Written questions by Snowden.

Pursuant the Answer of 2 June 2025 to Question 54075 on Care Homes: Fylde, when he expects the Fair Pay Agreement for the adult social care sector to be implemented; and whether this timeline will apply to care providers in Fylde constituency.

We want to get the process of establishing the Fair Pay Agreement framework right, in order to ensure meaningful reform for the social care sector. As set out in the Plan to Make Work Pay, the Government is committed to engaging with those who draw upon, work in, and provide care and support, as well as local authorities, unions, and others from across the sector, on the design and implementation of a Fair Pay Agreement process. We aim to begin the public consultation in England after the bill receives Royal Assent later this year. Secondary legislation and the establishing of the adult social care negotiating body for England will follow. It will then negotiate the first Fair Pay Agreement in England. The Government is committed to establishing the Fair Pay Agreement process and seeing the first Fair Pay Agreement take effect for adult social care workers in England within this Parliament.

Pursuant to the Answer of 2 June 2025 to Question 54081 on Schools: Fylde, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the 2025-26 teachers’ pay award on school budget sustainability in Lancashire schools.

The overall core schools budget is increasing by £3.7 billion in the 2025/26 financial year, which is a 6% overall increase in cash terms. The data which the department holds on the real terms increase in schools funding is at a national level. The latest schools funding statistics release was published on 30 January 2025. It showed school funding for pupils aged 5 to 16 was projected to increase by 1.2% in real terms in the 2025/26 financial year at a national level.This analysis does not include the additional funding provided to support schools with the cost of National Insurance contributions (NICs) increases in March 2025, nor the extra funding announced alongside the teacher pay award on 22 May. Schools will, on average, be expected to find approximately the first 1 percentage point of pay awards through improved productivity and smarter spending. The government will fund the pay award above this level through new and existing funding increases. The department will be further developing the current suite of initiatives to support schools with their workforce, commercial and asset management.Through the dedicated schools grant (DSG), Lancashire local authority is attracting on average, £6,348 per pupil (excluding growth and falling rolls funding) in the 2025/26 financial year. This represents an increase of 2.4% per pupil compared to the 2024/25 financial year (excluding growth and falling rolls funding) when it attracted £5,863 per pupil. These figures do not include the additional funding provided to support schools with the cost of NICs and the Schools Budget Support Grant funding alongside the teacher pay award. The actual funding that individual schools in Lancashire receive is determined by the operation of Lancashire’s local formula.We cannot provide the equivalent figures for Fylde constituency as the DSG is allocated at local authority level.The figures above are provided on a cash basis. We also publish real-terms statistics on schools funding at the national level. We use the GDP deflator to calculate real-terms funding levels.

What steps he is taking to encourage young people to sign up to cadet forces in (a) Fylde and (b) Lancashire.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 4 June 2025 to Question 55115.https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2025-05-30/55115

Whether he plans to purchase new Typhoon aircraft following the Strategic Defence Review.

The Strategic Defence Review does not recommend reductions in fast jets for the RAF, but it confirms the Government's commitment to GCAP and to upgrade Typhoons. It also says more F-35s could comprise a mix of F-35A and B models according to military requirements. The Government is committed to upgrading Typhoons and driving exports of Typhoons abroad.

Pursuant to the Answer of 2 June 2025 to Question 54075 on Care Homes: Fylde, what steps he is taking to improve recruitment and retention of care home staff in (a) Fylde and (b) other (i) rural and (ii) coastal areas.

