Written questions by Slade.

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of amending the statutory guidance on school attendance to allow exemptions for term-time holiday fines for families where the parents have to work during school holidays.

The school year is structured so that there are opportunities for holidays outside of term-time. All schools have the discretion to grant leave of absence in exceptional circumstances, judging each application on the specific facts. However, generally a holiday would not constitute an exceptional circumstance. Schools and local authorities also have considerable flexibility to plan term dates themselves and hold inset days and other occasional days at quieter times of the year, helping families to plan breaks at times that suit them.Where term-time holidays are taken without permission, it is right that the law protects children’s right to a full-time education. The national framework for penalty notices is designed to improve fairness by ensuring they are considered at a consistent point across the country, and on an individual basis, preventing schools from having blanket rules.

What assessment she has made with Cabinet colleagues of the potential impact of charging VAT on Community Interest Companies (CICs) carrying out health support services on the ability of (a) employees of CICs to feasibly continue their work into the future and (b) families who rely on the services of CICs for the care of their loved ones to continue to afford such services.

Supplies of welfare services, including the provision of care for people with permanent disabilities and dementia, are exempt from VAT if they are supplied by eligible bodies, such as public bodies or charities. Because community interest companies (CICs) are not charities in law, they must meet the criteria of being state-regulated in order to provide VAT-exempt care services. This is to ensure that the VAT relief is carefully targeted at private providers offering safe and high-quality welfare services. The Government recognises that there are private organisations that bring value to the care sector without being regulated, but extending the VAT relief to include these would have to be carefully balanced against the risks that it poses.More generally, VAT is a broad-based tax on consumption, and the 20 per cent standard rate applies to most goods and services. VAT is the UK’s second largest tax, forecast to raise £180 billion in 2025/26. Exceptions to the standard rate have always been limited and balanced against affordability considerations.

Communities and Local Government, if he will take steps to ensure that local councils in England do not count Universal Credit Transitional Protection as income when calculating council tax payment in cases prior to 10 November 2025.

Councils are responsible for designing local council tax support schemes for working age people in consultation with their residents. The Government is aware of the variations in the way schemes assess legacy benefits, Universal Credit and transitional protection payments. The Government has recently written to billing authorities on this issue, encouraging them to reflect on the impact of their approach on low-income households. The letter can be found here. Councils also have discretion, under section 13A of the Local Government Finance Act 1992, to provide council tax discounts where they consider this appropriate.

Whether she plans to take steps to ensure consistent (a) diagnosis, (b) clinical management and (c) dietary support for coeliac patients.

People with coeliac disease should have access to timely diagnosis, appropriate clinical management, and clear dietary advice to support long‑term health. Diagnosis and management of coeliac disease in England are informed by national clinical guidance, including recommendations from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), which set out best practice for testing, referral, and follow‑up care. Following NICE guidelines helps integrated care boards (ICBs) to deliver care that is proven to work, use National Health Service resources wisely, and provide fair and consistent services for patients.ICBs are responsible for commissioning services that meet the needs of their local populations, including gastroenterology and dietetic services, and are best placed to consider how care pathways are delivered locally. The NHS continues to focus on improving earlier diagnosis and more coordinated care for long‑term conditions through integrated, personalised approaches, supported by wider improvement programmes to reduce unwarranted variation in care.The Department will continue to work with NHS England to support consistent, high‑quality care for people living with coeliac disease, within existing NHS frameworks and evidence‑based guidance.

If she will add data about young people's caring responsibilities to information collected as part of the school census.

The School Census requires schools to indicate if a child has been identified as a young carer, and if so, by whom. Young carers can be identified by parents, the pupil themselves or by the school.The return of this data is a requirement for all schools, except nurseries, and data must be returned in the Spring Census each year. Schools do not need to seek the permission of the pupil or parent to return this data to the department.Data on young carers has been collected since the 2022/23 academic year and is published each summer.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of the potential impact of reductions to ODA on the (a) UK's ability to provide humanitarian assistance to the Iranian population and (b) escalation of the conflict in Iran.

I refer the Hon Member to the announcement made on 18 March concerning the UK's support for people fleeing the conflict: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-commits-15-million-for-vulnerable-people-affected-by-middle-east-conflict.

Media and Sport, if she will take steps to require promotions of paid-entry prize competition, including (a) phone-in competitions and (b) subscription prize draws, to disclose the (i) number of entries and (ii) odds of winning each advertised prize.

