Written questions by Thomas.

How his Department monitors agreed (a) standards and (b) targets within privately-provided services; and whether there are any contractual consequences if performance targets are not met.

The independent sector plays a vital role in partnership with the National Health Service, delivering more than 100,000 elective appointments and procedures every week for the NHS. Contracts are awarded to independent sector providers (ISPs) in line with the Provider Selection Regime (PSR). The PSR was introduced by regulations made under the Health and Care Act 2022, and helps ensure that decisions are made in the best interest of patients and service users. Those providers in receipt of NHS contracts must meet additional requirements, including the standards set out in the NHS Provider License and the NHS Standard Contract.ISPs are expected to deliver services agreed in contracts with integrated care boards (ICBs), progressing priorities set out in planning guidance, including an improvement in elective waiting time performance. ICBs can take action where these targets are not met. Data published monthly by NHS England on waiting list performance is used to track performance and ensure targets are being met, and can be accessed at the following link: https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/rtt-waiting-times/

What steps he is taking to increase youth involvement in cadets in Bromsgrove constituency.

This Government is convinced of the benefits of cadets, not just for young people who participate, but for the whole of society. Participation in the Cadet Forces has significant positive impacts on young people, increasing their performance at school, and improving their employment and career prospects. Independent research has shown the cost of cadets is fully covered if the life outcomes of just 1% of cadets change each year so that they are in education, training or employment. The recently published Strategic Defence Review recommended an expansion of in-school and community-based Cadet Forces across the UK of 30% by 2030. Expanding the Cadet Forces, which provide skills and qualifications to young people from diverse backgrounds, and support economic growth, will benefit all areas of the UK, with further details to follow in due course.

What steps he is taking to reduce the wait times for children’s neurodevelopmental pathway assessments.

The Government has recognised that, nationally, the demand for assessments for neurodevelopmental conditions, and specifically autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), has grown significantly in recent years, and that people are experiencing severe delays accessing such assessments. The Government’s 10-Year Health Plan will make the National Health Service fit for the future, recognising the need for early intervention and support, without the need for diagnosis, particularly for children and young people.It is the responsibility of integrated care boards (ICBs) to make available appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population, including provision of neurodevelopmental services, in line with relevant National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines.On 5 April 2023, NHS England published a national framework and operational guidance to help ICBs and the NHS to deliver improved outcomes for people referred to an autism assessment service. The guidance also sets out what support should be available before an assessment and following a recent diagnosis of autism. Since publication, NHS England has been supporting systems and services to identify where there are challenges for implementation and how they might overcome these.NHS England has also established an ADHD taskforce which is bringing together those with lived experience with experts from the NHS, education, charity, and justice sectors to get a better understanding of the challenges affecting those with ADHD, including in accessing services and support. An interim report was published on 20 June, with the final report expected to be published later in the year, and we will carefully consider its recommendations.The Government is also supporting inclusive environments and earlier intervention for children through the Early Language Support for Every Child and the Partnerships for Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools programmes.

What steps his Department plans to take to reduce waiting times for specialist operations.

Tackling waiting lists, including for specialist operations, is a key priority for the Government. We have now exceeded our pledge to deliver an additional two million appointments, tests, and operations, having delivered 4.6 million more since July 2024. This additional 4.6 million includes specialist operations, consultations, diagnostic tests, and treatments such as chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and endoscopy.The Elective Reform Plan, published in January 2025, sets out the productivity and reform efforts needed to return to the constitutional standard that 92% of patients will wait no longer than 18 weeks from referral to consultant-led treatment by March 2029.The plan includes wide ranging reforms to improve patients’ access to, and experience of care, in part by reducing unnecessary appointments in favour of faster and more local diagnostics.Dedicated and protected surgical hubs will transform the way the National Health Service provides elective care by focusing on providing high volume low complexity (HVLC) surgery, helping patients get quicker access to common surgical procedures. These surgical hubs help place HVLC surgeries away from the acute site, improving outcomes for patients, reducing pressures on hospitals, and improving capacity for more specialist procedures in the acute site. The Department is committed to increasing the number of hubs over the next three years, so that more operations can be carried out. Surgical hubs are endorsed by Getting It Right First Time, a national NHS England programme which undertakes reviews of specialities and identifies changes to improve how services are run, to create efficiencies and improve patient outcomes, including for surgical specialties.

Whether his Department has put mechanisms in place to allow NHS patients to provide feedback to the commissioners of publicly-funded private healthcare treatments.

Integrated care boards (ICBs) are the National Health Service organisations responsible for planning health services for their local population, including local commissioning decisions around publicly funded healthcare treatments by private providers. ICBs are also responsible for enforcing contracts with providers, including independent sector providers in their area, and are best placed to ensure providers are meeting the needs of their patients, delivering the best outcomes, and preventing delays. NHS patients can share their feedback to their local ICB, details of which can be found on the following link: https://www.england.nhs.uk/contact-us/about-nhs-services/contact-your-local-integrated-care-board-icb/

Whether she plans to increase the use of stop and search to tackle knife crime in the West Midlands.

