Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to remove funding for level 6 apprenticeships.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

Level 6 apprenticeships are a core part of the department’s apprenticeships offer and continue to be funded by government.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to improve access to sports facilities for disabled people in (a) South Holland and the Deepings constituency and (b) Lincolnshire.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

The Government is dedicated to making sport in this country accessible and inclusive for everyone. The Government has announced a further £100 million in funding to deliver new and improved multi-sport grassroots facilities and pitches across the whole of the UK. The Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities Programme’s aims include regular, weekly use by under-represented groups, including disabled people, so that everyone has the opportunity to participate. In 2024/25 the programme invested £3,389 in South Holland and the Deepings, and £12,931 in Lincolnshire.

Sport England, the Government’s Arm’s Length Body for grassroots sport, is committed to increasing participation in sport and physical activity for disabled people and improving their access to sport facilities. Sport England runs specific initiatives like the 'We are Undefeatable' campaign, impacting directly on disabled people, and those with a long-term health condition. Sport England also has partnerships with organisations such as Disability Rights UK, Activity Alliance, Aspire, and Sense, to help more disabled people get active.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, for what reason the criteria used by the Atomic Weapons Establishment to decide which documents are published from the Merlin database has changed.

Answered by Maria Eagle - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The criteria to enable release of records held in the Merlin database has not changed. It remains this Government’s intention to release the records with the Atomic Weapons Establishment reviewing them in line with national security obligations, and the 2018 General Data Protection Regulations.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to help ensure brain injury survivors have access to community-based specialist neurorehabilitation services.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government wants a society where every person, including those with a long-term condition such as an acquired brain injury (ABI), receives high-quality, compassionate continuity of care.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence is currently developing guidance ‘Rehabilitation for chronic neurological disorders including acquired brain injury’, which is expected to be published in September 2025. More information is available at the following link:

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/indevelopment/gid-ng10181

The former Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Public Health and Prevention along with officials met the original proponent of the ABI strategy, Sir Chris Bryant MP, at the end of 2024 to discuss ABI, and had a useful discussion about what might be achievable in both the short term and the longer term. Sir Chris remains a huge advocate for those that have suffered an ABI, and the Department fully agrees with him that the Government should, and importantly will, do more. The Department and NHS England are keen to showcase those areas that have effectively integrated post-hospital care and support, including rehabilitation, to other areas where patients are not getting the care and support they deserve.

A decision on next steps on ABI at the national level will be taken in due course.

More widely, our 10-Year Health Plan will deliver three big shifts from hospital to community, from analogue to digital, and from sickness to prevention. More tests and scans delivered in the community, better joint working between services, and greater use of apps and wearable technology will all help people manage their long-term conditions, including ABI, closer to home.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to improve mental health support for children with special educational needs in South Holland and the Deepings constituency.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

Schools are required to identify and address the special educational needs (SEN) of the pupils they support and, in the case of mainstream settings, to use their best endeavours to make sure that a child or young person who has SEN gets the support they need. All schools should apply the ‘graduated approach’ that is outlined in the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) code of practice, which means identifying a child’s needs, planning appropriate support, implementing that support and reviewing it regularly to ensure it continues to meet the identified needs. Through this, schools should develop personalised approaches to supporting the unique needs of individual pupils.

We will provide access to specialist mental health professionals in every school, so every young person has access to early support to address problems before they escalate. Further information on the support, as at 31 March 2024, for pupil's provided by NHS-funded mental health support teams in Lincolnshire schools is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/transforming-children-and-young-peoples-mental-health-provision.

The department will also recruit an additional 8,500 new mental health staff to treat children and adults, and open new Young Futures hubs with access to mental health support workers.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to the consultation entitled Copyright and Artificial Intelligence, published on 17 December 2024, what steps he is taking to ensure that his Department's proposed copyright law reforms prevent the use of materials created by (a) copyright holders and (b) independent creators by large technology firms.

Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Government’s consultation on Copyright and AI closed on 25th February.

It sought views from both AI developers and rights holders on proposals to create an effective rights reservation system. We will not move forward with any option until we are confident that it will be effective, proportionate, and accessible to both individual creators and larger rights holders.

The Government’s priority now is to review all responses to the consultation, gathering the evidence to inform its next steps. The Government will continue to engage extensively before setting out proposals in due course.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to Section C1 of the consultation entitled Copyright and Artificial Intelligence, published on 17 December 2024, what discussions he has had with (a) the creative sector and (b) Cabinet colleagues on the potential impact of his Department's proposals for data mining exception and rights reservation on the UK economy.

Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Government has engaged extensively with the creative sector and will continue to do so. This includes a roundtable meeting held by the Secretary of State with creative sector representatives in March.

The consultation was jointly published by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. The range and scale of impacts the Government is considering in its proposals are outlined in the summary assessment of options.

The Government recognises that this is a complex area and welcomes all views and evidence to help shape its thinking.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the (a) construction and (b) operation of a new National Grid electricity substation at Weston Marsh on levels of traffic in South Holland and the Deepings constituency.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Roads in the South Holland and the Deepings constituency are the responsibility of Lincolnshire County Council, as the Local Highway Authority and Local Traffic Authority.

This Department does not make an assessment of the impact of individual projects of this nature on the local road network.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps to increase the number of vision rehabilitation specialists in (a) South Holland and the Deepings constituency and (b) Lincolnshire.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

It is the responsibility of local authorities and the National Health Service integrated care boards to commission therapy-led rehabilitation, reablement, and recovery services, including vision rehabilitation specialists, based on their assessment of local capacity and demand.

The Government understands the importance of having effective rehabilitation services available for people who need them, to assist recovery and return to their day-to-day activities. Intermediate care and reablement support services, including vision rehabilitation, can play a key role in providing alternatives to hospital admission and improving patient outcomes, by providing appropriate rehabilitation and reablement options following hospital discharge.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps her Department is taking to support small businesses impacted by a reduction in (a) local bank branches and (b) in-person banking services in South Holland and the Deepings constituency.

Answered by Emma Reynolds - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government understands the importance of face-to-face banking to communities, businesses and high streets in the South Holland and Deepings constituency and across the UK, and is committed to championing sufficient access for all as a priority. This is why the Government is working closely with industry to roll out 350 banking hubs across the UK. The UK banking sector has committed to deliver these hubs by the end of this Parliament. Over 220 hubs have been announced so far, and over 135 are already open.

Alternative options to access everyday banking services can be via telephone banking, through digital means such as mobile or online banking, and via the Post Office. The Post Office Banking Framework allows personal and business customers to withdraw and deposit cash, check their balance, pay bills and cash cheques at 11,500 Post Office branches across the UK.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the cost to the public purse was of the Race to the Top Grade 6/7 staff network in each year since its creation.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The Race To The Top (RTTT) grade 6/7 Network was a collaborative volunteer network which no longer exists. The RTTT does not hold a budget, but a department can choose to provide support where there is a business case to do so. We are not aware of any such financial support. We are not aware of any cost to the public purse of the Race To The Top Grade 6/7 Network since 2020. We do not hold any records prior to this date. The RTTT network was created in 2018.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the cost to the public purse was of the Civil Service LGBT+ staff network in each year since its creation.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The Civil Service LGBT+ staff network is a volunteer collaborative group of Civil Service staff. The LGBT+ network does not hold a budget, but a department can choose to provide support where there is a business case to do so. We are not aware of any such financial support. There has been no cost to the public purse of the LGBT+ network since 2020. We do not hold any records prior to this date. The LGBT+ network was created in 2003.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to support partially sighted people into employment in Lincolnshire.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

Backed by £240m investment, the Get Britain Working White Paper launched last November will drive forward approaches to tackling economic inactivity and work toward the long-term ambition of an 80% employment rate. We announced in the recent Pathways to Work Green Paper that we would establish a new guarantee of support for all disabled people and people with health conditions claiming out of work benefits who want help to get into or return to work, backed up by £1 billion of new funding. This support is needed to break down barriers, unlock work and open up opportunity. It will get people off welfare and into work – which we know many believe they could do.

Appropriate work is generally good for health and wellbeing, so we want everyone to get work and get on in work, whoever they are and wherever they live. Disabled people and people with health conditions including the partially sighted are a diverse group so access to the right work and health support, in the right place, at the right time, is key. We therefore have a range of specialist initiatives to support individuals to stay in work and get back into work, including those that join up employment and health systems. Measures include support from Work Coaches and Disability Employment Advisers in Jobcentres and Access to Work grants, as well as joining up health and employment support around the individual through Employment Advisors in NHS Talking Therapies, Individual Placement and Support in Primary Care and WorkWell.

