Written questions by Perkins.

What assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of current levels of global (a) production capacity of Sustainable Aviation Fuel and (b) demand for Sustainable Aviation Fuel.

Significant analysis was undertaken during the development of the Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Mandate. Government considered global production capacity and the UK’s ability to access SAF for a range of SAF conversion processes, including hydroprocessed esters and fatty acids (HEFA). To ensure the SAF Mandate reflects the latest technological and commercial developments, there is continuous monitoring of trends and impacts of the Mandate. HEFA will play an important role in the global SAF sector, particularly in the early years of the Mandate. However, the HEFA cap is to encourage the development of new technology pathways so that meeting the SAF Mandate is not reliant on HEFA feedstocks, which are likely to become scarcer. We have carefully balanced setting the HEFA cap in a way that recognises the fact HEFA is the only currently commercially available type of SAF to mitigate against unintended consequences. The corresponding EU SAF Mandate does not place a cap on HEFA, however, the EU’s overarching Renewable Energy Directive does place a limit on certain feedstocks that can be used across transport uses. Officials regularly engage with European counterparts and stakeholders to understand policy developments in the EU and share learnings from SAF policy.

What assessment he has made of the potential merits of carbon capture, utilisation and storage on safeguarding domestic foundation industries, including cement and lime, while meeting the UK’s carbon budgets.

The emissions of some foundational industries, such as refining and cement and lime, are mainly from processes that cannot be reduced by fuel switching. The CCC have said that CCS would be responsible for 62%% of emissions reductions in the cement and lime sectors by 2050. We have signed a contract with the UK’s first carbon capture-enabled cement plant at Padeswood, which located in the HyNet carbon capture cluster, to receive support under the ICC business model. This will forge a cleaner future with secure, long-term jobs for workers and businesses in the cement industry. The Peak Cluster project plans to deploy CCS to decarbonise cement and lime sites in the Peak District. This could decarbonise 35% of the UK’s cement and lime emissions, as well as create and protect 3,500 jobs.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of the definition of hunting in the Hunting Act 2004.

The department has made no such assessment.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her polices of levels of (a) crimes committed and (b) prosecutions secured for offences under the Hunting Act 2004.

The department has made no such assessments.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the cap on Hydroprocessed esters and fatty acids (HEFA) in Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) on fulfilling the SAF mandate.

Significant analysis was undertaken during the development of the Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Mandate. Government considered global production capacity and the UK’s ability to access SAF for a range of SAF conversion processes, including hydroprocessed esters and fatty acids (HEFA). To ensure the SAF Mandate reflects the latest technological and commercial developments, there is continuous monitoring of trends and impacts of the Mandate. HEFA will play an important role in the global SAF sector, particularly in the early years of the Mandate. However, the HEFA cap is to encourage the development of new technology pathways so that meeting the SAF Mandate is not reliant on HEFA feedstocks, which are likely to become scarcer. We have carefully balanced setting the HEFA cap in a way that recognises the fact HEFA is the only currently commercially available type of SAF to mitigate against unintended consequences. The corresponding EU SAF Mandate does not place a cap on HEFA, however, the EU’s overarching Renewable Energy Directive does place a limit on certain feedstocks that can be used across transport uses. Officials regularly engage with European counterparts and stakeholders to understand policy developments in the EU and share learnings from SAF policy.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of capital investment in SME industrial units in former coalfield communities, including proposals put forward by the Coalfields Regeneration Trust, on economic growth.

I recognise the excellent work of the Coalfields Regeneration Trust, supporting coalfield communities across the country reach their full potential. I met with the Trust recently to hear more about this work and their future ambitions. Our Pride in Place strategy sets out how we will support the most in-need communities to deliver their local priorities. The £5.8 billion Pride in Place programme and the £150 million Pride in Place Impact Fund will support many coalfield communities. However beyond these, every part of the country benefits from our wider Pride in Place strategy to put people in control of their neighbourhoods. We are working to improve high streets through initiatives such as High Street Rental Auctions; the Community Right to Buy, giving communities the chance to take ownership of valued buildings; and streamlining the compulsory purchase process to support regeneration.

