Written questions by Hinchliff.

Communities and Local Government, what estimate she has made of the proportion of projected additional funding for the Affordable Homes Programme that will be allocated to homes for social rent in the next three financial years.

The 2021-26 Affordable Homes Programme averages £2.3 billion of grant capital funding per year.The Spending Review 2025 policy paper (which can be found on gov.uk here) makes clear that spending on our new £39 billion, 10-year Social and Affordable Homes Programme (2026-27 to 2035-36) will reach £4 billion per year in 2029-30 and rise in line with inflation subsequently.As such, government spending on affordable housing investment will have almost doubled by the end of this Parliament.Government does not usually publish year-by-year spend on specific programmes in advance. We will continue to publish past year’s expenditure figures in the department's Annual Report and Accounts.

With reference to the Written Statement of 5 June 2025 on School Food, HCWS682, what the (a) timeframe and (b) scope of the consultation on revising School Food Standards will be; and whether that consultation will include direct engagement with young people.

To ensure quality and nutrition in meals for children, the department is acting quickly with experts across the sector to revise the school food standards, so every school is supported with the latest nutrition guidance. The department is currently engaging with a range of stakeholders to help us understand the challenges around school food.We intend to consult on these revisions and further details will be available in due course. Hearing from young people is an important part of this work and we will ensure there are appropriate opportunities for their engagement.

How many children aged between 28 days and 17 years old were admitted to NHS care for more than seven days in the latest period for which data is available.

NHS England collects the data on patient discharge episodes, including for children, through the Hospital Episode Statistics. Discharge data does not represent the number of individual children with a hospital stay, as a child may have more than one discharge from hospital within the reporting period.Between April 2023 and March 2024, there were 35,282 discharge episodes recorded where the patient was in hospital for more than seven days and was aged over 28 days old and under 18 years old when admitted into National Health Service care.

How many overseas voters from North East Hertfordshire constituency are impacted by frozen British Pensions; and whether she is taking steps to help tackle this.

There are no plans to change the policy on frozen State Pension. UK State Pensions are payable worldwide, without regard to nationality, and are only up-rated abroad where there is a legal requirement to do so, for example in countries with which we have a reciprocal agreement that provides for up-rating. The policy on up-rating UK State Pension paid overseas is a longstanding one and has been in place for over 70 years. The Department does not hold information on voter identification and is not able to reliably identify voters from a specific constituency among those whose State Pension has not been up-rated

What steps he is taking to support the implementation of community energy projects.

In 2025 and 2026 Great British Energy will provide over £9m in support directly for community energy projects – from solar on rooftops to hydropower in rivers - through the GBE Community Fund as well as support for the CARES scheme in Scotland. These projects will help to support jobs, boost our energy security and increase public support for the energy transition. GBE will grow this support over this parliament as it becomes fully established.

How much was spent on (a) maternity, (b) paternity and (c) adoption leave in the most recent period for which data is available.

HMRC hold information on the amounts paid by employers to employees for Statutory Parental Pay, but do not hold this for additional ‘occupational’ pay offered by employers.The table below shows the amounts paid for statutory pay in 2023/24 (the latest complete year available). Value of Employee Claims (£Million)Statutory Maternity Pay3,338.3Statutory Paternity Pay69.0Statutory Adoption Pay25.1 Notes:1) Data collected using HMRC Real Time Information (RTI) and extracted in December 2024. RTI is subject to revision or updates.2) Total value of claims rounded to nearest £100,000.

Media and Sport, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a national support scheme for the insurance of (a) thatched and (b) listed residential properties to help homeowners (i) manage increases in insurance costs and (ii) preserve heritage buildings.

