Written questions by Hinds.

Whether he will assess the potential merits of allowing local authorities to roll over unspent Connect to Work funding into the following year.

Expenditure on Connect to Work is annualised in line with standard practice for managing public funds. To retain funding controls, my Department cannot automatically carry forward underspends into future years. As part of the Connect to Work Delivery Plan approval process, local areas must profile their programme activity for the entire funding period, broken down by financial year and by month within those years. This ensures that funding is aligned with planned delivery and performance milestones. My Department will have regular performance conversations with lead authorities for Connect to Work and will seek to support any area that may not be delivering against their profile and will seek to support any area that may not be delivering against their profile. This will include the opportunity to reprofile in year as part of the annual review process

Media and Sport, if she will consider the potential merits of introducing a statutory definition of civic museums to include independent museums.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has no statutory definition for ‘civic museums’ as this is a label originating within the museums sector, which museums may choose to self-identify under. DCMS is advised by Arts Council England on the categorisation of museums: its policies for the sector and eligibility for support schemes are carefully designed to take into account the breadth of operating and governance models across the sector, as well as respond to new and emerging needs, including those faced by independent museums. There are no current plans to introduce a statutory definition of the term.

Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of increasing the eligibility of the Museum Renewal Fund to include independent museums.

The Museum Renewal Fund is an urgent intervention this financial year to provide time-limited support for museums with a local authority link. The Fund, delivered by Arts Council England, provided targeted support for museums and focused on supporting the financial resilience of museums caring predominantly for publicly-owned Collections, responding to a clear ask by the entire museums sector. It is now closed to applicants and the 75 recipients were announced in October 2025.DCMS provides a range of support for ACE-Accredited museums of all types, through Capital funds including the Museum Estate and Development Fund and the DCMS/Wolfson Museums and Galleries Improvement Fund, and tax incentives like the Museums and Galleries Exhibitions Tax Relief, and Museum VAT Refund Scheme.

Innovation and Technology, when her Department will publish its response to its recent consultation on Copyright and AI.

The consultation on Copyright and AI sought views on several topics relating to the interaction between copyright and artificial intelligence (AI) and received over 11,500 responses. The Government has carefully analysed the responses and will continue to engage extensively on this issue, including through technical working groups.The Government has committed to publish a progress update by 18 December 2025 and a full report by 18 March 2026.

What assessment she has made of (i) the economic impact and (ii) potential cost savings for the pubs sector of introducing a 20p reduction in the business rates multiplier for all pubs.

In April 2026, the Government will introduce permanently lower business rates multipliers for retail, hospitality, and leisure (RHL) properties with rateable values below £500,000. This permanent tax cut will ensure that eligible properties, including pubs, benefit from much-needed certainty and support. Breweries that are wholly or mainly open to visiting members of the public (for instance, mainly used as a bar or for providing tours to the public) will also benefit from the lower multipliers. The final design, including the rates, for the new business rates multipliers will be announced at Budget 2025, so that the Government can factor the revaluation outcomes, as well as the broader economic and fiscal context, into decision-making. When the new multipliers are set, HM Treasury intends to publish analysis of the effects of the new multiplier arrangements. Ahead of the new multipliers being introduced, the Government prevented RHL business rates relief from ending in April 2025, extending it for one year at 40 per cent up to a cash cap of £110,000 per business. Under the previous Government, RHL relief was due to end entirely in April 2025, and so by extending it, the Government has saved the average pub, with a ratable value of £16,800, over £3,300.

How she will measure the impact of the 2026 'Year of Reading' on children and young people.

The National Year of Reading is a UK-wide campaign to address the steep decline in reading enjoyment amongst children, young people and adults, aiming to engage new audiences in reading and make lasting change to the nation’s reading habits.Grounded in existing evidence and new research by an external research agency, the campaign is designed to deliver meaningful impact during 2026 and beyond. The impact of the National Year of Reading will be measured through an independent external evaluation. The evaluation will examine how the campaign influences reading behaviours, connects with audiences and shapes attitudes towards reading, particularly among the campaign’s priority audiences including teenage boys, the early years, and families from disadvantaged communities. It will also assess the wider impact on the literacy sector and the foundations for long-term change. The findings will be published in 2027.

Media and Sport, with reference to the speech at the Labour Party Conference of 29 September 2025, on what evidential basis it was said that 1,700 primary schools do not have a school library.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has responsibility for the Dormant Assets Scheme, which is providing funding to support the primary school library commitment, previously announced by the Chancellor. Research by the National Literacy Trust estimates there are 1,700 primary schools in England currently without a library. A 2023 NLT report states that 1 in 7 UK state primary schools, rising to 1 in 4 in disadvantaged areas, do not have a library or dedicated library space. Through the Scheme, £132.5 million has been allocated to increasing disadvantaged young people’s access to enrichment opportunities in the arts, culture, sports and wider youth services, aimed at improving wellbeing and employability over the long term. Funding for this initiative will come from the £132.5m. It is for individual schools to decide how best to provide and maintain a library service for their pupils, including whether to employ a qualified librarian. The Department for Education, therefore, does not collect data on the number or structure of school libraries or number of librarians in primary or secondary schools.

