Written questions by Sabine.

What an accurate valuation method is for the business rates of grassroots music venues.

Please see the response to UIN 22711 here: https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2025-01-08/22711

What plans he has to make weight loss medications available to people living with obesity who are unable to afford them privately and who fall below the weight threshold required for NHS prescription as a result of using the medication.

Our 10-Year Health Plan highlights the risk that these medicines will be accessed by those who can pay over those with the highest clinical need. The plan makes a commitment to expand access on the National Health Service through innovative industry partnerships, delivering weight loss services and treatments to patients. Continuing to make these medicines more widely available on the NHS will help reduce inequalities in access.NHS access is being prioritised for those with the highest clinical need first. NHS England has worked with clinical experts, integrated care boards, patient and public representatives, healthcare professionals, charities, and royal colleges on its prioritisation approach, which is set out in its interim commissioning guidance and available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/interim-commissioning-guidance-implementation-of-the-nice-technology-appraisal-ta1026-and-the-nice-funding-variation-for-tirzepatide-mounjaro-for-the-management-of-obesity/We do not currently have plans to make these medicines available to those who have fallen below the weight threshold required for NHS prescription as a result of using the medication privately. For patients prescribed these medicines by the NHS, they will continue to receive these medicines for as long as clinically appropriate. For those not currently eligible for weight loss medications, there are a variety of weight management services provided by the NHS and local government. These range from multi-component behavioural programmes to specialist services for those living with severe obesity and associated co-morbidities.

Whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of compensating (a) people and (b) families of people with Foetal Valproate Syndrome.

The Government is carefully considering the work by the Patient Safety Commissioner and her report, which set out options for redress for those harmed by valproate and pelvic mesh. This is a complex issue involving input from different Government departments. The Government will provide a further update to the Patient Safety Commissioner’s report.

What assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the report by the Patient Safety Commissioner entitled The Hughes Report: Options for redress for those harmed by valproate and pelvic mesh, published on 7 February 2024.

The Government is carefully considering the work by the Patient Safety Commissioner and her report, which set out options for redress for those harmed by valproate and pelvic mesh. This is a complex issue involving input from different Government departments. The Government will provide a further update to the Patient Safety Commissioner’s report.

When he last met with the British Dental Association.

We are committed to reforming the dental contract, with a focus on matching resources to need, improving access, promoting prevention, and rewarding dentists fairly, while enabling the whole dental team to work to the top of their capability.Ministers meet regularly with external stakeholders on a variety of topics, including, but not limited to, dentistry. Details of ministerial meetings are published quarterly in arrears on the GOV.UK website.We are continuing to meet the British Dental Association and other representatives of the dental sector to discuss how we can best deliver our shared ambition to improve access for National Health Service dental patients.

What recent steps he has taken with the British Dental Association to make changes to the dental contract.

We are committed to reforming the dental contract, with a focus on matching resources to need, improving access, promoting prevention, and rewarding dentists fairly, while enabling the whole dental team to work to the top of their capability.Ministers meet regularly with external stakeholders on a variety of topics, including, but not limited to, dentistry. Details of ministerial meetings are published quarterly in arrears on the GOV.UK website.We are continuing to meet the British Dental Association and other representatives of the dental sector to discuss how we can best deliver our shared ambition to improve access for National Health Service dental patients.

What his Department's timeline is for publishing its plan for Fracture Liaison Services.

Fracture Liaison Services are commissioned by integrated care boards, which are well-placed to make decisions according to local need.Our 10-Year Health Plan committed to rolling out Fracture Liaison Services across every part of the country by 2030.

What assessment she has made of the potential implications for her Department’s policies of cases of fraud involving the Seventy Ninth Group.

On 28 February 2025, the City of London Police announced that it was investigating allegations of fraud in relation to the 79th Group. It is understood that the 79th Group offered investment opportunities involving loan notes that were marketed as being secured against properties. The investigation remains in progress.A number of entities in the 79th Group have been placed into administration. On 14 July 2025 the joint administrators published an update on the administration, which can be viewed on the Companies House website.

