Written questions by Collins.

Communities and Local Government, whether her Department is taking steps to impose a legal duty on large-scale housing developments to include adequate sewage capacity.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer to Question UIN 40935 on 31 March 2025.

Whether his Department plans to incentivise dentists to increase NHS appointments in (a) Harpenden and Berkhamsted constituency, (b) Hertfordshire and (c) England.

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, we will reform the dental contract with the sector, 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 Harpenden and Berkhamsted constituency, this is the Hertfordshire and West Essex ICB. ICBs have been asked to start making extra urgent dental appointments available from April 2025. The Hertfordshire and West Essex ICB is expected to deliver 5,712 additional urgent dental appointments as part of the scheme.Areas which are struggling to recruit and retain NHS dentists can make use of the Golden Hello scheme, which aims to encourage dentists to work in areas where they are needed most.

What discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero on the potential impact of the energy price cap increase on unpaid carers.

The Government believes that our mission to deliver clean power by 2030 is the best way to break our dependence on global fossil fuel markets and protect billpayers permanently. This, combined with our Warm Homes Plan to upgrade millions of homes to make them warmer and cheaper to run, is how we will drive down energy bills and make cold homes a thing of the past.However, we recognise that we need to support households struggling with bills whilst we transition to clean power by 2030. This is why we are delivering the Warm Home Discount to approximately three million eligible low-income households this winter. On 25 February 2025, we published a consultation on the expansion of the Warm Home Discount, giving more eligible households £150 off their energy bills. These proposals would bring approximately 2.7 million households into the scheme, pushing the total number of households that would receive the discount next winter up to approximately six million.The Government is continuing to work with Ofgem and energy suppliers to ensure energy bills remain fair and affordable while we transition to clean power by 2030.Local authorities have duties to support people caring for their family and friends. The Care Act 2014 requires local authorities to deliver a wide range of sustainable, high-quality care and support services, including support for carers.Ministers regularly engage with colleagues in other Government departments on a range of issues.

What steps he is taking to ensure the move to a neighbourhood health service will (a) meet the complex needs of people living with dementia and their families and (b) include (i) Admiral Nurses and (ii) other dementia specialist nurses as a core role within these multidisciplinary teams.

We are committed to moving towards a Neighbourhood Health Service, with more care delivered in local communities to spot problems earlier, supporting people to stay healthier and maintain their independence for longer. The Government also wants a society where every person with dementia receives high-quality, compassionate care from diagnosis through to the end of life.Neighbourhood Health Guidelines have been published alongside the 2025/26 NHS Operational Planning Guidance and the 2025/26 Better Care Fund policy framework, to help integrated care boards (ICBs), local authorities and health and care providers to continue to progress neighbourhood health in 2025/26. The focus for 2025/26 is on individuals with complex needs who require support from multiple services and organisations, which could include those living with dementia.Neighbourhood health reinforces integrated working for the National Health Service, local government, social care and wider partners including the voluntary sector as the norm, not the exception. Admiral Nurses are developed and supported by Dementia UK as an independent charitable organisation. Provision of dementia health services is the responsibility of local ICBs. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence recommends providing people living with dementia with a single named health or social care professional who is responsible for coordinating their care.The full vision for the health system will be set out in the 10-Year Health Plan.

Innovation and Technology, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of using revenue generated by spectrum Annual Licence Fees to support improved mobile coverage.

Ofcom sets mobile spectrum fees independently to promote the optimal use of spectrum. The Government recognises the cost of these fees to the industry. Supporting investment in mobile networks is a priority and the Government continues to assess what further interventions are needed to support 5G deployment.

Innovation and Technology, what discussions he has had with Ofcom on increasing spectrum available to mobile operators.

I have not had any discussions with Ofcom directly on increasing the spectrum available to mobile operators, but my officials are in regular discussion with them on spectrum issues. The Government recognises the importance of ensuring access to suitable spectrum across different sectors, the opportunities this creates for growth, and that a focus on innovation and enhanced shared use of spectrum will become increasingly important to realise this.

Whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of extending the Oyster card scheme to stations in the Harpenden and Berkhamsted constituency.

Transport for London (TfL) and Operators can consider and propose Oyster expansion where a positive business case can be demonstrated. No such proposals have been put forward to the Department. However, we are expanding ticketing innovations such as Pay As You Go (PAYG) to more stations and this month we launched PAYG with contactless at Berkhamsted station to join Harpenden station which got contactless PAYG in 2019.

