Written questions by McMurdock.

What steps he is taking to improve the process for procuring (a) transformers, (b) cables and (c) other critical components for electricity network expansion projects.

The Government is committed to working with electricity operators and Ofgem to improve procurement processes for critical electricity network expansion projects. Ofgem recently launched the Advanced Procurement Mechanism to enable Transmission Owners to procure transformers, cables, and other critical components earlier in the project development cycle. This will enable Transmission Owners to secure supplier capacity and bulk procure multiple factory slots across a portfolio of projects. Transmission Owners will use this mechanism to address the current long delivery lead times for this key equipment. Officials are also engaging with further partners to examine wider policy options to address procurement challenges.

What recent discussions her Department has had with head teachers on (a) energy bills and (b) other costs for schools.

Overall core revenue funding for schools totals almost £61.6 billion this 2024/25 financial year. The overall core schools budget is increasing by over £3.2 billion in the 2025/26 financial year, meaning the core schools budget will total over £64.8 billion.The department holds discussions on energy costs and other cost pressures with sector bodies, including representatives for headteachers. This includes regular meetings with the Schools and Academies Funding Group and the Service-level Working Group on Education and Children's Services.The department provides advice to headteachers and is developing a suite of productivity initiatives to support schools in making efficiencies in their budgets. This includes giving schools the opportunity to join the department’s ‘Energy for Schools’ initiative. When schools' energy contracts are up for renewal, they can join the department's contract. During the pilot for this project, schools saved 36% on average compared to their previous contracts. The Schools Resource Management Advisor Programme works with headteachers by providing peer to peer advice on resources and costs at school level. We continue to work with schools to ensure, where needed, they are accessing our full suite of existing support to help manage budgets.The department will continue to monitor cost pressures, as it usually does.

What steps he plans to take to (a) help decrease planning delays for energy infrastructure projects and (b) engage with the public on those projects.

In December 2024, the Government published the Clean Power 2030 Action Plan which sets out an ambitious package of legislative and non-legislative reforms to our planning system to accelerate the development of energy infrastructure. The Government is currently progressing the Planning and Infrastructure Bill through parliament with measures to streamline planning processes for critical infrastructure, including energy projects. The Government wants communities to continue to participate in the planning system and as a part of the examination process, have their say in decisions which may affect them. The Government has committed to ensuring communities benefit from new energy infrastructure they host.

What proportion of the solar projects under the Great British Energy scheme will include battery storage solutions.

Complementary technologies including battery power are in scope for use in the scheme where they would be beneficial. Whilst parts of the programme are still in development, 16 out of the initial list of 132 NHS projects published last week currently intend to fund battery storage through the scheme. The process to finalise the selection of schools is still underway; feasibility studies will then be undertaken to determine what interventions are most suited for each site.

Whether his Department has had recent discussions with head teachers on the rising cost of energy for schools.

Details of Ministers' and Permanent Secretaries' meetings with external individuals and organisations are published quarterly in arrears on GOV.UK

Innovation and Technology, what recent discussions her Department has had with parents on (a) smart phones in schools and (b) young people on social media.

Ministers and officials regularly meet stakeholders to discuss online child protection. Ofcom, the independent regulator for online safety, also has statutory duties under the Online Safety Act to consult with users. Ofcom engaged with over 7,000 parents to understand online experiences and exposure to harms, informing the child safety codes of practice due for publication in April.The Department for Education’s ‘Mobile Phones in Schools’ guidance is clear that schools should prohibit the use of devices throughout the school day. Discussions with parents were held by officials during the development of the guidance. Details on Ministerial meetings are published on the GOV.UK website.

What recent discussions her Department has had with (a) secondary school teachers and (b) head teachers on (i) smart phones in schools and (ii) young people on social media.

The department engages regularly with teachers and headteachers and their representative bodies on a range of issues, including mobile phone use in schools and the impact of social media on young people. This includes engagement through the department’s teacher and headteacher reference groups.The department’s ‘Mobile phones in schools’ guidance is clear that schools should prohibit the use of devices with smart technology throughout the school day, including during lessons, transitions and breaks.