What steps her Department is taking to support victims of fraud from 79th Group.

Our ongoing Stop! Think Fraud campaign continues to raise awareness and provide practical guidance to help both the public and businesses protect themselves against fraudulent activity.Furthermore, the government has legislated to implement mandatory reimbursement for victims of Authorised Push Payment (APP) scams. This measure came into effect in October 2024 and is already contributing to improved outcomes for victims, while also strengthening incentives for firms to prevent these scams from occurring in the first place.

Whether the assessment of the Music Hub programme by the National Centre for Social Research will report on the progression of students.

The government is investing £25 million capital for musical instruments, equipment and technology from the 2024/25 academic year, across all Music Hub partnerships in England. The proportion of the funding distributed to date by region is set out below, with the remaining funding to be distributed by the end of the 2025/26 academic year. England regionProportion distributed to dateEast Midlands43%East of England30%London36%East and South East30%North East30%North West37%South East52%South West47%West Midlands29%Yorkshire and The Humber34%England38% The independent evaluation is focussed on implementation, delivery and impact of the partnerships and capital investment, and reported benefits for pupils and schools. Interim findings are due by autumn 2025.Data on progression at pupil level is outside of the scope of the evaluation, however Arts Council England publishes management information on standards achieved through whole class ensemble teaching, and individual and group lessons, on their Music Hubs data dashboard.It is for schools to decide whether to seek the support of Music Hub partnerships. Guidance on schools’ annual music development plans strongly encourages them to do so.

What proportion of the capital grant for musical instruments has been distributed in (a) total and (b) each region of England.

The government is investing £25 million capital for musical instruments, equipment and technology from the 2024/25 academic year, across all Music Hub partnerships in England. The proportion of the funding distributed to date by region is set out below, with the remaining funding to be distributed by the end of the 2025/26 academic year. England regionProportion distributed to dateEast Midlands43%East of England30%London36%East and South East30%North East30%North West37%South East52%South West47%West Midlands29%Yorkshire and The Humber34%England38% The independent evaluation is focussed on implementation, delivery and impact of the partnerships and capital investment, and reported benefits for pupils and schools. Interim findings are due by autumn 2025.Data on progression at pupil level is outside of the scope of the evaluation, however Arts Council England publishes management information on standards achieved through whole class ensemble teaching, and individual and group lessons, on their Music Hubs data dashboard.It is for schools to decide whether to seek the support of Music Hub partnerships. Guidance on schools’ annual music development plans strongly encourages them to do so.

What assessment she has made of the potential merits of requiring state schools to engage with music hubs.

The government is investing £25 million capital for musical instruments, equipment and technology from the 2024/25 academic year, across all Music Hub partnerships in England. The proportion of the funding distributed to date by region is set out below, with the remaining funding to be distributed by the end of the 2025/26 academic year. England regionProportion distributed to dateEast Midlands43%East of England30%London36%East and South East30%North East30%North West37%South East52%South West47%West Midlands29%Yorkshire and The Humber34%England38% The independent evaluation is focussed on implementation, delivery and impact of the partnerships and capital investment, and reported benefits for pupils and schools. Interim findings are due by autumn 2025.Data on progression at pupil level is outside of the scope of the evaluation, however Arts Council England publishes management information on standards achieved through whole class ensemble teaching, and individual and group lessons, on their Music Hubs data dashboard.It is for schools to decide whether to seek the support of Music Hub partnerships. Guidance on schools’ annual music development plans strongly encourages them to do so.

What steps she plans to take to speed up the process of DVLA reviewing license renewal following medical improvement.