If he will make an assessment of the potential impact of (a) psychotherapy and (b) counselling professionals operating without a protected title on patients.

Psychotherapists and counsellors are not statutorily regulated. Where a health profession is regulated by law, this normally allows for a professional’s title to be protected in law, making it a criminal offence for someone to practise or use a protected title without being registered with the relevant regulator. The Government has no current plans to extend statutory regulation to psychotherapists and or counsellors.

What steps she is taking to help support children with special educational needs in the Harpenden and Berkhamsted constituency.

This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) or in alternative provision receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life.The department wants to drive a consistent and inclusive approach to supporting children and young people with SEND through early identification, effective support, high quality teaching and effective allocation of resources. The department is also working closely with experts on reforms who will play a key role in convening and engaging with the sector, including leaders, practitioners, children and families as we consider the next steps for the future of SEND reform.The department is providing support and challenge to the Hertfordshire local area partnership. In July 2023, Ofsted’s inspection of local arrangements in Hertfordshire for children with SEND, which was published on 10 November 2023, concluded that there were widespread and/or systemic failings, leading to significant concerns about the experiences and outcomes of children and young people with SEND, which the local area partnership must address urgently.Since then, the department has been using a SEND expert adviser to monitor progress against Hertfordshire’s priority action plan and improvement plan. In January 2025, the department sent the local area partnership a letter following a stocktake into their progress. This letter outlines that improvements are being made at pace, including on governance arrangements and quality assurance. However, there are still areas for the local area to address, for example on the impact and sustainability of improvements. The letter can be accessed here: https://sendnews.hertfordshire.gov.uk/31-january-2025#stocktake.The partnership has also established a SEND Improvement Board, which is independently chaired by Dame Christine Lenehan, to oversee progress and provide appropriate challenge.

Whether she plans to take steps to provide compensation for self-invested personal pension holders affected by Hartley Pensions entering administration.

As a self-invested personal pension (SIPPs) provider, Hartley Pensions is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). The FCA is working with the administrators of Hartley Pensions to ensure that any customers affected by the situation achieve the best possible outcome. The Financial Services Compensation Scheme has also agreed to compensate customers by funding the costs of the Joint Administrators’ exit strategy for Hartley SIPP customers.

Whether his Department plans to train carers in using musical techniques to support people living with dementia.

We are committed to a professional, well supported social care workforce. Under the Health and Social Care Act 2008, providers must provide enough suitably qualified, competent, skilled, and experienced staff to meet the needs of the people using the service. Staff must receive the support, training, professional development, supervision, and appraisals that are necessary for them to carry out their role.The Department currently funds research on the use of musical techniques for people living with dementia via the National Institute for Health and Care Research. This includes a major study investigating how music therapy can reduce patient distress and physical assaults on National Health Service inpatient wards for people with dementia. The study is called MELODIC and will create a programme of music therapy which will be piloted in two NHS mental health wards at the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust.

Whether he plans to include policies on supporting people with dementia in the 10-year health plan for the NHS.

We have committed to develop a 10 Year Plan to deliver a National Health Service fit for the future. We will carefully be considering policies, including those that impact people with dementia, with input from the public, patients, health staff, and our partners, as we develop the plan. In February, I hosted a roundtable discussion where partners considered how dementia, ageing well, and digital inclusion could be reflected in the 10 Year Plan. I would also encourage people to take part in our public engagement exercise, which is helping us to fully understand what in the NHS is not working as well as it should, and what the potential solutions are. Further information is available at the following link: https://change.nhs.uk/en-GB/

Whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of taking steps to ensure that energy meter reading technology is being upgraded in line with the latest technological developments.

The accuracy of energy meters is of benefit to both energy providers and consumers and is a requirement of the Electricity and Gas Act legislation covering energy meters. To ensure the UK is taking account of the latest technological innovations the Government participates on relevant international committees that develop internationally recognised standards for ensuring consumption via energy meters is recorded accurately. Following those standards helps industry ensure they are also meeting their legal requirements.

Whether his Department has had discussions with NHS England on the potential merits of promoting the return and reissue of reusable NHS medical equipment.

The Department published the Design for Life Roadmap in October 2024, which sets out the Government's ambition to transition away from all avoidable single-use medical technology products by 2045. One of the key mechanisms for doing this, as outlined in the roadmap, is maximising reuse in the National Health Service. The roadmap includes a suite of 30 actions to deliver the 2045 vision, which NHS England were closely involved in creating. We are now working together to deliver these actions, including through joint working groups.

