Written questions by McMurdock.

What steps her Department is taking to improve support for children with epilepsy in schools.

It is the government's ambition that schools should be well supported to meet the needs of their pupils, enabling them all to achieve and thrive. Section 100 of the Children and Families Act 2014 places a duty on maintained schools, academies and pupil referral units to make arrangements for supporting pupils with medical conditions. Some children with medical conditions may be considered to be disabled under the definition set out in the Equality Act 2010. Where this is the case, governing bodies must comply with their duties under that Act. Governing bodies should ensure that all schools develop a policy for supporting pupils with medical conditions that is reviewed regularly and is readily accessible to parents and school staff. They must ensure that the arrangements put in place are sufficient to meet their statutory responsibilities and should ensure that policies, plans, procedures and systems are properly and effectively implemented.

How many people receiving a state pension are no longer eligible for the winter fuel allowance in South Basildon and East Thurrock constituency.

It is estimated that around 15,200 pensioners in South Basildon and East Thurrock Constituency (2024 boundaries) will be affected by the decision to amend the eligibility criteria for the Winter Fuel Payment. This is based on February 2024 Pension Credit statistics which are available via DWP Stat-Xplore and the Winter Fuel Payment statistics for winter 2023 to 2024 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). This estimation is calculated by subtracting the number of people claiming Pension Credit in South Basildon and East Thurrock constituency from the number of Winter Fuel Payment recipients in South Basildon and East Thurrock constituency. It is possible to use the Pension Credit statistics, to give a minimum estimate of the number who may be eligible for Winter Fuel Payments. Therefore, the above estimation is essentially the number of Winter Fuel Payment recipients who are not claiming Pension Credit pre-policy change, as an estimate of those who will no longer receive the Winter Fuel Payment. Please note that the above estimation would not take into account any potential increase in Pension Credit take-up that we might see as a result of the Government’s Pension Credit Awareness Campaign. We do not have data on those additional Pension Credit claims by Parliamentary constituencies. The published Pension Credit figures refer to households, so the number of individuals in respect of whom Pension Credit is paid will be higher (i.e. taking account of households where a claimant has a partner and/or dependents). In addition, while Pension Credit claimants constitute the majority of those that will be eligible for the Winter Fuel Payment, pensioners who claim other qualifying means-tested benefits will also be eligible for the Winter Fuel Payment. It is not, however, possible to include those on other qualifying means-tested benefits in these figures.

What steps her Department is taking to increase the provision of mental health first aid training.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is responsible for the Health and Safety (First-Aid Regulations) 1981, which require employers to undertake a first aid needs assessment including both mental and physical health risks, and to ensure there is suitable provision to meet the needs identified for their workplace. HSE has published a range of guidance on its website to support employers in carrying out their first aid needs assessment, and there is established guidance on appropriate first aid provision for employees requiring immediate intervention or support until professional emergency care can be accessed.

What steps she is taking to support disabled claimants through the Personal Independence Payment review process.

We recognise the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) review process can be unsettling for some claimants. There are a number of ways in which we provide support: In order to speed up the review process, DWP Case Managers can now undertake PIP reviews in-house, removing the need for a consultation, in cases where sufficient evidence is provided by the claimant. This takes away the stress of a consultation and enables a decision to be made more quickly for the majority of claimants. For those cases that do need to be reviewed by a Healthcare Professional, different types of assessment types are available depending on claimant circumstances. Providers can offer telephony, video or face-to-face assessments or reviews can again be undertaken, in some cases, using information provided without the need for a consultation. For claimants who have severe mental health or cognitive impairments we apply an Additional Support marker to the case which protects the claimant from falling out of payment where they struggle to complete forms or engage in the process. This means that the case will progress to a review even where a review form cannot be completed. Where there are delays for claimants awaiting a review of their PIP award, we have taken steps to keep claimants informed and updated via text messages. In such cases, we routinely extend awards to ensure continuity of payments, enabling claimants (where appropriate) to retain eligibility for Motability vehicles and Blue Badges. To help claimants understand the process, information is provided on Gov.UK, which also includes the telephone number to call if more time is needed to complete the review form. This can be found at Personal Independence Payment (PIP): If your PIP claim is reviewed - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) . Gov.UK also signposts claimants to information from Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) about what claimants need to include when completing the PIP review form. Further details can be found at Help with your PIP review form - Citizens Advice.

What steps he is taking to support disabled households with the cost of energy.

The Government believes that the only way to permanently protect billpayers, including disabled households, is to speed up the transition towards homegrown clean energy and reduce our reliance on volatile international fossil fuel markets. Whilst we make this transition, the Government is committed to ensuring vulnerable households are supported with their energy bills. We are looking at all options on how to make energy bills more affordable for these households. In the short-term, we are continuing to deliver the Warm Home Discount which provides a £150 annual rebate on energy bills for eligible low-income households. We are also working with energy suppliers to ensure they are providing additional support to vulnerable customers that are struggling with bills.

Innovation and Technology, what steps he is taking to help improve internet connections in the South Basildon and East Thurrock constituency.

According to the independent website ThinkBroadband.com, over 98% of premises in the South Basildon and East Thurrock constituency have access to superfast broadband speeds (>=30 Mbps) and over 90% can access a gigabit-capable (>1000 Mbps) connection.Remaining premises that are not expected to receive a gigabit-capable connection through suppliers’ commercial rollout are being considered for support through Project Gigabit. Under a cross-regional framework agreement with Openreach, we plan to procure a contract to deliver fast, reliable broadband to eligible premises in the area.

