Written questions by Shannon.

If she will make an estimate of the number of people convicted for offences related to puppy farming in the last 12 months.

The Ministry of Justice publishes data on offenders convicted for animal cruelty offences in the Outcomes by Offences data tool, that can be downloaded from the Criminal Justice Statistics landing page here: Criminal Justice Statistics.However, data held centrally does not include information on whether defendants were convicted for offences related to puppy farming.This information may be held in court records but to examine individual court records would be of disproportionate costs.

What discussions he has had with the Northern Ireland Executive on enabling oil fuelled heating homes in Northern Ireland to transition to gas.

Energy policy is a transferred matter to the Northern Ireland Assembly and Northern Ireland Executive. DESNZ holds regular discussions with NI Executive on broader energy matters, including through our Net Zero, Energy and Climate Change Inter-ministerial Group.

How many assaults on transport staff there have been in the last 12 months.

The Home Office collects and publishes information on the number of offences and their investigative outcomes recorded by the police in England and Wales on a quarterly basis, which can be accessed here:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/police-recorded-crime-open-data-tablesThis includes assault offences recorded by British Transport Police. However, it is not currently possible to separately identify assaults against staff from those against passengers in data held centrally.

What comparative assessment he has made of the level of uptake of the flu vaccine in (a) 2024 and (b) the last five years for which data is available.

The UK Health Security Agency publishes provisional monthly data on flu vaccine uptake in England in eligible patient groups, with further information available at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/vaccine-uptake#seasonal-flu-vaccine-uptake:-figuresThe following table shows the percentage of general practice patients with vaccination coverage, broken down by patient groups, from 2019/20 to 2024/25:Patient groupOver 65 years oldAt riskPregnant womenTwo year oldsThree year olds2024/2573.8%38.6%33.7%40.9%42.4%2023/2477.0%40.3%30.9%41.0%41.3%2022/2378.4%46.3%33.2%39.8%42.2%2021/2281.5%49.3%37.3%46.6%49.1%2020/2180.2%51.5%43.0%54.1%56.5%2019/2070.6%40.8%41.3%37.0%36.9% In addition, the following table shows the percentage of school aged children and frontline health care workers in England with vaccination coverage, from 2019/20 to 2024/25: Primary school, from Reception to Year 6Secondary schoolFrontline health care workers2024/2554.0%44.0%36.2%2023/2453.8%41.2%41.0%2022/2355.5%10.3%46.7%2021/2252.9%37.8%58.8%2020/2159.8%53.5%75.3%2019/2057.9%N/A68.5%Note: for secondary school pupils, the eligible year groups varied by season, and so for the years 2024/25, 2023/24, and 2021/22 the data covers those from Year 7 to Year 11, but for 2022/23 it only covers those from Year 7 to Year 9, and for 2020/21, it just includes those in Year 7.Caution should be used when comparing flu vaccine uptake between seasons. In 2024/25, adult groups, excluding pregnant women, were eligible from 3 October, rather than 1 September, as in previous seasons. Therefore, vaccine uptake data for this season is not comparable to previous seasons in these groups. In addition, the roll out to secondary school aged children has not been uniform, in some years not all of those in Year 7 to Year 11 were offered the vaccine.

If she will make an estimate of recent trends in the number of people prescribed pain medication in the last 12 months.

The Prescription Cost Analysis data release gives items and quantities of each medicine dispensed in the community in England. The following table shows the total number of items dispensed for analgesics in England, regardless of where prescribed, as well as the unique number of patients that were dispensed medicines listed in British National Formulary (BNF) Section 4.7 Analgesics, from December 2023 to November 2024:Month and yearTotal number of itemsUnique identified patientsDecember 20235,000,0003,100,000January 20245,200,0003,200,000February 20244,800,0003,100,000March 20244,900,0003,100,000April 20245,100,0003,200,000May 20245,200,0003,200,000June 20244,800,0003,100,000July 20245,200,0003,200,000August 20245,000,0003,100,000September 20244,900,0003,100,000October 20245,200,0003,200,000November 20245,000,0003,200,000Total60,400,0007,500,000For further information, BNF 4.7 includes:- non-opioid analgesics and compound preparations;- opioid analgesics;- neuropathic pain medicines; and- antimigraine medicines.No data has been captured relating to the clinical indication a prescription is intended for. Some of these products can be used for a variety of clinical indications and therefore the figures provided may include items that were prescribed for a different condition, rather than for pain relief.It is important to note that this data does not capture medicines classified elsewhere within the BNF, which are primarily used for other reasons, but may also be used for analgesic purposes. This includes, for example, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, which feature in 10.1 ‘Drugs used in rheumatic diseases and gout’, and antidepressants, used off-label in chronic primary pain, which feature in 4.3 ‘Antidepressant drugs’.

Representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of increasing staff salary pay scales so parliamentary advisors can be paid at the same level as hon. Members.

The Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA) keeps MPs' staff pay under review and periodically assesses benchmarking data so that pay scales remain in line with the salaries of other similar roles within the public sector.There are seven standard MPs' staff roles plus interns, each having different job descriptions, required skills and competencies, experience, and levels of responsibility. IPSA's benchmarking process insures that salary differentials reflect the market rates for different roles.IPSA annually presents its recommendations to the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority as part of the committee's review of IPSA's main estimate.

Whether she has made an assessment of the adequacy of the financial compensation available to those that have been exposed to asbestos in the workplace.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) provides specific support for people with asbestos-related conditions via a range of schemes. Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit (IIDB) provides non-contributory, “no-fault” benefit for disablement because of an accident at work, or because of one of over 70 prescribed diseases known to be a risk from certain jobs. IIDB is a weekly award that can be worth up to £11,500* per year and has been consistently uprated in line with inflation. The department also provides one-off lump-sum compensation payments under the Pneumoconiosis etc. (Workers’ Compensation) Act 1979 (the ‘1979 Act scheme’) to individuals who suffer from one of the dust-related diseases covered by the scheme, subject to the wider eligibility criteria being satisfied. This scheme is designed to cover people who are unable to claim damages from any relevant employers because they have gone out of business. Asbestos-related diseases covered by IIDB and the 1979 Act scheme include pneumoconiosis (including asbestosis), diffuse mesothelioma, unilateral or bilateral diffuse pleural thickening and asbestos-related primary carcinoma of the lung. Subject to Parliamentary approval, both IIDB and the 1979 Act scheme are due to be uprated by 1.7 per cent from April this year. In addition to these schemes someone suffering from long-term disabling affects due to an asbestos-related condition may be eligible for further financial support via Personal Independence Payment, or through Universal Credit and New Style Employment and Support Allowance for those with a health condition that limits their ability to work. Those who have been exposed to asbestos in the workplace may pursue a civil compensation claim against an employer. Where their employer no longer exists or their employer’s insurer cannot be traced, individuals diagnosed with diffuse mesothelioma may also be eligible for an award under the 2014 Diffuse Mesothelioma Payment Scheme if there is evidence that their exposure was due to employer negligence. *Figure rounded to the nearest hundred.

Communities and Local Government, how much her Department has spent on taxi expenses for homeless people in the last 12 months.

The Homelessness Prevention Grant (HPG) is allocated to councils across England based on local homelessness pressures and is used to meet local needs.HPG funding allocations for the period 2023 through 2025 are available online and can be accessed via the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/homelessness-prevention-grant-2023-to-2025Local authorities can use their funding flexibly to support homeless households. MHCLG does not hold any data on the proportion of funding that was allocated to taxi expenses.

What steps she is taking to improve meals in schools for SEN children.

Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life. It is important that children eat nutritious food at school and the department encourages schools to have a whole-school approach to healthy eating.The minimum standards for school food are set out in legislation. Beyond this, headteachers, school governors and their caterers are best placed to make decisions about their school food policies that take into account local circumstances. In doing so, schools are expected to make reasonable efforts to cater for pupils with particular requirements, for example to reflect medical, dietary and cultural needs.School governors have a responsibility to ensure compliance with the School Food Standards. To support governors, the department, along with National Governance Association, are running a pilot online training course on school food for governors and trustees. The department will evaluate the training programme’s reception and effectiveness in the short-term.Education settings are obliged, under the Equality Act 2010, to make reasonable adjustments for children and young people with disabilities to avoid putting them at a substantial disadvantage in relation to a relevant matter, in comparison with persons who are not disabled. Schools are required to make reasonable adjustments to enable such pupils to access their school meals, should they wish to. Schools should work with the pupil, their family and any other professionals involved, to agree the necessary support. It is for the school to make the decision about what is reasonable in any particular situation.

If she will hold discussions with the devolved Administrations on the adequacy of (a) funding and (b) devolved powers for the provision of public services.

