Written questions by McMurdock.

What assessment she has made of the barriers faced by young people in accessing the Lifetime ISA.

The Lifetime ISA encourages younger people to save towards later life at the same time as being able to save for their first home. The Lifetime ISA is open to all UK residents of the UK aged 18 or over and is offered by a range of providers. As of 2023/24, there were over 1.3 million LISA accounts open and, since its introduction in 2017, the LISA has helped 227,600 people purchase their first property.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of house prices in South Basildon and East Thurrock constituency on rental affordability in the local private rented sector.

My Department has made no specific assessment of house prices or housing affordability in the South Basildon and East Thurrock constituency or the East of England more generally.The Office for National Statistics (ONS) publishes data on house prices and annual earnings to calculate affordability ratios for national and subnational geographies in England and Wales on an annual basis. This is published on the ONS website here. The East of England average affordability ratio in 2024 was 9.1.The ONS also publishes data on private rental and house prices. The latest release can be found on the ONS website here.The ONS also publishes annual data on private rental affordability in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The latest release can be found on the ONS website here.

What recent steps his Department have taken to (a) improve patient outcomes and (b) reduce waiting times for patients in Essex living with prostate cancer.

To improve outcomes for patients with prostate cancer, including in Essex, NHS England has introduced a best-practice timed pathway for prostate cancer so that those suspected of prostate cancer receive an MRI scan first, which ensures that only those men most at risk of having cancer undergo an invasive biopsy. The Government has also invested £16 million towards the Prostate Cancer UK-led TRANSFORM screening trial, which is seeking to find ways to catch prostate cancer in men as early as possible. The ‘AI in Health and Care Award’ has also been established, which aims to accelerate the testing and development of AI technologies. £113 million has already been allocated to support 86 AI technologies. Three of these projects specifically relate to prostate cancer, one of which is the Paige prostate cancer detection tool, developed by the University of Oxford. The Department will publish a National Cancer Plan later this year which will include details on how we will improve outcomes for cancer patients across England, reduce waiting times for diagnosis and treatment, and ensure that patients have access to the latest treatments and technology.

Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to reduce the average age in which people in South Basildon and East Thurrock constituency are able to purchase their first home.

The affordability challenges facing prospective first-time buyers mean that too many people are now locked out of homeownership.In addition to increasing the supply of homes of all tenures, the government is supporting people into home ownership, including through the shared ownership scheme and the Lifetime ISA.The government has also introduced a new, permanent Mortgage Guarantee Scheme, available to support and sustain availability of low deposit mortgage products for prospective buyers.Additionally, the Bank of England is easing the loan-to-income limit, enabling up to 36,000 additional first-time buyers in the first year.The Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) ongoing review of the mortgage market means many buyers can now borrow 10% more towards a property purchase. The government looks forward to ambitious proposals from the FCA’s paper.First-time buyers may also benefit from home ownership initiatives offered at the local level.

Communities and Local Government, what discussions he has had with mortgage lenders on their role in supporting home ownership in South Basildon and East Thurrock constituency.

The government is in regular contact with mortgage lenders with a view to understanding their position and current lending conditions.The Economic Secretary to the Treasury and I hosted major high street banks on 10 September and called on lenders to make first-time buyers their top priority. The press notice can be found on gov.uk here. The pricing of mortgages is a commercial decision for lenders in which the government does not intervene.The UK benefits from a competitive mortgage market with various first-time buyer products available.The government has worked with the Financial Conduct Authority and the Bank of England, who have clarified and increased the flexibility of their mortgage regulations. This is helping more customers – especially first-time buyers – to borrow what they need to buy the homes they want, while retaining protections so that lending remains affordable and responsible.

Media and Sport, what plans she has to provide funding for charities supporting young people that do not meet the eligibility criteria for the (a) Youth Investment Fund and (b) Better Youth Spaces Fund.

The Government will publish the National Youth Strategy in the autumn, which will outline future priorities and funding opportunities for the youth sector.

What steps she is taking to ensure that the UK attracts the highest calibre of international students.

The UK remains an incredibly attractive overseas study destination to international students across the globe. We have a world-class higher education sector, with four universities in the top 10 and 17 in the top 100, as well as a wide range of institutions offering high quality education and a fulfilling experience.The Immigration White Paper set out that we will retain the graduate visa but reduce its duration from 2 years to 18 months, whilst maintaining the 3-year duration for PhD students. This will maintain our competitive post-study offer whilst ensuring individuals on this route obtain employment in graduate level roles and contribute to the country’s skills needs more quickly.

Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of grant schemes for charities.

