Written questions by Dhesi.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of progress of remediation works by property management companies on properties approved for the Cladding Safety Scheme in Slough.

Speeding up the remediation of buildings throughout England is essential. More than seven years have passed since the Grenfell tragedy, yet progress remains unacceptably slow. In the Slough area, there are five live applications to the Cladding Safety Scheme - two from social sector organisations and three from private sector applicants. Of the remaining three, one began its application at the end of January and remains in the early stages of the process. Two projects are in the initial tender stage, planning their works, and we are monitoring monthly progress updates to ensure they are on track. We remain committed to driving timely progress for every building with unsafe cladding. As set out in our Remediation Acceleration plan, by intensifying efforts to identify at-risk buildings and accelerate pace of remediation for buildings, including by fully utilising the efficiencies of the Cladding Safety Scheme, we are mitigating the ongoing threat posed by unsafe cladding in the Slough area, and across the country.The Cladding Safety Scheme interacts with all applicants. It is a data-led programme designed with key performance indicators to ensure we can monitor and track progress and escalate applications as required. The system allows RAG ratings for all buildings to ensure that we are able to support and engage buildings experiencing delays or blockers. A key tenant of the programme is ensuring leaseholders and residents receive regular communications from the applicant so that they are aware of progress. In the Slough area, there are five live applications to the Cladding Safety Scheme of which two are experiencing delays. One is still within the design phase, while the other building is more complex having discovered potential additional works required. We are engaging these buildings to receive regular updates on their progress and are closely monitoring their performance. Our key focus is to support these applications to ensure progress at pace resumes to provide leaseholders and residents with the necessary comfort to know that their buildings will be remediated without further delay.

What steps her Department is taking to provide support to victims of antisocial behaviour.

Tackling anti-social behaviour is a top priority for this Government and a key part of our Safer Streets Mission.The Government’s Plan for Change, announced by the Prime Minister on 5 December, committed to a zero-tolerance approach to ASB. This will include a dedicated ASB lead officer in every police force working with communities to develop a local anti-social behaviour action plan. We will also put 13,000 neighbourhood police and community support officers into local communities so that residents have a named officer they can turn to when things go wrong.This Government will strengthen the powers available to relevant agencies to tackle ASB. We recently announced Respect Orders, which will be introduced in the forthcoming Crime and Policing Bill. Respect Orders will be applied for by police and local councils and issued by the courts. They will enable courts to place wide-ranging restrictions on the behaviour of the most persistent and disruptive ASB offenders. Breach will be a criminal offence meaning officers can arrest and act quickly to disrupt ongoing ASB. Breaches will be heard in the criminal courts who will have a wide range of sentencing options, including community orders, unlimited fines and, for the most severe cases, up to two years’ imprisonment.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent steps his Department has taken to ensure that freedom of religion or belief is (a) protected and (b) maintained internationally.

The UK remains strongly committed to freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) for all abroad. It is our firm opinion that no one should live in fear because of what they do or do not believe in. We are championing the right to FoRB and promoting tolerance and mutual respect through our engagement in multilateral fora, our bilateral work, and our programme funding, including the FCDO John Bunyan Fund, a designated programme for FoRB-focused overseas projects. The appointment of David Smith MP as the Special Envoy for FoRB is a clear signal of the UK's ongoing commitment to these efforts.

Communities and Local Government, what recent discussions she has had with property management companies which manage property in Slough with cladding that requires remediation.