It is also recognised that employers play an important role in addressing health and disability. To build on this, the Joint DWP and DHSC Work & Health Directorate (JWHD) is facilitating “Keep Britain Working”, an independent review of the role of UK employers in reducing health-related inactivity and to promote healthy and inclusive workplaces. The lead reviewer, Sir Charlie Mayfield, is expected to bring forward recommendations in Autumn 2025. Additionally, the JWHD has developed a digital information service for employers, continues to oversee the Disability Confident Scheme, and continues to increase access to Occupational Health.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether training in the workplace will be a condition of support under the growth and skills levy.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

This government’s first mission is to kickstart economic growth. We know that skills gaps are holding back business growth and that we need to support employers to invest in skills training. Our new levy-funded growth and skills offer will introduce greater flexibility to employers and learners in England, creating routes into good, skilled jobs in growing industries, aligned with the government’s industrial strategy.

The new training offer will include shorter duration apprenticeships. From August 2025, subject to the legislative timetable, the minimum duration of an apprenticeship will be reduced to eight months. This change means apprentices will be able to achieve occupational competence more quickly, where appropriate.

The department will also introduce foundation apprenticeships for young people, a work-based offer providing high-quality progression pathways into further work-based training and employment, including occupationally specific apprenticeships.

These are the first steps in expanding the apprenticeships offer into a wider levy-funded growth and skills offer that works better for employers, individuals and the wider economy. The government has established Skills England to form a coherent national picture of skills gaps across all sectors and to help shape the technical education system so that it is responsive to skills needs. This will include advising on priorities for the new growth and skills offer.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of the growth and skills levy will be reserved for apprenticeship training.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

This government’s first mission is to kickstart economic growth. We know that skills gaps are holding back business growth and that we need to support employers to invest in skills training. Our new levy-funded growth and skills offer will introduce greater flexibility to employers and learners in England, creating routes into good, skilled jobs in growing industries, aligned with the government’s industrial strategy.

The new training offer will include shorter duration apprenticeships. From August 2025, subject to the legislative timetable, the minimum duration of an apprenticeship will be reduced to eight months. This change means apprentices will be able to achieve occupational competence more quickly, where appropriate.

The department will also introduce foundation apprenticeships for young people, a work-based offer providing high-quality progression pathways into further work-based training and employment, including occupationally specific apprenticeships.

These are the first steps in expanding the apprenticeships offer into a wider levy-funded growth and skills offer that works better for employers, individuals and the wider economy. The government has established Skills England to form a coherent national picture of skills gaps across all sectors and to help shape the technical education system so that it is responsive to skills needs. This will include advising on priorities for the new growth and skills offer.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent steps she has taken to raise awareness of apprenticeships in (a) rural and (b) remote areas.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

This government has a driving mission to break down barriers to opportunity and to grow the economy.

The department continues to raise awareness of the benefits of apprenticeships across the country, including in rural areas. This includes promoting apprenticeships to young people, adults and employers through the Skills for Life campaign. The department also supports the Apprenticeship Ambassador Network, a network of over 2,000 volunteer employers and former and current apprentices, who volunteer their time to inform and inspire the next generation of apprentices and apprentice employers.

The department is transforming career opportunities and advice to increase awareness of the range of high-quality options available to young people, including apprenticeships.

The department has committed to guarantee two weeks’ worth of work experience for every young person, as well as to establish a national jobs and careers service to support people into successful long-term employment.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment of the cost to the public purse of local government reorganisation in Lincolnshire.

Answered by Jim McMahon - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The overall case for local government reorganisation is set out the English Devolution White Paper.

A PWC 2020 report estimated that reorganisation of the then 25 two-tier areas to a single unitary would have a one-off cost of £400 million, with the potential to realise £2.9 billion over five years, with an annual post-implementation net recurring saving of £700 million, however as it is for local areas to submit proposals for government to consider, the savings could vary area by area and across England in the round. We are also keen to ensure the wider benefits are also promoted, specifically simplified and more efficient structures.

Councils in Lincolnshire were invited on 5 February to develop proposals for reorganisation, which are due to be submitted to government by November 2025. It will be for the new councils to achieve the efficiencies identified in reorganisation proposals and subsequent detailed implementation and transformation plans while delivering high quality and sustainable public services to local residents and businesses.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people received Personal Independence Payment in South Holland and The Deepings constituency in each of the last five years.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

Data on Personal Independence Payment (PIP) can be found on Stat Xplore. The requested data can be found in the ‘PIP Clearances’ dataset. You can use the ‘Month’ filter to select each month for the last five years and add it as a row or column. You can filter for South Holland and The Deepings by using the ‘Geography’ filter to select ‘Westiminster Parliamentary Constituency 2024’. You can use the ‘Clearance Type Detail’ filter to select those who were awarded PIP.

