Written questions by Sabine.

Media and Sport, whether the outcomes from the Shared Outcomes Fund early support hubs will be utilised in the development of the Young Futures Hubs programme; and whether transitional funding will be put in place to keep these early support hubs open.

Each Young Futures Hub will meet three outcomes of increasing opportunities, improving mental health and wellbeing, and reducing crime. We are collaborating with DHSC, NHS England, and health partners to ensure Young Futures Hubs meet young people's emerging needs, providing early mental health and wellbeing support. Early Support Hubs built the evidence base for next year's Young Futures Hubs, with evaluation findings directly informing the programme. The Early Support Hubs were initially funded through the Shared Outcomes Fund in the 2024/25 financial year. The programme has since been extended for a further year to 2025/26.

Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to help ensure that Young Futures Hubs deliver on their core purpose of early mental health support.

This Government fully recognises the importance of youth services in helping young people live safe, healthy and fulfilling lives, and is committed to building on great youth services by developing the National Youth Strategy, strengthening services and expanding opportunities for all young people. As part of this Strategy, Young Futures Hubs will leverage local understanding of services in each area to improve support for young people at community level, increasing opportunities, improving mental health and wellbeing, and reducing crime. 50 Young Futures Hubs across the country will be supported by the end of this Parliament.We are working closely with DHSC, NHS England and a number of health stakeholders, to ensure that Young Futures Hubs offer services together to support young people with emerging needs, including early mental health advice and wellbeing interventions. This includes using learnings from programmes such as Early Support Hubs.

Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of hosting the 2035 women's football world cup on the economy.

The UK Government is working closely with the Home Nation Football Associations and the Devolved Governments to develop the UK-wide bid for the 2035 FIFA Women’s World Cup. As the largest single sport women’s event in the world, this tournament has the potential to generate significant socio-economic benefits, impact communities across the UK, and build on our world-leading reputation as a host of major events.To illustrate, the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2023 was estimated to have generated AUS$1.32bn for the economy in Australia and New Zealand. We are working closely with UK Sport, the FAs and Devolved Governments to assess the potential benefits of hosting to inform our collective bid.Following confirmation that the UK would be the sole bid for 2035, our bid is due to be submitted by the end of November, with a final decision by FIFA expected in April 2026.

Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of hosting the 2035 women's football world cup on the level of participation by women and girls in sport.

Hosting the 2035 FIFA Women’s World Cup has the potential to be a transformational opportunity for the women’s game, and for women’s sport in the UK more generally. Following the 2022 Women’s EUROs, we saw a 140% increase in participation among women and girls with over 519,000 new grassroots opportunities were created specifically for women and girls across England.Creating a strong legacy, including boosting participation levels, will be a core aim of delivering the tournament. Should the UK’s bid to host the FIFA Women's World Cup in 2035 be successful, planning will begin on developing the legacy programme, drawing inspiration from events such as the recent Women’s Rugby World Cup as we embark on a decade of women’s sporting moments in the UK.

Media and Sport, whether the Government has sought legal advice in relation to the US President's planned legal action against the BBC.

This is a matter for the BBC, whose lawyers are now dealing with the issue. The BBC is independent of the UK government and so it is a matter for them and the US President.

Communities and Local Government, when he plans to bring England into line with Scotland by making the Agent of Change a statutory principle in planning.

The government is exploring how it can improve the implementation of the ‘agent of change’ principle in the planning system as part of the development of a new suite of national policies for decision-making that we will consult on before the end of this year.

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.