Written questions by McMurdock.

What steps he is taking to ensure engagement with (a) the public and (b) relevant stakeholders on the environmental impact of pylon projects before Development Consent Orders are granted to private energy companies.

In England and Wales, the Planning Act 2008 requires developers to demonstrate that they have consulted adequately with local communities and relevant stakeholders before they submit applications for consent. This includes engagement on the environmental impacts of pylon projects. As part of their applications developers are required to engage with the public and relevant stakeholders to ensure their feedback is considered and incorporated into the project. The Government does not make assessments for specific projects until they come to the Secretary of State for a final planning decision.

What plans she has to include online safety education into the national curriculum in (a) primary and (b) secondary schools.

As part of the statutory relationships and health education (RHE) in primary schools and relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) in secondary schools, pupils are taught about online safety and harms. This includes being taught about what positive, healthy and respectful online relationships look like, the effects of their online actions on others, how to recognise and display respectful behaviour online and where to get help and support for issues that occur online. The RHE statutory guidance is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/relationships-education-relationships-and-sex-education-rse-and-health-education/relationships-education-primary, and the RSHE statutory guidance is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/relationships-education-relationships-and-sex-education-rse-and-health-education/relationships-and-sex-education-rse-secondary.Teaching about online safety also complements the computing curriculum, which covers the principles of online safety at all key stages, with progression in the content to reflect the different and escalating risks that pupils face. The statutory guidance for the computing curriculum is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-curriculum-in-england-computing-programmes-of-study.The RSHE statutory guidance is currently under review. The department is looking carefully at responses to the public the consultation conducted last year, considering the relevant evidence and discussing with stakeholders before setting out next steps to make sure the guidance draws from the best available evidence. As part of this process, the department will explore whether additional content is required, including content regarding online safety and harm.In addition, the statutory ‘Keeping children safe in education’ guidance, which all schools and colleges must have regard to when drawing up and implementing their own safeguarding policies, has been strengthened with regards to online safety in recent years. Governing bodies and proprietors should ensure online safety is a running and interrelated theme whilst devising and implementing their whole school or college approach to safeguarding and related policies and procedures, including doing all that they reasonably can to limit children’s exposure to the harmful online content on the school’s or college’s IT system.

What steps he is taking to engage with the public on the construction of new electricity network infrastructure.

In England and Wales, the Planning Act 2008 requires developers to demonstrate that they have consulted adequately with communities and to ensure their feedback is considered and incorporated into any new projects. Our objective is to ensure communities hosting transmission network infrastructure can directly benefit. The Government will publish guidance on community funds by Spring 2025. Our guidance will recommend early engagement with communities, ideally alongside initial project discussions. The Government is also supporting the launch of a public communications campaign, developed by industry, to encourage public awareness of the importance of electricity network infrastructure in delivering clean power.

What services are available for asylum seekers on entry into the UK.

Guidance on the asylum support system is publicly available at:www.gov.uk/government/collections/asylum-support-asylum-instructions

What steps he is taking to provide (a) schools and (b) parents with guidance to protect young people from harmful content on social media platforms.

The department’s ‘Keeping children safe in education’ publication is the statutory safeguarding guidance that all school and colleges must have regard to.This guidance provides schools and colleges with robust information on how to protect pupils and students online. The guidance has been significantly strengthened with regards to online safety in recent years. Online safety is now embedded throughout the guidance, making clear the importance of ensuring a whole school approach to keeping children safe both online and offline.The guidance makes clear that schools and colleges should ensure appropriate filtering and monitoring systems are in place and that their effectiveness is regularly reviewed. This limits children’s exposure to harmful content while on school-managed computersAs part of the statutory relationships and health education (RHE) in primary schools and relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) in secondary schools, pupils are taught about online safety and harms.This includes being taught about the effects of their online actions on others, how to recognise and display respectful behaviour online and where to get help and support for issues that occur online. In addition, pupils should have a strong understanding of how data is generated, collected, shared and used online, for example, how personal data is captured on social media or understanding the way that businesses may exploit the data available to them.Statutory guidance for RHE can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/relationships-education-relationships-and-sex-education-rse-and-health-education/relationships-education-primary. Statutory guidance for RSHE can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/relationships-education-relationships-and-sex-education-rse-and-health-education/relationships-and-sex-education-rse-secondary.Through the statutory national computing curriculum, from key stages 1 to 4 inclusive, there is progression in content to reflect the different and escalating risks that young people may encounter. The computing curriculum also provides pupils with the knowledge they need to make informed decisions whilst online or using other digital applications and technologies.All schools are also required by law to have a behaviour policy which outlines effective strategies that will encourage good behaviour. Schools should be clear that even though the online space differs in many ways, the same standards of behaviour are expected online as apply offline and everyone should be treated with kindness, respect and dignity.Finally, the Online Safety Act requires all services in scope to take steps to protect users, including children, from illegal content and criminal behaviour. Companies in scope of the Act will need to risk assess whether their service is likely to be accessed by children and if so, provide safety measures to protect children from harmful and age-inappropriate content.Ofcom has a duty to promote media literacy to help the public understand the nature and impact of where harmful content and online behaviour affects certain groups.

Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment with Cabinet colleagues of the potential impact of not having an official definition of Islamophobia on the effectiveness of the policing of non-crime hate incidents.

We are actively considering our approach to Islamophobia including any potential new definition. A new definition of Islamophobia must be given careful consideration, so it comprehensively covers multiple perspectives and considers potential implications for different communities and how it may affect the policing of non-crime hate incidents.The Home Office has agreed that the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC), supported by the College of Policing, will conduct a review on the use and effectiveness of NCHIs. The review will cover when the police should record information that has not reached the criminal threshold, but which is still deemed necessary to monitor community tensions and keep the public safe, It will also take into account the fundamental right of freedom of expression and recent court ruling in this area. The Government welcomes this review and will work closely with the NPCC and the College as they develop their findings and any proposals on this issue.

How much funding local councils have spent on housing asylum seekers in (a) Essex and (b) South Basildon and East Thurrock constituency since 2022.

The requested data is not held centrally by the Home Office.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential implications for its policies of NHS England's report entitled Independent mental health homicide report into the treatment of Valdo Calocane, published on 5 February 2025.

NHS England and Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust have accepted all the recommendations in this report, and we have been clear that we expect these recommendations to be fully implemented.The trust has also been placed in the recovery support programme, meaning it is receiving focused and intensive support from NHS England to turn around its services and improve the quality and safety of care.The National Director for Mental Health has written to all mental health trusts in England to ask them to ensure they have action plans in place to address all the issues in the report by 30 June 2025.We are also taking steps to improve the way that people with severe mental illnesses are treated, including trialling new open access neighbourhood mental health centres that are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to provide people and their families with support if they are in crisis as well as providing wider support such as housing or employment advice to support them to stay well.

What steps she is taking to raise awareness of the impact of poor nutrition on children.

The government is committed to raising the healthiest generation ever. It is important that children eat nutritious food at school and the department encourages schools to have a whole school approach to healthy eating. The School Food Standards regulate the food and drink provided at lunchtime and at other times of the school day. They aim to ensure that the right foods are available for children every day. School governors have a responsibility to ensure compliance and should appropriately challenge the headteacher and the senior leadership team to ensure the school is meeting its obligations. Schools may use the School Food Standards as a guide when writing their packed lunch policies. To support governors, the department, along with the National Governance Association, are running a pilot online training course on school food for governors and trustees. By increasing understanding of the Standards, we hope that ultimately school children will have increased access to healthier, more nutritious food, the pilot will be evaluated to embed learning. All schools are required to follow a broad and balanced curriculum, as exemplified by the national curriculum. The national curriculum sets the expectation that pupils are taught about the importance of healthy eating and nutrition. Healthy eating and opportunities to develop pupils’ cooking skills are covered in the design and technology curriculum in key stages 1 to 3. The importance of healthy eating is also included in the science curriculum for both primary and secondary schools. Healthy eating is covered through topics relating to nutrition and digestion, which cover the content of a healthy diet and the impact of diet on how the body functions. The principles of a healthy and varied diet are also covered in health education, which emphasises empowering young people to make choices and adopt lifestyles that will increase their chance of living happy and healthy lives, supporting the agenda on tackling obesity. Pupils should be taught how to maintain healthy eating and the links between a poor diet and health risks, including tooth decay and cancer. More broadly, the government has already taken action to restrict ‘junk’ food advertising to children, uprated the sugary drinks industry levy and announced stronger local authority powers to block new fast-food outlets near schools. Action to ban the sale of high-caffeine energy drinks to children is also underway.

What plans she has to improve education on food and nutrition in (a) primary and (b) secondary schools.