You can log in or access Stat-Xplore as a guest user and, if needed, you can access guidance on how to extract the information required.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he plans to publish the findings of the internal review of records relating to nuclear test veterans; and if he will make a statement.

Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)

The Government is deeply grateful to all those who participated in the UK nuclear testing programme. We recognise their Service and the huge contribution they have made to the UK’s security.

I am fully committed to meeting Nuclear Test Veterans, organisations that represent them, and Parliamentarians to discuss the important issue of records. I held a meeting with a Nuclear Test Veteran organisation most recently on 31 March 2025, and I look forward to further engagement, including with Members of Parliament.

We understand the range of concerns from members of the Nuclear Test Veteran community and their families. The records exercise is a priority. While there is no ringfenced budget associated with this exercise, I have directed teams across the Ministry of Defence and Atomic Weapons Establishment to deliver the records exercise in a meaningful way so that I can then update Nuclear Test Veterans and this House about what information the Department holds in relation to the medical testing of Service personnel who took part in the UK nuclear weapons tests. Many officials from across the Department are involved in roles ranging from supporting the recall of files from various archives, to analysing the files. Collating information on the number of officials involved would be time consuming and detract from those officials delivering the records exercise itself.

At this stage, we cannot confirm when the records exercise will be complete. We are not currently certain how many files need to be reviewed, and the content of those files varies significantly over time and between the Services, which were under separate Ministries during the period of the nuclear tests.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what his planned timetable is for updating Parliament on plans to mediate a solution with nuclear test veterans on their missing medical records.

Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)

The Government is deeply grateful to all those who participated in the UK nuclear testing programme. We recognise their Service and the huge contribution they have made to the UK’s security.

I am fully committed to meeting Nuclear Test Veterans, organisations that represent them, and Parliamentarians to discuss the important issue of records. I held a meeting with a Nuclear Test Veteran organisation most recently on 31 March 2025, and I look forward to further engagement, including with Members of Parliament.

We understand the range of concerns from members of the Nuclear Test Veteran community and their families. The records exercise is a priority. While there is no ringfenced budget associated with this exercise, I have directed teams across the Ministry of Defence and Atomic Weapons Establishment to deliver the records exercise in a meaningful way so that I can then update Nuclear Test Veterans and this House about what information the Department holds in relation to the medical testing of Service personnel who took part in the UK nuclear weapons tests. Many officials from across the Department are involved in roles ranging from supporting the recall of files from various archives, to analysing the files. Collating information on the number of officials involved would be time consuming and detract from those officials delivering the records exercise itself.

At this stage, we cannot confirm when the records exercise will be complete. We are not currently certain how many files need to be reviewed, and the content of those files varies significantly over time and between the Services, which were under separate Ministries during the period of the nuclear tests.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what information his Department holds on allegations of medical monitoring of nuclear test veterans since 2022.

Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)

The Government is deeply grateful to all those who participated in the UK nuclear testing programme. We recognise their Service and the huge contribution they have made to the UK’s security.

I am fully committed to meeting Nuclear Test Veterans, organisations that represent them, and Parliamentarians to discuss the important issue of records. I held a meeting with a Nuclear Test Veteran organisation most recently on 31 March 2025, and I look forward to further engagement, including with Members of Parliament.

We understand the range of concerns from members of the Nuclear Test Veteran community and their families. The records exercise is a priority. While there is no ringfenced budget associated with this exercise, I have directed teams across the Ministry of Defence and Atomic Weapons Establishment to deliver the records exercise in a meaningful way so that I can then update Nuclear Test Veterans and this House about what information the Department holds in relation to the medical testing of Service personnel who took part in the UK nuclear weapons tests. Many officials from across the Department are involved in roles ranging from supporting the recall of files from various archives, to analysing the files. Collating information on the number of officials involved would be time consuming and detract from those officials delivering the records exercise itself.

At this stage, we cannot confirm when the records exercise will be complete. We are not currently certain how many files need to be reviewed, and the content of those files varies significantly over time and between the Services, which were under separate Ministries during the period of the nuclear tests.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many staff in his Department are working (a) full time and (b) part time on the internal review of records relating to nuclear test veterans.

Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)

The Government is deeply grateful to all those who participated in the UK nuclear testing programme. We recognise their Service and the huge contribution they have made to the UK’s security.

I am fully committed to meeting Nuclear Test Veterans, organisations that represent them, and Parliamentarians to discuss the important issue of records. I held a meeting with a Nuclear Test Veteran organisation most recently on 31 March 2025, and I look forward to further engagement, including with Members of Parliament.

We understand the range of concerns from members of the Nuclear Test Veteran community and their families. The records exercise is a priority. While there is no ringfenced budget associated with this exercise, I have directed teams across the Ministry of Defence and Atomic Weapons Establishment to deliver the records exercise in a meaningful way so that I can then update Nuclear Test Veterans and this House about what information the Department holds in relation to the medical testing of Service personnel who took part in the UK nuclear weapons tests. Many officials from across the Department are involved in roles ranging from supporting the recall of files from various archives, to analysing the files. Collating information on the number of officials involved would be time consuming and detract from those officials delivering the records exercise itself.

At this stage, we cannot confirm when the records exercise will be complete. We are not currently certain how many files need to be reviewed, and the content of those files varies significantly over time and between the Services, which were under separate Ministries during the period of the nuclear tests.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much his Department has (a) budgeted for and (b) spent to date on the internal review of records relating to nuclear test veterans.

Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)

The Government is deeply grateful to all those who participated in the UK nuclear testing programme. We recognise their Service and the huge contribution they have made to the UK’s security.

I am fully committed to meeting Nuclear Test Veterans, organisations that represent them, and Parliamentarians to discuss the important issue of records. I held a meeting with a Nuclear Test Veteran organisation most recently on 31 March 2025, and I look forward to further engagement, including with Members of Parliament.

We understand the range of concerns from members of the Nuclear Test Veteran community and their families. The records exercise is a priority. While there is no ringfenced budget associated with this exercise, I have directed teams across the Ministry of Defence and Atomic Weapons Establishment to deliver the records exercise in a meaningful way so that I can then update Nuclear Test Veterans and this House about what information the Department holds in relation to the medical testing of Service personnel who took part in the UK nuclear weapons tests. Many officials from across the Department are involved in roles ranging from supporting the recall of files from various archives, to analysing the files. Collating information on the number of officials involved would be time consuming and detract from those officials delivering the records exercise itself.

At this stage, we cannot confirm when the records exercise will be complete. We are not currently certain how many files need to be reviewed, and the content of those files varies significantly over time and between the Services, which were under separate Ministries during the period of the nuclear tests.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking following hospital discharge to ensure the adequate provision of rehabilitation for patients with head injuries.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government wants a society where every person, including those with a long-term condition such as an acquired brain injury (ABI), receives high-quality, compassionate continuity of care.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence is currently developing the guidance Rehabilitation for chronic neurological disorders including acquired brain injury, which is expected to be published in September 2025. Further information is available at the following link:

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/indevelopment/gid-ng10181

NHS England is in the process of updating its Specialised Neurology service specification, the revised version of which will cover ABI.

The former Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Public Health and Prevention met the original proponent of the ABI strategy, Sir Chris Bryant MP, at the end of 2024 to discuss ABIs, and had a very fruitful discussion about what might be achievable in the both the short and longer term. Sir Chris remains a huge advocate for those that have suffered an ABI, and the Department fully agrees with him that the Government should, and importantly will, do more.

The Department and NHS England are keen to showcase those areas that have effectively integrated post-hospital care and support, including rehabilitation, to other areas where patients are not getting the care and support they deserve.

A decision on next steps on ABI at the national level will be taken in due course. More broadly, our 10-Year Health Plan will deliver three big shifts, from hospital to community, from analogue to digital, and from sickness to prevention. More tests and scans delivered in the community, better joint working between services, and greater use of apps and wearable technology will all help people manage their long-term conditions, including ABI, closer to home.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to publish his Department's brain injury strategy.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government wants a society where every person, including those with a long-term condition such as an acquired brain injury (ABI), receives high-quality, compassionate continuity of care.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence is currently developing the guidance Rehabilitation for chronic neurological disorders including acquired brain injury, which is expected to be published in September 2025. Further information is available at the following link:

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/indevelopment/gid-ng10181

NHS England is in the process of updating its Specialised Neurology service specification, the revised version of which will cover ABI.

