Written questions by Hobhouse.

What assessment he has made of the potential merits of designating areas with high conservation status, such as Bath, as priority areas for early zoning.

The Department invites strategic and local authorities in England to help identify the next tranche of zones for our future pipeline. Each potential zone will be assessed against quantitative (scale, quality and affordability), and qualitative metrics (readiness, viability, feasibility). Relevant local and strategic authorities—including those covering high conservation areas such as Bath—are welcome to contribute evidence to this review. We are already engaging with the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority as part of our Advanced Zoning Programme. (More information about this on the HNDU webpage: www.gov.uk/guidance/heat-networks-delivery-unit).

Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the Government consultation response of 12 June 2025 on fairer food labelling, whether she has assessed the potential merits of mandating country-of-origin labelling for (a) fish and; (b) seafood products imported from the Faroe Islands.

Food labelling rules require country of origin information for some fish products. The Government has not undertaken a specific assessment of mandating country of origin labelling requirements for fish or seafood products imported from the Faroe Islands in cases where it is not already required. Food labelling requirements are kept under review to ensure they provide clear information for consumers, while remaining proportionate and consistent with wider regulatory and trade considerations. Defra officials continue to look at how the origin for food products may be better highlighted to ensure consumers can make informed choices wherever they purchase food.

With reference to the recommendations on the use of long-term revenue support mechanisms such as Regulated Asset Base models and Contracts for Difference within the of the ADE: Heat Networks' Clean Heat 2040 report, whether she has considered applying such a model to a demonstrator city, such as Bath.

A Regulated Asset Base (RAB) model allows a regulated monopoly to earn an agreed level of revenue, as used in sectors such as water. Planned Heat Network Zoning Regulations will deliver a similar effect by granting zone developers exclusive rights within designated areas, with tariffs agreed with the responsible local authority to enable an appropriate return. Further work is required to assess the effectiveness of these models relative to zoning and existing capital support, and it would not be appropriate to introduce a demonstrator city at this stage.

Whether he plans to take steps with the Coal Authority to use mine water heat for heat networks.

Mine water heat is already used in some heat networks. The Gateshead Heat Network and Seaham Garden Village have been supported through the Green Heat Network Fund (GHNF) and Heat Network Investment Project respectively. We are in touch with the Coal Authority (now the Mining and Remediation Authority) to monitor developments in the sector and to offer support where applicable, such as through the GHNF.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has conducted diplomatic discussions with (a) the Government of the Faroe Islands, (b) the Government of Denmark and (c) other international partners on the impact of Faroese dolphin hunting on North Atlantic cetacean populations.

The UK strongly opposes the hunting of cetaceans other than limited activities by indigenous people for defined subsistence needs. UK ministers and officials continue to advocate for the end of cetacean hunts in the Faroe Islands at every appropriate opportunity, most recently during formal UK-Faroes bilateral fisheries negotiations in November 2025, and I raised this with the Faroese Prime Minister Aksel V. Johannesen when I hosted him in London last year. We also use our role as Chair of the International Whaling Commission's Conservation Committee to raise the profile of small cetaceans, including encouraging more work to improve their protection and address welfare concerns.

Whether future breast screening service specifications will include details and standards outlining the on-site support, equipment, and reasonable adjustments screening units must be able to provide to women with disabilities and support needs.

The NHS Breast Screening Programme takes equality of access and opportunity for breast screening seriously. There is guidance in place to support breast screening services to address specific needs that people may have in order to attend their breast screening. This guidance is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/breast-screening-identifying-and-reducing-inequalitiesBreast screening services are already expected to meet these requirements as part of the current national specification.A project is underway to assess how the Reasonable Adjustments Digital Flag can be best implemented across screening programmes and how provider services can be best enabled to respond to these requirements. The national screening service specification will be appropriately updated to reflect changes.

When NHS England will be able to provide robust breast screening data on all protected characteristics.

NHS England is currently building and rolling out new services for breast screening. The future breast screening service is expected to improve the consistency and completeness of demographic and equality data capture, which should support more robust reporting over time.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the alignment between the new timings for Contracts for Difference eighth allocation round and statutory planning decisions for large renewable projects key on the delivery of the Clean Power 2030 Action Plan.

The Government recognises the importance of providing clarity and certainty for investors and developers participating in the Contracts for Difference scheme, which is why we have confirmed we intend to open the next Allocation Round in July. We will confirm the details of Allocation Round 8 ahead of July, informed by stakeholder engagement.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the revised Contracts for Difference eighth allocation round timetable on large solar projects that are unable to bid into the pre-qualification window for that round, including those projects that are well advanced and strategically aligned.

