Written questions by Rosindell.

What steps he has taken to work with relevant authorities to improve ocular health in (a) England and (b) Romford constituency.

Prevention, early detection, and access to timely treatment are all key to maintaining good eye health. Free National Health Service sight tests are available for children, those aged 60 years old and over, individuals on low incomes, and those at increased risk of certain eye diseases, including glaucoma. Free NHS sight tests are also being rolled out for children and young people attending special educational settings across England. Diabetic Retinopathy screening is also offered to individuals aged 12 years old or over with diabetes.NHS England has been testing how integrating primary and secondary eye care services, through IT connectivity and the development of a single point of access, could improve the referral, triage and management of patients with eye care needs and reduce the time from diagnosis to treatment. The North East London Integrated Care System, which includes Romford, have a number of measures in place to improve eye health including a single point of access to improve referrals into secondary care and minor eye care services in the community.

Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to celebrate the feast day of Saint George in 2025.

I refer the Hon member to my answer to PQ 38000 answered on the 26th March. In addition to the regular annual celebrations of St George’s Day, this year St George’s Day marked the 250th anniversary of the birth of Joseph Mallord William Turner, which has been celebrated in many museums and galleries up and down the country.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure that healthcare professionals in (a) emergency, (b) general and (c) wards receive adequate training related to sickle cell disorder.

Working under the UK Rare Diseases Framework, the Government is committed to improving the lives of those living with rare diseases, such as sickle cell disorder. This framework sets out four priorities collaboratively developed with the rare disease community, which include increasing awareness of rare diseases among healthcare professionals.NHS England has launched several activities to improve staff knowledge and training aimed at healthcare professionals, including developing the ACT NOW campaign to improve awareness of frontline staff of what to do when people attend hospital in a sickle cell crisis, providing support to specialist staff for sickle cell and thalassemia through the Haemoglobinopathy Coordinating Centre network, and developing free e-learning to help staff, including those in accident and emergency, haematology, and ambulance services, to identify signs of a sickle cell crisis. Further information on the ACT NOW campaign is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/london/a-c-t-n-o-w-sickle-cell-acronym-pilot/NHS England is working with clinicians and people with sickle cell disorder in Manchester to understand how to help people to better manage their disorder. The learning from this pilot will be shared nationally, to support others to embed a similar approach to care, that reflects the needs of their local populations.

Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to ensure the provision of suitable housing for people with disabilities.

I refer the Hon. member to my previous answer UIN 12990 provided on 25 November 2024.

Media and Sport, how many public libraries have closed in each of the last ten years.

DCMS estimates the number of static libraries that have permanently closed (and not been replaced by or relocated to a new static library) in England in each of the last 10 years is as follows: Calendar YearEstimated Permanent Static Library Closures2014720151920162020173520182620191720201420211720221720239This data is DCMS estimates based upon Arts Council England’s basic library dataset for 2023. The ACE dataset details the status (statutory and non-statutory) and operational models of each library including whether they are local authority run, community run, commissioned by the local authority to a separate trust or organisation, or delivered by alternative methods. The dataset can be found at the following link: https://www.artscouncil.org.uk/supporting-arts-museums-and-libraries/supporting-librariesACE’s 2024 basic library dataset is due to be published shortly.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking with relevant authorities to improve tree coverage in (a) England and (b) Romford constituency.

The Government is working towards the statutory target to reach 16.5% tree canopy and woodland cover in England by 2050. Defra is funding a significant package of grants and supporting activity across England to increase tree coverage. This includes funding a national network of fifteen Community Forests. These Forests are planting thousands of hectares of new trees and woodland in and around our towns and cities providing social, economic and environmental transformation. The Thames Chase Community Forest is part of this network with tree planting sites in Romford.

Media and Sport, what information her Department holds on the number of TV license payers in each of the last five years.

The BBC is responsible for collection of the TV licence via TV Licensing. TV Licensing publishes the number of licences in force in its Annual Review, which can be found here: https://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/about/our-performance-AB6

Media and Sport, what steps she is taking with local authorities to help improve swimming facilities in (a) Romford constituency and (b) England.

The Government recognises that sports facilities, in communities up and down the country, help to support more people to get active wherever they live.The ongoing responsibility of providing access to public leisure swimming facilities lies at local authority level. We are committed to supporting Local Government, recognising the significant financial challenges faced by the sector and by ensuring that funding goes to the places that need it most through the Local Government Finance Settlement.The Government encourages local authorities to make investments which offer the right opportunities and facilities (including swimming pools) for the communities they serve, investing in sport and physical activity with a place-based approach, to meet the needs of individual communities. This is complemented by the support and guidance available through the Government’s Arm’s Length Body, Sport England.

