Written questions by Farron.

What progress her Department has made on improving the standard of placements available to young people studying Catering T Levels in Cumbria.

The department is examining what provision will best meet the needs of employers and students in this important sector, which plays an important role in Cumbria.There are 143 level 2 and level 3 qualifications in the hospitality and catering sector for 16-19 year olds that are approved for funding in 2024/2025. Catering qualifications are not due to be defunded as part of the post 16 qualifications reform.There is a wide range of support and guidance available for employers and providers to ensure that T Level students have a high quality experience on their industry placement. This includes workshops, webinars, continuing professional development support and online guidance. Providers also receive £550 per industry placement student as part of their wider 16-19 funding allocation to support the costs of sourcing and setting up industry placements and can use their 16-19 bursary funding to support disadvantaged students to access placements.The latest data shows that 78% of 2021 T Level starters who completed an industry placement were ‘very’ or ‘quite satisfied’ with it.

Whether she plans to expand safe routes for asylum seekers.

The UK continues to welcome refugees and people in need through our existing global resettlement schemes which include the UK Resettlement Scheme (UKRS), Community Sponsorship and the Mandate Resettlement Scheme. Safe and legal routes will continue to play a vital role in our overall migration system. However, given the scale of today’s global displacement challenges, it is not possible to offer a pathway into the UK to every person who needs or wants one. Those who need international protection should claim asylum in the first safe country they reach – that is the fastest route to safety.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make it his policy to establish a Tenant Farming Commissioner.

This Government is committed to a resilient and thriving farming sector in which all farmers, including tenant farmers, are supported to deliver our food security and environmental goals. The Government is considering the role of a Commissioner for the Tenant Farming sector and will provide an update in due course.

Whether she plans to take steps to increase the number of safe routes available to people fleeing persecution.

The United Kingdom will always take seriously our responsibility alongside others to help those fleeing war and persecution, but we need a proper system where rules are enforced.Safe and legal routes will continue to play a vital role in our overall migration system.Our priority right now is the relocation of those who have been identified as eligible for resettlement under our resettlement schemes, and fixing the gaps in existing routes. That is why we have affirmed our ongoing commitment to the UK Resettlement Scheme; supported the reunification of Afghan families under the ACRS route; provided sanctuary for Ukrainians under our Ukraine schemes; and provided routes for Hong Kongers under our Hong Kong British National (Overseas) route. We will continue to keep this system under review.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will issue a revised strategic policy statement to OFWAT on its regulation of water companies.

The Government and regulators work together to drive improvements that benefit both customers and the environment and hold water companies to account where necessary through strong enforcement action. We have set clear expectations of the sector, including regulators, and will not hesitate to take further action if we do not see the necessary action. The measures that will be implemented through the Water (Special Measures) Bill are a down payment on the comprehensive reforms needed to restore our rivers, lakes, and seas to good health, meet the challenges of the future, and drive economic growthThe Secretary of State, in conjunction with the Welsh government, has launched an Independent Commission into the water sector and its regulation. The latest step in the Government’s programme to transform how our water system works. The Commission will adopt a broad scope. That will include considering the role of the regulators, ensuring they are effective for holding companies accountable, as well as establishing clear outcomes and a long-term vision for the future. The Commission will report to the Secretary of State for Environment, the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs with recommendations, in Q2 2025. The UK Government and Welsh Government will then respond and consult on proposals, including potential further legislation. The Government does not intend to issue a revised statement until after the outcomes of the independent commission.

What assessment he has made of the potential merits of introducing a specialist 21-day pancreatic cancer treatment pathway.

The Department has not made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a specialised 21-day pancreatic cancer treatment pathway. NHS England is delivering a range of interventions that are expected to improve early diagnosis and treatment for patients with suspected and diagnosed pancreatic cancer. This includes providing a route into pancreatic cancer surveillance for patients at inherited high-risk, to identify lesions before they develop into cancer, and diagnose cancers sooner.In March 2024, NHS England published guidance for providers and systems to implement a timed Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary cancer pathway with the aim of ensuring that patients with some suspected tumour types, including suspected pancreatic cancer, receive a diagnosis or have cancer ruled out within 28 days of urgent referral.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will take legislative steps to end the practice of operator self-monitoring, in the context of recent trends in the level of river pollution discharges.

