Written questions by Dance.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the impact of food inflation on residents in Yeovil constituency.

Food and drink prices showed an annual rate of inflation of 3.3% in the year to February 2026, in the most recently published inflation figures for the UK, released by the Office for National Statistics. This is a decrease from 3.6% in January 2026. General inflation in the UK was 3.0% in February 2026, unchanged from January 2026. The ONS does not breakdown inflation figures at constituency level.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the financial pressure placed on local authorities by the rising cost of temporary accommodation provision.

The government is providing £3.6 billion funding for homelessness services from 2026/27 to 2028/29, including more than £2.2 billion for local authorities to prevent and address homelessness and rough sleeping through the Homelessness, Rough Sleeping and Domestic Abuse Grant, as well as £969 million for temporary accommodation within the Revenue Support Grant. You can find local authority level allocations on gov.uk here. We published our national strategy, A National Plan to End Homelessness, in December 2025. You can find our plan to tackle homelessness on gov.uk here.

What proportion of funding announced under the Government’s strategy to tackle violence against women and girls is (a) new funding and (b) reallocated from existing budgets.

The scale of violence against women and girls in our country is intolerable and this Government is treating it as the national emergency that it is. The cross-government VAWG Strategy, published on 18 December 2025, sets out the strategic direction and concrete actions to prevent violence and abuse, pursue perpetrators, and support victims, and to deliver our unprecedented commitment to halve VAWG in a decade.The Strategy is supported by at least £1 billion of government funding over the Spending Review period, alongside much wider investment across the whole of government. All commitments within the Strategy are fully funded and funding allocations will be announced by the departments leading individual policy measures in the normal wayIn December 2025, the Home Office confirmed the continuation of funding for some of the current vital frontline support services to victims of VAWG, including improving the police response to VAWG and tackling the root causes of VAWG, ahead of anticipated future funding. Future funding will be dependent on the scope and eligibility criteria of the competitions. Further information about future opportunities for funding will be communicated openly, including on ‘Find Government Grants’ - GOV.UK.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether she has made an estimate of the annual cost to local authorities of clearing fly tipping in (a) Yeovil constituency and (b) other rural areas.

No estimate is available for the annual cost of clearing fly tipping in the Yeovil constituency or other rural areas. Total clearance costs for all fly-tipping incidents are not available. Defra only publish cost data for clearance costs for ‘tipper lorry load’ and ‘significant/multi load’ incident categories, which are reported directly by local authorities. This information is available in the local authority level dataset: Fly-tipping statistics for England - GOV.UK This cost data is available at local authority, regional and national levels, but not at constituency level.

Media and Sport, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of levels of access to leisure facilities in Yeovil constituency on (a) health outcomes and (b) demand for NHS services in that area.

The Government recognises the importance of ensuring public access to leisure facilities, which are great spaces for people of all ages to stay fit and healthy, and play an important role within communities. Physical activity is important in helping people live longer, healthier lives, playing a critical role in preventing chronic diseases, supporting treatment and management of long-term conditions, and boosting general health and wellbeing, helping relieve NHS pressures through an estimated £10.5 billion in savings a year. Building movement back into people’s lives is a key part of the Health Mission shift from treatment to prevention, with the 10-Year Plan setting out the government’s plan to work across sectors to get millions moving more. The ongoing responsibility of providing access to public leisure facilities lies at local authority level, with funding levels set as part of the Local Government Finance Settlement. 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. In June last year, we committed £400 million to transform sports facilities, including public leisure, across the whole of the UK over the next four years, supporting the Government's Plan for Change. We are working closely with sporting bodies and local leaders to establish what communities need, before setting out further plans on how future funding will be allocated.

What discussions he has had with local authorities, including Somerset Council, on strengthening sentencing to tackle fly tipping in rural areas such as Yeovil constituency.

Waste crime blights communities, harms the environment, and undermines legitimate businesses.The Government is clear, penalties for waste crime must match the harm it causes. As part of the Waste Crime Action Plan, published on 20 March, the Ministry of Justice has committed to work closely with the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs to explore what more can be done to further ensure that those who commit these types of offences are appropriately punished. This would aim to reinforce the effectiveness of current systems and strengthen our overall approach to tackling illegal behaviour.Sentencing decisions in individual cases are a matter for the independent judiciary and it would therefore not be right for the Ministry of Justice to engage with individual local authorities on sentencing decisions in specific local areas. Parliament has provided the courts with a broad range of sentencing powers to deal effectively and appropriately with offenders, and the courts take into account any aggravating and mitigating factors in line with any relevant sentencing guidelines issued by the Sentencing Council.In 2014, the Council issued guidelines on environmental offences for individuals and organisations which capture offences involving the unauthorised or harmful deposit, treatment or disposal of waste as well as illegal discharges to air, land and water. The guidelines are designed to increase consistency and transparency in sentencing for these offences. In 2016, it published an assessment of the impact of the guideline on sentencing trends.The Council keeps its guidelines under regular review. In 2024, following consultation and after carefully considering representations from those concerned with prosecuting fly-tipping offences, the Council updated the guideline for individuals to provide for greater use of community orders (over fines) in recognition of the seriousness of this offending. Further information is available on the Council’s website: https://sentencingcouncil.org.uk/guidelines/crown-court/.

