Written questions by Collins.

Whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of increasing draft duty relief for (a) consumers, (b) pubs and (c) breweries in Harpenden and Berkhamsted constituency.

The Chancellor’s draught rate cut at Autumn Budget 2024 applied to approximately 60% of the alcoholic drinks sold in pubs. This took a penny of duty off a typical strength pint at a cost to the Exchequer of over £85m a year.  Draught beer and cider now pay 13.9% less in duty than their packaged equivalents – an increase of over 50% on the previous draught discount of 9.2%.The Chancellor makes decisions on tax policy at fiscal events. The Government welcomes representations from the beer and pub sectors in advance of the Budget.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of VAT on (a) repair and (b) retrofit works to older buildings; and whether she plans to review that taxation.

To stimulate the construction of new homes, the Government currently maintains a zero rate of VAT on new-build residential buildings. The Government also recognises the importance of reusing existing buildings and encourages this through the VAT system. Residential renovations are subject to a reduced rate of VAT of five per cent if they meet certain conditions, including conversions of buildings from one residential use to another, conversions from commercial to residential use, and the renovation of properties that have been empty for two or more years. VAT is a broad-based tax on consumption, and the 20 per cent standard rate applies to most goods and services. Exceptions to the standard rate have always been limited and balanced against affordability considerations. The Government keeps all taxes under review and makes decisions at Budgets in the context of the overall public finances.

What recent assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the Crime and Policing Bill on the right to peaceful protest; and what steps she is taking to ensure that lawful demonstrations are not restricted.

The Government is committed to ensuring that protest legislation is both effective and proportionate. The Government keeps all public order legislation under constant review.While the right to protest remains a cornerstone of our democracy, the legal framework must evolve to ensure that this right does not come at the expense of public order and the rights of others.The new offences in the Crime and Policing Bill reflect a targeted response to gaps identified through recent protest activity. They seek to regulate conduct that undermines public trust or accountability.In the normal way, the Crime and Policing Bill (once enacted) will be subject to post-legislative scrutiny.

Media and Sport, whether her Department has made a recent assessment of the effectiveness of press regulation in preventing press intrusion.

Our aim as a Government is ensuring the balance is right between press freedom and instances of intrusion. The government recognises that for victims and their families, incidents of undue attention and harassment from the media cause significant distress. In the UK, there exists an independent, self-regulatory system for the press, which is important for press freedom, and the Government therefore does not intervene in or oversee the work of press regulators in preventing press intrusion. These independent regulators enforce codes of conduct which provide guidelines on a range of areas, including on accuracy, privacy and harassment. We are also clear, however, that with this freedom comes responsibility, and newspapers must operate within the bounds of the law and have a responsibility to uphold high professional and ethical standards. This includes ensuring access to clear, timely and effective routes to redress.

Whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of conducting a national safeguarding review into the protection of disabled dependents when their sole carer is incapacitated.

Any form of abuse or neglect is unacceptable, and the Government is committed to ensuring that families have the support that they need.Under the Care Act 2014, local authorities have a statutory duty to make enquiries about safeguarding concerns and support people caring for their family and friends. The Care Act 2014 also requires local authorities to deliver a wide range of sustainable, high-quality care and support services, including support for unpaid carers.The Carer Contingency Campaign Pack: Supporting Carers and Strengthening Local Care Systems, developed by the Carers Trust with NHS England and the Health and Wellbeing Alliance, helps local carer organisations to implement Carer Contingency Plans, which are structured protocols ensuring care continuity when the carer is unexpectedly unavailable. Unpaid carers can be supported to create contingency plans to ensure the person they care for continues receiving support if they are suddenly unavailable. It includes practical tools, good practice examples, and guidance on emergency planning.We have launched an independent commission into adult social care, chaired by Baroness Casey. The Commission will start a national conversation about what care and support working age adults, older people, and their families expect from adult social care, including exploring the needs of unpaid carers who provide vital care and support.The Commission's Terms of Reference are sufficiently broad to enable Baroness Casey to define its remit to independently consider how to build a social care system fit for the future, including the safeguarding of those receiving care if the Commission sees fit.