Halving knife crime over the next decade is a central objective of the Government’s Safer Streets Mission and we are taking decisive action to achieve it.Stop and search is an important tool for tackling knife crime. Police officers have the power to stop and search individuals or vehicles for offensive weapons, provided they have reasonable grounds to suspect they will find the item.In addition, where serious violence has occurred, or where intelligence suggests it may occur, a senior police officer may authorise police officers to stop and search any individual or vehicle for weapons, with or without reasonable suspicion. These authorisations are limited to a particular area for a specific period of time, usually no longer than 24 hours but may be extended to up to 48 hours in certain circumstances.The operational use of stop and search is determined by individual police forces, based on local intelligence and priorities within local communities, and it must always be conducted fairly and appropriately.Beyond the use of stop and search, the Government is taking decisive national action on knife crime. This includes banning zombie-style knives, introducing legislation to prohibit ninja swords, tackling knife-enabled robbery and establishing new Prevention Partnerships to support those who are most at risk and divert them away from knife crime.

Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to help tackle homelessness outside of large urban areas.

Homelessness levels are far too high. We must address this and deliver long term solutions in all parts of England. The government is looking at these issues carefully and is developing a new cross government strategy, working with mayors and councils across the country to get us back on track to ending homelessness.The government have already taken the first steps, including making a £1 billion investment in homelessness and rough sleeping services across England this year. This is a £233 million increase on the previous year to help prevent rises in the number of families in temporary accommodation and help to prevent rough sleeping.

What assessment he has made of the potential merits of prioritising NHS jobs for British citizens who have gained medical qualifications (a) within the UK and (b) from institutions within other European countries.

As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan published on 3 July, we will work across Government to prioritise United Kingdom medical graduates for foundation training, and to prioritise UK medical graduates and other doctors who have worked in the National Health Service for a significant period for specialty training.We will publish a new 10 Year Workforce Plan later this year to deliver the transformed health service we will build over the next decade, and treat patients on time again.

How many fines were issued to parents for unauthorised school absence in (a) Bromsgrove constituency and (b) Worcestershire in the last 12 months.

The information is not held by the department at constituency level.Information on penalty notices for unauthorised absence is collected at local authority level. The latest available data, covering the 2023/24 academic year is available in the parental responsibility measures statistical release here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/parental-responsibility-measures/2023-24.The number of penalty notices issued in Worcestershire in the 2023/24 academic year is available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/e0dc750b-0698-49dc-a884-08ddb31391cd.

How many breathalyser tests were carried out across West Mercia in the last 12 months; how many tested positive; and how many resulted in a prosecution.

The Home Office collects and publishes data on roadside breath tests for alcohol as part of its annual ‘Police Powers and Procedures: Roads policing’ statistical release. The latest data is available here Police powers and procedures: Roads policing, to December 2023 - GOV.UK and covers the calendar year ending December 2023.In 2023, West Mercia Police carried out 7,811 roadside breath tests for alcohol, of which 1,248 were positive or refused.The Home Office does not hold information on how many of these resulted in a prosecution.

What contingency plans his Department has put in place in the event of the closure of the Strait of Hormuz; and if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of a closure on energy security in the UK.

Oil and gas markets are well supplied and functioning normally. Though they have responded to events in the Middle East, prices remain within the bounds we have seen over the last year. We have not witnessed any material reduction of traffic passing through the Strait of Hormuz. DESNZ will continue monitoring closely for any future impacts. The UK holds oil stocks that can be released onto the global market collectively with releases by other International Energy Agency member countries in the event of a global oil supply disruption. The Government's Clean Energy Superpower Mission, supported by the largest investment in home-grown clean energy in British history, will enhance energy security by boosting our energy independence, protecting billpayers, and reducing exposure to global supply shocks.

Whether she has made an assessment with the Secretary of State for Education of the potential impact of trends in the level of bus fares on school attendance.

The Department for Transport has made no such assessment. The government recognises the importance of affordable local bus services in facilitating access to education. We have acted to ensure bus services remain affordable by introducing the £3 cap on single bus fares in England outside London, and at the Spending Review announced this would be extended by over a year until March 2027. In addition, the government has confirmed £955 million for the 2025 to 2026 financial year to support and improve bus services in England outside London. This includes £243 million for bus operators and £712 million allocated to local authorities across the country, of which Worcestershire County Council has been allocated £9.4 million. Local authorities can use this funding to introduce initiatives to reduce the cost of travel for young people. The government has reaffirmed its commitment to bus services in this Spending Review by confirming continued funding each year from 2026/27 to maintain and improve vital bus services, including taking forward bus franchising pilots in areas including York and North Yorkshire.

Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to increase participation in sport for (a) adolescent girls and (b) all adolescents.