What plans his Department has to support the national rollout of community-led employment programmes such as JobsPlus following the conclusion of the pilot phase.

Jobs Plus is a community-led model with strong potential to tackle inactivity and unemployment. The Department is testing the model in ten social housing neighbourhoods to generate evidence on place-based support. The pilots will be evaluated to assess their effectiveness in helping people enter and remain in work. We will carefully consider what we have learnt from these pilots as we develop our future employment support offer and make decisions on future funding.

Media and Sport, what estimate she has made of the number of a) adults and b) children, by gender, participating in i) Football ii) Rugby Union iii) Tennis iv) Cricket v) Boxing vi) Athletics vii) Rugby League viii) Golf ix) Gymnastics x) Netball xi) Basketball in 2025.

The Government tracks activity levels through Sport England’s Active Lives surveys. Two surveys run annually: Active Lives Adult, and Active Lives Children and Young People. These surveys measure the activity levels of people across England and allows the Government to collect accurate data on what and how much sport and physical activity different groups are participating in. You can find out more about the surveys on Sport England's website. The figures for the Active Lives Adult Survey covering November 2024 to November 2025 will be published by Sport England on 23 April 2026.The figures for the Active Lives Children and Young People survey who participated at least once a week in the Academic Year 2024/25 can be found in the attached PDF.

If his Department will provide long-term funding for the JobsPlus programme.

Jobs Plus is a community-led model with strong potential to tackle inactivity and unemployment. The Department is testing the model in ten social housing neighbourhoods to generate evidence on place-based support. The pilots will be evaluated to assess their effectiveness in helping people enter and remain in work. We will carefully consider what we have learnt from these pilots as we develop our future employment support offer and make decisions on future funding.

Communities and Local Government, what discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the proposed £50 million capital investment in the Coalfields Regeneration Trust to support SME industrial development.

I recognise the excellent work of the Coalfields Regeneration Trust, supporting coalfield communities across the country reach their full potential. I met with the Trust recently to hear more about this work and their future ambitions. Our Pride in Place strategy sets out how we will support the most in-need communities to deliver their local priorities. The £5.8 billion Pride in Place programme and the £150 million Pride in Place Impact Fund will support many coalfield communities. However beyond these, every part of the country benefits from our wider Pride in Place strategy to put people in control of their neighbourhoods. We are working to improve high streets through initiatives such as High Street Rental Auctions; the Community Right to Buy, giving communities the chance to take ownership of valued buildings; and streamlining the compulsory purchase process to support regeneration.

What discussions he has had with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence on access to fampridine for people with multiple sclerosis in England.

Health is a devolved matter and decisions on the availability of medicines in the devolved administrations are a matter for their own governments.Ministers and Department officials have had no recent discussions with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) about access to fampridine. NICE’s updated guideline on the diagnosis and management of multiple sclerosis (MS) in adults, published in June 2022, recommends that fampridine should not be offered to treat mobility issues in people with MS as it is not found to be a cost-effective treatment at the current list price. NICE keeps its guidance under active surveillance and decisions on whether published guidelines should be updated in light of new evidence are taken by the NICE prioritisation board, chaired by the NICE Chief Medical Officer, in line with its published prioritisation framework. NICE has indicated that it has no current plans to review its recommendations on fampridine.

Whether he has made a comparative assessment of the adequacy of availability of fampridine (fampyra) for patients across the four nations of the UK.

Health is a devolved matter and decisions on the availability of medicines in the devolved administrations are a matter for their own governments.Ministers and Department officials have had no recent discussions with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) about access to fampridine. NICE’s updated guideline on the diagnosis and management of multiple sclerosis (MS) in adults, published in June 2022, recommends that fampridine should not be offered to treat mobility issues in people with MS as it is not found to be a cost-effective treatment at the current list price. NICE keeps its guidance under active surveillance and decisions on whether published guidelines should be updated in light of new evidence are taken by the NICE prioritisation board, chaired by the NICE Chief Medical Officer, in line with its published prioritisation framework. NICE has indicated that it has no current plans to review its recommendations on fampridine.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of place-based employment support programmes such as JobsPlus on levels of economic inactivity and unemployment.

