Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the role that desalination plants may need to play in ensuring the long-term resilience and security of public water supplies in England; and whether she plans to set out the circumstances in which the Government considers additional desalination capacity necessary.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Water companies set out how they plan to continue to supply water to their customers through statutory Water Resources Management Plans (WRMPs). Within their plans, water companies must consider all options, including demand management and new water resources infrastructure, such as desalination.

Each type of water resources infrastructure comes with challenges, whether that is land-take for reservoirs, or treatment and pumping costs for transfers or desalination. Water company WRMPs process is where such questions are considered. The Environment Agency’s summary of the WRMPs sets out the desalination plants proposed by water companies in England (see table 8): Appendix C: Revised draft water resources management plans supply options - GOV.UK.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to ensure NHS England's guidance on single-sex accommodation, wards and intimate care is brought into line with the Supreme Court judgment and the updated EHRC Code.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer provided on 2 June in response to Question 2036.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what interventions under the East Midlands RISE programme will be directed at improving educational attainment for pupils in Mansfield.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

Regional Improvement for Standards and Excellence (RISE) is the department’s school improvement programme. It provides universal support for all schools and targeted support for those facing the greatest challenges.

All Mansfield schools can access universal support, which connects leaders with effective practice, expert advice and opportunities to learn from other schools. This includes English and maths hubs, attendance and behaviour hubs, Reception-year networks, professional development and regional conferences. Further programmes will help schools strengthen literacy, key stage 2 and key stage 3 education, and support for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities, with details announced shortly.

In Mansfield, three schools are receiving targeted RISE support through RISE advisers, improvement partners and funding to secure sustainable improvement and pupils outcomes. Further details of RISE support in the East Midlands can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/rise-east-midlands/rise-east-midlands.

Found: I nabbed them this morning— Mark Sewards and Steve Yemm. I will give them to the Clerk.