The Government recognises the importance of providing clarity and certainty for investors and developers participating in the Contracts for Difference scheme, which is why we have confirmed we intend to open the next Allocation Round in July. We will confirm the details of Allocation Round 8 ahead of July, informed by stakeholder engagement.

With reference to the revised timeline for the Contracts for Difference eighth allocation round, what steps his Department is taking to support large solar projects that have begun planning for construction but may not be able to bid in the pre-qualification window under the revised timeline.

The Government recognises the importance of providing clarity and certainty for investors and developers participating in the Contracts for Difference scheme, which is why we have confirmed we intend to open the next Allocation Round in July. We will confirm the details of Allocation Round 8 ahead of July, informed by stakeholder engagement.

Whether consideration was given to laying the provision maintaining the frozen pensions policy, currently within the Social Security Up-Rating Regulations 2026 laid on the 6 March, as a standalone instrument.

The Social Security Benefits Up-rating Regulations 2026 are in general consequential on the Social Security Benefits Up-rating Order 2026 and can only be laid once the Up-rating Order has been approved by Parliament. The Up-rating Regulations were laid on 6 March 2026 and will come into force on the same date as the Up-rating Order on 6 April 2026. This is a convention that has been in place for a number of years.

If his Department will set out what criteria is used to determine whether provisions relating to the frozen overseas state pensions policy are laid under the Negative rather than Affirmative procedure.

The provisions in the Social Security Benefits Up-rating Regulations 2026 cannot be included in the Social Security Benefits Up-rating Order 2026 because the powers on which the Up-rating Order relies are insufficiently wide to include these provisions. The Regulations are subject to the negative procedure, and this is a convention that has been in place for a number of years.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the Future Homes Standard on the delivery of high-quality, future-proofed homes that reduce energy bills for residents; and whether the Standard will include requirements on the installation of solar photovoltaic panels on suitable new homes.

Homes built under the Future Homes Standard will be future proofed with low carbon heating and high levels of energy efficiency, reducing reliance on fossil fuels and cutting consumer energy bills. A full impact assessment will be published in due course. Government have confirmed that the Future Homes Standard will include solar panels and that we expect them to be installed in the majority of new homes. Installing solar panels on new build homes could save families hundreds of pounds a year, while also strengthening energy security by reducing exposure to international gas markets.

Whether he is taking steps to help ensure that the merging of ICBs will not result in wider use of BMI as a pre-requisite for joint replacement surgery in England.

It is the responsibility of individual integrated care boards (ICBs) to determine clinical commissioning policies, such as eligibility for joint replacement surgery, for their local areas, including when an ICB is the result of a merger.As with all surgery, body mass index (BMI) should be considered as part of a holistic, personalised perioperative evaluation of the risks versus the clinical need for joint replacement surgery of an individual patient. As per National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidance, BMI should not be considered in isolation as a barrier to surgery.As part of the National Health Service Elective Reform Plan, the Government has committed to expanding access to the NHS Digital Weight Management Programme for patients waiting for hip and knee replacements. This will help optimise patients for their surgery, potentially leading to a reduced length of hospital stay and minimising their risk of post-operative complications.

How many integrated care boards have activity management plans in place; and which integrated care boards have activity management plans in place for planned care.

NHS England does not hold this information centrally. Integrated care boards have contractual powers to manage activity by providers, which were enhanced in 2025/26 with central support for setting and managing activity. The NHS Standard Contract includes the ability to set indicative activity plans to help providers and commissioners plan demand, capacity, and expenditure. While not binding, if activity exceeds the agreed plan, and therefore the funding agreed, an activity management plan can be agreed to bring activity back in line.

What steps his Department is taking to help increase the number of rheumatologists working in England.

We set out in the 10-Year Health Plan for England that over the next three years we will create 1,000 new specialty training posts, with a focus on specialties where there is greatest need. We will set out next steps in due course.This Government is committed to training the staff we need, including doctors, to ensure patients are cared for by the right professional, when and where they need it. We will publish a 10 Year Workforce Plan to set out action to create a workforce ready to deliver the transformed services set out in the 10-Year Health Plan.

Whether his Department will take forward the recommendations of the report entitled Mental health clinically-led review of standards - Models of care and measurement: consultation response, published on 22 February 2022, including the development of an access standard for non-urgent community mental health care.