Whether she has had discussions with the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government on local planning policies supporting the expansion of early years provision through the (a) protection and (b) promotion of (i) high-quality and (ii) home-based childcare settings.

It is the government’s ambition that all families have access to high quality, affordable and flexible early education and care, giving every child the best start in life and delivering on our Plan for Change. In 2025/26 alone, we plan to provide over £8 billion for the early years entitlements, which is an additional £2 billion (over 30% increase) compared to 2024/25, as we roll out the expansion of the entitlements. The government is boosting availability and increasing access to childcare for families through the school-based nurseries programme, including school led provision and private, voluntary and independent providers operating from school sites.The department has regular contact with each local authority in England about their sufficiency of childcare and any issues they are facing. Where local authorities report sufficiency challenges, we discuss what action the local authority is taking and, where needed, support the local authority with any specific requirements through our childcare sufficiency support contract.The department continues to help people discover rewarding early years careers through the ‘Do Something Big’ national recruitment campaign, building on our pilot of delivering financial incentives in 38 local authorities this year. This is alongside exploring ways to make childcare more accessible, including supporting childminders in adapting their homes, accessing community spaces and introducing flexibilities for childminders to work with more children from home or on non-domestic premises. We are also looking at a proposed professional register for early years staff, a career framework to support progression, and recognition and increased inspection frequency by Ofsted to ensure quality standards are maintained. Childminders will also be part of the Best Start Family Service, which aims to integrate early years support across education, health and community services.

If her Department make an assessment of amending (a) the Highway Code and (b) driving (i) theory and (ii) practical tests to ensure that all drivers are trained in the use of defibrillators.

The Highway Code currently contains information on cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), but not on the use of defibrillators. The Department for Transport regularly updates the Highway Code and ensures the information contained reflects the latest advice.The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s (DVSA) learning materials and publications will be updated to include new and current content on ‘Automatic External Defibrillators’ and bleeding, this is seen as the most effective way of ensuring drivers and riders have the knowledge and understanding of what to do in a medical emergency. First Aid is knowledge and understanding, and so is tested during the driving theory test, rather than the practical test, which is a test of on-the-road driving.

Whether her Department has considered appointing an Independent Commissioner to review unresolved concerns from former Equitable Life policyholders on the (a) methodology and (b) distribution of compensation under the Equitable Life Payment Scheme.

The Equitable Life Payment Scheme has been fully wound down and closed since 2016 and there are no plans to reopen any decisions relating to it. Further guidance on the status of the Payment Scheme after closure is available at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/equitable-life-payment-scheme#closure-of-the-scheme

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of making it a mandatory requirement to fit defibrillators in every newly manufactured car.

The Government has no current plans to legislate to make it a mandatory requirement to fit defibrillators in every newly manufactured car.

Innovation and Technology, what steps his Department is taking to ensure mobile network operators cannot invoke the all reasonable efforts clause to avoid penalties under the Shared Rural Network agreement in (a) remote and (b) total not-spot areas.

The Shared Rural Network programme is underpinned by licence obligations enforced by Ofcom. Under the licences, the mobile network operators can only invoke the reasonable endeavours clauses under specific circumstances, by providing evidence to Ofcom, and would do so at their own discretion. Ofcom will make any assessment of whether any such claims are valid at a key delivery deadline of January 2027. This is an independent process facilitated by Ofcom and it would not be appropriate for the Department to intervene and take steps to stop the operators invoking the reasonable endeavours clauses.

What discussions his Department has had with his European counterparts on cooperation on aircraft development.

The Ministry of Defence has continuous discussions with several European counterparts related to common platforms, such as A400M and Typhoon, and future capabilities. This includes continuous engagement with Italy as part of the delivery of our joint Global Combat Air Programme. We also have regular engagement with France and Germany to look to deliver interoperability in the development of our respective future combat air systems.

What steps her Department is taking to help support businesses to invest in skills and training in Harpenden and Berkhamsted constituency.

