Written questions by Stafford.

What long-term investment her Department is making in cycling and walking infrastructure within the Comprehensive Spending Review.

Future government investment in cycling and walking is being considered alongside all other transport priorities as part of the Spending Review. On 28 March, I informed Parliament of my intention to publish a third Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy following the conclusion of the Spending Review. This will allow us to say more on the long-term funding for active travel, as required by the 2015 Infrastructure Act.

What steps her Department is taking to decarbonise schools in order to meet the emission reduction targets by 2035.

The department is committed to supporting the UK net-zero carbon targets. Since 2021, the department’s own building standards require that all new school buildings delivered by the department are net-zero carbon in operation and are adapted to climate change.Additionally, the department recently announced the £80 million Great British Energy Solar Accelerator Programme, in partnership with GB Energy, that will install solar and other technologies, such as electric vehicle (EV) chargers, in 200 targeted schools and colleges, prioritising those in areas of deprivation, to start in 2025/26.The department is providing support for all schools and colleges to start on their journey towards net zero via our new online sustainability support for education platform and our climate ambassador programme. Where schools are considering options to become more sustainable, including considering decarbonisation of their energy supply, our ‘Get help for buying’ service provides support to ensure that schemes procured are of high-quality and value to the sector. More information can be found at: https://gethelpbuyingforschools.campaign.gov.uk/.Details of other government funding available to public bodies for sustainability, prepared by the Crown Commercial Service can be found at: https://www.crowncommercial.gov.uk/social-value/carbon-net-zero/funding-and-grants.Capital funding allocated to the school sector each year can also be used for projects that improve the energy efficiency and sustainability of school buildings, as well as improving the condition of the estate to keep schools safe and operational.The department has allocated £2.1 billion in condition funding for the 2025/26 financial year, which is £300 million more than the previous year.

What recent discussions her Department has had with (a) Surrey Police and (b) XPS Administration on the service provided to (i) police pension claimants and (ii) people awaiting a remediable service statement.

While the Home Office has responsibility for overarching policy and legislative changes to the police pension regulations, the police pension scheme is locally administered by individual police forces. The Home Office is working with the policing sector to support the effective implementation of the McCloud remedy and associated compensation payments for all affected individuals.It is for each Chief Constable, in their role as scheme manager for their force, to determine their administrative timetable, in accordance with the Public Service Pensions and Judicial Offices Act 2022, including issuing remediable service statements, as well as when remedy payments and compensation payments will be paid.

What discussions her Department has had with (a) Surrey Police and (b) XPS Pensions on the time taken to provide compensation for police pension claimants in Surrey.

While the Home Office has responsibility for overarching policy and legislative changes to the police pension regulations, the police pension scheme is locally administered by individual police forces. The Home Office is working with the policing sector to support the effective implementation of the McCloud remedy and associated compensation payments for all affected individuals.It is for each Chief Constable, in their role as scheme manager for their force, to determine their administrative timetable, in accordance with the Public Service Pensions and Judicial Offices Act 2022, including issuing remediable service statements, as well as when remedy payments and compensation payments will be paid.

If she will take steps with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care to promote first aid training for school pupils.

All state-funded schools are required to teach about first aid as part of the statutory health education set out within the relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) statutory guidance. Independent schools are required to cover health education as part of their responsibility to provide personal, social, health and economic education.The statutory guidance includes basic first aid for primary school children, for example dealing with common injuries, such as head injuries. Pupils in secondary schools will be taught further first aid, for example how to administer CPR and the purpose of defibrillators.The department is currently reviewing the statutory RSHE curriculum, which includes considering whether any additional content is needed, and will be publishing revised guidance as soon as possible.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of increases in employers National Insurance Contributions on levels of employment.

The Office for Budget Responsibility published the Economic and Fiscal Outlook (EFO) in March 2025, which sets out a detailed forecast of the economy and public finances, including their forecast on levels of employment https://obr.uk/efo/economic-and-fiscal-outlook-march-2025/#:~:text=Real%20earnings%20grow%20by%201.4,%2D26%20to%202029%2D30.

Whether he plans to take steps with the Secretary of State for Education to promote (a) CPR training and (b) defibrillator use in schools.

