Written questions by Forster.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the changes to attendance and penalty notice regulations that came into effect on 19 August 2024 on school (a) staffing and (b) workload.

The changes to the regulations governing the school attendance register simplify and consolidate what is recorded in the attendance register by schools, reducing their complexity and burden on schools.The changes to the penalty notice regulations aimed to improve the consistency in how penalty notices are used across the country, ending the previous postcode lottery. 81% of school or academy trust respondents agreed with the idea of a consistent national threshold for considering a penalty notice in the 2022 public consultation, which is available here: https://consult.education.gov.uk/school-attendance-policy-and-strategy-team/school-registers-and-national-thresholds-for-legal/supporting_documents/Consultation%20Document_Pupil%20Registration%20Regulations_Thresholds%20Legal%20Intervention.pdf.Local authorities require information from schools to process a penalty notice. How this is done is agreed locally and should not place an undue burden on schools.We will keep the policies under review through regular engagement with schools.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to (a) ensure the safety of British nationals in Iran and (b) provide safe routes for (i) those nationals and (ii) their families to return to the United Kingdom.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) travel advice remains under regular review to ensure it reflects our latest assessment of risks to British nationals. The safety of British nationals in each country and territory is the FCDO's overriding concern when determining travel advice. However, the FCDO does not have the jurisdiction to guarantee the safety of British Nationals overseas, which is the responsibility of local authorities.The FCDO has long been clear that the support we are able to provide in Iran is extremely limited. In an emergency, we will be unable to provide face-to-face assistance for British nationals in difficulty, or to assist with evacuations. We continue to advise against all travel to Iran, where British and British-Iranian dual nationals are at very high risk of arrest, questioning and detention. During the recent conflict between Iran and Israel, the FCDO updated travel advice for Iran to note the temporary withdrawal of UK staff from Iran, the status of Iran's land borders and the closure of Iranian airspace, which re-opened in early July.

Whether her Department plans to provide additional funding to schools to help support the administrative workload resulting from the attendance and penalty notice regulations introduced in August 2024.

The changes to the regulations governing the school attendance register simplify and consolidate what is recorded in the attendance register by schools, reducing their complexity and burden on schools.The changes to the penalty notice regulations aimed to improve the consistency in how penalty notices are used across the country, ending the previous postcode lottery. 81% of school or academy trust respondents agreed with the idea of a consistent national threshold for considering a penalty notice in the 2022 public consultation, which is available here: https://consult.education.gov.uk/school-attendance-policy-and-strategy-team/school-registers-and-national-thresholds-for-legal/supporting_documents/Consultation%20Document_Pupil%20Registration%20Regulations_Thresholds%20Legal%20Intervention.pdf.Local authorities require information from schools to process a penalty notice. How this is done is agreed locally and should not place an undue burden on schools.We will keep the policies under review through regular engagement with schools.

Communities and Local Government, whether her Department is reviewing the rules of Housing Revenue Accounts to support local authorities to (a) safer and (b) more homes.

The government engages regularly with local authorities to understand the pressures on their Housing Revenue Accounts (HRAs) and keeps the rules governing HRAs under review to ensure they are supporting investment in new and existing stock.My Department is considering whether the current threshold for opening an HRA (200 homes) is set at the right level, or if a different threshold would enable local authorities to reach a level of housing provision that would better enable them to meet the costs of opening and managing an HRA.More broadly, we are committed to delivering the biggest increase in social and affordable housebuilding a generation, alongside driving a transformational and lasting change in the safety and quality of homes. I refer the hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 2 July 2025 (HCWS771).

Pursuant to the Answer of 3 July 2025 to Question 63482 on Personal Independence Payment: Medical Examinations and with reference to her letter of 26 June 2025 on the Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill, whether the announced exemption from reassessment for existing Personal Independence Payment claimants will also apply to the All Review claimants whose award is subject to a scheduled review or reassessment process at the time the exemption comes into force.

The Government is committed to providing security and dignity for those who will never be able to work, and removing unnecessary stress, anxiety and uncertainty from the Social Security System. Subject to Parliamentary approval, the Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill legislates to formally protect those with the most severe, lifelong health conditions, who meet the Severe Conditions Criteria, from being called for reassessments for their Universal Credit Health Element award. The Severe Conditions Criteria applies to customers in receipt of Universal Credit rather than those in receipt of the Personal Independence Payment (PIP).

What (a) data and (b) other information his Department used to inform public health (i) policies and (ii) campaigns related to reducing alcohol consumption in the development of the NHS 10 Year Plan; from which (A) individuals and (B) organisations that information was sourced; and what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the level of (1) impartiality and (2) scientific robustness of those sources.

The impact statement of the 10-Year Health Plan will be published in full shortly. This document explains the rationale for, and potential effects of, a number of measures outlined in the plan, including references to the relevant evidence.

What steps her Department is taking to support Surrey County Council to improve support for children who go missing or are at risk of exploitation.

