Written questions by Anderson.

Innovation and Technology, what progress his Department has made on gigabit voucher take-up in rural areas.

The Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme provides a subsidy of up to £4,500 towards the cost of installing gigabit-capable broadband to homes and businesses via local community broadband projects.As of March 2024, 296,400 premises were able to take-up a gigabit-capable broadband connection as a result of the Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme, the vast majority of which are in rural areas.We continue to support broadband suppliers to deliver voucher projects that have been approved as part of Project Gigabit.

What steps he is taking to increase apprenticeship opportunities within his Department.

In DBT, apprenticeships remain a core element of the learning and development offer for all employees. We are taking active steps to continue to increase apprenticeship opportunities within the Department, with commitment to our recently launched DBT Apprenticeship Plan for 2025-2026. This includes offering all new Executive Officer (EO) vacancies as apprenticeships, encouraging those at the start of their careers to consider an apprenticeship route as default.DBT are also committed to support the new ‘Civil Service Career Launch Apprenticeship’ (CLA) Programme which seeks to support individuals kickstarting their careers whilst undertaking the Level 3 Business Administration Apprenticeship, with placements launching across government and within DBT in January 2026.DBT also supports the Government’s commitment to improving digital skills through the TechTrack scheme which is committed to supporting 2,000 digital apprenticeships by 2030.

Food and Rural Affairs, how much funding has been allocated to local environmental improvement projects through the Water Restoration Fund.

The Water Restoration Fund (WRF) was established to reinvest water company environmental fines and penalties back into projects to improve the water environment. Successful applicants have been notified, with a total of £11 million, based on water company fines and penalties from April 2022 until October 2023, due to be invested into local projects to improve our waterways. Going forwards, this government has announced that over £100 million in fines and penalties levied against water companies since October 2023, as well as future fines and penalties, will be reinvested into projects to clean up our waters, which could include local environmental programmes to address pollution and improve water quality. Further details on the projects and programmes that this funding will go towards will be set out later in the year.

What steps he is taking to help reduce petrol prices in rural areas.

The Government will implement the Competition & Markets Authority's recommendation to help drive down pump prices by introducing a statutory open data scheme, Fuel Finder, at the end of 2025. This scheme will increase fuel price transparency, enabling drivers to compare prices easily and make more informed decisions on where to buy petrol and diesel. By introducing this statutory open data scheme, petrol filling stations will face increased competition, leading to a reduction in fuel prices across the UK, including in rural areas.

What steps he has taken to increase apprenticeship opportunities within his Department.

The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) is expanding apprenticeship opportunities through its upcoming Talent Strategy. With 83 apprentices currently in post, the Department is broadening the offer by launching a Social Mobility Apprenticeship Programme, procuring new contracts aligned with its core delivery and mission priorities, and promoting opportunities through targeted outreach and engagement. It is also improving the apprentice experience through stronger networks and dedicated guidance. DESNZ continues to recruit through Civil Service schemes and remains fully committed to creating meaningful, high-quality early career pathways for both new and existing staff through a growing apprenticeship offer.

What steps she is taking to improve the recruitment and retention of further education staff in rural areas.

The department has announced an additional £190 million for 16 to 19 education in 2025/26 to help colleges, schools, and other providers recruit and retain expert teachers. This is in addition to over £400 million already planned for 16 to 19 education, and £155 million to support increased National Insurance costs. It is separate from my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer’s £600 million investment to address construction sector skills shortages. This funding will be delivered nationally and support colleges across the country, including land-based colleges that play a vital role in rural areas.To support early-career further education (FE) teachers in technical subjects, the department is offering retention payments of up to £6,000 after tax in 2024/25 and 2025/26, including in rural and coastal areas.Our national 'Teach in FE' campaign raises awareness and directs prospective teachers, including industry professionals to job listings and support services.We also run ‘Taking Teaching Further’, a two-year programme helping industry experts retrain as FE teachers.Together, these initiatives support our pledge to recruit 6,500 new teachers across FE, secondary, and specialist schools during this Parliament, as part of our Plan for Change.

What steps she is taking to increase apprenticeship opportunities within her Department.

