Written questions by Collins.

Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to end the use of promotional offers by gambling companies that may increase gambling-related harm.

As part of the Gambling Commission’s licence conditions, all gambling operators in the UK must comply with advertising codes enforced by the Advertising Standards Authority independently of the government. These advertising codes contain a range of measures which are designed to protect children and vulnerable adults from harm.The Gambling Commission have also introduced further restrictions to ensure that bonuses are constructed in a responsible way which does not encourage harmful gambling. Since January 2026, operators have been banned from cross-marketing more than one gambling product within one incentive. This measure further raises standards to ensure that advertising does not encourage excessive and harmful gambling.We will continue to monitor the best available evidence that assesses the impact of consumer protection measures when making future policy decisions.

Communities and Local Government, whether his Department plans to update guidance to enable local planning authorities to take account of cumulative breaches of planning control across subdivided land where individual plots are under separate ownership.

My Department has no current plans to update guidance in respect of this matter.

Communities and Local Government, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of the subdivision and sale of agricultural land into multiple small plots on the effectiveness of planning enforcement by local planning authorities.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given Question UIN 119661 on 18 March 2026.

Communities and Local Government, whether his Department plans to collect data on the number of planning applications or appeals in which Grey Belt policy is cited.

My Department is currently exploring with local planning authorities ways in which data relating to grey belt land might usefully be collected. However, no decisions have yet been made.

Communities and Local Government, what guidance his Department provides to local planning authorities on escalating enforcement action, including the use of injunctions under section 187B of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, in cases involving repeated or sequential breaches of planning control.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given Question UIN 119662 on 18 March 2026

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of timed examinations on the performance of neurodiverse students.

Ofqual, as the independent regulator of qualifications, is responsible for ensuring the exams system is fair and accessible for all students. It has published guidance for awarding organisations to follow when designing qualifications, setting clear expectations around accessible language, layout, structure and the removal of unnecessary burdens to ensure that exams are designed to be accessible for all learners, including neurodiverse students.Ofqual has also conducted research into the role of time pressure in assessment, including speed of working, the impact of having extra time in exams and the wider evidence base on timed assessment.Under the Equality Act 2010, awarding organisations are required to make reasonable adjustments for disabled persons to prevent substantial disadvantage in exams and assessments. Reasonable adjustments may include 25% extra time in the exam or the use of a reader, scribe, word processor or assistive technology, and ensure that students can demonstrate their knowledge without changing the exam content. A range of access arrangements are also available for all national curriculum tests and assessments, and guidance is provided by the Standards and Testing Agency.Additionally, in the government response to the Curriculum and Assessment Review, the department committed to working with Ofqual and the exam boards to ensure that accessibility implications are fully considered for all young people throughout the qualification process, including for those with special educational needs and disabilities.

What assessment her Department has made of the accessibility of written examination formats for neurodiverse students in schools and further education settings.

Ofqual, as the independent regulator of qualifications, is responsible for ensuring the exams system is fair and accessible for all students. It has published guidance for awarding organisations to follow when designing qualifications, setting clear expectations around accessible language, layout, structure and the removal of unnecessary burdens to ensure that exams are designed to be accessible for all learners, including neurodiverse students.Ofqual has also conducted research into the role of time pressure in assessment, including speed of working, the impact of having extra time in exams and the wider evidence base on timed assessment.Under the Equality Act 2010, awarding organisations are required to make reasonable adjustments for disabled persons to prevent substantial disadvantage in exams and assessments. Reasonable adjustments may include 25% extra time in the exam or the use of a reader, scribe, word processor or assistive technology, and ensure that students can demonstrate their knowledge without changing the exam content. A range of access arrangements are also available for all national curriculum tests and assessments, and guidance is provided by the Standards and Testing Agency.Additionally, in the government response to the Curriculum and Assessment Review, the department committed to working with Ofqual and the exam boards to ensure that accessibility implications are fully considered for all young people throughout the qualification process, including for those with special educational needs and disabilities.

Communities and Local Government, what guidance his Department provides to local planning authorities on escalating enforcement action, including the use of injunctions under section 187B of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, in cases involving repeated or sequential breaches of planning control.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 119662 on 18 March 2026.

Communities and Local Government, when he will the response to the July 2025 consultation on the Private Parking Code of Practice; and what the timetable is for implementation of the statutory Code under the Parking (Code of Practice) Act 2019.