English local authorities have responsibility under the Care Act 2014 to meet social care needs, and statutory guidance directs them to ensure there is sufficient workforce in adult social care (ASC).The Government recognises the scale of reforms needed to make the ASC sector attractive, to support sustainable workforce growth, and to improve the recruitment and retention of the domestic workforce. This is why we are introducing the first ever Fair Pay Agreement to the ASC sector so that care professionals are recognised and rewarded for the important work that they do.We are also supporting the professionalisation of the ASC workforce, including through the expansion of the Care Workforce Pathway to a further four roles, including registered manager and deputy manager roles. The pathway sets out how people can develop a long-term career in adult social care, with the right support and training to help attract people to join, and remain in, the sectorWe are also continuing to fund the Adult Social Care Learning Development Support Scheme to help people build their skills and careers in care. The scheme is backed by up to £12 million this financial year and includes qualifications that support skills development in the quality of care more broadly, as well as opportunities to develop leadership and management skills.The Market Sustainability and Improvement Fund (MSIF) will provide over £1 billion for ASC to local authorities over 2025/26. The MSIF is designed to support increased ASC capacity and improve market sustainability. One of the three target areas local authorities can spend their allocation on is increasing ASC workforce recruitment and retention.

Pursuant to the Answer of 2 June 2025 to Question 54081 on Schools: Fylde, how many schools are expected to experience a real-terms decrease in funding in 2025-26 after accounting for (a) inflation, (b) increased staffing costs and (c) energy bills in (i) Lancashire and (ii) Fylde.

The overall core schools budget is increasing by £3.7 billion in the 2025/26 financial year, which is a 6% overall increase in cash terms. The data which the department holds on the real terms increase in schools funding is at a national level. The latest schools funding statistics release was published on 30 January 2025. It showed school funding for pupils aged 5 to 16 was projected to increase by 1.2% in real terms in the 2025/26 financial year at a national level.This analysis does not include the additional funding provided to support schools with the cost of National Insurance contributions (NICs) increases in March 2025, nor the extra funding announced alongside the teacher pay award on 22 May. Schools will, on average, be expected to find approximately the first 1 percentage point of pay awards through improved productivity and smarter spending. The government will fund the pay award above this level through new and existing funding increases. The department will be further developing the current suite of initiatives to support schools with their workforce, commercial and asset management.Through the dedicated schools grant (DSG), Lancashire local authority is attracting on average, £6,348 per pupil (excluding growth and falling rolls funding) in the 2025/26 financial year. This represents an increase of 2.4% per pupil compared to the 2024/25 financial year (excluding growth and falling rolls funding) when it attracted £5,863 per pupil. These figures do not include the additional funding provided to support schools with the cost of NICs and the Schools Budget Support Grant funding alongside the teacher pay award. The actual funding that individual schools in Lancashire receive is determined by the operation of Lancashire’s local formula.We cannot provide the equivalent figures for Fylde constituency as the DSG is allocated at local authority level.The figures above are provided on a cash basis. We also publish real-terms statistics on schools funding at the national level. We use the GDP deflator to calculate real-terms funding levels.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to support households impacted by drought.

Defra requires water companies to have robust plans to manage droughts and protect customer supplies. This includes early actions such as enhanced leakage management, appropriate balancing of supplies, and effective communications to enable customers to use water wisely. In the event of temporary use bans, known as hosepipe bans, being required, Defra expect water companies to protect vulnerable customers and include exceptions for certain customers groups including those on the priority services register or blue badge holders. Water companies must set out exceptions in their drought plans and should demonstrate how they will balance the need for water savings against adverse effects on customers. Defra and the Environment Agency (EA) check water companies follow these plans appropriately when activated. Water companies must undertake an annual drought health check. During the current drier conditions, more frequent reporting is required, including through the national drought group and sub-groups convened by Defra and the EA. This helps drive active monitoring and early action to protect households from drought risks. Defra requires water companies, through water resources management plans, to increase drought resilience and ensure resilience to 1 in 500 year drought events by 2040 without the need for emergency drought orders, including standpipes.

What support is available for kinship carers in (a) Fylde constituency and (b) Lancashire.