What steps she is taking to reduce the time taken to complete youth justice cases.

This Government inherited a criminal justice system in crisis and recognises the impact the outstanding caseloads left behind by the previous administration is having. That is why we are working tirelessly to tackle this, including increasing sitting days to a record level, increasing magistrates sentencing powers and commissioning an independent review of the criminal courts, led by Sir Brian Leveson, to consider the merits of once-in-a-generation reform.Listing of cases is a judicial function, and where possible cases involving young defendants are prioritised, and regularly reviewed, to ensure they are being listed as expeditiously as possible.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the time taken to complete cases on (a) youth offenders and (b) victims.

This Government inherited a criminal justice system in crisis and recognises the impact the outstanding caseloads left behind by the previous administration is having. That is why we are working tirelessly to tackle this, including increasing sitting days to a record level, increasing magistrates sentencing powers and commissioning an independent review of the criminal courts, led by Sir Brian Leveson, to consider the merits of once-in-a-generation reform.Listing of cases is a judicial function, and where possible cases involving young defendants and those with vulnerable and intimidated witnesses are prioritised, and regularly reviewed, to ensure they are being listed as expeditiously as possible. The Government is also currently reviewing the Victims’ Commissioner’s report on the impact of the Crown Court backlog on victims, published in March 2025, and will respond shortly.

What plans he has to increase the number of new care home developments.

Local authorities are best placed to understand and plan for the needs of their population. That is why, under the Care Act 2014, local authorities are tasked with the duty to shape their care market and to commission a range of high-quality, sustainable, and person-centred care and support services to meet the diverse needs of all local people. In performing that duty, a local authority must have regard to current and likely future demand for such services and consider how providers might meet that demand.The Department publishes occupancy rates monthly on the GOV.UK website at a national, regional, and local authority level.

Communities and Local Government, what support she is providing to local authorities to encourage the development of specialist retirement housing.

The government is committed to helping older people to live independently at home for as long as possible.The National Planning Policy Framework makes clear that local planning authorities should assess the size, types and tenure of housing needed for different groups, including older people, and to reflect this in their planning policies. My Department has set out guidance for councils in preparing planning policies on housing for older and disabled people. This can be found on gov.uk here.The Affordable Homes Programme for 2021-26 includes delivery of specialist housing for older people. Councils which are registered providers can also bid into the programme, alongside private registered providers.At Spring statement, the government announced an immediate injection of £2 billion to support delivery of the biggest boost in social and affordable housebuilding in a generation and contribute to our ambitious Plan for Change milestone of building 1.5 million safe and decent homes in this Parliament. Further detail can be found in the Written Ministerial Statement made on 25 March 2025 (HCWS549).The investment made at Spring statement follows the £800 million in new in-year funding which has been made available for the 2021-26 Affordable Homes Programme and that will support the delivery of up to 7,800 new homes, with more than half of them being Social Rent homes.We will set out set details of new investment to succeed the 2021-26 Affordable Homes Programme at the Spending Review. This new investment will deliver a mix of homes for sub-market rent and homeownership, with a particular focus on delivering homes for social rent.The government is giving careful consideration to the recommendations in the final report of the Older People’s Housing Taskforce and are committed to enhancing provision and choice for older people in the housing market. We will continue to consider this issue as we develop our long-term housing strategy.

Communities and Local Government, whether she has considered setting targets for the development of retirement housing within her new homes target.

