Written questions by Cane.

When she plans to publish the findings from the consultation on the Equality (Race and Disability) Bill: mandatory ethnicity and disability pay gap reporting, which closed on 10 June 2025.

We are currently considering the responses to our recent consultation on mandatory ethnicity and disability pay gap reporting. The findings from the consultation will inform the development of measures in the draft Equality (Race and Disability) Bill, and the government response to the consultation will be published in due course.

When his Department last made an assessment of the effectiveness of the (a) planning practice guidance and (b) other aspects of the safety framework for grid-scale batteries.

In August 2023, the government updated its Planning Practice Guidance to encourage battery storage developers to consult Local Fire and Rescue Services (FRSs) before submitting applications and for planning authorities to involve FRSs during public consultation. The guidance also advises authorities to refer to National Fire Chiefs Council recommendations. The government has committed to updating planning practice guidance on renewable and low carbon energy development. The government monitors the safety framework for grid-scale batteries closely. In October, I hosted a roundtable discussion with regulators including the Health and Safety Executive and Environment Agency on the safety framework. My department works closely with regulators through the industry-led Health and Safety Governance Group to ensure that the framework remains robust and future proofed.

What estimate she has made of the funding required for Network Rail to undertake detailed planning for the Ely Area Capacity Enhancement Scheme.

The Secretary of State updated Parliament on the 7th of July regarding which rail and road infrastructure projects will progress following the completion of the 2025 Spending Review. The Ely Area Capacity Enhancement and upgrades to Haughley Junction were not among those projects funded at this time. The previous government had committed to a number of infrastructure projects that were unfunded, this includes the EACE and Haughley Junction schemes.

Pursuant to the Answer of 29 October to Question 84015 on Legal Aid Scheme: Ely and East Cambridgeshire, when the Legal Aid Agency last assessed the adequacy of legal aid provision in Ely and East Cambridgeshire constituency; and if they will undertake a new assessment in that constituency.

The Legal Aid Agency (LAA) continually assesses supply across all procurement areas. The LAA’s network of regional contract managers located throughout England and Wales provide intelligence-led information based on contact with legal aid service providers. In addition, the LAA regularly reviews available supply to make sure there is adequate provision for legal aid, in all categories of law, and takes operational action where it can, to respond to market pressures that may arise.For civil contracts the LAA commissions and monitors the supply of legal aid services across larger geographic areas called procurement areas, rather than by local authority or parliamentary constituency. These areas vary depending on the type of civil law.Ely and East Cambridgeshire fall within several procurement areas, which cover all civil categories of law for which legal aid is available. All of these procurement areas exceed the minimum required number of legal aid providers. In addition to local providers, national services are also available to your constituents. These include early legal advice through the Housing Loss Prevention Advice Service, and telephone-based support for housing, debt, education, and discrimination issues via Civil Legal Advice.Criminal legal aid contracts are commissioned nationally. The LAA monitors and take measures within its control to ensure there is sufficient coverage for local duty solicitor schemes, in this case the Cambridge and Ely scheme. These schemes are based on demand, so the number of solicitors may vary between areas.As set out in the response to PQ 84015, the LAA is satisfied there is currently adequate provision of legal aid services in Ely and East Cambridgeshire.Details about legal aid providers are published in the LAA’s official statistics (Tables 9.1–9.9). These figures help the LAA monitor the availability of services across different legal categories and regions in England and Wales.

Pursuant to the Answer of 28 October to Question 80160 on Apprentices: Special Educational Needs, whether it is his Department's intention to expand this flexibility further.

Where an apprentice has a learning difficulty or disability which is a barrier to them achieving the standard English and maths requirements, there is the flexibility for them to achieve the lower Entry Level 3 qualification in the adjusted subject. In August 2024, this was extended to apprentices with learning difficulties and disabilities but no Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP).

Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 27 October 2025 to Question 83644 on Farmers: Mental Health, if she will commission research to review the link between agricultural workers' mental health and changes in agricultural output.

We have no plans to do so. Production levels are influenced by a range of factors including the weather and market prices. We regularly liaise with farming welfare charities and industry stakeholder groups to understand the issues affecting farmers’ mental health and any impacts resulting from poor mental health.

If he will take steps to remove the two-child benefit cap.

This government is committed to tackling child poverty and the Child Poverty Taskforce is developing an ambitious Child Poverty Strategy which we will publish in the autumn.We are considering all available levers to give every child the best start in life as part of our strategy. The commitments at the 2025 Spending Review and since, including the extension of free school meals eligibility to all children in families in receipt of Universal Credit, are key steps in our Plan for Change to put extra pounds in people’s pockets, and a downpayment on the Child Poverty Strategy, building on the expansion of free breakfast clubs, national minimum wage boost, and the cap on Universal Credit deductions through the Fair Repayment Rate.

