Written questions by Collins.

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of (a) increasing the carer's allowance and (b) introducing a taper to ensure unpaid carers are not subject to any removal of benefits.

The Secretary of State undertakes a statutory annual review of benefit and pensions, and the value of Carer’s Allowance is protected by up-rating it each year in line with the Consumer Prices Index (CPI). This Government will keep eligibility criteria and processes of Carer’s Allowance under review, to see if it is meeting its objectives. Introducing a taper in Carer’s Allowance would significantly complicate the benefit with awards having to be manually adjusted on a weekly basis for some recipients declaring earnings. This would add to administrative costs and potentially increase fraud and error. Those also receiving Universal Credit would need to have that adjusted if their payment of Carer’s Allowance changed because of an earnings taper rate. A taper could therefore only be introduced following significant changes to the IT system that supports payment of Carer’s Allowance.

If he will make an assessment of the potential merits of extending the Universal Care Plan for London to the East of England.

The Department is not planning to make an assessment of the potential merits of extending the Universal Care Plan, as this would be a decision for local determination by commissioners and their providers.As we work towards a single patient record, we will be engaging with the public, professions, and stakeholders to understand what matters to them, and we will be keen to hear their experience of local or regional programmes, to join up data to support patient care.

What steps his Department is taking to improve the provision of full-time community palliative and end of life care.

We want a society where every person receives high-quality, compassionate care, from diagnosis through to the end of life. The Government is determined to shift more healthcare out of hospitals and into the community, to ensure patients and their families receive personalised care in the most appropriate setting, and palliative and end of life care will have a big role to play in that shift.Palliative care services are included in the list of services an integrated care board (ICB) must commission. NHS England has published statutory guidance and service specifications to support ICBs in this duty, which make specific reference to the fact that commissioners should ensure there is sufficient access to continuous care.I recently met NHS England and discussions have begun on how to reduce inequalities and variation in access to, and the quality of, palliative and end of life care. We will consider next steps on palliative and end of life care in the coming months.

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of reducing the number of hours of care per week required to qualify for Carer's Allowance.

It is a long-standing principle, under successive Governments, since Carer’s Allowance was introduced, that the threshold for the number of hours spent caring is 35 hours a week. Unpaid carers play a vital role in supporting elderly or disabled relatives or friends. Sometimes unpaid carers will need to turn to the benefit system for financial support, so it is right that we keep Carer’s Allowance under review, to see if it is meeting its objectives, and giving unpaid carers the help and support they need and deserve.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of bringing forward species-specific legislative proposals to ensure farmed fish do not experience avoidable pain and suffering.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply previously given to the hon. Member for Mid Dorset and North Poole, Vikki Slade, on 9 October 2024, PQ UIN 7335.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to (a) reintroduce the Kept Animals Bill and (b) introduce a ban on snares.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for South Devon on 11 October 2024, PQ 7135.

What steps he is taking to help tackle inequalities in maternal mortality rates for (a) Black women and (b) women from ethnic minority backgrounds.

It is unacceptable that there are such stark inequalities in maternal outcomes. The Government is committed to closing the black and Asian maternal mortality gap. We are urgently considering the immediate action needed to tackle inequalities for women and babies in maternity care, including what targets are needed. A key objective in NHS England’s three-year delivery plan for maternity and neonatal services, which we are currently supporting them in delivering, is to reduce inequalities for all in maternity access, experience, and outcomes, and to improve equity for mothers and babies. As part of that, all Local Maternity and Neonatal Systems have published Equity and Equality actions plans to tackle inequalities for women and babies from ethnic minorities and those living in the most deprived areas, tailored to the needs of the local area.

If her Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of (a) extending the Holiday Activities and Food Programme beyond March 2025 and (b) introducing other measures to help ensure children from low-income households have access to healthy meals during school holidays.

The future of the Holiday Activities and Food programme beyond 31 March 2025 is subject to the next government Spending Review taking place this autumn and the department will communicate the outcome of that process in due course.

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of extending eligibility for Carer's Allowance to carers in full-time education.