The department is supporting schools in a number of ways to provide high-quality food and nutrition education for their students.Nutrition education is a discrete strand of the national curriculum for design and technology and is compulsory for key stages 1 to 3. The curriculum aims to teach children how to cook and how to apply the principles of healthy eating and nutrition. It recognises that cooking is an important life skill that will help children to feed themselves and others healthy and affordable food.The importance of nutrition is also included in the science curriculum for both primary and secondary schools. Nutrition through healthy eating is covered through topics relating to nutrition and digestion, which cover the content of a healthy diet and the impact of diet on how the body functions.Pupils also have the option to study for a GCSE in food preparation and nutrition. This requires pupils to understand and apply the principles of food science, nutrition and healthy eating when preparing and cooking food.Oak National Academy provides adaptable, optional and free curriculum support for schools and has recently published new curriculum sequences in cooking and nutrition from key stages 1 to 3, with associated lesson resources being rolled out this academic year. This curriculum supports teachers to deliver lessons on practical food skills and develops pupils’ understanding of healthy and sustainable diets. Pupils will be taught to make informed decisions about food and drink, and to celebrate food as an important part of different cultures, and a source of nourishment, connection and joy. Pupils will learn how to plan, prepare and cook a wide variety of predominantly savoury dishes, safely and hygienically, applying their food knowledge to make informed nutrition and health decisions.The government has established an independent Curriculum and Assessment Review, covering ages 5 to 18, chaired by Professor Becky Francis CBE. The review will seek to deliver a rich, broad, inclusive and innovative curriculum that readies young people for life and work. The review group will publish an interim report in early spring setting out its interim findings and confirming the key areas for further work, and will publish its final report with recommendations this autumn. The department will take decisions on what changes to make to the curriculum in light of these recommendations.

Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to improve fire safety in (a) new and (b) existing high-rise buildings in Essex.

The Building Safety Act 2022 established a comprehensive regulatory framework for fire and structural safety to ensure homes are safe now and in the years to come. A key part of this included the establishment of the Building Safety Regulator (BSR) to oversee new and existing higher-risk buildings, as well as the introduction of new legal duties to ensure there is someone clearly responsibly for safety during the design, build and occupation of these buildings across England. For occupied higher-risk buildings, those responsible must report safety issues, maintain a 'golden thread' of information, produce a safety case report to demonstrate safety risks are being effectively managed, and engage residents to support ongoing risk management. BSR uses the building assessment certificate process to determine whether dutyholders are meeting specific legal duties, and whether they are taking all reasonable steps to manage building safety risks. The BSR began directing applications for building assessments in April 2024. Since the Grenfell Tower fire, significant updates have been made to fire safety regulations and guidance within Approved Document B to improve safety standards for new buildings. New Measures for residents include a ban on combustible materials in and on the external wall of buildings over 18m, provisions for sprinklers in buildings over 11m, second staircases in high-rise buildings over 18m.

If she will take steps to ensure fire and rescue services are adequately resourced to meet population growth in Essex.

The Home Office have no role in setting firefighter pay or allowances. This is set by the National Joint Council which is comprised of members from the Local Government Association and the Trade Union.On 3 February 2025, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) published the Final Local Government Finance Settlement 2025/26 which sets out grant allocations for all local authorities including fire and rescue. In addition, MHCLG published the referendum principles which confirms that fire and rescue authorities will be able to increase council tax by £5 without the need for a local referendum.The Home Office will continue to work closely with stakeholders across the sector to ensure fire and rescue services have the resources they need to protect communities.

If she will ensure fire and rescue service personnel receive training on (a) electric vehicle fires and (b) lithium-ion battery incidents.

It is the responsibility of fire and rescue authorities to ensure that firefighters receive the appropriate equipment and training they need to safely respond to the wide range of incidents which they attend. We will continue to work closely with the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) to ensure fire and rescue services have the training, research and equipment they need to keep the public safe.Through our well-established national Fire Kills campaign, we are working to raise awareness on safe usage, storage and charging of e-bikes and e-scooters to support fire prevention in the home. We have developed educational resources, in partnership with the NFCC and local fire and rescue services, and published advice on the FireEngland.uk website.

What steps she is taking to ensure that school meals are (a) balanced and (b) nutritional.

It is important that children eat nutritious food at school and the department encourages schools to have a whole school approach to healthy eating.The School Food Standards regulate the food and drink provided at lunchtime and at other times of the school day. Compliance with the School Food Standards is mandatory for maintained schools, academies and free schools. They aim to ensure that the right foods are available for children. For example, one or more portions of vegetables as an accompaniment and one or more portions of fruit must be provided every day. The standards also restrict foods high in fat, salt and sugar, as well as low quality reformed or reconstituted foods, and ensure that pupils always have healthy options.The department’s aim is to deliver better life chances for all through a system which works for all. As with all government programmes, we will keep our approach to the School Food Standards under continued review.

