Written questions by Dewhirst.

Communities and Local Government, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of capping local authority landlord licensing fees in (a) rural and (b) low-income areas.

Local authorities are responsible for setting fees for their licensing schemes, taking account of a number of factors. These include the initial set-up costs of the scheme, the cost of assessing applications and issuing licences, and, where necessary, the cost of inspecting properties . Licence fees will vary between areas to account for differences in costs, however local authorities are not expected to profit from licensing. The government expects local authorities to make details of these fees, along with the rationale behind their determination, transparent and readily accessible.

If she will make an assessment of the potential impact of Child Maintenance Service payments on the (a) mental health and (b) financial stability of (i) all non-resident parents and (ii) non-resident parents who share care responsibilities nearly equally.

The Child Maintenance Service operates on the principle that both parents have financial responsibility for their child, including their food and clothing, as well as contributing towards the associated costs of running the home that the child lives in. Reductions can be made for the extra cost of care where it is shared by the paying parent. The paying parent must have overnight care of any qualifying children for at least 52 nights a year, equivalent of 1 night per week. The amount payable is reduced by a maximum of fifty per cent within bands based on the number of nights overnight care is provided over a 12-month period. The bands are used to give greater stability to maintenance payments and as a result there is greater reliability of payments, which contributes towards the welfare of the children in the case. If evidence shows that both parties are providing equal day-to-day care of a qualifying child, in addition to sharing overnight care, there is no requirement for either parent to pay child maintenance. There is no statutory definition of day-to-day care, our definition is broadly aligned with that of Child Benefit, where an ‘overall care test’ is used. This provides consistency across government and receipt of Child Benefit is regarded as a good indicator of who is entitled to child maintenance payments. Where a dispute does arise, the CMS will seek to collect evidence from parents, for example a Court ordered arrangement, to establish the correct figure. The evidence acceptable in these circumstances isa current court order providing for contact between the paying parent and the childa formal written agreement, for example drawn up by a solicitor, oranother official document for example, Social Services or Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (CAFCASS) reports. The Child Maintenance Service is committed to ensuring that it delivers a safe service that is sensitive to the needs of all the parents that use it. We recognise that some parents may face difficult circumstances, particularly at a time of separation. We are engaging with other DWP services, and with external stakeholders, who have a range of different models for providing additional support to work together in the interests of their children where necessary, to identify best practice and see what else we could usefully add.Child Maintenance on-line services promote the benefits of mediation to parents where this is appropriate and provide signposting to accredited mediation services.The CMS is well prepared to respond quickly and effectively if it becomes aware that the safety of any of its customers are at risk, and caseworkers receive extensive training and follow a well-managed process with clear steps to support vulnerable clients. Caseworkers have access to several tools and procedures to help support customers when they advise they cannot afford to pay child maintenance, or are struggling with the cost of living in general, and are in financial or emotional crisis. This includes the National District Provision Toolkit and Affordability Hub which provides invaluable information to allow caseworkers to signpost to national and local support organisations for debt help and mental health assistance across the UK.

What steps the Child Maintenance Service is taking to ensure that calculations reflect (a) shared parenting arrangements and (b) shared parenting arrangements in which a non-resident parent cares for their child for 10–16 days per month.