Speeding up the remediation of buildings throughout England is essential. More than seven years have passed since the Grenfell tragedy, yet progress remains unacceptably slow. In the Slough area, there are five live applications to the Cladding Safety Scheme - two from social sector organisations and three from private sector applicants. Of the remaining three, one began its application at the end of January and remains in the early stages of the process. Two projects are in the initial tender stage, planning their works, and we are monitoring monthly progress updates to ensure they are on track. We remain committed to driving timely progress for every building with unsafe cladding. As set out in our Remediation Acceleration plan, by intensifying efforts to identify at-risk buildings and accelerate pace of remediation for buildings, including by fully utilising the efficiencies of the Cladding Safety Scheme, we are mitigating the ongoing threat posed by unsafe cladding in the Slough area, and across the country.The Cladding Safety Scheme interacts with all applicants. It is a data-led programme designed with key performance indicators to ensure we can monitor and track progress and escalate applications as required. The system allows RAG ratings for all buildings to ensure that we are able to support and engage buildings experiencing delays or blockers. A key tenant of the programme is ensuring leaseholders and residents receive regular communications from the applicant so that they are aware of progress. In the Slough area, there are five live applications to the Cladding Safety Scheme of which two are experiencing delays. One is still within the design phase, while the other building is more complex having discovered potential additional works required. We are engaging these buildings to receive regular updates on their progress and are closely monitoring their performance. Our key focus is to support these applications to ensure progress at pace resumes to provide leaseholders and residents with the necessary comfort to know that their buildings will be remediated without further delay.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his Pakistani counterpart on human rights in Pakistan.

Promoting human rights is an important part of the UK's diplomatic engagement in Pakistan. I raised the importance of upholding civil and political rights with senior Pakistani Ministers, including the Minister for Human Rights and Interior Minister, during my visit to Pakistan in November. We will continue to urge the Government of Pakistan to guarantee the rights of all people in accordance with Pakistan's Constitution and international standards.

Whether she has plans to introduce legislation on the use of e-scooters.

The Government recognises the depth of public concern about the longstanding question of regulation for e-scooters and the need to address it. We intend to deliver an integrated transport system that reduces emissions, improves journeys, and gives people choice over how they travel, and we are carefully considering how micromobility, including e-scooters, can help to deliver these objectives.The trials of rental e-scooters are due to run until May 2026 and will help to build our evidence base and inform options for future regulation. Findings will be published once the evaluation of the trials has finished. No decisions have been taken on regulating private e-scooters, but the Department for Transport has committed to consulting on any future regulations before they come into force so that all interested parties have the chance to shape the new regime.

What recent steps she is taking to ensure that privately owned e-scooters comply with the law.

The Department for Transport has previously written to micromobility retailers to remind them of their responsibility to provide their customers with accurate information about the legal restrictions on e-scooter use. The DVSA Market Surveillance Unit also carries out surveillance of e-scooter retailers to ensure they are being supplied in line with current legislation. When the MSU observes non-compliant advertising, they act to rectify this. Until any changes are brought forward and come into effect, private e-scooters remain illegal to use on public roads, cycle lanes and pavements, and rental e-scooters can only be used in national rental e-scooter trial areas. Law enforcement, including the enforcement of law on the road is an operational matter for the police, who will decide how to deploy available resources in dealing with all the issues for which the force is responsible, taking into account any specific local problems and demands.

What steps his Department is taking to meet national targets on urgent cancer referrals.

As we set out in our new plan for reforming elective care, we are committed to improving performance on cancer waiting times to meet national targets. Further details will be set out in our recently announced dedicated National Cancer Plan and the National Health Service’s annual operational planning guidance.We have launched a call for evidence, seeking contributions from individuals and organisations to help shape this plan, including ideas on how to meet national targets. The call for evidence can be accessed at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/calls-for-evidence/shaping-the-national-cancer-plan/shaping-the-national-cancer-plan

Whether steps his Department has taken to reduce waiting times for palliative radiotherapy treatment.

We know that patients are waiting too long for cancer treatment, and we will get the National Health Service diagnosing cancer on time or earlier, treating it faster, and we will improve patients’ experience across the system. We will also be spending £70 million on new radiotherapy machines, to ensure the most advanced treatment is available to patients who need it.

What recent steps she has taken to help ensure that privately owned electric bikes comply with the law.

All e-cycles, whether privately owned or part of a rental scheme, must comply with the Electrically Assisted Pedal Cycle Regulations 1983. The Department has published extensive guidance on this on gov.uk, which it recently updated. It also works with the cycle industry to ensure that retailers make clear to their customers what is, and what is not, a legal e-cycle. Where the requirements set out in the EAPC Regulations are not met in full, the e-cycle is classed as a motor vehicle and needs to be approved and registered with the DVLA, as well as being taxed and insured. Enforcement of these requirements is a matter for the police.

Whether he is taking steps to increase the number of clinical oncologists working within the NHS.