The government is committed to helping older people to live independently at home for as long as possible.The National Planning Policy Framework makes clear that local planning authorities should assess the size, types and tenure of housing needed for different groups, including older people, and to reflect this in their planning policies. My Department has set out guidance for councils in preparing planning policies on housing for older and disabled people. This can be found on gov.uk here.The Affordable Homes Programme for 2021-26 includes delivery of specialist housing for older people. Councils which are registered providers can also bid into the programme, alongside private registered providers.At Spring statement, the government announced an immediate injection of £2 billion to support delivery of the biggest boost in social and affordable housebuilding in a generation and contribute to our ambitious Plan for Change milestone of building 1.5 million safe and decent homes in this Parliament. Further detail can be found in the Written Ministerial Statement made on 25 March 2025 (HCWS549).The investment made at Spring statement follows the £800 million in new in-year funding which has been made available for the 2021-26 Affordable Homes Programme and that will support the delivery of up to 7,800 new homes, with more than half of them being Social Rent homes.We will set out set details of new investment to succeed the 2021-26 Affordable Homes Programme at the Spending Review. This new investment will deliver a mix of homes for sub-market rent and homeownership, with a particular focus on delivering homes for social rent.The government is giving careful consideration to the recommendations in the final report of the Older People’s Housing Taskforce and are committed to enhancing provision and choice for older people in the housing market. We will continue to consider this issue as we develop our long-term housing strategy.

What steps he is taking to (a) ensure patients have timely access to and (b) prevent shortages in prescription medication.

There are approximately 14,000 licensed medicines, and the overwhelming majority are in good supply. Where supply issues do arise, we know how frustrating and distressing these can be for patients, and we work closely with industry, the National Health Service, and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency to resolve issues as quickly as possible, to make sure patients can access the medicines they need.Medicine supply chains are complex, global, and highly regulated, and there are a number of reasons why supply can be disrupted, many of which are not specific to the United Kingdom and outside of Government control, including manufacturing difficulties, access to raw materials, sudden demand spikes or distribution issues, and regulatory issues.While we can’t always prevent supply issues from occurring, we have a range of well-established processes and tools to manage them when they arise, to mitigate risks to patients. These include close and regular engagement with suppliers, use of alternative strengths or forms of a medicine to allow patients to remain on the same product, expediting regulatory procedures, sourcing unlicensed imports from abroad, adding products to the restricted exports and hoarding list, use of Serious Shortage Protocols, and issuing NHS communications to provide management advice and information on the issue to healthcare professionals, including pharmacists, so they can advise and support their patients.The resilience of UK supply chains is a key priority, and we are committed to helping to build long term supply chain resilience for medicines. We are continually learning and seeking to improve the way we work to both manage and help prevent supply issues and avoid shortages. The Department, working closely with NHS England, is taking forward a range of actions to improve our ability to mitigate and manage shortages, and to strengthen our resilience.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure that online services provided by GPs are (a) accessible and (b) user friendly.

As part of the 2025/26 GP Contract, a new requirement has been introduced for general practices (GPs) to offer online appointment requests throughout their core opening hours. This aims to improve accessibility by ensuring that digital services are consistently available whenever practices are open. However, the GP Contract is also clear that patients should always have the option of telephoning or visiting their practice in person, and all online tools must always be provided in addition to, rather than as a replacement for, other channels for accessing a GP.Additionally, all digital tools used in primary care must meet the minimum functionality standards set by NHS England, helping to ensure a consistent and high-quality user experience. Primary care providers are also required to comply with the Accessible Information Standard. This ensures that online services are both accessible and user-friendly, supported by standardised, intuitive digital platforms that meet patients’ diverse needs.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure that (a) elderly and (b) vulnerable patients can telephone their GP surgery for assistance rather than using online or digital services.

We understand that not all patients can or want to use online services. The GP Contract is clear that patients should always have the option of telephoning or visiting their practice in person, and all online tools must always be provided in addition to, rather than as a replacement for, other channels for accessing a general practitioner.The 2025/26 GP Contract includes a new requirement for practices to enable online appointment requests throughout the duration of core opening hours, which will ease pressure on phone lines for people who prefer to telephone.

What steps he is taking to support care homes operating at full capacity.

Local authorities are best placed to understand and plan for the needs of their population. That is why, under the Care Act 2014, local authorities are tasked with the duty to shape their care market and to commission a range of high-quality, sustainable, and person-centred care and support services to meet the diverse needs of all local people. In performing that duty, a local authority must have regard to current and likely future demand for such services and consider how providers might meet that demand.The Department publishes occupancy rates monthly on the GOV.UK website at a national, regional, and local authority level.