If she will implement a South-East Allowance for fire and rescue services.

The Home Office have no role in setting firefighter pay or allowances. This is set by the National Joint Council which is comprised of members from the Local Government Association and the Trade Union.On 3 February 2025, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) published the Final Local Government Finance Settlement 2025/26 which sets out grant allocations for all local authorities including fire and rescue. In addition, MHCLG published the referendum principles which confirms that fire and rescue authorities will be able to increase council tax by £5 without the need for a local referendum.The Home Office will continue to work closely with stakeholders across the sector to ensure fire and rescue services have the resources they need to protect communities.

What steps her Department is taking to keep children and young people safe from violence (a) on the streets and (b) in schools.

Children’s wellbeing and safety is a priority for this government. In the community, there are a range of interventions from across government aimed at keeping children safe. In addition to existing community-based interventions, Young Futures Hubs will bring together services to improve access to opportunities and support for young people at community level, promoting positive outcomes and enabling young people to thrive.Education can be a significant protective factor. Statutory guidance including ‘Working together to safeguard children’ and ‘Keeping children safe in education’ sets out the safeguarding duties and responsibilities of education settings. This spans action taken within schools, such as through effective whole-school behaviour policies and pastoral support provision, through to the role of schools within multi-agency safeguarding arrangements and action taken by schools to escalate concerns about children to local authority services. Furthermore, the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill will put in place a package of support to enhance multi-agency working to keep children safe and ensure they can thrive. This includes placing a duty on safeguarding partners to automatically include education and childcare settings in their multi-agency safeguarding arrangements.Through existing statutory relationships, sex and health education, pupils are taught how to build respectful and empathetic relationships and appropriate ways of resolving conflict, including a clear message that resorting to violence is never acceptable.We currently support those pupils most at risk through two place-based programmes that provide specialist support in serious violence hotspots in England. Support, attend, fulfil, exceed (SAFE) taskforces are school-led partnerships that develop a targeted, local response to serious violence in 10 areas. Interventions delivered include mentoring, social skills training and cognitive behavioural approaches. In alternative provision (AP) settings, Alternative Provision Specialist Taskforces (APSTs) are joined up, multi-disciplinary teams (including youth workers, family workers and careers workers) embedded within the largest AP schools in 22 areas.

What estimate he has made of the cost of net zero targets for Fire and Rescue services.

Fire and Ambulance Stations account for around 2% of greenhouse gas emissions from public sector buildings in England according to the Building Energy Efficiency Survey (www.gov.uk/government/publications/building-energy-efficiency-survey-bees).The Government has previously estimated the cost of decarbonising all UK public sector buildings at £25bn to £30bn in 2022 prices. This estimate will be reviewed this year. The cost of retrofitting different sub-sectors of the public sector will vary according to several factors, including the types of buildings used and their age. This leads to different relative costs across these sub-sectors.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 22 January 2025 to Question 23915 on Islamophobia, what her planned timetable is for providing further detail on the Government’s approach to tackling Islamophobia.

Ensuring that British Muslims are safe, and feel safe, and standing up to Islamophobia is a top priority for this Government. Careful thought and continued community engagement is required to achieve this.We will set out further plans in due course.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of out-of-home advertising of fast food on children and young people.

No assessment has been made of the potential impact of out-of-home advertising of fast food on children and young people.  We are however taking proportionate action, including restricting junk food advertising on TV and online, limiting the access of school children to fast food, and banning the sale of high-caffeine energy drinks to under-16s.Supporting people to stay healthier for longer is at the heart of this government’s Health Mission which aims to reduce the amount of time spent in ill health, tackle health inequalities and drive economic growth.Evidence shows that the restrictions on junk food advertising on TV and online alone will have a direct impact on childhood obesity by reducing children’s exposure to advertising of less healthy products. We estimate that these restrictions will remove up to 7.2 billion calories from children’s diets per year in the UK and reduce the number of children living with obesity by 20,000.

What steps she is taking to support Essex County Fire and Rescue Service's capital investment in its (a) estate, (b) fleet and (c) equipment.

On 3 February 2025, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government published the Final Local Government Finance Settlement 2025/26 which sets out grant allocations for all local authorities including fire and rescue.The Home Office will continue to work closely with stakeholders across the sector to ensure fire and rescue services have the resources they need to protect communities.