Written questions by Rosindell.

If she will take steps to increase the age cap on the opening of Lifetime ISAs.

On the Government LISA contribution, LISA holders can receive a generous 25% government bonus on contributions up to £4,000 per year. This means an individual who made the full contribution would receive a £1,000 bonus from the Government. On the age limits, the LISA is designed to encourage younger people to get into the habit of saving for the longer-term. Individuals who did not open a LISA before the age of 40 are still able to save in another ISA type and benefit from the annual subscription limit of £20,000. They can also contribute to a pension, where their contributions will generally receive significant tax relief from the Government. Those who opened a LISA before their 40th birthday can continue to subscribe until they are 50 and can continue managing their account beyond that date. This includes transferring the account to another LISA manager and changing their investment profile from cash to stocks and shares or vice versa. The Government keeps all aspects of savings tax policy under review, and considers all representations made carefully, with any changes made as part of the Budget process.

If she will take steps to increase the Government contribution to savings in Lifetime ISAs.

On the Government LISA contribution, LISA holders can receive a generous 25% government bonus on contributions up to £4,000 per year. This means an individual who made the full contribution would receive a £1,000 bonus from the Government. On the age limits, the LISA is designed to encourage younger people to get into the habit of saving for the longer-term. Individuals who did not open a LISA before the age of 40 are still able to save in another ISA type and benefit from the annual subscription limit of £20,000. They can also contribute to a pension, where their contributions will generally receive significant tax relief from the Government. Those who opened a LISA before their 40th birthday can continue to subscribe until they are 50 and can continue managing their account beyond that date. This includes transferring the account to another LISA manager and changing their investment profile from cash to stocks and shares or vice versa. The Government keeps all aspects of savings tax policy under review, and considers all representations made carefully, with any changes made as part of the Budget process.

How many prisoners have been released from prison in error in (a) England and (b) Essex in every year since 2010.

Releases in error have been increasing for several years and are another symptom of the prison system crisis inherited by this Government.While the overwhelming majority of offenders are released correctly, we’re clamping down on those releases in error that do occur – including through improved staff training and establishing a new specialist unit. A joint protocol between HMPPS and NPCC is in place, to ensure effective and timely communication between partner agencies when an individual is released in error to rearrest them as quickly as possible.We have gripped this chaos – by building more prison places, ending the last Government’s early release scheme, being transparent with the public, immediately making changes to sentences to ease pressure on the system and now, taking landmark reforms through our Sentencing Bill to make sure that prisons never run out of places again.The Ministry of Justice publishes annual data on prisoners released in error in England and Wales in the HMPPS Annual Digest available via HMPPS Annual Digest, April 2024 to March 2025 - GOV.UK.These figures can be found under Chapter 1 Tables – Escape data tool; showing data up to March 2025.

What fiscal steps she has taken to support the restaurant sector in (a) England and (b) Romford constituency.

The Government recognises the vital role that hospitality businesses such as restaurants and pubs play in supporting the UK’s economy and communities, including in Romford. As announced at Autumn Budget 2024, the Government will introduce permanently lower business rates multipliers for retail, hospitality, and leisure (RHL) properties with ratable values (RVs) below £500,000 from 2026/27. This permanent tax cut will ensure that small hospitality businesses benefit from much-needed certainty and support.In addition, weincreased the Employment Allowance to £10,500 which should benefit small Romford pubs and restaurants;established the Licensing Taskforce and issued a call for evidence on a National Licensing Policy Framework which will set out national direction for licensing authorities to consider economic growth and cultural value,introduced the English Devolution Bill, which will protect hospitality businesses from upward only rent clauses, and;are introducing a strong new ‘Community Right to Buy’ to help communities safeguard valued community assets – such as pubs.

If she will take steps to commission an independent review of the Serious Crime Act 2007.