Following the clinically-led review, data is now available showing the number of referrals for urgent mental health crisis care (specifically Crisis Resolution and Home Treatment Teams), by level of urgency, and the number responded to within the appropriate timeframe for that level of urgency. These are for new urgent referrals within 24 hours; and new very urgent emergency referrals within 4 hours. This data is available at the following link on the National Health Service Mental Health Dashboard:https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/nhs-mental-health-dashboard/As there are numerous different services and patient pathways provided within the mental health sector, there is no single waiting list standard and there are multiple ways of measuring how many people are waiting for the start of support, help or treatment.With regard to accessing non-urgent community mental health services, as part of the mental health clinically-led review of standards in 2022, NHS England has collaboratively developed additional mental health waiting times metrics across NHS-funded urgent and emergency care, and NHS-funded community mental health services. While no specific waiting times standard for community mental health services has been set, the review recommended four weeks.Some children and young people who have a mental health need as part of a referral pathway may also have other needs. NHS England has tried to separate out referrals in a way that shows more clearly where waits lie without enforcing a hard, exclusionary line that might lead to perverse incentives, longer waits and the risk that children and young people are left with no support. From December 2025, some limited breakdowns of children and young people’s waits have been published, with four broad groups: (a) autism; (b) other neurodevelopmental; (c) gender identity; and (d) all other waits. This last group is expected to be mostly mental health related waits. As a single patient referral spell may be included in multiple groups, NHS England also publishes an indicator of the overlap between this last group, and the other groups.

If he will take steps to help reduce geographic variation in waiting times for children and young people to start community eating disorder treatment.

The Government recognises that there is unacceptable geographic variation in waiting times for children and young people accessing community eating disorder treatment.We are reforming eating disorder services to ensure that children and young people can access timely, effective support when they need it, rather than after their condition has escalated. This shift towards prevention and stronger community-based support underpins the new National Health Service guidance for children and young people’s eating disorder services, published last month. The guidance makes clear that children and young people should receive timely, joined-up care delivered as close to home as possible.In addition to the updated guidance, NHS England has commissioned the Royal College of Psychiatrists to deliver a National All-Age Audit of Eating Disorders. The audit seeks to drive improvement of the identification and appropriate management of eating disorders and the quality and consistency of services for children and young people, adults of working age, and older adults. The audit covers both community and inpatient settings. A key part of this work is to produce a report that will map out eating disorder services in England and the care offered by them. In understanding what variation exists, we can begin to address the variation in care provision.To support this, the Government is recruiting 8,500 additional mental health workers across the NHS to increase capacity and ensure that help is available when and where it is needed. NHS England continues to work with integrated care boards to improve performance, reduce unwarranted variation, and ensure services meet national access standards so that all children and young people can access high-quality eating disorder care regardless of where they live.

With reference to the Royal College of Psychiatrists' report entitled National Audit of Eating Disorders Service Mapping Report 2025, published in December 2025, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of introducing a national access and waiting time standard for adults with eating disorders.

While no such specific assessment has been made, we recognise the devastating impact an eating disorder can have on someone’s life, and that the earlier treatment is provided, the greater the chance of recovery. We are carefully considering the findings of the National Audit of Eating Disorders Service Mapping Report 2025.We are working with NHS England to improve community-based eating disorder services, including crisis care and intensive home treatment, to boost outcomes and recovery, reduce rates of relapse, prevent eating disorders continuing into adulthood and, if admission is required as a very last resort, reduce lengths of stay.

What assessment he has made of trends in the waiting times for children and young people to start community eating disorder treatment, based on the data published by NHS England.

The Government keeps waiting time data for children and young people’s community eating disorder services under close review, drawing on the statistics published regularly by NHS England.We recognise that demand for eating disorder services has increased in recent years and that performance varies across the country. That is why we are reforming eating disorder services so that children and young people can access timely, effective support when they need it, rather than after their condition has escalated.This shift towards prevention and stronger community-based support underpins the new National Health Service guidance for children and young people’s eating disorder services, published last month. The guidance makes clear that children and young people should receive timely, joined-up care delivered as close to home as possible.The Government is also recruiting 8,500 additional mental health workers across the NHS to increase capacity and ensure that help is available when and where it is needed. NHS England continues to work with integrated care boards to improve performance against national access standards and reduce unwarranted variation in waiting times.