How much funding announced under the Government’s strategy to tackle violence against women and girls will be provided directly to (a) local authorities and (b) Somerset Council to support delivery in areas such as Yeovil constituency.

The scale of violence against women and girls in our country is intolerable and this Government is treating it as the national emergency that it is. The cross-government VAWG Strategy, published on 18 December 2025, sets out the strategic direction and concrete actions to prevent violence and abuse, pursue perpetrators, and support victims, and to deliver our unprecedented commitment to halve VAWG in a decade.The Strategy is supported by at least £1 billion of government funding over the Spending Review period, alongside much wider investment across the whole of government. All commitments within the Strategy are fully funded and funding allocations will be announced by the departments leading individual policy measures in the normal wayIn December 2025, the Home Office confirmed the continuation of funding for some of the current vital frontline support services to victims of VAWG, including improving the police response to VAWG and tackling the root causes of VAWG, ahead of anticipated future funding. Future funding will be dependent on the scope and eligibility criteria of the competitions. Further information about future opportunities for funding will be communicated openly, including on ‘Find Government Grants’ - GOV.UK.

Whether he plans to review the sentencing regime for fly tipping offences.

Waste crime blights communities, harms the environment, and undermines legitimate businesses.The Government is clear, penalties for waste crime must match the harm it causes. As part of the Waste Crime Action Plan, published on 20 March, the Ministry of Justice has committed to work closely with the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs to explore what more can be done to further ensure that those who commit these types of offences are appropriately punished. This would aim to reinforce the effectiveness of current systems and strengthen our overall approach to tackling illegal behaviour.Sentencing decisions in individual cases are a matter for the independent judiciary and it would therefore not be right for the Ministry of Justice to engage with individual local authorities on sentencing decisions in specific local areas. Parliament has provided the courts with a broad range of sentencing powers to deal effectively and appropriately with offenders, and the courts take into account any aggravating and mitigating factors in line with any relevant sentencing guidelines issued by the Sentencing Council.In 2014, the Council issued guidelines on environmental offences for individuals and organisations which capture offences involving the unauthorised or harmful deposit, treatment or disposal of waste as well as illegal discharges to air, land and water. The guidelines are designed to increase consistency and transparency in sentencing for these offences. In 2016, it published an assessment of the impact of the guideline on sentencing trends.The Council keeps its guidelines under regular review. In 2024, following consultation and after carefully considering representations from those concerned with prosecuting fly-tipping offences, the Council updated the guideline for individuals to provide for greater use of community orders (over fines) in recognition of the seriousness of this offending. Further information is available on the Council’s website: https://sentencingcouncil.org.uk/guidelines/crown-court/.

Communities and Local Government, what steps the Government is taking to increase the supply of one-bedroom social housing for young people in (a) Yeovil constituency (b) Somerset and (c) England.

My Department has held no recent discussions with local planning authorities regarding specific barriers to delivering one-bedroom social rented homes for young people. I otherwise refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 101227 on 7 January 2026.

Communities and Local Government, what recent discussions he has had with local authorities in England on barriers to delivering one-bedroom social homes for young people.

My Department has held no recent discussions with local planning authorities regarding specific barriers to delivering one-bedroom social rented homes for young people. I otherwise refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 101227 on 7 January 2026.

Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the impact of access to leisure facilities on health inequalities.

The Government recognises the importance of ensuring public access to leisure facilities, which are great spaces for people of all ages to stay fit and healthy, and play an important role within communities. Physical activity is important in helping people live longer, healthier lives, playing a critical role in preventing chronic diseases, supporting treatment and management of long-term conditions, and boosting general health and wellbeing, helping relieve NHS pressures through an estimated £10.5 billion in savings a year. Building movement back into people’s lives is a key part of the Health Mission shift from treatment to prevention, with the 10-Year Plan setting out the government’s plan to work across sectors to get millions moving more. The ongoing responsibility of providing access to public leisure facilities lies at local authority level, with funding levels set as part of the Local Government Finance Settlement. 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. In June last year, we committed £400 million to transform sports facilities, including public leisure, across the whole of the UK over the next four years, supporting the Government's Plan for Change. We are working closely with sporting bodies and local leaders to establish what communities need, before setting out further plans on how future funding will be allocated.

