Written questions by Shannon.

What steps her Department is taking to implement the recommendations on staff training made in Prevention of Future Deaths reports in the case of (a) Mohammed Ismaeel Ashraf, (b) Karanbir Cheema and (c) Nasar Ahmed.

In these three tragic cases the coroners found that a lack of understanding of the pupils’ allergies and the correct way to respond to an allergic reaction may have contributed to their deaths. Governing bodies must ensure that the arrangements they put in place are sufficient to meet their statutory responsibilities and that policies, plans, procedures and systems are properly and effectively implemented. This includes the duty under Section 100 of the Children and Families Act 2014 to make arrangements for supporting pupils with medical conditions, and the duties under the Equality Act 2010.The department has included reminders to schools of these duties in its regular schools’ email bulletin, including issues in March 2024, September 2024 and March 2025. We have also recently alerted schools to external resources from trusted allergy organisations. This includes the Schools Allergy Code, which was developed by the Allergy Team, Independent Schools’ Bursars Association (ISBA) and the Benedict Blythe Foundation, and Allergy School created by the Natasha Allergy Research Foundation.

What discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on the number of workers who have been underpaid in the last 12 months.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) data suggests that 371,000 employee jobs were underpaid the National Minimum Wage (NMW) / National Living Wage (NLW) in April 2024. This represents approximately 1.3% of the total number of employee jobs: Low and high pay in the UK - Office for National Statistics.

What steps he is taking to help improve diagnosis of ADHD.

As health is a devolved matter, each administration of the United Kingdom takes its own decisions on the provision of assessments for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).It is the responsibility of the integrated care boards (ICBs) in England to make appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population, including providing access to ADHD assessment and treatment, in line with relevant National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines.NHS England has established an ADHD taskforce which is bringing together those with lived experience with experts from the National Health Service, education, charity, and justice sectors to get a better understanding of the challenges affecting those with ADHD, including in accessing services and support, with the report expected in the summer.For the first time, NHS England published management information on ADHD waits at a national level on 29 May 2025 as part of its ADHD data improvement plan, and has released technical guidance for ICBs to improve the recording of ADHD data, with a view to improving the quality of ADHD wait time data. NHS England has also captured examples from ICBs in England who are trialling innovative ways of delivering ADHD services, and is using this information to support systems in tackling ADHD waiting lists and providing support to address people’s needs.

How much has been spent on legal aid in the last 12 months.

Information about legal aid expenditure is published on a quarterly basis. The requested information can be accessed via this link. See tables 1.1 (Criminal Legal Aid) and 1.2 (Civil Legal Aid). These figures represent the closed case expenditure i.e. the total value of payments made to legal aid providers in relation to pieces of work that are completed within the specified period.The published data covers up to financial year 2023-24.

How many men have been diagnosed with testicular cancer in the last 12 months.

The National Disease Registration Service in NHS England, as the national cancer registry, collects and analyses diagnosis and treatment data on cancer patients in England. Using the Rapid Cancer Registration Data set, there were 1,929 diagnoses of testicular cancer, code ICD10 C62*, between March 2024 and February 2025, the latest available data. Further information on the Rapid Cancer Registration Data set is available at the following link:https://digital.nhs.uk/ndrs/data/data-sets/rcrd

What steps his Department is taking to help increase awareness of the (a) symptoms and (b) treatment of prostate cancer among men.

