Written questions by Darling.

Innovation and Technology, what quality assurance is in place to ensure that when a licence is issued for small-scale digital deployment, the coverage delivered aligns with the planned coverage; and how her Department works with operators to ensure an appropriate level of service is maintained.

Localised networks, such as private mobile networks, are delivered by a wide range of providers to support connectivity for particular users, for example, for business and organisations in sectors such as manufacturing and healthcare. This is different from the coverage provided by the Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) through their national networks, for which we have set the national ambition. For these localised networks, coverage and service levels are typically agreed between the service provider and its customers, and this will vary significantly between different uses. As such, coverage and service levels are not routinely monitored.

Innovation and Technology, what discussions she has had with Ofcom on ensuring that there is adequate telecommunications coverage across the South West region.

Ofcom publishes figures on mobile and fixed broadband coverage across the UK twice a year in their Connected Nations report. The full report for 2025 is expected to be published by the end of this year.Ofcom does not publish aggregate coverage figures at a regional level in their Connected Nations reports but does do so at a Local Authority and Westminster constituency level. There have already been mobile coverage uplifts across the South West from the Shared Rural Network programme, with further improvements to come in the region from the publicly funded element of the programme in Dartmoor and Exmoor.Additionally, to improve gigabit broadband coverage, Openreach, Wildanet, Gigaclear and Wessex Internet are delivering a number of Project Gigabit contracts across the South West.

Communities and Local Government, when he plans to announce the prospectus for round 4 of the local authority housing fund.

We aim to publish the prospectus for Round 4 by the end of this year, to allow local authorities sufficient time to prepare for delivery to begin in April 2026.The £950 million fourth round of Local Authority Housing Fund will primarily support local authorities in England to increase the supply of better-quality temporary accommodation and drive down the use of Bed and Breakfasts for families with children.It will also provide safe and suitable housing for those on the Afghan Resettlement Programme (ARP), to fulfil the UK’s humanitarian duties to assist those who assisted British efforts in Afghanistan and are at risk of homelessness.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of introducing specialist support measures to support unpaid carers into employment.

Unpaid carers play a vital role in our communities, and we all owe them a debt of gratitude. We know that for the vast majority of people, care begins at home with their families. Many people wish to play a role in caring for their friends and family, and we recognise that for some this can be a significant commitment. We are committed to supporting carers to balance unpaid care with paid work where this is feasible. Customers providing care for fewer than 35 hours a week receive personalised support through their Jobcentre Plus work coach to help them find work and their work expectation is tailored to fit caring responsibilities. Support includes identifying skills gaps and referral to skills training, careers advice, job search support, volunteering opportunities and access to the Flexible Support Fund to aid job entry. Unemployed customers who require more intensive employment support can also be referred to the Restart programme. DWP also provides information to help carers and potential unpaid carers make informed decisions about combining work and care through their JobHelp Care choices site. The Get Britain Working White Paper sets out our ambition to reform Jobcentre Plus and create a new service across Great Britain that will enable everyone, to access good, meaningful work, and support them to progress in work, including through an enhanced focus on skills and careers. The new Jobs and Careers Service will be universal to all - regardless of their barriers to work - and the principles of accessibility and inclusivity will be core to service design.

What steps his Department is taking to support unpaid carers into paid employment.

The Government is committed to supporting carers to balance unpaid care with paid work where this is feasible. Eligible carers may still receive benefits while working, allowing them to increase their overall income. Support includes identifying skills gaps and referral to skills training, careers advice, job search support, volunteering opportunities and access to the Flexible Support Fund to aid job entry. Unemployed customers who require more intensive employment support can also be referred to the Restart programme. Customers providing care for fewer than 35 hours a week receive personalised support through their Jobcentre Plus work coach to help them find work and their work expectation is tailored to fit caring responsibilities. For unpaid carers who are entitled to Carer’s Allowance, we have introduced the largest increase in the earnings limit since Carer’s Allowance was introduced in 1976. The earnings limit is now 16 hours work at National Living Wage levels and over 60,000 additional people will be able to receive Carer’s Allowance between 2025/26 and 2029/30. DWP also provides information to help carers and potential unpaid carers make informed decisions about combining work and care through their JobHelp Care choices site.

How many unpaid carers have been supported into work through his Department's employment support programmes in the last 12 months.

The Government is committed to supporting carers to balance unpaid care with paid work where this is feasible. Eligible carers may still receive benefits while working, allowing them to increase their overall income. The information requested is currently not available. However, support provided by the department includes identifying skills gaps and referral to skills training, careers advice, job search support, volunteering opportunities, localised support and access to the Flexible Support Fund to aid job entry. Unemployed customers who require more intensive employment support can also be referred to the Restart programme or Connect to Work. DWP also provides information to help carers and potential unpaid carers make informed decisions about combining work and care through their JobHelp Care choices site. The Get Britain Working White Paper sets out our ambition to reform Jobcentre Plus and create a new service across Great Britain that will enable everyone, to access good, meaningful work, and support them to progress in work, including through an enhanced focus on skills and careers. The new Jobs and Careers Service will be universal to all - regardless of their barriers to work - and the principles of accessibility and inclusivity will be core to service design.