The former Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Public Health and Prevention met the original proponent of the ABI strategy, Sir Chris Bryant MP, at the end of 2024 to discuss ABIs, and had a very fruitful discussion about what might be achievable in the both the short and longer term. Sir Chris remains a huge advocate for those that have suffered an ABI, and the Department fully agrees with him that the Government should, and importantly will, do more.

The Department and NHS England are keen to showcase those areas that have effectively integrated post-hospital care and support, including rehabilitation, to other areas where patients are not getting the care and support they deserve.

A decision on next steps on ABI at the national level will be taken in due course. More broadly, our 10-Year Health Plan will deliver three big shifts, from hospital to community, from analogue to digital, and from sickness to prevention. More tests and scans delivered in the community, better joint working between services, and greater use of apps and wearable technology will all help people manage their long-term conditions, including ABI, closer to home.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to tackle people fraudulently impersonating someone else at the practical part of the driving test.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

To ensure Great Britain’s roads remain among the safest in the world, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) has robust measures in place to stop people using false identities when taking a driving test.

At the start of the driving test, all driving examiners (DE) carry out thorough identification and documentation checks to satisfy themselves of the person’s identity, and the validity of the driving licence and theory test pass certificate.

To make it harder for fraudsters to impersonate a candidate, the DVSA has worked in partnership with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency to give DEs access to an enlarged photograph of the candidate, as shown on the driving licence, to help the examiner decide if the person presenting for test is the correct candidate. If a candidate fails to satisfy the examiner that they have complied with the requirements, the examiner will, under legislation, refuse to take the test.

All fraudulent activity identified is referred to the DVSA’s Investigations and Counter Fraud team for further investigation. DVSA uses intelligence to identify vehicles and individuals involved in previous fraudulent test attempts and consider this when verifying the identity of people taking a theory or practical driving test. DVSA will revoke fraudulently obtained licences where it detects people impersonating someone else at the theory or practical driving test.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that brain injury survivors have access to community-based specialist neurorehabilitation services.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government wants a society where every person, including those with a long-term condition such as an acquired brain injury (ABI), receives high-quality, compassionate continuity of care.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence is currently developing the guidance Rehabilitation for chronic neurological disorders including acquired brain injury, which is expected to be published in September 2025. Further information is available at the following link:

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/indevelopment/gid-ng10181

NHS England is in the process of updating its Specialised Neurology service specification, the revised version of which will cover ABI.

The former Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Public Health and Prevention met the original proponent of the ABI strategy, Sir Chris Bryant MP, at the end of 2024 to discuss ABIs, and had a very fruitful discussion about what might be achievable in the both the short and longer term. Sir Chris remains a huge advocate for those that have suffered an ABI, and the Department fully agrees with him that the Government should, and importantly will, do more.

The Department and NHS England are keen to showcase those areas that have effectively integrated post-hospital care and support, including rehabilitation, to other areas where patients are not getting the care and support they deserve.

A decision on next steps on ABI at the national level will be taken in due course. More broadly, our 10-Year Health Plan will deliver three big shifts, from hospital to community, from analogue to digital, and from sickness to prevention. More tests and scans delivered in the community, better joint working between services, and greater use of apps and wearable technology will all help people manage their long-term conditions, including ABI, closer to home.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many fast charging points for electric vehicles are operational in South Holland and The Deepings constituency.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The below table shows public EV charging devices in South Holland and the Deepings constituency, as of 1 January 2025. Charging devices are categorised into the below speed bandings in the data held by the Department. Devices in higher power speed bandings can deliver charging at quicker speeds.

The table includes only public charging devices as power rating data for private charging devices is not available.

Data on public electric vehicle charging devices in the UK, held by the Department for Transport, are sourced from the electric vehicle charging platform Zapmap. Charging devices not recorded on Zapmap are not included and the true number of charging devices may be slightly higher than recorded in these figures.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the cost to the public purse was of the Civil Service Race Forum in each year since its creation.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The Civil Service Race Forum (CSRF) is a volunteer collaborative group of Civil Service ethnic minority staff. The CSRF does not hold a budget, but a department can choose to provide support where there is a business case to do so. We are not aware of any such financial support since 2020. We do not hold any records prior to this date. The CSRF was created in 2016.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to tackle the sale of illegal vapes in (a) South Holland and the Deepings constituency and (b) Lincolnshire.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Tobacco and Vapes Bill will strengthen enforcement and crack down on rogue retailers by enabling ministers in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland to introduce a licensing scheme for the retail sale of tobacco, vapes, and nicotine products. The bill also enables the introduction of a new registration scheme for tobacco, vape, and nicotine products sold in the United Kingdom’s market. This will help ensure products are compliant with product safety standard requirements, and enable Trading Standards to remove non-compliant products from the market quickly and efficiently.