How many new prison places have been created since July 2024.

As outlined in the 10-Year Prison Capacity Strategy, this Government is committed to delivering an additional 14,000 prison places and aims to do so by 2031. Since July 2024, c.700 additional prison places have been created through new, modern houseblocks, essential refurbishments and the re-role of HMP Cookham Wood. HMP Millsike is due to open in the coming weeks and will provide an additional c.1,500 places.

Whether she plans to release more criminals from prison early due to prison overcrowding.

This Government inherited a prison system on the point of collapse and we were forced to take the necessary action to stop the criminal justice system from total gridlock.Whilst the SDS change provided the intended medium-term relief to the system, this was never expected to be a long-term solution. To ensure we are never in a position where we run out of prison places again, the Lord Chancellor announced the Independent Review into Sentencing, alongside a series of prison capacity measures. This included reforming our recall practices to target the unsustainable growth in the recall population since the pandemic and an extension of the maximum period offenders can spend on Home Detention Curfew from 6 to 12 months.The Independent Sentencing Review published its Part 1 report on 18 February. The Review’s final report is expected to be published in the spring of this year and will set out the immediate and longer-term recommendations for reform.The 10-year Prison Capacity Strategy published on 11 December set out our plans to deliver more prisons places. By 2031, we aim to have delivered a further 14,000 prison places, with all places expected to be operational by 2032. To help achieve this, we are investing £2.3 billion in prison building across the estate this year and next year, which will provide modern accommodation that helps to improve safety, security, and decency in prison and to reduce reoffending.We are also investing approximately £500 million over two years in prison and probation service maintenance to improve conditions across the estate. Beyond existing plans, work is underway to identify land that would be suitable for potential new prisons, should these be required in the future. This Government will also implement a new Crown Development Route later this Spring to allow faster planning decisions on new prisons.

What estimate she has made of the average daily cost of housing prisoners (a) under Operation Safeguard and (b) in standard prison accommodation.

This Government inherited a prison system on the verge of collapse, which would have left the courts unable to send offenders to prison and the police unable to arrest dangerous criminals. We took decisive action and implemented changes to the standard determinate sentence release point which provided essential but temporary relief to the system.In July 2024, the Lord Chancellor was clear that the capacity crisis would not disappear immediately and the changes to release points were never the whole solution to the prison capacity crisis we inherited. Over the last three months population growth in the prison estate has been high – January saw the highest average monthly prison population growth in almost two years, which has only just begun to slow. As of 24 March, there were 783 places remaining in the adult male estate. We are operating at more than 99% occupancy. Given this recent increase in demand and the subsequent disruption on the CJS, it is necessary, to temporarily reactivate Operation Safeguard to better manage the flow of offenders into the prison estate.Between February 2023 and September 2024, when it was in operation under the previous Government, the average cost per police cell activated under Operation Safeguard was £688. This reflects costs incurred by police in making Safeguard cells available, such as additional staffing and food. We will continue to minimise costs by monitoring Safeguard closely and deactivating places where we can.The cost of running a prison place is £150 per day. This is an average across the closed male estate, which includes costs such as staff costs, food, utilities and facilities maintenance, but does not include capital maintenance costs. Further information on this can be found in our published statistics: Prison performance data 2022 to 2023 - GOV.UK.

What the criteria for eligibility are for proposed energy bill compensation for people living near new pylons; and whether (a) type of infrastructure and (b) other factors will impact qualification for that scheme.

The bill discount scheme will apply to eligible domestic households. We are currently proposing the scheme applies to new onshore, above ground transmission cables and associated infrastructure such as substations and certain significantly upgraded existing projects in Great Britain. Our aim is that major new transmission projects needed for 2030 will be eligible. Both infrastructure and resident household eligibility criteria will be set out in regulations. The bill discount scheme is not a compensation scheme. It aims to ensure those closest to eligible new transmission infrastructure can directly benefit from supporting the nationally critical mission of achieving clean power by 2030.