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency’s (DVLA) online services are the quickest way to apply for a driving licence and drivers with diabetes, epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease, visual impairments, sleep conditions or heart conditions can renew their driving licence online. The DVLA has also introduced a simplified licence renewal process for drivers with multiple sclerosis, some mental health conditions and glaucoma. This has significantly reduced the need for the DVLA to seek further information from medical professionals and enabled more licensing decisions to be made based on the information provided by the driver. The DVLA is continuing to make improvements to the services provided to drivers with medical conditions and is introducing a new strategic system to process cases. This will provide better services for customers and allow straightforward applications to be processed more quickly. In the 2024/25 financial year, the average time taken to make a licensing decision in cases where a medical condition must be investigated before a licence can be issued was 44 working days, a reduction from 56 working days in the previous financial year. Driving licence applications where a medical condition must be investigated before a licence can be issued can sometimes take longer depending on the medical condition or conditions being investigated. The DVLA is also often reliant on receiving information from third parties, for example doctors or other healthcare professionals, before a decision can be made on whether to issue a licence. Most applicants renewing an existing licence will be able to continue driving while their application is being processed, providing the driver can meet specific criteria.

What assessment she has made of trends in the level of delays between people being confirmed medically fit and getting their driving licenses back by the DVLA.

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency’s (DVLA) online services are the quickest way to apply for a driving licence and drivers with diabetes, epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease, visual impairments, sleep conditions or heart conditions can renew their driving licence online. The DVLA has also introduced a simplified licence renewal process for drivers with multiple sclerosis, some mental health conditions and glaucoma. This has significantly reduced the need for the DVLA to seek further information from medical professionals and enabled more licensing decisions to be made based on the information provided by the driver. The DVLA is continuing to make improvements to the services provided to drivers with medical conditions and is introducing a new strategic system to process cases. This will provide better services for customers and allow straightforward applications to be processed more quickly. In the 2024/25 financial year, the average time taken to make a licensing decision in cases where a medical condition must be investigated before a licence can be issued was 44 working days, a reduction from 56 working days in the previous financial year. Driving licence applications where a medical condition must be investigated before a licence can be issued can sometimes take longer depending on the medical condition or conditions being investigated. The DVLA is also often reliant on receiving information from third parties, for example doctors or other healthcare professionals, before a decision can be made on whether to issue a licence. Most applicants renewing an existing licence will be able to continue driving while their application is being processed, providing the driver can meet specific criteria.

Communities and Local Government, what plans she has to modify regulations to facilitate the installation of (a) energy efficiency measures and (b) double glazing in listed buildings.

The government will consider issues relating to installing energy efficiency measures and double glazing in listed building as part of ongoing reforms to the planning system.

Whether she has made an estimate of the number of domestic abuse offenders who would be included in the Early Release Scheme.

This Government inherited prisons days from collapse. We had no choice but to take decisive action to stop our prisons overflowing and keep the public safe. On 10 September 2024, the Government therefore took the unavoidable step to move the release point for certain standard determinate sentences from 50% to 40% (‘SDS40’).SDS40 exclusions include sentences for specified offences linked to domestic abuse irrespective of sentence length including stalking, coercive or controlling behaviour and non-fatal strangulation. By contrast, the last Conservative Government’s End of Custody Supervised Licence (ECSL) scheme had none of these exclusions for domestic abuse connected offences.We have published SDS40 release data as part of the quarterly Offender Management Statistics, in line with the Lord Chancellor’s commitment to transparency: Standard Determinate Sentence (SDS40) release data - GOV.UK.On 22 May, the Lord Chancellor also set out the Government’s in-principle response to the Independent Sentencing Review’s findings and recommendations, which will replace SDS40 and help to ensure prisons never run out of space again and dangerous offenders can be kept off the streets.

What the (a) average and (b) longest waiting time was for a practical driving test in Wiltshire, by driving test centre in each of the last five years.

