Written questions by Snowden.

What progress his Department are making towards recruiting 8,500 additional mental health staff.

Awaiting answer.

Communities and Local Government, if he will make an assessment of the number of elected councillors without the right to work in the UK.

Awaiting answer.

What progress her Department is making towards delivering 3,000 new primary school-based nurseries.

Awaiting answer.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of his Department's policies on energy prices for households.

Tackling high energy costs is a central priority for the Government. The actions taken at the Autumn Budget have helped to protect consumers today, ensuring that from 1st April to the end of June, the price cap fell by £117 per year for a typical dual fuel customer paying by Direct Debit. In addition, around 6 million families are benefitting from the expansion of the £150 Warm Home Discount. The Fuel Poverty Strategy also sets out a new plan for the Government to reduce energy costs for low-income households and lift up to one million households out of fuel poverty by 2030.

What estimate he has made of the number of benefits payments to spouses in polygamous marriages (i) made in the past 12 months and (ii) expected to be made in the forthcoming 12 months.

The most recent published data (August 2025) from the Housing Benefit Single Housing Extract (SHBE) indicates that there are fewer than ten households where claimants are recorded as being in a polygamous marriage formed in another country. In these exceptional cases, there is no financial benefit as more would be paid in benefits if the additional person claimed as a single person. Polygamous marriages are illegal in the UK. Immigration rules have generally prevented the formation of polygamous households in this country since 1988. Benefit support is only available where the marriage took place in a country where the practice is legal.

Communities and Local Government, if he will set out a timetable for local government reorganisation in Lancashire.

The government remains committed to the indicative timetable published in July 2025. Proposals for Lancashire were received by 28 November 2025 and were subject to statutory consultation from 5 February 2026 to 26 March 2026. The Secretary of State is considering the proposals against the published criteria, together with consultation responses and other relevant information, with a decision expected on which proposals will be implemented before the summer recess. Legislation will then be laid to provide for elections to new councils in May 2027 and a go live date for those new councils of April 2028.

Innovation and Technology, what progress her Department has made on providing full gigabit and national 5G coverage by 2030.

Awaiting answer.

What recent estimate she has made of the total annual VAT payments by further education colleges in England.

Education services supplied by an “eligible body” are exempt from VAT. For VAT purposes, an “eligible body” broadly refers to most regulated, publicly funded, or not-for-profit education providers. This means no VAT is charged on supplies of education made by further education colleges, nor are further education colleges able to recover the VAT they have incurred on their expenditure.

What assessment his Department has made of the impact of long-term patient relationships in community optometry on continuity of eye care for elderly patients.

We recognise the value of providing care closer to people’s homes, including community optometry, which can support more personalised care and more continuity of care.Integrated care boards are responsible for assessing the health needs of their local populations and for commissioning primary and secondary eye care services to meet them. Eligible patients in England can access high street National Health Service sight testing services from any provider. Patients can return to the same provider through choice, and where this is not the case, patients can give consent for their new practitioner to request relevant clinical information from another optical practice. This enables the continuation of their optometric care.

Innovation and Technology, what steps her Department is taking to ensure equitable mobile network coverage during large public gatherings and events.

There is a widespread and dynamic commercial market for providing mobile coverage to gatherings and events in permanent indoor sites such as stadiums, and for providing short-term solutions for special outdoor events in temporary locations.Connectivity solutions are available from mobile network operators, as well as some third parties, for such events to handle high-capacity demands. This includes the deployment of temporary mobile masts, known as Cells on Wheels (COWs) to provide additional capacity for those attending, for traders operating at events and for event organisers.The Government has supported the UK pioneering such connectivity solutions for large events through the 5G Innovations Regions Programme. For example, as a consequence of the programme, Belfast City Council partnered with BT to deliver 5G Standalone network slicing capabilities over the EE mobile network at Belfast’s Christmas Market in December 2025, supporting faster services and more resilient mobile payments. The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology has also supported the deployment of connectivity solutions at the Stadium of Light in Sunderland.Government also works to ensure that the UK has the right policy framework in place to maximise the overall value of spectrum use to the UK, while supporting wider policy objectives. The Government has set out an expectation in the Statement of Strategic Priorities for Telecommunications, the Management of Radio Spectrum, and Postal Services, that technological trends and future spectrum needs for Programme Making and Special Events should be reviewed, recognising their critical role in supporting large-scale cultural and sporting events across the UK.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether Olly Robbins will be granted a period of gardening leave.

The Government does not comment on the individual terms and conditions of employment or personnel matters relating to individual civil servants.

Pursuant to the answer to question 125257 of 16 April 2026 on Undocumented Migrants, how she plans to update hon. Members on those figures; and over what time intervals.