We are committed to providing the necessary support for kinship carers in all areas of England, including Fylde and Lancashire.The government recognises the important role that kinship carers play in caring for some of the most vulnerable children. In October 2024, we published the new kinship care statutory guidance for local authorities, which sets out the support and services local authorities should provide to kinship families, including reaffirming the requirement to publish their local offer of support in a clear, accessible way.In October 2024 the government also announced a £40 million package to trial a new kinship allowance in some local authorities in England, to test whether paying an allowance to cover the additional costs of supporting the child can help increase the number of children taken in by family members and friends. Details of this announcement are available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-protects-education-priorities-in-face-of-inherited-22-billion-blackhole.This is the single biggest investment made by the government in kinship care to date. We will share further details on the process for selecting local authorities in due course.In addition, the National Kinship Care Ambassador advocates for kinship children, their carers, and their families across government. They work alongside all local authorities to help them improve their kinship practice and local policies, and ensure they are following national guidance.

Pursuant to the Answer of 2 June to Question 54071 on Swimming: Training, what standard of swimming ability the government expects young people to have achieved by the end of Primary School.

The programme of study for physical education (PE) makes specific reference to swimming and water safety, stating that “all schools must provide swimming instruction in either key stage 1 or 2” and that pupils should be taught to:Swim competently, confidently and proficiently over a distance of at least 25 metres.Use a range of strokes effectively (for example, front crawl, backstroke and breaststroke).Perform safe self-rescue in different water-based situations.Secondary schools are free to shape their PE curriculum, in line with the national curriculum, to suit all their pupils, but there is no statutory requirement to provide swimming lessons. At secondary, pupils should build on and embed the physical development and skills learned in key stages 1 and 2, and become more competent, confident, and expert in their technique. Swimming and water safety lessons are one way of doing this.Schools can also use their personal, social, health and economic education programme to equip pupils with a sound understanding of risk and with the knowledge necessary to make safe and informed decisions, which is a vital part of water safety.The department is currently reviewing the statutory relationships, sex and health education curriculum, including looking at whether additional content on water safety should be added.The department works closely with sector organisations like Swim England and the Royal Life Saving Society UK, supporting schools to provide swimming and water safety lessons through teacher training and resources. This includes support for pupils with special education needs and disabilities, hosted on Swim England’s online Inclusion Hub.

Pursuant the Answer of 2 June 2025 to Question 54075 on Care Homes: Fylde, how many care homes have been subject to regulatory action by the Care Quality Commission under Regulation 18 in the last three years in Fylde constituency .

In the last three years, the Care Quality Commission has issued Action Plan requests, previously called Requirement Notices, for breach of Regulation 18 on three care homes: Rathmore Care Home; Villarose Rest Home; and Windmill Lodge.There are currently no regulatory actions against Regulation 18 (Staffing) for care homes in the Fylde parliamentary constituency.

What steps she is taking to support supply teachers in (a) Fylde constituency and (b) Lancashire.

Supply teachers perform a valuable role and the department is grateful for their important contribution to schools.Schools and local authorities are currently responsible for the recruitment of their supply teachers. There are various approaches to providing supply teachers.The department, in conjunction with the Crown Commercial Service, has established the agency supply deal, which supports schools to obtain value for money when hiring agency supply teachers and other temporary school staff. More information about the deal can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/deal-for-schools-hiring-supply-teachers-and-agency-workers.

What recent steps he has taken to help reduce waiting times for cancer (a) screening and (b) testing in Fylde constituency.