How many EV charging points there are in South Basildon and East Thurrock constituency; and what estimate her Department has made of the potential demand for the future installation of such charging points.

Data on electric vehicle charging devices in the UK, held by the Department for Transport (DfT), are sourced from those installed or funded under Government approved grant schemes and from the electric vehicle charging platform Zapmap. The latest data available for the South Basildon and East Thurrock parliamentary constituency is at 1 July 2024, and reflects the constituency boundary at that point. This shows there were 15 public charging devices and that the Government has historically supported installation of 401 residential chargepoints, plus 41 workplace charging sockets. DfT does not collect data on private household charging except when installed or funded under a Government grant, therefore the true number of charging devices may be higher than recorded in these figures. To support the electric vehicle transition more charging infrastructure will be needed across the country. The exact number in a location will depend on a variety of factors such as availability of off-street parking, future charging behaviour and local driving patterns. South Basildon and East Thurrock constituency is part of Thurrock Council and Essex County Council. Under the Government’s Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Fund, Thurrock Council has been allocated £843,000 in capital and resource funding and Essex County Council has been allocated £9,102,000. This will help them work with industry to rollout additional local public chargepoints supporting future demand.

What steps her Department is taking to improve bus services in South Basildon and East Thurrock constituency.

Good local bus services are an essential part of prosperous and sustainable communities. As announced in the King’s Speech on 17 July 2024, the government will introduce a Buses Bill later this parliamentary session, which will put decision-making into the hands of local leaders across England, including in South Basildon and East Thurrock. This will allow local areas to determine how best to design their bus services so that they have control over routes and schedules.The government has also committed to increasing accountability by providing safeguards over local networks across the country and empowering local transport authorities through reforms to bus funding.

What assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of the trial of e-scooters in Basildon.

The national evaluation of the e-scooter trials was published in 2022 and was a comprehensive review of the e-scooter trials. The Essex trial was one of the 10 trials selected for the user and resident survey.

How many beds are reserved to house irregular migrants in South Basildon and East Thurrock constituency.

The Home Office does not reserve beds for irregular migrants. In accordance with the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999, the Home Office has a statutory obligation to provide destitute asylum seekers with accommodation and subsistence support whilst their application for asylum is being considered. The Government is determined to restore order to the asylum system so that it operates swiftly, firmly and fairly. This includes our accommodation sites, as the Home Office continues to identify a range of options to minimise the use of hotels and ensure better use of public money, whilst maintaining sufficient accommodation to meet demand. Data on the number of supported asylum seekers in accommodation by local authority can be found within the Asy_D11 tab for our most recent statistics release. The data can also be broken down by local authority. Immigration system statistics data tables - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)(opens in a new tab)

How many irregular migrants are housed in South Basildon and East Thurrock constituency.

The Home Office does not reserve beds for irregular migrants. In accordance with the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999, the Home Office has a statutory obligation to provide destitute asylum seekers with accommodation and subsistence support whilst their application for asylum is being considered. The Government is determined to restore order to the asylum system so that it operates swiftly, firmly and fairly. This includes our accommodation sites, as the Home Office continues to identify a range of options to minimise the use of hotels and ensure better use of public money, whilst maintaining sufficient accommodation to meet demand. Data on the number of supported asylum seekers in accommodation by local authority can be found within the Asy_D11 tab for our most recent statistics release. The data can also be broken down by local authority. Immigration system statistics data tables - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)(opens in a new tab)

Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to help build more affordable homes in Basildon.

The Government is committed to the biggest increase in social and affordable housebuilding in a generation. Our aspiration is to ensure that, in the first full financial year of this Parliament (2025-26), the number of Social Rent homes is rising rather than falling.Our proposed changes to the National Planning Policy Framework include setting a clear expectation that housing needs assessments must consider the needs of those requiring Social Rent homes, and that local authorities should specify their expectations on Social Rent delivery as part of broader affordable housing policies.We have asked Homes England and the Greater London Authority to maximise the number of Social Rent homes in allocating the remaining Affordable Homes Programme funding. The Government has started to review the increased Right to Buy discounts introduced in 2012, on which we will bring forward more details and secondary legislation to implement changes in the autumn. We have also announced new flexibilities for how councils can use their Right to Buy receipts to deliver replacement homes; these flexibilities will be in place for an initial 24 months, subject to review.We are committed to setting out details of future Government investment in social and affordable housing at the Spending Review.

What steps his Department is taking to provide suicide prevention support for young adults.

We will recruit an additional 8,500 new mental health workers, and these new staff will be specially trained to support people at risk of suicide. The five-year Suicide Prevention Strategy for England identifies young people as a priority area for action to reduce suicides, and we will explore opportunities to go further.The Department continues to provide funding to a wide range of national and local voluntary and community organisations to support their work on suicide prevention through the £10 million Suicide Prevention Grant Fund, which runs to March 2025. This includes PAPYRUS Prevention of Young Suicide, who play an important role in supporting young people at risk of mental ill health and suicide.

Communities and Local Government, if she will bring forward legislative proposals to prevent local authorities from bidding for housing stock outside of their own areas.

The government has no current plans to bring forward legislative proposals to prevent local authorities from bidding for housing stock outside of their own areas.Local authorities are best placed to consider ways in which they can increase their stock and make decisions about the types of homes needed in their communities.When delivering new social housing, councils are encouraged to achieve a good balance between acquisitions and new builds.When placing households in temporary accommodation, homelessness legislation sets out that local authorities should try to place individuals within their own area, and when this is not possible, they should place the household as near as possible to the original local authority. The Government is clear that local authorities should, as far as possible, avoid placing households out of their borough.