Written questions by Forster.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the delay in extending free school meals to all children in households receiving Universal Credit until September 2026 on the percentage of children in Woking receiving free school meals.

This government is committed to breaking down barriers to opportunity and tackling child poverty. The department has now announced that we are extending free school meals to all children from households in receipt of Universal Credit from September 2026. This will lift 100,000 children across England out of poverty and put £500 back in families’ pockets, supporting parents in decisive action to improve lives ahead of the Child Poverty Strategy coming later this year.Providing over half a million children from the most disadvantaged backgrounds with a free, nutritious lunchtime meal every school day will also lead to higher attainment, improved behaviour and better outcomes, meaning children get the best possible education and chance to succeed in work and life.The department’s published data shows that over 4,000 children in Woking could benefit from expanded free meal support: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/free-school-meals-expansion-impact-on-poverty-levels.

If he will make an assessment of the potential merits of offering Defence and National Rehabilitation Centre surplus capacity to Ukrainian veterans.

The UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) continues to work with our Ukrainian partners to contribute to Project RENOVATOR, to support the development of increased rehabilitation capacity and capability within Ukraine to help deal with the thousands of injured military personnel. Project RENOVATOR supports the building of infrastructure and the provision of equipment and delivery of training and education, including specialist physiotherapy and prosthetic capabilities. The granting of any support to Ukraine is made in response to official requests made by the Ukrainian Government. I hope the hon. Gentleman will understand that we will not speculate on specific capabilities.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will summon the Israeli Ambassador to explain ask why (a) Israeli armed forces seized the British-flagged ship Madleen and (b) arrested British citizens on board that ship.

The Minister for the Middle East summoned the Israeli Ambassador on 20 May to make clear that the UK stands firmly against Israel's resumption of military action in Gaza, its wholly inadequate plan for aid delivery and to demand that a full and unhindered resumption in the flow of aid into Gaza takes place immediately.We are aware of the interception of the Madleen and the arrest of its passengers by Israeli Naval Forces. We understand that this happened without serious incident or injury to any passenger. There were no British Nationals aboard.We pressed the Israeli authorities to ensure that any action they took would resolve the situation safely, with restraint, and in line with International Law. We will continue to urge that any Israeli actions following the interception of the vessel and arrest of its passengers must be in line with International Law.

What estimate she has made of the number of school-aged children in Woking who will become newly eligible for free school meals under the planned September 2026 Universal Credit extension.

This government is committed to breaking down barriers to opportunity and tackling child poverty. The department has now announced that we are extending free school meals to all children from households in receipt of Universal Credit from September 2026. This will lift 100,000 children across England out of poverty and put £500 back in families’ pockets, supporting parents in decisive action to improve lives ahead of the Child Poverty Strategy coming later this year.Providing over half a million children from the most disadvantaged backgrounds with a free, nutritious lunchtime meal every school day will also lead to higher attainment, improved behaviour and better outcomes, meaning children get the best possible education and chance to succeed in work and life.The department’s published data shows that over 4,000 children in Woking could benefit from expanded free meal support: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/free-school-meals-expansion-impact-on-poverty-levels.

What steps is his Department taking to reduce inequalities in uptake of the Respiratory Syncytial Virus maternal vaccination programme by (a) region, (b) ethnicity and (c) socioeconomic background.

The UK Health Security Agency’s (UKHSA) monitoring of programme uptake by ethnicity and region is a key tool in identifying disparities in uptake across diverse populations. UKHSA has prepared respiratory syncytial virus antenatal vaccine information leaflets in over 30 languages, and in other formats, to support programme accessibility and reduce inequalities. Further information is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/respiratory-syncytial-virus-rsv-maternal-vaccinationAn update to UKHSA’s Immunisation Equity Strategy is forthcoming and will support action to ensure that everyone can access vaccination at the right time, irrespective of where they live, their ethnicity and their socioeconomic background. The current Immunisation Inequalities Strategy can be found on the GOV.UK website, at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/phe-immunisation-inequalities-strategy

What assessment her Department has made of the potential implications for her policies of the finding from Surrey County Council’s 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.

This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) or in alternative provision receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life.We will strengthen accountability on mainstream settings to be inclusive, support the mainstream workforce to increase their SEND expertise, and encourage schools to set up resourced provision or special educational needs units to increase capacity in mainstream schools.The department is working closely with experts on reforms, including appointing a strategic advisor for SEND who is playing a key role in convening and engaging with the sector, including leaders, practitioners, children and families, as we consider the next steps for the future of SEND reform.This work forms part of the government’s Opportunity Mission, which will break the unfair link between background and opportunity, starting with giving every child, including those with SEND, the best start in life.

Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to improve future auditing arrangements for local authorities.