NHS England run Help Us Help You campaigns to increase knowledge of cancer symptoms and address the barriers to acting on them, to encourage people to come forward as soon as possible to see their general practitioner. The campaigns focus on a range of symptoms, as well as encouraging body awareness to help people spot symptoms across a wide range of cancers at an earlier point.The Department continues to advise patients in England to follow National Health Service guidance on the signs and symptoms of several types of cancer, including prostate cancer. This advice is available publicly on the NHS.UK website, at the following link:https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/prostate-cancer/Improving access to treatment and care are key priorities for the Government for all cancer types, including prostate cancer. To achieve this, the NHS in England has delivered an extra 40,000 operations, scans, and appointments each week, to ensure early diagnosis and faster treatment. Additionally, the Government will spend £70 million on new radiotherapy machines in England, to ensure the most advanced treatment is available to patients who need it.The NHS England Cancer Programme also commissions clinical cancer audits, which provide timely evidence for cancer service providers of where patterns of care in England may vary, thereby increasing the consistency of access to treatments, and helping to stimulate improvements in cancer treatment and outcomes for patients, including those with prostate cancer.To increase awareness of treatment options, the Department is committed to ensuring that all cancer patients in England are offered a Holistic Needs Assessment and Personalised Care and Support Planning, ensuring care is focused on what matters most to each person. This is being delivered in line with the NHS Comprehensive Model for Personalised Care, empowering people to manage their care and the impact of their cancer, and maximise the potential of digital and community-based support.The National Cancer Plan for England, planned for publication later this year, will include further details on how the NHS will improve outcomes for cancer patients, as well as improving access to treatment and care.

What estimate he has made of the number of sexual assaults on hospital sites in the last three years.

The Government is committed to tackling the appalling crimes of rape and sexual assault. NHS England has introduced a comprehensive package of measures to improve sexual safety across the National Health Service. The Department feels strongly about this matter, which is why the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Baroness Merron) met with Surviving in Scrubs in February 2025 and agreed further action to address issues of sexism, sexual harassment and sexual assault including a focus on medical students. Actions include ensuring students know how to raise concerns, developing good practice on how investigations should be carried out and strengthening communications on the importance of protecting medical students on placements.NHS providers have a mandatory duty to notify the Care Quality Commission of all incidents that affect the health, safety, and welfare of people who use services, including allegations of sexual abuse.NHS England is investing in improving the collection and analysis of sexual violence data to support organisations to implement policies that reduce incidents of sexual misconduct in the NHS.Data relating to rape and sexual assault would be held at NHS trust level. There is no single national dataset in the NHS which captures information on rape and sexual assault for all combinations of staff, patients or visitors to NHS hospitals. Local police forces hold data where there has been a report to the police of rape or sexual assault.For assaults on staff, the NHS Staff Survey now includes questions about staff experiences of sexual misconduct. Results from the 2024 staff survey show 8.82% of staff received unwanted behaviour of a sexual nature from either patients, service-users or members of the public and 3.66% experienced unwanted behaviour of a sexual nature from colleagues.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what representations he has made to his Pakistani counterpart on the case of Junaid Hafeez.

The UK Government remains deeply concerned by the use of blasphemy laws to undermine human rights in Pakistan. We regularly raise this issue at the highest levels - pressing for due process to prevent wrongful convictions and ensure fair trials for those accused. In March 2025, I raised the heated discourse around blasphemy with Pakistan's Minister of State for Interior. Lord Khan of Burnley raised the misuse of blasphemy laws when he met Pakistan's Minister for Religious Affairs in April 2025. We are not prepared to discuss the detail of individual cases where to do so could put individuals and their families at risk.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies on park homes of her Department's report entitled The impact of a change in the maximum park home sale commission, published on 16 June 2022.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 44299 on 16 April 2025.

What steps he is taking to support elderly veterans facing historical investigations.

This Government's commitment to our Armed Forces community is unshakeable. The vast majority of veterans who served on Operation Banner did so with distinction in very difficult circumstances, and ultimately helped bring about the peace that Northern Ireland now enjoys. We owe them a huge debt of gratitude, and we will ensure that their interests are fully considered in the changes we are going to make. The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland has outlined the Government’s plans to find a practical, human rights-compliant way to deliver on our commitment to repeal and replace the Legacy Act. We are acutely aware of the impact that historical investigations can have on veterans and their families. The Veterans Welfare Service (VWS), run by the Ministry of Defence, provides free one-to-one support for veterans or anyone supporting a veteran, their families and dependants. Where a veteran (or serving member of the Armed Forces) faces allegations arising from activities related to their duties, we will also offer legal support at public expense.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of US tariffs on the UK aerospace sector.

