Written questions by Snell.

Food and Rural Affairs, what recent estimate his Department has made of the annual cost to the public purse of (a) waste crime and (b) illegal waste exports.

The Environmental Services Association (ESA) estimated in 2021 that waste crime costs the economy in England about £1 billion per year of which at least £42 million per year could be attributed to illegal waste exports. (see here: ESA_Cost_of_Waste_Crime.pdf.) The same report estimates that £499 million or 54% is borne by the public sector.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to strengthen the regulatory framework for waste (a) carriers, (b) brokers, and (c) dealers to reduce criminal activity in the sector.

The Government recently announced plans to tighten up the regulation of those who transport and manage waste services, moving them from a light-touch registration system into environmental permitting. This will give the Environment Agency a greater range of powers and more resources to be able to take action against those operating illegally. It will also introduce the possibility of up to 5 years imprisonment for those who breach these new laws.

Whether her Department plans to take steps to support nursery workers to encourage learning through play.

The early years foundation stage statutory framework (EYFS) sets the standards and requirements that all early years providers must follow to ensure every child has the best start in life and is prepared for school. The EYFS is clear that children learn through play and that play is essential for children’s development. For example, singing songs helps to develop language comprehension, vocabulary, self-expression and literacy. Early years practitioners should carefully organise enabling environments and cultures for high quality play and are encouraged to create games and provide opportunity for play both indoors and outdoors.The department is committed to supporting settings in how to practically deliver the EYFS well for the benefit of all children. A range of information and resources are available, such as ‘Development Matters’, help for early years providers and the Foundation Years website, which includes ideas for play-based learning activities.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of early intervention on children's readiness to start school.

The government’s Plan for Change sets out our ambition for a record proportion of children starting school ready to learn. The department will measure progress through 75% of children at the end of reception reaching a good level of development in the early years foundation stage profile assessment by 2028.Antenatal classes, health visitors, parenting support, baby and toddler groups and access to affordable, high quality early education and childcare are vital to guiding parents, improving the home learning environment and supporting development.A stable family environment is the foundation for better health, education and earnings. Studies have found that the most influential home environment variable on children’s cognitive development at age three and four, and academic outcomes at age seven, is the quality of the home learning environment during preschool years.Children need access to high quality early education and evidence-based programmes designed specifically for this early stage of development. An impact evaluation of the Nuffield Early Language Intervention (NELI) found that children who receive NELI make, on average, four months of additional progress in oral language skills, and seven months for those children on free school meals.

If she will take steps to provide training on home education for parents of school-age children.

The department does not have plans to provide training for parents on home education.We have published guidance for home-educating parents to help them understand their rights and responsibilities.The department is also introducing a new duty on local authorities to provide support to home-educating families through the Children Not in School measures within the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill. This will ensure that there is a baseline level of support across all local authorities so that parents have access to a reliable level of support, irrespective of where they live, and we will be providing additional training to local authorities to help them to fulfil these duties.Parents who choose to home educate have the flexibility to employ a variety of approaches and need not follow structures such as the national curriculum, stick to a traditional school day, nor include the study of specific subjects, provided the education is efficient, full-time and suitable to the age, ability and aptitude of the child and any special educational needs they may have. Issuing training would therefore not be appropriate, as we do not wish to impose restrictions on parents by instructing them on how they should home educate their children.

What assessment she has made of the potential merits of rolling out family hubs nationally.

On 11 June, my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer set out plans for spending and public sector reforms through the Spending Review 2025. This announcement confirmed departmental budgets for 2026/27 onwards and committed that the government will continue to invest in and expand the Family Hubs programme, working with parents to help give children the best start in life.This builds upon my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister’s Plan for Change, published in December 2024, which outlined the ambition to give children the best start in life by strengthening and coordinating family services to improve support through pregnancy and early childhood.The department is working with the Department of Health and Social Care to share further information about what the Spending Review settlement means for the continuation and expansion of the programme. We recognise the importance of providing local authorities with certainty of future funding across the whole programme and we will share further information when we are able to.

Media and Sport, what assessment she has made with Cabinet colleagues of the potential impact of closures of (a) libraries and (b) other cultural spaces on the availability of early years services.