The Child Maintenance Service operates on the principle that both parents have financial responsibility for their child, including their food and clothing, as well as contributing towards the associated costs of running the home that the child lives in. Reductions can be made for the extra cost of care where it is shared by the paying parent. The paying parent must have overnight care of any qualifying children for at least 52 nights a year, equivalent of 1 night per week. The amount payable is reduced by a maximum of fifty per cent within bands based on the number of nights overnight care is provided over a 12-month period. The bands are used to give greater stability to maintenance payments and as a result there is greater reliability of payments, which contributes towards the welfare of the children in the case. If evidence shows that both parties are providing equal day-to-day care of a qualifying child, in addition to sharing overnight care, there is no requirement for either parent to pay child maintenance. There is no statutory definition of day-to-day care, our definition is broadly aligned with that of Child Benefit, where an ‘overall care test’ is used. This provides consistency across government and receipt of Child Benefit is regarded as a good indicator of who is entitled to child maintenance payments. Where a dispute does arise, the CMS will seek to collect evidence from parents, for example a Court ordered arrangement, to establish the correct figure. The evidence acceptable in these circumstances isa current court order providing for contact between the paying parent and the childa formal written agreement, for example drawn up by a solicitor, oranother official document for example, Social Services or Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (CAFCASS) reports. The Child Maintenance Service is committed to ensuring that it delivers a safe service that is sensitive to the needs of all the parents that use it. We recognise that some parents may face difficult circumstances, particularly at a time of separation. We are engaging with other DWP services, and with external stakeholders, who have a range of different models for providing additional support to work together in the interests of their children where necessary, to identify best practice and see what else we could usefully add.Child Maintenance on-line services promote the benefits of mediation to parents where this is appropriate and provide signposting to accredited mediation services.The CMS is well prepared to respond quickly and effectively if it becomes aware that the safety of any of its customers are at risk, and caseworkers receive extensive training and follow a well-managed process with clear steps to support vulnerable clients. Caseworkers have access to several tools and procedures to help support customers when they advise they cannot afford to pay child maintenance, or are struggling with the cost of living in general, and are in financial or emotional crisis. This includes the National District Provision Toolkit and Affordability Hub which provides invaluable information to allow caseworkers to signpost to national and local support organisations for debt help and mental health assistance across the UK.

What steps his Department is taking to improve the resilience of the electricity distribution network in (a) rural areas and (b) Kilham in the East Riding of Yorkshire.

Energy resilience is important, including in rural areas. We work with the energy industry, regulators and other stakeholders to continually improve and maintain the resilience of energy infrastructure. Great Britain has a highly resilient energy network, although disruptions can still occur. Network investments are funded by customers through network charges on their energy bills. Ofgem determine this funding through price controls accounting for a wide variety of factors. We are working with Ofgem to provide funding to Distribution Network Operators to improve the service experienced by those customers who receive the poorest levels of performance.

What steps she is taking to support sole traders and small family-run businesses with the cost of (a) inflation and (b) living; and if she will review VAT thresholds and business rates for small enterprises.

The Government recognises the important role that small businesses and sole traders play in the economy, and the impact that inflation can have on them. We are putting the public finances on a sustainable path and investing in the future, creating a stable environment for growth.At the Budget we introduced a range of tax measures that benefit small businesses and sole traders. These included:• More than doubling the Employment Allowance to £10,500. This means more than half of businesses with NICs liabilities will either gain or see no change this year. • Maintaining the Small Profits Rate and marginal relief at their current rates and thresholds, as well as maintaining the £1 million Annual Investment Allowance; and• Freezing the small business multiplier for 2025/26 meaning that, taken together with Small Business Rate Relief (SBRR), over a million properties are protected from inflationary bill increases.The Budget announcements on business rates reflect the Government’s first steps to support the high street. We want to go further to modernise the system, and so, we have published a Discussion Paper setting out priority areas for reform. This paper invited industry to help co-design a fairer business rates system that supports investment and is fit for the 21st century.At £90,000, the UK has a higher VAT registration threshold than any EU country and the joint highest in the OECD. This means the majority of UK businesses are kept out of the VAT system.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of proposed changes to Personal Independence Payment (PIP) eligibility criteria on (a) disabled people and (b) people with (i) autism spectrum disorder, (ii) ADHD, (iii) mental health conditions, (iv) chronic fatigue syndrome and other non-visible disabilities.

