Written questions by Morello.

Media and Sport, what recent steps her Department has taken to promote the Women's Rugby World Cup.

We are ambitious and want to make this the biggest Women’s World Cup (RWC) ever. Over 400,000 tickets have already been sold for the tournament, more than double the number bought for the previous tournament in New Zealand in 2022, including a sold out final at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham highlighting the demand for women’s sport in the country. The Government is proud to have provided just under £18m of investment into the tournament since summer 2024 which will be used for all aspects of tournament delivery. In addition to this DCMS Ministers have supported the promotion of the tournament directly with the Secretary of State Lisa Nandy appearing on the BBC at the 100 Days to go event which also coincided with the reveal of the new Women's RWC trophy. I was then delighted to represent the Department at the 50 Days to go Event held in Parliament and the England teams opening match of the tournament in Sunderland against the USA.

Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to help encourage girls to participate in grassroots rugby in (a) schools and (b) local clubs through its funding for the Impact 25 programme.

Since July 2024 the Government has invested £6.78m in Impact 25 the legacy programme for the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup. Impact 25 supports women's and girls' clubs across England as part of the Rugby Football Union’s ambition to widen female participation. It has provided investment to 850 clubs to improve facilities and to train 3,385 new female coaches and match officials, making coaching sessions and matches more accessible contributing to a 35% increase in female age grade registrations in England rising from 17,700 places in 2022 to 23,900 in 2025. The programme has provided direct support to clubs in the West Dorset constituency, providing £10,000 of funding to Bridport RFC , Dorchester RFC and Sherborne RFC. Each club received funding for a ‘Girls Activity Day Pack’ to introduce girls aged 6-12 to rugby with activities, merchandise, and prizes (such as tickets to a Women's Rugby World Cup match). All clubs also received sanitary product packages which are made freely available in club restrooms. More broadly, we want as many girls as possible to get involved in sport and physical activity, including in schools. That is why on 19 June 2025, the Government announced a new School Sport Partnerships model and a new Enrichment Framework for schools to ensure all young people have equal access to high-quality sport and extracurricular activity. Girls will be given the same opportunity as boys to play sports at school.

What steps her Department is taking to support people with visual impairments in (a) further education (b) higher education and (c) apprenticeships.

Support for people with visual impairments in further education, higher education (HE), and apprenticeships is guided by legal duties under the Equality Act 2010 and the special educational needs and disabilities code of practice, with tailored provisions depending on the setting and the needs of the individual.All education and training providers and other related service providers have a duty to make reasonable adjustments for disabled people, including those with visual impairments, so they are not placed at a substantial disadvantage compared to non-disabled students.Reasonable adjustments can include adapting teaching methods (providing materials in accessible formats or using assistive technology), modifying assessments (offering extra time or alternative formats), ensuring physical accessibility (ramps or accessible accommodation), and offering personalised support services (including note-takers, interpreters, or mental health support).In apprenticeships, learning support funding of £150 per month is available to training providers to make reasonable adjustments which support apprentices with learning difficulties and disabilities.Disabled Students’ Allowance is available for eligible HE students for the provision of more specialist support, including specialist equipment, travel costs and non-medical helpers such as specialist note-takers or printing materials in large print or braille in addition to any reasonable adjustments made by their HE provider.

What support her Department is providing to local authorities facing financial strain in delivering SEND services in (a) the South West and (b) Dorset.

The department is providing an increase of £1 billion for high needs budgets in England in the 2025/26 financial year. Total high needs funding for children and young people with complex special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) is over £12 billion in 2025/26.Of that total, the Southwest is being allocated over £983 million through the high needs funding block of the dedicated schools grant (DSG), an increase of £71 million on last year’s DSG high needs block, calculated using the high needs national funding formula. Of this amount, Dorset is being allocated over £60 million, an increase of £4 million on last year.The department intends to set out plans for reforming the SEND system in further detail in a Schools White Paper in the autumn and are considering the funding for future years following the spending review that concluded in June. We will also set out later this year how the government will support local authorities to deal with their historic deficits.

What steps her Department is taking to ensure that statutory deadlines for SEND assessments and Education, Health and Care Plans are consistently upheld by local authorities.

I refer the hon. Member for West Dorset to the answer of 14 July 2025 to Question 65182.

Whether he has had recent discussions with the Secretary of State for the Home Department on the potential impact of supervised drug consumption facilities on (a) crime and (b) health.

My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, has not discussed the potential impact of supervised drug consumption facilities on crime and health with my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for the Home Department.The Government will continue to promote preventative public health measures to support people to live longer and healthier lives, and we are committed to ensuring that anyone with a drug problem can access the help and support they need.

Media and Sport, what recent discussions she has had with the organisers of the Women's Rugby World Cup on the organisation of that event.