There are no plans to take steps with my Rt Hon. Friend, Secretary of State for Education to promote cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training and defibrillator use in schools. The Department for Education published guidance in January 2025 on the provision and use of automated external defibrillators in schools, as well as training in CPR. This guidance is available at the following link:https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/67936b102de28ea2d392f35b/Automated_External_Defibrillators__AEDs__guidance_for_schools.pdfThe Department for Education, working with NHS Supply Chain, has negotiated an arrangement for schools to purchase defibrillators at a reduced cost. As part of its work to help people survive an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, the British Heart Foundation is offering CPR training packs free to all secondary schools in the United Kingdom.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of replacing Capita with a tri-service agency on the armed forces recruitment process.

On 6 February 2025 AFRP announced the award of the contract to Serco, for the new tri-service Armed Forces Recruiting Service (AFRS). It will provide a streamlined, single-entry point for prospective recruits, with the aim of recruiting from the broadest spectrum of society to attract the best talent into the Armed Forces. The service will launch in 2027, replacing the individual schemes run by the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force.

Whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of classifying severe chronic anorexia as a disability rather than solely a mental health condition.

The Department has made no such assessment. Under the Equality Act 2010, a disability is defined as a physical or mental impairment that has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on an individual’s ability to do normal day to day activities.The Equality Act 2010’s guidance on matters to be taken into account in determining questions relating to the definition of disability, refers to a range of impairments from which a disability can arise, including eating disorders. Further information is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/equality-act-guidance/disability-equality-act-2010-guidance-on-matters-to-be-taken-into-account-in-determining-questions-relating-to-the-definition-of-disability-htmlWe recognise the devastating impact an eating disorder can have on someone’s life, and that the earlier treatment is provided, the greater the chance of recovery. NHS England is continuing to expand community-based eating disorder service capacity, including crisis care and intensive home treatment. By improving care in the community, the National Health Service can improve outcomes and recovery, reduce rates of relapse, prevent eating disorders continuing into adulthood and, if admission is required as a very last resort, reduce lengths of stay in urgent and emergency care.

What steps he is taking to decrease waiting times for (a) urgent and (b) routine cardiology appointments in Surrey and Hampshire.

Too many people have been left in limbo waiting for National Health Service appointments. The Government has committed to returning to the constitutional standard that 92% of patients wait no longer than 18 weeks from referral to treatment. Performance is currently at 58.9% for cardiology services in the Surrey Heartlands Integrated Care Board (ICB), and 59.3% for cardiology services in the Hampshire and Isle of Wight ICB. As a first step, we have already delivered on our pledge of an additional two million operations, scans, and appointments across elective services, nationally, between July and November 2024, compared to the same period in 2023, seven months ahead of schedule.Cardiology has been identified as one of five national priority specialties which will undergo clinically driven pathway transformation in the Elective Reform Plan, published in January 2025. Planned reforms to cardiology care will include increasing specialist input earlier in care pathways, in turn reducing the number of unnecessary diagnostics undertaken, by developing standard pathways for common outpatient presentations, such as palpitations, and increasing timely access to cardiac diagnostic tests.In addition to national efforts, the Department and NHS England are supporting a range of local actions in the South East region to reduce the time patients spend waiting for specialist cardiology care, both for urgent and routine appointments. For example, delays for echocardiography (ECG) are a key challenge in the Hampshire and Isle of Wight ICB. Local action is focussed on improving ECG access by standardising pathways, to remove unwarranted variation for patients, and rolling out wider direct access to diagnostic tests through community diagnostic centre provision, rather than in hospitals. We are also supporting local general practices and trusts, through their ICBs, to increase volumes of Advice and Guidance for cardiology, which significantly reduces the time patients spend waiting for care.

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of allowing people who have instructed solicitors and are in the process of completing property transactions to apply previous stamp duty rates.

