Written questions by Shannon.

What assessment he has made of trends in levels of footfall on high streets since 1 January 2025.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) publishes weekly reports retail footfall traffic across the UK. This data can fluctuate due to factors such as seasonal trends, economic conditions and consumer confidence. Due to the highly volatile nature of the high-street footfall data the department does not estimate footfall trends on high streets. All ONS reports on real-time UK wide retail footfall for each week in 2025 can be found here: https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/economicoutputandproductivity/output/bulletins/economicactivityandsocialchangeintheukrealtimeindicators/previousreleases

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to improve the mental health of farmers.

This Government is committed to supporting the mental health of those working in farming and agriculture. Following engagement with agricultural mental health charities, Defra established a team dedicated to addressing the particular set of issues driving poorer mental health outcomes in the agricultural industry. We are also continuing to fund the Farmer Welfare Grant. This funds four charities to deliver projects which will support mental health and build resilience in local farming communities. As promised in our manifesto, the Government is building a national network of Young Futures hubs which will be present in every community and will deliver support for young people facing mental health challenges. Finally, the Government is giving mental health the same attention and focus as physical health through measures such as employing 8,500 new mental health support workers. This will reduce delays and provide faster treatment closer to people’s homes.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the humanitarian situation in Kashmir.

I recognise there are human rights issues in both India Administered Kashmir and Pakistan Administered Kashmir. We raise issues, where we have them, directly with the governments of India and Pakistan. India and Pakistan are important friends of the UK, and we have strong and deep bilateral relationships with both. It is for India and Pakistan to find a lasting political resolution on Kashmir, taking into account the wishes of the Kashmiri people.

What information her Department holds on the number of fully-qualified SEND teachers in England on 12 March 2025.

Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.High quality teaching is the in-school factor that makes the biggest difference to a child’s education, which is why sufficient high quality teachers is key to delivering the government’s mission to break down the barriers to opportunity.All teachers are teachers of pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), and the Teachers’ Standards sets clear expectations that teachers must understand the needs of all pupils, including those with SEND.As of November 2023, which is the latest date for which data is available, there were 468,693 full-time equivalent teachers in state-funded schools in England. Of these, around 6% (28,200) were in special schools and state-funded alternative provision schools, including pupil referral units.​Information on the school workforce, including the number of teachers entering and leaving service in state-funded schools, is published in the ‘School workforce in England’ statistical publication, which is available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-workforce-in-england.

Communities and Local Government, what estimate she has made of the number of homes that are uninhabitable due to excessive mould and damp.

The English Housing Survey (EHS) provides findings on housing quality and condition in England, including damp and mould. The EHS found that, in 2022-23, 4% of dwellings had a problem with damp. The EHS does not report on whether damp has made a property uninhabitable or not, but relevant government guidance clearly sets out the health risks associated with damp and mould in the home and how to reduce these risks. The guidance in question can be found on gov.uk here.

Whether she has made an assessment of the potential implications for her policies of Advice UK's report entitled Voices of Deaf and Disabled people, published on 10 December 2024.

We are grateful to Advice UK for sharing their insights and concerns from their ‘Advice Saves’ campaign and findings in their ‘Voices of Deaf and Disabled People’ report. Ensuring the views and voices of disabled people are at the heart of everything we do is a priority for this government and we are committed to listening and engaging closely with disabled people and their representative organisations as we develop policies that may impact them, including the reforms set out in the recent ‘Get Britain Working’ White Paper and the Health and Disability Green Paper.

What information her Department holds on the number of people charged with aggravated burglary over the last 12 months.

The Home Office collects and publishes information on the number of notifiable offences, and their investigative outcomes, recorded by the police in England and Wales, on a quarterly basis. This information, including aggravated burglary offences, can be accessed here:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/police-recorded-crime-open-data-tablesCrime statistics for Northern Ireland are the responsibility of the devolved administration. These can be accessed here:https://www.psni.police.uk/about-us/our-publications-and-reports/official-statistics/police-recorded-crime-statistics

What steps she plans to take to engage with deaf and disabled people's organisations when preparing reforms to disability benefits.