What estimate his Department has made of the potential impact of supporting unpaid carers into employment on the economy.

Unpaid carers play a vital role in our communities, and we all owe them a debt of gratitude. We know that for the vast majority of people, care begins at home with their families. Many people wish to play a role in caring for their friends and family, and we recognise that for some this can be a significant commitment.  We are committed to supporting carers to balance unpaid care with paid work where this is feasible. Whilst there is no formal impact assessment of the impact of supporting unpaid carers into employment on the economy, unpaid carers who claim DWP benefits and provide care for fewer than 35 hours a week receive personalised support through their Jobcentre Plus work coach to help them find work and their work expectation is tailored to fit caring responsibilities. DWP also provides information to help carers and potential unpaid carers make informed decisions about combining work and care through their JobHelp Care choices site.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of changes to the funding of the International Baccalaureate on (a) staffing levels and (b) curriculum breadth in state schools.

The department has made significant investments into 16 to 19 education funding. The base rate of funding per student has increased to £5,105 in 2025/26, up over 5% in comparison to last year. But we must make this funding work hard, tilting it towards key priorities. That is why the department has announced that we will focus large programme uplift funding, which is on top of the base funding, on those large programmes which include mathematics, further mathematics and other high value A levels. 16 to 19 funded institutions have the freedom to decide how they use their funding for the provision they offer, including whether they offer the International Baccalaureate. The impact of the scenarios referred to in the questions will depend on choices made by institutions.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of reducing funding for International Baccalaureate qualifications on trends in the difference in academic results between state and private schools.

The department has made significant investments into 16 to 19 education funding. The base rate of funding per student has increased to £5,105 in 2025/26, up over 5% in comparison to last year. But we must make this funding work hard, tilting it towards key priorities. That is why the department has announced that we will focus large programme uplift funding, which is on top of the base funding, on those large programmes which include mathematics, further mathematics and other high value A levels. 16 to 19 funded institutions have the freedom to decide how they use their funding for the provision they offer, including whether they offer the International Baccalaureate. The impact of the scenarios referred to in the questions will depend on choices made by institutions.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of reducing funding for International Baccalaureate qualifications on social mobility for (a) students in state schools seeking (i) international and (ii) medical university places and (b) other students.

The department has made significant investments into 16 to 19 education funding. The base rate of funding per student has increased to £5,105 in 2025/26, up over 5% in comparison to last year. But we must make this funding work hard, tilting it towards key priorities. That is why the department has announced that we will focus large programme uplift funding, which is on top of the base funding, on those large programmes which include mathematics, further mathematics and other high value A levels. 16 to 19 funded institutions have the freedom to decide how they use their funding for the provision they offer, including whether they offer the International Baccalaureate. The impact of the scenarios referred to in the questions will depend on choices made by institutions.

For what reason it is her policy to reduce state school funding for the International Baccalaureate from 2026.

The department has made significant investments into 16 to 19 education funding. The base rate of funding per student has increased to £5,105 in 2025/26, up over 5% in comparison to last year. But we must make this funding work hard, tilting it towards key priorities. That is why the department has announced that we will focus large programme uplift funding, which is on top of the base funding, on those large programmes which include mathematics, further mathematics and other high value A levels. 16 to 19 funded institutions have the freedom to decide how they use their funding for the provision they offer, including whether they offer the International Baccalaureate. The impact of the scenarios referred to in the questions will depend on choices made by institutions.

If she will make an estimate of the average reduction in funding to each state school affected by the planned reduction in funding for the International Baccalaureate.

The department has made very significant investments into 16 to 19 education funding. The base rate of funding per student has increased to £5,105 in 2025/26, up over 5% on last year. We must make this funding work hard, tilting it towards key priorities. That is why we have announced that we will focus large programme uplift funding (LPU), which is on top of the base funding, on those large programmes which include maths, further maths and other high value A levels. We have informed institutions most affected by the change in LPU funding that we will calculate transitional protection funding for one year. This should enable institutions to support students in completing larger programmes that will no longer attract the LPU. 16 to 19 funded institutions have the freedom to decide how they use their funding for the provision they offer, including whether they offer the International Baccalaureate. The impact of the scenarios referred to in the questions will depend on choices made by institutions.

Whether she plans to issue guidance to affected schools on managing the planned reduction in funding for the International Baccalaureate.

The department has made very significant investments into 16 to 19 education funding. The base rate of funding per student has increased to £5,105 in 2025/26, up over 5% on last year. We must make this funding work hard, tilting it towards key priorities. That is why we have announced that we will focus large programme uplift funding (LPU), which is on top of the base funding, on those large programmes which include maths, further maths and other high value A levels. We have informed institutions most affected by the change in LPU funding that we will calculate transitional protection funding for one year. This should enable institutions to support students in completing larger programmes that will no longer attract the LPU. 16 to 19 funded institutions have the freedom to decide how they use their funding for the provision they offer, including whether they offer the International Baccalaureate. The impact of the scenarios referred to in the questions will depend on choices made by institutions.