Pursuant to the Answer of 27 October 2025 to Question 83177 on Batteries: Storage, if he will make an assessment of the effectiveness of the Planning Practice Guidance in ensuring that battery developers consult fire services.

The Government engages regularly with the National Fire Chiefs Council, representatives of local authorities and other key stakeholders to gather feedback on the effectiveness of the safety framework for grid-scale batteries, including the Planning Practice Guidance (PPG). The PPG sets a clear expectation that developers engage with fire and rescue services before they submit a planning application for a grid-scale battery site. It also encourages local planning authorities to engage with fire services as part of the formal period of public consultation and before reaching a planning determination. As such, government considers the PPG to be effective in setting out clear expectations for developers and decision-makers on grid-scale planning applications.

What recent assessment he has made of trends in the level of foodbank use in Ely and East Cambridgeshire constituency.

The latest statistics on the number of individuals in UK households who used a food bank in the past 30 days or 12 months are available in the Households Below Average Income publication: Households below average income: for financial years ending 1995 to 2024 - GOV.UK. National and England regional breakdowns should be calculated using three-year rolling averages from Stat-Xplore Stat-Xplore - Home. Due to small sample sizes, it is not possible to produce estimates of food bank use at the constituency level, including for Ely and East Cambridgeshire. We are committed to tackling poverty and reducing mass dependence on emergency food parcels. To inform this work, DWP officials have engaged with a range of organisations to better understand the complex food support landscape. To further support struggling households, we are providing £742 million to extend the Household Support Fund (HSF) in England until 31 March 2026, enabling local authorities to continue to provide vulnerable households with immediate crisis support towards the cost of essentials, such as energy, water and food. Starting from 1 April 2026, we have announced a further £842 million a year (£1 billion including Barnett consequential) to reform crisis support with the new Crisis and Resilience Fund, supporting our wider mission to reduce child poverty by reducing dependence on food parcels, preventing homelessness and making sure people can access urgent support when they need it.

Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to encourage British residents overseas to register to vote in future elections.

The Government is clear that all legitimate electors should be able and encouraged to participate in democracy. This includes overseas electors, who should be able to exercise their vote without unnecessary barriers. The Electoral Commission is responsible for raising awareness to facilitate democratic participation. The EC also undertakes communication campaigns to engage with citizens and promote awareness of, for example, how to register to vote.

Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of the average cost of veterinary bills for pet owners.

The Competition and Markets Authority is conducting a market investigation into the provision of veterinary services for household pets. Their Provisional Decision Report was published on 15 October and is open for consultation until 12 November. Defra will consider any remedies from their final report when it is published in Spring 2026.

Pursuant to the Answer of 12 September to Question 74875 on Horse racing: Gambling, if her Department will publish any assessment they have made to date.

The Government makes tax policy decisions at fiscal events. If any changes are made to gambling duties at Budget, legislation will be accompanied by a Tax Information and Impact Note which will set out the expected impacts.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of online GP booking systems on people who are digitally excluded.

Since 1 October, general practices (GP) have been required to keep their online consultations tools on throughout core hours, from 8:00am to 6:30pm Monday to Friday, for non-urgent and routine requests.Patients are able to get in touch with their GP via an online form during these hours to request an appointment or to raise a query.We understand that not all patients can or want to use online services. To ensure that patients are not digitally excluded, the GP Contract is clear that patients should always have the option of telephoning or visiting their practice in person, and all online tools must always be provided in addition to, rather than as a replacement for, other channels for accessing a GP. We have also committed to work with digital transformation teams in integrated care boards and with groups at risk of digital exclusion to ensure digital solutions are inclusive. People unable to access online services, or visit their GP in person, can ask for a feature called proxy access available through the NHS App. This function allows a trusted relative or carer to act on the patient’s behalf and can be set up through the patient’s GP surgery, so that they can help them manage their health and care.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether she plans to ban bottom trawling in Marine Protected Areas.

The Government’s approach is to restrict fishing which is assessed as damaging to the specific protected features in each Marine Protected Area, based on advice from the Statutory Nature Conservation Bodies. A consultation on the latest round of proposed fisheries byelaws, which proposes further restrictions on bottom trawling, closed on 29 September. The Marine Management Organisation is now carefully considering all responses received, and decisions will be made in due course.

What assessment he has made of the adequacy of access to GPs in Ely and East Cambridgeshire constituency.