The US has committed to reducing tariffs on UK aerospace goods such as engines and similar aircraft parts from the general 10% tariff being applied to all other countries, to 0% - which is expected to come into force by the end of the month. This means the UK is now the only country in the world to be exempt from the 10% on aerospace.This deal is a win for the UK’s world-class aerospace sector which was facing additional 10% tariffs, helping make companies more competitive and allowing them to continue to be at the cutting edge of innovation.

What progress she has made on expanding the use of solar power at train stations.

The government is committed to establishing Great British Energy and significantly increasing the amount of renewable energy generation in the UK by 2030.Network Rail has already installed assets for the generation of renewable energy on the rail estate, including at stations, and is continuing the roll out of new assets.

What steps she is taking to improve the safety of pensions.

On State Pensions, we have made a commitment to the Triple Lock for the entirety of this Parliament which will mean the annual spend on people’s State Pensions is forecast to rise by around £31 billion. These rises are only possible because of the tough decisions made in the autumn statement 2024 to keep the public finances on a sustainable footing . Over 12 million pensioners will benefit (over the course of this parliament) with the full yearly rate of the new State Pension is forecast to increase by around £1,900. The Pension Schemes Bill, introduced in Parliament on 5 June, will legislate to transform the £2 trillion workplace pensions landscape – with a smaller number of bigger, better governed, better value pension providers investing in a wider range of productive assets, ultimately improving outcomes for savers and our economy. The Bill will also legislate for wider changes, from putting in place a value for money regime for Defined Contribution pensions to the introduction of flexibilities for trustees of well-funded Defined Benefit pension schemes to release surplus back to employers where it is safe to do so, enabling benefits for scheme members. A bedrock of our reforms is the security of members’ benefits and protection of their best interests. The reforms to the existing regime will continue to maintain member protection, with appropriate and adequate safeguards in place underpinned by the role of regulators. This government will work closely with the Pension Protection Fund as the administrator of the Fraud Compensation Fund to ensure that the fraud compensation system is effective and that schemes which have experienced of pension fraud receive fair and timely compensation.

What research his Department has undertaken on potential links between dementia and depression.

The Department delivers dementia research via the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). Recently completed NIHR-funded research has found that depression across the life course is associated with an increased risk of dementia, but that this is strongest in mid to late life. Further research is needed to determine whether the strength of this association is due to depression as a risk factor for dementia or the early presentation of neurodegenerative processes.The NIHR is funding the £2.9 million ENHANCE programme, which will develop an app intervention to address risk factors for dementia, including depression, and will test it to see the effects on cognition, risk, quality of life, and affordability. In the long-term, the research will examine health records to see if the app intervention has reduced rates of dementia. NIHR-funded research is also seeking to understand whether compassion focused therapy is an acceptable intervention for people with dementia and depression or anxiety.The NIHR continues to welcome funding applications for research into any aspect of human health and care, including dementia. These applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money, and scientific quality. Welcoming applications on dementia to all NIHR programmes enables maximum flexibility both in terms of the amount of research funding a particular area can be awarded, and the type of research that can be funded.

Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to incentivise local film makers to produce television in their own parts of the UK.

The Government incentivises television production across the UK through competitive tax reliefs, and generous support for studio infrastructure. Our public service broadcasters are also subject to regional production quotas, which encourage production activity in the nations and regions of the UK.In recognition of the importance of this issue, the Secretary of State has challenged broadcasters and other commissioners to commission and produce more television content outside of London and the South East, with local creatives and producers given more opportunities to tell local stories that reflect the full diversity of people, communities and experiences across the UK. This will ensure that more people see themselves reflected on screen and as part of our national story. We have been clear that broadcasters and producers alike should be providing opportunities to local creatives and members of the local production workforce.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure equal access to healthcare treatments in each English region.

