Written questions by Collins.

Whether she has had discussions with the DVLA on the potential merits of accepting eye tests from certified opticians other than Specsavers for frequent license renewals where they are required.

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) will already consider eyesight tests carried out by opticians other than Specsavers. However, examinations carried out by Specsavers, as the DVLA’s contracted partner, ensure a consistent application of the required eyesight standards. Eyesight tests with an opticians other than Specsavers are carried out at the individual driver’s expense and the test may not meet the appropriate specifications, meaning that the applicant may still be asked to go for a further examination at Specsavers.

Innovation and Technology, what discussions he has had with his European counterparts on the potential merits of strengthening technology regulation.

The Secretary of State for Science, Innovation, and Technology regularly engages with international counterparts, including European partners, both bilaterally and through multilateral forums such as the G7, G20, and OECD. These discussions focus on shared opportunities and challenges posed by technological innovation, including the role of regulatory frameworks in fostering growth and innovation while ensuring security.

Innovation and Technology, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of AI bots on (a) community cohesion and (b) national security.

The Government recognises that the huge opportunities offered by AI also come with risks. This includes the potential to generate inauthentic content indistinguishable from human-generated content at higher scale and lower cost than previously possible. We continue to investigate the potential for transparency and detection and welcome technical innovation in this space.The Online Safety Act requires social media platforms to swiftly remove illegal misinformation and disinformation or hateful content - including where AI-generated - as soon as they become aware of it. The Government also empowers users with the skills and knowledge to engage critically with online content through media literacy initiatives.

Whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of providing a similar Orchestra Tax Relief to vocal concerts.

The creative industries play a key role in driving economic growth. The Government is committed to supporting them as part of its plan to fix the foundations of the economy. To qualify for Orchestra Tax Relief (OTR), a concert must be performed by a group of at least 12 instrumentalists. The voice is not considered to be an instrument, but orchestra concerts with a vocal element are not excluded from the relief. Concerts with a vocal element may be eligible provided that the instrumentalists are the primary focus. The Government keeps all tax policy under review and regularly receives proposals for sector-specific tax reliefs. When considering a new tax relief, the Government must ensure it supports businesses in a fair way and that taxpayer money is effectively targeted.

Whether he plans to extend free NHS dental repairs to teeth damaged by seizures from epilepsy.

Free National Health Service dental care is available to people who meet the following criteria: under 18 years old, or under 19 years old and in full-time education; pregnant or have had a baby in the previous 12 months; being treated in an NHS hospital and the treatment is carried out by the hospital dentist, keeping in mind that patients may have to pay for any dentures or bridges; receiving low-income benefits, or under 20 years old and a dependant of someone receiving low-income benefits.Support is also available through the NHS Low Income Scheme for those patients who are not eligible for exemption or full remission of dental patient charges. More information is available at the following link:https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/dentists/who-is-entitled-to-free-nhs-dental-treatment-in-england/Community dental services provide specialised dental services to people with additional needs and are available in a variety of places to ensure everyone can have access to dental care. These include hospitals, specialists’ health centres and mobile clinics, as well as home visits or visits in nursing and care homes. These services may be available to people with epilepsy, depending on their needs.

What steps she plans to take with probate services to find a solution for cases where there is a chain of representation but the name of the applicant will not match that on the Grant of Probate.

A chain of representation arises where all the executors of an estate have died before completing the administration of that estate. Under section 7(1) of the Administration of Estates Act 1925 the executor for deceased’s executor becomes the executor for the original incomplete estate as well as the estate they were appointed as executor. The chain of representation is broken if an executor in the chain has died intestate. In those circumstances a grant of administration de bonis non must be obtained to administer the estate. HM Courts and Tribunal Service’s probate service will always provide assistance and support in all cases where the chain of representation applies, and where the name of an applicant does not match that on a Grant of Probate.

Communities and Local Government, what voting system her Department plans to use for the 2026 mayoral elections.

I refer the hon Member to the answer given to Question UIN 20691 on 19 December 2024.

Pursuant to the Answer of 10 October 2024 to Question 900487 on Airports: Carbon Emissions, what strict environmental standards she will use to assess airport expansions.

The assessment of applications for airport expansion will take account of all relevant law, policy and other material considerations. This includes environmental assessments undertaken as part of the planning application process.The UK’s obligations on greenhouse gas emissions are set under the 2008 Climate Change Act. The UK also has legally binding targets to reduce emissions and concentrations of harmful pollutants, including a targeted 35% reduction in population exposure to fine particulate matter in England (PM2.5) by 2040 (compared to 2018 levels).