We remain focused on the continued delivery of education and training, to ensure that patients receive timely, high-quality care delivered by the right professionals, including for clinical oncologists. This includes refreshing our Long Term Workforce Plan demand forecasts, based on the Government’s stated objectives and financial settlements for the National Health Service.We continue to recruit priority medical specialties, including clinical oncologists. As of October 2024, there are over 1,800 full time equivalent (FTE) doctors working in the speciality of clinical oncology in NHS trusts and other core organisations in England. This is over 120, or 7.4%, more than last year, almost 470, or 34.9%, more than 2019, and over 770, or 74.5%, more than in 2010.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his counterpart in Pakistan on press freedom within Pakistan.

The UK is a champion of media freedom and proud member of the Media Freedom Coalition. We are deeply concerned by restrictions on media freedom in Pakistan and regularly raise this issue at the highest levels. I underlined the importance of upholding freedom of information when I met Pakistan's Human Rights Minister on 19 November, and discussed the safety of journalists in Parliament on 28 November. We will continue to advocate for improved legislation and stronger institutions to enable a free and independent media and ensure the safety of journalists.

If he will make an estimate of the number of NHS clinical oncologists that will be required for each of the next five years.

We remain focused on the continued delivery of education and training, to ensure that patients receive timely, high-quality care delivered by the right professionals, including for clinical oncologists. This includes refreshing our Long Term Workforce Plan demand forecasts, based on the Government’s stated objectives and financial settlements for the National Health Service.We continue to recruit priority medical specialties, including clinical oncologists. As of October 2024, there are over 1,800 full time equivalent (FTE) doctors working in the speciality of clinical oncology in NHS trusts and other core organisations in England. This is over 120, or 7.4%, more than last year, almost 470, or 34.9%, more than 2019, and over 770, or 74.5%, more than in 2010.

Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to support public libraries in Slough.

Libraries are a vital public resource, helping to inspire, educate, support and entertain people of all ages and backgrounds. The range of outcomes they help to achieve is substantial and varied, and the government is therefore committed to ensuring that libraries continue to thrive.Local authorities in England have a statutory duty under the Public Libraries and Museums Act 1964 to provide a comprehensive and efficient library service. They are responsible for assessing the needs of their local communities and designing a library service to meet those needs within available resources.The department, as part of its regular monitoring and review of changes to local authority library service provision, has engaged with Slough Council and the other Councils in Berkshire on a number of occasions to discuss issues related to their respective library service.I understand that as at 31 December 2023 the statutory library provision delivered by Slough Council was four local authority-run static libraries and of the other five Councils in Berkshire (Bracknell Forest, Reading, West Berkshire, Windsor & Maidenhead and Wokingham) there were 46 local authority-run static libraries.The government is committed to getting local government back on its feet. The final Local Government Finance Settlement for 2025-26 makes available over £69 billion for local government, which is a 6.8% cash terms increase on 2024-25.

Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the availability of public libraries in (a) Slough and (b) Berkshire.

Libraries are a vital public resource, helping to inspire, educate, support and entertain people of all ages and backgrounds. The range of outcomes they help to achieve is substantial and varied, and the government is therefore committed to ensuring that libraries continue to thrive.Local authorities in England have a statutory duty under the Public Libraries and Museums Act 1964 to provide a comprehensive and efficient library service. They are responsible for assessing the needs of their local communities and designing a library service to meet those needs within available resources.The department, as part of its regular monitoring and review of changes to local authority library service provision, has engaged with Slough Council and the other Councils in Berkshire on a number of occasions to discuss issues related to their respective library service.I understand that as at 31 December 2023 the statutory library provision delivered by Slough Council was four local authority-run static libraries and of the other five Councils in Berkshire (Bracknell Forest, Reading, West Berkshire, Windsor & Maidenhead and Wokingham) there were 46 local authority-run static libraries.The government is committed to getting local government back on its feet. The final Local Government Finance Settlement for 2025-26 makes available over £69 billion for local government, which is a 6.8% cash terms increase on 2024-25.

Whether he has made an assessment of the adequacy of funding levels for research into the (a) detection and (b) treatment of heart valve disease.