In September 2022, the previous government announced a change to the level at which purchasers of residential property start paying Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT), from £125,000 to £250,000. This change was made temporary in November 2022, and the rate will revert to £125,000 on 1 April 2025. For first-time buyers, the nil-rate band is currently £425,000 and the purchase price limit for accessing the relief is currently £625,000. On 1 April 2025, after the rates revert, first time buyers will still benefit from paying no SDLT up to £300,000 and will be able to claim relief on purchases up to £500,000. Purchasers have had notice of these tax changes, as legislated for in the Stamp Duty Land Tax (Temporary Relief) Act 2023. In order to benefit from the temporary rates, purchasers will need to have completed on their purchase by 31 March 2025. The Government keeps all taxes under review as part of the usual tax policy making process.

What the total cost to the public purse was of prescribing Ozempic to NHS patients without a diagnosis of diabetes, heart disease or kidney disease in 2024-25.

Information is not collected on the clinical condition a medicine is prescribed for. Ozempic is only licenced for the treatment of type 2 diabetes and guidance is clear that medications licensed to treat type 2 diabetes should not be prescribed for weight loss. The General Pharmaceutical Council, General Medical Council, Health and Care Professions Council, Nursing and Midwifery Council and Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland have issued a joint statement stressing the importance of health and care professionals meeting regulatory standards in relation to these medicines.

What steps he plans to take to (a) raise awareness of Sudden Unexplained Death in Childhood within schools and local communities and (b) provide educational materials for parents and professionals on this subject.

We recognise the devastating impact of sudden unexplained death in childhood (SUDC) on affected families and communities, and the importance of raising awareness of SUDC amongst relevant professionals, communities and parents.Information on SUDC is available at the following link, which also signposts to SUDC.UK:https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/sudden-infant-death-syndrome-sids/Additional information for parents on SUDC is available in the form of the booklet "When a Child Dies".Health visitors in particular play a key role in supporting child health, wellbeing, and parenting confidence. We are committed to strengthening health visiting services, ensuring we have the staff needed so parents and families receive appropriate care from the right professional.Overall, local authorities determine what public health services they fund, to ensure these are tailored to their local needs. The Department of Health and Social Care does not hold the health workforce data for individual local authorities or the training they receive.In schools, the Department for Education is funding mental health and wellbeing support for school and college leaders. This includes professional supervision and counselling for those who need it. Support continues to be available and can be accessed by visiting the Education Support website, which is available at the following link:https://www.educationsupport.org.uk/

What steps his Department is taking to increase access to ADHD (a) diagnosis, (b) medication and (c) other treatment in (i) areas where waiting times are long and (ii) other areas.

It is the responsibility of integrated care boards (ICBs) in England to make available appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population, including assessments and treatment for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), in line with relevant National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines.NHS England has established the ADHD taskforce which is working to bring together those with lived experience with experts from the National Health Service, education, charity, and justice sectors. The taskforce is working to get a better understanding of the challenges affecting those with ADHD, including timely and equitable access to services and support, with the final report expected to make recommendations in the summer.In conjunction with the taskforce, NHS England has carried out detailed work to develop an ADHD data improvement plan to inform future service planning. NHS England has also conducted detailed work to understand the provider and commissioning landscape, capturing examples from ICBs who are trialling innovative ways of delivering ADHD services. NHS England is using this information to support systems to tackle ADHD waiting lists and provide support to address people’s needs.

What steps her Department is taking to ensure that business rates reform benefit pubs and breweries in every constituency.

From 2026-27, we intend to introduce permanently lower tax rates for retail, hospitality, and leisure (RHL) properties, including pubs and breweries, with rateable values below £500,000. This permanent tax cut will ensure that they benefit from much-needed certainty and support. This tax cut must be sustainably funded, and so we intend to introduce a higher rate on the most valuable properties on 2026-27 - those with Rateable Values of £500,000 and above. These represent less than one per cent of all properties, but cover the majority of large distribution warehouses, including those used by online giants. The Government also published the ‘Transforming Business Rates’ Discussion Paper at Autumn Budget setting out priority areas for reform. This paper invites industry to help co-design a fairer business rates system that supports investment and is fit for the 21st century. Further information regarding the Discussion Paper can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/transforming-business-rates.

What steps his Department is taking to support people on low incomes to access ADHD treatment that is not available through the NHS.