The Government understands that more needs to be done to reduce waiting times for cancer patients, including those in Fylde constituency. To achieve this, we have delivered an extra 40,000 operations, scans, and appointments each week during our first year in Government, as the first step to ensuring early diagnosis and faster treatment.We will support the National Health Service to transform diagnostic services by spending £1.65 billion on additional capacity, including new surgical hubs and diagnostic scanners, to support the delivery of over 30,000 more procedures and 1.25 million diagnostic tests, as they come online.In March 2025, performance across Lancashire and South Cumbria, which includes the Fylde constituency, for diagnosing patients within the 28-day standard was 80% against the 75% standard.NHS England North West is currently the responsible commissioner for the three cancer screening programmes, namely breast, bowel and cervical, for the Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board footprint, which includes the Fylde constituency.For bowel screening, additional funding has been provided to the Lancashire programme to increase capacity and to support the local population to access colonoscopy, as required.For breast screening, a full review of all screening sites has been carried out across the region to ensure that they meet the needs of the local population, and the provider programme team meets regularly with system partners to maximise uptake.NHS England North West has also provided funding for an Improving Uptake Officer post. This role involves working directly with general practices and local community groups to improve uptake, as well as contacting individuals who have not attended their appointment to offer them a new appointment.For cervical screening, insight work was carried out in 2023 across the North West to understand the reasons why individuals were not coming forward for their cervical screening and to gain views from residents on what would support more people to take up their cervical screening. Using findings from this work, a number of pilot projects are currently being implemented to understand the impact on improving uptake. These include online booking of appointments, training for cervical sample takers to improve patient experience, community champions, and alternative venues for screening.

Pursuant to the Answer of 2 June 2025 to Question 54071 on Swimming: Training, what provision is available for secondary school pupils to learn to (a) swim and (b) be safe around water.

The programme of study for physical education (PE) makes specific reference to swimming and water safety, stating that “all schools must provide swimming instruction in either key stage 1 or 2” and that pupils should be taught to:Swim competently, confidently and proficiently over a distance of at least 25 metres.Use a range of strokes effectively (for example, front crawl, backstroke and breaststroke).Perform safe self-rescue in different water-based situations.Secondary schools are free to shape their PE curriculum, in line with the national curriculum, to suit all their pupils, but there is no statutory requirement to provide swimming lessons. At secondary, pupils should build on and embed the physical development and skills learned in key stages 1 and 2, and become more competent, confident, and expert in their technique. Swimming and water safety lessons are one way of doing this.Schools can also use their personal, social, health and economic education programme to equip pupils with a sound understanding of risk and with the knowledge necessary to make safe and informed decisions, which is a vital part of water safety.The department is currently reviewing the statutory relationships, sex and health education curriculum, including looking at whether additional content on water safety should be added.The department works closely with sector organisations like Swim England and the Royal Life Saving Society UK, supporting schools to provide swimming and water safety lessons through teacher training and resources. This includes support for pupils with special education needs and disabilities, hosted on Swim England’s online Inclusion Hub.

Food and Rural Affairs, what contingency plans his Department has should drought conditions (a) persist and (b) worsen.

Water companies must show how they provide a secure supply of water to their customers and protect the environment during dry weather and droughts through their statutory drought plans. A drought plan is an operational plan that sets out what actions a water company will take as a drought worsens.Both Defra and the Environment Agency operate an incident response structure that they use to manage a drought.Emergency measures such as the need for water restrictions through standpipes and rota cuts are included in water companies’ emergency plans. Local authorities take a lead role in local resilience.

How many people with (a) less than two children and (b) more than two children receive both the (i) Limited Capability for Work-Related Activity payment and (i) Universal Credit in Fylde constituency.

Official statistics for the number of people on Universal Credit are published each month on Stat-Xplore, with breakdowns available by various geographies including Westminster Parliamentary Constituency. The latest statistics are available to March 2025. Official statistics for the number of households on Universal Credit are published every three months on Stat-Xplore, with breakdowns available by various geographies including Westminster Parliamentary Constituency. In addition breakdowns are available by the number of children and the different UC elements, including the Limited Capability for Work-Related Activity payment. The latest statistics are available to November 2024. Users can log in or access Stat-Xplore as a guest and, if needed, can access general guidance on how to extract the information required. For guidance on the Universal Credit datasets on Stat-Xplore, see the Universal Credit Official Statistics Stat-Xplore User Guide.

Pursuant to the Answer of 2 June 2025 to Question 54081 on Schools: Fylde, how many schools participated in her Department's energy for schools offer in Fylde constituency; and what average savings are that these schools projected to achieve in 2025-26.