What assessment he has made of the impact of the current sentencing regime on fly-tipping on rural areas in Yeovil constituency.

Waste crime blights communities, harms the environment, and undermines legitimate businesses.The Government is clear, penalties for waste crime must match the harm it causes. As part of the Waste Crime Action Plan, published on 20 March, the Ministry of Justice has committed to work closely with the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs to explore what more can be done to further ensure that those who commit these types of offences are appropriately punished. This would aim to reinforce the effectiveness of current systems and strengthen our overall approach to tackling illegal behaviour.Sentencing decisions in individual cases are a matter for the independent judiciary and it would therefore not be right for the Ministry of Justice to engage with individual local authorities on sentencing decisions in specific local areas. Parliament has provided the courts with a broad range of sentencing powers to deal effectively and appropriately with offenders, and the courts take into account any aggravating and mitigating factors in line with any relevant sentencing guidelines issued by the Sentencing Council.In 2014, the Council issued guidelines on environmental offences for individuals and organisations which capture offences involving the unauthorised or harmful deposit, treatment or disposal of waste as well as illegal discharges to air, land and water. The guidelines are designed to increase consistency and transparency in sentencing for these offences. In 2016, it published an assessment of the impact of the guideline on sentencing trends.The Council keeps its guidelines under regular review. In 2024, following consultation and after carefully considering representations from those concerned with prosecuting fly-tipping offences, the Council updated the guideline for individuals to provide for greater use of community orders (over fines) in recognition of the seriousness of this offending. Further information is available on the Council’s website: https://sentencingcouncil.org.uk/guidelines/crown-court/.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the planned reductions in share of NHS spending going to mental health services for three consecutive years on rural communities in Yeovil constituency.

As set out in a Written Ministerial Statement published on 12 March, National Health Service mental health expenditure is forecast to reach £16.1 billion in 2026/27, representing a real‑terms increase of £140 million compared with 2025/26. The proportion of overall NHS spending allocated to mental health in 2026/27 is forecast to be 8.4%, just 0.28% lower than in 2025/26. This reflects significant additional investment across the wider NHS, including in technology and digital transformation, strengthening general practice, and establishing neighbourhood health centres. The headline share‑of‑spend metric also does not capture the full range of mental health investment. This includes £473 million of capital funding over the next four years to support the roll‑out of capital projects such as Community‑Based Mental Health Centres and Mental Health Emergency Departments. Further detail on integrated care board (ICB) allocations is available at the following link: https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/allocation-of-resources-2026-27-to-2027-28/ In addition, the Government continues to require all ICBs to meet the Mental Health Investment Standard over the next three years, which sets a minimum rate of growth in local mental health spending. As a result, NHS Somerset will continue to increase investment in mental health services across Somerset. The 10-Year Health Plan set out an ambitious reform agenda to transform the NHS and make it fit for the future. In line with this, we will go further to ensure that NHS mental health services deliver the care that people deserve. We know that there is much more to do to improve outcomes, tackle unacceptable waiting times for care and fully meet the needs of the population in a tailored, personalised and timely way. NHS Somerset recognises the additional challenges associated with delivering services in rural areas. Through its transformed community mental health offer, Open Mental Health, a partnership between the Somerset NHS Foundation Trust and voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise partners, access to high‑quality mental health support has been expanded for people in rural communities, including through face‑to‑face provision, digital services, and telephone‑based support.

What steps he is taking to help protect consumers from inflated prices at petrol stations in Yeovil constituency.

Fuel markets are governed by competition and consumer protection law, overseen by the Competition Market Authority (CMA). The Government and the CMA are closely monitoring petrol and diesel prices in light of instability in the Middle East, and the Chancellor and Secretary of State recently met with fuel retailers to set out a clear message: unfair practices will not be tolerated. We are also engaging regularly with refiners, importers and distributors to ensure any emerging risks are identified and managed promptly. The UK benefits from strong and diverse security of energy supplies, and there are no issues with fuel supply.

What her timeline is for the implementation of regulations to apply forensic marking to new GPS units for use in agricultural and commercial settings.

Equipment theft, including the theft of GPS systems, can have devastating consequences for countryside communities and the agricultural sector.That is why we are committed to the implementation of the Equipment Theft (Prevention) Act 2023 and fully support its intentions to prevent the theft and re-sale of All-Terrain Vehicles, quad bikes and GPS systems.The legislation will require new ATVs, quad bikes and GPS systems to be forensically marked and registered on an appropriate database. We will introduce the necessary secondary legislation when parliamentary time allows.

