Written questions by Snowden.

Whether he is taking steps to support landlords to reach an EPC C rating in (a) Fylde constituency and (b) Lancashire.

There are various schemes currently delivering home energy efficiency improvements across Great Britain, including Flyde and Lancashire, such as the Warm Homes: Local Grant (WH:LG), Energy Company Obligation and the Great British Insulation Scheme. Households in the private rented sector (PRS) are eligible if they receive means tested benefits and fall within Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) band E-G. The WH:LG provides support for low income tenants in the PRS by allowing PRS landlords to claim 100% grant funding towards the cost of energy performance upgrades for one privately rented home that meets the scheme eligibility criteria, with any subsequent eligible homes in their portfolio requiring a 50% cost contribution from the landlord.

Whether she is taking steps to provide training to teachers to support their understanding (a) of and (b) the risks of (i) the use of emojis and (ii) other digital communication symbols by pupils.

In 2023, the department updated the guidance on ‘Teaching online safety in schools’. This advice brings together all aspects of internet safety information for schools so that they can confidently deliver online safety content within their curriculum and embed it within their wider whole-school approach. The guidance can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/teaching-online-safety-in-schools.

Pursuant to the Answer of 12 May 2025 to Question 51543 on Cost of Living: Fylde, how the allocation for Discretionary Housing Payments in England and Wales is being managed; and what steps she is taking to ensure that vulnerable renters have access to these payments in Fylde constituency.

Local authorities administer the Discretionary Housing Payments (DHPs) scheme as they are best placed to make informed judgements about relative priorities and needs in their area to ensure that the most vulnerable are supported and the funds are targeted effectively. To support local authorities to deliver the scheme effectively, DWP publishes local authority guidance and engages with local authorities through regular forums. We consider the allocation of DHPs to individual local authorities each year; consultation with local authorities is included as part of this process. Local authorities are required to provide details of their DHP expenditure every six months, and this enables officials to closely monitor spend to ensure funding is targeted effectively (Discretionary Housing Payments statistics - GOV.UK).

What steps her Department is taking to support adults to expand their digital capability.

The Digital Essential Skills Entitlement, funded by the Adult Skills Fund, provides full funding for adults with low digital skills to undertake Essential Digital Skills Qualifications (EDSQs) and digital Functional Skills qualifications up to level 1.More flexible provision is available through Tailored Learning which offers bespoke courses in essential digital skills.The Free Courses for Jobs offer gives eligible adults access to high value level 3 qualifications for free, to support them to gain higher wages or a better job. The offer currently includes 45 digital qualifications.The department provides a range of post 16 academic and technical digital qualifications. There are currently 34 occupational standards in digital occupations and we are set to introduce foundation apprenticeships for young people, the first wave of which includes two digital standards. There are 78 Higher Technical Qualifications in the digital sector. Skills Bootcamps enable adults to build sector-specific skills, and 61% of 2022/23 Skills Bootcamp starts were in digital.The Digital Inclusion Action Plan outlines steps toward delivering digital inclusion for everyone in the UK, including supporting local and community initiatives to increase digital participation and digital skills. The new Industrial Strategy will channel support to eight growth-driving sectors, including digital technologies.

Pursuant to the Answer of 19 March 2025 to Question 38420 on Railways: Fylde, what estimate she has made of the potential impact of the increase in regulated rail fares on 2 March 2025 on revenues; and what assessment she has made of the potential impact of this increase in fares on the financial sustainability of the sector.

A proportionate, annual increase in fares is necessary to support crucial investment and to ensure the long-term financial sustainability of the railway. Regarding performance-based fares increases, any changes to fares policy requires balancing against the potential impacts on passengers and taxpayers. If the rail industry is inadequately funded in the short term it will lack the capacity and performance to deliver long-term ambitions of financial sustainability, modal shift and helping to deliver the UK’s net zero target.

What recent discussions she has had with major social media companies on their obligations under the Online Safety Act 2023 to remove content inciting gang violence.

