Written questions by Morrison.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the Stockport District Heat Network on energy costs for households in fuel poverty.

Stockport Council have applied for support from our Green Heat Networks Fund for their district heating network. To be eligible for support from the scheme, applicants must demonstrate that their networks will cause no detriment to domestic customers. This means that householders in fuel poverty should be no worse off. We are also taking action to strengthen consumer protection by introducing Ofgem regulation of heat networks from January 2026, providing protections for vulnerable customers, and ensuring fairer pricing.

Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to provide a multi-year funding settlement for early intervention services in local government.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 40059 on 27 March 2025.

Media and Sport, whether she has had discussions with the Football Association on increasing funding for Futsal to pre-pandemic levels.

The Football Association is the recognised National Governing Body for futsal. As they are independent of Government, it is ultimately their responsibility to address issues related to the funding and profile of the game.To date, this Government has not had any discussions with the FA relating to futsal or its funding.

What steps his Department is taking to support research into the use of digital cognitive assessments to improve early diagnosis of dementia.

The Department funds dementia research via the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The NIHR has invested nearly £11 million of funding to develop new digital approaches for the early detection and diagnosis of dementia via the Invention for Innovation programme.In addition to NIHR funding, the Government’s Dame Barbara Windsor Dementia Goals programme has provided funding to develop several digital cognitive assessments. For instance, through Innovate UK, the programme has awarded four United Kingdom based companies a share of the £4 million of funding to enable their biomarkers to be tested and validated in a large, diverse group of people, as part of the Bio-Hermes-002 study, which includes a series of tests which look at memory, language, and other cognitive skills.The programme has also committed to investing £2 million into a quick and easy digital test of patients’ cognitive functions, to be included in the READ-OUT study, which could lead to more accurate diagnoses when administered with blood biomarker tests for Alzheimer’s disease and other causes of dementia. Some of these innovations could support improved diagnosis in the future, if validated for clinical use.The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health and care, including dementia. These applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money, and scientific quality. Welcoming applications on dementia to all NIHR programmes enables maximum flexibility both in terms of the amount of research funding a particular area can be awarded, and the type of research which can be funded.

Media and Sport, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of (a) increasing funding for and (b) taking steps to help increase the profile of futsal.

The Football Association is the recognised National Governing Body for futsal. As they are independent of Government, it is ultimately their responsibility to address issues related to the funding and profile of the game.To date, this Government has not had any discussions with the FA relating to futsal or its funding.

How often the Valuation Office Agency compared different types of properties in order to assess a request from a resident to change a council tax banding in each of the last five years; and on how many occasions there were no similar properties to compare.

The Valuation Office Agency does not centrally aggregate and record the data in the form requested. When assessing a home for Council Tax banding purposes, the VOA will refer to relevant sales of comparable properties, look at the bands of other comparable properties in the locality and, when appropriate, consider any Valuation Tribunal decisions made on similar properties. If there are very few comparable properties in the immediate locality, the VOA will consider comparable properties from a wider area, or properties which are similar in character but have some differences. More information on how the VOA values and bands domestic properties can be found in the Council Tax manual which is published on GOV.UK. Statistics on Council Tax challenges and changes made to the England and Wales Council Tax valuation lists are published annually and can also be found on GOV.UK.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of funding further research into the long-term health impacts of chemicals in period products.

We work across Government, with stakeholders and with UKRI to identify the most pressing research priorities to understand the potential harms from chemicals, and opportunities to take action on them. Potential further research into the long-term health impacts of chemicals in period products would be considered in this context.

Whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of closing the Internships Work project on (a) local authorities, (b) employment agencies and (c) young people.

In 2022, the department invested £18 million to improve the quality of supported internships and increase the quantity to 4,500 internships per year by March 2025. The Internships Work consortium has led this investment.Owing to the commitment of everyone involved in the programme, indicative data shows that the department has reached its aim of doubling the number of supported internships to 4,500 across the country. The interim report from our evaluation of the programme also shows an improvement in the quality of intern placements with employers and numbers of interns progressing into employment. The full interim report can be read here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/supported-internship-programme-evaluation-of-investment.We will provide an update in due course.

Whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing legislation that mandates full ingredient disclosure for all menstrual products.

Period products are regulated by the General Product Safety Regulations 2005, which requires all products to be safe and for consumers to be provided with information on the potential risks of a product. Through the Product Regulation and Metrology Bill, the Government has committed to consult on this matter to ensure that any changes to the safety provisions of these products are robust and consistent.

If she will (a) re-establish and (b) extend funding for the Internships Work project.

