Written questions by Shannon.

Whether his Department is taking steps to encourage the installation of defibrillators in all shopping centre entrances.

To improve patients' survival rates following out-of-hospital cardiac arrests, the Government 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 in September 2023, the Government approved a further £500,000 in August 2024 to fulfil existing applications to the fund.Funding was allocated where there was 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.There are no plans to undertake further work on improving access or provide additional support for AEDs, in light of the rapid expansion of AEDs across the United Kingdom. According to the British Heart Foundation (BHF), there are now over 110,000 defibrillators in the UK registered on The Circuit, the independently operated national AED database.We recognise the important work the BHF has undertaken in identifying communities with limited access to a defibrillator. The BHF undertook this work as part of its 2025 community defibrillator fund programme.The BHF is urgently encouraging areas eligible to apply to its 2025 scheme to do so. Further information is available at the following link:https://www.bhf.org.uk/how-you-can-help/how-to-save-a-life/defibrillators/apply-for-a-free-defibrillator-for-your-communityLike the BHF, several other UK charities provide and support access to AEDs, and in some cases provide support for their maintenance and running costs. London Hearts, AED Donate, and Community Heartbeat Trust are prominent examples working to increase the availability of AEDs.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to help support the game keeping industry.

We do not currently have specific policies that support the gamekeeping profession. However, in addition to our work to support the farming sector, Defra works across Government to ensure policies are rural proofed with the aim of supporting rural businesses and communities.

What steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help reduce the number of attacks on gamekeepers.

Rural communities – which includes gamekeepers – can be assured that visible, neighbourhood policing is returning to our communities. This Government is clear that when you report a crime, it should be properly investigated with victims having faith that justice will be delivered, and criminals will be punished – no matter where you live.A physical assault or threat to someone’s safety should always be reported and responded to appropriately - in the case of common assault, if convicted, it carries a six months’ imprisonment and/or an unlimited fine.The Government recognises that there can be challenges in responding to rural crime. That is why we are working closely with the National Police Chiefs’ Council to deliver the next iteration of their Rural and Wildlife Crime strategy. The strategy will set out operational and organisational policing priorities in respect of tackling crimes that predominantly affect rural communities.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to help support Türkiye to tackle wildfires.

The Government has not received any requests from Turkey for help tackling wildfires so far in 2025. Turkey has significant capabilities and expertise through its National Disaster Response Centre (AFAD) and has been managing this year's wildfires with its domestic resources. The UK supports multilateral organisations, such as the World Bank, which has programmes with Turkey to improve forest resilience, and stands ready to consider support should a formal request be made.

How many people have been prosecuted for charges related to brothels in the last 12 months.

The Home Office collects information on the number of notifiable offences recorded by the police in England and Wales.Of those notifiable offences which relate explicitly to brothels, the latest information shows there were 12 charge/summons under offence code ‘024/19 - Keeping A Brothel Used For Prostitution’ recorded by the police in England and Wales, in the year ending March 2025 (excluding Humberside police).In the same period, there were 0 charge/summons under offence code ‘109/06 – Allowing a child or young person to be in a brothel’ recorded by the police.It’s worth noting that while these are the only offences explicitly classified as brothel-related, a number of other sexual offences may occur within a brothel setting. However, data on those offences is not collated under a specific brothel-related category.

Media and Sport, if she will take steps to ensure that television documentaries that contain pornographic scenes are (a) censored and (b) blocked.

Broadcast regulation is a matter for the independent regulator Ofcom. The Broadcasting Code prohibits material equivalent to the British Board of Film Classification R18-rating. Adult sex material, as defined by Ofcom, must not be broadcast at any time other than between 10pm and 5.30am on channels with mandatory restricted access, such as requiring a PIN. Broadcasters must ensure that material broadcast after the 9pm watershed, which contains images and/or language of a strong or explicit sexual nature, but is not ‘adult sex material’, is justified by the context. Representations of sexual intercourse must not occur before the watershed, unless there is a serious educational purpose.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to help enhance UK defence capabilities.

The National Security Strategy is clear on the requirement to collaborate with others to develop next-generation defence capabilities and that the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office's (FCDO) global network underpins the UK's ability to act as a credible global partner. FCDO Ministers and the network are active in engaging international partners in support of defence capability collaborations, including major UK programmes such as the AUKUS Partnership with Australia and the United States, the Global Combat Air Programme with Italy and Japan, the Eurofighter Typhoon Consortium with Germany, Italy and Spain, our work in the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF), and in the new UK-EU security and defence partnership as well as our crucial work as a founding member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

What information his Department holds on the number of unfair dismissals there were in the workplace in 2024.