Following support from the department and others, Surrey County Council's children's services were judged by Ofsted to be ‘Good’ in March 2025.Statutory guidance ‘Working together to safeguard children’ (2023), is clear that children at risk of or experiencing harm from outside their home should receive a multi-agency safeguarding response, recognising threats may arise from school, peer groups, online or the wider community.In 2023, we published a set of multi-agency practice principles to guide local areas in their response to keeping children and young people safe from child exploitation and extra-familial harm. The principles bring together the best available evidence in this area and have been developed through extensive consultation with professionals, children, young people, parents and carers. These principles are available here: https://tce.researchinpractice.org.uk/.Our Families First Partnership Programme, backed by over £500 million investment per year over the next three years, is rolling out reforms to family help and multi-agency child protection, including where harm is outside the home.We expect safeguarding partners to work together to reduce the chances of children going missing, to respond effectively when they do and understand why.We have provided clear guidance about responsibilities for all children who go missing.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of replacing the role of local authorities with committees in planning decision on local representation in those decisions.

The Planning and Infrastructure Bill includes a regulation-making power to issue statutory guidance on a national scheme of delegation.On 28 May 2025, my Department published a technical consultation on proposals for reform of planning committees. It can be found on gov.uk here.

What steps her Department is taking to support Surrey County Council improve collaborative safety planning.

Following support from the department and others, Surrey County Council's children's services were judged by Ofsted to be ‘Good’ in March 2025.Statutory guidance ‘Working together to safeguard children’ (2023), is clear that children at risk of or experiencing harm from outside their home should receive a multi-agency safeguarding response, recognising threats may arise from school, peer groups, online or the wider community.In 2023, we published a set of multi-agency practice principles to guide local areas in their response to keeping children and young people safe from child exploitation and extra-familial harm. The principles bring together the best available evidence in this area and have been developed through extensive consultation with professionals, children, young people, parents and carers. These principles are available here: https://tce.researchinpractice.org.uk/.Our Families First Partnership Programme, backed by over £500 million investment per year over the next three years, is rolling out reforms to family help and multi-agency child protection, including where harm is outside the home.We expect safeguarding partners to work together to reduce the chances of children going missing, to respond effectively when they do and understand why.We have provided clear guidance about responsibilities for all children who go missing.

What steps her Department is taking to support Surrey County Council to deliver more housing for care leavers to improve Education, Employment and Training opportunities.

The government is committed to improving support for care leavers. Through the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, we are placing a new duty on local authorities to provide ‘Staying Close’ support to care leavers up to age 25 where their welfare requires it and requiring local authorities to publish their arrangements for supporting care leavers’ transition to adulthood. The Bill will also ensure care leavers cannot be found intentionally homeless and will introduce corporate parenting responsibilities for government departments and relevant public bodies so that they better take the needs of care leavers into account. We also fund local authorities to help care leavers stay with their foster families up to age 21, known as ‘Staying Put’.Support is available for eligible care leavers to access bursaries to engage in education, employment and training, including £2,000 for university and £3,000 for apprenticeships.Wider housing reforms will also benefit care leavers. On 2 July, we announced a ten-year plan to deliver the largest increase in social and affordable housing in a generation, alongside lasting improvements in safety and quality. Additionally, from 10 July, eligible care leavers under 25 will no longer need to meet a local connection or residency test to access social housing.

How many and what proportion of PIP claims were under review as of 27 June 2025.

Please find the information requested in Table 1 below. We provide figures for 30th April 2025 in line with latest official published statistics Personal Independence Payment statistics to April 2025.Table 1. Volume of cases and proportion of April 2025 caseload under review on 30th April 2025.Type of reviewVolume of cases under review on 30th April 2025Proportion of April 2025 caseloadAward Review380,00010%Change of Circumstances40,0001%All Reviews420,00011%Notes:Figures for England and Wales.Figures have been rounded to the nearest 10,000.Percentages have been rounded to the nearest percent. Whilst the regular review cycle of PIP claims means there will always be a substantial amount in progress at any given time, work is under way to reduce the level of work outstanding within the system. Operational capacity is managed to ensure an appropriate balance between the processing of New Claims to PIP, planned Award Reviews, and Unplanned (Change of Circumstance) Reviews.Where this approach leads to delays in processing Planned Award Reviews, claims are extended where necessary to prevent expiry. Should customers circumstances change whilst awaiting a Planned Review, a Change of Circumstances Review can be requested and will be processed without delay.

With reference to her letter on the Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill, dated 26 June 2025, whether the exemption from reassessment for existing Personal Independence Payment claimants will apply to people whose claim is under review.

As I set out in the House of Commons on 1 July 2025, this Government has listened to the concerns raised by Members from across the House regarding the proposed changes to Personal Independence Payment (PIP).Clause 5 of the Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill would have amended the legal framework underpinning PIP assessments, specifically by changing the eligibility criteria through adjustments to the activities and descriptors used to determine entitlement.In light of the concerns raised, I confirmed during the debate that we are going to remove clause 5 from the Bill in Committee.(Hansard, 1 July, col 219)

Communities and Local Government, how many and what proportion of new homes are (a) under construction and (b) have been completed since 4 July 2025.

The 4 July 2025 is tomorrow.