We are continuously monitoring and evaluating the agreement with France to ensure its effectiveness. There will be a full evaluation at the end of the pilot, and the Home Office is committed to publishing further data at the end of the pilot period.

What steps she is taking to help ensure the safety of the Jewish community in (a) Fylde constituency, (b) North West England and (c) the United Kingdom.

The Government is committed to the safety of Jewish communities in our country. Everyone should feel safe to practise their faith and participate in public life, free from intimidation or fear.In 2026/27, we are providing record funding to protect faith communities, including £28.4 million through the Jewish Community Protective Security Grant to provide protective security measures at synagogues, Jewish educational establishments and other community sites.Eligible sites can apply for support for protective security measures through the Grant. The Grant is administered by the Community Security Trust (CST) on behalf of the Home Office, and full guidance on how to apply is available on GOV.UK: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/jewish-community-protective-security-grantEarlier this month, the Home Office also announced an additional £5 million to increase deployments under Project Servator, which places specialist officers unpredictably in public spaces to deter criminal activity and provide visible reassurance. This funding will initially focus on supporting communities, particularly Jewish and other faith communities, in London and Manchester.We continue to work closely with the police and other partners to review threats and ensure that proportionate and effective protections are in place where they are needed.

What recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the First-tier Tribunal in resolving park home disputes.

No specific assessment has been made of the effectiveness of the First-tier Tribunal Property Chamber in resolving park home disputes. However, the Ministry of Justice regularly considers the performance of tribunals more widely. Statistics are published on a quarterly basis and can be found at: htpps://www.gov.uk/government/collections/tribunals-statistics

Communities and Local Government, what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the regulatory framework governing park homes in England.

The government is committed to strengthening protections for park home residents and improving the standards of park home site management. We will continue to keep the relevant legislation under review. I otherwise refer the hon. Member to the answers given to Questions UIN 63787 on 4 July 2025, UIN 115901 on 9 March 2026, UIN 63787 on 4 July 2025, UIN 114577 on 2 March 2026, UIN 110494 on 11 February 2026, and UIN 110492 on 11 February 2026.

What steps her Department is taking to ensure new school meals guidance encourages use of local suppliers.

The government is committed to half of all food served in public settings being either locally sourced or certified to higher environmental standards.The School Food Standards allow school chefs and cooks creative freedom to adapt to the preferences of the children at their school, source seasonal or local food, and take advantage of price fluctuations.We are consulting on proposed changes to the School Food Standards in England until 12 June 2026. We will consider guidance for the new standards in due course. Presently, schools can voluntarily follow the Government Buying Standards for Food and Catering, which includes advice around sourcing their school food.The department is working closely with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs as they develop the Good Food Cycle vision.

Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions he has had with stakeholders, including the British Veterinary Association, the RSPCA, and pharmaceutical manufacturers, on proposed changes to the regulation of parasiticides.

The Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) leads the cross‑government Pharmaceuticals in the Environment (PiE) Group and is engaging with stakeholders on the environmental risks of flea and tick treatments containing fipronil and imidacloprid. Engagement has included several meetings with individual organisations, including the British Veterinary Association, the RSPCA and the pharmaceutical industry, as well as a PiE stakeholder workshop in Summer 2025 involving veterinary professionals, charities, retailers, industry and academia. The VMD has also launched an eight week Call for Evidence as part of its review of the distribution categories of veterinary medicines containing fipronil or imidacloprid. This open process invites evidence and views from all interested stakeholders to ensure that any future regulatory decisions are informed by robust evidence and consider impacts on animal health and welfare, the environment, pet owners and businesses. No decisions have yet been taken on regulatory changes, and stakeholder engagement will continue as the evidence base is considered.

Whether she plans to issue guidance to the public on the location of illegal migrants who have been moved out of hotel accommodation.

All asylum seekers residing in a closing hotel will be provided with alternative suitable accommodation. Moves are coordinated by Home Office accommodation providers, and options may include dispersed accommodation, alternative contingency sites, or larger accommodation sites. Individuals may be relocated anywhere within the wider contract region and not necessarily within the same local authority area.For the safety, security and wellbeing of those being accommodated and staff, the Home Office does not disclose information about accommodation sites which may or may not be utilised to the general public.

What estimate he has made of the number of vacancies for newly qualified midwives in the North West of England.

The Department does not hold information on the number of vacancies for newly qualified midwives in the Northwest of England.

Communities and Local Government, if he will introduce measures to cap or regulate service charges imposed by park home site operators.

The government has no current plans to legislate to prevent the use of terms in agreements requiring park home residents to pay variable service charges, but we will keep the matter under review.