Prize draws are a significant and growing market. This Government has made it clear that we want people who participate in prize draws to be confident that proportionate protections are in place. In November 2025, we introduced a Voluntary Code for prize draw operators. This Code sets a clear and uniform approach across the sector to strengthen player protections, increase transparency and improve accountability. Signatories have until 20 May 2026 to comply with the Code. Clause 2.3 of the Code states that where possible, before entering a draw, operators should provide players with clear and easily accessible information regarding the likelihood of winning a prize and how prizes will be allocated. Whilst the exact likelihood of winning a prize will depend on the number of tickets sold, information of that nature could include, but is not limited to, the maximum number of tickets available (where applicable) or data from previous comparable prize draws. The success of this Code will dictate whether greater regulation may be required, including legislation.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of supporting the restoration of plantations on ancient woodland sites.

The Government has committed to restoring plantations on ancient woodland sites (PAWS) back to semi-natural woodland habitat. There are approximately 365,000 hectares (ha) of ancient woodland in England of which approximately 150,000 ha are under plantation. Forestry England has committed to restoring all 42,814 ha of their PAWS to ancient, semi-natural woodland. Restoration work has been carried out on over 20,000 ha of PAWS in the last ten years with over 16,000 ha now having a canopy that is predominantly native. Defra has improved the support for PAWS restoration on private land through the Higher Tier of the Countryside Stewardship scheme. This includes additional payments for restoration. In its first three years, the Countryside Stewardship grant ‘Manage and restore plantations on ancient woodland sites’ has been taken up across 2,100 hectares of PAWS. The Government is also supporting the establishment of new woodlands both for nature recovery and to produce timber.

If he will take steps to use disused defence estate for the purposes of veterans' (a) rehabilitation and (b) accommodation to help tackle (i) veteran homelessness, (ii) barriers to accessing mental health support and (iii) access to employment support.

Ministry of Defence (MOD) land, that is surplus to Defence requirements, is disposed of in accordance with MOD Policy, which is mandated by HM Treasury guidelines, in order to achieve best value for the taxpayer. This government is committed to ensuring that veterans and their families are easily able to access support on a wide range of issues, when and where it is needed. Late last year we launched a new Veterans Strategy which recognises veterans as a national asset and resets the nation’s relationship with those who have served.

Whether his Department collects information on whether claimants have caring responsibilities when they register for out of work benefits.

During the application process for Universal Credit the applicant is asked whether they are caring for someone with a health condition or disability. Information is not collected as part of a claim for New Style Jobseekers Allowance as it is not relevant for the award.

If he will make an assessment of the potential merits of integrating (a) Ehlers-Danlos syndromes and (b) hypermobility spectrum disorders with overlapping conditions such as (i) Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome, (ii) Myalgic Encephalomyelitis and (iii) Long Covid in (A) NHS service specifications, (B) long-term condition strategies and (C) clinical frameworks.

The Government recognises that hypermobile Ehlers–Danlos syndrome (hEDS), hypermobility spectrum disorders (HSD), and overlapping conditions such as postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, myalgic encephalomyelitis, also known as chronic fatigue syndrome, and Long Covid can have a significant impact on people’s health and quality of life, and that symptoms may be complex, multisystem, and fluctuate over time.In England, services for these conditions are commissioned locally by integrated care boards, which have a statutory responsibility to meet the needs of their populations. Care is typically delivered through existing primary, community, and secondary care pathways, including musculoskeletal, rehabilitation, pain, cardiology, neurology, and mental health services.There is no single national service specification or clinical framework covering these conditions, reflecting the variability of presentations and the absence of definitive diagnostic tests for some conditions. These conditions are best managed through personalised, multidisciplinary care across existing services rather than a standardised national specification or framework.More broadly, the Government’s 10-Year Health Plan sets out reforms to improve care for people living with long‑term and complex conditions, including greater use of multidisciplinary teams, improved coordination between services, and a shift towards more personalised, community‑based care, which will benefit people with hEDS, HSD and related conditions.

Pursuant to the answer to Question 110629 on 9 February, what assessment his Department has given to the potential merits of exempting charities from sections of the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumer Act 2024 relating to the (a) subscription regime and (b) 14 day cooling off period.