No assessment has been made. Information on the impacts of the Pathways to Work Green Paper has been published here ‘Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working Green Paper’. Impacts of the proposed changes depend on many factors including how the mix of conditions among claimants evolves over time, and behavioural responses. These impacts are uncertain at an overall England and Wales level, and it would not be possible to make an informed assessment at such a granular level as individual primary medical conditions. After taking account of behavioural changes, the OBR predicts that 9 in 10 of those on PIP daily living at the point any changes come in will still be receiving PIP by the end of the decade. No one will lose access to PIP immediately - and most people will not lose access at all. Our intention is that changes will start to come into effect from November 2026 for PIP, subject to parliamentary approval. After that date, no one will lose PIP without first being reassessed by a trained assessor or healthcare professional, who assesses individual needs and circumstance. Reassessments happen on average every 3 years. We are consulting on how best to support those who are affected by the new eligibility changes, including ensuring health and care needs are met. We have also announced a wider review of the PIP assessment to make it fair and fit for purpose, which I am leading. We are bringing together a range of experts, stakeholders and people with lived experience to consider how best to do this. We will provide further details as plans progress. Even with these reforms, the overall number of people on PIP and DLA is expected to rise by 750,000 by the end of this parliament and spending will rise from £23bn in 24/25 to £31bn in 29/30.

What cross-Departmental research his Department has commissioned into the link between (a) debt, (b) benefit sanctions, (c) child maintenance arrears and (d) suicide risk; and what mental health interventions are in place for people in financial hardship.

We recognise the effect that financial pressures, such as debt collection practices, benefit sanctions, and child maintenance arrears, can have on some people’s mental health and their risk of developing suicidal thoughts.The cross-Government, cross-sector suicide prevention strategy for England includes financial difficulty as a priority area for action and sets out work Government departments are doing to address this. For example, the Department for Work and Pensions has committed both to strengthening its guidance for staff to better support customers who disclose that they are experiencing suicidal thoughts, and mandating mental health awareness training for all frontline staff.We have also worked with colleagues at HM Treasury and the Money and Pensions Service to promote the mental health Breathing Space scheme, which gives those with mental ill health facing financial difficulties space to receive debt advice, without pressure from creditors or mounting debts.This is in addition to the mental health support available through general practitioners, NHS Talking Therapies, and NHS 111.

What steps he is taking to ensure that (a) the fishing sector is consulted and (b) the views of that sector are reflected in the (i) planning and (ii) approval process for offshore wind developments.

The energy National Policy Statements (NPS) set out the consultation requirements for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs). Developers are required by the Planning Act 2008 to conduct consultation with interested parties on their proposals. The NPS for renewable energy infrastructure (EN-3) provides specific guidance regarding offshore wind developments and consultation with the fishing sector, requiring applicants to undertake dialogue with the fishing industry during the planning and design of individual offshore wind farm and associated transmission proposals. Applicants are directed to guidance on best practice for fisheries liaison, which has been jointly agreed by the renewables industry and fishing community.

What the average response time is for CMS dispute appeals where a non-resident parent challenges the assessment on the basis of (a) false information and (b) undeclared shared care.

Information specifically in relation to false information or undeclared share care is not available. Child Maintenance Service appeals, together with Jobseekers Allowance, Housing Benefit, Council Tax Relief and Employment and Support Allowance (with no medical element), are heard by a judge. In the last quarter for which data is available, January to March 2025, the average time to clear Social Security and Child Support Tribunal appeals which were heard by a Judge only, was 33 weeks. To reduce the time taken to resolve CMS disputes that have reached Appeal stage, the disputes service has taken the following actions: Recruited an additional team of CMS Appeal Writers in January 2025.Working to identify continuous improvement activity to improve the customer journey and reduce wait times.Utilising overtime to increase clearance volumes.Supporting a two-way data sharing agreement with HMCTS to identify pre-registration Appeal volumes.

What assessment she has made of the potential merits of increasing the use of mediation and conflict resolution in CMS cases where parents are disputing care arrangements or financial responsibility.