This Government remains firmly committed to tackling serious and organised crime and the significant threat it poses to communities across the UK. It is essential that law enforcement agencies are equipped with robust and effective tools to respond to this challenge.The Serious Crime Act 2007 was subject to full parliamentary scrutiny during its passage in Parliament. In addition, the Act underwent post-legislative scrutiny in 2012, the findings of which are publicly available.This review assessed the implementation and impact of the Act and can be accessed via the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/post-legislative-scrutiny-of-the-serious-crime-act-2007.

Communities and Local Government, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of making it his Department's policy to stop local government employees working from home.

Local authorities are independent employers responsible for the management of their own workforces including decisions about terms and conditions, working practices and how best to deploy staff to achieve value for money. The Government will not micromanage their day-to-day running. Local authorities will each hold data about their own individual workforces but the Department does not collect this centrally. Sector-wide data is collected by the Office for National Statistics Quarterly Public Sector Employment Survey (ONS Quarterly Public Sector Employment Survey | Local Government Association).

How many non-crime hate incidents have been recorded in (a) England, (b) Greater London, and (c) Romford constituency since 2023.

The Home Office does not collect data on non-crime hate incidents.

Communities and Local Government, if his Department will make an estimate of the proportion of local government employees that are (a) on long-term sick leave and (b) work from home in (i) England and (ii) the London Borough of Havering.

Local authorities are independent employers responsible for the management of their own workforces including decisions about terms and conditions, working practices and how best to deploy staff to achieve value for money. The Government will not micromanage their day-to-day running. Local authorities will each hold data about their own individual workforces but the Department does not collect this centrally. Sector-wide data is collected by the Office for National Statistics Quarterly Public Sector Employment Survey (ONS Quarterly Public Sector Employment Survey | Local Government Association).

Communities and Local Government, what information his Department holds on the number of local authorities that (a) currently operate four-day working weeks for their employees and (b) are considering implementing four-day working weeks for employees.

Local authorities are independent employers responsible for the management of their own workforces and the Government will not micromanage them. The Department does not routinely collect this data. However it is the Government’s policy that Local Authorities should not be offering full time pay for part time work as we are concerned it does not offer value for money for taxpayers.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she has taken to work with local authorities to improve the safety of footpaths.

Local highway authorities are responsible for the management and maintenance of public rights of way (and ensuring they are free from obstructions). They are required to keep a Rights of Way Improvement Plan (ROWIP) to plan improvements to the rights of way network in their area for all users. These are available on the authority’s website. This must include an assessment of the local rights of way including the condition of the network. Local authorities are best placed to understand local priorities and allocate funding for rights of way activities accordingly.

Communities and Local Government, what steps he has taken to promote (a) traditional craftsmanship and (b) traditional British architectural styles in the building of new social housing developments.

National planning policy makes clear that local planning authorities should prepare their own local design guides and design codes in line with the principles set out in national design guidance. The guidance encourages integration of a mix of tenures and helps local areas to identify what good design means for them and the process for preparing a design code to introduce local design standards for new development. It highlights the importance of understanding and responding to existing context and the identity or character of a place, including local vernacular architecture and architectural features. We are in the process of updating national design guidance and will set out further details in due course.

How many prosecutions for hate crime on the basis of (a) race, (b) religion, (c) disability, (d) sexual orientation and (e) transgender identity have been brought since 2023.

This Government is committed to tackling all forms of hate crime, and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) prosecutes these cases robustly.The below table shows the number of defendants prosecuted by the CPS since 2023 for hate crime offences based on (a) race, (b) religion, (c) disability, (d) sexual orientation and (e) transgender identity. 202320242025 (January - June)Racist flagged hate crime prosecutions9,24510,4365,493Religious flagged hate crime prosecutions420646303Disability flagged hate crime prosecutions270320158Homophobic flagged hate crime prosecutions2,6763,1181,723Transphobic flagged hate crime prosecutions12613787 Date source: CPS Case Management Information System The total number of hate crime flagged defendants prosecuted by the CPS was 12,737 in 2023, 14,657 in 2024, and 7,764 during the period from January to June 2025.