The government has consulted on the implementation of the subscriptions regime in the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024. The consultation received over 70 responses including 15 from charitable organisations, and the government has engaged closely with the sector to understand the impacts on both consumers and these bodies.The requirement for an initial 14 day cooling off period is an existing requirement under the Consumer Contract Regulations 2013 for distance and off-premises contracts.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of teachers' wellbeing on their ability to deliver high quality teaching.

I refer the hon. Member for Mid Dorset and North Poole to the answer of 3 March 2026 to Question 115068.

What steps her Department is taking to improve teachers' (a) wellbeing and (b) working conditions to support them to deliver consistent high quality teaching.

I refer the hon. Member for Mid Dorset and North Poole to the answer of 3 March 2026 to Question 115068.

With reference to page 59 of her Department's document entitled Freedom from Violence and Abuse: a cross-government strategy to build a safer society for women and girls, Volume 1: Strategy, published on 18 December 2025, whether her discussions with stakeholders on the misuse of joint financial products will include domestic abuse service providers.

In the Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy, HM Treasury undertook work with key stakeholders to explore how joint mortgages are used as a tool of abuse and how victims and survivors can be better supported.The Government’s Financial Inclusion Strategy considers economic abuse as a key theme in recognition of the particular challenges victim-survivors’ can face in accessing financial products and services. This includes exploring how joint mortgages are used as a tool of abuse and how victims and survivors can be better supported. As part of this, HM Treasury are working closely with charity Surviving Economic Abuse who have been appointed a member of the Financial Inclusion Committee going forward to help inform the delivery of key interventions.In addition, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) also held lived experience sessions with victim-survivors of economic abuse as part of their Mortgages Rule Review which HM Treasury also engaged in.

What steps she is taking to increase the use of recycled plastic materials in road construction.

The Department for Transport continues to support innovation in the local highways sector by creating the conditions for the safe and evidence‑based adoption of new approaches, while leaving decisions on specific technologies to local highway authorities. This includes providing a record investment of £7.3 billion for local highways maintenance over the next four years.In addition, through the £30 million Live Labs 2 programme, the Department is helping local authorities trial innovative approaches to road maintenance, including the use of recycled plastic materials in resurfacing. As part of this programme, North Lanarkshire Council has trialled a technology that replaces traditional oil-based polymers with recycled plastic, reducing carbon emissions from asphalt production by up to 20% while maintaining durability. Further information on this is available online, at: https://www.northlanarkshire.gov.uk/news/recycled-plastic-technology-used-uk-road-first-time.

What assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the Live Labs 2 programme.

The Live Labs 2 programme is supported by a built‑in monitoring and evaluation period that runs beyond the programme’s delivery phase, which is yet to conclude. Initial results published by the Association of Directors of Environment, Economy, Planning & Transport (ADEPT) already demonstrate tangible progress, including East Riding’s award‑winning deployment of AI‑based video analytics to inform low‑carbon lighting strategies, and early findings from the Centre of Excellence for Decarbonising Roads, which has secured national recognition for its innovations in low‑carbon materials and asset management. The Department has recently confirmed the extension of the Live Labs 2 programme for an additional year. This extension is to support wider uptake of project findings across local highway authorities, particularly in relation to innovative, low-carbon maintenance methods.

What his planned timetable is for introducing legislation to end new onshore oil and gas licensing in England.

On 1 October 2025 the Secretary of State confirmed plans to bring forward legislation to end new onshore oil and gas licensing in England. We will seek to introduce this when Parliamentary time allows.

What steps he is taking to ensure that net migration statistics clarify the distinction between (a) new entrants, (b) visa extensions and (c) visa category switches.

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. A response to the Hon lady Parliamentary Question of 17th March is attached.

What steps she is taking to regulate how multi-academy trusts address concerns raised by parents of children whose school is joining a multi-academy trust.

Section 5 of the Academies Act 2010 requires maintained schools to consult appropriate persons on whether the school should convert to academy status before the conversion goes ahead. This does not apply to schools that are eligible for intervention.In the ‘Every Child Achieving and Thriving’ White Paper, the department committed to consult on requiring school trusts to have local governance structures that together include all their schools, hold annual parental forums, and ensure boards hear directly from parents and school communities. The consultation will draw on the strongest sector practice in engaging parents and communities, to ensure that trust boards benefit from clear, consistent insight into the needs and priorities of the families they serve.