This government recognises the vital role that charities play in providing crucial support to different groups and communities. Although no formal assessment of grant schemes is planned, Ministers and officials regularly engage with VCSE sector representatives to understand and respond to issues within the sector. DCMS is promoting the availability of funding for smaller charities in several ways. This includes delivery of a number of grant schemes, such as the Know Your Neighbourhood Fund and the Social Enterprise Boost Fund. Support for charities is also available through social investment. The Dormant Assets Scheme Strategy, published in June 2025, announced that the Scheme is expected to release £440 million for England over 2024-28, with £87.5 million of this funding allocated towards social investment. There are also ways for charities to search for further funding opportunities, including:‘Find a grant’ - a service that allows organisations to search for government grants. (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/find-government-grants)funding opportunities hosted by The National Lottery Community Fund (https://www.tnlcommunityfund.org.uk/funding)funding and income guidance from the National Council for Voluntary Organisations, which includes a section on where to find grants available to charities (https://www.ncvo.org.uk/help-and-guidance/funding-income/#/)

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of numbers of international students attending lower-ranking universities on the quality of higher education provision.

The department wants to make sure that all students, regardless of their background, benefit from high quality, world-leading higher education (HE) that leads to excellent outcomes.The Office for Students (OfS) monitors the outcomes achieved by students at HE providers, including international students with minimum expectations set for rates of course continuation and completion. This monitoring will consider the way in which courses meet its expectations for quality for all students who providers choose to recruit.Where the OfS discovers providers failing to meet its expectations for quality, it can impose sanctions, including financial penalties and, in extreme cases, removing providers from its register.

What plans she has to help tackle gender disparities in the (a) identification and (b) provision of Education, Health and Care Plans.

​​The department is committed to strengthening the education, health and care (EHC) plan system so that children and young people get the support they need to help them achieve and thrive.​There are urgent issues to be addressed, and our priority will be to improve outcomes for all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities so that they get the life chances they deserve.​We must ensure that needs are identified more effectively and that the right support is put in place, regardless of the gender of the child or young person. We recognise that currently 71% of children and young people with an EHC plan are male and 29% female.​The department is actively working with parents and experts to consider how best to resolve the current challenges in the system and will be setting out further steps in the Schools White Paper.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of reliance on international students on the higher education sector.

This government welcomes international students who meet the requirements to study in the UK and enrich our university campuses, forge lifelong friendships with our domestic students and become global ambassadors for the UK.Higher education (HE) providers in the UK received an estimated £12.1 billion in tuition fee income from international students in the 2023/24 academic year, which supported the provision of places for domestic students and research and development.Our world class HE sector attracts high quality students from across the globe and can offer a fulfilling and enjoyable experience to international students from around the world.The Post-16 education and skills white paper sets out the government’s commitment to building a world-class skills system, one that breaks down the barriers to opportunity, meets the needs of students and employers, drives economic growth, and improves lives across the country.

Whether his Department plans to support adaptive clinical trials for cannabinoid treatments tailored to children with drug-resistant epilepsy.

The Department commissions research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The NIHR is funding two trials to investigate the safety and efficacy of cannabinoid treatments for drug-resistant epilepsy in both adults and children. Further detail on the trials can be found on the NIHR’s website, at the following link:https://fundingawards.nihr.ac.uk/award/NIHR131309The Department is committed to ensuring that all patients, including those with epilepsy, have access to cutting-edge clinical trials and innovative, lifesaving treatments. We are working to fast-track clinical trials to drive global investment into life sciences, improve health outcomes, and accelerate the development of the medicines and therapies of the future, including treatments for epilepsy.

What assessment she has made of the potential merits of introducing an annual cap on the number of student visas issued.

The government is committed to a United Kingdom that is outward looking and welcomes international students, who make a positive contribution to the UK’s higher education sector, our economy and society as a whole. Universities in England received an estimated £12.1 billion annually in tuition fee income from international students in the 2023/24 academic year, which supports provision of places for domestic students and research and development.The department has recently published the Immigration White Paper, which sets out a balanced approach, helping the government achieve our manifesto commitment of reducing net migration while maintaining the UK’s global competitiveness and making a significant contribution to growth by boosting the UK’s skills base. We have also announced a levy on international students’ fees to fund the reintroduction of targeted maintenance grants for disadvantaged students.The department is reviewing the International Education Strategy to ensure that it increases the value of education exports and reflects the priorities of education organisations and businesses.

What recent steps his Department has taken to ensure (a) better patient outcomes and (b) reduced waiting times for residents in Essex awaiting appointments for Parkinson's disease.