What steps she is taking to ensure private train operating companies are held to account for their performance during the transition to rail nationalisation; and what steps she will take to ensure that performance standards are enforced.

The Secretary of State for Transport will not tolerate poor performance and will continue to hold all operators to account through a range of measures, including during the transition of services to a public sector operator. All operators will continue to go through an annual planning process with the Department to agree plans for changes to service specifications, performance improvements and other deliverables. If an operator’s poor performance means that contractual conditions for early termination are met, Ministers will not hesitate to take decisive action.

Innovation and Technology, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of AI zones on local infrastructure.

The AI Opportunities Action Plan outlines how the UK can build the cutting-edge compute infrastructure needed to lead in AI development and deployment, securing long-term economic growth and staying at the forefront of AI innovation.AI Growth Zones will encourage the development of advanced AI data centres in areas of the country with plentiful power, such as post-industrial towns and areas with significant renewable energy capacity.The investment in AI-enabled data centres will have a spillover effect in local communities, providing jobs, improving local infrastructure, rejuvenating areas, and driving the UK’s ambition to become a global hub for AI talent and investment.The Growth Zones will help secure the UK’s position as a global leader in AI innovation and will deliver substantial regional and national benefits.

Innovation and Technology, if he will make an estimate of how many and what proportion of (a) children, (b) adults and (c) pensioners in digital poverty in each year since 2018.

There is no single accepted definition of digital poverty, but we know that digital exclusion impacts people broadly across demographics with some, including older people, at higher risk.According to Ofcom in 2024, 6% of UK adults did not have internet access at home. For those aged 75+, the figure is 29%. 34% of households with school-aged children did not have an appropriate device for accessing online schoolwork.This Government is determined to remedy this by closing the digital divide and ensuring everyone has the access, skills, support and confidence to participate in our modern digital society, whatever their circumstances.

What steps his Department is taking to tackle regional variations in early diagnosis of ovarian cancer.

We will get the National Health Service diagnosing cancer earlier and treating it faster, including blood cancer. NHS Planning Guidance, issued on 30 January 2025, set stretching targets for cancer. By March 2026, approximately 100,000 more people every year will be told whether they have cancer or not within 28 days, and 17,000 more people will begin treatment within two months of a referral.Meeting these targets for cancer will ensure that no patient waits longer than they should for diagnosis or treatment, and we have started by delivering an extra 40,000 operations, scans, and appointments each week, to support faster diagnosis and access to treatment.Making improvements across different cancer types is critical to reducing disparities in cancer survival. Early cancer diagnosis is also a specific priority within the NHS’s wider Core20Plus5 approach to reducing healthcare inequalities.We do not currently have access to information on how many people have been diagnosed with ovarian cancer through the non-specific symptoms pathway.

How many people have been diagnosed with ovarian cancer through the non-specific symptoms pathway.

We will get the National Health Service diagnosing cancer earlier and treating it faster, including blood cancer. NHS Planning Guidance, issued on 30 January 2025, set stretching targets for cancer. By March 2026, approximately 100,000 more people every year will be told whether they have cancer or not within 28 days, and 17,000 more people will begin treatment within two months of a referral.Meeting these targets for cancer will ensure that no patient waits longer than they should for diagnosis or treatment, and we have started by delivering an extra 40,000 operations, scans, and appointments each week, to support faster diagnosis and access to treatment.Making improvements across different cancer types is critical to reducing disparities in cancer survival. Early cancer diagnosis is also a specific priority within the NHS’s wider Core20Plus5 approach to reducing healthcare inequalities.We do not currently have access to information on how many people have been diagnosed with ovarian cancer through the non-specific symptoms pathway.

What steps he is taking to improve the accessibility of dental care during the maternity exemption period.

We are aware of the challenges faced in accessing a dentist and we want to make sure that everyone who needs a National Health Service dentist can get one, including pregnant women and new mothers. The Government plans to tackle the challenges for patients trying to access NHS dental care with a rescue plan to provide 700,000 more urgent dental appointments and recruit new dentists to areas that need them most. The responsibility for commissioning primary care services, including NHS dentistry, to meet the needs of the local population has been delegated to Integrated Care Boards across England. For Harpenden and Berkhamsted constituency, this is the Hertfordshire and West Essex ICB.