We remain committed to supporting the use of apprenticeships across all government departments to break down barriers to opportunity.A new cross-Government Level 3 apprenticeship programme in Business Administration, the ‘Civil Service Career Launch Apprenticeship’ (CLA), will see new apprentices kickstart their careers, across various departments, starting from January 2026. The Department for Work and Pensions has been supporting Cabinet Office with the development of this new scheme, sharing learning from our own school leaver Social Mobility Apprenticeship pilot, which has run successfully for the last two years, with our first cohort of school leavers all securing permanent employment within the Department. In addition, in the Department for Work and Pensions we are developing an internal apprenticeship strategy, which will utilise the flexibility provided by the new Growth and Skills Levy to develop skills and support the future needs of the Department. Expansion of opportunities to recruit new apprentices are being explored, including continued use of our Social Mobility Apprenticeship schemes and direct recruitment of apprentices into entry level roles. We have recently run two Civil Service Jobs campaigns for Level 3 apprentices in Counter Fraud and Compliance across eight locations, with our latest campaign currently at sift stage and our first learners now starting on programme. Internally, we have also recently launched new apprenticeship opportunities for existing staff, including the Level 3 Data Technician apprenticeship designed to build digital and data skills within our workforce. We are committed to Getting Britain Working, driving growth through employment. Our plan includes a new Youth Guarantee for all young people aged 18-21 in England to ensure that they can access quality training opportunities, an apprenticeship or help to find work. The Department for Work and Pensions and the Department for Education are working closely with the eight Mayoral Strategic Authorities in England who have commenced phased delivery of the Youth Guarantee Trailblazers announced in the Get Britain Working white paper from May 2025. The Department is committed to offering high quality apprenticeships for all and working with professions to identify opportunities to fulfil business needs.

What progress she has made on the expansion of mental health support teams in rural schools.

​The government will provide access to specialist mental health professionals in every school by expanding Mental Health Support Teams (MHSTs), so every child and young person has access to early support to address problems before they escalate.As of March 2025, 41% of schools and colleges worked with an MHST, representing 52% of pupils and learners across the country, and we estimate this will increase to 50% of schools and colleges by March 2026, representing 60% of pupils and learners.Data by degree of rurality shows that as of March 2025, the MHST coverage is 24% of schools in rural hamlets, 21% of schools in rural villages and 36% of schools in rural towns and fringes.The expansion of MHSTs to all schools and colleges by 2029/30 will prioritise rollout based on NHS identification of local need and reaching the most vulnerable children first.

Communities and Local Government, what the Department's long-term strategy is for enabling local communities to save valued community assets from deterioration.

Through the English Devolution Bill, we are committed to legislate for a ‘right to buy’, giving local people stronger powers to secure and preserve valued community assets if they come up for sale. We are also committed to regenerating our country’s neighbourhoods. As the chancellor announced at the spending review the government will be supporting communities with funding for up to 350 places. More details will be announced in due course.

What steps she is taking to increase the number of apprenticeship opportunities within her Department.

We remain committed to supporting the use of apprenticeships across all government departments to break down barriers to opportunity. This includes supporting the Government's commitment to 2,000 digital apprenticeships through its TechTrack scheme by 2030 to improve digital skills and drive improvements and efficiency in public services.Additionally, a new cross-Government Level 3 apprenticeship programme in Business Administration, The ‘Civil Service Career Launch Apprenticeship’, will see new apprentices kickstart their careers, across various departments, starting from January 2026.

What recent progress she has made on the implementation of the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee.

The Government is committed to strong neighbourhood policing for everyone in England and Wales, wherever they live. On 10 April, the Prime Minister and Home Secretary outlined further details about our Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee, including that by July, every community, will have named and contactable officers dedicated to addressing issues facing their communities. Local communities and businesses will also have ongoing opportunities to engage with neighbourhood teams and raise local concerns and priorities through regular local beat meetings.The Guarantee was developed through close working with the National Police Chief’s Council and other policing leads, and we continue to work closely with them to ensure it is delivered across all police forces in England and Wales.The Government has made £200 million available in FY 25/26 to support the first steps of delivering 13,000 more neighbourhood policing personnel across England and Wales, including up to 3000 additional neighbourhood officers by March 2026.

What steps she is taking to increase the number of apprenticeships available in her Department.

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave on 19th May 2025 to PQ51804.

What steps are being taken to improve the UK defence industrial base in (a) Shropshire and (b) the West Midlands.

The recent Strategic Defence Review and National Security Strategy have identified the need to grow and enhance resilience in our defence industrial base. The Defence Industrial Strategy will set out the full package of measures to make the UK a defence industrial superpower by 2035. This will include a new partnership with industry to realise defence’s potential as an engine for growth across all the nations and regions of the UK, including Shropshire and the West Midlands.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to increase the level of apprenticeship opportunities within his Department.

We remain committed to supporting the use of apprenticeships across all government departments to break down barriers to opportunity. This includes supporting the Government's commitment to 2,000 digital apprenticeships through its TechTrack scheme by 2030 to improve digital skills and drive improvements and efficiency in public services.Additionally, a new cross-Government Level 3 apprenticeship programme in Business Administration, The 'Civil Service Career Launch Apprenticeship' (CLA), will see new apprentices kickstart their careers, across various departments, starting from January 2026.We are also working on aligning our apprenticeship approach with our capability framework. For example, we are exploring new apprenticeship opportunities to scale our approach and build internal capability on Data and AI.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will increase funding for flood defence schemes in South Shropshire constituency.