The department’s Industrial Strategy outlines key interventions to boost employer engagement with the skills system. These include: Shorter and foundation apprenticeships in priority sectors.New short courses in England, funded by the growth and skills levy from April 2026.Cross-sector skills packages in areas like digital, engineering and defence.A £625 million construction skills package to train up to 60,000 workers this Parliament. This investment will be supported by stronger employer partnerships, including the launch of technical excellence colleges to build local talent pipelines. Additionally, the chair of Skills England, alongside the Industrial Strategy Advisory Council, will explore how employers, individuals and government can collaborate to meet national skills needs and drive future job growth.

Communities and Local Government, whether her Department plans to issue a formal definition of a Large Built-Up Area for the purposes of planning decisions.

Local planning authorities (LPAs) must necessarily exercise judgement to interpret and apply national planning policy to their particular local circumstances. The government published revised Green Belt guidance on 27 February 2025, to help LPAs review their Green Belt and identify grey belt land. This guidance sets out key considerations for informing judgements on the contribution land makes to checking the unrestricted sprawl of large built-up areas.

Innovation and Technology, pursuant to the Answer of 19 June 2025 to Question 59177 on Broadband: Coastal Areas and Rural Areas, whether the reported 95 percent coverage achieved by the Shared Rural Network will be reviewed using Ofcom’s forthcoming reporting methodology based on a 5 Mbps threshold.

The previously agreed coverage thresholds for the Shared Rural Network were designed to reflect the level of service required to make calls and access online services in areas that previously had little to no service. This remains the baseline for the programme. We will continue to work with the mobile network operators to ensure that the improved connectivity we are putting in place meets the needs of rural communities.

What discussions her Department has had with schools on the potential impact of branded school uniform policies on families; and what steps her Department is taking to ensure that schools comply with the statutory guidance entitled Cost of school uniforms, published on 19 November 2021.

Whilst many schools are taking action to reduce costs, too many families tell us that the cost of school uniform remains a financial burden. The department’s research shows that the average cost of uniform is significantly lower when parents can buy items from somewhere other than a designated shop or school. This research is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cost-of-school-uniforms-survey-2023.The government has introduced legislation through the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, to limit the number of compulsory branded items schools can require, to remove the cost of uniform as a barrier to pupils accessing school and activities in school.We estimate that requiring fewer branded items from designated suppliers could save some parents over £50 per child during the back to school shop once the uniform limit comes into effect.The department has statutory guidance on the ‘Cost of school uniforms’, and schools must have regard to it when designing and implementing their uniform policies. We expect all schools to now be compliant.

If she will hold discussions with Cabinet colleagues on the potential merits of increasing the proportion of (a) police, (b) fire and (c) other emergency service vehicles that are fitted with defibrillators.

The Department for Health and Social Care has confirmed that all ambulances carry defibrillators. Provision of defibrillators in police and fire vehicles is an operational matter for either the individual police force or fire and rescue service to determine at local level. The Home Office recently purchased over 500 defibrillators to distribute to police forces free of charge and for them to deploy according to their local knowledge. We continue to work to explore what more could be done to increase availability of defibrillators more generally where this is within the remit of the Home Office, including through our ongoing engagement with the OurJay Foundation.

What steps his Department is taking to help support businesses to take up digital technologies in Harpenden and Berkhamsted constituency.

The Hertfordshire Growth Hub provides businesses in Harpenden and Berkhamsted with support and advice on adopting digital technology. More widely, the industry-led SME Digital Adoption Taskforce will soon publish its final recommendations on how Government and industry can work together to increase SME uptake of digital technology across the UK. Building these capabilities will form part of our forthcoming SME Strategy.Our Industrial Strategy also set out ambitions, informed by the Technology Adoption Review, to increase digital adoption in eight growth-driving sectors. This includes up to £99m for the Made Smarter Adoption programme to help manufacturing SMEs adopt digital technologies.

What recent steps his Department has taken to consult with rural community-owned businesses in (a) Harpenden and Berkhamsted constituency and (b) Hertfordshire in the development of its planned small business strategy.