What discussions her Department has had with the International Baccalaureate Organisation on the withdrawal of state funding support.

The department has made very significant investments into 16 to 19 education funding. The base rate of funding per student has increased to £5,105 in 2025/26, up over 5% on last year. We must make this funding work hard, tilting it towards key priorities. That is why we have announced that we will focus large programme uplift funding (LPU), which is on top of the base funding, on those large programmes which include maths, further maths and other high value A levels. We have informed institutions most affected by the change in LPU funding that we will calculate transitional protection funding for one year. This should enable institutions to support students in completing larger programmes that will no longer attract the LPU. 16 to 19 funded institutions have the freedom to decide how they use their funding for the provision they offer, including whether they offer the International Baccalaureate. The impact of the scenarios referred to in the questions will depend on choices made by institutions.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of changes in the level of funding for the International Baccalaureate on the number of students learning foreign languages in state schools.

The department has made very significant investments into 16 to 19 education funding. The base rate of funding per student has increased to £5,105 in 2025/26, up over 5% on last year. We must make this funding work hard, tilting it towards key priorities. That is why we have announced that we will focus large programme uplift funding (LPU), which is on top of the base funding, on those large programmes which include maths, further maths and other high value A levels. We have informed institutions most affected by the change in LPU funding that we will calculate transitional protection funding for one year. This should enable institutions to support students in completing larger programmes that will no longer attract the LPU. 16 to 19 funded institutions have the freedom to decide how they use their funding for the provision they offer, including whether they offer the International Baccalaureate. The impact of the scenarios referred to in the questions will depend on choices made by institutions.

Whether her Department has considered the potential impact for reducing funding for the International Baccalaureate on (a) the number of university admissions and (b) the representation of state-educated students at (i) Oxford, (b) Cambridge and (c) other leading institutions.

The department has made very significant investments into 16 to 19 education funding. The base rate of funding per student has increased to £5,105 in 2025/26, up over 5% on last year. We must make this funding work hard, tilting it towards key priorities. That is why we have announced that we will focus large programme uplift funding (LPU), which is on top of the base funding, on those large programmes which include maths, further maths and other high value A levels. We have informed institutions most affected by the change in LPU funding that we will calculate transitional protection funding for one year. This should enable institutions to support students in completing larger programmes that will no longer attract the LPU. 16 to 19 funded institutions have the freedom to decide how they use their funding for the provision they offer, including whether they offer the International Baccalaureate. The impact of the scenarios referred to in the questions will depend on choices made by institutions.

What estimate she has made of the potential number of redundancies as a result of changes in the level of funding for the International Baccalaureate in the state sector.

The department has made very significant investments into 16 to 19 education funding. The base rate of funding per student has increased to £5,105 in 2025/26, up over 5% on last year. We must make this funding work hard, tilting it towards key priorities. That is why we have announced that we will focus large programme uplift funding (LPU), which is on top of the base funding, on those large programmes which include maths, further maths and other high value A levels. We have informed institutions most affected by the change in LPU funding that we will calculate transitional protection funding for one year. This should enable institutions to support students in completing larger programmes that will no longer attract the LPU. 16 to 19 funded institutions have the freedom to decide how they use their funding for the provision they offer, including whether they offer the International Baccalaureate. The impact of the scenarios referred to in the questions will depend on choices made by institutions.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of changes to the funding for the International Baccalaureate on (a) school culture and (b) the retention of teaching staff.

The department has made very significant investments into 16 to 19 education funding. The base rate of funding per student has increased to £5,105 in 2025/26, up over 5% on last year. We must make this funding work hard, tilting it towards key priorities. That is why we have announced that we will focus large programme uplift funding (LPU), which is on top of the base funding, on those large programmes which include maths, further maths and other high value A levels. We have informed institutions most affected by the change in LPU funding that we will calculate transitional protection funding for one year. This should enable institutions to support students in completing larger programmes that will no longer attract the LPU. 16 to 19 funded institutions have the freedom to decide how they use their funding for the provision they offer, including whether they offer the International Baccalaureate. The impact of the scenarios referred to in the questions will depend on choices made by institutions.

If he will publish all changes to guidance for civil servants issuing Access to Work grants issued since 2020.

Minor changes to guidance have been made to increase readability and operational understanding for civil servants issuing Access to Work grants. More significantly, existing guidance has been applied more consistently. No changes have been made to Access to Work policy, and we will announce any changes prior to them being implemented.

What estimate he has made of the average savings per claimant to his Department from passing costs previously covered by Access to Work to employers.

No such transfer has been made. No changes have been made to Access to Work policy, and we will announce any changes prior to them being implemented. We will be reviewing all aspects of the Scheme now that the consultation on the Pathways to Work Green Paper has closed.