This government has implemented a number of measures to improve auditing arrangements for local bodies, including the introduction of statutory backstop dates for the publication of audited accounts. Two of these dates have now passed. As a result, the vast majority of local bodies have published audited accounts for financial years up to and including 2023/24. Where disclaimed opinions are issued as a result of backstops, auditors’ statutory duties – including value for money reporting, making statutory recommendations, and issuing public interest reports – remain a high priority. The government recently announced £49 million in funding to support bodies impacted by the backstop measures. In December 2024, the government set out its strategy to overhaul local audit. The strategy set out proposals to simplify and streamline the system including a clear purpose for local audit and its users, the establishment of the Local Audit Office, proposals for simplified and proportionate financial reporting, improvements to the system’s capacity and capability, and ways to build strong relationships between local bodies and auditors. The government also published a response to its consultation in April 2025, which outlined 16 further commitments to reform the system including simplifying financial reporting requirements and increasing capacity to avoid reliance on a small number of auditors.

Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to help tackle the risks of historic local authority accounts that auditors disclaim and have not fully checked.

This government has implemented a number of measures to improve auditing arrangements for local bodies, including the introduction of statutory backstop dates for the publication of audited accounts. Two of these dates have now passed. As a result, the vast majority of local bodies have published audited accounts for financial years up to and including 2023/24. Where disclaimed opinions are issued as a result of backstops, auditors’ statutory duties – including value for money reporting, making statutory recommendations, and issuing public interest reports – remain a high priority. The government recently announced £49 million in funding to support bodies impacted by the backstop measures. In December 2024, the government set out its strategy to overhaul local audit. The strategy set out proposals to simplify and streamline the system including a clear purpose for local audit and its users, the establishment of the Local Audit Office, proposals for simplified and proportionate financial reporting, improvements to the system’s capacity and capability, and ways to build strong relationships between local bodies and auditors. The government also published a response to its consultation in April 2025, which outlined 16 further commitments to reform the system including simplifying financial reporting requirements and increasing capacity to avoid reliance on a small number of auditors.

If she will review the role of the Financial Conduct Authority.

The government has no plans to review the role of the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). It is working closely with the FCA to support the growth mission and maintain high standards of regulation in financial services.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the Safety Valve agreement on the provision of special educational needs support in Surrey.

The department is continuing to work with Surrey to deliver their safety valve plan, including providing ongoing support from both expert advisers. We regularly review the implementation of all safety valve agreements through our monitoring process, which takes place 3 times a year. Safety valve agreements were only made if both the local authority and the department’s expert special educational needs and disabilities advisers agreed that the proposals would give children and young people a better service and comply with the local authority’s statutory obligations.

Innovation and Technology, if he will review the role of the Information Commissioner's Office.

We have considered the role of the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) during the design of the Data Use & Access Bill. This Bill modernises the ICO’s governance structure, introduces a new framework with a principal objective and duties to provide strategic direction to its data protection activities. The Bill increases transparency and accountability to Parliament, businesses and the public; and supports the public with strengthened complaints procedures and enforcement powers. We hope it will soon be enacted.

What steps his Department is taking to (a) manage and (b) accelerate the connection of the renewable energy projects in the transmission queue.

We are working closely with Ofgem and the network companies to develop and deliver fundamental reform of the grid connections process. National Energy System Operator (NESO’s) proposals for connections reform were approved by Ofgem on 15 April. These reforms will release up to 500GW of capacity from the oversubscribed connections queue, enabling accelerated connections for renewable energy projects that are ready and aligned with our strategic needs, as set out in the Clean Power 2030 Action Plan.

If she will undertake a review of the requirements non-UK nationals face when applying to train to become an educator.

The department keep the requirements for applying to train to be a teacher under regular review to ensure that the best candidates wherever they are from can continue to access the appropriate training to become great teachers.In addition to the requirements that apply to all candidates, those from overseas will need to show that they meet the eligibility requirements to get a visa and demonstrate that their school and university qualifications are equivalent to the required standard of a UK Bachelor’s degree and GSCEs (Grade 4) in mathematics, English and for teaching in primary schools science. They can do this by getting a statement of compatibility from the UK European Network of Information Centres.

What steps her Department is taking to support people living with multiple sclerosis in Woking constituency; and what assessment she has made of the potential impact of reforms to (a) disability benefits and (b) Personal Independence Payments on people with multiple sclerosis.

Information on the impacts of the Pathways to Work Green Paper has been published here ‘Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working Green Paper’. Estimates of the impact of the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) reforms are made for England and Wales only and not at region or any lower-level geographic area. The department does not forecast benefit receipt at a regional level or below, nor have estimates of the behavioural impacts of the policy been produced at these levels. I attended on 10 June a roundtable discussion with the MS Society on “Supporting people with MS to thrive in and out of work.” We are committed to working with people with MS on the design of our programme of employment support, which will receive an additional £1 billion per year of funding by the end of this Parliament The number of people currently on PIP who did not score 4 points in one category in their last assessment should not be equated with the number who are likely to lose PIP in future. It’s important to make a clear distinction between the two, not least because we don’t want constituents to be unnecessarily fearful about their situation, when we understand many are already anxious. Someone who did not score 4 points in an activity in a previous assessment may well score 4 points in a future assessment as conditions change over time. There will be no immediate changes to PIP eligibility. Our intention is that changes will start to come into effect from November 2026, subject to parliamentary approval. After that date, no one will lose PIP without first being reassessed by a trained assessor or healthcare professional, who assesses individual needs and circumstance. Reassessments happen on average every 3 years. The OBR predicts that 9 in 10 of those on PIP daily living at the point any changes come in will still be receiving PIP by the end of the decade. We are consulting on how best to support those who are affected by the new eligibility changes, including ensuring health and care needs are met. We have also announced a wider review of the PIP assessment to make it fair and fit for purpose, which I will lead. We are bringing together a range of experts, stakeholders and people with lived experience to consider how best to do this. We will provide further details as plans progress. Even with these reforms, the overall number of people on PIP and DLA is expected to rise by 750,000 by the end of this parliament and spending will rise from £23bn in 24/25 to £31bn in 29/30.