What steps her Department is taking to ensure that asylum interviews are conducted (a) in full and (b) without unnecessary delay.

Asylum interviews are conducted in line with the published guidance available here: Conducting asylum interviews: caseworker guidance - GOV.UK.

What steps his Department is taking to meet the World Health Organisation’s vaccination target for the human papillomavirus vaccine.

In March 2025, NHS England published the Cervical cancer elimination plan by 2040 –for England, which outlines how the National Health Service will improve uptake and coverage across human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination and cervical screening. This is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/cervical-cancer-elimination-by-2040-plan-for-england/The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) monitors uptake of HPV vaccination nationally, regionally and by local authority and publishes annual reports at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/vaccine-uptake#hpv-vaccine-uptakeWhile HPV vaccination uptake rates in England have been very high, vaccine coverage by cohort has been steadily declining since the COVID-19 pandemic. In the 2023 to 2024 academic year, this decline appeared to be stabilising.NHS-commissioned School Aged Immunisation Service providers have robust catch-up plans in place for the adolescent HPV vaccination programme based on population need, to offer vaccination to those young people who may have missed out at the point of initial offer. UKHSA works closely with charities and academics to develop resources that can be used to raise awareness of HPV and the importance of vaccination including for boys. NHS England has improved digital communications on vaccinations, including expanding the NHS app, and has improved access to the HPV vaccine outside of schools through community clinics at convenient times and locations.

What recent discussions her Department has had with Surrey County Council on the findings of its 2024 Parents’ Voices Matter survey that 20% of children with special educational needs do not receive (a) an Education, Health and Care Plan and (b) any form of SEN support.

In September 2023, Ofsted and Care Quality Commission undertook a local area special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) inspection in Surrey under the new SEND inspection framework. The report, published on 24 November, found inconsistent experiences and outcomes for children and young people with SEND.The report identified four areas for improvement relating to: the strategic evaluation of interventions; communication with parents and carers; the timeliness and quality of health assessments, needs assessments, education, health and care (EHC) plans and annual reviews; and reviewing the breadth and offer of alternative provision.To assist the local area in making improvements to its SEND services, including in relation to children accessing appropriate EHC plan and special educational needs support, the department has deployed a SEND advisor to offer advice and challenge. The advisor’s work has included supporting the local authority to review their EHC plan statutory progress and to discuss their action plan for making improvements, analysing EHC plan data and trends, facilitating best practice exchange with other local areas, and providing advice and guidance to enhance the quality of EHC plans.The department continues to monitor Surrey County Council’s SEND services in line with the department’s improvement and intervention approach, and officials will continue to ensure that the voices and experiences of parents are reflected in discussions with the local area and in the support and guidance we provide.

How much of the Local Transport Grant will go to Surrey County Council in the 2025-26 financial year.

In 2025/26, the Local Transport Grant (LTG) has been allocated to local transport authorities (LTAs) in the North and Midlands outside of areas that receive City Region Sustainable Transport Settlements (CRSTS) funding. Therefore, Surrey County Council did not receive a Local Transport Grant allocation. Surrey County Council will receive an Integrated Transport Block (ITB) allocation of £4.8m in 2025/26 to support local transport maintenance and enhancements. The Spending Review 2025 confirmed a £2.3 billion investment in local transport through the LTG for smaller cities, towns and rural areas, which do not receive City Region Sustainable Transport Settlements (CRSTS) or Transport for City Regions (TCR) funding. This investment brings LTG and ITB together into a consolidated fund. Surrey County Council will receive a £38.2m LTG allocation between 2026/27 and 2029/30. All allocations for ITB and LTG are published on gov.uk.

With reference to the Spending Review, published on 11 June 2025, how much and what proportion of the funding allocated for rail enhancements will be allocated to upgrades on the South Western Railway network.

Following the Chancellors’s statement on 11 June we are now working to confirm our wider portfolio of rail enhancements, which will be published as part of the government’s commitment to set out its overall infrastructure pipeline.

Food and Rural Affairs, if his Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of requiring supermarkets to include labelling in braille on newly designed packaging.

Defra maintains regular engagement with food retailers on a range of issues, including labelling and improving accessibility requirements for all consumers. The availability and accessibility of essential food information to all consumers is vitally important. It is already a requirement that food information must be easily visible, clearly legible and where appropriate indelible, in addition to there being a required minimum font size for mandatory information. We are aware of moves by some retailers to provide information on food in braille format, and the government is interested in seeing how this works. We know there are other exciting possibilities, including the use of mobile phone apps and QR codes via which consumers with visual impairments may be able to access not only the basics, but the full range of information available on the label. Braille labelling has not been a specific focus to date. We continue to explore how food information can be made more accessible, including through wider conversations with industry and stakeholders representing consumers with disabilities, such as the Royal National Institute for Blind (RNIB).

Whether his Department will stop training Israeli Defence Force personnel following the British Government’s decision to sanction members of the Israeli Government.

The Ministry of Defence keeps under careful consideration its policies on training courses. We currently provide non-combat academic courses to fewer than five IDF personnel.