This government is committed to putting the views and voices of disabled people at the heart of all that we do. We have developed proposals for reform to the system of health and disability benefits, set out in the Pathways to Work Green Paper published on 18th March 2025. A full 12 week consultation will run from when all accessible versions are published on GOV.UK. We are keen to hear views from a wide group of people, in particular disabled people and people with health conditions and disability organisations, and encourage responses to the consultation through the online form, email and post. We also intend to run a number of accessible virtual and face to face events on the consultation, to hear from stakeholders, including deaf and disabled people and their representative organisations, directly. More information on these events and registration will be advertised on the consultation pages on GOV.UK in due course. In the Green Paper, we have also announced that we will set up collaboration committees to develop our reforms further, directly with disabled people and people with health conditions and experts. This will involve bringing together disabled people, experts and civil servants around specific issues to collaborate, provide ideas, challenge, and input into recommendations. We look forward to developing these initiatives over the coming months.

Media and Sport, what steps she plans to take to support creative industries.

The creative industries are one of the government’s eight priority Industrial Strategy (IS) sectors. In 2023, the sector employed 2.4m people, and contributed £124bn in UK GVA – more than 5% of total UK GVA.Partnership with devolved governments will make the development of the Industrial Strategy a UK-wide effort, and will support the considerable sectoral strengths of Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. A creative industries Sector Plan will be published in late Spring in conjunction with the Industrial Strategy. It will set out the biggest opportunities for growth in the creative industries at home and in new markets abroad.At the Creative Industries Growth Summit in January, we announced a £60 million package of support for the sector, providing a major boost to the wider economy. We also set out new commitments from the British Business Bank, the UK’s economic development bank, and UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) in January to strengthen their support for the creative industries, in addition to making shorter apprenticeships available from August 2025, building towards a more flexible growth and skills levy. These are the first steps we have taken in delivering on our ambitions for the creative industries, with more to be set out with the publication of the Sector Plan.

What information his Department hold son the number of people who have been diagnosed with long covid in the last 12 months.

Whilst the requested data is not available in the format requested, the most recent data from the Winter Coronavirus (COVID-19) Infection Study, a joint study carried out by the Office for National Statistics and the UK Health Security Agency, shows that, for the period between 6 February 2024 and 7 March 2024, an estimated two million people, or 3.3% of the population, in private households in England and Scotland, self-reported experiencing long COVID symptoms more than four weeks after a COVID-19 infection.

How many people have been diagnosed with prostate cancer in the last 12 months.

The latest available data show that prostate cancer was the most diagnosed cancer in England in 2022, with 54,732 new diagnoses. This is an increase of 11,354 more registrations than in 2021.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to ensure its consular guidance raises awareness of cities with high levels of carbon monoxide.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) travel advice remains under regular review to ensure it reflects our latest assessment of risks to British nationals. The risks from carbon monoxide poisoning are covered in travel advice for China and Nepal, Solo and independent travel and Volunteering and adventure travel pages as well as our Foreign travel checklist.We aim to include information in our travel advice on the issues most likely to be of relevance to British nationals visiting or living in each country/territory. In determining what we include in our travel advice we assess a range of factors, including drawing on local knowledge and monitoring trends in consular cases.

What steps she is taking to improve the accessibility of online electronic travel authorisations for elderly people.

The ETA application process is quick, light touch and user friendly. Although applications can only be made via the app or internet, applicants are free to ask the assistance of a friend or relative to make an application on their behalf. We regularly review our online application processes to ensure that they are in line with accessibility and usability standards, and provide public information videos on how to apply.

What assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme.

The Unduly Lenient Sentence Scheme allows anyone to request that Law Officers consider referring certain serious sentences to the Court of Appeal if they believe the sentences are unduly lenient.Between 2019 and 2024, the number of sentences reviewed by the Law Officers have increased. In 2019, the Law Officers reviewed 577 requests, increasing to 831 in 2024, with a steady referral rate to the Court of Appeal. These increases are likely due to both greater awareness of the scheme and the expansion of offences covered by it.The Law Commission is currently undertaking a review of the laws governing criminal appeals. Last month, they launched a public consultation which invites views on a range of reforms to the Unduly Lenient Sentence Scheme. The consultation is open to all and runs until 30 May: Criminal Appeals Consultation Paper - Law Commission.The Government will carefully consider the recommendations made in the Law Commission final report in due course.

What steps she is taking to support pregnant women in prison.

There are now dedicated Pregnancy and Mother and Baby Liaison Officers in all women’s prisons, as well as mandatory multidisciplinary care planning for pregnant women. We have introduced additional training for prison staff on the care of pregnant women, and are piloting the introduction of social workers in women’s prisons to support pregnant women and mothers.The Lord Chancellor has launched the Women’s Justice Board to address the distinctive needs of women in the criminal justice system, with the aim of reducing the number of women in prison. While there will always be some women, including some who are pregnant, who need to be in custody, we must ensure they are given the best possible chance to address the causes of their offending, so that they are able to contribute positively to society.