We are continously working to enhance our understanding of how social media platforms are being used by gangs, and how content translates to ‘real-world’ violence. We are investing in targeted law enforcement capabilities to disrupt online gang operations and reduce the crime and violence they bring to our communities. The National Crime Agency is working in partnership with policing colleagues across the UK and internationally to map and target key offenders operating online, including the darknet markets. The Online Safety Act 2023 is a key mechanism to monitor and tackle illegal content online. It requires providers within the scope of the Act to implement measures to remove illegal content, including that related to inciting violence. If providers fail to abide by their duties under the Act, Ofcom, as the independent regulator, can now enforce against the illegal content duties and have already launched several enforcement programmes to monitor compliance with the regime. The Government is closely monitoring the implementation and effectiveness of the Online Safety Act and is committed to ensuring it delivers the necessary protections to ensure a safer online environment and tackles illegal content. Exposure to violent content online, including knife-sales material, can have real-world impacts. Following the independent end-to-end review of online knife sales conducted by Commander Steve Clayman, we are working to tackle the impacts of online knife-sales content on ‘real-world’ knife crime.

What steps he is taking to support schools to improve neurodiversity inclusion in areas not selected for the current expansion of the PINS programme.

The department is committed to taking a community-wide approach, improving inclusivity and expertise in mainstream schools, as well as ensuring special schools cater to children and young people with the most complex needs. We are working at pace to develop plans for reform to the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system and will set these out in due course.In November 2024, the department established the Neurodivergence Task and Finish Group, which includes clinicians, scientists, academics, education experts and third sector organisations.The department also provides continuing professional development to the school and further education (FE) workforce through the Universal Services programme, led by the National Association for Special Educational Needs. This programme helps the school and FE workforce to identify and meet the needs of children and young people with SEND earlier and more effectively. It will also help them to successfully prepare children and young people for adulthood, including employment.From September 2025, the new initial teacher training and early career framework (ITTECF) will set out a minimum entitlement to training for all new teachers. The ITTECF contains significantly more content related to adaptive teaching and SEND which was tested with SEND educational experts to ensure new teachers are equipped to support pupils with a range of additional learning needs.

Pursuant to the Answer of 22 May 2025 to Question 51548 on Primary Care: Lancashire, what steps his Department is taking to increase the number of GPs in Fylde constituency.

We have committed to training thousands more general practitioners (GPs) across the country, including in Fylde, which will increase capacity and take the pressure off those currently working in the systemThe Government committed to recruiting over 1,000 recently qualified GPs through an £82 million boost to the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme (ARRS) over 2024/25, as part of an initiative to secure the future pipeline of GPs, with over 1,000 doctors otherwise likely to graduate into unemployment in 2024/25. Data on the number of recently qualified GPs for which primary care networks are claiming reimbursement via the ARRS shows that since 1 October 2024, over 1,700 GPs were recruited through the scheme.We are investing an additional £889 million through the GP Contract to reinforce the front door of the National Health Service, bringing total spend on the GP Contract to £13.2 billion in 2025/26. This is the biggest increase in over a decade.

Pursuant to the Answer of 3 April 2025 to Question 42350 on General Practitioners: Employers' Contributions, what steps he plans to take to monitor the effectiveness of the £889 million increase in funding for the GP Contract; and what criteria he plans to use to measure the effectiveness of of the GP contract for (a) patient care and (b) GP satisfaction.

The changes to the contract will improve services for patients and make progress towards the Government’s Health Mission, supporting the three key shifts the Government wants to achieve, from analogue to digital, from sickness to prevention, and from hospital to community care. Patient satisfaction with general practice (GP) services is measured through the annual GP Patient Survey (GPPS), and the Office for National Statistics’ monthly Health Insight Survey (HIS). The most recent HIS results show that 73.3% of respondents describe their experience with their GP as good, up from 67.4% when the survey was launched in August 2024. In the 2024 GPPS, 73.9% of patients reported a good overall experience with their practice. GP satisfaction is measured by the GP Worklife Survey, led by the University of Manchester. The results of the twelfth edition of the survey have not yet been published.

