Written questions by Morgan.

How many people employed by his Department have worked on (a) the review into the New Hospital Programme and (b) the New Hospital Programme in each year since 2019.

The review into the New Hospital Programme (NHP) was led by a Director from the NHP team in the Department of Health and Social Care. They were supported by several officials from within the NHP sponsor team in the Department of Health and Social Care along with officials in NHS England, with input from officials in HM Treasury.The following table shows the figures for the number of people employed by the Department of Health and Social Care to work on the NHP Sponsor Team at the end of each financial year up to March 2024 and then until December 2024:DateHeadcount31 March 2019Prior to the Programme being established31 March 2020Prior to the Programme being established31 March 20212131 March 20226031 March 20234531 March 20241831 December 202422 Notes:The NHP was established in October 2020 and comprises of staff in the Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England. In July 2023, the NHP moved to a Sponsor and Delivery Model with numerous Departmental roles being transferred to NHS England.The table only shows the number of people employed in the Department of Health and Social Care working in the NHP Sponsor Team and does not include any individuals on loan in and not on Departmental payroll or contingent labour.

What his Department's (a) capital and (b) non-capital spend is on the New Hospitals Programme.

As set out in our New Hospital Programme: plan for implementation, the exact profile of funding for the New Hospital Programme will be confirmed in rolling five-year waves at regular Spending Reviews. Further information on the plan for implementation is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/new-hospital-programme-review-outcome/new-hospital-programme-plan-for-implementationUp to and including December 2024, the Department’s spend on the New Hospital Programme was £1.808 billion for capital expenditure, and £268 million for non-capital expenditure. This includes the year-to-date position for 2024/25, and as such remains provisional and subject to final audit.The current future estimates of costs for schemes in waves two and three were published in the plan for implementation. The previous budget allocated to trusts in the New Hospital Programme was published in the annual Financial assistance under section 40 of the National Health Service Act 2006, and is available at the following link:https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/676161a094c0d990c1ef3953/dhsc-financial-assistance-under-section-40-of-the-national-health-service-act-2006-report-2023-2024.pdfAll spend allocated to hospital trusts in the New Hospital Programme is capitalised, and as such we do not record any non-capital spend.

What estimate he has made of the (a) capital and (b) non-capital spend on the New Hospital Programme by hospital trusts that are part of waves 2 and 3.

As set out in our New Hospital Programme: plan for implementation, the exact profile of funding for the New Hospital Programme will be confirmed in rolling five-year waves at regular Spending Reviews. Further information on the plan for implementation is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/new-hospital-programme-review-outcome/new-hospital-programme-plan-for-implementationUp to and including December 2024, the Department’s spend on the New Hospital Programme was £1.808 billion for capital expenditure, and £268 million for non-capital expenditure. This includes the year-to-date position for 2024/25, and as such remains provisional and subject to final audit.The current future estimates of costs for schemes in waves two and three were published in the plan for implementation. The previous budget allocated to trusts in the New Hospital Programme was published in the annual Financial assistance under section 40 of the National Health Service Act 2006, and is available at the following link:https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/676161a094c0d990c1ef3953/dhsc-financial-assistance-under-section-40-of-the-national-health-service-act-2006-report-2023-2024.pdfAll spend allocated to hospital trusts in the New Hospital Programme is capitalised, and as such we do not record any non-capital spend.

If he will publish (a) a year by year forecast of expected investment in the New Hospitals Programme and (b) the projected total budget for that programme.