The Child Maintenance Service operates on the principle that both parents have financial responsibility for their child, including their food and clothing, as well as contributing towards the associated costs of running the home that the child lives in. Reductions can be made for the extra cost of care where it is shared by the paying parent. The paying parent must have overnight care of any qualifying children for at least 52 nights a year, equivalent of 1 night per week. The amount payable is reduced by a maximum of fifty per cent within bands based on the number of nights overnight care is provided over a 12-month period. The bands are used to give greater stability to maintenance payments and as a result there is greater reliability of payments, which contributes towards the welfare of the children in the case. If evidence shows that both parties are providing equal day-to-day care of a qualifying child, in addition to sharing overnight care, there is no requirement for either parent to pay child maintenance. There is no statutory definition of day-to-day care, our definition is broadly aligned with that of Child Benefit, where an ‘overall care test’ is used. This provides consistency across government and receipt of Child Benefit is regarded as a good indicator of who is entitled to child maintenance payments. Where a dispute does arise, the CMS will seek to collect evidence from parents, for example a Court ordered arrangement, to establish the correct figure. The evidence acceptable in these circumstances isa current court order providing for contact between the paying parent and the childa formal written agreement, for example drawn up by a solicitor, oranother official document for example, Social Services or Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (CAFCASS) reports. The Child Maintenance Service is committed to ensuring that it delivers a safe service that is sensitive to the needs of all the parents that use it. We recognise that some parents may face difficult circumstances, particularly at a time of separation. We are engaging with other DWP services, and with external stakeholders, who have a range of different models for providing additional support to work together in the interests of their children where necessary, to identify best practice and see what else we could usefully add.Child Maintenance on-line services promote the benefits of mediation to parents where this is appropriate and provide signposting to accredited mediation services.The CMS is well prepared to respond quickly and effectively if it becomes aware that the safety of any of its customers are at risk, and caseworkers receive extensive training and follow a well-managed process with clear steps to support vulnerable clients. Caseworkers have access to several tools and procedures to help support customers when they advise they cannot afford to pay child maintenance, or are struggling with the cost of living in general, and are in financial or emotional crisis. This includes the National District Provision Toolkit and Affordability Hub which provides invaluable information to allow caseworkers to signpost to national and local support organisations for debt help and mental health assistance across the UK.

Communities and Local Government, what recent estimate she has made of the number of small-scale landlords exiting the private rented sector due to incoming regulation and tax changes; and what assessment she has made of the potential impact on (a) housing availability and (b) rent prices.

In the most recent release of the English Private Landlord Survey in 2024, 45% of landlords had only one property. This is similar to findings in 2021 (43%) and 2018 (45%).Whilst landlords have been aware of successive governments’ plans to reform the private rented sector since 2019, the size of the sector as a whole has remained broadly stable since 2013-14.The government is clear that it values the contribution of professional landlords who understand their responsibilities and comply with regulation, regardless of the size of their portfolios. The Renters’ Rights Bill will make sure good landlords have the confidence and support they need to continue to invest and operate in the sector.

If she will publish an impact assessment on the (a) proposed abolition of NHS England and (b) planned 50% reduction in the combined workforce of (i) NHS England and (ii) the Department for Health and Social Care.

It is only right that with such significant reform, we commit to carefully assessing and understanding the potential impacts, as is due process. Evidence from these ongoing assessments will inform our programme as appropriate. Furthermore, the Government is committed to transparency, and will consider how best to ensure the public and parliamentarians are informed of the outcomes and impact of both the abolition of NHS England and the reduction in workforce.

What estimate she has made of the potential impact of increases in employers’ National Insurance contributions on early years settings.

