Written questions by Naish.

What steps her Department is taking to ensure schools have sufficient funding to retain experienced teachers alongside recruiting new staff.

This government recognises the importance of retaining experienced teachers. We have demonstrated our commitment to supporting schools by increasing school funding by £3.7 billion in the 2025/26 financial year, meaning the core school budget will total £65.3 billion compared to £61.6 billion in 2024/25.In the 2025 spending review, the department has announced that funding for schools will further increase by £4.2 billion per year by 2028/29, compared to 2025/26. This additional funding will provide an above real terms per pupil increase in the core schools budget.The increase for 2025/26 includes additional funding to support schools with overall costs, including the costs of the 4% schools teacher pay award and the local government services pay award in respect of support staff in 2025/26.​This follows government agreeing a 5.5% pay award for academic year 2024/25. Taken together, this means teachers and leaders will see an increase in their pay of almost 10% over two years.For 2024/25 and 2025/26, the department is also offering retention payments worth up to £6,000 after tax for mathematics, physics, chemistry and computing teachers in the first five years of their careers who choose to work in disadvantaged schools.

Whether her Department plans to introduce targeted retention incentives for experienced teachers in addition to those offered to early-career teachers.

Supporting our expert teachers is critical to the government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity and boost the life chances for every child, as the within-school factor that makes the biggest difference to a young person’s educational outcomes is high-quality teaching. Combined with the previous year’s 5.5% award, this year’s above-inflation pay award will mean schoolteachers have seen an increase in their pay of almost 10% over two years.The financial incentives the department offers are targeted where there is most need to recruit and retain teachers. School workforce data shows that teachers are most likely to leave within the first five years of their career. Targeted Retention Incentives are currently offered to mathematics, physics, chemistry and computing teachers in the first five years of their careers who choose to work in disadvantaged schools as it is vital that we retain new teachers in these priority subjects and in the schools that need them most.

What discussions his Department has had with (a) the Department of Business and Trade and (b) the Cabinet office on ensuring its supply chains do not involve forced labour.

Modern slavery is a serious human rights violation depriving individuals of their freedom and dignity while inflicting immeasurable harm on families, communities, and society as-a-whole. DESNZ is committed to tackling all forms of modern slavery, holding perpetrators to account, and ensuring that victims are supported to recover and rebuild their lives. The Government will continue to assess and monitor the effectiveness of new policy tools that are emerging to ensure we can effectively tackle forced labour in supply chains. Government’s Responsible Business Conduct Review will be a primary lever for delivering this as a cross-departmental endeavour to review and address UK’s policy regime and voluntary due diligence requirements for forced labour. Additionally, the Industrial Strategy Clean Energy Industries Sector Plan committed to embedding ethical supply chain standards into DESNZ public spend; and Great British Energy confirmed it will follow strict ethical standards to help ensure solar supply chains are free from exploitation.

Whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of including hazard perception tests for drivers who have been diagnosed with glaucoma.

Glaucoma is a condition that can affect visual fields. Driving licence holders or applicants who have glaucoma in both eyes must notify the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) and will be required to have an eyesight test to make sure that they meet the legally required visual field standards for driving. The requirements for visual field can only be assessed through formal visual field testing. The Secretary of State for Transport’s Honorary Medical Advisory Panel for Visual Disorders and Driving advises that the appropriate visual field assessment for determining fitness to drive is a binocular Esterman field test or, exceptionally, a Goldmann perimetry assessment. Both of these tests must be carried out to strict criteria and are conducted to the exact specifications required to enable the DVLA to assess whether the visual field requirements for driving can be met. There are no plans to use hazard perception tests for this purpose.

Whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of instructing the DVLA to audit car park operator records in cases where a recurring pattern of disputes over charges has been identified.

The law allows the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) to provide vehicle keeper information to parking companies so that they can contact the registered keepers of vehicles which may have been parked on private land in breach of the terms and conditions applying. These arrangements are subject to a comprehensive range of safeguards to ensure motorists are treated fairly. Companies requesting data from the DVLA to manage private parking must belong to an appropriate accredited trade association and abide by its published code of practice. The DVLA and the Government Internal Audit Agency carry out audits on those requesting data and appropriate action will be taken if patterns are identified from complaints received.

Communities and Local Government, whether she has had discussions with the Secretary of State for Justice on the potential impact of auditing car park operator records where recurring disputes over charges have been identified on County Court caseloads.

