay.

The government has inherited an extremely difficult fiscal environment and has a responsibility to fix the foundations of our economy, to ensure economic stability.The department will set out further details on next steps and confirmation of the revised timelines in due course.

What steps his Department is taking to reduce the waiting list for NHS dentists in Torbay.

The Government will tackle the immediate crisis with a rescue plan to provide 700,000 more urgent dental appointments and recruit new dentists to the areas that need them most.Patients in England are not registered with a National Health Service dental practice, although many NHS dental practices do tend to see patients regularly. NHS dentists are required to keep their NHS website profiles up to date so that patients can find a dentist more easily. This includes information on whether they are accepting new patients. In circumstances where patients are unable to access an urgent dental appointment directly through an NHS dental practice, they should contact NHS 111.From 1 April 2023 the responsibility for commissioning primary care dentistry to meet the needs of the local population has been delegated to integrated care boards (ICBs) across England. ICBs are responsible for having local processes in place to involve patient groups, and for undertaking oral health needs assessments, to identify areas of need and determine the priorities for investment.

Media and Sport, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a registration scheme for short term lets.

Short-term lets are an integral part of what the UK has to offer visitors. They can bring a range of benefits to local and national economies, but communities in tourismdestinations, particularly coastal and rural communities, must be able to reap the benefit of thriving tourism without losing the spirit of their community when the holiday season ends.Parliament legislated for a registration scheme for short-term lets in the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act 2023 and we are working on precisely how to implement that statutoryrequirement.

Media and Sport, what funding her Department plans to allocate to the Devon Local Visitor Economy Partnership.

The Department does not allocate funds to Local Visitor Economy Partnerships (LVEPs) directly, but has allocated £7.15 million in core funding to its arm’s-length body VisitEngland, plus £1.35 million for destination management organisations; and VisitEngland has accredited Devon and partners which can apply for VisitBritain/VisitEngland grant funding programmes.