As set out in our New Hospital Programme: plan for implementation, the exact profile of funding for the New Hospital Programme will be confirmed in rolling five-year waves at regular Spending Reviews. Further information on the plan for implementation is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/new-hospital-programme-review-outcome/new-hospital-programme-plan-for-implementationUp to and including December 2024, the Department’s spend on the New Hospital Programme was £1.808 billion for capital expenditure, and £268 million for non-capital expenditure. This includes the year-to-date position for 2024/25, and as such remains provisional and subject to final audit.The current future estimates of costs for schemes in waves two and three were published in the plan for implementation. The previous budget allocated to trusts in the New Hospital Programme was published in the annual Financial assistance under section 40 of the National Health Service Act 2006, and is available at the following link:https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/676161a094c0d990c1ef3953/dhsc-financial-assistance-under-section-40-of-the-national-health-service-act-2006-report-2023-2024.pdfAll spend allocated to hospital trusts in the New Hospital Programme is capitalised, and as such we do not record any non-capital spend.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to support businesses impacted by outbreaks of avian influenza.

The UK poultry sector is highly resilient, adaptable and continues to supply healthy and affordable products in spite of the many challenges it has faced in recent years including the Covid-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine and Avian Influenza outbreaks. In autumn 2024 Defra announced a package of measures to help farmers to deal with the impact of any future avian influenza outbreaks and to provide certainty and stability to farmers in the UK’s poultry and egg sectors. These included: - The introduction of legislation to allow free-range eggs to continue to be labelled as such for the duration of mandatory housing measures, reducing costs on producers and enabling them to continue to trade fairly with imported eggs. This came into force on 23 January 2025.- A consultation on introducing similar measures for the labelling of free-range poultry meat during mandatory housing measures. The consultation closed on 16 December 2024. Responses are currently being analysed and a summary of responses will be published in due course. We continue to work closely with the poultry and egg sectors and to monitor these markets for any supply issues that may arise as a result of avian influenza outbreaks.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to help farmers insure against the risk of avian influenza outbreaks.

The UK poultry sector is highly resilient and adaptable and continues to supply healthy and affordable products in spite of the many challenges it has faced in recent years including the Covid-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine and avian influenza outbreaks. Following difficult avian influenza seasons in 2021/22 and 2022/23, poultry and egg producers have made the department aware of the challenges that some have faced in both obtaining suitable insurance products and the increased cost of such insurance. Defra has been working with both producers and the insurance industry to seek market-based solutions to this situation. In addition, the department continues to remind producers that they are responsible for the on-farm management of their flocks and should take appropriate steps to reduce the risk of an outbreak occurring. Having strong biosecurity measures in place, and maintaining them year-round, significantly reduces the risk of infection on site.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of compensation protocols for birds culled to control avian influenza.

Compensation paid for birds culled by HM Government for disease control purposes is designed to promote prompt reporting of suspicion of disease and is only payable for healthy birds as set out in the Animal Health Act 1981. There is no compensation available for sick birds or birds that have died. Compensation is not paid for consequential losses, including business interruption caused by control measures, nor for eggs or poultry meat. In response to the unprecedented outbreaks of avian influenza in October 2022 Defra’s approach to compensation was updated to involve earlier assessment of the number of healthy birds and swifter calculation of compensation. This allows Defra to provide earlier certainty about entitlement to compensation; better reflects the impact of outbreaks on premises; and leads to swifter payments to help stem any cash flow pressures. Defra’s approach to compensation was recently subject to a judicial review, and was found to be lawful on appeal. Compensation policy will continue to be kept under regular review.

Communities and Local Government, what proportion of completions funded by Homes England's Affordable Homes Programme were in rural settlements with (a) a population of 3,000 or fewer and (b) schemes of 15 dwellings or less in each of the last three years.

Homes England publish allocations data for the 2021-2026 Affordable Homes Programme. This can be found on gov.uk here.With regard to their Continuous Market Engagement (CME) activity to the end of March 2023, Homes England made allocations for 1,862 homes in areas with a population of less than 3,000 (10% of all CME allocations).Further updates on allocations, including those with Strategic Partners, which make up a large proportion of programme delivery, will be released in due course.

Communities and Local Government, what proportion of Homes England's Affordable Homes Programme was invested in new affordable homes in rural settlements with a population of 3,000 or fewer in each of the last three years.