Jobs Plus is a community-led model with strong potential to tackle inactivity and unemployment. The Department is testing the model in ten social housing neighbourhoods to generate evidence on place-based support. The pilots will be evaluated to assess their effectiveness in helping people enter and remain in work. We will carefully consider what we have learnt from these pilots as we develop our future employment support offer and make decisions on future funding.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of expanding the number of JobsPlus sites.

Jobs Plus is a community-led model with strong potential to tackle inactivity and unemployment. The Department is testing the model in ten social housing neighbourhoods to generate evidence on place-based support. The pilots will be evaluated to assess their effectiveness in helping people enter and remain in work. We will carefully consider what we have learnt from these pilots as we develop our future employment support offer and make decisions on future funding.

How many students starting an undergraduate degree course in 2025 at each Russell Group University had achieved a) 3 or more A Levels and b) a T Level and c) a BTEC; and what was this as a proportion of the number of students passing those qualifications in 2025.

The Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) is responsible for collecting and publishing data on the UK higher education (HE) sector. These data are shared with the department and includes information on the qualifications held by students on entry to their course at a UK HE provider. The latest student data held by the department refers to the 2024/25 academic year and covers students starting degree courses in 2024.The number of English-domiciled entrants to undergraduate courses in each Russell Group university in the 2024/25 academic year reported by HESA to have achieved either three or more A Levels, a T Level, or a BTEC, can be found in the attached spreadsheet.The spreadsheet also presents the undergraduate entrant figures as a proportion of the total number of pupils in England achieving three or more A Levels, a T Level, or a BTEC in the 2023/24 academic year. Caution is advised when interpreting the data in this spreadsheet due to low and inconsistent reporting rates for HE entry qualifications. Counts in the spreadsheet have been rounded to the nearest 5.

What criteria her Department uses to decide how much 16 to 19 Bursary funding is distributed to each a) Local Education Authority, b) Multi-Academy Trust and c) school within a Local Education Authority and Multi-Academy Trust.

The department allocates the bulk of 16 to 19 bursary funding in advance for institutions to make discretionary bursary awards to students.For mainstream schools and academies, allocations are made to individual institutions. Each local authority-maintained school, or academy within a multi-academy trust, will get its own allocation from the department. It is up to these organisations how to allocate this funding.Calculations for an institution’s discretionary bursary funding are based on data around the financial needs and costs faced by its students. The methodology for calculating discretionary bursary allocations has two elements:Element One: financial disadvantage is based on students’ home postcodes, matched against the Index of Multiple Deprivation.Element Two: student costs is intended to provide a general indicator of the main costs faced by students. It includes funding for travel costs by using the rurality of the student’s home postcode and the delivery location of their learning, together with funding for industry placement costs for students on T Levels.

What steps he is taking to help that the Growth and Skills Levy increases levels of apprenticeship start numbers.

This government is transforming the apprenticeships levy into a new growth and skills levy which will deliver greater flexibility to employers and more opportunities for young people in England and support the industrial strategy. In August 2025, we introduced new foundation apprenticeships to give young people a route into careers in critical sectors, enabling them to earn a wage while developing vital skills. They are underpinned by additional funding for employers of up to £2,000 to contribute to the extra costs of supporting someone at the beginning of their career. We are investing an additional £725 million to deliver the next phase of the growth and skills levy and meet our ambition to support 50,000 more young people into apprenticeships. We will expand foundation apprenticeships into sectors that traditionally recruit young people, launch a pilot with Mayoral Strategic Authorities to better connect young people to local apprenticeship opportunities, and fully fund SME apprenticeships for eligible 16–24-year-olds from the next academic year. From April 2026, employers will also be able to access short, flexible training courses to help respond quickly to evolving skills needs. The first wave of these courses will be called apprenticeship units and they will be available in critical skills areas such as artificial intelligence, digital and engineering.