If he will make an assessment of the potential merits of expanding the number of skincare conditions that can be treated through Pharmacy First.

The Pharmacy First service allows for referrals from NHS111, general practitioners and accident and emergency for advice on a minor illness, which includes a number of skin conditions and may also include the sale of over-the-counter medicines.Currently the clinical pathways element of the service that allows for the supply of prescription-only medicines covers seven common health conditions, including sinusitis, sore throat, earache, impetigo, shingles, infected insect bites and uncomplicated urinary tract infections in women aged between 16 and 64 years old. NHS England is keeping the clinical scope of this part of the service under review.

What steps she is taking to support construction companies to take on apprenticeships.

To address skills shortages within the construction industry, this government will invest £600 million over this Parliament to deliver up to 60,000 skilled construction workers.The department is introducing new foundation apprenticeships for young people as part of our reformed growth and skills offer. Construction will be one of the key sectors to benefit from foundation apprenticeships, with the introduction of three new apprenticeship standards from August. This will provide employers with the opportunity to reach young people and support their transition into full-time employment within high-priority sectors, including construction, giving them the tools they need for a rewarding career. As part of the offer, employers will receive £2,000 for every foundation apprentice they take on and retain. This offer is backed by a record £3 billion English apprenticeship budget for 2025/26.To support employers within the construction industry to recruit and retain apprentices, an industry investment of £140 million will establish 32 pioneering new homebuilding hubs. The purpose-built hubs will deliver fast-track training in critical areas such as bricklaying, groundwork and site carpentry, to boost housebuilding and drive forward the government’s growth mission. This will create up to 5,000 more construction apprenticeship places per year by 2027/28.

What discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Transport on the use of illegally modified electric bikes.

Ministers and officials meet with their counterparts on a regular basis and discuss a wide range of topics.The police have powers under the Police Reform Act 2002 to deal with vehicles being used anti-socially and under the Road Traffic Act 1988 to deal with vehicles being ridden without insurance or driving licence. How the police use these powers is an operational matter.The Government announced proposals in the Crime and Policing Bill to strengthen existing powers to clamp down on vehicles, including illegally modified electric bikes, involved in anti-social behaviour, with officers no longer required to issue a warning before seizing vehicles.On 28 May, the Government launched a 6-week consultation on proposals to allow the police to dispose of seized vehicles which have been used anti-socially and which have been ridden without insurance or a driving licence from 14 days to 48 hours and 7 days respectively. Combined, these proposals will help tackle the scourge of vehicles ridden anti-socially and illegally by sending a clear message to would be offenders and local communities that this behaviour will not be tolerated.

What steps her Department is taking to support residents of Fylde who were impacted by the recent Legal Aid data leak.

To reach as many potentially impacted individuals as possible, the Ministry of Justice published a notice at 08:15 on 19 May on GOV.UK. The statement provides information about the cyber-attack and directs concerned members of the public to the National Cyber Security Centre’s webpage.Further, the Legal Aid Agency (LAA) has set up a dedicated helpline that will be available from Tuesday 27 May for members of the public who are concerned they may have been affected by the LAA data breach. HM Courts and Tribunal Service (HMCTS) is working with the LAA to facilitate this by standing up an operational call centre team to handle telephone calls.In the days following the discovery, we took immediate action to inform all legal aid providers that some of their details, including financial information, may have been compromised. Further updates, including the decision to temporarily take the LAA's portal offline and contingency measures implemented have been provided by email and a dedicated information page relating to the cyber-attack has been set up: Legal Aid Agency cyber-security incident - GOV.UK.The cyber-attack is subject to an ongoing investigation and the LAA continues to work closely with the National Crime Agency and National Cyber Security Centre. Appropriate actions have been taken to mitigate the impact of the attack and contingency measures have been put in place to ensure those most in need of legal support and advice can continue to access the help they need during this time, as outlined on LAA’s dedicated information page.At the current time, no information about previous or current legal aid service users, such as criminal histories, has been made public as a result of the cyber attack.This data breach is the result of heinous criminal activity, but it was enabled by the long years of neglect and mismanagement of the justice system under the last Conservative Government. The previous Government knew about the vulnerabilities of the Legal Aid Agency digital systems, but did not act. By contrast, since taking office, this Government have prioritised work to reverse the damage of over a decade of under-investment. That includes the allocation of over £20 million in extra funding this year to stabilise and transform the Legal Aid Agency digital services. This investment will make the system more robust and resilient in the face of similar cyber-attacks in future.