The Water (Special Measures) Bill will introduce a requirement for water companies to publish information on discharges from emergency overflows in near real-time (within an hour of a discharge occurring). This requirement will be in addition to the duty coming into force for companies to publish discharges from storm overflows in near real-time. The increased availability of near real-time data will be independently scrutinised by the regulators and will fulfil the Government’s commitment to ensure independent monitoring of every outlet. The Environment Agency (EA) are already recruiting up to 500 additional staff for inspections, enforcement and stronger regulation, increasing compliance checks, and quadrupling the number of water company inspections by March next year. The increase in inspections will allow the EA to conduct more in-depth and independent audits to get to the root-cause of incidents, reducing the reliance on operator self-monitoring. On 23 October the Government launched an Independent Commission into the water sector regulatory system. The Commission includes specific objectives around ensuring water industry regulators are effective, have a clear purpose, and are empowered to hold water companies to account.

Food and Rural Affairs, how many and what proportion of officials in his Department have worked on teams covering (a) water companies and (b) sewage in each of the last five financial years.

The information requested is not held centrally and to obtain it would incur disproportionate costs.

Communities and Local Government, if she will take steps to ensure new houses are only built where there is sufficient (a) water supply and (b) sewage treatment.

I refer the Hon Member to my answer to Question UIN 9948 on 23 October 2024.

Whether his Department is planning to take steps to implement (a) a national screening programme and (b) other early diagnosis initiatives for prostate cancer.

Screening for prostate cancer is currently not recommended by the UK National Screening Committees (UK NSC). This is because of the inaccuracy of the current best test, the Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA). A PSA-based screening programme will harm some men as many would be diagnosed with a cancer that would not have caused them problems during their life. This would lead to additional tests and treatments which can also have harmful side effects, for instance sexual dysfunction and incontinence.The UK NSC regularly reviews its recommendations and the evidence review for prostate cancer screening is underway, and plans to report within the UK NSC’s three-year work plan.The evidence review includes modelling the clinical effectiveness and cost of several approaches to prostate cancer screening, including different potential ways of screening the whole population from 40 years of age onwards, and targeted screening aimed at groups of people identified as being at higher-than-average risk, such as black men or men with a family history of cancer.We are also working with NHS England to support the National Health Service to meet the Faster Diagnosis Standard for cancer to be diagnosed or ruled out within 28 days from an urgent suspected cancer referral. This includes introducing best practice timed pathways for prostate cancer to streamline diagnostic pathways and speed up diagnoses.

What plans he has to (a) expand radiotherapy services and (b) waiting times for radiotherapy treatments.

The Government knows that cancer patients are waiting too long for a diagnosis and treatment. We will get the National Health Service diagnosing cancer on time, diagnosing it earlier, and treating it faster, so that more patients survive this horrible set of diseases, and we will improve patients’ experience across the system. As part of this, we are committed to bringing down waits for cancer appointments with a Fit For the Future fund, providing the number of computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and other tests that are needed to reduce elective and cancer waiting times, thereby saving lives.The Government will continue to support the provision of radiotherapy machines, however, since April 2022 the responsibility for investing in new radiotherapy machines has been with local systems.

Whether he plans to expand the additional roles reimbursement scheme for primary care to include funding for (a) additional GPs and (b) associated reimbursement schemes for related roles.

The Government is investing £82 million to fund the recruitment of over 1,000 newly qualified general practitioners (GPs), via the Additional Roles reimbursement Scheme (ARRS), so patients can get the care they need. The ARRS is subject to annual review as part of the consultation on the GP contract with professional and patient representatives. NHS England works closely with the Department to implement any changes identified as part of this process.

Whether he plans to expand the dental recruitment incentive scheme beyond the seven surgeries in the scheme in NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board.

NHS England has published guidance for practices on the Golden Hello incentive scheme, which will encourage dentists into under-served areas through bonus payments of up to £20,000 to work there for up to three years. More information is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/dental-recruitment-incentive-scheme-2024-25/The responsibility for commissioning primary care, including dentistry, to meet the needs of the local population has been delegated to all integrated care boards (ICBs) across England. For the Westmorland and Lonsdale constituency, this is the NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria ICB. Dental practices in specific areas, determined locally, were invited by their ICB to apply for the scheme, and were notified about the outcome of their application by their local ICB.