In 2025/26 we will invest £10 million of new funding into Trading Standards, to enhance their work in tackling the illicit and underage sale of tobacco and vapes, and to support the implementation of the bill. This funding will be used to recruit approximately 80 new regionally coordinated apprentices in England. This will benefit all regions, including the East Midlands, which covers South Holland and the Deepings and Lincolnshire.

The introduction of a new Vaping Products Duty in October 2026 will provide civil and criminal powers for HM Revenue and Customs to assess for duty and seize products and equipment used to produce or transport illicit vapes.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to support people with leukaemia in Lincolnshire.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

It is a priority for the Government to support the National Health Service to diagnose cancer, including leukaemia, as early and quickly as possible, and to treat it faster, to improve outcomes for all patients across England, including in Lincolnshire.

To improve early diagnosis, the NHS is implementing non-specific symptom pathways for patients who present with symptoms such as weight loss and fatigue, which do not clearly align to a tumour type. Blood cancers are one of the most common cancer types diagnosed through these pathways.

NHS England has committed to ensuring that every person diagnosed with cancer, including leukaemia, has access to personalised care. This includes needs assessments, a care plan, and health and wellbeing information and support. Through the provision of information, personalised care empowers people to manage their care and the impact of their cancer. This approach ensures that each person’s care is planned holistically, covering mental and physical health, as well as any practical or financial concerns.

Following publication of the 10-Year Health Plan, we will publish a new National Cancer Plan. The plan will include details on how we will further improve cancer outcomes and support for all cancer patients, including those with leukaemia.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will help fund the (a) repair and (b) reopening of Deepings Leisure Centre in Deeping St James.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

The Government recognises the importance of ensuring public access to leisure facilities which are vital spaces for people of all ages to stay fit and healthy, and which play an important role within communities.

The ongoing responsibility of providing access to public leisure facilities lies at local authority level. We share your ambition to ensure that people in Deeping St James can benefit from quality sport and physical activity opportunities. The Government encourages local authorities to make investments which offer the right opportunities and facilities for the communities they serve, investing in sport and physical activity with a place-based approach, to meet the needs of individual communities.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to provide patient transport to specialist treatment centres for young cancer patients living in (a) South Holland and the Deepings constituency and (b) Lincolnshire.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

National Health Service patient transport services in South Holland and the Deepings and Lincolnshire are provided by the East Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust.

The local NHS Lincolnshire Integrated Care Board (ICB) is responsible for the commissioning decisions in its local community, including patient transport services. ICBs are best placed to work and consult with their local stakeholders, health and care organisations and local authorities to decide how to best meet and deliver for the needs of their local population.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has had recent discussions with the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency on delays in booking practical driving tests.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

I regularly meet with officials from the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) to discuss various topics. I last met with DVSA’s Chief Executive Officer, Loveday Ryder, on 18 March 2025 to discuss car practical driving test waiting times and other topics.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if she will take steps to override the Sentencing Council's guidance entitled Imposition of community and custodial sentences - Effective from 1 April 2025.

Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

This Government’s position is clear: we are seeking to remove the unequal treatment before the law in these guidelines.

In the first instance, the Lord Chancellor used her power under the Coroners and Justice Act 2009 and asked the Sentencing Council to reconsider their guidance. On 01 April, we introduced legislation to address the specific issue with these guidelines.

The Sentencing Council have now put the guidelines on pause – we are grateful for their constructive engagement on this issue.

We will also consider a broader review of the Sentencing Council’s role and powers over the coming months. It is right that we take the time to consider more fundamental reforms.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, which Minister in his Department is responsible for providing formal instructions to the Government Legal Department on legal requests for medical records from nuclear veterans and their representatives.

Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)

As I stated in my Answer on 12 December 2024 to Question 17507 https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2024-12-03/17507 I have asked Ministry of Defence officials to undertake a comprehensive exercise to better understand what information the Department holds in relation to the medical testing of Service personnel who took part in the UK nuclear weapons tests.

