Written questions by McMurdock.

Whether he plans to invest in integrated models of palliative care.

Palliative care services are included in the list of services an integrated care board (ICB) must commission. This promotes a more consistent national approach and supports commissioners in prioritising palliative and end of life care. To support ICBs in this duty, NHS England has published statutory guidance and service specifications.We want a society where every person receives high-quality, compassionate care from diagnosis through to the end of life. We have committed to develop a 10-year plan to deliver a National Health Service fit for the future, by driving three shifts in the way health care is delivered. The Government is determined to shift more healthcare out of hospitals and into the community, to ensure patients and their families receive personalised care in the most appropriate setting, and palliative and end of life care services will have a big role to play in that shift.In February 2025, I met with key palliative and end of life care and hospice stakeholders, and sustainable integrated models of palliative and end of life care, within the context of our 10-Year Health Plan, were discussed at length.

What steps he is taking to improve bereavement support for carers.

The Government is committed to ensuring that families have the support that they need. Bereavement support is commissioned locally, to meet the needs of the local population. NHS England has developed guidance for integrated care boards which requires commissioners to ensure there is sufficient access to bereavement support services.Statutory guidance states commissioners should ensure there is sufficient access to bereavement services available for families and carers, including children and young people. The guidance is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/palliative-and-end-of-life-care-statutory-guidance-for-integrated-care-boards-icbs/

How much her Department has spent on housing asylum seekers in (a) Essex and (b) South Basildon and East Thurrock constituency since 2022.

Information on asylum expenditure is published on gov.uk in the Home Office Annual Report and Accounts.

Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to improve transparency in the pre-application process for nationally significant infrastructure projects.

Duties set out Chapter 2 to Part 5 of the Planning Act 2008 require applicants for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs) to publicise their proposals and consult specific persons and bodies as part of the pre-application process before their application is submitted. Paragraph 006 of the pre-application guidance sets out the statutory requirements applicants need to comply with, which includes publishing their Statement of Community Consultation. The relevant guidance can be found at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/planning-act-2008-pre-application-stage-for-nationally-significant-infrastructure-projects.

Whether his Department has considered alternative energy transmission methods.

The National Energy System Operator considers a range of different technologies when conducting strategic network planning to make the most optimal recommendations for electricity transmission infrastructure. It is the responsibility of the developers of electricity network projects to propose the detailed route design, including technology choice, and obtain planning permission. The Government sets the rules for a robust and independent planning process that communities can participate in.

Whether he has had recent discussions with the National Grid on the potential merits of establishing (a) financial compensation and (b) support for businesses impacted by pylon developments.

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

Whether compensation schemes are available to businesses whose operations are impacted by the construction of (a) new electricity pylons and (b) electricity related infrastructure.

Landowners, businesses and homeowners that have electrical equipment, such as pylons or towers, sited on their land have the right to compensation for the value of their land, as well as for any losses or expenses incurred. Acquiring authorities can also put in place discretionary schemes offering additional compensation. We have published guidance on community funds for electricity transmission infrastructure which outlines government’s recommendations on how to communities living near clean energy infrastructure can benefit.

Pursuant to the Answer of 5 March 2025 to Question 33841 on Mentally Disordered Offenders: Crimes of Violence, what (a) practical and (b) legal issues there are with linking medical records with justice datasets.

Effectively and securely linking health and non-health data is critical to delivering the Government’s health and wider missions.Health and justice data can be linked in specific circumstances; the National Health Service already shares some data with the Ministry of Justice as part of the latter’s Better Outcomes through Linked Data (BOLD) programme. The programme uses de-identified data held in a Secure Data Environment. More information on BOLD is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ministry-of-justice-better-outcomes-through-linked-data-bold/ministry-of-justice-better-outcomes-through-linked-data-boldPractical issues to sharing health data include how patient information can be stored and accessed safely. The Department of Health and Social Care and the National Health Service in England is moving to a system of ‘data access as default’ for secondary data uses, through the implementation of Secure Data Environments. These platforms allow approved users to analyse data without it having to leave the environment.The chief legal issue is usually the absence of an appropriate basis for sharing: the main ones are explicit consent, a statutory requirement, or an overriding public interest. The Department of Health and Social Care is shortly to review the legislation relating to the sharing of patient data for research and planning and other secondary purposes, to ensure it supports sharing and access, where appropriate safeguards are in place.

Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the potential merits of increasing the amount of countryside available to roam.

Our countryside and green spaces are a source of great national pride and which boost public health and wellbeing, but too many across the country are left without access to the great outdoors. That is why the last Labour Government expanded public access by introducing the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000, which provided the public a right of access to large areas of mountain, moor, heath, down, registered common land and coastal margin in England. We will be reviewing the maps of this open access land ahead of the statutory deadline of 1st January 2031, to ensure that the public have clear information which can help them to access this land. We are continuing to increase access to nature for families to enjoy, for example through our ambitious manifesto commitments to create nine new National River Walks, plant three new National Forests, and empower communities to create new parks and green spaces in their communities with a new Community Right to Buy. In addition, the Government has made the decision to repeal the cut-off date for the registration of historic rights of way, preventing the loss of hundreds of miles of unregistered paths. This will ensure that these paths remain available to the public for future generations. This change will be formally enacted when parliamentary time allows.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the removal of the automatic right to home educate under the Children and Wellbeing Bill on parents home schooling their children.

My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education and the Ministerial team try to meet with stakeholders regularly, including in relation to the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill. It is important that the department engages and listens to the views of key stakeholders who have an interest in the Children Not in School measures within the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill. That is why we have established stakeholder implementation forums to listen to the views of home educating parents, home education organisations, local authorities and other safeguarding and education stakeholders with a vested interest. There is currently no automatic right for all parents to be able to home educate their children, with local authority consent currently being required for a small cohort of children.

If she will meet with parents who home school their children to discuss the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill.

My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education and the Ministerial team try to meet with stakeholders regularly, including in relation to the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill. It is important that the department engages and listens to the views of key stakeholders who have an interest in the Children Not in School measures within the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill. That is why we have established stakeholder implementation forums to listen to the views of home educating parents, home education organisations, local authorities and other safeguarding and education stakeholders with a vested interest. There is currently no automatic right for all parents to be able to home educate their children, with local authority consent currently being required for a small cohort of children.

What representations her Department has received from parents who home school their children about the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill.

My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education and the Ministerial team try to meet with stakeholders regularly, including in relation to the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill. It is important that the department engages and listens to the views of key stakeholders who have an interest in the Children Not in School measures within the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill. That is why we have established stakeholder implementation forums to listen to the views of home educating parents, home education organisations, local authorities and other safeguarding and education stakeholders with a vested interest. There is currently no automatic right for all parents to be able to home educate their children, with local authority consent currently being required for a small cohort of children.

What plans he has to provide additional financial support to GP practices with increased costs to ensure they can maintain (a) staffing levels and (b) high-quality service provision.

We are investing an additional £889 million in the general practice contract to reinforce the front door of the National Health Service, bringing total spend on the GP Contract to £13.2 billion in 2025/26. This is the biggest increase in over a decade. We are pleased that the England general practitioner committee of the British Medical Association is supportive of the contract changes. The Government committed to recruiting over 1,000 recently qualified general practitioners (GPs) through an £82 million boost to the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme (ARRS) over 2024/25, as part of an initiative to address GP unemployment and secure the future pipeline of GPs. The 2025/26 GP contract will make ARRS more flexible to better address local workforce needs. The two ARRS pots will be combined into a single pot for reimbursement of patient facing staff costs, with no restrictions on the number or type of staff covered, including GPs and practice nurses. To boost GP recruitment and bring back the family doctor, the maximum reimbursement for GPs salaries will rise from £73,113 in 2024/25 to £82,418, reflecting the lower quartile of the salaried GP pay range. This increase includes proportional employer on-costs within the total reimbursement amount primary care networks can claim. The changes to the contract will improve services for patients and make progress towards the Government’s health mission, supporting the three key shifts the Government wants to achieve, namely from analogue to digital, sickness to prevention, and from hospital to community care.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of increased National Insurance costs on GP practices in (a) Essex and (b) South Basildon and East Thurrock constituency.