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what progress his Department has made on the ratification of the Global Oceans 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" or "Global Oceans Treaty"), which is in line with our determination to reinvigorate the UK's wider international leadership on climate and nature. Work is in hand on the measures needed to implement the detailed and complex provisions of the Agreement before the UK can ratify.

What assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the availability of activity blades for amputees over 18.

Prosthetics services are overseen by NHS England. They do not commission activity blades for amputees over 18 years old, and have no current plans change this.Currently, NHS England provides adult amputees primary prostheses, activity limbs, and adaptations for non-competitive sports, but does not extend this support to high-end sports-specific prosthetics necessary for competitive-level participation.

Whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of enlisting approved driving instructors to carry out practical driving tests on a temporary basis; and if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of doing so on (a) surge capacity and (b) the backlog in driving tests.

It is not possible to allow approved driving instructors (ADI’s) to temporarily work as driving examiners. The Motor Vehicles (Driving Licences) 1999 regulations require driving test examiners to meet certain criteria and pass an initial qualification and examination and prohibits a person from being an active ADI and an examiner simultaneously.

What steps she is taking to increase the availability of practical driving tests in Harpenden and Berkhamsted constituency.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s (DVSA) main priority is upholding road safety standards while it works hard to reduce car practical driving test waiting times right across the country. I announced to Parliament via a Written Ministerial Statement on 18 December DVSA’s 7-point plan to reduce driving test waiting times. Details of that plan can be found on gov.uk (https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/car-practical-driving-test-waiting-times)

What steps she is taking to help tackle poverty experienced by older people, in the context of changes to the eligibility criteria for the winter fuel payment.

The Government is honouring our commitment to the Triple Lock with a 4.1% increase to the basic State Pension and the new State Pension; and we are also increasing the standard minimum guarantee in Pension Credit by 4.1%. As such, according to the latest OBR projections, the full yearly rate of the new State Pension is forecast to increase by around £1,900 over the course of this parliament whilst the full yearly amount of the basic State Pension is forecast to increase by around £1,500. The Government also offers an array of support to ensure pensioners remain comfortable and safe in the winter months. This includes direct financial help to low-income pensioners through Pension Credit, Cold Weather Payments and the Warm Home Discount (in England & Wales). We know there are low-income pensioners who aren’t claiming Pension Credit. We want to ensure as many people as possible have access to this support and urge pensioners to check their eligibility. Pension Credit will passport them to receive Winter Fuel Payments in future, alongside other benefits – hundreds of pounds that could really help them. Our take-up campaign has been successful in boosting applications by 145% since July. The Warm Home Discount scheme provides eligible low-income households across Great Britain with a £150 rebate on their winter energy bill. This winter, we expect over 3 million households, including over 1 million pensioners, to benefit under the scheme. The Government and industry have worked together to deliver a £500 million Winter Support Commitment for customers, which will help customers most in need by providing credit on bills, enhanced debt write-off schemes, and increased funding for charity partners to target hard to reach customers. Low-income pensioners and others struggling with the cost of living should contact their local council to see what support may be available to them, as they may be able to receive support from the Household Support Fund, Council Tax Reduction, or through energy support programmes such as the Homes Upgrade Grant and Energy Company Obligation. We are also supporting consumers, including pensioners, through the Government’s ambitious Warm Homes Plan – which will transform homes across the country, making them cleaner and cheaper to run. We've committed £3.4 billion over the next 3 years towards heat decarbonisation and household energy efficiency. This includes £1.8 billion to support fuel poverty schemes, helping over 225,000 households reduce their energy bills by over £200. Keeping people warm and well at home and improving the quality of new and existing homes will play an essential part in enabling people to live longer, healthier lives and reducing pressures on the NHS. The difficult decisions we have made, such as targeting the Winter Fuel Payment, mean the Government is able to provide additional investment in the NHS, which benefits everyone including all pensioners who rely on these services. We have committed to returning NHS waiting times – including those for A&E and ambulances - to the standards set out in the NHS constitution that patients rightly expect.

Communities and Local Government, what steps she plans to take to (a) end homelessness and (b) involve people who have lived experience of homelessness in that process.

