Written questions by MacCleary.

What assessment she has made of trends in the level of the cost of railcards; and what steps her Department is taking to ensure rail travel remains affordable for (a) young people, (b) older passengers and (c) people on lower incomes.

The price of most railcards increased by £5 from 2 March 2025, except the Disabled Persons Railcard. Railcards still offer significant savings on rail fares with the average railcard holder saving up to £158 annually. In many cases, the price of railcards has not increased in a decade, during which time the cost of running the railway and the subsidy provided to the railway by the taxpayer has increased significantly. This small price increase helps to balance the funding for the railway between passengers and taxpayers.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment her Department has made of the (a) effectiveness and (b) adequacy of the pace of the existing system for identifying and remediating dangerous cladding and fire safety issues; and what steps she is taking to accelerate the process.

This government has been clear that the pace on remediation has been too slow. Seven years on from the Grenfell Tower tragedy, it is unacceptable that so many buildings still have unsafe cladding. We have announced a step change towards addressing the building safety crisis through the publication of our ambitious Remediation Acceleration Plan (RAP). Our plan will drive the pace of remediation through new proposed legal duties and powers, new funding, new resources and new partnerships. In December 2024, the Remediation Acceleration Plan was launched. We recognise that the scale and importance of the challenge is so significant that we expect to publish a further update on this plan in summer 2025 to report on progress and to reflect the second phase of the spending review. Through this plan, we aim that by the end of 2029 all 18m+ (high-rise) buildings with unsafe cladding in a government funded scheme will have been remediated. Furthermore, by the end of 2029, every 11m+ building with unsafe cladding will either have been remediated, have a date for completion, or the landlords will be liable for severe penalties. We are also driving pace and effectiveness through existing funding schemes. The Cladding Safety Scheme (CSS) was launched in 2023 to help fund work to address unsafe cladding for buildings between 11-18 metres, as well as those over 18 metres outside London, but has since been expanded to include all government funded remediation projects outside London. The benefits of transferring buildings to this scheme include increased pace through the use of automated processes, better experience for residents, and greater cost effectiveness. We are continuing to seek opportunities to exploit the benefits of the CSS further.

What steps he is taking to make (a) dental mouth guards and (b) other dental orthotics services available for free on the NHS for people who are on Pension Credit.

Dental mouth guards are available for free to any patient who is in receipt of Pension Credit, Guarantee Credit, or anyone else who is exempt from dental patient charges, where they have a specific dental need for one. There are currently no plans to change the dental patient charge exemption criteria.National Health Service orthodontic treatment is free for people under 18 years old with a clear health need for treatment. Orthodontic treatment is not usually available on the NHS for adults. More information is available at the following link:https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/orthodontics/

How much her Department has spent on infrastructure upgrades for (a) ports and (b) airports in preparation for the implementation of the Entry/Exit System.

EES will need to be implemented at the juxtaposed controls in the UK. In general, ports are expected to provide infrastructure relating to border controls without government funding. Given the specific issues caused by the need to implement EES, the previous Government awarded a £3.5m grant to each of Port of Dover, Eurotunnel and Eurostar to assist with achieving the optimum implementation models at these juxtaposed controls. My Department, National Highways and Kent County Council are working with Port of Dover on minor capacity improvements to the A20/Union Street junction to support the port’s new Western Docks EES processing facility. This is being led by Kent County Council. British airports, and maritime ports other than Port of Dover, will not be implementing EES, as these ports do not host juxtaposed controls.

If she will have discussions with East Sussex County Council on ensuring timely progress on (a) the Bishopstone Junction and (b) other key infrastructure improvements.

The Integrated National Transport Strategy will be published later this year following collaborative and open engagement with our stakeholders and will meet the manifesto commitment to develop a “long-term strategy for transport”. Regarding the A259 South Coast Road Corridor scheme, all future spend is subject to the Spending Review and until that is completed, I am unable to provide assurances on any individual project. Local authority scheme promoters will be updated on the future of schemes in due course.

When she plans to (a) publish her long-term transport strategy and (b) make a decision on the Major Road Network project put forward by East Sussex County Council.

The Integrated National Transport Strategy will be published later this year following collaborative and open engagement with our stakeholders and will meet the manifesto commitment to develop a “long-term strategy for transport”. Regarding the A259 South Coast Road Corridor scheme, all future spend is subject to the Spending Review and until that is completed, I am unable to provide assurances on any individual project. Local authority scheme promoters will be updated on the future of schemes in due course.

Food and Rural Affairs, for what reason the Rural England Prosperity Fund has been reduced for the year 2025-2026.