Pursuant to the Answer of 3 April 2025 to Question 42350 on General Practitioners: Employers' Contributions, how much and what proportion of the £889 million will be spent on (a) staffing, (b) technology, (c) patient access and (d) other services.

We are investing an additional £889 million in general practices (GPs) to reinforce the front door of the National Health Service, bringing total spend on the GP Contract to £13.2 billion in 2025/26. This is the biggest increase in over a decade, and we are pleased that the General Practitioners Committee England is supportive of the contract changes. GPs are independent contractors, so the application of any non-ringfenced funding they receive via the contract is at their discretion, to best meet the demand of their patients. Some elements of the £889 million investment have been specified or ringfenced. £228 million has been made available for pay uplifts. A further £176 million has been provided for Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme staff, which now includes GPs and practice nurses, and is worth £1.7 billion in 2025/26. In addition, we estimate that £13.2 million will be used to uplift locum reimbursement rates, which were agreed as part of the contract. Additionally, we are accepting the Doctors’ and Dentists’ Pay Review Body’s recommendation of a 4% increase to the pay element of the GP Contract, backdated to 1 April 2025. This will mean an increase in the £889 million contract investment, which was based on a 2.8% pay assumption. £17.8 million has been used to increase the item of service fee for routine childhood vaccinations, and in addition to the £889 million, a further £80 million has been provided to support patient services through the advice and guidance enhanced service.

If she will make an assessment of the adequacy of the powers the police have to prevent the use of illegally modified electric bikes that do not conform to regulations on roads.

Ministers and officials meet with their counterparts on a regular basis and discuss a wide range of topics.The police have powers under the Police Reform Act 2002 to deal with vehicles being used anti-socially and under the Road Traffic Act 1988 to deal with vehicles being ridden without insurance or driving licence. How the police use these powers is an operational matter.The Government announced proposals in the Crime and Policing Bill to strengthen existing powers to clamp down on vehicles, including illegally modified electric bikes, involved in anti-social behaviour, with officers no longer required to issue a warning before seizing vehicles.On 28 May, the Government launched a 6-week consultation on proposals to allow the police to dispose of seized vehicles which have been used anti-socially and which have been ridden without insurance or a driving licence from 14 days to 48 hours and 7 days respectively. Combined, these proposals will help tackle the scourge of vehicles ridden anti-socially and illegally by sending a clear message to would be offenders and local communities that this behaviour will not be tolerated.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of online content on trends in (a) youth violence and (b) knife crime.

We are continously working to enhance our understanding of how social media platforms are being used by gangs, and how content translates to ‘real-world’ violence. We are investing in targeted law enforcement capabilities to disrupt online gang operations and reduce the crime and violence they bring to our communities. The National Crime Agency is working in partnership with policing colleagues across the UK and internationally to map and target key offenders operating online, including the darknet markets. The Online Safety Act 2023 is a key mechanism to monitor and tackle illegal content online. It requires providers within the scope of the Act to implement measures to remove illegal content, including that related to inciting violence. If providers fail to abide by their duties under the Act, Ofcom, as the independent regulator, can now enforce against the illegal content duties and have already launched several enforcement programmes to monitor compliance with the regime. The Government is closely monitoring the implementation and effectiveness of the Online Safety Act and is committed to ensuring it delivers the necessary protections to ensure a safer online environment and tackles illegal content. Exposure to violent content online, including knife-sales material, can have real-world impacts. Following the independent end-to-end review of online knife sales conducted by Commander Steve Clayman, we are working to tackle the impacts of online knife-sales content on ‘real-world’ knife crime.