Homes England publish allocations data for the 2021-2026 Affordable Homes Programme. This can be found on gov.uk here.With regard to their Continuous Market Engagement (CME) activity to the end of March 2023, Homes England made allocations for 1,862 homes in areas with a population of less than 3,000 (10% of all CME allocations).Further updates on allocations, including those with Strategic Partners, which make up a large proportion of programme delivery, will be released in due course.

Communities and Local Government, what proportion of completions funded by Homes England's Affordable Homes Programme were in rural settlements with a population of 3,000 or fewer in each of the last three years.

Homes England publish allocations data for the 2021-2026 Affordable Homes Programme. This can be found on gov.uk here.With regard to their Continuous Market Engagement (CME) activity to the end of March 2023, Homes England made allocations for 1,862 homes in areas with a population of less than 3,000 (10% of all CME allocations).Further updates on allocations, including those with Strategic Partners, which make up a large proportion of programme delivery, will be released in due course.

Communities and Local Government, what proportion of Homes England’s investment programmes was spent in rural settlements with a population of 3,000 or fewer in each of the last three years.

Homes England do not publish a breakdown of rural housing spend or delivery for the Affordable Homes Programme. The Local Authority Housing Statistics [footnote 8] collects the number of new build and acquisitions in populations of less than 3,000. In 2023-24, there were 5,248 new affordable homes in these areas, which accounted for 8% of all new affordable housing. This is an increase of 7% compared to the previous year but lower than a peak of 5,702 in 2018-19. As a percentage, delivery in populations of less than 3,000 has been 8% since 2020-21, lower than a peak of 12% in 2015-16.

What assessment she has made of the adequacy of the quality of road repairs in Shropshire.

This Government takes the condition of local roads very seriously and is committed to enabling local highway authorities to maintain and renew their local highway networks. At Budget 2024, the Chancellor announced an extra £500 million for local highway maintenance for the 2025/26 financial year, a total increase of nearly 50% compared to the current financial year. Funding allocations to English local highway authorities for 2025/26 were announced on 20 December 2024, and Shropshire will receive up to £33.6 million. Shropshire Council is the local highway authority for Shropshire and it is responsible for the condition of its local network. The Government does not set standards for road repairs: it is up to individual local highway authorities to satisfy themselves that they are complying with their responsibilities under the 1980 Highways Act. The Government publishes data annually on the condition of the local road network in England, including Shropshire, and the data is available on gov.uk.

What support she is providing to local authorities to ensure best practice highway maintenance.

This Government takes the condition of local roads very seriously and is committed to enabling local highway authorities to maintain and renew the local highway network. In addition to the funding that the Department provides to local highway authorities, it provides and endorses guidance such as the Code of Practice on Well Managed Highway Infrastructure. This recommends that local highway authorities take an integrated, risk-based approach to managing their highway infrastructure, and offers advice on all aspects of highway maintenance, from managing vegetation to the frequency of inspections recommended for various types of structures. It makes clear that local highway authorities should consider all parts of the highway network, such as bridges, cycleways, and lighting columns, and not just the fixing of potholes. The Department is committed to updating this guidance as soon as possible, and has begun scoping the changes that will be necessary.

With reference to her Department's press release entitled, Seven million more potholes to be filled next year as public urged to report roads in need of repair, published on 20 December 2024, what criteria her Department will use to establish whether authorities are entitled to the 25 per cent uplift.

The Department will provide more details shortly of the criteria that local authorities will need to meet to unlock the full funding uplift in 2025/26. In short, they are likely to be required to comply with certain reporting requirements; toprovide the Department with certain data about their networks and planned roads maintenance expenditure; and to demonstrate that they are complying with best practice.

Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 2 January 2025 to Question 20325 on Flood Control: Finance, when his Department plans to begin the consultation on a review of the formula that allocates flood defence funding.

We will launch a consultation in the coming months which will include a review of the existing flood funding formula to ensure that the challenges facing businesses and rural and coastal communities are adequately taken into account when delivering flood protection.