The UK Government regularly engages with officials and ministers from the devolved governments on a wide range of issues, including their funding to deliver public services. The devolved governments’ settlements for 2025-26 are the largest in real terms of any settlements since devolution. Each devolved government is receiving at least 20% more per person than equivalent UK Government spending in the rest of the UK, amounting to over £16 billion more in 2025-26. In total, the devolved governments will receive over £86 billion in 2025-26, including an additional £6.6 billion through the Barnett formula. Barnett-based funding is not ringfenced for a specific policy area. This provides the devolved governments with the flexibility to allocate funding across devolved areas according to their own priorities and local circumstances, including public services. The devolved governments remain accountable to their respective devolved legislatures for these decisions.

What steps she is taking to prevent higher education institutions from targeted influence from hostile states.

Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only. This government is committed to ensuring our world-leading universities remain free from foreign interference. There are a set of measures that protect against undue foreign interference in our universities. These range from the Academic Technology Approval Scheme, which vets students and researchers seeking to study in sensitive areas, to the provisions of the Higher Education Freedom of Speech Act 2023, which includes the implementation of a new complaints scheme which will offer a new focused route for concerns regarding foreign interference in academic freedom and free speech to be raised. The government offers practical advice to support the sector to engage with international partnerships in transparent and secure ways. The Research Collaboration and Advice Team, the National Protective Security Authority, the National Cyber Security Centre, and guidance published by Universities UK all support the sector to manage the security-related risks of internationalisation. The government is currently working at pace on the implementation of the Foreign Influence Registration Scheme, which will apply to universities across the UK, and will require registration of foreign directed activity involving specific governments and entities where it is necessary to protect the safety or interests of the UK. We expect the scheme to commence in summer 2025. Finally, the government is conducting an internal review, informed by engagement with the regulator, sector, academics impacted by foreign interference, as well as international partners, to assess existing approaches to managing the risk of foreign interference and what more support they might need.

What assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of recent reports of missile tests in North Korea.

The UK is monitoring the continued testing of ballistic missiles by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), including the short-range ballistic missile (SRBM) launches on 14 January 2025 - all of which violate UN Security Council resolutions (UNSCR). The UK remains committed to calling out all violations of UNSCRs and will continue to work with partners to enforce existing UN approved sanctions on DPRK.

Innovation and Technology, whether he has had discussions she with BT on the potential impact of the withdrawal of BT's free (a) online and (b) physical directories on (i) the elderly and (ii) people in digital poverty.

Ofcom is responsible for ensuring that UK consumers have access to directory and directory information services. Ofcom does not specify the form of the directory.The Department has not had discussions with BT around the withdrawal of its physical directories or their free online directory. We understand from a public statement made by BT that it took a decision to withdraw these due to a lack of demand and the environmental impact of printing and distributing hard copies.BT provides free downloadable A-Z directory on their website; hard copies can be purchased online. BT offers a free service, called 195 for users with certain additional needs.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of rises in employer National Insurance contributions on victims of domestic and sexual violence.

The Government recognises the important role charities play in our society and has made it a priority to reset the relationship with civil society by developing a Civil Society Covenant.To repair the public finances and help raise the revenue required to increase funding for public services, the government has taken the difficult decision to increase employer National Insurance.The Government recognises the need to protect the smallest businesses and charities, which is why we have more than doubled the Employment Allowance to £10,500, meaning more than half of employers with NICs liabilities either gain or see no change next year. Charities will still be able to claim employer NICs reliefs including those for under 21s and under 25 apprentices, where eligible.More broadly, within the tax system, we provide support to charities through a range of reliefs and exemptions, including reliefs for charitable giving., with more than £6 billion in charitable reliefs provided to charities, CASCs and their donors in 2023 to 2024.

If he will take steps to provide additional incentives to help encourage people to establish small businesses.

The Government supports entrepreneurs with funding and mentoring through, for example the British Business Bank, via Start-up Loans.The recently announced Business Growth Service which is due to be landed later this year, will help businesses access the support they need to grow, whether they are starting out or looking to scale up. One aim is to ensure that businesses can access more targeted support that considers their particular needs.We will publish our Small Business Strategy later this year, setting out how the Government will encourage entrepreneurship across the UK and enable small businesses to grow, empowering entrepreneurs to innovate, export and create new jobs.

What assessment he has made of the potential merits of developing a national strategy to place defibrillators in high need areas.

