Written questions by Shannon.

If she will make an assessment of the potential impact of trends in the level of interest rates on people with low incomes.

The Government understands the importance of protecting family finances. That is why we are committed to delivering economic stability to grow the economy, maintain low and stable inflation, and keep taxes and mortgages as low as possible. Low and stable inflation is an essential pre-requisite for economic growth and improving living standards, so we are continuing to support the independent Monetary Policy Committee as it acts to return inflation to target sustainably. We are taking a comprehensive approach—supporting those in immediate need while addressing the structural changes necessary to fix the country's foundations. These combined efforts will help families by boosting wages and putting more money in people’s pockets. Specific actions already taken by the Government to support people on low incomes include: increasing to the National Living Wage from April 2025; extension of the Household Support Fund in England and Discretionary Housing Payments in England and Wales in 2025-26; and introduction of a new Fair Repayment Rate from April 2025 to cap debt repayment made through Universal Credit.

Communities and Local Government, what discussions she has had with the Northern Ireland Executive on funding to support small and medium-sized businesses starting up on high streets in Northern Ireland.

This government is committed to resetting relations with the Devolved Governments, to work collaboratively and deliver the best outcomes for people across the UK, including the people of Northern Ireland. To this end, the Deputy Prime Minister visited Northern Ireland and met with the First and Deputy First Ministers within days of taking office.This early engagement has been followed by further meetings between MHCLG Ministers and their NI Executive counterparts. I had the pleasure of visiting Northern Ireland in September of last year as part of the ongoing reset in relations, and over the course of the autumn had highly constructive introductory conversations with the NI Ministers for Finance, Communities and Economy. I continue to engage with NI Ministers on our shared priorities in relation to local growth.You will be aware that we recently confirmed the UK Shared Prosperity Fund allocation for NI for 2025-26. As part of this, we are working with NI councils and the Department for the Economy on Go Succeed, which provides support for people across Northern Ireland to start and grow their business.The government will publish its Small Business Strategy later this year which will set out the government’s vision for supporting small businesses, across key policy areas such as creating thriving high streets and making it easier to access finance. We will be engaging closely with the Northern Ireland Executive and SMEs across the UK to support its development.

Whether he has had recent discussions with the British Medical Association on its response to the Cass review.

My rt. Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, met with the Chair of the British Medical Association (BMA), on 31 July 2024, where the BMA’s response to the Cass Review was raised.While we respect the BMA’s right to undertake an evaluation of the Cass Review, we do not think it is necessary. The Cass Review is robust, evidence-based, and the most comprehensive assessment of gender incongruence in children and young people that has been produced to date. The Government and NHS England are committed to implementing the Cass Review in full.NHS England’s ambitious two-year action plan sets out how it will continue to transform and improve services, helping to tackle waiting lists while ensuring safe and holistic care.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the safety of zoos.

The Secretary of State’s Standards of Modern Zoo Practice (the Zoo Standards) set out, amongst other things, requirements which licensed zoos in England are expected to meet with regard to public and animal safety. Defra is currently working to update the Zoo Standards, including considering updates to public safety requirements. Updated Zoo Standards will be published shortly. Zoos must also comply with the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 which ensures the safety of staff. The British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums (BIAZA) also publish Health & Safety Guidelines for Zoos & Aquariums which focus on the health and safety of employers, employees and the public within zoos.

What assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the number of spirometry tests carried out in Community Diagnostic Centres.

NHS England continues to support the restoration of local spirometry services and is enhancing capacity through community diagnostic centres (CDCs). Spirometry tests are a minimum core test required of all standard or large CDCs. The Department does not currently hold validated data on the number of spirometry tests carried out in CDCs but, as part of guidance issued by NHS England in September 2024, CDCs are expected to perform a minimum of 80 spirometry tests a week if open five days a week, and 112 tests if open for seven days a week. The Elective Reform Plan, published on 6 January 2025, also sets out that we will extend the minimum standards for all CDCs to open 12 hours per day, seven days a week. As CDCs move to seven days, in line with expectations set out in the plan, they will increase overall activity in line with guidance.

What steps she is taking to encourage more young people into (a) further education and (b) apprenticeships.

Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.The government is developing a comprehensive strategy for post‐16 education and skills, to break down barriers to opportunity, support the development of a skilled workforce, and drive economic growth through our Industrial Strategy.Young people are required to continue in education or training until they turn 18-years-old. We are preventing young people from losing touch with education or employment before the age of 18 through a guaranteed place in education and training for all 16 and 17-year-olds, expanded work experience and careers advice, action to tackle school attendance and improved access to mental health services for young people in England.Over £7.5 billion 16 to 19 programme funding will be invested during the 2024/25 academic year, to pay for education for any 16, 17 or 18-year-olds in post-16 education.£240 million has been announced to drive forward measures in the Get Britain Working White Paper. This includes a Youth Guarantee for all young people aged 18 to 21-years-old in England to ensure they can access quality training, educational opportunities or help to find work. Working with Mayoral Authorities, and building on existing provision and entitlements, the department will test new ways of supporting young people into employment or training. To do this we will mobilise eight place-based Youth Guarantee trailblazers with £45 million of funding in 2025/26.In addition, the department’s reformed growth and skills offer, which will have apprenticeships at its core, will deliver greater flexibility for learners and employers, including through shorter duration apprenticeships in targeted sectors. This will help more people learn new high-quality skills at work, and fuel innovation in businesses across the UK. The department has also begun work to develop new foundation apprenticeships, a training offer that will give more young people a foot in the door and support clear pathways and progression in work-based training and employment.