The General Practice Patient Survey (GPPS) measures patient satisfaction and ease of access to general practice (GP) services. The Ely and East Cambridgeshire constituency sits within the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Integrated Care Board, where 69% of respondents to the 2025 GPPS reported a good experience of contacting their GP and 74% of respondents reported a good overall experience with their practice.It is challenging to accurately estimate GPs’ workload as much of their work is not reflected in published data, and in addition to delivering appointments, GPs will manage referrals, complete paperwork, and, in the case of GP partners, manage the practice itself.We know that high workloads can be a key driver for GPs reducing their contracted hours or leaving the profession altogether, impacting access to GPs. That’s why we are tackling morale through drivers such as growing the workforce and reducing bureaucracy through our Red Tape Challenge. Expanding capacity in GPs will improve access for patients, as well as alleviating high workloads, by making more appointments available.

What recent assessment he has made of trends in the level of child poverty in Ely and East Cambridgeshire constituency.

Statistics on the number of children living in relative poverty on a before housing costs basis for Ely and East Cambridgeshire constituency are published annually in the “Children in low income families: local area statistics” publication. An assessment of the trends in the level of child poverty in Ely and East Cambridgeshire constituency can be made using Table: “5_Relative_ParlC” in the latest published version, found here: Children in low income families: local area statistics 2014 to 2024 - GOV.UK. The Child Poverty Taskforce is progressing work to publish our ambitious, UK-wide Child Poverty Strategy this autumn, which will deliver measures to tackle the structural and root causes of child poverty. In addition, we are taking further steps to support children and families through our commitments to roll out free breakfast clubs in all primary schools, extend Free School Meals to every pupil whose household is in receipt of Universal Credit. From September, eligible working parents of children aged 9 months and above can now access 30 hours a week from the term following their child turning 9 months to when they start school. This means working parents could save on average £7,500 per year, transforming the costs of having children for families.

How his Department measures the (a) accessibility of GPs and (b) GPs' workload.

The General Practice Patient Survey (GPPS) measures patient satisfaction and ease of access to general practice (GP) services. The Ely and East Cambridgeshire constituency sits within the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Integrated Care Board, where 69% of respondents to the 2025 GPPS reported a good experience of contacting their GP and 74% of respondents reported a good overall experience with their practice.It is challenging to accurately estimate GPs’ workload as much of their work is not reflected in published data, and in addition to delivering appointments, GPs will manage referrals, complete paperwork, and, in the case of GP partners, manage the practice itself.We know that high workloads can be a key driver for GPs reducing their contracted hours or leaving the profession altogether, impacting access to GPs. That’s why we are tackling morale through drivers such as growing the workforce and reducing bureaucracy through our Red Tape Challenge. Expanding capacity in GPs will improve access for patients, as well as alleviating high workloads, by making more appointments available.

Pursuant to the Answer of 20 October 2025 to Question 80134 on Fuel Poverty: Ely and East Cambridgeshire, if he will make an assessment of trends in the level of fuel poverty in Ely and East Cambridgeshire constituency in 2024.

Fuel poverty estimates at sub-regional level are official statistics in development. Since they are modelled estimates, they should not be used to identify detailed trends over time. However, regional fuel poverty figures calculated from the English Housing Survey are comparable over time. The latest statistics (Trends table 4) show that the proportion of households in fuel poverty in the wider region East of England, containing Ely and East Cambridgeshire, has decreased from 18.8% in 2010 to 9.0% in 2024. This is measured using the Low Income Low Energy Efficiency metric.

If his Department will introduce rolling three-year settlements for the health element of children's palliative care.

We are providing £26 million in revenue funding to support children and young people’s hospices for 2025/26. I am pleased to confirm the continuation of circa £26 million, adjusted for inflation, for the next three financial years, 2026/27 to 2028/29 inclusive, to be distributed again via integrated care boards. This amounts to approximately £80 million over the next three years.We are also supporting the hospice sector with a £100 million capital funding boost for eligible adult and children’s hospices in England to ensure they have the best physical environment for care.The Government is developing a Palliative Care and End of Life Care Modern Service Framework for England. I refer the Hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement HCWS1087, which I gave to the House on 24 November 2025.

Food and Rural Affairs, what data her Department holds on levels of sewage discharges in Ely and East Cambridgeshire constituency.

The Environment Agency (EA) hold several data sets relating to discharges of sewage to the environment. Most publicly accessible data can be found at: Water Data Explorer | Engage Environment Agency. The majority of sewage discharges are permitted under the Environmental Permitting Regulations. Event Duration Monitoring data is available for all Storm Overflows. This provides data on the number of untreated sewage spills and the duration of each. The EA holds records of pollution incidents, including details of all non-permitted sewage discharges that are reported to them, or that they otherwise become aware of.