Written questions by Mayer.

Representing the House of Commons Commission, how many and what proportion of soaps and other skincare products used on the parliamentary estate are cruelty free certified.

Our supplier contract stipulates all products used should be, so far as is reasonably possible, cruelty free, and compliant with the recommendations of Cruelty Free International.All soaps supplied comply with the relevant cosmetic regulations (Cosmetic Products Enforcement Regulations 2013 and Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 on cosmetic products) which means they are not allowed to be tested on animals.

What discussions her Department has had with the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero on reforms to the Bus Service Operators Grant.

We are committed to simplifying and consolidating bus funding from the Government, and we are considering next steps for reform of the Bus Service Operators Grant as part of this work. This will include engagement with other government departments.

What discussions his Department has had with the Post Office on the number of expressions of interest for remaining directly-managed Crown Post Office branches.

As the Minister responsible for the Government's interest in Post Office Limited, I meet regularly with the CEO and Chair of Post Office to discuss various issues related to Post Office Limited, including directly managed branches. My officials also meet regularly with Post Office and discuss a range of issues including directly-managed branches.

Whether her Department issues guidance to local authorities on running good-quality bus stops.

The Department for Transport has published Local Transport Note (LTN) 1/24 Bus User Priority which provides guidance on good practice in the design of bus stops. The Department has also published guidance to Local Transport Authorities (LTAs) and bus operators on developing Bus Service Improvement Plans. This guidance encourages all LTAs to set priorities for improving their bus stops, stations and interchanges. On 17th December 2024, the Government introduced a new Bus Services Bill that will give local leaders the freedom to take decisions to deliver their local transport priorities and ensure networks meet the needs of the communities who rely on them. The Bill will provide powers for the Secretary of State to issue statutory guidance on the inclusivity of the design of bus and coach stations and stops, and to require authorities commissioning work to provide new or upgrade existing facilities to have due regard to this guidance.

What her planned timetable is for updating her Department's guidance entitled Public Sector Equality Duty: guidance for public authorities, last updated on 18 December 2023.

The government will uphold the Public Sector Equality Duty and ensure that all parties exercising public functions comply with its provisions. This includes ensuring effective guidance for these parties and updating it as the need arises.

Whether he has had discussions with the Secretary of State for Education on neurodiversity-affirmative approaches in schools.

My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has regular discussions on a wide range of matters with Cabinet colleagues, including my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education.

If she will commission research on the potential impact of room temperature during examinations on student performance.

The department is not currently considering commissioning research on the effect of room temperature during examinations on student performance, although we continue to keep abreast of research in this area. The department has provided advice for schools about how they can manage the learning environment during hot weather.

What discussions she has had with Shadow Great British Railways on future management of the 20 railway stations directly managed by Network Rail.

The Secretary of State has not yet held any conversations with Shadow Great British Railways on the future management of stations. The government has set Shadow Great British Railways several initial priorities, including being passenger focused - improving services for passengers and freight-customers, unlocking barriers to delivery and moving the rail network towards greater financial sustainability. The government will shortly be setting out plans for how Shadow Great British Railways will be delivering on these priorities.

If she will make an estimate of recent trends in the number of coach companies that have ceased trading.

The Department recognises the importance of good transport links and this Government aims to improve connections between towns and cities across the country. We recognise the important role the coach sector can play in making these connections across the country for education, business and leisure travel. Coaches are a deregulated sector, so commercial decisions, such as whether to cease trading, are a matter for the operators concerned. The Department does not have the data to estimate the number of coach companies that have ceased trading. We are, however, working with the sector to hear their concerns and address the challenges they face.

If she will make an assessment of trends in the level of violent crime during heatwaves in 2024.

There is a wide body of academic research pointing to associations between short-term increased temperatures and violent crime, but the Home Office has no plans to conduct any future specific research in this area in relation to heatwaves in 2024.

What assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of funding for British Transport Police.

The British Transport Police’s (BTP) budget is set by the British Transport Police Authority (BTPA). It is the executive non-departmental public body that oversees the Force and is their employer. BTPA sets the BTP’s budget annually following proposals from the Force and views from industry. Set against a backdrop of wider public sector efficiencies and affordability by the rail industry it has agreed a budget increase for the financial year 2025/26 of 5.9%.The cost of policing the rail network in Great Britain is primarily covered through the funding agreements that the British Transport Police Authority holds with Network Rail, the rail operators and Transport for London.The Department can, under some limited specific circumstances, support the BTP with additional grant funding such as for additional policing during periods of civil unrest.