The government acknowledges that homeowners can face challenges in managing increased insurance costs and preserving heritage buildings, such as thatched properties.The Department has not made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a national support scheme for the insurance of thatched and listed residential properties. However, Historic England, the government's statutory advisors on the historic environment, commissioned analysis from industry experts to understand the causes behind these increases. The research revealed that fewer companies are offering insurance for highly listed (Grade I and II*) buildings, leading to reduced competition. The report found that the increased cost of materials and labour, which influence rebuild valuations, amongst other factors. These impacts are largely dictated by market forces and the Government is not considering intervention at this stage.A range of policies and programmes the Government offers centrally and through its Arms Length Bodies, including repair and restoration grants, skills initiatives, and streamlining and simplifying the planning system, are designed to reduce the costs of works to listed buildings.

Innovation and Technology, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of provisions within the Data, Use and Access Bill on (a) copyright and (b) AI on the long-term sustainability of the music and arts sector.

The Data (Use and Access) Bill does not contain any provisions relating to copyright law and AI or the music and arts sectors. Nor does it change copyright law in any regard. In response to concerns, the Government has committed on the face of the Bill to produce an economic impact assessment and report on key matters relating to use of copyright works in the development of AI systems.

What his Department’s long-term plan is for the community equipment services sector in the health and social care system.

Local National Health Service procuring authorities are responsible for assessing the timeliness and the quality of medical equipment delivered for their patients, procured under contracts they hold with suppliers.Timely provision of community equipment supports people to remain as independent as possible, for as long as possible, and contributes significantly to the priorities of the Department, the NHS, and local authorities in terms of hospital avoidance and discharge.Many NHS trusts and local authorities offer an Integrated Community Equipment Service (ICES) within the integrated health and social care system, as they support both the home first agenda and hospital flows. These services can be provided in-house or by external suppliers following a tender exercise. An ICES enables people to remain in or return to their homes as the primary setting for care, avoiding unnecessary stays in hospital or care homes. Also, an ICES facilitates timely hospital admissions, treatment, and discharge processes, minimising delays and improving capacity across the sector.

What discussions his Department has had with providers of community equipment services on their role in supporting (a) timely hospital discharge and (b) effective community-based care.

Local National Health Service procuring authorities are responsible for assessing the timeliness and the quality of medical equipment delivered for their patients, procured under contracts they hold with suppliers.Timely provision of community equipment supports people to remain as independent as possible, for as long as possible, and contributes significantly to the priorities of the Department, the NHS, and local authorities in terms of hospital avoidance and discharge.Many NHS trusts and local authorities offer an Integrated Community Equipment Service (ICES) within the integrated health and social care system, as they support both the home first agenda and hospital flows. These services can be provided in-house or by external suppliers following a tender exercise. An ICES enables people to remain in or return to their homes as the primary setting for care, avoiding unnecessary stays in hospital or care homes. Also, an ICES facilitates timely hospital admissions, treatment, and discharge processes, minimising delays and improving capacity across the sector.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of his policy on arms trade with Israel.

In September 2024, we took decisive action, suspending licences for the Israeli Defence Forces that might be used to commit or facilitate serious violations of international humanitarian law in Gaza. We have maintained the suspension and assess there are no export licences currently being used for military operations in Gaza. This is subject to the specific measures taken with respect to the global F-35 programme.

Whether she has issued an expiry notice to Govia Thameslink Railway; and what her planned timetable is for the nationalisation of Govia Thameslink Railway.

The date on which Govia Thameslink Railway’s franchise will end, and its services transfer to public ownership, has not yet been decided. Accordingly, no expiry notice has been issued to Govia Thameslink Railway. The Rail Minister and Secretary of State meet with all the Train Operating Companies and their Network Rail counterparts regularly to discuss performance and staffing amongst other topical issues.

What steps her Department is taking to consult people living with motor neurone disease on the development of the health and disability green paper.

This government strongly values the input of disabled people and people with health conditions, and that is why we have brought forward this Green Paper and opened a public consultation. The consultation welcomes their views, and we hope that a wide range of voices will respond before it closes on the 30 June 2025. We are also running a programme of accessible public events to further facilitate input. The series of both virtual and in-person events across the country, will help us to hear from disabled people and representative organisations directly. We are continuing to facilitate other ways to involve stakeholders and disabled people in our reforms. In addition to the consultation itself, we will establish ‘collaboration committees’ that bring groups, including disabled people and other experts, together for specific work areas. Our wider review of the PIP assessment, led by myself, will also bring together a range of experts, stakeholders and people with lived experience.