If he will have discussions with the management of the University Teaching Hospital of Morecambe Bay Trust on the closure of the Helme Chase maternity unit at the Westmorland General Hospital.

The reconfiguration of services is a matter for integrated care boards and the local National Health Service in cases of specialised and national services. All service changes should be based on clear evidence, clinically led, and involve engagement with patients and stakeholders to ensure they will deliver better outcomes for patients.Whilst birthing services are temporarily suspended, women can continue to access antenatal and postnatal care, as well as outpatient appointments as normal at Helme Chase. The trust also offers safe home birthing and birth services at their other two units. Following a six-month suspension of birthing services, the trust is undertaking a full review of the midwifery led birth provision, and the associated staffing budget. Options have been identified to reinstate birth services at the unit and they are being consulted on with the relevant teams before a decision is made.

What plans he has to help (a) recruit and (b) retain a social care workforce in Cumbria.

The Government recognises the scale of the reforms needed to make the adult social care sector attractive. We are committed to ensuring the adult social care workforce feels supported and recognised, and that there are opportunities to develop and progress, all of which contributes to recruitment and retention. This includes: delivering the Adult Social Care Learning and Development Support Scheme; the continuing development of the Care Workforce Pathway; a universal career structure for the workforce setting out the knowledge, skills, values, and behaviours needed to work in adult social care; and launching a new Level 2 Adult Social Care Certificate qualification.We are introducing the first ever Fair Pay Agreement to the adult social care sector so that care professionals are recognised and rewarded for the important work that they do. We will engage and consult those who draw upon, work in, and provide care and support, as well as local authorities, unions, and others from across the sector, and this work will be an important part of the first step towards a National Care Service.

Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to his Department's statutory guidance entitled Dog kennel boarding licensing: statutory guidance for local authorities, updated on 1 June 2024, how many licensed kennels and catteries inspected by local authorities did not meet minimum requirements in the latest period for which data is available.

Under the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018 there are no statutory requirements for local authorities to provide Defra with information on the number of licensed businesses who do not meet minimum requirements. Local authorities are required to provide an annual return detailing the number of licences in force on 1st April each year, and the average fees associated with the grant or renewal of each licence in the preceding year. Some local authorities have provided additional information about suspended, refused or revoked licences. Data from the annual return is published by Defra and can be found here: Local Authority Licensing of Activities involving Animals returns - data.gov.uk.

Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of the number of places available for dogs and cats at Animal and Plant Health Agency licensed quarantine kennel and cattery facilities.

The number of quarantine kennels and cattery facilities is kept under constant review to ensure there is sufficient quarantine provision to preserve our high animal health and biosecurity standards.

Food and Rural Affairs, what the inspection regime is for premises licensed by the Animal and Plant Health Agency to operate as quarantine facilities.

Quarantine kennels are subject to annual authorisation by the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) for the first two years of establishment approval and authorisation every two years thereafter. Before granting a quarantine kennel licence, APHA inspects the premises. The premises must meet standard requirements for the design, construction, operation and management of a quarantine facility to ensure that full rabies security is maintained and must also meet specific welfare requirements. Every premises is overseen by a veterinary superintendent (VS) who oversees the health and welfare of the animals in the establishment’s care. The VS must visit the premises every week and submit a monthly report on the facility to APHA. APHA field vets also inspect the quarantine kennel every three months to ensure the health and welfare of the occupants is satisfactory.

Food and Rural Affairs, how many (a) dog and (b) cat places were licensed by the Animal and Plant Health Agency for quarantine in each year since 2014.

The Animal and Plant Health Agency only holds information on the number of quarantine kennels (QKs) that have been approved from 2017. The table below details the number of approved premises for each year: 20172018201920202021202220232024Number of QKs approved - dogs99777776Number of QKs approved - cats99766665 The numbers provided only cover quarantine kennels that are for public use as pet quarantine kennels. We have not included rabies quarantine facilities which includes zoo quarantine premises, research quarantine premises and 48 hours temporary holdings at ports/airports.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the animal welfare provision and conditions within the Animal and Plant Health Agency licensed quarantine kennel and cattery facilities.

The Government is committed to preserving high animal welfare and biosecurity standards. Authorised quarantine premises are approved and regularly inspected by the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) to ensure they meet the standards specified in the conditions of their authorisation, which includes welfare standards. We keep the adequacy of the animal welfare provision and conditions within authorised quarantine premises under regular review.