What steps his Department is taking to support people diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in Woking constituency.

Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for commissioning services for their local population, including for multiple sclerosis (MS). The Government expects ICBs, including the Surrey Heartlands ICB, which covers the Woking constituency, to assess the demand for service provision in designing their local services. There are initiatives to support better care for patients with neurological conditions, such as MS, across England, including in the Woking constituency. These include the Getting It Right First Time Programme for Neurology, which aims to improve MS care by supporting the National Health Service to address variations in care and by promoting best practice. The Progressive Neurological Conditions Toolkit, published by NHS England’s RightCare Programme, supports healthcare systems in improving the care of individuals living with progressive neurological conditions, including MS. It aims to enhance local services and reduce hospital admissions by focusing on preventative care and optimising the delivery of services. NHS England’s Neurology Transformation Programme (NTP) is a multi-year programme to develop a new model of integrated care for neurology services. The NTP has collaborated with clinicians and patient groups to create specific pathways for MS, aiming to improve the quality and coordination of care. NHS England is also updating its Specialised Neurology service specification, which includes MS. Service specifications define the standards of care expected from organisations funded by NHS England to provide specialised care. Our 10-Year Health Plan will set out a bold agenda to deliver on the three big shifts needed, to move healthcare from the hospital to the community, from analogue to digital, and from treatment to prevention. We also plan to publish our refreshed Long Term Workforce Plan to deliver a transformed health service over the next decade and to treat patients wherever they live in England, including those with MS, on time again.

What steps his Department is taking to help support Ukraine’s (a) reconstruction and (b) economic recovery.

Through the 100-Year Partnership Agreement, the UK is committed to supporting Ukraine’s long-term stability and growth, driving its recovery as a modernised and resilient economy. We work closely with the Government of Ukraine to understand their immediate and long-term reconstruction priorities. By promoting UK expertise, my department ensures UK companies contribute effectively to Ukraine’s reconstruction and economic recovery while advancing UK economic growth. Initiatives include the UK-Ukraine Infrastructure Taskforce, developing war risk insurance solutions, extending the bilateral Free Trade Agreement, fostering tech collaboration via the UK-Ukraine TechBridge, and leading trade missions to strengthen economic ties.

Whether people on Universal Credit receive National Insurance Contribution credits.

Class 3 National Insurance (NI) Credits are awarded to those in receipt of Universal Credit (UC). Where UC recipients are also in work or are entitled to NI credits on other grounds, His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs will undertake any relevant reconciliation where a mixture of credits have been received. The full list of credits is listed on Gov.UK - National Insurance credits: Overview - GOV.UK

If she will make it her policy for courts to prioritise cases involving grooming.

The listing of cases is a judicial function, and as such, prioritisation and scheduling decisions are the responsibility of judges. In practice, the judiciary generally lists cases to give priority to those with vulnerable parties and witnesses.The Government continues work to deliver meaningful change for victims of child sexual abuse and exploitation. I refer the Hon Member to the statement made by the Minister for Safeguarding and Violence Against Women and Girls to Parliament on 8 April 2025, which provided an update on the Government's work to tackle child sexual abuse and exploitation. The statement can be found here: https://hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/2025-04-08/debates/4FDDC9A4-1AC6-4F34-8E6B-3DF6CC2C981A/TacklingChildSexualAbuse?highlight=tackling#contribution-A9A86425-75DF-4AD4-815E-46755043F5C2.

Whether receipt of compensation from the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme impacts entitlement to benefits.

Means tested benefits do not provide a specific disregard for a Criminal Injuries Compensation payment. However, it is very likely, due to the nature of these payments, that they will be regarded as a payment for personal injury and disregarded for 12 months from when the payment is received, or indefinitely if the payment is held in trust. For Pension Credit, the treatment is similar with the main difference being that there is no requirement for it to be held in a trust.

Whether people on legacy Employment and Support Allowance receive the same inflation increase as people on other benefits.

Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) is a single benefit with two strands, contribution-based ESA, ESA C (which was rebadged New Style ESA (NS ESA)), and income-related ESA (ESA IR). Legacy ESA is made up of a contributory (ESA C) and income-related strand (ESA IR).​New claims to legacy ESA (i.e. ESA C and ESA IR) are no longer available. Only new claims to NS ESA can be made. The Secretary of State has an annual Statutory duty to conduct a review of benefits and State pension rates to determine whether they have retained their value in relation to the general level of prices and/or earnings. The review will take place in the Autumn as is the convention. The Pathways to Work Green Paper included proposals for the future rates of Employment and Support Allowance.