Written questions by Kumaran.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to implement the recommendations of the Fifth Report of the Committee of Public Accounts of 2023-24 on Government’s programme of waste reforms, HC333, published on 1 December 2023.

The Government intends to implement the recommendations set out in the report, of which a number have already been implemented by the programme. Due to the General Election and subsequent change in Government earlier in the year, the strategic landscape that the programme is part of has changed and therefore the Government is reviewing some of the intended target dates for the implementation of the recommendations to ensure that they align with the Governments Missions. The Government is committed to ensuring successful implementation of the Collection and Packaging Reforms as set out in the Autumn budget presented to the House in October. These reforms remain intrinsic to providing the sector much needed certainty to encourage future investment, along with a transition towards a Circular Economy.

Communities and Local Government, whether she has made a recent assessment of the potential merits of establishing an independent body to regulate service charges for residents of all tenures.

The level of service charge that leaseholders pay depends on many factors, including the terms of a lease and the age and condition of a building.By law, variable service charges must be reasonable. Should leaseholders wish to contest the reasonableness of their service charges they may make an application to the appropriate tribunal.The Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 includes measures designed to drive up the transparency of service charges to make them more easily challengeable if leaseholders consider them to be unreasonable. We will set out details in due course about the extensive programme of secondary legislation need to bring the various provisions of the Act into force.Leaseholders in shared ownership properties whose leases qualify for protections set out in the Building Safety Act are protected from the costs of internal building safety defects, with a cost cap proportionate to their equity stake in the property.All leaseholders can benefit from the Government’s Cladding Safety Scheme or Developer Scheme for the removal of unsafe cladding. The Government understands the difficulties some leaseholders are still experiencing and has committed to review how to better protect leaseholders from costs and to accelerate the pace of remediation.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had recent discussions with the Leader of the House on bringing forward legislative proposals to ratify the Global Ocean Treaty.

The Government is completely committed to ratification of the Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement, also known as the High Seas Treaty), which is in line with our determination to reinvigorate the UK's wider international leadership on climate and nature. The Foreign Secretary and the Leader of the House of Commons have discussed the measures needed to implement the detailed and complex provisions of the Agreement before the UK can ratify.

Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to support shared owners affected by (a) building remediation works and (b) increasing service charges.

The level of service charge that leaseholders pay depends on many factors, including the terms of a lease and the age and condition of a building.By law, variable service charges must be reasonable. Should leaseholders wish to contest the reasonableness of their service charges they may make an application to the appropriate tribunal.The Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 includes measures designed to drive up the transparency of service charges to make them more easily challengeable if leaseholders consider them to be unreasonable. We will set out details in due course about the extensive programme of secondary legislation need to bring the various provisions of the Act into force.Leaseholders in shared ownership properties whose leases qualify for protections set out in the Building Safety Act are protected from the costs of internal building safety defects, with a cost cap proportionate to their equity stake in the property.All leaseholders can benefit from the Government’s Cladding Safety Scheme or Developer Scheme for the removal of unsafe cladding. The Government understands the difficulties some leaseholders are still experiencing and has committed to review how to better protect leaseholders from costs and to accelerate the pace of remediation.

Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 16 September 2024 to Question 4786 on Per- and Polyfluorinated Alkyl Substances, what his planned timetable is for considering measures to restrict per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances.

Health and Safety Executive is currently preparing a UK REACH dossier for a restriction on PFAS in fire-fighting foams (FFFs), which is due to be published for consultation in 2025.

If he will make an assessment of the implications for his policies of trends in the number of people who have accessed adult mental health services in the East London NHS Foundation Trust.

We recognise that the overall number of people being referred to National Health Service adult mental health services is increasing, including in East London, and too many people are not receiving the mental health care they need.That is why, as part of our mission to build an NHS that is fit for the future and that is there when people need it, the Government will recruit an additional 8,500 mental health workers to reduce delays and provide faster treatment, which will also help ease pressure on busy mental health services.

What steps his Department is taking to help support the (a) recruitment and (b) retention of mental health specialists in the East London NHS Foundation Trust.

To address the current mental health workforce shortages in trusts, like the East London NHS Foundation Trust, we plan to recruit an additional 8,500 mental health workers across child and adult mental health services, to reduce waiting times and provide faster treatment.We are working to consider options to deliver this expansion of the mental health workforce, including where they should be deployed to achieve maximum effect. NHS England is also working to improve retention through clearer career progression pathways.

Whether she has had discussions with (a) the Mayor of London and (b) other mayors on improving access to cycles for people on low incomes.

Ministers and officials meet regularly with Mayors and their representatives to discuss a wide range of transport issues, including enabling more people to walk, wheel and cycle.

What steps he is taking with the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to integrate the Government's Nationally Determined Contribution under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change with the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan.

The UK will announce a 1.5°C aligned 2035 Nationally Determined Contribution at COP29 and will submit the Information to facilitate Clarity, Transparency and Understanding to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change before 10 February 2025. The UK is committed to meeting all 23 Global Biodiversity Framework targets and will publish the full National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) in due course. The Departments for Energy Security and Net Zero and Environment, Food and Rural Affairs are working closely on these publications - recognising the importance of a joined-up approach to tackling the climate and biodiversity crises across NDCs and NBSAPs.