What steps he is taking to support people suffering from alcoholism in Romford constituency.

The Government is committed to ensuring that anyone with a drug or alcohol problem can access the help and support they need, and we recognise the need for evidenced-based, high-quality treatment.Local authorities are responsible for assessing local need for alcohol and drug prevention and treatment in their area, and for commissioning services to meet these needs. In addition to the Public Health Grant, in 2025/26 the Department is providing a total of £310 million in additional targeted grants to improve drug and alcohol services and recovery support, which includes housing and employment. Havering Borough Council, of which Romford is a part, will receive £400,302 from this additional grant funding in 2025/26. Further details are available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/drug-and-alcohol-treatment-and-recovery-funding-2025-to-2026/drug-and-alcohol-treatment-and-recovery-funding-allocations-2025-to-2026Alongside the funding allocations, the Department also has a range of existing and forthcoming best practice resources and guidance that supports those working in the sector to tailor drug and alcohol treatment services to meet local needs, to improve treatment outcomes. For example, the commissioning quality standard provides guidance to local authorities on how to ensure they have a shared understanding of local need, including the experiences of diverse populations. The commissioning quality standard can be found at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/commissioning-quality-standard-alcohol-and-drug-servicesLater this year the Department will also be publishing the United Kingdom’s clinical guidelines on alcohol treatment. The aim of the guidelines is to improve and support good practice to achieve better outcomes for people with alcohol problems.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will review the current Extended Producer Responsibility framework.

The previous Government consulted on the principles, objectives, and proposals for extended producer responsibility in 2019 and 2021, and these received high levels of support. We continue to work closely with the devolved governments, environmental regulators, and industry to review the Extended Producer Responsibility for packaging with a view to introducing amendments to the scheme.

Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions her Department has had with industry stakeholders on the exemption of on-trade packaging from Extended Producer Responsibility fees.

Since Autumn 2024, the Government has been working with stakeholders, including representatives of the hospitality sector, to consider potential amendments to the definition of household packaging.Despite considering multiple approaches, a consensus on a single approach that works for all sectors and within the bounds of legal and regulatory requirements, was not reached. We are continuing to engage with sectors on a way forward and on assessing the tonnages of packaging any amendment might affect in the hospitality sector and in other sectors. We are planning next steps as a priority.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of Extended Producer Responsibility fees on (a) local authority recycling rates and (b) hospitality waste streams.

In October 2024 the Government published an updated assessment of the impact of introducing the pEPR scheme on packaging recycling rates. This impact assessment did not split recycling rates on a local authority basis. The impact assessment also did not look at the specific impacts of the pEPR scheme on individual sectors, such as hospitality.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of allowing local councils to facilitate glass recycling for hospitality businesses if they choose to cancel their commercial waste contracts.

Local authorities have a duty to arrange the collection of commercial waste when requested to by an occupier of a premise in its area. This may mean providing a service or entering into a contract with a private waste collector. There is no requirement for waste collection authorities to begin offering collection services to premises where they do not already have a service in place, unless a request is made by any such premises. All services arranged by the local authority to collect commercial waste must be compliant with Simpler Recycling from 31 March 2025, unless the micro-firm exemption applies (which allows workplaces with less than 10 full-time equivalent employees an additional 2 years to comply, until 31 March 2027). Simpler Recycling requires collection of glass, either as part of a dry mixed recycling service, or through a dedicated glass collection (depending on the preference of the local authority). It also requires the collection of the other core materials: plastic, metal, paper and card, and food waste.

Whether he plans to increase the pay of soldiers, in the context of planned increases in defence spending.

Pay is an important part of a comprehensive benefits package to our Service personnel including subsided food and housing; together, these play a vital role in supporting wider recruitment and retention. Pay for most frontline public sector workforces, including the Armed Forces, is set through an independent Pay Review Body process. These independent bodies consider a range of evidence when forming their recommendations and then submit reports to the Government, which considers them before announcing final settlements. The Armed Forces’ Pay Review Body submitted its report to the government on 10 April 2025. The Government will now carefully consider the recommendations before publishing the report and the Government’s response to it, recognising the importance of giving certainty on 2025-26 pay settlements as early as possible.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of reviewing the fees imposed on the pub sector under the Extended Producer Responsibility scheme.