The Government believes that opportunities to play sport and get physically active should be available to everyone and we recognise that there are barriers which prevent some people from getting active, with women and girls less likely to be active than other groups.The Government provides the majority of funding for grassroots sport through our arm’s length body, Sport England, which invests over £250 million in Exchequer and Lottery funding each year. One of the key pillars in their “Uniting the Movement” strategy is to focus on positive experiences for children and young people. Their “This Girl Can” campaign, which recently celebrated its ten year anniversary, has promoted women’s sport, challenged prejudice and made clear that sport is for everyone.The Government is committed to ensuring as many people as possible have access to high quality grassroots sports facilities, with a particular focus on providing for under-represented groups, such as women and girls.That is why we are investing £100 million through the Multi Sport Grassroots Facilities Programme to build and upgrade high-quality grassroots sports pitches and facilities in the communities across the UK that need it most, including children and young people.On 20 June 2025, the Culture Secretary announced that following Spending Review, at least £400 million is going to be invested into new and upgraded grassroots sport facilities in communities right across the UK, supporting the Government's Plan for Change. We will work closely with sporting bodies and local leaders to establish what each community needs and then set out further plans. I also attended a roundtable in Parliament this week on getting girls active.

What steps he is taking to improve palliative care in the context of assisted dying.

Irrespective of any legislation on assisted dying, we must continue to work towards creating a society where every person who needs it receives high-quality, compassionate palliative and end of life care. The Government will shift the focus of healthcare out of the hospital and into the community and we recognise that it is vital to include palliative care and end of life care in this shift.Palliative care services are included in the list of services that integrated care boards (ICBs) must commission. This promotes a more consistent national approach and supports commissioners in prioritising palliative care and end of life care. To support ICBs in this duty, NHS England has published statutory guidance and service specifications.We are supporting the hospice sector with a £100 million capital funding boost for adult and children’s hospices in England for 2024/25 and 2025/26 to ensure they have the best physical environment for care. Additionally, we are providing children and young people’s hospices with £26 million of revenue funding for 2025/26.Earlier this year, I met with key palliative care and end of life care and hospice stakeholders, in a roundtable format, with a focus on long-term sector sustainability within the context of our 10-Year Health Plan.

Whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of a public holiday to commemorate the reign of Queen Elizabeth II.

The Government recognises the remarkable legacy of Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II as Britain’s longest-reigning monarch.We regularly receive requests for additional bank and public holidays to mark a variety of occasions. While an additional bank holiday may benefit some communities and sectors, the cost to the economy remains considerable. The latest analysis estimates the cost to the UK economy for a one-off bank holiday to be around £2 billion.For these reasons, the Government currently has no plans to change the well-established pattern of bank holidays.

How many Government bodies use the Government Car Service; and what the average number of journeys has been in each Department in the last 12 months.

Since April 2012, the Government Car Service has provided a Departmental Pool Car (DPC) service to several Government Departments for their ministerial travel, whereby the official car is contracted to a Department rather than allocated to an individual. The use made of these services based at Departments is therefore not held by the Cabinet Office.As is longstanding practice for security reasons, specific details regarding the allocation of vehicles are also not disclosed.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of the Countryside Stewardship Scheme in Bromsgrove.

Agreements under the Countryside Stewardship scheme in the Bromsgrove Parliamentary Constituency area contain 2,139 hectares of land as of 2024. The scheme supports a range of enhanced environmental outcomes from restoring wildlife habitats, creating woodlands to managing flood risk. Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier is expected to continue to deliver a range of environmental benefits to farmers when it opens to new applications.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to promote beekeeping.

In 2024 the annual Hive Count exercise produced a figure of 252, 647 honey bee colonies in the UK which indicates that there continues to be interest in keeping bees. There are over 52,700 beekeepers in England, Wales and Scotland registered on BeeBase, the voluntary register managed by the Animal and Plant Health Agency’s National Bee Unit (NBU). Defra encourages all beekeepers to have good husbandry skills, including recognition of pests and disease and husbandry practices which can minimise the risk of introducing and spreading disease within an apiary.

Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to promote the use of redundant churches for (a) cultural, (b) community and (c) educational purposes.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport’s Arms-Length body the Churches Conservation Trust is the national charity that saves redundant historic churches at risk, and has a portfolio of over 350 churches that have been kept open and now used to serve the local communities. These are now enjoyed as cultural, social, tourism and educational resources with over 4000 community, arts and educational events taking place within them per year.Additionally, redundant churches may be eligible for wider DCMS Heritage funding to support their use by the community. In February my Department announced new funding worth almost £20 million for 2025/26. The Heritage at Risk fund will restore local heritage and is targeted towards areas of higher deprivation. The Heritage Revival Fund empowers local people to take control of and look after their local heritage, supporting community organisations to own neglected heritage buildings and bring them back into good use.

Communities and Local Government, how many and what proportion of local authority planning decisions have been overturned by the Planning Inspectorate in the last 12 months.

Between 1 April 2024 and 31 March 2025 the Planning Inspectorate overturned 4,747 planning decisions made by Local Planning Authorities (LPAs). These represent 31% of the 15,344 decisions made by the Planning Inspectorate on LPA planning cases in this period. Note these figures are taken from administrative data and so are subject to minor revisions. The most recent published MHCLG statistics help put the 4,747 decisions in context (noting the different time periods covered). Between January to December 2024: 316,715 planning decisions were made by LPAs – so roughly 1.5% of these are overturned by the Planning Inspectorate.44,479 planning applications were refused by LPAs – so approximately 11% of refused LPA decisions are overturned by the Planning Inspectorate.