All submissions to the 2025 Private Parking Code of Practice consultation are currently being analysed and the government will set out further details on the consultation response and the final Code as soon as possible.

Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to protect settlement hierarchy and the character of rural villages in Harpenden and Berkhamsted constituency. .

I refer the hon. Member to the answers given to Questions UIN 103589 on 14 January 2026 and UIN 104394 on 15 January 2026.

Communities and Local Government, what discussions she has had with private parking operators on their duties under the Equality Act 2010 to make reasonable adjustments for disabled motorists; and what enforcement mechanisms are available where operators fail to meet those obligations.

The Government is aware that disabled motorists can face challenges when parking and my officials ensure these issues are actively discussed through ongoing engagement with the parking sector, the Department for Transport and other relevant stakeholders. Most recently, officials met with Disabled Motoring UK specifically to understand how disabled motorists can be protected and supported.Private parking operators are required to make reasonable adjustments under the Equality Act 2010, the form those adjustments take are up to individual operators. We will continue to proactively consider how the Code of Practice will affect disabled people and take steps to remove barriers.

What discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on the duplication of safeguarding requirements for volunteers working across schools, charities and community organisations.

It is for employers and the sectors involved to set requirements for criminal record checks as part of their safeguarding requirements. However, the disclosure and barring regime does allow for transfer of criminal record certificates, provided by the Disclosure and Barring Service, if the certificate is for the same workforce and at the same level.For further information, I would refer the hon member to the response previously provided by the Home Office, UIN: 119660.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of not commencing Schedule 3 of the Flood and Water Management Act 2010 on sewer capacity and storm overflow discharges.

Pre-pipe drainage and wastewater solutions, such as sustainable drainage systems (SuDS), alleviate pressure on the sewerage system by reducing the volume of rainwater and pollutants entering the system. This approach has benefits for communities, the environment, flood prevention and urban development. The Government is strongly committed to improving the implementation of SuDS. In December 2024, we made changes to the National Planning Policy Framework to support increased delivery of SuDS. The Government consulted on a revised National Planning Policy Framework – including for flood risk and SuDS – and, separately, on proposals to increase adoption of shared amenities, with planned guidance to ensure lifetime maintenance. In June 2025, the Government introduced new national standards for SuDS. Better delivery of SuDS may be achieved by continuing to improve the current planning policy-based approach and looking at ways of improving the approach to adoption and maintenance, rather than commencing Schedule 3 to the Flood and Water Management Act 2010.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of private parking enforcement practices at hospital sites on patients attending medical treatment; and whether additional protections are being considered for those who overstay due to clinical circumstances.

No assessment has been made of the potential impact of private parking enforcement practices at hospital sites on patients attending medical treatment and protections are being considered for those who overstay due to clinical circumstances.National Health Service organisation make decisions locally on how they provide their car parking for patients, visitors, and staff. This will include whether parking services are provided in-house or outsourced. Where outsourced, the NHS car parking guidance 2022 for NHS trusts and NHS foundation trusts states that:- NHS organisations are responsible for the actions of private contractors who run car parks on their behalf; and- NHS organisations should act against rogue contractors in line with the relevant codes of practice where applicable Further information is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nhs-patient-visitor-and-staff-car-parking-principles/nhs-patient-visitor-and-staff-car-parking-principlesIt is recognised that the attendance at hospitals cannot be predicted in advance and therefore, the NHS parking guidance states that trusts should consider installing ‘pay on exit’ or similar schemes so that drivers pay only for the time that they have used. Additional charges should only be imposed where reasonable and should be waived when overstaying is beyond the driver’s control, such as when treatment takes longer than planned, or when staff are required to work beyond their scheduled shift.

Communities and Local Government, what guidance her Department provides to local planning authorities on wastewater treatment capacity when determining applications for major housing developments.

Planning Practice Guidance on water supply, wastewater, and water quality sets out how the planning process should take account of water quality and the delivery of adequate water and wastewater infrastructure. That guidance can be found on gov.uk here.Between 16 December 2025 and 10 March 2026, the government consulted on changes to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). That consultation, which can be found on gov.uk here, included proposals relating to wastewater treatment capacity.The proposed policies will support the development and operation of energy and water infrastructure that meets the needs of existing and future development. They emphasise the need for early engagement between relevant plan-making authorities, utility providers, regulators, and network operators. This will ensure that development plans align with the capacity and future requirements of water infrastructure, and support the delivery of water supply, drainage, and wastewater infrastructure.We are currently analysing the feedback received and will publish our response in due course.I otherwise refer the hon. Member to the answer to Question UIN 86955 on 11 November 2025.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the impact of the statutory right to connect new developments to the public sewer network on storm overflow discharges.