The Department sets national priorities for the National Health Service in England through the 2025 mandate to NHS England, reflecting patients’ priorities to be met across all 42 integrated care boards (ICBs).ICBs are responsible for commissioning most health and care services in England and the National Health Service Act 2006, as amended by the Health Care Act 2022, places duties on ICBs to arrange healthcare services to meet the needs of their local population within available resources and reduce inequalities in access to, and outcomes from, healthcare services.ICBs and NHS providers are accountable to NHS England on the delivery of the mandate and provision healthcare treatments across their populations, with the Department holding NHS England to account on this.

What steps he is taking to improve night-time public transport to support the night-time economy.

The government knows that public transport is vital to keeping communities connected, including at night to support the nighttime economy. The government introduced the Bus Services (No.2) Bill on 17 December to put the power over local bus services back into the hands of local leaders. In addition, the government has confirmed £955 million for the 2025 to 2026 financial year to support and improve bus services in England outside London. This funding can be used in whichever way local authorities wish to improve services for passengers, including improving nighttime bus services. Rail services are supported by requirements on train operators to plan services and design timetables to meet both current and future passenger demand, while also ensuring value for money for the taxpayer. The government commitment to public ownership through Great British Railways will also help to deliver a unified system that focuses on reliable, affordable, high-quality, and efficient transport services, whilst also ensuring safety and accessibility. Under public ownership, passenger services can be operated in the interests of passengers, not shareholders, including by helping to improve access to night time services.

What steps his Department is taking to tackle the misuse of weight-loss medications; and what discussions he has had with his counterparts in (a) Northern Ireland, (b) Wales and (c) Scotland on this issue.

When prescribing weight-loss drugs, prescribers, whether National Health Service or private, are accountable for their prescribing decisions, and are expected to take account of appropriate national guidance. In addition to the duty of the prescriber, patients themselves must be honest when providing information to a prescriber so that they receive advice and medicines which are appropriate for themIn response to concerns of unsafe prescribing online, the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) published updated guidance for online pharmacies. The GPhC, the Care Quality Commission, and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency have the powers to investigate and take action against rogue prescribers, products, and suppliers, and we are clear they have our full support to crack down on services that putting people in danger.We are committed to continuing to work with the devolved administrations to ensure that medicine regulation is keeping patients safe across the United Kingdom. No discussions specific to the misuse of weight loss drugs have been held between my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care and his counterparts in the devolved administrations thus far.

What steps she is taking to support cash transactions.

The Government recognises that cash continues to be used by millions of people across the UK, including those in vulnerable groups, and is committed to protecting access to cash for individuals and businesses. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) assumed regulatory responsibility for access to cash in September 2024. Its rules ensure cash continues to be a viable method of payment for the millions of people who depend on it and help businesses to continue to accept cash by providing reasonable access to cash deposit facilities. Under the FCA’s regime the UK’s largest banks and building societies are required to assess the impact of a closure or material alteration of a relevant cash withdrawal or deposit facility and put in place a new service if necessary. Assessments are undertaken by LINK, the industry designated coordinating body responsible for conducting cash access assessments. Where a resident, community organisation or other interested party feels access to cash in their community is insufficient, they can submit a request for a cash access assessment to LINK. Further information about submitting a cash access request can be found on LINK’s website. In circumstances where LINK considers that a community requires additional cash services, the financial services sector will provide a suitable shared solution, such as an ATM, cash deposit service, or shared Banking Hub, for cash users in that community. To ensure appropriate cash access facilities are in place to support communities and businesses across the country, the Government is working closely with industry to roll out 350 banking hubs across the UK by the end of this Parliament. These hubs will provide small businesses and individuals with critical cash and in-person banking services. Over 225 banking hubs have been recommended to date and over 150 are already open.

What assessment her Department has made of the uptake of private health insurance over the last five years.

HM Treasury has not made an assessment of the uptake of private health insurance over the last five years. However, the Financial Conduct Authority’s Financial Lives 2024 survey, published in May 2025, estimated that in 2024, one in seven adults (14%) held private medical insurance, a 1 percentage point increase since 2022.