The Government is committed to delivering international events with pride, building upon the UK’s global reputation for excellence in staging major sporting events.The Government holds regular discussions with the Rugby Football Union (RFU) and World Rugby, as joint venture partners, to ensure the successful delivery of the Women's Rugby World Cup (Women’s RWC) 2025. The Secretary of State and I attended the Women’s Rugby World Cup 100 ‘Days to go’ launch event in May 2025, where we discussed tournament delivery with senior RFU figures and other stakeholders.I also met with senior RFU figures while supporting England at the opening fixture and semi final of the Women's Rugby World Cup and discussed the delivery of the tournament.We are confident that the great collaboration which has taken place across all delivery partners will result in a landmark moment not just for women’s rugby but for women’s sport.

What assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of laws governing the hours worked by agricultural vehicle drivers.

The Department for Transport (DfT) has not assessed the adequacy of the laws governing the hours worked by agricultural vehicle drivers. The regulations that apply to the hours worked by drivers of agricultural vehicles depend on a range of factors. For example, drivers of some agricultural vehicles, if used for commercial non-agricultural haulage on public roads, may need to comply with the assimilated drivers’ hours rules (Regulation (EC) 561/2006, as it has effect in the UK) which set maximum limits on driving and minimum requirements for breaks and rest periods. These drivers follow the sector-specific Road Transport (Working Time) Regulations 2005. There are a number of exemptions from the assimilated drivers’ hours rules, including for tractors not capable of exceeding 40 km/h and tractors used for agricultural or forestry activities within 100 km of their base. Drivers of tractors that are exempt from the assimilated rules are likely to be subject to GB domestic drivers’ hours rules, which set maximum driving limits and maximum duty limits, and would need to comply with the general Working Time Regulations 1998, unless the driver drives for less than 4 hours in a day or drives only off-road. The DfT has published guidance on the regulations that apply to agricultural vehicles on gov.uk:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/tractors-regulations-on-use.

What steps his Department is taking to help ensure that tractor and trailer drivers comply with legal speed limits on public roads.

Local authorities are asked to have regard to the Department’s guidance Setting Local Speed Limits, designed to make sure that speed limits are appropriately and consistently set while allowing for flexibility to deal with local circumstances, but the final decision is for the traffic authority, working with the police who would carry out any enforcement.

If he will make it his policy to introduce a separate mandatory driving test for tractor and trailer combinations over a certain weight threshold.

There are no current plans to introduce a separate test for agricultural tractor and trailer combinations over a certain weight threshold.

What discussions he has had with road safety experts on updating legislation relating to the use of high-weight agricultural vehicles on public roads.

The Secretary of State for Transport has not had discussions with road safety experts on updating legislation for the use of high-weight agricultural vehicles on public roads. Legislative updates to the speed and weight limits of agricultural tractors were made in 2015. This increased the maximum weight limit for tractor-trailer combinations to 31 tonnes. The government is not currently considering updates to the existing legislation on the use of high-weight agricultural vehicles but has engaged with the sector on this topic.

If he will bring forward legislative proposals to update existing legislation on the use of high-weight agricultural vehicles on public roads to reflect modern vehicle (a) sizes, (b) traffic conditions and (c) safety standards.

The Secretary of State for Transport has not had discussions with road safety experts on updating legislation for the use of high-weight agricultural vehicles on public roads. Legislative updates to the speed and weight limits of agricultural tractors were made in 2015. This increased the maximum weight limit for tractor-trailer combinations to 31 tonnes. The government is not currently considering updates to the existing legislation on the use of high-weight agricultural vehicles but has engaged with the sector on this topic.

Innovation and Technology, whether he has held recent discussions with relevant experts on the Government’s review into the legal frameworks governing subsea telecommunications cables.

DSIT works closely with relevant experts including other government departments, international partners, academics and industry to develop policies to help ensure the security and resilience of subsea telecoms cables. This includes regular discussions on the role of legal frameworks governing subsea telecommunications, which are informing our review. The Government is, of course, incorporating legal advice into its review of the legal frameworks governing subsea telecoms cables. That advice is confidential and legally privileged.

Whether her Department has made an assessment of the proportion of parents eligible for funded childcare who are unable to access places due to (a) nursery waiting lists and (b) restrictions on available days.

It is the department’s ambition that all families have access to high quality, affordable early education and care, giving every child the best start in life and delivering on our Plan for Change. In 2025/26 alone, we plan to provide over £8 billion for the early years entitlements as we roll out the expansion of the entitlements, a 30% increase compared to 2024/25. We have made available £500 million in capital investment to expand early years provision for existing settings and to support the creation of new ones. The department is working closely with local authorities which are being supported to map provision gaps and work with new and existing providers to fill them. The government is also simplifying the registration and regulatory process to make it easier for new providers to enter the market. Where local authorities report sufficiency challenges, the department works closely to address issues including through out childcare sufficiency support contract.These actions are showing an impact with an increase of almost 6,000 providers and over 18,000 staff in the last year.

Whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of nursery availability on parents' ability to return to work when claiming Universal Credit in West Dorset constituency.

It is the department’s ambition that all families have access to high quality, affordable and flexible early education and care, giving every child the best start in life and delivering on our Plan for Change. In 2025/26 alone, we plan to provide over £8 billion for the early years entitlements, which is an additional £2 billion, as we roll out the expansion of the entitlements. We will also work with the Department for Work and Pensions to make it easier for parents to use Universal Credit Childcare and the funded hours together.The department has regular contact with each local authority in England about its sufficiency of childcare and any issues it faces. Where local authorities report sufficiency challenges, we discuss what action can be taken to address those issues and, where needed, support the local authority with any specific requirements through our childcare sufficiency support contract.

What information his Department holds on the (a) number of (i) children and young people who were in the care of and (ii) staff employed by and (b) average caseload per care coordinator in child and adolescent mental health services in West Dorset constituency on 18 June 2025.

NHS England has advised that 4,036 children and young people were on the caseload of child and adolescent mental health services in the West Dorset constituency on 18 June 2025. 179 staff were employed by child and adolescent mental health services in the constituency on that date. Information on the average caseload per care coordinator is not available.

What steps her Department is taking to ensure that childcare places are available to parents eligible for the extended funded hours under the new childcare scheme in West Dorset constituency.

It is the department’s ambition that all families have access to high quality, affordable early education and care, giving every child the best start in life and delivering on our Plan for Change. In 2025/26 alone, we plan to provide over £8 billion for the early years entitlements as we roll out the expansion of the entitlements, a 30% increase compared to 2024/25. We have made available £500 million in capital investment to expand early years provision for existing settings and to support the creation of new ones. The department is working closely with local authorities which are being supported to map provision gaps and work with new and existing providers to fill them. The government is also simplifying the registration and regulatory process to make it easier for new providers to enter the market. Where local authorities report sufficiency challenges, the department works closely to address issues including through out childcare sufficiency support contract.These actions are showing an impact with an increase of almost 6,000 providers and over 18,000 staff in the last year.

What recent assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the (a) access to, (b) waiting times for, (c) availability of specialist therapies in and (d) other provision of child and adolescent mental health services in West Dorset constituency.

The NHS Dorset Integrated Care Board is responsible for commissioning services to meet the mental health needs of children and young people in West Dorset. Nationally, the Government is investing an extra £688 million this year to transform mental health services by hiring more staff, delivering more early interventions, and getting waiting lists down.We have confirmed that we will fulfil our commitment to recruit an additional 8,500 staff across child and adult mental health services by the end of the Parliament, and 6,700 of these extra workers have been recruited since July 2024.We also want to intervene much earlier to support better outcomes for children and young people. That is why the 10-Year Health Plan sets out how we will work with schools and colleges to better identify and meet children's mental health needs by expanding mental health support teams in schools to cover 100% of pupils by 2029/30 and by embedding mental health support in the new Young Futures hubs.Additionally, we are continuing to provide top-up funding of £7 million to 24 existing early support hubs, to expand their services and to take part in an ongoing evaluation of these services in 2025/26. This funding will enable the supported hubs to deliver at least 10,000 additional mental health and wellbeing interventions, so that more children and young people are supported.

What information his Department holds on the average (a) annual total cost and (b) cost per appointment was for the provision of child and adolescent mental health services in West Dorset constituency in each of the last five years.

Information on the annual cost of children and young people’s mental health services is not available at a constituency level. The following table shows the annual funding spent on children and young people’s mental health services for the NHS Dorset Integrated Care Board area: YearFunding2020/21£12,147,000,0002021/22£15,863,000,0002022/23£16,988,000,0002023/24£21,972,000,0002024/25£23,442,000,000Source: NHS England. Information on the cost per appointment is not held.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of Ofsted qualification requirements on the sustainability of rural after-school childcare providers.

The department has made no specific assessment of the impact of Ofsted qualification requirements on the sustainability of rural after school childcare providers. Before and after-school clubs can register with Ofsted on either or both the Early Years Register and the General Childcare Register, depending on the type of provision and age of the children they intend to care for. Some providers are exempt from registration if they meet the exemptions set out in legislation. Depending on their registration, they must either meet the statutory requirements of the early years foundation stage, or the general childcare register requirements. The requirements for both registers are set by the department and include qualification requirements for after-school childcare providers. Officials meet regularly with their Ofsted counterparts to ensure that the regulations that apply to Ofsted registered providers of after-school childcare, including the qualifications requirements for staff, remain fit for purpose.Providers are responsible for considering the staff qualification and training requirements for the running of their after-school provision in line with Ofsted requirements. This means providers have the flexibility to design their own approach to staffing their provision and ensuring it remains sustainable.