Written questions by Stuart.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many full time equivalent personnel there are working in his Department's legal directorate.

As of 30 September 2024, there were between 100-119 staff working in Legal Directorate.

When he expects to progress Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage in the Humber through the Track-1 Expansion and Track-2 processes.

The historic investment we recently announced in Carbon Capture and Storage in the North-West and North-East is just the start, representing a vote of confidence in this technology and burgeoning industry. To be ultimately successful, delivering on our cl...

Food and Rural Affairs, when his Department plans to pay the second phase of grants under the Farming Recovery Fund to farmers affected by flooding in Beverley and Holderness constituency.

We are aware of the ongoing challenges farmers have been facing following the winter storms and the wet weather in late 2023 and early 2024. We are committed to maintaining food production and supporting thriving farm businesses as well as protecting comm...

Food and Rural Affairs, when he plans to approve Tranche 2 funding for Asset Repair and Improvement.

Protecting communities from flooding is a key priority for this Government, and that is why we have launched a Flood Resilience Taskforce. It will provide oversight of national and local flood resilience and preparedness ahead of and after the winter floo...

Media and Sport, if she will extend the Listed Places of Worship Grant beyond March 2025.

Future Government spending is a matter for the upcoming Spending Review.

Which onshore wind farms in the UK have a decommissioning bond as part of their planning consent agreement.

Given the large number of operational wind turbines within the UK, the Government does not hold this information centrally. Instead, this will be held by the relevant local planning authority.

Pursuant to the Answer of 31 July 2024 to Question 1642 on Dental Services, if he will make it his policy to implement the plans to reform dental services set out in the document published by his Department on 7 February 2024 entitled Faster, simpler and fairer: our plan to recover and reform NHS dentistry.

We are currently reviewing the Dental Recovery Plan, and what elements of it can be taken forward effectively and within National Health Service budgets. It is also clear that the plan did not go far enough, and so we are also working on our Dental Rescue Plan, and prioritising initiatives that will see the biggest impact on access to NHS dental care.

What percentage of existing onshore wind farms in England have a decommissioning bond as part of their planning consent agreement.

Given the large number of operational wind turbines within the UK, the Government does not hold this information centrally. Instead, this will be held by the relevant local planning authority.

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of re-allocating the SEND per pupil funding allocation for the East Riding in line with other local authorities.

The department will take time to consider whether to make changes to the high needs national funding formula (NFF) that is used to allocate funding for children and young people with complex special educational needs and disabilities. The department will also consider the impact of any formula changes on local authorities, including East Riding of Yorkshire Council. It is important that there is a fair education funding system that directs funding to where it is needed.Budgets for the 2025/26 financial year have not been set, which means that decisions on the high needs NFF and the publication of allocations for that year will not be to the usual timescales.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will take legislative steps to ensure all domestic insurers offer Build Back Better policies to protect victims of flood damage in Beverley and Holderness constituency.

Build Back Better (BBB) was introduced in 2022 to allow and encourage the insurance industry to provide their claimants with the opportunity to install flood resilient measures when repairs to their property are made. Insurers representing some 75% of the domestic home insurance market have already signed up to offering BBB. Flood Re has taken several steps to encourage the take up of BBB, including running a series of workshops for insurance company staff and developing a toolkit for insurers. I will be meeting with representatives of the insurance industry in September to explore with them how they can work with householders to encourage a high take up of the Build Back Better offer, ensuring as many householders as possible benefit.

Whether he plans to reform the provision of dental care.

The Government plans to tackle the challenges patients face when trying to access National Health Service dental care with a rescue plan to provide 700,000 more urgent dental appointments, and to recruit new dentists to the areas that need them most. To rebuild dentistry in the long term, we will reform the dental contract, with a shift to focus on prevention and the retention of NHS dentists.

Innovation and Technology, if he will make it his policy to require fixed line operators to share infrastructure to help tackle the proliferation of telegraph poles.

We understand concerns about the excessive deployment of telegraph poles, and are urgently considering options to address this. Telegraph poles can play an important role in delivering affordable connectivity to communities, and competition can offer consumers greater choice and cheaper rates. However, it is vital that operators share infrastructure wherever possible, as the last thing anyone wants is for our towns and villages to be littered with countless unnecessary competing telegraph poles. Existing regulations require operators to share infrastructure where practicable, and the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Act 2022 made it easier to upgrade and share existing apparatus. In addition, the Communications (Access to Infrastructure) Regulations 2016 are designed to facilitate sharing for physical infrastructure.

Communities and Local Government, what plans she has to fund the Hull and East Riding Mayoral Combined Authority.

We want to see devolution extended to every corner of England, and have invited local areas without a devolution agreement to come forward with proposals on a sensible geography.We recognise that in some parts of the country, such as Hull and East Yorkshire, local authorities had already worked with the previous government to develop devolution deals, which were put on hold over the general election.We will work with local leaders, members of parliament and stakeholders, including those in Hull and East Yorkshire over the coming months, to ensure that our ambition for deeper and impactful devolution is expanded across the country.

How much she plans to provide East Riding of Yorkshire Council from the Local Transport Fund.

The previous government made a number of funding commitments in the Network North Command Paper and these will be examined closely by the government in the coming months.