What steps he is taking to encourage pupils to undertake courses in (a) construction and (b) social care skills.

High quality, careers information, advice and guidance (CIAG) is key to helping young people make informed decisions about their future. The department funds person-centred and impartial careers information and advice across all employment sectors, including construction and social care.​Through the Careers and Enterprise Company (CEC), the department funds Careers Hubs which lead partnerships including secondary schools, colleges, employers and strategic and local authorities to help young people connect to local skills and economic needs through a responsive careers education programme. ​CEC also works with sector bodies and employers to help them to engage effectively with schools and colleges.The National Careers Service, a free, government-funded CIAG service uses a range of labour market information to guide individuals. The Service website provides access to various digital tools and resources which cover over 130 industry areas and more than 800 job profiles including a range of construction and social care roles.The government has introduced measures to raise awareness, boost access, and improve the quality of training available in both the construction and healthcare sectors, including the ‘Next Generation’ campaign promoting technical education pathways inspiring pupils to pursue careers in sectors like construction and healthcare and a £625 million skills package for the construction sector.

Communities and Local Government, what progress her Department has made on implementing Investment Zones in the North West.

Investment Zones in England reflect the unique strengths and opportunities in each place and day-to-day delivery is led by accountable Mayoral Combine Authorities (MCAs). There are two Investment Zones in the North West, both of which entered delivery in April 2024. Good progress has been made by the accountable MCAs to mobilise the programmes, with a range of projects approved and launched over 2024/25.In Greater Manchester, growth of the region’s advanced materials manufacturing clusters is being accelerated through the use of grant funding support for research and innovation, to grow the knowledge economy and to unlock laboratory and manufacturing space.In the Liverpool City Region, growth of the region’s life sciences clusters is being accelerated through the use of both tax reliefs and grant funding to lever private investment and develop new world-class research, innovation and manufacturing facilities and capabilities.

What steps he is taking to ensure the sustainability of funding for general practice beyond 2025/26 in the context of (a) rising demand for services and (b) increasing operational costs.

Departmental budgets beyond 2025/26 will be set through Phase 2 of the Spending Review, which will conclude and be published in June.The Department is committed to ensuring that primary care services receive appropriate support and resources. Every year the Department and NHS England consult with the General Practitioners’ Committee of the British Medical Association to discuss the services practices are expected to provide, and the funding they will receive in return. The operating costs for practices are taken into account as a part of this process.

What steps she is taking to increase the number of apprenticeships in (a) construction and (b) social care sectors; and what steps she is taking to ensure that these will be targeted at disadvantaged communities.

The government is committed to breaking down barriers to opportunity. To support this, the department is reforming the apprenticeships offer into a new growth and skills offer, providing greater flexibility for employers and learners.From August 2025, the offer will include new foundation apprenticeships for young people, as well as shorter-duration apprenticeships, helping more individuals, including those from disadvantaged backgrounds, gain high-quality skills. Construction and social care will be among the first sectors to benefit, with the introduction of four new apprenticeship standards, as well as shorter apprenticeships including the level 2 healthcare support worker and level 2 smart meter installer. These measures, backed by a record £3 billion English apprenticeship budget for 2025/26, will open up opportunities for careers the country vitally needs to prosper.To improve access to apprenticeships, the department provides £1,000 to employers and training providers for apprentices aged 16 to 18, and up to age 24 for apprentices with an education, health and care plan. Apprentices under 25 who have been in local authority care are also eligible for a £3,000 bursary to help them transition into employment. Employers will receive £2,000 for each foundation apprentice they hire and retain, to support them to transition into employment.