What recent assessment she has made of the potential impact of falling pupil rolls on school budgets.

The majority of school funding is driven by pupil numbers. As such, the department understands that falling rolls can have a significant impact on schools’ budgets.The lagged funding system, where schools are funded on the basis of their pupil numbers in the previous October census, helps to give schools more certainty over funding levels to aid their planning and is particularly important in giving schools that see year-on-year reductions in their pupil numbers time to reorganise their costs before seeing the funding impact.In addition, the department allocates falling rolls funding on the basis of the reduction in pupil numbers that local authorities experience each year. Local authorities can choose to operate a falling rolls fund to support schools which see a short-term fall in the number of pupils on roll.The department will continue to keep the national funding formula under review, including the impact it has on schools with falling rolls.

What steps he is taking to expand access to mental health services in primary schools.

The Department is working across the Government to deliver on our commitment of a specialist mental health professional in every school, including primary schools. We need to ensure that any support meets the needs of young people, teachers, parents, and carers, which is why we are exploring a range of options.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will support an independent investigation into shots fired at UN peacekeepers by Israeli forces.

The UK condemns the recent attacks on UN Peacekeepers. We have been clear: Israel must act in accordance with International Humanitarian Law. Alongside the Foreign Ministers of France, Germany and Italy, the Foreign Secretary expressed deep concern about attacks by Israeli Defense Forces on United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) bases and condemned all threats to UNIFIL's security. The Prime Minister has spoken with international leaders, including Prime Minister Netanyahu, His Majesty King Abdullah II, President Macron and Chancellor Scholz, to press the case for a ceasefire. This builds on extensive discussions by the Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary at the UN with regional leaders. We have been working with all parties to prevent escalation and will spare no effort to reduce tensions and find a path to stability.

What progress his Department has made on reducing deaths from stroke and heart disease by a quarter within ten years.

Reducing avoidable disability and death from heart disease and stroke is a priority for the Government. This is why the Government has set a goal for fewer lives being lost to the biggest killers, including from cardiovascular disease (CVD), and why the NHS England's Long Term Plan (2019) sets out a number of actions that aim to help prevent up to 150,000 heart attacks, strokes, and dementia cases by 2029.The Government continues to support the delivery of the NHS Health Check programme, England’s CVD prevention programme, to people aged 40 to 74 years old. This programme identifies people at risk of CVD, supports people in reducing their risk, and prevents approximately 400 heart attacks or strokes each year. To improve access and engagement with the life-saving programme, we are developing a digital NHS Health Check which will be ready for testing in early 2025 and will enable people to undertake a check at home. We are also trialling the delivery of heart health checks to over 130,000 people in workplaces across the country.Community pharmacies also provide a free blood pressure check service for anyone over 40 years old. In cases where this results in a high reading, pharmacists can make sure people receive the right National Health Service support to reduce their blood pressure and risk of death or serious disability.We know there is more to do. The Department and NHS England are working together to achieve the Government’s ambition for fewer lives lost to the biggest killers, including CVD, and we will share more in due course.

What steps his Department is taking to support the (a) recruitment and (b) retention of GPs in Stratford and Bow constituency.

We are working to increase the general practice (GP) workforce in England, including in the Stratford and Bow constituency. This includes measures to boost recruitment, address the reasons why doctors leave the profession, and encourage them to return to practice.NHS England is working to address training bottlenecks so the health service has enough staff for the future, and we will provide £82 million to fund the recruitment of over 1,000 newly qualified GPs, via the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme, so patients can get the care they need.

What steps she is taking to help (a) end discrimination against LGBT+ people and (b) ensure that LGBT+ hate crime is investigated.

This Government believes it is crucial that all LGBT+ people are safe and protected from discrimination in all its forms. Work is underway on the various Manifesto commitments that will enhance legislative protections for LGBT+ individuals. This Government has already committed to bring forward parity in the law to make all existing strands of hate crime constitute an aggravated offence to greater protect LGBT+ victims and to deliver a trans-inclusive ban on abusive conversion practices. The police are operationally independent and work in line with the College of Policing’s standards. The Government of course expect the police to fully investigate all offences and to work with the Crown Prosecution Service to ensure perpetrators are brought to justice.

What recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of neighbourhood policing levels in East London.

The Home Secretary has made a clear commitment to strengthen neighbourhood policing through the introduction of a Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee, which includes the addition of thousands more neighbourhood officers and other police personnel, as part of the Government’s Safer Streets mission. Funding for 2025/26 will be subject to the Spending Review.

What steps he is taking with his international counterparts to tackle climate change.

This Government believes that we can only ensure climate security for further generations in the Uk if we lead globally. And that was the message of the Prime Minister at the United Nations General assembly with our: World leading 2030 clean power planNo new oil and gas licensesAnd playing our part in reforming the global financial system And next month I will be attending the cop29 talks in Azerbaijan to stand up for Britain's interests.