Written questions by McMurdock.

What steps he is taking to ensure that the prioritisation of overhead pylons in the Planning and Infrastructure Bill does not adversely impact (a) local communities and (b) the natural environment.

The Government’s position on overhead lines is set out in the National Policy Statement for electricity networks, NPS EN-5. In England and Wales, the Planning Act 2008 requires developers to demonstrate that they have consulted adequately with local communities, ensuring their feedback is considered and incorporated into the project proposal, before submitting their application for consent. Developers will also assess the environmental impacts of their projects through the Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) and Habitats Regulations Assessments (HRA), which will include the natural environment. These assessments are then considered as part of the consenting process by the Secretary of State.

What steps she is taking to improve support available for people to (a) access and (b) use Government Gateway accounts.

Government Gateway is easy to access and use. It is available 24 hours a day, all year round. For the period April 2024 to March 2025, it had over 56 million active accounts and was used 434.9 million times to access Government Digital Services.HMRC provides a user-tested online service for setting up accounts on Government Gateway. Users have three attempts to prove their identity, with dynamic guidance provided after each attempt.Dedicated customer technical support is available via online form, email, and telephone.GOV.UK One Login (including face-to-face verification) will gradually replace Government Gateway starting Winter 2025. Plans are in place to ensure effective support during the transition.

What steps her Department is taking to (a) streamline application processes and (b) use technology for digital proof of IDs for pension claims made through the Government Gateway.

For State Pension claims, citizens are invited to claim by letter four months in advance of their State Pension Age. Citizens are provided a unique identifier to use the digital claim service. Where citizens cannot use the digital service, they are directed to a telephony service where identity is validated, and the application is completed on the citizens behalf. There is no need to use the Government Gateway.

How many complaints her Department has received on the difficulty of (a) accessing and (b) using the Government Gateway.

HMRC has 56 million active users of Government Gateway, who successfully used Government Gateway 435m times for the period 1 April 2024 – 14 March 2025. In the same period HMRC received 472 complaints in respect of accessing and/or using the service.

What recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of the (a) accessibility and (b) convenience of (i) setting up and (ii) using the Government Gateway.

The Government Gateway is continuously monitored for availability and performance. It complies with Government Digital Service standards, including accessibility standards. An accessibility assessment in June 2023 found it fully compliant with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 2.1 AA.The service is available 24/7, making it highly accessible. Setting up an account requires only an email address, but identity verification is needed for accessing certain services. Identity verification can be done using a passport, driving license, or other knowledge-based evidence.The process aims to balance ease of use with the need to protect personal information and prevent fraud.Gov.UK One Login (including face-to-face verification) will gradually replace Government Gateway starting Winter 2025.HMRC provides alternative channels for users who cannot access services digitally, such as telephone and written communication.

If he will take steps to support people to access Government Gateway accounts without physical documentation.

Where a customer does not have a driving license or passport, dependent on what records exist for that customer, they can use the following evidence items to prove their identity using Government Gateway:• Self-Assessment – (If record available) This is a knowledge-based question based on previous tax records.• Credit Reference – These are knowledge-based questions based on 3rd party credit reference records.• Tax Credits – (If record available) This is a knowledge-based question based on previous tax records. If a user is unable to provide sufficient evidence to prove their identity online, they can contact the relevant department (e.g. HMRC or DWP) directly by telephone, post, or face to face (DWP Only).There are no plans to improve or add additional options to Government Gateway to enable people to prove their identity – instead additional methods to prove identity will be provided by Gov.UK One Login (including face-to-face verification) which will gradually replace Government Gateway starting Winter 2025.

What recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of waiting times for (a) appointments and (b) scans following a referral from a GP.

