Written questions by Vaughan.

What steps his Department is taking to reform the NHS Dental Contract.

To rebuild dentistry in the long term, we will reform the dental contract with the sector, with a shift to focus on prevention and the retention of National Health Service dentists.There are no perfect payment systems and careful consideration needs to be given to any potential changes to the complex dental system so that we deliver a system better for patients and the profession.We are continuing to meet the British Dental Association and other representatives of the dental sector to discuss how we can best deliver our shared ambition to improve access for NHS dental patients.

What steps his Department is taking to tackle the challenges that rural communities face in accessing NHS services.

The Government recognises the particular challenges that communities in rural areas can face in accessing healthcare services. We are committed to returning National Health Service performance to the access standards as set out in the NHS Constitution.The forthcoming 10 Year Plan will set out the reforms needed to ensure the NHS is put on a sustainable footing so it can tackle the problems of today and the future. The plan will focus on ensuring three big reform shifts in the way our health services deliver care: moving from hospitals to communities; making better use of technology; and focusing on preventing sickness, not just treating it.

What proportion of the emergency dental appointments to be purchased by Kent & Medway ICB will be provided to dental clinics in Folkestone and Hythe constituency.

Data is not held on what proportion of the emergency dental appointments will be provided at constituency level. Kent and Medway Integrated Care Board, which includes Folkestone and Hythe constituency, is expected to deliver 20,319 additional urgent dental appointments. The urgent appointments will be available to National Health Service patients experiencing painful oral health issues, such as infections, abscesses, or cracked or broken teeth. Patients can contact their usual dental practice or call NHS 111 if they don’t have a regular dentist or need help out-of-hours.

What discussions he has had with Great British Nuclear on the potential merits of developing new nuclear power generation on the site of the Dungeness Power Station.

Great British Nuclear (GBN) acquired sites at Wylfa (Ynys Mon/ Anglesey) and Oldbury-on-Severn (Gloucestershire) in 2024, although no decisions have yet been taken on any projects to be deployed at those sites. In terms of other potentially suitable sites, the government recently published a consultation on a refreshed planning framework for new nuclear reactors (EN-7). The proposed planning framework provides a robust set of siting criteria, and the government would welcome developer interest in identifying potentially suitable sites using the framework as EN-7 moves towards designation later this year.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of no longer recognising EAA dental certificates on the number of dentists in the UK.

Current arrangements under the provisions in the EU Exit Regulations, known as the ‘standstill’ provisions, ensure that United Kingdom healthcare regulators, including the General Dental Council (GDC), who register domestic and international dentists, continue to automatically recognise relevant European Economic Area (EEA) and Swiss healthcare qualifications. In addition, qualifications from countries in the European Free Trade Association and Switzerland are recognised under trade agreements made with those nations. This means dentists with recognised qualifications from EEA countries and Switzerland can continue to practise in the United Kingdom without the need to sit additional professional exams or undergo further assessment by the GDC.

Whether schools in Folkestone and Hythe can apply for the second round of funding for the Free School Breakfast Club program.

The government is committed to introducing free breakfast clubs in every state-funded school with primary-aged pupils. The Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill will require every state-funded school with children on roll from reception to year 6 to offer a free breakfast club before the start of each school day. This will ensure every child, regardless of circumstance, has a supportive start to the school day. The Autumn Budget 2024 confirmed over £30 million of funding for breakfast clubs for the 2025/26 financial year. This funding will enable the department to fund up to 750 early adopters of the new breakfast clubs. Decisions about future funding for breakfast clubs will be taken as part of the next phase of the spending review. The department selected up to 750 early adopter schools to ensure a broad range of representation across different school types, sizes, and geographical areas. The aim is to test and learn from a variety of school settings, including those that already work with private, voluntary, and independent providers. All state-funded schools with primary-aged children were eligible to apply, including primary schools, infant and junior schools, all-through schools, special schools, and alternative provision settings.