The Ministry of Justice holds data on the number of complaints of unfair dismissal cases brought to the Employment Tribunal (ET), and their outcomes. The published data can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/tribunals-statistics.The ET moved to a new case management system in 2021, and the transfer of cases from the old system is still ongoing. As a result, the data from 2021 onwards that is currently reported is not fully representative of the cases received and disposed of by the ET.Of the complaints brought to the ET involving unfair dismissal, a small proportion are successful at hearing. The majority of ET complaints involving unfair dismissal are settled, withdrawn, dismissed or decided in favour of the respondent (usually the employer) at hearing. In addition, not all unfair dismissal cases are brought to the Employment Tribunal, with some cases being resolved through Acas. The latest data on the number of early conciliation notifications that are received by Acas for unfair dismissal are published annually, and can be found at: https://www.acas.org.uk/about-us/annual-report.

Representing the Church Commissioners, how many churches are listed places of worship.

There are approximately 16,200 Church of England churches, over 12,000 of which are listed. Of those listed churches, around 4,300 are listed at the highest level of Grade 1, making the Church of England responsible for about half of the Grade I listed buildings in the country.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of obesity on cancer.

There is evidence that adults living with obesity have a higher risk of developing several types of cancer, according to research from Cancer Research UK, which is available at the following link:https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/causes-of-cancer/obesity-weight-and-cancer/how-does-obesity-cause-cancerAdults living with obesity are at a higher risk of many cancer types. This increased risk arises from excess weight causing mechanical changes to our bodies and complex changes to our hormones and metabolism. More information is available at the following links:https://www.nature.com/articles/s41416-018-0029-6https://www.nejm.org/doi/10.1056/NEJMsr1606602?url_ver=Z39.88-2003&rfr_id=ori:rid:crossref.org&rfr_dat=cr_pub%3dwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.govData suggests that 6% of cancer cases in the United Kingdom are attributable to obesity and overweight, including: 34% of uterine cancer cases, or 3,000 out of 9,000; 24% of kidney cancer cases, or 2,900 out of 12,400; 17% of upper gastrointestinal cancer cases, or 5,600 out of 32,400; 11% of colorectal cancer cases​, or 4,800 out of 41,800; and 8% of breast cancer cases, or 4,600 out of 55,100. More information is available at the following link:https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/health-professional/cancer-statistics/risk/overweight-and-obesity#heading-Zero

With reference to his Department's publication entitled 10 Year Health Plan for England: fit for the future, published on 3 July 2025, what progress his Department has made on the digital-only delivery of weight loss (a) services and (b) treatments; and if his Department will publish further details on how it plans to test innovative models for those services and treatments.

We are committed to expanding access to weight management services through digital innovation and personalised pathways that support people in a way that best meets their needs.The NHS Digital Weight Management Programme is the only nationally commissioned weight management service delivered entirely through digital means. As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, there is a clear commitment to expand access to this programme, including doubling referral volumes. The service went live in 2021, and active planning is now underway to deliver this expansion, which is expected to begin in 2026/27.For pharmacological treatments such as tirzepatide, otherwise know as Mounjaro, for the management of obesity, NHS England is working with the Office for Life Sciences and other partners to develop digitally enabled care pathways supported by behavioural interventions and which place patient safety and clinical oversight at their core. This is part of the newly launched £85 million health innovation programme, in collaboration with Eli Lilly, to test novel delivery models for weight management. These include digital platforms, pharmacy-led services, and community-based access routes. The programme is designed to improve accessibility and reduce pressure on specialist services, whilst ensuring care is safe and aligned with national clinical standards. These innovative pathways are being designed to bring together remote prescribing, personalised behavioural support, and ongoing clinical supervision, allowing patients to access high-quality care in a way that is convenient and tailored to their individual needs.

What information his Department holds on the number of people who have been diagnosed with Tinnitus in the last 12 months.

The information requested is not held centrally.

What information his Department holds on the childhood cancer survival rate in each of the last five years.

The following table shows age and gender standardised overall one-year and five-year survival rates for children between the ages of zero and 14 years old in England, with the latest data being from 2020:One-year overall survival dataYear20162017201820192020 Patients1,4151,4281,3071,3811,319 Overall Survival (%)94.392.993.093.693.3 Source: Department of Health and Social Care Five-year overall survival dataYear20162017201820192020 Patients1,4151,4221,3831,3831,370 Overall Survival (%)85.886.386.186.286.2 Source: Department of Health and Social Care

What steps he is taking to improve fracture screening.

The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NICE) has published a clinical knowledge summary on osteoporosis and the prevention of fragility fractures, which is available at the following link:https://cks.nice.org.uk/topics/osteoporosis-prevention-of-fragility-fractures/management/assessment/If a doctor suspects that a patient has osteoporosis, they can calculate the probability of that individual having a fracture using the Fracture Risk Assessment Tool or the Q-Fracture risk calculator. Further tests, including bone density scans, otherwise known as DEXA scans, can be performed to diagnose or assess risk of osteoporosis.Fracture liaison services are commissioned by integrated care boards, which are well-placed to make decisions according to local needs. Our 10-Year Health Plan is committed to rolling out fracture liaison services across every part of the country by 2030.