Media and Sport, if she will publish interim indicators of progress towards the Government's ambition to add 1,700 primary school libraries.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has responsibility over the Dormant Assets Scheme.Through the Scheme, £132.5 million has been allocated to increasing disadvantaged young people’s access to enrichment opportunities in the arts, culture, sports and wider youth services, aimed at improving wellbeing and employability over the long term. Funding for this initiative will come from the £132.5m.The Government is working with The National Lottery Community Fund to co-design the programme and develop more of the specifics around its delivery. Further details will be announced in due course, including funding allocations.

Media and Sport, with reference to the Government's ambition that every primary school should have a library, how much funding will be available for (a) the building of libraries and (b) the conversion of existing buildings to libraries.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has responsibility over the Dormant Assets Scheme.Through the Scheme, £132.5 million has been allocated to increasing disadvantaged young people’s access to enrichment opportunities in the arts, culture, sports and wider youth services, aimed at improving wellbeing and employability over the long term. Funding for this initiative will come from the £132.5m.The Government is working with The National Lottery Community Fund to co-design the programme and develop more of the specifics around its delivery. Further details will be announced in due course, including funding allocations.

Media and Sport, with reference to the Government's ambition that every primary school should have a library, what funding will be available (a) for the staffing of the additional libraries, (b) for the provision of books and (c) to cover other costs.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has responsibility over the Dormant Assets Scheme.Through the Scheme, £132.5 million has been allocated to increasing disadvantaged young people’s access to enrichment opportunities in the arts, culture, sports and wider youth services, aimed at improving wellbeing and employability over the long term. Funding for this initiative will come from the £132.5m.The Government is working with The National Lottery Community Fund to co-design the programme and develop more of the specifics around its delivery. Further details will be announced in due course, including funding allocations.

With reference to the press release entitled UK and Albania agree groundbreaking new arrangement on prisoner transfers, published on 24 May 2023, how many prisoners have been transferred under the agreement with Albania since 31 December 2024.

Since 31 December 2024, six Albanian national offenders have been transferred to Albania under the bi-lateral Prison Transfer Agreement. Prisoner transfer is just one scheme where foreign national offenders can be removed early from prison, and it is more suited to those serving longer sentences. The Government pursues removal through all available mechanisms. The latest Home Office data indicate that 1,625 Albanian foreign national offenders were removed from England and Wales in 2024.

If he will publish a national strategy for palliative and end of life care.

The Government is developing a Palliative Care and End of Life Care Modern Service Framework for England. I refer the Rt. Hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement HCWS1087, which I gave to the House on 24 November 2025.

Innovation and Technology, what research her Department has commissioned on the potential impact of media content on electronic devices on (a) babies and (b) toddlers.

The Online Safety Act requires services that are likely to be accessed by children to risk assess their service and provide additional measures for child users of all age groups, including early years. Ofcom’s Children Register of Risks lists 0-5 years as an age group for which it expects services to consider the age-related risks based on the developmental stage of the children.

What information her Department holds on the costs incurred by schools for implementing smartphone bans during the school day.

Departmental guidance on mobile phones in schools, published in February 2024, is clear that schools should prohibit the use of devices with smart technology throughout the school day, including during lessons, transitions and breaks.The department expects all schools to take steps in line with this guidance to ensure mobile phones do not disrupt pupils’ learning.Research from the Children’s Commissioner published in April 2025, with responses from nearly all schools and colleges in England, shows that the overwhelming majority of schools (99.8% of primary schools and 90% of secondary schools) already have policies in place that limit or restrict the use of mobile phones during the school day.The department does not hold information on costs incurred by schools to implement mobile phone bans. Each school is responsible for deciding how they apply this guidance and how to accommodate the needs of their pupils.

What assessment she has made of the effectiveness of schools' implementation of her Department's guidance entitled Mobile phones in schools, published on 19 February 2024.

Departmental guidance on mobile phones in schools, published in February 2024, is clear that schools should prohibit the use of devices with smart technology throughout the school day, including during lessons, transitions and breaks.The department expects all schools to take steps in line with this guidance to ensure mobile phones do not disrupt pupils’ learning.Research from the Children’s Commissioner published in April 2025, with responses from nearly all schools and colleges in England, shows that the overwhelming majority of schools (99.8% of primary schools and 90% of secondary schools) already have policies in place that limit or restrict the use of mobile phones during the school day.The department does not hold information on costs incurred by schools to implement mobile phone bans. Each school is responsible for deciding how they apply this guidance and how to accommodate the needs of their pupils.