What criteria her Department used to decide which schools would access Round 1 of funding for the Free Breakfast Club scheme.

The government is committed to introducing free breakfast clubs in every state-funded school with primary-aged pupils. The Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill will require every state-funded school with children on roll from reception to year 6 to offer a free breakfast club before the start of each school day. This will ensure every child, regardless of circumstance, has a supportive start to the school day. The Autumn Budget 2024 confirmed over £30 million of funding for breakfast clubs for the 2025/26 financial year. This funding will enable the department to fund up to 750 early adopters of the new breakfast clubs. Decisions about future funding for breakfast clubs will be taken as part of the next phase of the spending review. The department selected up to 750 early adopter schools to ensure a broad range of representation across different school types, sizes, and geographical areas. The aim is to test and learn from a variety of school settings, including those that already work with private, voluntary, and independent providers. All state-funded schools with primary-aged children were eligible to apply, including primary schools, infant and junior schools, all-through schools, special schools, and alternative provision settings.

What recent steps she has taken toward reaching the Government's target of halving violence against women and girls by the end of the decade.

Tackling VAWG is a top priority for this Government. We will deliver a cross-Government transformative approach, utilising every tool available to target perpetrators and address the root causes of abuse and violence. This will be underpinned by a new strategy to be published later this year.Recent measures have included developing a new package of six measures to tackle stalking and a step-change in approach to the way that policing looks at VAWG crimes, through a new National Policing Centre for VAWG and Public Protection. We are investing £13.1 million pounds next financial year (25/26) to stand up this new Centre from April 2025 and throughout its first year. This funding includes an uplift of nearly £2 million to enable policing to better target these crimes.

What steps his Department is taking to improve the accessibility of health centres in (a) rural and (b) remote areas.

In line with the Government’s Health Mission, our goal is to create a more equitable healthcare system that leaves no person or community behind. The Government recognises the health inequalities faced by rural communities in England, particularly around access to healthcare services. In response, we are working closely across the Department, with NHS England, and the regional Directors of Public Health to develop approaches that address these inequalities.The Department supports statutory integrated care systems (ICSs) in delivering National Health Services across England. ICSs are partnerships of organisations which come together to plan and deliver joined up health and care services, and this includes considering adequate healthcare provision for populations in rural and remote areas.

Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to reduce the number of out-of-area placements for families in temporary accommodation.

Homelessness levels are far too high. This can have a devastating impact on those affected. The Deputy Prime Minister is leading cross-government work to deliver the long-term solutions we need to get us back on track to ending all forms of homelessness. This includes chairing a dedicated Inter-Ministerial Group, bringing together ministers from across government to develop a long-term strategy.As announced at the Budget, funding for homelessness services has been increased by £233 million compared to last year (2024/25). This increased spending will help to prevent rises in the number of families in temporary accommodation and help to prevent rough sleeping. This brings total Homelessness spend to nearly £1 billion in 25/26, a record level of funding.Homelessness legislation is clear that all temporary accommodation must be suitable, and local authorities should keep the suitability of accommodation under review. Where an individual feels that the council has applied their statutory duties incorrectly, they can take action in the courts or bring their concerns to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman.Guidance sets out that local authorities should avoid placing households out of their borough. However, in some areas where there is a limited supply of suitable accommodation it is sometimes necessary to place households in temporary accommodation outside of the local area. This should be as a last resort. If a local authority places a household into temporary accommodation in another local area, they are required by law to notify the local authority of any placement. We must build more homes in the areas where they are needed so we can reduce the need for out of area placements, which is why we will deliver the biggest increase to social and affordable housing in a generation.The Government is clear that, in the short-term, we must prioritise eliminating the worst forms of temporary accommodation such as families in Bed and Breakfast (B&B), other than in genuine emergencies. We have also launched Emergency Accommodation Reduction Pilots, backed by £5 million, to work with 20 local councils with the highest use of B&B accommodation for homeless families. This will support LAs to move families into more suitable accommodation.In addition, the £1.2 billion Local Authority Housing Fund will provide capital funding directly to English councils and is expected to provide up to 7,000 homes by 2026. It will create a lasting asset for UK nationals by building a sustainable stock of affordable housing and better-quality temporary accommodation for local communities.

Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to reduce homelessness in the South East.

Homelessness levels are far too high. This can have a devastating impact on those affected. The Deputy Prime Minister is leading cross-government work to deliver the long-term solutions we need to get us back on track to ending all forms of homelessness. This includes chairing a dedicated Inter-Ministerial Group, bringing together ministers from across government to develop a long-term strategy.As announced at the Budget, funding for homelessness services has been increased by £233 million compared to last year (2024/25). This increased spending will help to prevent rises in the number of families in temporary accommodation and help to prevent rough sleeping. This brings total Homelessness spend to nearly £1 billion in 25/26, a record level of funding.Homelessness legislation is clear that all temporary accommodation must be suitable, and local authorities should keep the suitability of accommodation under review. Where an individual feels that the council has applied their statutory duties incorrectly, they can take action in the courts or bring their concerns to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman.Guidance sets out that local authorities should avoid placing households out of their borough. However, in some areas where there is a limited supply of suitable accommodation it is sometimes necessary to place households in temporary accommodation outside of the local area. This should be as a last resort. If a local authority places a household into temporary accommodation in another local area, they are required by law to notify the local authority of any placement. We must build more homes in the areas where they are needed so we can reduce the need for out of area placements, which is why we will deliver the biggest increase to social and affordable housing in a generation.The Government is clear that, in the short-term, we must prioritise eliminating the worst forms of temporary accommodation such as families in Bed and Breakfast (B&B), other than in genuine emergencies. We have also launched Emergency Accommodation Reduction Pilots, backed by £5 million, to work with 20 local councils with the highest use of B&B accommodation for homeless families. This will support LAs to move families into more suitable accommodation.In addition, the £1.2 billion Local Authority Housing Fund will provide capital funding directly to English councils and is expected to provide up to 7,000 homes by 2026. It will create a lasting asset for UK nationals by building a sustainable stock of affordable housing and better-quality temporary accommodation for local communities.

What recent steps his Department has taken to reduce waiting lists for NHS (a) surgeries and (b) scans.

Additional funding of £1.8 billion was announced as part of the October 2024 budget to directly support elective recovery and activity in 2024/25. This funding will support the National Health Service to deliver an additional two million operations, scans and appointments during the first year in Government, as a First Step to ensuring patients can expect to be treated within 18 weeks.We will support NHS performance across secondary and emergency care with approximately £1.5 billion capital funding in 2025/26. This will support new surgical hubs and diagnostic scanners to build capacity for over 30,000 additional procedures and over 1.25 million diagnostic tests as they come on-line.

Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to reduce the number of families placed in inadequate shared temporary accommodation.

Homelessness levels are far too high. This can have a devastating impact on those affected. The Deputy Prime Minister is leading cross-government work to deliver the long-term solutions we need to get us back on track to ending all forms of homelessness. This includes chairing a dedicated Inter-Ministerial Group, bringing together ministers from across government to develop a long-term strategy. As announced at the Budget, funding for homelessness services has been increased by £233 million compared to last year (2024/25). This increased spending will help to prevent rises in the number of families in temporary accommodation and help to prevent rough sleeping. This brings total Homelessness spend to nearly £1 billion in 25/26, a record level of funding. Homelessness legislation is clear that all temporary accommodation must be suitable, and local authorities should keep the suitability of accommodation under review. Where an individual feels that the council has applied their statutory duties incorrectly, they can take action in the courts or bring their concerns to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman. Guidance sets out that local authorities should avoid placing households out of their borough. However, in some areas where there is a limited supply of suitable accommodation it is sometimes necessary to place households in temporary accommodation outside of the local area. This should be as a last resort. If a local authority places a household into temporary accommodation in another local area, they are required by law to notify the local authority of any placement. We must build more homes in the areas where they are needed so we can reduce the need for out of area placements, which is why we will deliver the biggest increase to social and affordable housing in a generation. The Government is clear that, in the short-term, we must prioritise eliminating the worst forms of temporary accommodation such as families in Bed and Breakfast (B&B), other than in genuine emergencies. We have also launched Emergency Accommodation Reduction Pilots, backed by £5 million, to work with 20 local councils with the highest use of B&B accommodation for homeless families. This will support LAs to move families into more suitable accommodation. In addition, the £1.2 billion Local Authority Housing Fund will provide capital funding directly to English councils and is expected to provide up to 7,000 homes by 2026. It will create a lasting asset for UK nationals by building a sustainable stock of affordable housing and better-quality temporary accommodation for local communities.