We have made necessary decisions to fix the foundations of the public finances in the Autumn Budget. Resource spending for the Department will be £22.6 billion more in 2025/26 than in 2023/24, as part of the Spending Review settlement. The employers’ National Insurance rise will be implemented in April 2025. Primary care providers, including general practices (GPs), are valued independent contractors who provide almost £20 billion worth of services in the National Health Service. Every year, we consult with each sector both about what services they provide, and the money that providers are entitled to in return under their contract.We are investing an additional £889 million in GPs to reinforce the front door of the NHS, bringing total spend on the GP Contract to £13.2 billion in 2025/26. This is the biggest increase in over a decade. We are pleased that the England general practitioners committee of the British Medical Association is supportive of the contract changes.

What steps he is taking to support GPs in Essex to invest in (a) clinical equipment, (b) staff training and (c) uniforms, in the context of rises in operating costs.

We are investing an additional £889 million in the GP Contract to reinforce the front door of the National Health Service, bringing the total spend on the GP Contract to £13.2 billion in 2025/26. This is the biggest increase in over a decade, and we are pleased that the General Practitioners Committee England is supportive of the contract changes.The Department’s MedTech Strategy, published in February 2023, and the subsequent One Year On Report in April 2024, outline our priorities for improving the adoption and spread of safe, effective, and innovative medical technologies across the NHS.General practices and primary care networks have access to a regional Primary Care Training Hub, which brings together education and training resources from NHS organisations, community providers, and local authorities. Training hubs are usually run by a clinical leader and a manager supported by a network of primary care staff, with education and training professionals based in the community. They work closely with primary care networks and integrated care systems to support workforce priorities and tackle health inequalities to help meet patient and population demand.Employers in the health system are responsible for ensuring that their staff are trained to the required standards to deliver appropriate treatment for patients. NHS England has set out expectations regarding dress code for health care providers. It is for individual practices to implement and ensure staff are dressed appropriately.

What steps he is taking to reduce the number of postcodes outside the recommended minimum distance from a defibrillator in (a) Essex, (b) the South Basildon and East Thurrock constituency.

To improve patients' survival rates following out-of-hospital cardiac arrests, the Government has committed to improving access to automated external defibrillators (AEDs) in public spaces and reducing inequalities in access to these life saving devices. Following the depletion of the existing AED fund, launched in September 2023, the Government approved a further £500,000 in August 2024 to fulfil existing applications to the Fund.As part of the application process, the Department has selected the Smarter Society as its independent partner to manage grant applications against requirements specified by the Department to ensure that resource is allocated where there is the greatest need; for example, remote communities with extended ambulance response times, places with high footfall and high population densities, hotspots for cardiac arrest including sporting venues and venues with vulnerable people, and deprived areas.When an AED is installed, these defibrillators are required to be registered on The Circuit, the national defibrillator ambulance service database. Upon registration, contact details are provided for the nominated AED guardian/s who are local to the defibrillator’s location and conduct checks when required.87 AEDs have been distributed through the fund in Essex, including 1 in the South Basildon and East Thurrock constituency.

If he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the Employment Rights Bill on regulatory requirements for small and medium-sized enterprises.

On Monday 21 October, the Government published 24 Impact Assessments representing a comprehensive package of analysis on the impact of the Employment Rights Bill. These Impact Assessments are available at the following link: http://www.gov.uk/guidance/employment-rights-bill-impact-assessments. As per our Better Regulation requirements, each Impact Assessment includes a small, medium and micro business assessment, which discuss the potential impacts of the Employment Rights Bill.

What assessment her Department has made of trends in the level of (a) delays and (b) cancellations of trains in England.

Ministers have been clear that rail services have been failing passengers; 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. Shadow Great British Railways (SGBR) will start to provide the opportunity to take joined up, whole system decisions that improve performance for the benefit of passengers and taxpayers.The Office of Rail and Road publish statistics on delays and cancellations periodically and quarterly on their website at https://dataportal.orr.gov.uk/statistics/performance/passenger-rail-performance/.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of increases in regulated rail fares on commuters in England.

The Department regularly meets with the rail industry and stakeholders, on a variety of issues including rail affordability. 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 was the lowest absolute increase in three years and will help ensure that funding for the railway is fairly balanced between the passengers who use it and the taxpayers who do not.

What recent discussions her Department has had with (a) train companies and (b) public transport campaigners on the impact of increased rail fares.

The Department regularly meets with the rail industry and stakeholders, on a variety of issues including rail affordability. 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 was the lowest absolute increase in three years and will help ensure that funding for the railway is fairly balanced between the passengers who use it and the taxpayers who do not.