Written questions by Robertson.

What steps his Department is taking to support community equipment providers in managing rising operational costs while ensuring continued service provision.

At the 2024 Autumn Budget, the Government announced a £22.6 billion increase in day-to-day health spending and a £3.1 billion increase in the capital budget over financial years 2024/2025 and 2025/2026. Departmental budgets beyond 2025/26 will be set through phase two of the Spending Review, which will conclude and be published in June 2025.The rise in employer National Insurance contributions (ENIC) will be implemented from April 2025, and NHS England has published planning guidance setting out the funding available to integrated care boards and the overall approach to funding for National Health Service providers in the next financial year, which takes account of a variety of pay and non-pay factors and pressures on providers of secondary healthcare. The NHS Payment Scheme is equally applicable to NHS and non-NHS providers of secondary healthcare, and published national prices include an estimate of ENIC costs.Local NHS procuring authorities, whether integrated care boards or NHS providers, are responsible for discussing and agreeing contracts with community equipment providers, which will take into account the resources available to them. Economic growth is the Government’s number one mission, and the Government supports businesses to invest, grow, and export, creating jobs and opportunities across the country. To support the growth mission, the Government is driving forward work to implement a modern Industrial Strategy, to reset trade relations, to support small business, and to deliver a new deal for working people.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the recent National Living Wage increase and National Insurance Contributions rise on the financial viability of community equipment providers.

At the 2024 Autumn Budget, the Government announced a £22.6 billion increase in day-to-day health spending and a £3.1 billion increase in the capital budget over financial years 2024/2025 and 2025/2026. Departmental budgets beyond 2025/26 will be set through phase two of the Spending Review, which will conclude and be published in June 2025.The rise in employer National Insurance contributions (ENIC) will be implemented from April 2025, and NHS England has published planning guidance setting out the funding available to integrated care boards and the overall approach to funding for National Health Service providers in the next financial year, which takes account of a variety of pay and non-pay factors and pressures on providers of secondary healthcare. The NHS Payment Scheme is equally applicable to NHS and non-NHS providers of secondary healthcare, and published national prices include an estimate of ENIC costs.Local NHS procuring authorities, whether integrated care boards or NHS providers, are responsible for discussing and agreeing contracts with community equipment providers, which will take into account the resources available to them. Economic growth is the Government’s number one mission, and the Government supports businesses to invest, grow, and export, creating jobs and opportunities across the country. To support the growth mission, the Government is driving forward work to implement a modern Industrial Strategy, to reset trade relations, to support small business, and to deliver a new deal for working people.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure the accuracy of its compliance cost evaluations.

On 13 March, the Prime Minister announced that government will cut the costs of regulation to business by 25% by the end of this Parliament. First, we must fully understand these costs. To do this, we will establish a robust regulatory baseline by using data government already holds and working in partnership with business to understand their real-life experiences of complying with regulation. Reducing these costs on businesses will allow them to flourish and to innovate, enabling economic growth.

For what reason her Department funds electric vehicles through the Motability scheme.

The Department works closely with Motability Foundation and whilst we are responsible for the disability benefits that provide a passport to the Motability Scheme, we do not fund vehicles, be they electric or otherwise. Motability Foundation is an independent charitable organisation that is wholly responsible for the terms and the administration of the Scheme, along with oversight of Motability Operations. The Department does not hold data on the Motability fleet of cars. Questions about the operations of the Motability Foundation should be addressed to the Foundation.

What criteria her Department uses to assess the value for money of the Motability scheme's investments in electric vehicles.

The Motability Foundation is independent of government, and regulated by the Charity Commission, so is wholly responsible for the terms and the administration of the Scheme, including assessing the value for money of its investments and charitable donations. Questions about the operations of the Motability Foundation should be addressed to the Foundation.

Food and Rural Affairs, how his Department quantifies compliance costs for new regulations.

‘’Compliance costs” are the costs of complying with government regulation. These will typically include familiarisation costs, costs relating to monitoring or data reporting, and costs related to inspections where relevant. When analysing impacts on businesses of any new or amended policy, Defra complies with the Better Regulation Framework alongside HMT’s Green Book and Magenta Book principles.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department includes indirect business losses when estimating compliance costs.