It is our ambition that all families have access to high quality, affordable and flexible early education and care, giving every child the best start in life. This is key to the government’s Plan for Change, which starts with reaching the milestone of a record number of children being ready for school. In 2025/26 alone, this government plans to spend over £8 billion on early years entitlements and we have increased the early years pupil premium by over 45%. On top of this we are providing further supplementary funding of £75 million for the Early Years Expansion Grant to help providers meet their local demand.At the Spending Review 2025, the government announced that by 2028/29, it will provide an additional £1.6 billion per year, compared to 2025/26, to continue the expansion of government-funded childcare for working parents, boosting children’s life chances and work choices for parents.This increase in funding reflects the expansion of childcare for eligible working parents to 30 hours and expected increases to funding rates across the spending review period.The hourly funding rate for entitlement hours is intended to cover the core costs of providing 15 or 30 hours of childcare to parents. In setting funding rates, we take account of cost pressures facing the sector, including forecasts of average earnings and inflation, and the National Living Wage. HM Treasury have announced an increase to the rate of Employer National Insurance contributions by 1.2 percentage points, to 15%, and a reduction in the Secondary Threshold from £9,100 to £5,000 per year. They are also increasing the Employment Allowance to £10,500 and expanding this to all eligible employers.Employment Allowance is being increased to protect businesses by providing relief of up to £10,500 per annum on their employer Class 1 National Insurance contribution liabilities from 6 April 2025.Early Years childcare providers are entitled to claim the Employment Allowance if they are private businesses or charities and we expect the vast majority will be eligible to do so.Receiving over 50% of your income from government-funded childcare places won’t stop you from being eligible to claim, but you should check your individual circumstances against the HMRC guidance.

Food and Rural Affairs, what changes have been made to the style guide for answering written Parliamentary Questions since July 2024; and if he will publish that style guide.

As is normal, changes are made to take into account individual ministerial preferences. Defra continues to follow the guidance set out by the Cabinet Office on GOV.UK.

With reference to the oral contribution of the Parliamentary Under Secretary for Business and Trade of 31 October 2024, Official Report, column 927, what his Department's timetable is for publishing a Command Paper on support for small businesses.

The Government expects to publish the SME strategy later this year.This will set out the Government’s vision for SMEs, from encouraging entrepreneurship to boosting scale-ups, across key policy areas such as creating thriving high streets, making it easier to access finance, opening up overseas and domestic markets, building business capabilities, and providing a strong business environment.The paper will complement the Government’s forthcoming Industrial Strategy and Trade Strategy.

With reference to the press notice entitled Home Secretary to announce major policing reforms, published on 17 November 2024, what her Department's timetable is for establishing a unit to monitor police performance.

Since 19 November 2024, when My Rt Hon Friend, the Home Secretary, announced her plans for policing reform, we have been working closely with the sector to draw up a new Police Performance Framework to ensure standards are upheld across the country, and to establish a new Unit within the Home Office which will identify and support force-level improvements.Further details will be published in the forthcoming Police Reform White Paper.

What information her Department holds on the amount of funding that has been allocated for equality, diversity and inclusion roles in each police force in the (a) 2025-26 and (b) 2026-27.

The requested information is not centrally collated by the Home Office.Decisions on how funding and resources are utilised are an operational matter for Chief Constables and locally elected Police and Crime Commissioners.

What information his Department holds on the amount of funding Departments plan to provide to organisations that engage in the lobbying of Government in the (a) 2025-26 and (b) 2026-27 financial year.

This information is not centrally held by the Cabinet Office.

How many retailers with a retail value of under £51,000 are based on retail parks.

The Valuation Office Agency does not hold information specific to retail parks.

What budget her Department has allocated to public sector equality, diversity and inclusion roles for (a) 2025-26 and (b) 2026-27.

HM Treasury has fewer than 5 staff in equality, diversity and inclusion roles for 2025/26. As the total number of individuals is less than 5, HM Treasury is unable to release salary information as doing so would mean these individuals may be identifiable. This is in line with HM Treasury's data reporting policy.The Department's budget for 2026/27 has not yet been finalised.