Written questions by Strathern.

Communities and Local Government, when her Department's proposals for planning restrictions on heat pumps will be implemented.

Nationally set permitted development rights enable the installation of air and ground source heat pumps without the need to submit a planning application. The previous government consulted on proposed changes to these rights, and on 21 November we announced our intention to amend the existing permitted development right for air source heat pumps in early 2025, to allow more flexibility in installation and size of heat pumps. Further information can be found here.

What steps her Department plans to take to reduce the backlog in driving tests.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s (DVSA) main priority is upholding road safety standards while it works hard to reduce car practical driving test waiting times. Measures in place to reduce waiting times for customers at all driving test centres (...

What support her Department provides to highways authorities to (a) adopt and (b) repair and (c)upgrade (i) unadopted and (ii) ownerless roads that form key parts of local road networks.

Unadopted roads that are not maintained at public expense by a highway authority are known as private streets, as defined by Section 203(2) of the Highways Act 1980. The responsibility for management of private streets rests with the owner, or more usuall...

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment has he made of the potential impact of the Rodenticide Stewardship Scheme on bird species populations and their health.

The Rodenticide Stewardship Scheme is overseen by the Government Oversight Group (GOG) for Rodenticide Stewardship. This group is chaired by the Health and Safety Executive and includes representatives from relevant Government departments and agencies. It...

Whether she has had recent discussions with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on enhancing (a) diet and (b) nutrition education in the school curriculum.

My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care have met to discuss a range of issues and projects.This department’s independent Curriculum and Assessment Review, which ...

Innovation and Technology, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of telecommunications systems resilience during power cuts.

Government recognises the importance of the issue of power resilience for the sector. Whilst most power cuts are brief, we recognise the impact that they can have on the telephone network. We are working closely with the regulator, communications provider...

Innovation and Technology, whether his Department plans to improve the resilience of local telecommunications networks through power outages.

Government recognises the importance of the issue of power resilience for the sector. Whilst most power cuts are brief, we recognise the impact that they can have on the telephone network. We are working closely with the regulator, communications provider...

Communities and Local Government, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of removing the local connection test for care leavers seeking to access temporary accommodation.

Homelessness legislation includes eligibility criteria such as the local connection test, to ensure that resources are prioritised effectively, ensuring accommodation is there for people who need it most.There are already existing provisions in homelessne...

Food and Rural Affairs, what recent steps he has taken to regulate the safe disposal of lithium-ion batteries.

Existing UK regulations place a number of obligations related to battery disposal on producers of lithium-ion batteries and products containing lithium-ion batteries. These obligations include the requirement for all batteries sold in the UK to be clearly...

What assessment he has made of the potential merits of GB Energy providing temporary back-up sources of power for homes impacted by long power cuts.

The Government works closely with electricity networks to improve and maintain energy infrastructure resilience. In the event of a disruption, electricity network operators have well practiced response plans in place to minimise disruption to customers. G...

Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with the Environment Agency on the impact of lithium-ion battery explosions.

I have discussed the risks that incorrect disposal of waste batteries can have at a senior level with the Environment Agency, including in the context of fires at waste sites.

If he will make an assessment of the potential benefits of making prostate cancer screening mandatory.

Screening for prostate cancer is currently not recommended by the UK National Screening Committees (UK NSC). This is because of the inaccuracy of the current best test, called the Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA). A PSA-based screening programme could harm...

Innovation and Technology, whether he has made a recent assessment of the potential merits of reviewing the Communications Ombudsman's powers to increase the accountability of telecommunications providers.

The Communications Ombudsman is one of two Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) schemes accredited by Ofcom, the independent regulator of services, in the telecoms sector. Ofcom launched a review of ADR in November 2023 which examines the extent to which ...

What recent discussions he has had on the provision of Enhurtu to Her2 low metastatic breast cancer patients.

The Department’s ministers and officials have had a number of recent meetings at which the issue of the availability of Enhertu for the treatment of HER2 low metastatic breast cancer has been discussed, including with Breast Cancer Now and other campaigne...

What steps her Department is taking to increase the rate of implementation of step free access on the rail network.

Since 2006, the Access for All (AfA) programme has delivered step free access at more than 250 stations across Great Britain. We are carefully considering the best approach to the Access for All programme. This Government is committed to improving the acc...

Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with the Environment Agency on the response to flooding in the Hitchin constituency.

Protecting communities around the country from flooding is one of Defra’s five core priorities. That is why we have established a Flood Resilience Taskforce to improve coordination of the national and local flood response and strengthen preparedness ahead...

What recent assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the pilot of the family first for children pathfinder and family network.

This government is committed to providing timely support to children and families that need help. Evidence shows that preventing problems from escalating leads to better outcomes for children and families and reduces cost pressures for local authorities a...

Whether her Department plans to make changes to how it calculates special guardianship allowances.

The department recognises the valuable and important role that kinship carers, including special guardians, play in caring for some of the most vulnerable children. The department is committed to working with local government to support children in care, ...

What plans her Department has to improve accessibility at (a) Arlesey station and (b) Hitchin station.

We are carefully considering the best approach to the Access for All programme. This Government is committed to improving the accessibility of the railway and recognises the social and economic benefits this brings to communities.

Whether the Employment Bill will include (a) endometriosis and (b) other menstrual health conditions.

The Government has set out its immediate priorities for reforming employment law in the Plan to Make Work Pay. The Plan includes a number of measures which may help people manage endometriosis and other menstrual conditions at work - including making sure...