When she plans to introduce regulations to apply forensic marking to new GPS units for use in agricultural and commercial settings.

Equipment theft, including the theft of GPS systems, can have devastating consequences for countryside communities and the agricultural sector.That is why we are committed to the implementation of the Equipment Theft (Prevention) Act 2023 and fully support its intentions to prevent the theft and re-sale of All-Terrain Vehicles, quad bikes and GPS systems.The legislation will require new ATVs, quad bikes and GPS systems to be forensically marked and registered on an appropriate database. We will introduce the necessary secondary legislation when parliamentary time allows.

Whether his Department holds data on the amount of oil stock purchased by petrol stations in Yeovil constituency at prices before the outbreak of the current conflict in Iran.

The Department of Energy Security and Net Zero closely monitors live fuel stock levels to ensure we have an accurate picture of the supply situation, and current indications show that petrol station forecourts across the UK remain well stocked. We also maintain regular engagement with industry, who confirm that the road fuel supply chain is operating across the UK as normal. The Government does not measure stock levels at individual forecourts so localised concerns will not always show on our data. However, the government continues to liaise with industry to closely monitor the situation and will act should the situation require it.

What assessment he has made of the role community pharmacy could play in providing a Meningitis B vaccine catch-up service to students and young people from Yeovil constituency at risk.

The Government is looking to expand the number of vaccines offered in community pharmacies across the country through local, targeted vaccination programmes. This has already started, with NHS England commissioning some community pharmacies in the Midlands, North West, London, and East of England to help deliver the year-round respiratory syncytial virus vaccination programmes to eligible pregnant women, to protect newborns, and adults aged 75 to 79 years old as well as the year-round pertussis vaccination programme to eligible pregnant women.NHS England also nationally commissioned community pharmacies to administer flu vaccines for two- and three-year-olds for the first time in autumn 2025. An evaluation will assess whether this use of community pharmacies improves vaccine uptake and helps tackle regional health inequalities, in line with the NHS Vaccination Strategy.The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) is an expert scientific advisory committee that advises the Government on eligibility for vaccination and immunisation programmes. The JCVI has been consulted on the immediate vaccine response to the outbreak and clinical effectiveness of potential future outbreak response vaccination strategies.On the 17 March, my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, also announced to the House of Commons that he would ask the JCVI to review eligibility for meningococcal B (MenB) vaccination. The JCVI will conduct a full assessment of the cost-effectiveness of a routine adolescent MenB vaccination programme and provide a complete and formal response to my Rt Hon. Friend as soon as practicable.

What steps he is taking to raise public awareness of bowel cancer in Yeovil constituency.

NHS England has run national campaigns, most recently in early 2025, to increase knowledge of cancer symptoms, address barriers to acting on them, and to encourage people to see their general practitioner as soon as possible if they notice a change in their health. The campaigns cover bowel cancer and have focused on increasing awareness of a range of symptoms, as well as encouraging general body awareness, to help people spot symptoms across a wide range of cancers at an earlier point.The National Health Service in England encourages everyone aged 50 to 74 years old, including in the Yeovil constituency, to take part in bowel cancer screening. The UK Bowel Cancer Screening Programme is undergoing several updates to its standards aimed at improving coverage, accessibility, and early detection. This includes updated performance thresholds, and improved accessibility of bowel cancer screening faecal immunochemical test kits.NHS England and other National Health Service organisations, nationally and locally, publish information on the signs and symptoms of many different types of cancer, including bowel cancer. This information can be found at sources including the NHS website, which is available at the following link:https://www.nhs.uk/From 2026, Cancer Alliances will receive funding and work proactively with local communities and providers to improve early diagnosis rates. They will focus on increasing awareness of cancer symptoms, supporting primary care to spot signs of cancer early, and reducing the gap in screening uptake between the most and least deprived areas, with particular efforts to reach ethnic minority and underserved communities.

What steps he is taking to support NHS Somerset to increase participation in bowel cancer screening in Yeovil constituency.

Coverage of bowel cancer screening has been increasing in recent years. In 2019, 60.5% of people took the offer up. Now, it is 71.8%.To further increase coverage across England, including Yeovil, NHS England is doing the following:delivering new approaches to communicating with people about screening through the NHS App;incorporating the reasonable adjustment flag into screening to ensure that people get information in the way they want, and that adjustments are made to support people at appointments;has recently updated the bowel cancer screening leaflets and is updating the bowel cancer screening letters to improve accessibility; andhas made the bowel cancer screening faecal immunochemical test kit more accessible for people who are blind or partially sighted.