What proportion of Mounjaro (a) prescribing and (b) medication management services his Department plans to carry out digitally.

There are not currently any specific targets for the proportions of prescribing and medication management activity of tirzepatide, also known as Mounjaro, including monitoring, follow-up, and review for tirzepatide that will be carried out digitally.The National Health Service is in the process of making tirzepatide available for weight management in primary care, including developing and testing new models of care, like community-based services and digital technologies. NHS England is working with the Office for Life Sciences and other partners to develop digitally enabled care pathways, supported by behavioural interventions, with patient safety and clinical oversight at their core. These innovative pathways are being designed to bring together remote prescribing, personalised behavioural support, and ongoing clinical supervision, allowing patients to access high-quality care in a way that is convenient and tailored to their individual needs.

What steps she plans to take to help tackle inequalities experienced by young disabled people at work.

The DWP supports young people aged 16-24 to achieve financial security by helping them to move into, stay and succeed in work. Support is delivered nationally and locally, tailored to individual needs, and includes personalised help from Work Coaches in Jobcentres and communities, working with partners such as The King’s Trust, Local Authorities, and the National Careers Service/Career Wales. Our plan to Get Britain Working includes a new Youth Guarantee for all young people aged 18-21 (including young people with health conditions or disabled young people) to ensure that they can access quality training opportunities, an apprenticeship or help to find work. Eight Youth Guarantee Trailblazers were launched earlier this year, and the insights gained will inform the future design and delivery of the Youth Guarantee. For young people with complex needs, specialist Youth Employability Coaches (YECs) offer dedicated intensive support in Jobcentres and communities. This includes help with CV, interview preparation, skill development, and accessing opportunities such as Supported Internships, Sector-Based Work Academy Programmes, apprenticeships or traineeships. Support typically lasts six months, with flexibility to extend, and includes six weeks follow on support after young people enter work, education or training. YECs also work closely with Disability Employment Advisers and specialist partner organisations, to provide joined-up, holistic support. Additional support is also available to help people with health conditions and disabilities of all ages. The WorkWell pilot, currently running in 15 areas across England, provides integrated work and health support to help people get into, stay in, and progress at work. Services include work and health assessments, coaching, physiotherapy, mental health support, and advice on workplace adjustments. An Access to Work grant can also support people with a health condition or disability, by funding the purchase of specialist equipment, providing a tailored plan to help stay in work or funding access to sessions with a mental health professional. It also covers in-work support for young disabled people undertaking Supported Internships, helping them build confidence, develop skills, and move into paid employment.

Whether his Department funds research on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and obesity.

The Department, through the National Institute for Health and Care Research, has awarded £133 million into obesity research grants over the last five years. It has awarded £78 million into research grants exploring chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in the last five years.

What steps her Department is taking to ensure the prosecution of people who use AI to create deepfake photos of girls.

The Government takes the use of artificial intelligence to generate child sexual abuse material (CSAM) extremely seriously. Offences involving AI-generated CSAM – including so-called ‘deepfakes’ – are an increasing concern for the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) due to the realism of such images and the speed and scale at which they can be produced.Creating, possessing, or distributing AI-generated CSAM is already a criminal offence. The Online Safety Act expands upon this by placing a duty on online platforms to proactively identify and remove this type of content. The CPS will prosecute individuals who commit these offences whenever the legal test is met.The Attorney General’s Office and CPS are working closely with criminal justice partners to identify and address any legislative gaps. The Crime and Policing Bill will introduce a new offence to criminalise AI models that have been optimised to create CSAM. It will also expand existing legislation on ‘paedophile manuals’ to enable the prosecution of individuals who instruct others on how to use AI tools to generate CSAM.

What steps she is taking to help tackle sexual abuse in prisons.

His Majesty’s Prison & Probation Service (HMPPS) takes sexual harm in prisons very seriously. This year we have created specialist roles to address sexual harm across HMPPS, and we are developing a system-wide approach to prevent all forms of sexual harm in prisons as we implement Jennifer Rademaker’s review of HMPPS Professional Standards.

What steps she is taking to increase the number of pupils learning languages in school.

Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.The study of languages is compulsory under the national curriculum at key stages 2 and 3 for all maintained schools, and will become compulsory in academies, subject to the passage of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill.The government continues to fund the National Consortium for Languages Education, which is developing a new model of language support for schools and online continuing professional development for teachers that will support high-quality language teaching. This programme is designed to have national reach, ensuring that all schools can benefit regardless of their location.​To further support languages education, the department is offering a £26,000 tax-free bursary for trainee language teachers starting courses in 2025, or alternatively, a £28,000 tax-free scholarship for those training to teach French, German, or Spanish. Additionally, Oak National Academy is developing modern foreign languages lesson resources for key stages 2 to 4, to be fully released by autumn 2025, helping teachers deliver high-quality lessons and reduce planning time.