As set out in the NHS Constitution, access to services in the National Health Service is based on clinical need, not an individual’s ability to pay. It is the responsibility of integrated care boards (ICBs) in England to make available appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population, including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) services, in line with relevant National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines.NHS England has established an ADHD taskforce which is working to bring together those with lived experience with experts from the NHS, education, charity, and justice sectors. The taskforce is working to get a better understanding of the challenges affecting those with ADHD, including timely and equitable access to services and support, with the final report expected in the summer.In conjunction with the taskforce, NHS England has carried out detailed work to develop an ADHD data improvement plan to inform future service planning. NHS England has also conducted detailed work to understand the provider and commissioning landscape, capturing examples from ICBs who are trialling innovative ways of delivering ADHD services. NHS England is using this information to support systems to tackle ADHD waiting lists and provide support to address people’s needs.

Whether health professionals in Farnham and Bordon constituency are currently receiving training on Sudden Unexplained Death in Childhood.

We recognise the devastating impact of sudden unexplained death in childhood (SUDC) on affected families and communities, and the importance of raising awareness of SUDC amongst relevant professionals, communities and parents.Information on SUDC is available at the following link, which also signposts to SUDC.UK:https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/sudden-infant-death-syndrome-sids/Additional information for parents on SUDC is available in the form of the booklet "When a Child Dies".Health visitors in particular play a key role in supporting child health, wellbeing, and parenting confidence. We are committed to strengthening health visiting services, ensuring we have the staff needed so parents and families receive appropriate care from the right professional.Overall, local authorities determine what public health services they fund, to ensure these are tailored to their local needs. The Department of Health and Social Care does not hold the health workforce data for individual local authorities or the training they receive.In schools, the Department for Education is funding mental health and wellbeing support for school and college leaders. This includes professional supervision and counselling for those who need it. Support continues to be available and can be accessed by visiting the Education Support website, which is available at the following link:https://www.educationsupport.org.uk/

Whether local authorities in Farnham and Bordon have access to a dedicated key worker for families affected by Sudden Unexplained Death in Childhood; and whether there is a formal referral process to SUDC UK for additional support.

We recognise the devastating impact of sudden unexplained death in childhood (SUDC) on affected families and communities, and the importance of raising awareness of SUDC amongst relevant professionals, communities and parents.Information on SUDC is available at the following link, which also signposts to SUDC.UK:https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/sudden-infant-death-syndrome-sids/Additional information for parents on SUDC is available in the form of the booklet "When a Child Dies".Health visitors in particular play a key role in supporting child health, wellbeing, and parenting confidence. We are committed to strengthening health visiting services, ensuring we have the staff needed so parents and families receive appropriate care from the right professional.Overall, local authorities determine what public health services they fund, to ensure these are tailored to their local needs. The Department of Health and Social Care does not hold the health workforce data for individual local authorities or the training they receive.In schools, the Department for Education is funding mental health and wellbeing support for school and college leaders. This includes professional supervision and counselling for those who need it. Support continues to be available and can be accessed by visiting the Education Support website, which is available at the following link:https://www.educationsupport.org.uk/

Whether his Department has considered raising the alcohol-free threshold from 0.05% ABV to 0.5% ABV.

Under our Health Mission, the government is committed to prioritising preventative public health measures to support people to live longer, healthier lives.While the Government has not made a specific assessment of changing the alcohol-free threshold, the Department will continue to work across Government to better understand how we can best reduce alcohol-related harms, including exploring the potential opportunities presented by alcohol-free and low-alcohol drinks.

What steps his Department is taking to increase funding for research into Sudden Unexplained Death in Childhood; and what plans are in place to develop predictive methods or preventive measures for this condition.

The Department funds health and care research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The NIHR funds clinical, public health and social care research and works in partnership with the National Health Service, universities, local government, other research funders, patients and the public. The NIHR welcomes proposals for research into a range of conditions, including Sudden Unexplained Death in Childhood, with more information available at the following link:https://www.nihr.ac.uk/get-involved/suggest-a-research-topicThe Government has committed to raising the healthiest generation of children ever. This includes ensuring that children receive the right care and support when they need it. The Government’s 10-Year Health Plan, which will be published later this year, will set out broader actions for how we shift health and care systems in England towards preventing ill-health.