Whether he is taking steps to promote the use of energy saving lightbulbs in domestic properties.

The Warm Homes Plan will help people find ways to save money on energy bills. Consumers can use the Government advice site (www.gov.uk/improve-energy-efficiency) to get tailored recommendations for home improvements to increase energy efficiency. There is also existing Ecodesign regulations which sets the minimum energy performance standards for lighting products.

What assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of levels of energy prices in 2024.

The Government believes the only way to protect consumers permanently is to speed up the transition towards homegrown clean energy. The creation of Great British Energy will help us harness clean energy and have less reliance on foreign volatile energy markets which affect the energy price cap. We continue to monitor energy prices and the price cap and are working to ensure bills are affordable for consumers in the long-term, including through our work with Ofgem to reform standing charges, and through our Warm Homes Plan which will transform homes across the country by making them cheaper and cleaner to run. In the short-term, we are continuing to deliver the Warm Home Discount which provides an annual £150 rebate off energy bills for eligible low-income households, and through our collaboration with Energy UK on the Winter 2024 Commitment, which promises £500 million of industry support to billpayers this winter.

What discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Education on support for victims of rape and sexual assault who are under 18 and in the education system.

This Government is committed to ensuring that all victims of crime, including child victims of rape and sexual assault, have the support that they need to cope with their experiences and move forward with their lives. My Department provides funding to over 60 specialist support organisations through the Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Fund. This supports the delivery of tailored support programmes for all victims and survivors, including child victims. I regularly meet with the Minister for Children and Families (DfE). This includes a recent joint meeting with her and the Minister for Safeguarding and Violence Against Women and Girls (HO) where we discussed matters relating to Violence Against Women and Girls.

What plans he has to increase the availability of spirometry testing in primary care.

NHS England is continuing to support the restoration of local spirometry services and is enhancing capacity through community diagnostic centres (CDCs). These initiatives provide structured pathways for general practitioners (GPs) to refer patients for essential respiratory diagnostic tests such as spirometry, ensuring faster access to these services for individuals with suspected respiratory conditions, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). By equipping primary care with the tools and pathways for earlier and more accurate diagnosis, this effort addresses the significant issue of undiagnosed COPD, which is estimated to affect 2.1 million people in England. These measures are designed to strengthen the collaboration between primary and secondary care, increasing capacity to meet diagnostic demands effectively.As part of Phase 2 of the GP Direct Access scheme, launched in December 2023, the National Health Service aims to achieve earlier detection and diagnosis of COPD so that patients access timely interventions and optimal treatment, improving patient management and outcomes. The guidance recommends that general practice teams refer patients for spirometry for the diagnosis of COPD.

What steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to ensure small businesses can post parcels from Great Britain to Northern Ireland without completing customs declarations.

The Windsor Framework removes the need for customs declarations for the overwhelming majority of parcels sent by businesses in Great Britain to consumers in Northern Ireland and instead, parcel carriers will continue to collect standard commercial data required.There are, of course, no customs declarations requirements for parcels sent between private individuals within the UK.

What discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport on protecting women from online harassment.

Equalities Ministers have regular discussions with their colleagues across Government about tackling online harassment as part of the Government's commitment to halve violence against women and girls in a decade. These include the Safer Streets Mission Board and Violence Against Women and Girls Ministerial meetings.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of community energy projects on local employment.

The Government recognises the important role community energy projects play in many different areas, including tackling climate change and providing local employment opportunities. Great British Energy’s Local Power Plan will provide funding and support to community energy groups to roll out renewable energy projects and develop up to 8 GW of cleaner power. It will increase capacity and capability to build a pipeline of successful projects in local areas and aims to expand community energy projects by helping to crowd-in investment, creating skilled jobs and changing communities for the better. Great British Energy will benefit all four nations of our United Kingdom whilst respecting the devolution settlements.

What discussions he has had with his Northern Irish counterpart on the new solar farm installed at Hydebank Prison.

DESNZ officials meet regularly with their counterparts in Northern Ireland to discuss matters relating to renewables, including solar. Solar energy is at the heart of our Clean Energy mission and solar farms, alongside rooftop installations, will play an important part in helping to decarbonise the electricity grid by 2030. Government is keen to lead by example in decarbonising its estate and as set out in the Clean Power Action plan, published in December 2024, Great British Energy will also promote renewables on public estates, unlocking additional scope for generation capacity on government-owned land. Great British Energy will seek to work with government landowners who will host generation assets and provide power directly to public buildings, in addition to connecting into the grid.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of income for farmers in 2024.