Local authorities have a statutory duty to provide a comprehensive and efficient library service.Public libraries significantly contribute to early childhood development by offering a variety of events like storytimes, rhymetimes, and craft sessions. These activities, along with access to a diverse collection of reading materials for all ages, are crucial for enhancing speech, development, and social skills in young children.Where local authorities are proposing changes to their statutory library service, including closures, DCMS expects the local authority to be able to demonstrate that proposals are supported by an assessment of local needs, together with a rigorous analysis and assessment of the potential impact of their proposals and a demonstration of the steps to be taken to mitigate the impact.The Secretary of State has a statutory power to intervene by way of local inquiry if she considers that a local authority is not providing a comprehensive and efficient library service. She takes this role very seriously and should a complaint be received, Ministers will challenge the local council and carefully consider evidence before deciding if a local inquiry is needed.Arts and culture should reach all children and young people and connect with them in a unique way - and this government is committed to ensuring that the Arts can continue to provide opportunities for children up and down the country. Seventy-nine percent of Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisations, which includes theatres, museums and galleries, work with children and young people.The Family Hubs and Start for Life programme provides access to joined up early years support and family services, with over 500 hubs now open across the country. Local authorities should consider existing infrastructure and local need when deciding where to locate services. Libraries and community spaces can, and often do, form part of family hub networks.

What assessment she has made of the potential merits of rolling out family hubs across the country.

On 11 June, my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer set out plans for spending and public sector reforms through the Spending Review 2025. This announcement confirmed departmental budgets for 2026/27 onwards and committed that the government will continue to invest in and expand the Family Hubs programme, working with parents to help give children the best start in life.This builds upon my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister’s Plan for Change, published in December 2024, which outlined the ambition to give children the best start in life by strengthening and coordinating family services to improve support through pregnancy and early childhood.The department is working with the Department of Health and Social Care to share further information about what the Spending Review settlement means for the continuation and expansion of the programme. We recognise the importance of providing local authorities with certainty of future funding across the whole programme and we will share further information when we are able to.

What steps her Department is taking to increase the availability of early years support for parents in disadvantaged areas.

On 7 July 2025 the government published its Best Start in Life Strategy which sets out plans to ensure all young families can benefit from high quality family services and early years education and childcare, delivering our Plan for Change.This includes national rollout of Best Start Family Hubs, bringing together the trusted advice and guidance all parents need in one place and linking families to their local services. Backed by £500 million investment these services will reach the children and families who will benefit most from this support, including those from lower-income families and with additional vulnerabilities.From age 2, children from low-income families, those with education, health and care plans, and looked-after children are eligible for 15 hours of funded early education. Disadvantaged children may also receive the Early Years Pupil Premium, from April 2025 this was increased by 45%.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether it is his Department's policy that the people of Kashmir should have the right to a referendum to determine their future.

India and Pakistan are important friends of the UK. We encourage both to engage in dialogue and find lasting, diplomatic solutions to maintain regional stability.     The UK Government’s longstanding position on Kashmir that it is for India and Pakistan to find a lasting political resolution on Kashmir, considering the wishes of Kashmiri people.

How many apprenticeship starts at level 7 there were in the academic years (a) 2023-24 and (b) 2024-25 for individuals aged 16-21.

There were 2,710 apprenticeship starts at level 7 by learners aged under 22 in the 2023/24 full academic year. So far for 2024/25 (August 2024 to January 2025), there have been 2,540 apprenticeship starts reported.

When she plans to provide an Answer to Question 50886 on Apprentices: Taxation, tabled on 8 May 2025.

The response to Written Parliamentary Question 50886 was published on 21 May 2025.

How many organisations were consulted on the decision to cut funding for specialist software from the Disabled Student's Allowance.

The department engaged with disability experts who support disabled students to gather their feedback and insights on the decision to remove non-specialist spelling and grammar software from Disabled Students’ Allowance funding. These persons contributed in a personal capacity.The department does not expect that students will be negatively impacted by the changes, because specific technology packages will no longer be funded where free-to-access versions, with the required functionality, are available to meet students’ disability-related support needs.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of changes to levy funding for level 7 apprenticeships on the educational opportunities available in Stoke-on-Trent.