This Government recognises and appreciates the vital contribution made by all unpaid carers. We think it is right that people in full-time education should be supported by the educational maintenance system, rather than the social security benefit system. That is why, as a general principle, full-time students are usually precluded from entitlement to income-related and income-maintenance benefits, including Carer’s Allowance. Part-time students may be able to claim Carer’s Allowance though. This reflects long-standing principles of the benefit system, and we have no plans to change these rules. Department for Work and Pensions officials work very closely with their Department for Education and Department of Health and Social Care counterparts to ensure that young carers get the help and support they need. I will also be meeting the Carers Trust and the Learning and Work Institute to discuss these issues.

If her Department will take steps to help reduce the potential impact of the introduction of VAT on independent school fees for children at independent schools (a) who need SEND support and (b) do not have an ECHP.

Local authorities fund pupils’ places in private schools where their needs can only be met in a private school. For example, in England, where attendance at a private school is required by a child’s education, health and care plan, local authorities will be able to reclaim the VAT on the fees from HMRC.Where parents have chosen to send their child to private school rather than a local authority deeming it necessary, VAT will apply to fees. The department works to support local authorities to ensure that every local area has sufficient places for children that need them and works to provide appropriate support where pupils with special educational needs (SEN) require a place at a state-funded school. For most pupils with SEN, support is provided within a mainstream school.

If her Department will make an assessment of the potential impact of the two-child limit in Universal Credit on affected families' long-term (a) health, (b) social and (c) economic outcomes.

There are no plans to make such an assessment. The Child Poverty Taskforce will explore how we can harness all available levers to reduce child poverty, including by listening to stakeholders on potential changes, before publishing a strategy in Spring 2025.

What steps her Department is taking to reduce child poverty in families affected by the two-child limit in Universal Credit claims.

Tackling child poverty is at the heart of this Government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity and improve the life chances of every child. The Child Poverty Taskforce, co-chaired by the Work and Pensions and Education Secretaries, has started urgent work to publish the Child Poverty Strategy in Spring and will explore all available levers to drive forward short and long-term actions across government to reduce child poverty. The vital work of the Taskforce comes alongside the Government’s commitments to roll out free breakfast clubs at all primary schools, setting every child up at the start of the day ready to learn, expanding childcare to deliver work choices for parents and life chances for children, provide stronger protection for families who rent privately as well as deliver our plan to make work pay. As of April 2024, the number of children (third or subsequent children born on or after 6 April 2017) affected by the policy to provide support for a maximum of 2 children was 470,000. Number of households affected by the policyTotal number of children in households affected by the policyNumber of third or subsequent children in households affected by the policyNumber of children affected by the policy (third or subsequent children born on or after 6 April 2017)GB Total380,0001,300,000580,000470,000

With reference to the report by the Climate Change Committee entitled 2023 Progress Report to Parliament, published on 28 June 2023, what assessment she has made of the compatibility of expanding Luton Airport with that report.

The Climate Change Committee published its most recent Progress Report to Parliament on 18 July 2024. The government will carefully consider all of the CCC’s recommendations and respond later this year. The statutory deadline for a decision on the application for a Development Consent Order for London Luton airport expansion is 3 January 2025. Given the Secretary of State’s role in determining the application, it would not be appropriate to comment on the application.

If she will make an estimate of the number of children who will be (a) affected by the two-child limit, (b) living in poverty and (c) both affected by the two-child limit and living in poverty in each of the next 12 months.

Tackling child poverty is at the heart of this Government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity and improve the life chances of every child. The Child Poverty Taskforce, co-chaired by the Work and Pensions and Education Secretaries, has started urgent work to publish the Child Poverty Strategy in Spring and will explore all available levers to drive forward short and long-term actions across government to reduce child poverty. The vital work of the Taskforce comes alongside the Government’s commitments to roll out free breakfast clubs at all primary schools, setting every child up at the start of the day ready to learn, expanding childcare to deliver work choices for parents and life chances for children, provide stronger protection for families who rent privately as well as deliver our plan to make work pay. As of April 2024, the number of children (third or subsequent children born on or after 6 April 2017) affected by the policy to provide support for a maximum of 2 children was 470,000. Number of households affected by the policyTotal number of children in households affected by the policyNumber of third or subsequent children in households affected by the policyNumber of children affected by the policy (third or subsequent children born on or after 6 April 2017)GB Total380,0001,300,000580,000470,000

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he plans to take to help protect rural communities in Harpenden and Berkhamsted constituency from flooding.