The Department funds research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The NIHR continues to welcome high quality applications for research into any aspect of human health and care, including the detection and treatment of heart valve disease.The NIHR invested a total award value of £3.4 million of funding for six research studies that focus on heart valve disease, active in the five years from April 2019 to March 2024, directly through its research programmes.The NIHR also works closely with other Government funders, including UK Research and Innovation, which is funded by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and includes the Medical Research Council, to fund research into a range of conditions, including heart valve disease, to improve detection and treatments and prevent poor health outcomes for patients.

What assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of recent trends in the level of fraud in the welfare system.

Fraud and error in the welfare system has reduced in recent years, from 4.0% in 2021/22 to 3.7% in 2023/24. This is still not good enough, so we are not resting. We agreed £8.6bn of savings at the Autumn Budget 2024, which is the biggest fraud and error package on record, which led the OBR to forecast that we will reduce fraud and error to pre-pandemic levels The Department assesses the potential implications of fraud trends firstly by dedicating ongoing resource to understand the current fraud landscape, via annual sampling exercises to measure the level of fraud currently in the welfare system*, as well as a range of analysis into current and potential future fraud trends. Secondly, the Department uses this insight to design strategies to reduce fraud currently in the welfare system and prevent new fraud from entering. Finally, the Department analyses the potential interactions between fraud and any new policies before they are implemented, to allow for any risks to be identified and mitigated. *Fraud and error in the benefit system - GOV.UK

Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the funding available for public libraries in (a) Slough and (b) Berkshire.

Libraries are a vital public resource, helping to inspire, educate, support and entertain people of all ages and backgrounds. The range of outcomes they help to achieve is substantial and varied, and the government is therefore committed to ensuring that libraries continue to thrive.Local authorities in England have a statutory duty under the Public Libraries and Museums Act 1964 to provide a comprehensive and efficient library service. They are responsible for assessing the needs of their local communities and designing a library service to meet those needs within available resources.The department, as part of its regular monitoring and review of changes to local authority library service provision, has engaged with Slough Council and the other Councils in Berkshire on a number of occasions to discuss issues related to their respective library service.I understand that as at 31 December 2023 the statutory library provision delivered by Slough Council was four local authority-run static libraries and of the other five Councils in Berkshire (Bracknell Forest, Reading, West Berkshire, Windsor & Maidenhead and Wokingham) there were 46 local authority-run static libraries.The government is committed to getting local government back on its feet. The final Local Government Finance Settlement for 2025-26 makes available over £69 billion for local government, which is a 6.8% cash terms increase on 2024-25.

What recent steps his Department has taken to increase awareness of the symptoms of heart valve disease.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD), which includes heart valve disease, is one of the key priorities for the Health Innovation Network, comprising of 15 organisations across England that operate as the innovation arm of the National Health Service. The network is committed to supporting the development of innovations across CVD clinical pathways to make high impact changes to population health. An ambition of NHS England’s Long Term Plan (LTP) is to raise awareness of the symptoms of heart failure and to ensure early and rapid access to diagnostic tests and treatment, setting out that by 2023/24, 54,000 additional people with heart failure and heart vascular disease will be detected and diagnosed in the community. The LTP also sets out that people with heart failure and heart vascular disease will be better supported by multi-disciplinary teams as part of Primary Care Networks, and that from July 2019, all patients in England have been covered by a Primary Care Network.

What recent steps his Department has taken to improve (a) the provision of and (b) access to palliative care.

Palliative care services are included in the list of services that integrated care boards (ICBs) must commission. This promotes a more consistent national approach and supports commissioners in prioritising palliative and end of life care. To support ICBs in this duty, NHS England has published statutory guidance and service specifications.NHS England has also developed a palliative and end of life care dashboard, which brings together all relevant local data in one place. The dashboard helps commissioners understand the palliative and end of life care needs of those in their local population, thereby enabling ICBs to put plans in place to address and track the improvement of health inequalities.We have committed to develop a 10-year plan, to deliver a National Health Service fit for the future, and as part of this we will carefully be considering policies, including those that impact people with palliative and end of life care needs, with input from the public, patients, health staff, and our stakeholders as we develop the plan.I met with key palliative and end of life care and hospice stakeholders on 3 February 2025 to discuss the long-term sustainability of palliative and end of life care, within the context of our 10-Year Health Plan.