The Government is 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 September 2023, the Government approved a further £500,000 in August 2024 to fulfil existing applications to the fund.The Department selected a joint bid from Smarter Society as its independent partners to manage grant applications. Smarter Society has reviewed funding applications, against requirements specified by the Department. These requirements were to ensure that resources are allocated where there is the greatest need, for instance 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.As part of the Department’s requirements, the defibrillators are suitable for use by untrained persons. The Mindray C1A Defibrillator, a fully automated device suitable for use by untrained persons, are the AEDs provided by Smarter Society in partnership with London Hearts charity.The Department has continued its partnership with Smarter Society, who managed the grant applications on our behalf, with London Hearts supplying the AEDs. London Hearts is the leading heart defibrillator charity in the United Kingdom, supporting communities with the provision of life saving heart defibrillators and teaching cardiopulmonary resuscitation and defibrillator skills.NHS England has partnered with St John Ambulance to co-ordinate skills development to significantly increase the use of AEDs by individuals in community settings. This includes a national network of Community Advocates to champion the importance of first aid, training 60,000 people that will help save up to 4,000 lives each year by 2028.

What the cost to the NHS is of (a) surgery to transplant a kidney and (b) medication for a year for a kidney transplant recipient.

NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) is responsible for transplant services across the United Kingdom. Transplants represent a cost-efficient treatment and in the case of kidneys is a cost saving to the National Health Service.The following table shows the estimated national average unit cost of a kidney transplant for 2023/24 for people aged 19 years old and over:Donor categoryCost (£)Deceased heart-beating donor18,508Deceased non-heart beating donor21,418Live donor17,473Source: NHSBTThe cost to the NHS of medication for a kidney transplant recipient for the first year after transplant can range on average between £9,000 and £13,000. Following this, costs can range on average between £5,000 and £8,000 per patient per year. These estimated costs are based on British National Formulary list price. For some drugs, the NHS can access confidential prices that cannot be shared outside of the NHS. The average cost does not take into consideration additional treatments in the event of complications such as infections and post-transplant rejections.

What the average cost per patient for (a) in centre and (b) home therapies dialysis treatment was in each of the last three years.

The national average patient cost for home-based renal dialysis for the last three years was £280 in 2023/24, £231 in 2022/23, and £213 in 2021/22. The national average patient cost for hospital-based renal dialysis for the last three years was £223 in 2023/24, £220 in 2022/23, and £192 in 2021/22.

What steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help ensure that there is adequate support for parents learning how to care for a child with special needs and disabilities.

Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.Under the Children Act 1989 local authorities must, in accordance with section 17ZD, assess and support the needs of parent carers who provide or intend to provide care for a disabled child and who meet the criteria set out. Services may include provision of short breaks or other support to assist parent carers.The Law Commission are currently undertaking an independent review of social care legislation relating to disabled children. They are due to report their final recommendations to government in summer 2025, at which point we will consider proposals for reforms to the disabled children’s social care system, including the adequacy of the legal framework supporting parents carers.The government funds Parent Carer Forums (PCFs) who are representative local groups of parents and carers of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). They work alongside local authorities, education, health and other service providers to ensure the services they plan, commission, deliver and monitor, meet the needs of children and families locally.The government also funds Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Information and Support Services (SENDIASS) offer information, advice and support for parents, carers children and young people with SEND. The department’s contract funds the training of SENDIASS staff. Under the Children and Families Act (2014) it is a legal requirement that all local authorities have a SENDIASS.This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with SEND or in alternative provision receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life. The department is working closely with experts on reforms, recently appointing a Strategic Advisor for SEND, who will play a key role in convening and engaging with the sector, including leaders, practitioners, children and families as we consider the next steps for the future of SEND reform.

What assessment he has made of the potential merits of Elacestrant.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) makes recommendations for the National Health Service on whether new medicines should be routinely funded by the NHS based on an assessment of their costs and benefits. The NHS is legally required to fund medicines recommended by the NICE, and cancer medicines are eligible for funding from the Cancer Drugs Fund from the point of positive NICE draft guidance.The NICE recommended elacestrant as an option for treating oestrogen receptor-positive, HER2-negative advanced breast cancer with an ESR1 mutation after endocrine treatment in final draft guidance on 19 December 2024, and it is now funded for eligible patients in England through the Cancer Drugs Fund. Final guidance is due to publish on 5 February 2025.