The Government is aware of the high volumes of small claims from the parking industry and is determined to drive up standards in the parking sector. The Parking (Code of Practice) Act 2019 places a duty on the Government to prepare a code of practice containing guidance about the operation and management of private parking. Alongside the new Code, my department is also developing a Certification Scheme which will set out rules for auditing private parking operator compliance with the Code; this will include audits of notices of parking charges including those that progress to the County Court. The private parking industry is currently self-regulating and whilst the Secretary of State has not had discussions with the Justice Secretary on this issue, my officials have had meetings with their counterparts at the Ministry of Justice and are working together to develop a Justice Impact Test to assess the impact of introducing the Code and the Certification Scheme on the justice system.

Whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of extending the job guarantee scheme for newly qualified nurses and midwives to include (a) occupational therapists, (b) physiotherapists and (c) other allied health professionals.

There are no plans to expand the job guarantee scheme to the professions highlighted, but the Government is committed to supporting all clinical staff in their careers. The new 10 Year Workforce Plan will ensure the National Health Service has the right people in the right places, with the right skills to care for patients, when they need it.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether any nutrition programmes have had their budget reduced in 2025-26.

The 2025 Spending Review has confirmed the Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office's (FCDO) Official Development Assistance (ODA) budget for 2025-26. With the overall reductions to ODA budgets across the Department, there has been some impact to the central nutrition budget but decisions across Posts are yet to be finalised. The FCDO will be able to assess the financial impact of this spending review on nutrition-related spend in 2027 once nutrition-related spend data is consolidated.

What steps his Department is taking to help tackle air pollution.

Air pollution is one of the greatest environmental harms to public health. Our 10-Year Health Plan (10YHP) for England sets out how the Government plans to improve the health of the nation, including a focus on prevention of ill health. The plan sets out cross-Government action to tackle air pollution. This includes a review of the Environmental Improvement Plan, which will set out measures to reduce emissions and everyone’s exposure to air pollution.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he plans to continue the Healthy Women, Children and Newborns approach in (a) 2026 and (b) 2027.

The UK is committed to supporting global efforts to end preventable maternal, child and newborn deaths by 2030, in line with Sustainable Development Goal targets through the Healthy Women, Children and Newborn approach.Official Development Assistance (ODA) allocations and the impact on programmes are being worked through. We will be taking a rigorous approach to ensure all ODA delivers value for money. We will set out our spending plans following the completion of resource allocation processes.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps he is taking with his counterparts in multilateral organisations to (a) defend and (b) advance sexual and reproductive (i) health and (ii) rights.

The UK works with multilateral organisations including the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), World Health Organisation and the Global Financing Facility, alongside governments and civil society and provides targeted funding, technical partnership and diplomatic engagement to defend and advance sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR).Earlier this year on International Women's Day, the Foreign Secretary appointed Baroness Harman as Special Envoy for Women and Girls, progressing our foreign policy and development objectives to protect women and girls' rights, including SRHR. In June 2026, she met with international counterparts and programme partners at Wilton Park, expressing the UK's commitment to defending and advancing SRHR.

What assessment his Department has made of the role of short-term, unplanned adult social care services in preventing hospital admissions for working-aged adults with (a) learning disabilities and (b) complex needs.

The Government and the National Health Service are working with local authorities and adult social care providers to help keep people well and independent for as long as possible, and to provide alternatives to hospital and care home admissions.We have set out priorities for the NHS and local authorities to begin to move to a neighbourhood health service that delivers more care closer to home and that better supports people with complex needs. We are asking local systems to systematically implement six core components of neighbourhood health, which will help people stay healthy and independent for longer and reduce unnecessary time spent in hospital. This includes integrated intermediate care services to prevent an avoidable hospital admission or as part of hospital discharge planning.NHS Operational Planning Guidance for 2025/26 sets an objective to deliver a minimum 10% reduction in the use of mental health inpatient care for people with a learning disability and autistic people. There is funding in NHS integrated care board baselines this financial year to improve community support provision and reduce reliance on inpatient care for people with a learning disability and autistic people, in line with the NHS Operational Planning Guidance.The Mental Health Bill was introduced in the House of Lords on 6 November 2024. Through our proposed reforms to the Mental Health Act, we want to ensure that people with a learning disability and autistic people get the support they need in the community, improve care, and prevent admission to hospitals.

What steps his Department is taking to support unplanned specialist social care services that help prevent hospital admissions for people with complex needs.