Defra is working together with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to ensure the right to connect for water supply and to the sewerage system supports the Government’s housing delivery objectives and enables sustainable development. The Government is committed to taking a systematic approach to tackling the issues with drainage and wastewater. This includes a real focus on tackling the root causes of sewage pollution. We will enable a step change to allow for more ‘pre-pipe’ solutions to reduce the volume of rainwater and pollutants entering the sewerage system. This includes better rainwater management, including sustainable drainage systems, and tackling sewer misuse. This approach will have benefits for communities, the environment, flood prevention and urban development, ensuring policies and services work better together to deliver real benefits for people and nature. It will also enable economic growth, creating headroom for new development, and create opportunities to alleviate pressures on water supply.

What recent assessment her Department has made of trends in the levels of reported violent crime in Harpenden and Berkhamsted constituency.

The Home Office publishes official statistics on violent crime recorded by the police in England Wales at the Community Safety Partnership (CSP) Area level.Figures for the CSP areas of St Albans and Dacorum can be found in Open Data Tables, available here: Police recorded crime and outcomes open data tables - GOV.UKGiven the relatively low volume of offences involving knives or sharp instruments, such statistics are only published at the Police Force Area (PFA) level and those for Hertfordshire PFA can also be found at the weblink given above.

What recent assessment her Department has made in trends in the level of reported knife offences in Harpenden and Berkhamsted constituency.

The Home Office publishes official statistics on violent crime recorded by the police in England Wales at the Community Safety Partnership (CSP) Area level.Figures for the CSP areas of St Albans and Dacorum can be found in Open Data Tables, available here: Police recorded crime and outcomes open data tables - GOV.UKGiven the relatively low volume of offences involving knives or sharp instruments, such statistics are only published at the Police Force Area (PFA) level and those for Hertfordshire PFA can also be found at the weblink given above.

What assessment she has made of the feasibility of making enhanced DBS certificates transferable between organisations where the role and level of check required are equivalent.

Under current arrangements, enhanced and other certificates issued by the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) are transferable between organisations, where the role and level of check required are equivalent. That is, where the level of check for which the role is eligible is the same.Employers can accept an existing criminal record certificate for recruitment purposes if it is the same type of check (for example, enhanced with a check of the adults’ barred list) and it has been issued for the same workforce (for example, adults’, children’s, other). There is no expiry date on criminal record certificates, as the information disclosed on certificates is correct at the date they are issued.Importantly, the level of check an employer or organisation is entitled to request depends on the role’s eligibility in relation to DBS checks. For example, if an individual already has an enhanced with children’s barred list check certificate and the second role is only eligible for a standard certificate, the second employer or organisation would potentially be seeing information it is not legally entitled to request.Conversely, if the employer for the second role requires an enhanced with barred list check but the existing certificate held by the applicant is enhanced only, not all relevant information would be available for the organisation to make a suitability decision. Further guidance and an eligibility tool are available at this link: www.gov.uk/government/collections/dbs-eligibility-guidance.The DBS Update Service supports the portability of an individual’s certificate by ensuring the information is up to date. To support ongoing suitability decisions, applicants can subscribe to the Update Service, which allows employers to check if any relevant information has changed since the certificate was issued, although it is the employer’s decision whether to use the Update Service or to request the applicant re-apply for a certificate.The Update Service offers a digital solution that supports real-time checking. It can also be of benefit to employers, who can undertake instant online checking of DBS certificates, thus saving time and money. The applicant would only need to obtain a new certificate in cases where there has been a change in recorded information, or in cases where they need to apply for a different type of criminal record check. The Update Service is free to use for volunteers and costs £16 a year for paid employees. Further information and details of how to subscribe can be found at https://www.gov.uk/dbs-update-service.

Communities and Local Government, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of the subdivision and sale of agricultural land into multiple small plots on local planning enforcement workloads.

My Department has made no such assessment.