The current national waiting list stands at 7.43 million, with 58.9% of those having waited less than 18 weeks and with a median waiting time of 14.4 weeks from referral. We will ensure that 92% of patients return to waiting no longer than 18 weeks from referral to treatment by March 2029, a standard which has not been met consistently since September 2015.As a first step, we have delivered an additional two million operations, scans, and appointments across elective services between July and November 2024 compared to the same period in 2023, seven months ahead of schedule. The Elective Reform Plan (ERP), published in January 2025, sets out the productivity and reform efforts needed to return to the 18-week standard, including reforms to outpatient care to reduce waiting times for appointments, increasing advice & guidance to ensure patient care takes place in the right setting, and reducing missed and less clinically valuable appointments to free up capacity for patients with greater clinical need.As of January 2025, 1.62 million patients were waiting for a diagnostic test or scan, of which approximately 1.26 million, or 77.6% of, patients had been waiting for less than six weeks.To further improve waiting times for scans, the ERP commits to transform and expand diagnostic services including investment in new and expanded community diagnostic centres (CDCs), expanding the number of CDCs operating 12 hours a day, seven days a week, and expanding the tests they offer. We will also develop and roll out straight to test pathways, reducing the time taken for patients to receive a test after a general practitioner referral, as well further improvements to the National Health Service’s digital capabilities.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to encourage (a) repair, (b) reuse and (c) other waste reduction measures.

This Government is committed to transitioning to a circular economy. We have convened a Circular Economy Taskforce, comprising experts from industry, academia, and civil society, to help develop a Circular Economy Strategy for England. The Strategy will map our transition to a circular economy, supported by a series of roadmaps that detail the interventions that the government and others will make on a sector-by-sector basis. Defra recognises that reuse and repair are fundamental tenets of any circular economy, and a successful transition aims to eliminate waste and promote sustainability through reuse and resource efficiency. We will consider the evidence for appropriate action right across the economy as we develop the Strategy.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the political situation in Uganda.

The UK works with the Government of Uganda on a range of shared interests including trade, development, and regional security. The Minister for Africa has spoken regularly to Ugandan Ministers, including on areas of cooperation and on issues related to human rights. The UK will continue to pursue shared interests with the Government of Uganda while maintaining diplomatic channels on a range of issues, including governance.

What plans he has to tackle low levels of dental attendance in Thurrock.

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. To rebuild dentistry in the long term, we will reform the dental contract with the sector, with a shift to focus on prevention and the retention of NHS dentists.The responsibility for commissioning primary care services, including NHS dentistry, to meet the needs of the local population has been delegated to integrated care boards (ICBs) across England. For South Basildon and East Thurrock constituency, this is Mid and South Essex ICB.

What steps he plans to take to ensure that the targets for the additional 700,000 urgent dental appointments are met in areas with high vacancies in NHS dental services.

We will deliver 700,000 extra urgent dental appointments per year, with integrated care boards (ICBs) asked to start making extra appointments available from April 2025.Appointments will be available across the country. Patients will be able to access these additional appointments either through NHS 111, or via helplines set up by their ICB where these arrangements are in place.The methodology used to determine how to allocate the 700,000 appointments across ICBs has considered factors including unmet need, population size and projected contract delivery at an ICB level in 2024/25. Details can be found in the letter sent to ICBs on 21 February 2025 and Annex A, which is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/arrangements-for-nhs-urgent-primary-dental-care-during-2025-26-and-confirmation-of-the-closure-of-the-new-patient-premium-scheme/#annex-a-distribution-of-700k-additional-appointmentsICBs will be responsible for ensuring these appointments are commissioned in line with local population need, to support improved access to urgent dental care for those most in need. We will monitor delivery monthly to identify where ICBs need further support to deliver against their allocated share of the 700,000 additional appointments.Areas which are struggling to recruit and retain National Health Service dentists can make use of the Golden Hello scheme which is aimed to encourage dentists to work in areas where they are needed most.

What steps her Department is taking to reduce (a) delays and (b) overcrowding of train services.

The Department has been clear that rail services have been failing passengers. Cancellations are at a ten-year high and punctuality is inconsistent across the network. We need to improve services for passengers and deliver better value for money for the taxpayer.The Rail Minister is meeting with the Managing Directors of all train operators and their Network Rail counterparts, to address poor performance and demand immediate action to raise standards. Publicly-owned Great British Railways will end years of fragmentation – bringing together track and train to deliver for passengers with more reliable, better-quality services and simpler ticketing and fares The Department holds operators to account on their service offer, ensuring they provide capacity where it is most needed, whilst maintaining performance and protecting the public purse.

What steps he is taking to improve (a) service reliability, (b) service quality, (c) infrastructure, and (d) accessibility for passengers of trainlines.