The Government and the National Health Service are working with local authorities and adult social care providers to help keep people well and independent for as long as possible, and to provide alternatives to hospital and care home admissions.We have set out priorities for the NHS and local authorities to begin to move to a neighbourhood health service that delivers more care closer to home and that better supports people with complex needs. We are asking local systems to systematically implement six core components of neighbourhood health, which will help people stay healthy and independent for longer and reduce unnecessary time spent in hospital. This includes integrated intermediate care services to prevent an avoidable hospital admission or as part of hospital discharge planning.NHS Operational Planning Guidance for 2025/26 sets an objective to deliver a minimum 10% reduction in the use of mental health inpatient care for people with a learning disability and autistic people. There is funding in NHS integrated care board baselines this financial year to improve community support provision and reduce reliance on inpatient care for people with a learning disability and autistic people, in line with the NHS Operational Planning Guidance.The Mental Health Bill was introduced in the House of Lords on 6 November 2024. Through our proposed reforms to the Mental Health Act, we want to ensure that people with a learning disability and autistic people get the support they need in the community, improve care, and prevent admission to hospitals.

What steps he is taking to improve consumer awareness of their rights under the Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018.

Currently, the Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018 (PTRs) set out all the necessary information that consumers should receive about the package holiday they are buying before and after the contract is concluded. This includes details on the insolvency protection in place amongst other key details. We recently consulted on the PTRs and conducted consumer research as part of the process. We are considering how to address the issues identified.

What enforcement action has been taken against operators who have failed to comply with their duties under the Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018.

The Department for Business and Trade does not hold this information. The Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018 are enforced by individual Local Trading Standards Departments with the Civil Aviation Authority overseeing Air Travel Organisers License protected holidays that include flights.

What steps he is taking to ensure that package holiday operators comply with their obligations under the Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018 to provide appropriate assistance to consumers during emergency situations.

We are working closely with the industry and regulators to help them understand and comply with the Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018 (PTRs). There are also three DBT approved bodies which assess and monitor business insolvency risk and have codes of conduct travel operators must abide by, as well as offering dispute resolution services if needed.We have recently undertaken a consultation on the PTRs that included several workshops with industry. We will continue to engage with them on possible legislative changes. This includes the development of guidance that will help them to be compliant.

Communities and Local Government, if she will set out a timetable for a council tax revaluation to replace the system based on 1991 property values.

The government has no current plans to conduct a council tax revaluation in England. The government is committed to keeping taxes on working people as low as possible.

If she will review up-front high needs funding thresholds.

The department is providing an increase of £1 billion for high needs budgets in England in the 2025/26 financial year, following the Autumn Budget 2024. This brings total high needs funding for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) to over £12 billion. Of that total high needs funding, Nottinghamshire County Council is being allocated over £130 million through the high needs funding block of the dedicated schools grant (DSG).In addition to the DSG, local authorities also receive a separate core schools budget grant (CSBG) in the 2025/26 financial year, for local authorities to pass on to specialist settings in their area to support with the costs of teacher and support staff pay awards, and national insurance contributions costs.Local authorities allocate their high needs funding to support specialist settings, and also mainstream schools with pupils identified as having more complex SEND where the additional support costs for those mainstream pupils are more than £6,000 per annum. The provision that is funded can include adaptations to the curriculum and learning environment, and targeted teaching support where necessary.The department also allocates annual capital funding to support local authorities to meet their statutory duty to provide sufficient school places for children with SEND or who require alternative provision.The department has published allocations for £740 million in High Needs Provision Capital Allocations (HNPCA) for the 2025/26 financial year. Of this, Nottinghamshire have been allocated £14 million. The funding can be used to adapt schools to be more accessible for children with SEND, to create specialist facilities within mainstream schools that can deliver more intensive support adapted to suit the pupils’ needs and to create special school places for pupils with the most complex needs.The department is considering the funding required for future years and how it is to be allocated, following the conclusion of the recent spending review. Our objective is that future funding for SEND supports our plans for reforming the SEND system, which will be set out in further detail in a White Paper in the autumn.

How many SDLT transactions by serving armed forces personnel have incurred the 5% higher rates for additional dwellings in each of the last five years.

Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) returns do not collect details of the employment status of purchasers. For this reason, HM Revenue and Customs is unable to provide details of the number of serving armed forces personnel who have incurred the higher rate of SDLT on the purchase of additional dwellings.

What steps she is taking to (a) protect exiled Hong Kong activists from (i) threats and (ii) bounties issued under Hong Kong’s national security law and (b) ensure the right to freedom of expression in the United Kingdom.

The UK will always stand up for the rights of the people of Hong Kong and will not tolerate attempts by any foreign power to intimidate and silence individuals in the UK.While it is our long-standing policy not to provide detailed information on security and intelligence matters, wherever we identify such threats, we will use any and all measures, including through our world-class intelligence services, to mitigate the risk to individuals.The Hong Kong Police's issuing of arrest warrants and bounties encourages reckless behaviour on UK soil and damages Hong Kong's reputation. In July 2025, the Foreign Secretary and Home Secretary publicly condemned the Hong Kong police's targeting of individuals for exercising their right to freedom of expression and called on Beijing to repeal the National Security Law.