Innovation and Technology, what recent discussions his Department has had with representatives of the (a) music and (b) arts sector on the Data (Use and Access) Bill.

Ministers and officials have regular meetings with a range of stakeholders from the creative industries about the Data (Use and Access) Bill.Ministerial meetings and engagements are published through quarterly transparency reports on GOV.UK.

Innovation and Technology, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the Data, Use and Access Bill on the long-term sustainability of the music and arts sector.

The Data (Use and Access) Bill does not contain any provisions relating to the music and arts sectors.

If she will make an assessment of the benefits of creating a long service award to recognise PCSOs with 20 years of service.

The Home Office will consider any proposal for national long service recognition for Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs).It is only right that we recognise the commitment shown by PCSOs across the country and whose role are undeniably at the sharp end of policing, diffusing community tensions and providing visible policing presence in our communities.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure that all Integrated Care Systems in England commission Maternal Mental Health Services.

We recognise how important it is for women with perinatal mental health problems to get the right care and support they need. Women who need support can access specialist perinatal mental health services, including mother and baby units, specialist perinatal community teams, and newly established Maternal Mental Health Services.Maternal Mental Health Services have been set up to provide care for women with moderate to severe or complex mental health difficulties arising from birth trauma or loss in the maternity and neonatal context.As of April 2025, 41 Maternal Mental Health Services are live, with services in every integrated care system area in England due to be operational by end of the first quarter of 2025/26.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the war in Ukraine on the horticulture sector.

It is not possible to precisely determine the direct impacts of the war in Ukraine on the UK horticulture sector, as they are dependent on a range of interrelated factors. The war in Ukraine led to rising oil, fuel and energy prices, which created inflationary pressures right across the food chain. Difficulties stemming from the rising input costs and shortages were initially reported by the horticulture sector with farmers experiencing higher energy and fertiliser costs. International energy prices subsequently fell as the global economy adjusted to the Russia-Ukraine conflict. This contributed to an easing of input price inflation. We continue to keep the situation and any impact on our agri-food sectors under close review, including through the UK Agriculture Market Monitoring Group (UKAMMG) which monitors UK agricultural markets including price, supply, inputs, trade, and recent developments.

Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the House of Lords Hoticultural Sector Committee Report entitled Sowing the seeds: A blooming English horticultural sector, published on 6 November 2023, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of Government funding to the horticultural sector.

The Government recognises the specific needs of the sector, and Defra ministers and officials meet regularly with growers to discuss a wide range of issues to help us understand how best to support the sector. Our proposed approach to future funding for horticulture will be considered alongside Defra’s work to simplify and rationalise agricultural grant funding, ensuring that grants deliver the most benefit for food security and nature.

What assessment he has made of the adequacy of mental health support for (a) fathers and (b) partners impacted by pregnancy loss or the death of a baby provided by (i) maternal mental health services, (ii) improving access to psychological support services and (iii) community mental health services.

We recognise that experiencing baby loss can be devastating and we are committed to ensuring that all families receive safe, personalised, equitable and compassionate care.Specialist Perinatal Mental Health Services offer mental health assessments and signposting to support as required for partners of women accessing services. This contributes to helping to care for the 5-10% of fathers who experience mental health difficulties during the perinatal period.To date, we have not undertaken an assessment of the adequacy of mental health support for fathers and partners impacted by baby loss provided by Maternal Mental Health Services.Mental health services within the National Health Service can support adults who are experiencing mental health problems because of baby loss. The Government has chosen to prioritise funding to deliver expansions of NHS Talking Therapies. These offer well-governed, evidence-based, and effective psychological therapy services for common mental health problems, including depression, anxiety disorders and post-traumatic stress reactions. These services are available in every integrated care system through self-referral.