Protecting all communities around the country from flooding is one of the Secretary of State’s five core priorities. The new Government has established a Floods Resilience Taskforce, a key commitment that marks a new approach to preparing for flooding and working between national, regional and local Government, including the devolved administrations, and flood risk partners. In the Harpenden and Berkhamsted constituency, the Environment Agency (EA) monitors river levels, working with Hertfordshire County Council (HCC) Lead Local Flood Authority (LLFA), to engage areas that receive flood warnings and flood alerts and review these regularly. The EA carries out maintenance on the main rivers running through this constituency to ensure that the rivers’ conveyance can be maintained during periods of heavy rain. Upstream of Batford, the EA recently completed a Flood Storage area at Houghton Regis to limit flows, after heavy rain, through Luton and down the River Lee catchment. An updated hydraulic model of the Upper Lee has been completed, covering the east of the constituency from Harpenden to Wheathampstead. The EA supports HCC LLFA to build resilience to surface water flooding in Harpenden town centre. The EA is also engaging with the public to offer advice and guidance on watercourse maintenance and flood-related matters to the community of Astrope.

Innovation and Technology, whether he has had discussions with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on the development of (a) a breath test to identify pancreatic cancer and (b) technologies to aid early detection of all cancers.

The project to develop a breath test to identify pancreatic cancer is funded via the NIHR i4i/OLS: Early Cancer Diagnosis Clinical Validation and Evaluation Call. This £11 million programme funds 6 projects that aim to develop technologies to aid early detection of cancer. This is one strand of the Office for Life Sciences’ (OLS) Cancer Programme, which supports the development of technologies that enable earlier, more effective cancer diagnosis and improved treatment. OLS is a joint Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and Department for Science Innovation and Technology (DSIT) unit, ensuring both departments are involved in this work.

For what reason vosoritide is not available for the treatment of achondroplasia in children.

Voxzogo has not been licensed by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). Should an application for Voxzogo, or any product containing the active ingredient vosoritide, be received, the MHRA will consider this accordingly, with regard to its quality, safety, and effectiveness. It is the responsibility of the company to apply to the MHRA for a marketing authorisation.

What assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of the report by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman entitled Women’s State Pension age: our findings on injustice and associated issues, published on 21 March 2024, HC 638; and what steps she plans to take after meeting with the WASPI campaign on 5 September 2024.

We will need time to review and consider the Ombudsman’s report along with the evidence provided during the investigation. We need to consider the views that have been expressed on all sides including the points raised by representatives from the WASPI Campaign who I met on the 5th September. Once this work has been undertaken, the Government will be in a position to outline its approach.

What steps he is taking to increase funding available for pancreatic cancer research.

Research is crucial in tackling cancer, which is why the Department invests over £1.5 billion per year in health research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The NIHR's research expenditure for all cancers was £121.8 million in 2022/23, and the NIHR spends more on cancer than any other disease group.The NIHR has committed £4.3 million in research on pancreatic cancer since 2018/19. This includes research exploring whether a standard surveillance programme after pancreatic cancer surgery would improve survival rates, and what impact surveillance would have on quality of life and healthcare providers.The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including pancreatic cancer. Applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money, and scientific quality. The NIHR welcomes further high-quality proposals to inform approaches to preventing and treating pancreatic cancer.

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of publishing the anonymised outcomes of tribunal cases related to SEND support.

The decision whether to publish a judgment is a judicial one.Judgments of the Special Education Needs and Disability jurisdiction of the Health, Education and Social Care Chamber of the First-tier Tribunal are not routinely published.However, members of the public and the media can apply to the tribunal for a copy of the judgment in a specific case.