The Government has committed to support farmers through a farming budget of £5 billion over two years, including £2.4 billion in 2025/26. We publish regular accredited official statistics on farm income in England and other data related to farm businesses. For example, on 14 November 2024, we published our Farm Business Income statistics (Farm business income - GOV.UK), which looked at how Farm Business Income has changed in 2023/24, including the contribution of Direct Payments and agri-environment payments to farm incomes and analysis by farm type. Farm Business Income has seen substantial year-on-year fluctuations over the past 15 years driven by a multitude of factors which include weather and market fluctuations. For most farm types, Farm Business Income in 2023/24 saw very large falls relative to exceptional highs in 2022/23. At the all-farm level and a longer-term view, the average Farm Business Income of approximately £82,000 for the agricultural transition (2021/22-2023/24) remains above the pre-transition average of approximately £58,000 (2018/19-2020/21). Further, farming evidence packs have been recently updated including key statistics and farm performance (Farming statistics evidence packs - GOV.UK). These set out an extensive range of data to provide an overview of agriculture in the UK, and the contribution of farm payments to farm incomes, including analysis by sector, location in England and type of land tenure. The Secretary of State discussed the department’s approach to the problem of low farming income across Britain at the Oxford Farming Conference on 9 January, and his full remarks can be found here. We will continue to carry out appropriate and timely assessments of our interventions to inform policy development.

How many people in the UK have been diagnosed with vitiligo.

The Department does not hold data on the number of people in England who have been diagnosed with vitiligo. Data relating to Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales is a matter for the devolved governments.

What discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on introducing more flexible paternity leave.

The Government is committed to ensuring that employed parents receive the best possible support to balance their work and family responsibilities.The Employment Rights Bill will increase the flexibility of Paternity Leave. This Bill will make Paternity Leave available from ‘day one’ in a new job and enable it to be taken after Shared Parental Leave.We will also review the parental leave system to ensure that it supports working families. Planning work is already underway across Government, including with the Department of Work and Pensions.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the cost of electricity on people with health conditions requiring medical devices which use electricity.

The Department began an assessment process on patient support for at home medical equipment energy costs in August 2024 with a review of existing policy provision. This work includes consideration of the impact of the cost of running electrical medical equipment at home on vulnerable groups.At Ministerial direction, the Department is working with the National Health Service, gathering technical data from within the health sector on use, cost and power demand of at home medical devices, to support development of costed policy options.

What assessment he has made of trends in the level of people referred for alcohol addiction support.

The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities publishes adult substance misuse treatment statistics annually which includes the numbers of adults aged 18 and over in contact with drug and alcohol treatment services in England. The latest publication is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/substance-misuse-treatment-for-adults-statistics-2023-to-2024/adult-substance-misuse-treatment-statistics-2023-to-2024-reportThis publication provides an analysis of trends over time. The data over the last ten years for adults newly presenting to treatment for alcohol only and treatment for alcohol and non-opiate drugs shows that from a previous high in 2013/14 of 84,533, the number of new presentations to treatment fell year-on-year between 2014/15 and 2017/18. The number of new presentations remained relatively stable between 2017/18 and 2020/21, before rising continuously since then to a new high of 94,782 in 2023/24. This is the highest number since records began in 2008.The most recent estimates of alcohol dependence in England from 2019/20 suggest that, of the people with alcohol dependence that could benefit from specialist alcohol treatment, in 2023/24, 80% were not in treatment.The following table shows the above information in more detail:YearNumbers of adults newly presenting to treatment for alcohol onlyNumbers of adults newly presenting to treatment for alcohol and non-opiatesTotal2013-1465,11019,42384,5332014-1561,40418,54879,9522015-1657,72318,82276,5452016-1752,58318,71671,2992017-1850,65618,75769,4132018-1952,39320,21572,6082019-2050,95721,16772,1242020-2152,22020,84973,0692021-2256,99523,23480,2292022-2357,80224,22982,0312023-2465,10829,67494,782Source: National Drug Treatment Monitoring SystemInformation on the number of young people under 18 years old being treated for substance misuse, including alcohol, is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/alcohol-and-drug-misuse-and-treatment-statistics

What steps she is taking to help tackle disability discrimination in workplaces.

The Government is fully committed to the Equality Act 2010 (the Act), which protects disabled people from discrimination in the workplace. The Act prohibits direct and indirect disability discrimination and requires employers to make reasonable adjustments for disabled employees and jobseekers to ensure that they are not placed at a substantial disadvantage compared to their non-disabled colleagues. This could include improving access to premises for wheelchair users, through installing ramps or other auxiliary aids or services.The failure of an employer to make reasonable adjustments could amount to direct disability discrimination. However, the Act also recognises the need to strike a balance between the needs of disabled employees and the circumstances of their employers. What is ‘reasonable’ will therefore depend on the circumstances of each case.Strong legal remedies are available to employees and applicants who feel that they have experienced disability discrimination by an employer. Guidance and codes of practice have been published by The Equality and Human Rights Commission and Acas, to help employers follow the law and employees and applicants understand their rights.