Innovation and Technology, what progress his Department has made on establishing AI growth zones in the devolved nations.

The UK Government will partner with local and regional authorities and Devolved Governments to establish AI Growth Zones (AIGZs), ensuring substantial regional and national benefits, such as upskilling and employment opportunities, are felt across the country.In February, Devolved Governments, along with local authorities and industry, were invited to come forward with potential sites suitable for hosting AI infrastructure as an early expression of interest. DSIT regularly engages with the Devolved Governments on a range of issues and there was significant interest in AIGZs from across the UK.

What steps his Department is taking to improve NHS dental services.

The Government plans to tackle the challenges for patients trying to access National Health Service dental care with a rescue plan to provide 700,000 more urgent dental appointments and recruit new dentists to areas that need them most. To rebuild dentistry in the long term and increase access to NHS dental care, we will reform the dental contract, with a shift to focus on prevention and the retention of NHS dentists.The responsibility for commissioning primary care services, including NHS dentistry, to meet the needs of the local population has been delegated to integrated care boards across England. The provision of NHS dental care is a devolved matter.

What steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to reduce trade barriers between Northern Ireland and Great Britain.

The Government is continuing to implement the commitments made in the Safeguarding the Union command paper, and the first meeting of Intertrade UK was held on 28 February 2025. A key focus for Intertrade UK will be to promote the full extent of the UK’s market to businesses and traders and to help to counter any misconceptions or confusion businesses and traders in Great Britain may have about providing goods and services in Northern Ireland. We are also committed to seeking a veterinary agreement with the EU for the whole of the UK, which could deliver tangible benefits for businesses across the UK and smooth flows of trade.

What steps his Department is taking to stop violence against pregnant NHS healthcare professionals.

The Government takes a zero-tolerance approach to any kind of violent behaviour. All National Health Service staff, including pregnant healthcare workers, should be able to care for patients without fear of violence.Individual employers are responsible for the health and safety of their staff, including assessing the risks to pregnant employees and their baby. Where there are risks, employers should take reasonable steps to remove them.NHS England are leading work on violence prevention and reduction to provide better training and support for employers and their staff. In December 2024, NHS England published a refreshed Violence Prevention and Reduction Standard. The standard sets out guidance for trusts to help them identify risks, training requirements and crucially, what support must be made available to those staff affected.

What assessment she has made of recent trends in the level of underage drug use across the UK.

There are several surveys estimating the number of young drug users in the UK: According to the Crime Survey for England and Wales, in the year ending March 2024, 16.5% of people aged 16-24 in England and Wales reported using a drug in the last 12 months (approximately 971,000 people). This is a reduction from 17.6% of people aged 16-24 in the year ending March 2023 (approximately 1,035,000 people).According to the Scottish Health Survey 2023, 26% of people aged 16-24 in Scotland reported using a drug in the last 12 months. This is an increase from 22% in 2021.According to the Smoking, Drinking and Drug Use among Young People in England survey, in 2023, 9% of children aged 11-15 in England reported taking a drug in the last year. This is a reduction from 12% of children aged 11-15 in 2021.This Government is committed to tackling these numbers head on. I know the most sustainable approach to reducing drug use across society in the long term is through preventing use among children and young people, and work continues across Government to proactively support this cohort by building their long-term resilience and intervening early to stop them from being drawn into crime and a range of wider risky behaviours.This Government is also committed to tackling county lines and drugs supply. County Lines are the most violent model of drug supply and a harmful form of child criminal exploitation. Through the County Lines Programme, we will continue to target exploitative drug dealing gangs and break the organised crime groups behind the trade.Since July 2024, policing activity delivered through the County Lines Programme has resulted in over 400 deal lines being closed, the arrest and charge of over 200 deal line holders, 500 arrests and 800 safeguarding referrals of children and vulnerable people. Over 260 children and young people have also received dedicated specialist support through our county lines support service since July.Developing the evidence base on what works to facilitate behaviour change and prevent escalation to more harmful use and or dependency is an important part of that. I look forward to receiving the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs’ report which will provide insights into effective whole-system approaches to prevention of drug use in children and young people.