I refer my hon. Friend, the Member for Stoke-on-Trent Central to the answer of 9 April 2025 to Question 43275.

What proportion of PIP claimants currently have more than four points in any one category.

The information you requested can be found in Table 2.27 in the Pathways to Work: Evidence Pack: Chapter 2. The assessment of the Office for Budget Responsibility, published at the Spring Statement, is that most of the current claimants of PIP Daily Living who did not score four points in any of the activities at their last assessment will, nevertheless, because of behaviour changes, be awarded PIP Daily Living again after the proposed eligibility changes take effect.

When a person who reached state pension age before 2016 would become entitled to their basic state pension.

The basic State Pension was available for those who reached State Pension age before 6 April 2016.Men were eligible for basic State Pension at age 65. Women born prior to 6 April 1950 were eligible for the basic State Pension at age 60.Following changes to the State Pension age due to the Pensions Act 1995, women born from 6 April 1950 to 5 April 1953 were eligible for the basic State Pension on a phased basis between 6 May 2010 and 6 March 2016. They had a State Pension age of between 60 years and one day and 63 years.Details can be found in Table 1 here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a7f02e640f0b62305b84929/spa-timetable.pdf

Pursuant to the Answer of 18 March 2025 to Question 38091 on UK Emissions Trading Scheme: Ceramics, which recommendations he supports for the decarbonisation of the ceramics sector; and what is the nature of that support.

I refer my hon Friend to the answer given in the House on 1 May which focussed on the ceramics sector. The Government recognises that we need to support a range of energy intensive industries, including ceramics, that are essential to our economy and our missions. For example, to build the 1.5 million homes and the clean energy infrastructure projects that this Government is already investing in. The Ceramics UK report mentioned describes a role for: energy efficiency improvements; addressing grid decarbonisation and self -generation; fuel switching to electrification, hydrogen and biomass; product and material adaptation; and addressing process emissions through a combination of Carbon Capture, Usage and Storage (CCUS) and addressing residual emissions. While the exact balance will vary between firms and between subsectors of industry, we expect a role for each of these measures, and are taking action to support and provide signals to the market on each of these. Government will bring forward a renewed industrial decarbonisation strategy in due course to address energy and decarbonisation issues across industries in a holistic way, and is committed to working closely with the ceramics sector as we develop that approach.

What discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on (a) public and (b) school library funding.

In line with the practice of successive administrations, details of internal discussions are not normally disclosed.Local government is responsible for running or commissioning public library services. The Government has delivered a Local Government Finance Settlement (LGFS) that begins to fix the foundations of local government by providing significant investment and redirecting funding towards the services and places that need it most. The Settlement for 2025-26 makes available over £69 billion for local government, which is a 6.8% cash terms increase in councils’ Core Spending Power on 2024-25.The Government provides funding to schools and academies through the Dedicated Schools Grant. Schools and academies are best placed to make decisions on how to prioritise this funding, including on school library provision.

Innovation and Technology, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of poor media literacy skills on young people's (a) employability and (b) workplace readiness.

According to the Essential Digital Skills Framework, media literacy-related skills, including understanding online risks, are essential for work. The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology has worked with FutureDotNow to analyse the benefits of essential digital skills for earnings and employability, with findings being published shortly.The Digital Inclusion Action Plan outlines steps towards delivering digital inclusion and media literacy for everyone in the UK. The independent Curriculum and Assessment Review is also considering how young people will acquire the digital skills needed for future life, with the interim report highlighting the need for a renewed focus on media literacy.

Innovation and Technology, what assessment he has made of the potential contribution of (a) civil society and (b) community organisations in delivering lifelong media literacy programmes for adults.

Civil society and community organisations are instrumental in delivering media literacy programmes to adults, leveraging their expertise to support diverse and vulnerable groups. Libraries and community centres provide accessible locations where adults of all ages can get guidance and advice.The Digital Inclusion Action Plan outlines steps toward delivering digital inclusion and media literacy for everyone in the UK, including supporting local and community initiatives to increase digital participation.Under updated media literacy duties, Ofcom is developing a ‘place-based’ model to embed media literacy into community digital strategies, working with the Good Things Foundation to support Digital Inclusion Hubs.