Defra announced on 4 March that it would be providing an additional £33 million for the Rural England Prosperity Fund in financial year 2025-26. This announcement continues funding beyond the lifetime of the original scheme providing new money for new projects in rural areas. The Autumn Statement on 30 October confirmed Defra’s budgets for 2024-25 and 2025-26. Funding allocations for individual programmes have been determined through the departments business planning exercise. Future funding decisions remain subject to the Government spending review.

Pursuant to the Answer of 22 July 2024 to Question 374 on Schools: Solar Power, what steps her Department has taken to support schools in the move to solar; and what funding they will provide to schools for the installation of solar PV panels.

High and rising school standards are at the heart of this government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity and give every child the best start in life. High-quality and sustainable buildings are a key part of that.The Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme supports schools, hospitals and other public sector bodies with funding to switch to cleaner heating and cut building emissions. Additionally, capital funding allocated by the department to the school sector each year can 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. From visits made to schools for the department’s Condition Data Collection programme (CDC2), we know that almost 30% of schools already have photovoltaic panels installed.Decisions on which projects to prioritise with capital allocations are primarily taken at a local level. In the 2024/25 financial year, the department committed £1.8 billion in capital funding to improve the condition of the school estate. At the Autumn Budget 2024 the government increased funding to £2.1 billion for the 2025/26 financial year.This is on top of the School Rebuilding Programme, which is rebuilding or refurbishing poor condition buildings at over 500 schools. Since November 2021, the department has required all new department-delivered schools be designed to be net zero carbon in operation. This is alongside delivering investment to increase green infrastructure and sustainable water management on school sites.The department is aware of an increasing amount of interest in this area from schools and suppliers and is engaging with the sector to look at how it can further support schools in the move to solar. Our sustainability support programme provides online and in person help to education settings in identifying appropriate actions to become more sustainable, including considering decarbonisation of their energy supply. Where schools are considering the purchase of solar panels or other sustainable systems, our ‘Get help buying for schools’ service provides support to ensure that schemes procured are of high-quality and value to the sector. Information about the service can be found here: https://gethelpbuyingforschools.campaign.gov.uk/.Pilot programmes such as the Net Zero Accelerator Service and the Decarbonisation Pilots have been working with small groups of schools to explore what interventions work best in different typologies of schools to reduce emissions and energy bills. The learning from these pilots will be captured and shared through the sustainability support programme.The department has also published guidance for schools and colleges on sensible steps for reducing energy use and small-scale works to improve energy efficiency. Further details are available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/energy-efficiency-guidance-for-the-school-and-fe-college-estate/energy-efficiency-guidance-for-the-school-and-further-education-college-estate. In addition, advice on reducing energy costs, including renewing energy contracts, and frameworks for procuring sustainable solutions, is available here: https://find-dfe-approved-framework.service.gov.uk/pages/rising-energy-prices.

If she will make an estimate of the value of goods traded from (a) the UK to Russia via Georgia and (b) Russia to the UK via Georgia.

HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) is responsible for the collection and publication of data on imports and exports of goods to and from the UK. HMRC releases this information monthly, as an Accredited Official Statistic called the Overseas Trade in Goods Statistics (OTS), which is available via their dedicated website (www.uktradeinfo.com). HMRC only collects and holds information for exports based on the initial country of destination that the goods were exported to and therefore are unable to provide an estimate for goods that are traded onwards. Exports to Georgia are published as stated below, but we do not hold information on goods that then move on to Russia from there. Import information including country of origin (CoO) is available from www.tradeinfo.com. From this website, it is possible to build your own data tables based upon bespoke search criteria.These tables include country of dispatch (CoD) which gives information on the country of export. If specifically wanting information on CoO this is available in the  bulk datasets archive. The data available includes value and volume/weight of imports. If you need help or support in constructing a table from the data on uktradeinfo, please contact uktradeinfo@hmrc.gov.uk.

What assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the availability of Enhertu in (a) Scotland and (b) Europe compared to (c) England and (d) Wales.

Health is a devolved matter and decisions on the availability of medicines in Scotland and Wales are a matter for their own administrations. Other European countries operate very different health systems and direct comparisons of medicine availability are very difficult.Decisions on whether new medicines should be routinely funded by the National Health Service in England are made on the basis of recommendations from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) following an evaluation of a treatment’s costs and benefits. These are very difficult decisions to make, and it is important that they are made independently and on the basis of the available evidence.The NICE has recommended Enhertu (trastuzumab deruxtecan) in advanced breast cancer for treating HER2-positive unresectable or metastatic breast cancer after one or more anti-HER 2 treatments, and for treating HER2-positive unresectable or metastatic breast cancer after two or more anti-HER2 therapies. Enhertu is now routinely funded for eligible patients in England in line with the NICE’s recommendations.The NICE published guidance in July 2024 on the use of Enhertu for the treatment of HER-2 low metastatic and unresectable breast cancer and was unfortunately unable to recommend it for routine NHS funding. I understand that the NICE and NHS England have sought to apply as much flexibility as they can in their considerations of Enhertu for HER2-low breast cancer, and have made it clear to the companies that their pricing of the drug remains the only obstacle to access.Ministers met with the manufacturers of Enhertu, AstraZeneca and Daiichi Sankyo, in November 2024, to encourage them to re-engage in commercial discussions with NHS England. Despite the NICE and NHS England offering unprecedented flexibilities, the companies were unable to offer Enhertu at a cost-effective price. The NICE’s guidance, published in July 2024, will therefore remain unchanged. Although the deadline for a rapid review has now passed, the NICE has reassured me that the door remains open for the companies to enter into a new NICE appraisal if they are willing to offer Enhertu at a cost-effective price.