MOD officials instruct the Government Legal Department on behalf of MOD Ministers.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment has she made of recent trends of retail crime in Lincolnshire.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office collects and publishes official statistics on various retail offences recorded by Police Force Area, including Lincolnshire, on a quarterly basis, which can be accessed here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/police-recorded-crime-open-data-tables

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the cost to the public purse was of the a:gender network in each year since its creation.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

A:gender was founded in 2003. As a staff network, it is a volunteer collaborative group of Civil Service staff. We do not hold final central records for any funding prior to 2020. Based on the information the Cabinet Office holds, funding was provided from 2020-2021 to 2023-2024. No funding was provided in 2024-25.

Data from the Equality, Diversity and Expenditure (EDI) Review will be published in due course. This will include the overall spend from 2020 onwards for cross CS EDI networks, which will incorporate any a:gender expenditure.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps to reduce the time taken by doctors to issue medical certificates giving the cause of death following a death in hospital.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government is monitoring the impact of the death certification reforms, which came into legal effect on 9 September 2024, through the Death Certification Strategic Board and a cross-government data strategy group. Since the introduction of the reforms, the median time taken to register a death appears to have risen by two days, from seven days to nine days. This figure is for all deaths, as it includes those certified by a doctor and those investigated by a coroner. Working with the Office for National Statistics, weekly data is now published on the time taken to register a death by region and by setting. This is supporting NHS England and the Welsh Government to offer support and challenge.

The median time taken to register a death varies depending on the type of certification. Deaths certified by a doctor, that comprise approximately 80% of deaths registered each week, have typically had a median time to registration of seven days, though there can be variation at a local level. It is important to note that the medical examiner system was active on a non-statutory basis before the introduction of the statutory system on 9 September 2024, and this makes direct ‘before’ and ‘after’ comparisons challenging to draw conclusions from.

The introduction of medical examiners is in part about making sure deaths are properly described and about improving practice, but the impact on the bereaved is also central. The reforms aim to put the bereaved at centre of the process and the medical examiner office must offer a conversation with representatives of the deceased, so they can ask any questions they have about the death or raise concerns. Ensuring the system is appropriately resourced and works for all those who interact with it is crucial, and something we will continue to monitor with NHS England.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has had recent discussions with local authorities on improving processing times for death certificates.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

Home Office Ministers have not recently discussed processing times for death certificates with local authorities.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people had to wait longer than 10 days for a death certificate to be issued following the death of a family member since 2019.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

The Office for National Statistics publishes weekly and annual data sets on death registration which includes the median time taken to register a death.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if she will conduct a review into the effectiveness of the Sentencing Council.

Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

The proper role of the Sentencing Council, and the process for making guidelines, must be considered further and in greater depth. The Lord Chancellor has committed to reviewing the role and powers of the Council over the coming months.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people were convicted of taking control over the home of another person to use it for criminal activity in each of the last five years.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

The taking control over the home of another person to use it for criminal activity, often referred to as ‘cuckooing’, is not currently a standalone criminal offence and therefore there is no data on the number of convictions.

However, the Government recognises the harm caused by cuckooing which is why we are introducing a new criminal offence in the Crime and Policing Bill.

This new cuckooing offence will ensure that we are taking strong action against those who prey on vulnerable people and help to ensure that victims are identified and protected from this appalling crime.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to monitor train service improvements in (a) South Holland and the Deepings constituency and (b) Lincolnshire.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Department can confirm that subject to the conclusion of the wider industry timetable process, East Midlands Railway (EMR) has identified the potential for service improvements across Lincolnshire to be implemented in the forthcoming December 2025 timetable change. This includes additional services between Lincoln and Peterborough.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his Department has held discussions with representatives of Heathrow Airport on energy infrastructure for the airport in the last three years.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Details of Ministers' and Permanent Secretaries' meetings with external individuals and organisations are published quarterly in arrears on GOV.UK.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what recent steps his Department has taken to support the food sector in (a) Lincolnshire and (b) the East Midlands.

Answered by Gareth Thomas - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

DBT offers extensive support for food and drink businesses in Lincolnshire and the East Midlands. Our export offer includes educational programmes via the Export Academy, advice from International Trade Advisors, and a programme of global trade shows and missions. UK Export Finance provide access to export finance, with dedicated managers in the Midlands. DBT offers support for small businesses, including the Business Support Service, Gov.uk, Growth Hubs, Help to Grow: Management scheme and financial assistance through the British Business Bank.