Improving both the reliability and quality of rail services for passengers is an important priority for this Government. We have already taken significant steps towards this, through resolving the long running industrial disputes and through meeting regularly with train operator management teams and holding them to account for the delivery of their services. As well as delivering for passengers, such steps have led to significant benefit for taxpayers. We also continue to invest around £2 billion each year in rail infrastructure, committing funding to projects and programmes to enhance the railway across the country. This will enable us to increase connectivity and capacity on the railway, so people can get to where they need to be more easily. This funding continues to support physical accessibility improvement on the rail network, on top of which we have invested over £10 million in funding for the Passenger Assist scheme since November 2024, which will deliver improvements for passengers needing support over the next two years.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of rail fare increases on local economies that depend on affordable transport for (a) tourism, (b) business and (c) trade.

Our aim is to keep the price of rail travel at a point that works for both passengers and taxpayers, where possible. This year's increase is the lowest absolute increase in three years and delivers a fair balance between taxpayers and passengers. It will also support the Government’s long-term plans to achieve financial sustainability of the railway.

What assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Golden Hello scheme in improving (a) NHS dentist recruitment and (b) retention levels of staff.

We are determined to rebuild National Health Service dentistry, but it will take time and there are no quick fixes. Strengthening the workforce is key to our ambitions.Integrated care boards have started to recruit posts through the Golden Hello scheme. This recruitment incentive will see up to 240 dentists receiving payments of £20,000 to work in those areas that need them most for three years.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of rail fare increases on the number of people using trains.

Our aim is to keep the price of rail travel at a point that works for both passengers and taxpayers, where possible. This year's increase is the lowest absolute increase in three years and delivers a fair balance between taxpayers and passengers. It will also support the Government’s long-term plans to achieve financial sustainability of the railway.

What steps he plans to take to ensure equitable access to NHS dental services for patients living in areas with chronic shortages of NHS dentists.

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. To rebuild dentistry in the long term, we will reform the dental contract with the sector, with a shift to focus on prevention and the retention of NHS dentists.The responsibility for commissioning primary care services, including NHS dentistry, to meet the needs of the local population has been delegated to integrated care boards (ICBs) across England. For South Basildon and East Thurrock constituency, this is Mid and South Essex ICB.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to encourage producers to extend the lifespan of food, in the context of reducing (a) consumer waste and (b) costs for consumers.

Defra is working closely with the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) and the food industry to reduce consumer food waste. Through WRAP, Defra supports food businesses, including producers, and their work in making sure their products help consumers to waste less food at home. This includes developing best practice guidance on improving the clarity of ‘use by’ and ‘best before’ date labelling, clearer storage advice and optimised packaging design and pack sizes for fresh produce. This helps people to save money and reduce food waste by buying what they need and using what they buy.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to reduce electronic waste.

This Government is committed to transitioning to a circular economy. The UK is exposed to significant supply risks: 80% of the UK’s raw material footprint is extracted abroad, including almost all of the metal ores we use. A transition to a circular economy could improve UK resource security by protecting the UK from future global resource depletion. We have convened a Circular Economy Taskforce to help us develop a Circular Economy Strategy for England. The Strategy will be supported by a series of roadmaps detailing the interventions that the government will make on a sector-by-sector basis, supporting government’s Missions to kickstart economic growth and make Britain a clean energy superpower. We are considering the evidence for sector-specific interventions right across the economy, including in electronic waste, as we develop our Strategy. Funds generated under the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Regulations 2013 include a postcode locator guiding householders to their nearest location to safely recycle, donate or repair unwanted equipment. The Recycle Your Electricals campaign also provides advice on how to remove personal data from gadgets We have also introduced a ban on the sale and supply of Single-Use Vapes from 1 June 2025 meaning that from this date wasteful single-use vape products will no longer be available. Later this year we will introduce legislation to ensure online marketplaces and vape producers are paying their fair share towards recycling costs.

What steps he is taking to improve support available for families who have lost a relative to cancer.

The Government recognises how important it is for grieving families and friends who have lost loved ones have access to the support they need, when they need it. Bereavement support is commissioned locally, to meet the needs of the local population. NHS England has developed guidance for integrated care boards which requires local commissioners to ensure there is sufficient access to bereavement support services.Improving support for patients and carers is also an area of focus for the National Cancer Plan for England, which will seek to improve both physical and mental health aspects of cancer care. Those who wish to share their views on improving cancer support can do so via the Call for Evidence, which is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/calls-for-evidence/shaping-the-national-cancer-planNHS England strongly encourages anyone struggling with their bereavement to contact their general practitioner who can help provide support, signpost to specialist bereavement support organisation or refer to a counsellor.