We are investing £2.65 billion over two years to March 2026 to maintain, repair, and build flood defences. We’re committing a further £4.2 billion over three years from April 2026, an increase of 5% per year, as announced at Spending Review 2025. We are consulting on proposals for reforming flood defence funding, protecting all communities including rural, coastal, and poorer areas. The list of projects to receive government funding will be consented on an annual basis through Regional Flood and Coastal Committees, with local representation.

Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to help local authorities in rural areas effectively use compulsory purchase orders to bring derelict buildings back into community use.

Local authorities have various compulsory purchase powers which they can use to acquire and develop derelict or empty properties. To assist them in the use of their powers, the government has implemented the package of reforms in the Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023 to streamline and modernise the compulsory purchase order (CPO) process and clarify that local authorities’ CPO powers can be used to deliver regeneration in their areas. Further reforms to improve the CPO process and land compensation rules have been included in the Planning and Infrastructure Bill. We also publish guidance on the compulsory purchase process to help local authorities understand and use their powers.

Innovation and Technology, what steps he is taking to improve public sector delivery with (a) technologies and (b) AI.

We are taking significant steps to improve and modernise public sector delivery with (a) technology and (b) Artificial Intelligence (AI).(a) Our "Cloud First" policy mandates that departments default to public cloud solutions, whilst the National Digital Exchange (NDX) Cloud Component acts as a blueprint for transforming government digital and data services. Additionally, the Digital Backbone aims to introduce the capabilities needed to connect fragmented services and allow public bodies to share software solutions. These initiatives will enhance efficiency and reduce duplication, saving time and reducing spend.(b) We recognise the transformative potential of AI. We carried out a landmark AI trial involving 20,000 Civil Servants across 12 departments to assess the productivity of M365 Copilot, which found that civil servants can save on average 26 minutes per day (circa two weeks annually) using AI assistants. Furthermore, the Incubator for AI (i.AI) works to explore and develop AI solutions for the public sector.

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of including (a) air conditioning systems, (b) solar panels and (c) other energy-efficient installations within the scope of Improvement Relief in the context of encouraging (i) business investment and (ii) energy efficiency upgrades.

At the Autumn Budget, the government published the Transforming Business Rates Discussion Paper, which set out priority areas for reform. This paper invited industry to help co-design a fairer business rates system that supports investment and is fit for the 21st century. This paper sought views on the efficacy of Improvement Relief, which was introduced in April 2024 and provides 12 months of relief for qualifying improvements to a property where this increases a property’s RV, including air conditioning systems. In summer, the Government will publish an interim report that sets out a clear direction of travel for the business rates system, with further policy detail to follow at Autumn Budget 2025. Eligible plant and machinery used in onsite renewable energy generation and storage, such as rooftop solar panels, wind turbines, and battery storage, are exempt from business rates from 1 April 2022 until 31 March 2035.

What estimate her Department has made of the number of businesses that will no longer be eligible for Small Business Rate Relief as a result of rateable value increases at the 2026 revaluation.

Small Business Rate Relief (SBRR) is available to businesses with a single property below a set rateable value (RV). Eligible properties under £12,000 will receive 100 per cent relief, which means over a third of businesses in England (more than 700,000) pay no business rates at all. There is also tapered support available to properties valued between £12,000 and £15,000. The upcoming 2026 revaluation will update RVs to reflect their estimated market value at the 1 April 2024 valuation date. The VOA will publish the draft list of all RVs in the Autumn.

What steps he is taking to improve access to healthcare facilities in rural areas.

Since June 2022, the 42 integrated care boards (ICBs) across England have been responsible for arranging National Health Service healthcare services which meet the needs of their respective populations, reflecting the diversity of need within these. The local ICB is therefore responsible for ensuring that NHS services are accessible in their area.NHS England is responsible for funding allocations to ICBs. This process is independent of the Government, and NHS England takes advice on the underlying formula from the independent Advisory Committee on Resource Allocation (ACRA).The ACRA endorsed the introduction of a new community services formula, that they believe will better recognise needs for much older populations with higher needs for certain community services which on average tend to be in some rural, coastal, and remote areas.Work is also underway across the Department and with NHS England and the regional directors of public health to develop approaches to address regional health inequalities. In line with the Government’s Health Mission, the Department’s goal is to create a more equitable healthcare system that leaves no person or community behind.