Communities and Local Government, if his Department will make an estimate of the number of people have been employed in local government in (a) England and (b) Romford constituency in every year since 2010.

Local authorities are independent employers responsible for the management of their own workforces including decisions about terms and conditions, working practices and how best to deploy staff to achieve value for money. The Government will not micromanage their day-to-day running. Local authorities will each hold data about their own individual workforces but the Department does not collect this centrally. Sector-wide data is collected by the Office for National Statistics Quarterly Public Sector Employment Survey (ONS Quarterly Public Sector Employment Survey | Local Government Association).

What steps he has taken to work with relevant authorities to tackle the illegal sale of prescription drugs in (a) England and (b) Romford constituency.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is responsible for the regulation of medicines for human use, medical devices, and blood products for transfusion in the United Kingdom. This includes applying the legal controls on the retail sale, supply, and advertising of medicines which are set out in the Human Medicines Regulations 2012.Prescription-only medicines should only be obtained following a consultation with a doctor or qualified healthcare professional so that an assessment is made of the patient's suitability for the treatment and to consider any potential risks. Usually, such products should only be obtained from a registered pharmacy against a valid prescription.Sourcing medicines from unregulated suppliers significantly increases the risk of getting a product which is either falsified or not authorised for use. Products purchased in this way will not meet the MHRA’s strict quality and safety standards and could expose patients to incorrect dosages or dangerous ingredients.Public safety is the number one priority for the MHRA, and its Criminal Enforcement Unit works hard to prevent, detect, and investigate illegal activity involving medicines and medical devices and takes robust enforcement action where necessary. It works closely with other health regulators, customs authorities, local authorities, law enforcement agencies, and private sector partners, including e-commerce and the internet industry to identify, remove, and block online content promoting the illegal sale of medicines and medical devices.The MHRA seeks to identify and, where appropriate, prosecute sellers responsible for putting public health at risk. Last year, the MHRA and its partners seized more than 17 million doses of illegally traded medicines, including those usually issued on prescription. Further information on our recent enforcement activity is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/news/mhra-smashes-majorillicitweight-loss-medicine-production-facility-in-record-seizureAdditionally, the MHRA has also disrupted thousands of links to websites and social media pages selling medical products to the public illegally.The MHRA’s FakeMeds campaign provides advice to people in the United Kingdom who are considering buying medication online, outlining how products can be accessed from a safe and legitimate source. Further information on the FakeMeds campaign is available at the following link:https://fakemeds.campaign.gov.uk/Anyone who believes they’ve had a side effect from a medicine, or think they’ve received falsified stock, can report it to the MHRA’s Yellow Card scheme. Further information on the Yellow Card scheme is available at the following link:https://yellowcard.mhra.gov.uk/

How many prosecutions for hate crime offences have been brought since 2023.

This Government is committed to tackling all forms of hate crime, and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) prosecutes these cases robustly.The below table shows the number of defendants prosecuted by the CPS since 2023 for hate crime offences based on (a) race, (b) religion, (c) disability, (d) sexual orientation and (e) transgender identity. 202320242025 (January - June)Racist flagged hate crime prosecutions9,24510,4365,493Religious flagged hate crime prosecutions420646303Disability flagged hate crime prosecutions270320158Homophobic flagged hate crime prosecutions2,6763,1181,723Transphobic flagged hate crime prosecutions12613787 Date source: CPS Case Management Information System The total number of hate crime flagged defendants prosecuted by the CPS was 12,737 in 2023, 14,657 in 2024, and 7,764 during the period from January to June 2025.

If he will make it his Department’s policy to introduce a ban on mercury dental fillings in England.