Currently, there are no schools in the Fylde constituency which have joined the department’s Energy for Schools offer. The offer is available to them as-and-when their current gas and electricity contracts come to an end.If trusts or schools are interested in joining the offer, they can get further information about how to access the service by completing a registration of interest form or joining the relevant webinar. The registration of interest form can be found here: https://submit.forms.service.gov.uk/form/7281/register-your-interest-in-energy-for-schools/27000.Further information on the department’s webinars can be found here: https://www.eventbrite.com/cc/free-dfe-webinars-for-schools-summer-2025-4282533.

Food and Rural Affairs, how many confirmed cases of HPAI H5N1 have been reported in (a) Fylde, (b) Lancashire and (c) England since the start of the outbreak in November 2024.

As of 18 May 2025, there have been 57 cases of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) H5N1 in England since the start of the outbreak in November. There have been no confirmed cases of HPAI H5N1 in Fylde or Lancashire since the start of the outbreak

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of surveillance measures in (a) detecting and (b) controlling outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1.

The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) leads Government action on animal disease control and carries out routine surveillance of disease risks in the UK and globally, to help the Government anticipate future threats to animal health. Defra continue to closely monitor the global avian influenza situation as part of this work and any changes to our approach to prevention and control of avian influenza will be based on the latest available veterinary advice and scientific evidence. All bird keepers should continue to observe the high standards of biosecurity that can help prevent the incursion and spread of disease. Current policy reflects our experience of responding to past outbreaks of exotic animal disease and is in line with international standards of best practice for disease control. Our approach to surveillance and control is assessed by the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) as part of our application for HPAI disease freedom, which remains Defra’s objective to achieve at the earliest opportunity. Defra’s approach to avian influenza disease control are proportionate and in line with EU (in relation to trade requirements) and national law. Our aim is to limit the spread and the economic impact of this disease on the industry.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential economic impact of avian influenza on poultry producers in (a) Fylde and (b) Lancashire since 2022.

There have been no confirmed cases of HPAI H5N1 in Fylde or Lancashire since the start of the outbreak. Following the detection of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in poultry and other captive birds in the UK, Defra and the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) together with the Devolved Governments and their delivery agencies have stood up their well-established outbreak structures to control and eradicate disease, restore normal trade, and assist local communities’ recovery. Defra’s disease control measures seek to contain the number of animals that need to be culled, either for disease control purposes or to safeguard animal welfare. Our approach aims to reduce adverse impacts on the rural and wider economy, the public, rural communities and the environment (including impact on wildlife), whilst protecting public health and minimising the overall cost of any outbreak. In response to the unprecedented outbreaks of avian influenza in October 2022 Defra’s approach to compensation was updated to involve earlier assessment of the number of healthy birds and swifter calculation of compensation. This allows Defra to provide earlier certainty about entitlement to compensation; better reflects the impact of outbreaks on premises; and leads to swifter payments to help stem any cash flow pressures for producers directly affected.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to support farmers in (a) Fylde constituency and (b) Lancashire impacted by avian flu.

There have been no confirmed cases of HPAI H5N1 in Fylde or Lancashire since the start of the outbreak. Following the detection of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in poultry and other captive birds in the UK, Defra and the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) together with the Devolved Governments and their delivery agencies have stood up their well-established outbreak structures to control and eradicate disease, restore normal trade, and assist local communities’ recovery. Defra’s disease control measures seek to contain the number of animals that need to be culled, either for disease control purposes or to safeguard animal welfare. Our approach aims to reduce adverse impacts on the rural and wider economy, the public, rural communities and the environment (including impact on wildlife), whilst protecting public health and minimising the overall cost of any outbreak. In response to the unprecedented outbreaks of avian influenza in October 2022 Defra’s approach to compensation was updated to involve earlier assessment of the number of healthy birds and swifter calculation of compensation. This allows Defra to provide earlier certainty about entitlement to compensation; better reflects the impact of outbreaks on premises; and leads to swifter payments to help stem any cash flow pressures for producers directly affected.