If he will take steps to include contractual obligations for organisations receiving public funding for biomedical research and development to ensure (a) equitable and (b) affordable access to their innovations for (a) people in low- and middle-income countries and (b) other people.

Contracts for researchers funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) have mechanisms to ensure the effective dissemination of research outputs. They also adhere to the NIHR Open Access Policy to ensure academic research is published freely, immediately, and is permanently available online for anyone to read, share, and reuse. The NIHR also uses standard contracts which ensure that intellectual property generated by research benefits the public. Further information on the NIHR Open Access Policy is available at the following link:https://www.nihr.ac.uk/nihr-open-access-publications-funding-guidanceIn addition, all research funded through the Department’s Official Development Assistance (ODA) research programmes delivers direct and primary benefit to the ODA-eligible countries on the Development Assistance Committee list. The scope of the Department’s ODA research is set in consultation with stakeholders in low and middle income countries so that it is relevant, and all research findings are published so that they are available for all. Further information on ODA-eligible countries on the Development Assistance Committee list is available at the following link: https://www.oecd.org/en/topics/sub-issues/oda-eligibility-and-conditions/dac-list-of-oda-recipients.html

Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to ensure that councils have adequate resources to enforce planning decisions.

The government appreciate that planning departments across the country are experiencing challenges with recruitment, retention, and skills gaps and that in many cases these issues are having a negative impact on service delivery.At the Budget, the Chanceller announced a £46 million package of investment into the planning system as a one-year settlement for 2025-2026. A proportion of this funding will be used to support capacity and capability in local planning authorities, including the recruitment and training of 300 graduate and apprentice planners and developing the skills needed to implement reforms and unlock housing delivery.This will be further underpinned by increases in planning fees that will help improve the resourcing of planning application services, so that local planning authorities can fund the skills they need.More broadly, the Department’s established Planning Capacity and Capability programme is also developing a wider programme of support, working with partners across the planning sector, to ensure that local planning authorities have the skills and capacity they need, both now and in the future, to modernise local plans and speed up decision making, including through innovative use of digital planning data and software.It is for local planning authorities to ensure they have the resources in place to carry out their planning enforcement function.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to ensure that all eligible communities receive funding under the Frequently Flooded Allowance.

Protecting all communities around the country from flooding is one of the Secretary of State’s five core priorities. We will invest £2.4 billion in 2024/25 and 2025/26 to improve flood resilience, by building, maintaining, and repairing flood defences. The list of projects to receive Government funding in 2025/26 will be agreed by the Environment Agency over the coming months in the usual way through Regional Flood and Coastal Committees, with local representation.

Food and Rural Affairs, what payments have been made under the Frequently Flooded Allowance; and (a) where and (b) when each payment was made.

The list of projects to receive funding from the first round of the Frequently Flooded Allowance was announced under the previous Government in 2023 and can be found at Frequently Flooded Allowance: Funding for repeatedly flooded communities - GOV.UK. The Environment Agency is best placed to provide detailed information about each project.

Communities and Local Government, when the Flood Recovery Framework has been activated in each of the last 10 years; which local authorities were eligible for support on each occasion; and how much was paid to each local authority area on each occasion.

The Flood Recovery Framework (the Framework) has been activated on four separate occasions in the last 10 years. The Framework was activated in November 2019, February 2020, following Storm Babet in October 2023 and Storm Henk in January 2024.For each activation of the Framework, the following tables lists the names of the local authorities eligible to receive flood recovery relief from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government sponsored schemes and the amounts awarded to date. The Ministry will be making final payments to those local authorities impacted by Storms Babet and Henk that incurred costs up to 31 March 2025, after which both recovery schemes will close.For other associated Flood Recovery Framework grants schemes, the Ministry does not hold information about awards made in relation to the Department for Business and Trade’s Business Recovery Grant scheme, and the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Property Flood Resilience scheme.