Dental amalgam is a well-established, safe, and effective dental filling material. Current Department policy is to restrict and phase down the use of dental amalgam to reduce any environmental impacts. This includes regulations to ban the use of amalgam in baby teeth, pregnant and breastfeeding women, and children under 15 years old, except when deemed strictly necessary for specific medical needs. This has been in place since 2018.The United Kingdom is party to the Minamata Convention on Mercury, a global treaty to protect human health and the environment from the adverse effects of mercury. The Minamata Convention has recommended that those party to the convention phase down the use of dental amalgam, which the UK does, for example, by restricting its use in under 15-year-olds.The sixth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Minamata Convention is taking place from 3 November to 7 November 2025, where a ban on mercury dental amalgam will be discussed.

What steps she has taken to work with relevant authorities to tackle the illegal sale of cigarettes in (a) England and (b) the parliamentary constituency of Romford.

The Government is committed to reducing the number of illicit tobacco and vaping products on sale nationally.In January 2024, HMRC and Border Force published their latest illicit tobacco strategy, ‘Stubbing Out the Problem’. This sets out the Governments’ continued commitment to restrict the trade in illicit tobacco with a focus on reducing demand, and to tackle and disrupt organised crime groups. This strategy is supported by £100 million of new smokefree funding allocated over 5 years to boost existing HMRC and Border Force enforcement capability.HMRC are also working closely with both Trading Standards and Border Force to develop a robust compliance approach for the introduction of Vaping Products Duty (VPD) on 1 October 2026.

What steps he has taken to stop illegal gas installation in (a) England and (b) Romford constituency.

The Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 (GSIUR) forms the basis of the Health and Safety Executive’s approach to ensuring the safety of gas appliances and systems within England (a) and Romford (b). This includes taking enforcement action against those who do not comply with their legal obligations, including unsafe gas work or carrying out gas work whilst unregistered. GSIUR also allows for the establishment of the Gas Safe Register (GSR). GSR aims to protect the public from unsafe gas work through:A national investigations team tracking down un-registered gas workers;Regular inspections of registered engineers, to ensure they are applying gas competence and complying with GSIUR;Investigating reports of unsafe gas work; andEducating consumers and raising awareness of gas safety.GSR will apply appropriate sanctions on those businesses found carrying out unsafe gas work as per their Sanctions Policy.

What steps she has taken to improve early detection of dyslexia in schools.

As part of our Plan for Change, the department is determined to fix the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system and restore the trust of parents. We will do this by ensuring schools have the tools to better identify and support children before issues escalate.The department know that effective early identification and intervention is critical in improving the outcomes of children and young people with SEND. In an inclusive education system, settings should be confident in accurately assessing children and young people’s learning and development and meeting any educational needs with evidence-based responses.A range of measures have been introduced, which aim to support the effective teaching of reading, including for those with SEND or at risk of falling behind. This includes the English Hubs programme, publication of the reading framework and writing frameworks and the publication of an updated list of high quality phonics programmes which have been validated by the department.The department also launched ‘Reading Ambition for All’, a new continuous professional development programme for primary school teachers. Following this pilot year, we are working with the British Dyslexia Association to refine the programme to further support children with dyslexia.

What recent steps he has taken with local authorities to help improve food hygiene ratings of catering businesses.

The Food Hygiene Rating Scheme (FHRS) is a consumer information scheme operated by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) in partnership with local authorities across England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Ultimately, it is the responsibility of businesses to comply with food hygiene law at all times. However, the FSA provides Safer Food Better Business guidance to help small businesses manage food hygiene, and there is an information pack specifically for caterers at the following link:https://www.food.gov.uk/business-guidance/safer-food-better-business-for-caterersThe FSA also publishes guidance on inspections, the FHRS, and how to achieve the top rating. This guidance is available at the following link:https://www.food.gov.uk/business-guidance/preparing-for-your-first-food-hygiene-inspectionBusinesses with low ratings will continue to receive follow up action or visits by local authorities to ensure that non-compliances are addressed. If the local authority officer finds that a business’s hygiene standards are very poor and food may be unsafe to eat, they must act to protect consumers. This could result in stopping part of the business or closing it down completely until it is safe to reopen it.