This Government is committed to embedding the voice of small business into policy. The Department for Business and Trade has engaged with hundreds of individual SMEs across all sectors and regions as part of co-designing our SME Strategy. This has included roundtables to address topics such as high streets, markets and access to finance.Engagement with individual SMEs will continue to be a priority up to and after the launch of the SME Strategy to assess the impact of these policies on SMEs across the UK in all rural and urban areas.

What the backlog in County Court cases is in Harpenden and Berkhamsted constituency, and what steps her Department is taking to tackle it.

It is not possible to measure ‘backlog’ within the County Courts due to the nature of Civil claims with many claims settling between parties. The pace of such cases is very often determined by the choices and behaviour of the parties.Our focus across Hertfordshire is to progress the cases in as timely a way as possible whilst balancing the individual circumstances and needs of each case. The Designated Family Judge and Designated Civil Judge along with HM Courts & Tribunals Service, have implemented robust listing and case progression initiatives. Cases are reviewed so that court hearing time is maximised, waiting times are reduced and matters that are suitable for the hearing to be brought forward are prioritised. This is achieved by utilising courtroom capacity that becomes available from other cases resolving.

What estimate his Department has made of the number of deaths as a result of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests in (a) 2020, (b) 2021, (c) 2022, (d) 2023 and (e) 2024.

NHS England has published the national service specification Inherited Cardiac Conditions (All Ages), that covers patients who often present as young adults with previously undiagnosed cardiac disease and families requiring follow up due to a death from this cause. This describes the service model and mandated guidelines and guidance that should be followed to support the diagnosis and treatment of patients or family members. It also includes the requirement for inherited cardiac conditions services to investigate suspected cases. Further information on the Inherited Cardiac Conditions (All Ages) service specification is available at the following link: https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/cardiology-inherited-cardiac-conditions.pdf NHS England has published a suite of national service specifications and standards for congenital heart disease, which define the standards of care expected from all organisations funded by NHS England, to support and improve the diagnosis and treatment of patients with congenital cardiac problems. There are no plans to publish further specific information on people under the age of 35 years old with cardiac abnormalities, over and above those who would be covered by the service specifications referenced above. Data shows that in 2022, there were 939 people under the age of 35 years old who died due to heart and circulatory conditions. Further information, including historic data and a breakdown of death by high level condition, is available on the British Heart Failure website, at the following link: https://www.bhf.org.uk/-/media/files/for-professionals/research/heart-statistics/bhf-cvd-statistics-compendium-2024-v3.pdf?rev=c72e2593b0ac4f2b999ad2f5999d8c07&hash=7DCC7E6832AA9495B0F5E720357DB9FB NHS England does not hold the data for the number of deaths following out of hospital cardiac arrests (OHCAs). The following table shows the number of cardiac arrest patients in England receiving an organised emergency medical services response, whether resuscitation was attempted, continued, terminated, or not attempted, the number where resuscitation was commenced or continued by an ambulance service, and the number of those with survival at 30 days, from 2020 to 2024: 20202021202220232024Cardiac arrest patients in England receiving an organised emergency medical services response, whether resuscitation was attempted, continued, terminated, or not attempted93,92095,09399,11195,22796,049Number where resuscitation was commenced or continued by an Ambulance Service30,84132,48634,19532,03132,932Number of those with survival at 30 days2,4972,7832,6602,9433,144Source: NHS England’s Ambulance Quality Indicators, available at the following link: https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/ambulance-quality-indicators/Notes:the 2020 figure is survival to discharge from hospital rather than survival at 30 days, and may be incomplete;during the COVID-19 pandemic, data suppliers in some hospitals were moved to other duties, making data on survival harder to obtain than data on deaths; anddue to a trust-wide outage of the Electronic Patient Clinical Record, data is unavailable from 1 April to 30 September 2023 for the Isle of Wight, and incomplete for the South Central Ambulance Service from July to September 2023. Publicly available data on OHCAs can also be found on the University of Warwick’s out-of-hospital cardiac arrest outcomes website, at the following link: https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/med/research/ctu/trials/ohcao/