What progress his Department has made on implementing the Growth and Skills Levy; and when can businesses expect to see changes come into effect.

This government is transforming the apprenticeships levy into a new growth and skills levy which will deliver greater flexibility to employers and more opportunities for young people in England and support the industrial strategy. In August 2025, we introduced new foundation apprenticeships to give young people a route into careers in critical sectors, enabling them to earn a wage while developing vital skills. They are underpinned by additional funding for employers of up to £2,000 to contribute to the extra costs of supporting someone at the beginning of their career. We are investing an additional £725 million to deliver the next phase of the growth and skills levy and meet our ambition to support 50,000 more young people into apprenticeships. We will expand foundation apprenticeships into sectors that traditionally recruit young people, launch a pilot with Mayoral Strategic Authorities to better connect young people to local apprenticeship opportunities, and fully fund SME apprenticeships for eligible 16–24-year-olds from the next academic year. From April 2026, employers will also be able to access short, flexible training courses to help respond quickly to evolving skills needs. The first wave of these courses will be called apprenticeship units and they will be available in critical skills areas such as artificial intelligence, digital and engineering.

What assessment his Department had made of the potential merits of including the metals recycling industry on the list of eligible sectors for the forthcoming British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme.

The Government recently closed a consultation on eligibility for the British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme (BICS) where businesses were invited to share their views on the proposed methodology. Decisions on eligibility will now be taken to ensure the scheme is properly geared towards boosting growth in the economy; through attracting investment in Industrial Strategy frontier manufacturing sectors and foundational manufacturing industries that supply key inputs to the Industrial Strategy frontier sectors.The Industrial Strategy frontier and foundational sectors were selected following the Government’s consultation of the Modern Industrial Strategy in the autumn of 2024.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what the five biggest allocations of funding for nature from International climate finance were in each year between 2021-22 and 2025-26.

The five biggest allocations of funding for nature in each year between 2021-22 and 2024-25 are shown in the tables below, one for each financial year. 2025-26 figures are not yet available as accounts have not yet been finalised:Programme NumberProgramme titleNature - FY21- 22 SpendICF-0040-MFF (DESNZ)Mobilising Finance for Forests£51.1mICF-0005-GCF (DESNZ)Green Climate Fund (GCF)£43.7m300856 (FCDO)Green Climate Fund First Replenishment£40.7m201724 (FCDO)Forest Governance, Markets and Climate£21.1m300057 (FCDO)Global Environment Facility 7th replenishment£15.0m Programme NumberProgramme titleNature - FY22-23 Spend300856 (FCDO)Green Climate Fund First Replenishment£109.6mICF-0004-CIF (DESNZ)New Climate Investment Funds (CIFs) BC - Nature Based Solutions£65.0m301516 (FCDO)UKSIP - The UK Sustainable Infrastructure Programme Latin America£23.8m201724 (FCDO)Forest Governance, Markets and Climate£23.6m202745 (FCDO)Investments in Forests and Sustainable Land Use£21.5m Programme NumberProgramme titleNature - FY23-24 Spend300856 (FCDO)Green Climate Fund First Replenishment£163.6mICF-0049-AF (DESNZ)Amazon Fund (REDD+)£54.6m301268 (FCDO)Global Environment Facility 8th Replenishment£53.8mICF-0019-REM (DESNZ)REDD Early Movers Programme (REM)£30.0mICF-0040-MFF (DESNZ)Mobilising Finance for Forests£27.5m Programme NumberProgramme titleNature - FY24-25 SpendICF-0053-SCALE1 (DESNZ)Scaling Climate Action by Lowering Emissions (SCALE) - Pillar One£153.9m400173 (FCDO)Green Climate Fund - 2nd replenishment£90.8m300958 (FCDO)IDA£85.0mICF-R&D (DESNZ)BEIS Research & Development Climate Finance£34.7mICF-GCRF (DESNZ)Ayrton Fund BEIS R&D: Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF)£32.4m