In 2022, the department invested £18 million to improve the quality of supported internships and increase the quantity to 4,500 internships per year by March 2025. The Internships Work consortium has led this investment.Owing to the commitment of everyone involved in the programme, indicative data shows that the department has reached its aim of doubling the number of supported internships to 4,500 across the country. The interim report from our evaluation of the programme also shows an improvement in the quality of intern placements with employers and numbers of interns progressing into employment. The full interim report can be read here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/supported-internship-programme-evaluation-of-investment.We will provide an update in due course.

How many times the Valuation Office Agency has refused a request to change the council tax banding of a flat where the resident has compared their home to a lower council tax banded house of greater value, in each of the last five years.

The Valuation Office Agency does not centrally aggregate and record the data in the form requested. When assessing a home for Council Tax banding purposes, the VOA will refer to relevant sales of comparable properties, look at the bands of other comparable properties in the locality and, when appropriate, consider any Valuation Tribunal decisions made on similar properties. If there are very few comparable properties in the immediate locality, the VOA will consider comparable properties from a wider area, or properties which are similar in character but have some differences. More information on how the VOA values and bands domestic properties can be found in the Council Tax manual which is published on GOV.UK. Statistics on Council Tax challenges and changes made to the England and Wales Council Tax valuation lists are published annually and can also be found on GOV.UK.

If she will make an assessment of the potential impact of increasing funding for early intervention in children’s social care on costs to the public purse.

Local government spending on children’s social care has risen by £4.4 billion over the last decade whilst spend on non-statutory, preventative services has fallen from £3.9 billion in 2012/13 to £2.7 billion in 2022/23, which is a fall of 31% in real terms.The department wants to shift the dial to prioritise earlier intervention, removing barriers to accessing support. Families should access the right help at the earliest opportunity, to improve outcomes for children and to reduce the need for future costly intervention.In this financial year, over £500 million is available to local authorities to roll out Family Help, multi-agency child protection and family network reforms through the Families First Partnership (FFP) programme. The FFP programme is based on strong evidence from several programmes delivered by local partners and we expect these reforms to lead to sustained reductions in spend on children’s social care. Local authorities will be able to recruit more practitioners who can spend more time with children and families at the earliest opportunity, to avoid later costly crisis intervention. We expect to generate savings by diverting children from care and improving school attendance and attainment, directly impacting the Opportunity Mission.The government will continue to look at this closely in the next phase of the spending review.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure a (a) consistent and (b) sustainable funding framework for community equipment provision across local authorities and NHS bodies.

At the 2024 Autumn Budget, the Government announced a £22.6 billion increase in day-to-day health spending and a £3.1 billion increase in the capital budget over 2024/2025 and 2025/2026. Departmental budgets beyond 2025/26 will be set through phase two of the Spending Review, which will conclude and be published in June 2025.Local authorities and National Health Service procuring authorities are responsible for discussing and agreeing contracts with community equipment suppliers, which will take into account the resources available to them. Economic growth is the Government’s number one mission and the Government supports businesses to invest, grow and export, creating jobs and opportunities across the country. To support the growth mission, the Government is driving forward work to implement a modern Industrial Strategy, to reset trade relations, to support small business and deliver a new deal for working people.

If her Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of supporting public education campaigns to raise awareness of (a) the presence of toxic substances in period products and (b) safer alternatives to period products.

Period products are regulated by the General Product Safety Regulations 2005, which requires all products to be safe and for consumers to be provided with information on the potential risks of a product. Through the Product Regulation and Metrology Bill, the Government has committed to consult on this matter to ensure that any changes to the safety provisions of these products are robust and consistent. Studies carried out in the EU on chemicals in period products found that the chemicals identified in these products were present only in low concentrations, with no evidence of significant risks to human health. If a product were identified as unsafe, the Office for Product Safety and Standards would seek to remove it from the market, rather than run a public awareness campaign. More widely, UK Health Security Agency is considering the information available to members of the public with respect to chemicals, and looking to publish a new website to give consumers access to more information on the chemicals they use in their everyday lives.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has made a recent assessment of the Israeli military’s compliance with international humanitarian law, in the context of reports of targeted killings of humanitarian personnel in Gaza.

We are appalled by the recent increase in strikes on aid workers. Gaza remains the most dangerous place for humanitarians in the world. We have been clear that humanitarian and medical personnel must be protected and never targeted. We have urged Israel to conduct thorough investigations into all incidents involving aid workers and medical personnel, and ensure accountability for those responsible. International Humanitarian Law (IHL) assessments on Israel's compliance and commitment continue on a regular basis. Previous assessments have raised concerns about possible breaches of IHL in the areas of humanitarian access and in the treatment of detainees. Details of the assessment process are available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/summary-of-the-international-humanitarian-law-ihl-process-decision-and-the-factors-taken-into-account/summary-of-the-ihl-process-decision-and-the-factors-taken-into-account#:~:text=The%20assessment%20addresses%20Israel%E2%80%99s%20record%20of%20compliance%20in

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to ensure the protection of humanitarian personnel working in (a) Gaza and (b) other conflict zones; and if he will review the Government's (a) arms exports and (b) military cooperation with states found to be violating international humanitarian law.