We published three sets of illustrative base fees to help industry prepare for pEPR. The third set, published in December, was based on improved data and using point estimates as opposed to ranges, providing further certainty to businesses. These fees represent the best possible point estimate of base fees given currently available information. Producers were required to submit their final 2024 data by 1 April 2025. Following this deadline, we are conducting regulatory checks. Once checks are conducted to an appropriate level, we will use 2024 data and insight from regulator checks to publish pEPR base fees in June 2025. Regulatory activity will continue throughout 2025 and may result in changes to base fees during the assessment year. The government has worked closely with industry, including the pub sector, throughout development of Extended Producer Responsibility for Packaging. In October 2024, the Government published an updated assessment of the impact of introducing the pEPR scheme on packaging producers as a whole. This impact assessment did not split the assessment by sector.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to reduce the number of dogs permitted to travel across international borders to three per non-commercial vehicle.

The Government is supporting the Animal Welfare (Import of Dogs, Cats and Ferrets) Bill. The Bill will close loopholes in the non-commercial pet travel rules that are abused by unscrupulous traders by reducing the number of dogs, cats and ferrets that can enter Great Britain in one non-commercial movement to five per vehicle or three per foot or air passenger.

What steps she is taking to help increase the charge rate for vehicle thefts in London.

Vehicle theft is a truly distressing crime and this Government recognises the negative impact vehicle thefts have had on individuals, businesses and industry.In our Crime and Policing Bill, we have brought forward two new offences to criminalise the possession, importation, making, adapting, supplying or offering to supply an electronic device (such as a signal jammer) for use in theft of a vehicle or theft of anything in a vehicle.We are committed to restoring and strengthening neighbourhood policing. Through our Safer Streets Mission, our Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee will deliver thousands of neighbourhood police and community support officers, across England and Wales, to speed up response times and build public confidence.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has made a comparative assessment of the (a) cost and (b) complexity of the implementation of extended producer responsibility regulations in (i) the UK and (ii) other G7 economies.

There has been no formal assessment, but these matters were all considered in depth during the policy development and consultation process under the previous government.Illustrative base fee estimates for the UK are in the same order of magnitude of other countries’ fees. However, comparisons are not straightforward because of differences in waste infrastructure and waste management approaches.

What steps he has taken to work with relevant authorities to improve the (a) research, (b) diagnosis and (c) treatment of ocular cancers.

The Department funds cancer research via the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The NIHR spent £133 million on cancer research in 2023/24. An example of this investment includes the NIHR Clinical Research Facilities (CRFs), which are dedicated facilities in National Health Service hospitals where researchers deliver early-phase and complex studies, including in cancer. In 2022, the NIHR invested £161 million in 28 facilities over five years to create dedicated spaces for high-risk experimental medicine studies, such as first-in-patient trials.The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health and care, including ocular cancers. These applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money, and scientific quality. Welcoming applications on ocular cancers to all NIHR programmes enables maximum flexibility both in terms of the amount of research funding a particular area can be awarded, and the type of research which can be funded.The Department works closely with NHS England in taking steps to improve diagnostic and treatment waiting times for all cancers, including ocular cancer. We are committed to transforming diagnostic services and will support the NHS to increase capacity to meet the demand for diagnostic services through investment in new capacity, including magnetic resonance imaging and computerized tomography scanners. In addition, £70 million will be spent on new radiotherapy machines, to ensure the most advanced treatment is available to patients who need it.In December 2024, the National Institute for Clinical Excellence approved the treatment of tebentafusp for uveal melanoma, a form of ocular cancer. This treatment has now been rolled out to patients across England with inoperable ocular cancer.Improving outcomes for rarer cancers, like ocular cancer, is an area of focus for the National Cancer Plan. The plan’s overarching goal will be to reduce the number of lives lost to cancer over the next ten years.

Media and Sport, whether she has considered providing funding for the creation of a Covid-19 memorial in Romford constituency.

The UK Commission on Covid Commemoration consulted on how to commemorate the COVID-19 pandemic and mark this distinctive period in our history at a national and community level. This Commission made a number of recommendations, including the importance of local memorials in commemorating the Covid-19 pandemic in providing a place to grieve and remember their loved ones. Since the publication of the Commission’s report, a number of COVID-19 memorials have been developed across the country by local Government, local businesses and community groups.This government wants to carefully consider all the Commission's recommendations, working closely with Bereaved Family groups, wider stakeholders and the Devolved Governments to do justice to the hard work of the Commission, and will publish a response, including to the recommendation around the creation of new memorials, in due course.