Whether she has had discussions with the Secretary of State for Education on the use of education in schools to prevent violence against women and girls.

Prevention and education are fundamental to our mission to halve violence against women and girls in a decade, and that includes supporting our education system to teach children about respectful and healthy relationships and consent.As part of the Safer Streets Mission, I regularly engage with colleagues across Government including those at the Department for Education.

Whether her Department has plans to help promote the uptake of apprenticeships in areas with high levels of youth unemployment.

This government has a driving mission to break down barriers to opportunity and to grow the economy. Too many young people are struggling to access high-quality opportunities, and this government wants to ensure that more young people can undertake apprenticeships.The department is developing new foundation apprenticeships to give more young people a foot in the door at the start of their working lives whilst supporting the pipeline of new talent that employers will need to drive economic growth. This signals an important step towards realising a Youth Guarantee, which brings together a range of existing and new entitlements and provision so that 18 to 21-year-olds can access training, an apprenticeship, or support to find work in England. The department and the Department for Work and Pensions are developing the Guarantee with mayoral authorities to provide local, tailored support and will work with local areas on future expansion.The department is promoting apprenticeships to students in schools and colleges through the Apprenticeship Support and Knowledge programme and targeting young people through the Skills for Life campaign. The department is also transforming career opportunities and advice to increase awareness of the range of high-quality options available to young people, including apprenticeships. The department has committed to improve careers advice and guarantee two weeks’ worth of work experience for every young person, as well as establish a national jobs and careers service to support people into work and help them get on at work.

What steps she is taking to improve bus services in Folkestone and Hythe constituency.

The government introduced the Bus Services (No.2) Bill on 17 December as part of its ambitious plan for bus reform. The Bill puts the power over local bus services back in the hands of local leaders and is intended to ensure bus services reflect the needs of the communities that rely on them right across England, including in Folkestone and Hythe. The government has committed to increasing accountability by including a measure on socially necessary services so that local authorities and bus operators have to have regard for alternatives to changing or cancelling services. In addition, the government has confirmed £955 million for the 2025 to 2026 financial year to support and improve bus services in England outside London. This includes £243 million for bus operators and £712 million allocated to local authorities across the country. Kent County Council has been allocated over £23 million of this funding. Local authorities can use this funding to introduce new bus routes, make services more frequent and protect crucial bus routes for local communities.

What steps she is taking to ensure there are adequate train and bus links in remote coastal communities in Kent.

The government introduced the Bus Services (No.2) Bill on 17 December as part of its ambitious plan for bus reform. The Bill puts the power over local bus services back in the hands of local leaders and is intended to ensure bus services reflect the needs of the communities that rely on them right across England, including in remote coastal communities in Kent. The government has committed to increasing accountability by including a measure on socially necessary services so that local authorities and bus operators have to have regard for alternatives to changing or cancelling services. In addition, the government has confirmed £955 million for the 2025 to 2026 financial year to support and improve bus services in England outside London. This includes £243 million for bus operators and £712 million allocated to local authorities across the country. Kent County Council has been allocated over £23 million of this funding. Local authorities can use this funding to introduce new bus routes, make services more frequent and protect crucial bus routes for local communities. Rail has an important role in connecting rural communities as part of the wider transport system. The department requires its train operators to plan services and rail timetables that are designed to meet expected passenger demand. These should be resilient and provide value for money for the taxpayer. These timetables are kept under review and, where appropriate, adjusted to reflect fluctuations in demand.

Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to increase temporary accommodation spaces.

Homelessness levels are far too high. This can have a devastating impact on those affected. The Deputy Prime Minister is leading cross-government work to deliver the long-term solutions we need to get us back on track to ending all forms of homelessness. This includes chairing a dedicated Inter-Ministerial Group, bringing together ministers from across government to develop a long-term strategy.As announced at the Budget, funding for homelessness services has been increased by £233 million compared to last year (2024/25). This increased spending will help to prevent rises in the number of families in temporary accommodation and help to prevent rough sleeping. This brings total Homelessness spend to nearly £1 billion in 25/26, a record level of funding.Homelessness legislation is clear that all temporary accommodation must be suitable, and local authorities should keep the suitability of accommodation under review. Where an individual feels that the council has applied their statutory duties incorrectly, they can take action in the courts or bring their concerns to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman.Guidance sets out that local authorities should avoid placing households out of their borough. However, in some areas where there is a limited supply of suitable accommodation it is sometimes necessary to place households in temporary accommodation outside of the local area. This should be as a last resort. If a local authority places a household into temporary accommodation in another local area, they are required by law to notify the local authority of any placement. We must build more homes in the areas where they are needed so we can reduce the need for out of area placements, which is why we will deliver the biggest increase to social and affordable housing in a generation.The Government is clear that, in the short-term, we must prioritise eliminating the worst forms of temporary accommodation such as families in Bed and Breakfast (B&B), other than in genuine emergencies. We have also launched Emergency Accommodation Reduction Pilots, backed by £5 million, to work with 20 local councils with the highest use of B&B accommodation for homeless families. This will support LAs to move families into more suitable accommodation.In addition, the £1.2 billion Local Authority Housing Fund will provide capital funding directly to English councils and is expected to provide up to 7,000 homes by 2026. It will create a lasting asset for UK nationals by building a sustainable stock of affordable housing and better-quality temporary accommodation for local communities.

What steps his Department has taken to increase the number of NHS dentists in Kent.

The Government plans to tackle the challenges for patients trying to access National Health Service dental care with a rescue plan to provide 700,000 more urgent dental appointments and recruit new dentists to areas that need them most. To rebuild dentistry in the long term and increase access to NHS dental care, we will reform the dental contract, with a shift to focus on prevention and the retention of NHS dentists.The responsibility for commissioning primary care services, including NHS dentistry, to meet the needs of the local population has been delegated to the integrated care boards (ICBs) across England. For the Kent constituency, this is the NHS Kent and Medway ICB.ICBs have started to recruit posts through the Golden Hello scheme. This recruitment incentive will see up to 240 dentists receiving payments of £20,000 to work in those areas that need them most for three years.

What steps she is taking to use education in (a) primary and (b) secondary schools to prevent violence against women and girls.

The government has pledged to halve violence against women and girls in the next decade. Education has a crucial role to play in tackling harmful behaviour, helping children and young people to develop empathy, boundaries and respect for difference.Through compulsory relationships education, all pupils will learn how to form positive and respectful relationships and develop an understanding of the concepts and laws around sexual harassment and sexual violence.​​The department is currently reviewing the statutory relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) curriculum for primary and secondary pupils and as part of this review we are looking at how to ensure that the guidance equips pupils, including at primary, to form healthy and respectful relationships. We are analysing consultation responses, talking to stakeholders and considering relevant evidence to determine how this can fully complement our wider actions to tackle violence against women and girls.