Gaza remains the most dangerous place for humanitarians in the world, with over 400 killed since 7 October 2023. Humanitarian personnel must be protected and never targeted. At the UN Security Council meeting on 3 April, we urged Israel to respect deconfliction notifications from aid workers, to allow them to operate without coming under attack. Globally, the UK uses its bilateral relationships, and partnerships with humanitarian actors on the front line to encourage parties to consent to humanitarian relief operations, facilitate unimpeded access, and protect civilians including humanitarian aid workers. We provide direct investment to support the protective measures our partners require to work safely, the freedom to use different approaches to increase access to aid and reduce risks, and flexible funding to enable our partners to strengthen their risk mitigation strategies when required. The government is committed to maintaining a robust export control system. An export licence would not be granted if it was incompatible with any of the criteria, including respect for international humanitarian law.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what representations the Government has made to (a) the UN Security Council and (b) other international partners on the reported targeting of humanitarian workers in Gaza; and if he will have discussions with international counterparts on stronger measures to hold people responsible to account.

We are appalled by the recent increase in strikes on aid workers. Gaza remains the most dangerous place for aid workers in the world. In partnership with France, we called a meeting of the Security Council on 28 March to advocate for greater protection for aid workers in Gaza. At the UN Security Council meeting on 3 April, we urged Israel to conduct thorough investigations into all incidents involving aid workers and medical personnel, and ensure accountability for those responsible. We continue to make representations to the Government of Israel to stress the importance of ensuring aid workers are protected, and to call for full investigations and accountability for the killing of humanitarian workers.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has made representations to (a) his Israeli counterpart and (b) international bodies on the discovery of aid workers handcuffed in a mass grave in Gaza in March 2025; and whether he plans to call for an independent investigation into these deaths.

We were outraged at the recent deaths of Palestine Red Crescent medics and other humanitarian workers. At the UN Security Council meeting on 3 April, we called for this incident to be investigated fully, transparently and for those responsible to be held to account. We continue to make representations to the Government of Israel to ensure aid workers are protected, to urgently restore deconfliction systems, and to call for full investigations and accountability for the killing of humanitarian workers, including regarding the Palestine Red Crescent Society incident.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the Government plans to support (a) international legal action and (b) referrals to the International Criminal Court against people responsible for (i) violations of international humanitarian law and (ii) the killing of aid workers in Gaza.

The UK is appalled at the recent killings of aid workers and health workers in Gaza. In our diplomatic engagement with the Government of Israel and at the UN Security Council we have called on Israel to conduct thorough investigations into all incidents involving aid workers and medical personnel and ensure accountability for those responsible. We have also urged Israel to cooperate fully with the UN fact-finding mission into the hit on a UN compound on 19 March. We respect the independence of the International Criminal Court (ICC); It is for the ICC Prosecutor, having reviewed the evidence from his investigations, to determine independently who should be prosecuted in accordance with his mandate under the Rome Statute. And it is for courts to rule on violations of international humanitarian law.

What (a) safeguards and (b) support her Department has put in place to help protect people who experience (i) injury and (ii) illness from acupuncture.

Acupuncturists are not statutorily regulated in the United Kingdom. The Professional Standards Authority for Health and Social Care (PSA) operates a voluntary registers programme, which provides a proportionate means of assurance for unregulated professions and which sits between employer controls and statutory regulation by setting standards for organisations holding voluntary registers for unregulated health and social care occupations.The British Acupuncture Council (BAcC) holds a register of acupuncturists, which is accredited by the PSA. To gain accreditation from the PSA, organisations must meet its nine Standards for Accredited Registers. These standards require organisations: to have a focus on public protection; to have processes for handling complaints against practitioners; to set appropriate levels of education and training for entry to the register; to require registrants to undertake continuing professional development; and to understand and monitor the risks associated with the practices of registrants.The BAcC is an independent, representative body and as such, does not fall under Government oversight. Therefore, any decisions about the practice requirements for the professions it represents are a matter for the organisation and its members.The Government would encourage anyone accessing acupuncture services to establish whether their practitioner is registered with a voluntary register accredited by the PSA, such as that held by the BAcC.