Homelessness levels are far too high. This Government recognises the devastating impact this can have on those affected. We are already taking the first steps to get back on track to ending homelessness. As announced at the Budget, funding for homelessness services is increasing next year by £233 million compared to this year (2024/25) and brings total spend to nearly £1 billion in 2025/26. Allocations for individual local authorities in England will be set out later in December, which will include Slough, West Dorset, the Thames Valley region and wider rural communities.The Deputy Prime Minister is leading cross-government work to tackle the underlying causes of homelessness and deliver long-term solutions to end all forms of homelessness, including rural and child homelessness. This includes chairing a dedicated Inter-Ministerial Group, bringing together ministers from across Government to develop a long-term homelessness strategy.We have also established an Expert Group to bring together representatives from across the homelessness and rough sleeping sector, local and combined authorities and wider experts. The role of this expert group is to provide knowledge, analysis and challenge to help Government understand what is working well nationally and locally and where improvements are needed.The department also has a lived experience forum to ensure the voices of those with lived experience of homelessness are reflected in the homelessness strategy.More widely, we are taking action to tackle the root causes of homelessness by delivering the biggest increase in social and affordable housebuilding in a generation and building 1.5 million new homes over the next parliament.The Government is also abolishing Section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions, preventing private renters being exploited and discriminated against, and empowering people to challenge unreasonable rent increases.

Whether his Department plans to introduce measures to improve patient safety in non-surgical cosmetic procedures.

The Government is committed to taking action to address concerns about the safety of the non-surgical cosmetics sector, and will set out the details of its approach at the earliest opportunity.

Communities and Local Government, if her Department will take steps to ensure that communities receive required infrastructure upgrades before new houses are occupied in (a) Harpenden and Berkhamsted constituency and (b) Dacorum Borough Council area.

The National Planning Policy Framework sets out that the purpose of the planning system is to contribute to the achievement of sustainable development, including the provision of supporting infrastructure in a sustainable manner.Local development plans should address needs and opportunities in relation to infrastructure and identify what infrastructure is required and how it can be funded and brought forward. When preparing a Local Plan, Planning Practice Guidance recommends that local planning authorities use available evidence of infrastructure requirements to prepare an Infrastructure Funding Statement. Such Statements can be used to demonstrate the delivery of infrastructure throughout the plan-period.The government provides financial support for essential infrastructure in areas of greatest housing demand through the Housing Infrastructure Fund.The changes to the National Planning Policy Framework announced on 12 December will support the increased provision and modernisation of various types of public infrastructure.The government is also committed to strengthening the existing system of developer contributions to ensure new developments provide necessary affordable homes and infrastructure. Further details will be set out in due course.

Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to protect the green belt in (a) Harpenden and Berkhamsted constituency, (b) Tring and (c) Dacorum, in the context of the consultation entitled Proposed reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework and other changes to the planning system, updated on 24 September 2024.

The government is committed to preserving Green Belts which have served England's towns and cities well over many decades, not least in terms of checking the unrestricted sprawl of large built-up areas and preventing neighbouring towns merging into one another.The government’s new approach to the Green Belt, including prioritising the release of lower quality grey belt land and introducing ‘golden rules’ to ensure development benefits communities and nature, is set out in the revised National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) published on 12 December.As set out in the government response to the proposed reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework and other changes to the planning system consultation, which can be found on gov.uk here, we recognise the need for further guidance to ensure a more consistent approach to assessing Green Belt land and will provide it in January 2025.In addition, to ensure that local authorities are supported to implement the changes in the NPPF, we will also provide a funding contribution to local authorities that will need to undertake Green Belt reviews as a result of our policy changes. Local authorities that meet our eligibility criteria will be able to submit an Expression of Interest to receive a share of this funding.

Innovation and Technology, what progress his Department has made on Project Gigabit since April 2024.

Since April 2024, three new Project Gigabit contracts covering Lincolnshire and East Riding, Cheshire, and North Yorkshire have been signed.A cross regional framework agreement with Openreach, has also been signed. The first two call-off contracts under the framework have been awarded, covering large parts of Wales and rural parts of England from Devon to Staffordshire. The first Project Gigabit procurements have also been launched in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

What data her Department holds on the proportion of train journeys that had Wi-Fi available on board in (a) 2023 and (b) 2024 to date.

The department does not hold this data as it is currently a matter for individual train operators. Under Great British Railways, a wider programme to deliver improved passenger Wi-Fi connectivity will be considered.

How many people claimed statutory paternity pay in each of the last five years.

Information provided by employers to HMRC show the number of individuals in receipt of Statutory Paternity Pay (SPP). This data provides a broad indication of Paternity Leave take-up but does not include those that take unpaid paternity leave. The Parental Rights Survey found that 70% of all employee fathers took Paternity Leave. Table 1: Individuals in receipt of SPP, 2019/20 to 2023/24 (the latest year for which full year data is available)Year (April to March)Total2019-20208,0002020-21176,4002021-22204,2002022-23195,3002023-24207,600Data is collected using HMRC Real Time Information (RTI) and is subject to revision.Figures are rounded to the nearest hundred.Figures are based on the total number of individuals in a given year, irrespective of when the payment first started. Some individuals will be counted across two years.