Pursuant to the Answer of 21 October 2025 to Question 905924 on Health Services: Rehabilitation, what the percentage numbers were for causes of delayed discharge for (a) Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and (b) Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust in each month of 2025.

There is no data on discharge delays relating to rehabilitation alone, but information on the reasons for delayed discharges are published monthly by NHS England and are available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/discharge-delays/acute-discharge-situation-report/The tables attached show the proportion of delayed discharges where the primary reason for the delay was related to securing rehabilitation, reablement, or recovery services, for patients with a length of stay of 14 days or over, each month between January 2025 and September 2025 for the Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and the Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust. These delays were either linked to capacity constraints or occurred during the brokerage processes at the interface between the National Health Service, local authorities, social care and/or housing partners.Please note that unlike the response to Question 905924, we have provided data for patients with length of stays of 14 days or more, as the seven day or more length of stay data is only available from the September 2025 publication.To support trusts with reducing delayed discharges, the Government published a new policy framework in January 2025 for the £9 billion Better Care Fund, which provides the NHS and local authorities accountability for setting and achieving joint goals for reducing discharge delays and preventing avoidable emergency admissions and care home admission. Some challenged systems in need of additional support are also receiving a programme of improvement support.

Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 21 October 2025 to Question 78098 on Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation and Responsible Technology Adoption Unit, how many full time equivalent staff there were in the Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation by grade at the end of the 2022-23 financial year.

The Full Time Equivalent Staff for the Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation by Grade at the end of the 2022-23 Financial year is shown below. GradeFTE TotalA13A(U)*B9C*Senior Civil Service Pay Band 1*Senior Civil Service Pay Band 2*Grand Total29.9 *data exempted under Section 40(2) Some personal information has been withheld under section 40(2) (personal information) of the Act. Section 40(2) is an ‘absolute’ exemption and the department is not obliged to consider whether the public interest favours disclosing the information. Section 40(2) exempts personal information from disclosure if that information relates to someone other than the applicant, and if disclosure of the information would, amongst other things, contravene one of the data protection principles in Article 5 of the UK GDPR. In this case, I believe disclosure would contravene the first data protection principle, which provides that personal data must be processed fairly and lawfully. This information has been withheld as there were a small number of staff who met the criteria of your request . The department does not release information that affects a low number of staff as this would make them easily identifiable to the wider public.

Pursuant to his Answer of 21 October 2025 to Question 905924, what the equivalent percentage numbers were for other causes of delayed discharge in (a) Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and (b) Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust.

Information on the other causes of delayed discharge has been published by NHS England, and is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/discharge-delays/acute-discharge-situation-report/The following table shows the proportion of delayed discharges for patients with a length of stay of seven days or longer in September 2025, by primary reason for discharge delay, for the Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and the Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust: Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation TrustPortsmouth Hospitals University NHS TrustHospital Process24%7%Wellbeing Concerns5%7%Care Transfer Hub Process19%16%Interface Process40%43%Capacity13%26%Weekly average snapshot of the total number of people per day with a length of stay of seven or more days who no had criteria to reside but who weren’t discharged142222Note: proportions do not add up to 100% due to rounding.To support trusts with reducing delayed discharges, the Government published a new policy framework in January 2025 for the £9 billion Better Care Fund, which provides the National Health Service and local authorities with accountability for setting and achieving joint goals for reducing discharge delays, preventing avoidable emergency admissions and care home admission. Some challenged systems in need of additional support are also receiving a programme of improvement support.

What assessment he has made of the adequacy of the provision of step-down care in East Hampshire constituency.

This Government is committed to tackling delayed discharges to free up hospital beds, ensure people do not spend longer than necessary in hospital and, where safe and supported to do so, can recover well at home. To support this, we have provided around £9billion through the Better Care Fund, including £179million in Hampshire.In September, Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust reported step-down intermediate care capacity as the primary reason of delay for 6% of patients with delayed discharge and at least a 7-day length of stay. For Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust this was 13%, both lower than the England average of 14%.

What steps she is taking to ensure that victims of high value Authorised Push Payment fraud are adequately protected under the mandatory reimbursement scheme.

The Government takes the issue of fraud very seriously and is dedicated to protecting the public from this appalling crime. To protect consumers, under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2023, the Payment Systems Regulator (PSR) has introduced a mandatory reimbursement regime for Authorised Push Payment (APP) scams taking place over the Faster Payment system. This came into force on 7 October 2024. The PSR’s rules require in scope Payment Service Providers (PSP’s) to reimburse victims of APP scams which take place over the Faster Payments System up to the value of £85,000, with responsibility split equally between the sending and receiving firms. The PSR has stated that it expects the £85,000 limit will cover 99% of claims. APP scams which take place over the CHAPS payment system are also in scope of reimbursement. The PSR operates independently of the Government and has statutory responsibility for payment systems regulation. The PSR monitors compliance closely and has powers to take action where firms fall short of their obligations.