Innovation and Technology, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of rolling out full-fibre broadband in Laughton, East Sussex; and what steps he is taking to support its delivery.

Having the fastest, most reliable broadband means households no longer having to battle over bandwidth and gives people the freedom to live and work more flexibly. This is why we are committed to the rollout of fast, reliable broadband to all parts of the UK.As part of Project Gigabit, CityFibre is delivering a contract to bring gigabit-capable broadband to premises across Sussex, including in Laughton, that would otherwise not be reached by suppliers’ commercial rollout.

When his Department plans to remove the requirement for female same-sex couples to self-fund initial IVF treatments; and what steps he has taken to ensure equal access to fertility services across the NHS.

The Government recognises that fertility treatment across the National Health Service in England is subject to variation in access. Work continues on joint advice from the Department and NHS England about the offer around NHS-funded fertility services, including the issues for female same sex couples. Funding decisions for health services in England are made by integrated care boards and are based on the clinical needs of their local population. We expect these organisations to commission fertility services in line with National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines, ensuring equal access to fertility treatment across England. NICE is currently reviewing these guidelines.

What steps his Department is taking to reduce waiting times for endometriosis treatment in Sussex, including (a) specialist consultations and (b) surgery.

At the end of December 2024, the gynaecology waiting list, which includes those waiting for endometriosis treatment, for Sussex Integrated Care Board stood at 18,454, with 54.3% of patient pathways waiting less than 18 weeks.As set out in the Plan for Change, we have committed to return to the NHS constitutional standard that 92% of patients, including those waiting for endometriosis treatment, wait no longer than 18 weeks from Referral to Treatment (RTT) by March 2029. We have already supported this with additional investment in the Autumn Budget 2024, which has enabled us to deliver an additional two million appointments, seven months ahead of schedule.There are a range of efforts underway, nationally and in Sussex, to reduce the time patients are waiting for gynaecological care. The Elective Reform Plan, published in January 2025, sets out the productivity and reform efforts we will undertake to return to the 18-week standard, and ensure patients have the best possible experience while they wait. This includes increasing the relative funding available to support gynaecology procedures, including for certain endometriosis pathways, with the largest waiting lists and reviewing support options from the independent sector.Sussex has launched Women’s Health Hubs in five locations, namely Hastings, Eastbourne, Brighton and Hove, Worthing, and Horsham. The core specification in the hub model includes menstrual problems, assessment, and treatment, including but not limited to, care for heavy, painful, or irregular menstrual bleeding, and care for conditions such as endometriosis and polycystic ovary syndrome. The establishment of these five hubs aims to improve access for local women to advice, support and treatment.

What steps his Department is taking to increase access to NHS dentistry for (a) pensioners and (b) people who are unable to afford private treatment.

The Government plans to tackle the challenges for patients trying to access National Health Service dental care with a rescue plan to provide 700,000 more urgent dental appointments and recruit new dentists to areas that need them most. Sussex Integrated Care Board, which includes Lewes constituency, is expected to deliver 26,546 additional urgent dental appointments.The responsibility for commissioning primary care, including dentistry, to meet the needs of the local population has been delegated to all integrated care boards (ICBs) across England.Free NHS dental care is available to people who meet the following criteria: aged under 18 years old, or under 19 years old and in full-time education; pregnant or have had a baby in the previous 12 months; being treated in an NHS hospital and the treatment is carried out by the hospital dentist, with patients possibly having to pay for any dentures or bridges; or receiving low-income benefits, or under 20 years old and a dependant of someone receiving low-income benefits.Support is also available through the NHS Low Income Scheme for those patients who are not eligible for exemption or full remission of dental patient charges. More information is available at the following link:https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/dentists/who-is-entitled-to-free-nhs-dental-treatment-in-england/

What steps his Department is taking to improve access to public defibrillators outside of business hours in (a) rural, (b) suburban and (c) other areas.