What his planned timetable is for recruiting 8,500 additional mental health workers.

As part of our mission to build a National Health Service that is fit for the future, we will recruit an additional 8,500 mental health workers to reduce waiting times and provide faster treatment.We recognise that bringing in the staff needed will take time. The decision for the timetable of recruiting the 8,500 additional mental health workers is still ongoing. We are working with NHS England on options to deliver this expansion of the mental health workforce.

Which areas has her Department provided additional funding for to develop Mobility as a Service apps; and what the potential cost to the public purse is of this work.

The Transport Innovation Grants (TRIG) programme, which funds proof of concept projects to either fail fast or uncover early promise across the whole transport technology spectrum, has given funding of a total value of £289k to projects related to Mobility as a Service apps since 2024. Local authorities receive various other streams of non-ringfenced funding which they have chosen to spend on MaaS projects, for example as part of the Future Transport Zones programme.

What steps his Department is taking to support the cold chain sector with (a) resilience and (b) preparedness for potential disruption as a result of (i) heat waves, (ii) power loss and (iii) cyberattack.

The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) works with other departments and industry to proactively mitigate the risks and impacts of unplanned power outages, cyber-attacks, and severe weather events like heatwaves, through ongoing horizon-scanning, data sharing, and business engagement.As part of the next UK Climate Change Risk Assessment (CCRA), Government departments are inputting into an assessment of the resilience of the cold chain sector to rising temperatures and heatwaves. The assessment will identify cold chain vulnerabilities to heatwaves, explore adaptation responses, and develop an effective adaptation plan through to 2050. The outputs will be included in the next CCRA, to be published in 2027.

What data her Department holds on how many and what proportion of buses have onboard connections for electronic devices in England.

As of March 2024, there were 29,790 buses used by local bus operators in England. Around 28% of these buses, approximately 8,300, were equipped with charging points.

Pursuant to the Answer of 14 October 2024 to Question 6923 on Euston Station: Passengers, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of progress in the implementation of crowd management improvements to Euston station required by the Office of Road and Rail.

The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) closed its Improvement Notice served in respect of crowd management at Euston last year - on 15 December 2023.As the duty holder, Network Rail is accountable for meeting health and safety and other legal responsibilities at Euston and the ORR is responsible for monitoring compliance.The Department recognises the need for urgent improvements to passenger experience at Euston and welcomes the improvements Network Rail is making under its five-point plan announced on 4 October.

If her Department will publish guidance on the process for establishing passenger transport executives.

The Department has no current plans to publish guidance on establishing a new Passenger Transport Executive. Setting up a new Passenger Transport Executive to coordinate local transport in its area would require amendments to legislation. Local and Combined Authorities already have a number of coordinating powers and functions in relation to transport. The English Devolution White Paper (December 2024) set out Government’s plans to provide additional transport powers and responsibilities to Local and Combined Authorities.

How many (a) mental health and (b) dementia related hospital admissions took place during heatwaves in 2024.

The information is not held in the format requested.

How much funding her Department provided for retrofitting buses to reduce emissions under (a) the Clean Vehicle Retrofit Accreditation Scheme and (b) other relevant schemes in 2024.

Since 2017, the Government allocated approximately £100m toward the retrofitting of Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) technology. The Government has not provided any funding for the retrofitting of SCR technology in 2024.

What recent steps his Department is taking to improve the availability of (a) eye clinic appointments and (b) hospital eye services.

The Government is committed to putting patients first. This means making sure that patients are seen on time and have the best possible experience during their care. As of October 2024, the waiting list for ophthalmology services stands at just over 593,000. 66.1% of these involved treatment within 18 weeks.This is not good enough, and we have committed to getting back to the NHS Constitutional standard that 92% of patients should be seen within 18 weeks of referral, by the end of this Parliament, across all specialities. Funding announced in the Autumn Budget will support delivery of an additional 2 million operations, scans, and appointments during our first year in Government, which is equivalent to 40,000 per week, as a first step towards achieving this.NHS England is also testing how improved IT connectivity between primary care optometry and secondary eye care services could improve the referral process and allow for the virtual triage of patients. This also includes looking at whether patients can be managed in the community, freeing up hospital eye clinic capacity for patients that need face to face specialist input.