There are a number of initiatives at the national level supporting service improvement and better care for patients with Parkinson’s throughout England, including the United Kingdom-wide Neuro Forum, the RightCare Progressive Neurological Conditions Toolkit, and the Getting It Right First Time Programme for Neurology. NHS England has established a Neurology Transformation Programme, a multi-year, clinically led programme, which has developed a new model of integrated care to support integrated care boards (ICBs) to deliver the right service, at the right time for all neurology patients, including those with Parkinson’s. This focuses on providing access equitably across the country, care as close to home as possible, and early intervention to prevent illness and deterioration in patients with long-term neurological conditions. A toolkit is being developed to support ICBs to understand and implement this new model, which will include components on delivering acute neurology services, improving health equity in neurology, and improving community neurology services. Cutting waiting lists is a key priority for the Government, including for Parkinson’s patients in Essex and the rest of England. We have surpassed our commitment to deliver an extra two million elective appointments, having delivered 5.2 million additional appointments in our first year in Government. This marks a vital first step to delivering on the commitment that 92% of patients will wait no longer than 18 weeks from referral to consultant-led treatment, in line with the National Health Service constitutional standard, by March 2029. Between August 2024 and August 2025, we reduced the number of incomplete neurology pathways by almost 10,000, or 4.3%, from 236,621 to 226,432, and reduced the average waiting time for neurology services from 16.7 weeks to 15.4 weeks. Additionally, 56.1% of patients referred were seen within 18 weeks, up from 53.1% at the same point last year. This is lower than the national average and we are continuing our efforts to improve this, recognising that this is a challenged specialty. The January 2025 Elective Reform Plan commits to reforming outpatient services by supporting general practitioners and hospital doctors in working together better, to ensure referrals are used when a patient really needs hospital care, through increased uptake of Advice and Guidance.

What estimate his Department has made of the annual cost to the NHS of treating children with drug-resistant epilepsy who do not respond to conventional medications; and whether his Department is funding research of alternative treatments to ensure those children still receive sufficient medical care.

No estimate has been made of the annual cost to the National Health Service of treating children with drug-resistant epilepsy who do not respond to conventional medications. A detailed costing exercise is only usually undertaken where there is a new evidence-based treatment to potentially introduce.At the national level, there are a number of initiatives supporting service improvement and better care for patients with epilepsy, including the RightCare Epilepsy Toolkit and the Getting It Right First Time Programme for Neurology.The Department funds research into epilepsy via the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The NIHR has funded a range of ongoing and completed epilepsy research, including research into the effectiveness of vagus nerve stimulation as an alternative treatment for children and adults living with drug-resistant epilepsy, and research on implementing ketogenic diet therapy for children and young people with epilepsy.The NIHR continues to welcome funding applications for research into any aspect of human health and care, including alternative treatments for children with drug-resistant epilepsy. Applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money, and scientific quality.

Pursuant to the Answer of 20 June 2025 to Question 59664 on Large Goods Vehicles: Concrete, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of reducing weight limits for volumetric concrete mixers on levels of frequently of repairs to (a) roads and (b) bridges; and what estimate she has made of levels of associated cost reductions for (i) local authorities and (ii) National Highways.

The National Highways’ report found that the load effects from heavier VCMs to be up to 17% higher than the load effects from the model for vehicles complying with the current weight limits. In addition to the impact on bridges, heavier vehicles also put more stress on roads, which impacts maintenance costs and safety. The department has not made a specific assessment on the impact on the frequency of repairs and cost reductions.

Media and Sport, what criteria she will use to make an assessment of the success of the Civil Society Covenant.

The Civil Society Covenant is a new principles-based foundation for resetting the relationship between the UK Government and civil society. Its ambition is to build lasting partnerships between civil society and all forms of government across the UK. This is a significant, long term challenge that will require sustained commitment and buy-in from a wide and diverse range of different organisations. To help drive momentum and demonstrate leadership, the UK Government has committed to ensuring that every government department publicly supports and works towards implementing the Covenant in order to become a better partner for civil society. We will report annually on actions to honour the Covenant and the impact of this partnership with civil society. A Monitoring and Evaluation Framework, including criteria for measuring success, is currently being developed to inform the annual report.

What discussions he has had with Thurrock and Basildon councils on reducing serious and fatal road traffic collisions.

The Department has not had specific discussions with Thurrock or Basildon councils.This Government treats road safety seriously and is committed to reducing the numbers of those killed and injured on our roads. The Road Safety Strategy is under development and will include a broad range of policies. More details will be set out in due course.

What steps he is taking to reduce the number of road traffic fatalities in South Basildon and East Thurrock constituency.

The Department has not had specific discussions with Thurrock or Basildon councils.This Government treats road safety seriously and is committed to reducing the numbers of those killed and injured on our roads. The Road Safety Strategy is under development and will include a broad range of policies. More details will be set out in due course.

What plans he has to improve road safety for young drivers in South Basildon and East Thurrock constituency.

We absolutely recognise that young people are disproportionately victims of tragic incidents on our roads and continue to tackle this through our THINK! campaign. We are considering measures to address this problem and protect young drivers, as part of our upcoming strategy for road safety - the first in over a decade.