The Government is committed to improving access to automated external defibrillators (AEDs) in public spaces, and reducing inequalities in access to these life saving devices. We have made a further £500,000 available from August 2024 to fulfil existing applications to the Department’s Community AED Fund. The criteria specified for the original grant continues to apply and will go to applications for AEDs in areas of England where there is the greatest need, including in areas of high footfall, hot spots for cardiac arrest, and areas that already have low access to AEDs. A further requirement of the fund was that AEDs be publicly accessible 24 hours a day, where practical.

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of requiring all drivers to complete a DVLA eye test.

All drivers have an ongoing legal responsibility to ensure that they meet the vision standards for driving, which includes being able to read a number plate from 20 metres, wearing glasses or corrective lenses if needed. Drivers must notify the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) at any time of a change in their health or vision which may affect their ability to meet the appropriate standards. The Department for Transport supports the National Health Service’s recommendation that adults should have their eyes tested every two years and the DVLA encourages drivers to regularly check their own vision by reading a number plate from 20 metres and arranging a formal vision test when required. There are no current plans to introduce mandatory eyesight testing of all drivers.

If she will conduct a feasibility study into the restoration of the Wealden railway line from Lewes to Uckfield; whether an impact assessment has been conducted since 2008 on restoring that line; and if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of restoring that line on (a) rail connectivity and (b) net zero targets.

Successive studies over the last two decades have indicated that the significant costs associated with re-instating the line between Lewes and Uckfield would exceed the benefits to passengers across Sussex. As such, our current focus remains on improving the performance and reliability of existing infrastructure and services.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure (a) transparency and (b) public trust in the collection and sharing of NHS patient data.

Strong public trust is critical for the collection and sharing of National Health Service patient data, and transparency is key to building that trust and retaining public confidence.NHS England publishes a range of documentation to maintain transparency about how data is used. These include:- directions made by my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, to NHS England to establish information systems;- Data Protection Impact Assessments and other documentation, which provide information on how the information will be used in particular programmes; and- data use registers that include details of external data sharing agreements and are published monthly. All NHS Research Network Secure Data Environments also maintain a data use register that includes details of data access agreements.Statutory roles and functions have also been established to provide confidence and assurance that data is used lawfully and for the benefit of patients. The Confidentiality Advisory Group of the Health Research Authority (HRA), provides independent, expert advice to the HRA, and to my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, on the use of confidential patient information, and their minutes and a register of the applications and decisions made are published. The National Data Guardian (NDG) provides advice to help ensure that people’s confidential information is kept safe and used properly. The eight Caldicott rules established by the previous NDG set out key principles for the use of confidential information, including that individuals are informed about how their data is used. Caldicott guardians in every NHS organisation work to ensure these principles are upheld. The NDG publishes an annual report on their work and objectives.To further build trust, we are delivering a national programme of large-scale public engagement on data which will reach over 6,000 people across England, representative of our diverse communities. This provides the opportunity for us to meaningfully involve the public in decisions and changes to how their health data is used, and complements smaller-scale activities carried out by data programmes throughout the NHS.

Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to support community-led developments; and if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of increasing the funding available for such schemes.

The government recognises that community-led housing delivers a wide range of benefits, including additional housing supply, empowering communities, achieving high quality design and strengthening the co-operative economy.A range of funding sources are available to support the development of community-led housing, although eligibility will depend on the nature of specific developments. This includes the Levelling-Up Home Building Fund, which provides affordable loan finance for the development of sites of five units or more, and the Affordable Homes Programme, which provides grant funding to support the capital costs of developing affordable housing in England.Beyond funding, the revised National Planning Policy Framework published on 12 December 2024 strengthened support for community-led housing, including through changes to the size limit on community-led exception sites and a broadening of the definition of organisations able to deliver community-led housing.As part of the development of our Long Term Housing Strategy, we are considering how the government may further support the growth of the community-led housing sector and I recently met with the Chief Executive of the Community Land Trust Network and other stakeholders to discuss options in that regard.

Innovation and Technology, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that (a) community information websites, (b) hobbyist forums and (c) other small (i) websites and (ii) discussion forums are not disproportionately affected by the regulatory requirements of the Online Safety Act 2023.

Under the Online Safety Act, in-scope user-to-user and search services must assess for risks of illegal content and harm to children. Ofcom is the independent regulator for this regime. It sets out what steps small low-risk providers need to take to fulfil their duties following their risk assessment. When implementing these duties, Ofcom is legally required to ensure burdens on providers are proportionate to their risk factors, size, and capacity. Ofcom recently launched an online digital toolkit, aimed at helping SMEs with compliance (https://www.ofcom.org.uk/online-safety/illegal-and-harmful-content/ofcom-launches-digital-safety-toolkit-for-online-services/).