The table below shows the (a) average and (b) longest waiting time for a practical driving test in each of the last five years, by driving test centre (DTC) in Somerset.Somerset Taunton2020/212021/222022/232023/242024/25 Average10.916.716.816.521.9 Longest18.023.524.024.024.0 Yeovil2020/212021/222022/232023/242024/25 Average12.315.716.620.822.5 Longest18.018.824.024.024.0 Weston Super Mare2020/212021/222022/232023/242024/25Average9.69.116.220.521.0Longest18.014.223.824.024.0 The table below shows the (a) average and (b) longest waiting time for a practical driving test in each of the last five years, by DTC in Wiltshire. Wiltshire Chippenham2020/212021/222022/232023/242024/25Average9.010.716.722.024.0Longest16.524.024.024.024.0Salisbury2020/212021/222022/232023/242024/25Average10.112.910.516.921.7Longest17.824.024.024.024.0Trowbridge2020/212021/222022/232023/242024/25Average15.39.911.814.216.6Longest18.021.024.024.024.0 Swindon MPTC2020/212021/222022/232023/242024/25 Average11.213.718.823.524.0 Longest18.023.824.024.024.0 Please note that the maximum waiting time until the middle of 2021 was 18 weeks. The maximum waiting time since then has been 24 weeks.

What the (a) average and (b) longest waiting time was for a practical driving test in Somerset in each of the last five years, by driving test centre

The table below shows the (a) average and (b) longest waiting time for a practical driving test in each of the last five years, by driving test centre (DTC) in Somerset.Somerset Taunton2020/212021/222022/232023/242024/25 Average10.916.716.816.521.9 Longest18.023.524.024.024.0 Yeovil2020/212021/222022/232023/242024/25 Average12.315.716.620.822.5 Longest18.018.824.024.024.0 Weston Super Mare2020/212021/222022/232023/242024/25Average9.69.116.220.521.0Longest18.014.223.824.024.0 The table below shows the (a) average and (b) longest waiting time for a practical driving test in each of the last five years, by DTC in Wiltshire. Wiltshire Chippenham2020/212021/222022/232023/242024/25Average9.010.716.722.024.0Longest16.524.024.024.024.0Salisbury2020/212021/222022/232023/242024/25Average10.112.910.516.921.7Longest17.824.024.024.024.0Trowbridge2020/212021/222022/232023/242024/25Average15.39.911.814.216.6Longest18.021.024.024.024.0 Swindon MPTC2020/212021/222022/232023/242024/25 Average11.213.718.823.524.0 Longest18.023.824.024.024.0 Please note that the maximum waiting time until the middle of 2021 was 18 weeks. The maximum waiting time since then has been 24 weeks.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to restart the entry of humanitarian aid to Gaza.

We call on the Government of Israel to abide by its international obligations to ensure full, rapid, safe and unhindered provision of humanitarian assistance to the population in Gaza, now. The Foreign Secretary regularly presses his Israeli counterparts on these issues. We are calling on the Government of Israel to allow a full resumption of aid into Gaza, and let the UN and humanitarians save lives. On 13 May the UK, along with European partners, called an urgent session of the UN Security Council to address the humanitarian situation in Gaza. I spoke with the Israeli Ambassador on 20 May to make clear that the UK stands firmly against Israel's resumption of military action in Gaza, its wholly inadequate plan for aid delivery and to demand that a full and unhindered resumption in the flow of aid into Gaza takes place immediately.

Whether she has made an assessment of the effectiveness of in-community support for children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder.

It is the responsibility of the integrated care boards in England to make appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population, including treatment pathways and support for foetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD), in line with relevant National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines. The Department asked the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence to produce a quality standard in England for FASD to help providers and commissioners improve both diagnosis and support for people affected by FASD. This includes guidance on individualised management plans, which help to coordinate care across a range of healthcare professionals, as well as education and social services, to improve outcomes. The quality standard also covers support during pregnancy to improve awareness and prevent the disorder. The quality standard was published in March 2022, and is available at the following link:https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/qs204