“Compliance costs” are the costs of complying with government regulation. When analysing impacts on businesses of any new or amended policy, Defra complies with the Better Regulation Framework alongside HMT’s Green Book and Magenta Book principles. We do not routinely consider indirect costs to business as this is not a requirement of the Framework.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department plans to conduct a review of environmental compliance obligations.

Defra complies with the Better Regulation Framework alongside HMT’s Green Book and Magenta Book principles. Where required, Defra will conduct post implementation reviews (PIRs) of legislation.The Chancellor’s Action Plan, published 17 March 2025, is supported by Defra. In that plan we have already committed to take actions relating to environmental and planning regulation, amongst other things. We want to ensure our regulatory system becomes more flexible, coherent and innovation-friendly to support new infrastructure and development, whilst upholding our protections for the environment and local communities.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department maintains accurate records of compliance costs for agricultural regulations.

Costs of compliance for regulations are assessed through Impact Assessments when regulations are introduced according to the Better Regulation Framework. Defra regulators carry out regular monitoring and evaluation of regulations to understand their effectiveness.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department maintains records of compliance costs for agricultural regulations.

Costs of compliance for regulations are assessed through Impact Assessments when regulations are introduced according to the Better Regulation Framework. Defra regulators carry out regular monitoring and evaluation of regulations to understand their effectiveness.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to reduce compliance costs for agricultural subsidies.

“Compliance costs” are the costs of complying with Government regulation. Our Environmental Land Management Schemes provide farmers and land managers with the support they need to help restore nature, which is vital to safeguard our long-term food security, support productivity and build resilience to climate change. Participation in these schemes is discretionary, and so they do not of themselves carry compliance costs.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department is taking steps to (a) monitor and (b) reduce compliance costs for fisheries regulations.

Costs of compliance for regulations are assessed through Impact Assessments when regulations are introduced according to the Better Regulation Framework. Defra regulators keep all regulations under review to understand their effectiveness. We are also mindful of the desire of the fishing industry to have bespoke regulation, appropriate for the stocks and circumstances. This can add complexity and costs, something we are considering as we develop and implement Fisheries Management Plans.

Food and Rural Affairs, how his Department validates estimates of compliance costs provided by regulated industries.

“Compliance costs” are the costs of complying with government regulation. These will typically include familiarisation costs, costs relating to monitoring or data reporting, and costs related to inspections where relevant. When analysing impacts on businesses of any new or amended policy, Defra complies with the Better Regulation Framework alongside HMT’s Green Book and Magenta Book principles. Where required, Defra will conduct post implementation reviews (PIRs) of legislation.

Whether the review of postgraduate medical training will be carried out in full.

The postgraduate medical training review announced by the Chief Medical Officer for England and National Medical Director of NHS England is underway and on track. NHS England launched an extensive engagement and listening exercise to consider the future of postgraduate medical training in February 2025. This engagement exercise will run through to June, with findings evaluated and reported in the summer.

What the total expenditure on electric vehicles through the Motability scheme was in the most recent year for which data is available.

The Department works closely with Motability Foundation and is responsible for the disability benefits that provide a passport to the Motability Scheme. Motability Foundation is an independent charitable organisation that is wholly responsible for the terms and the administration of the Scheme, along with oversight of Motability Operations. The Department does not hold figures on the expenditure on electric vehicles provided through the Motability Scheme

What assessment he has made of the potential merits of publishing year-round data on the number of patients treated in temporary care environments.

We continue to keep the data which is available and published to support improvements to urgent and emergency care services under review.NHS England has been working with trusts since last year to put in place new reporting arrangements related to the use of temporary escalation spaces, like corridors, in order to drive improvement. Subject to a review of data quality, this information will be published later this year, and we will consider how this data could be published on a more regular basis.

What (a) financial and (b) other support her Department provides to local authorities to help maintain small rural schools.

I refer the hon. Member for Isle of Wight East to the answer of 28 March 2025 to Question 40354.

What steps her Department is taking to provide longer-term support for local services via the Household Support Fund.

This Government is committed to a sustainable, long-term approach to drive up opportunity and drive down poverty across the UK. That is why we are providing £742 million in England to extend the Household Support Fund (HSF) by a further year, from 1 April 2025 until 31 March 2026. This will enable Local Authorities to continue to provide vulnerable households with immediate crisis support towards the cost of essentials, and develop their schemes to help prevent poverty locally and build local resilience. To support Local Authorities, we have clarified what is meant by both crisis and preventative support, updating the schemes’ objectives to include both types of support, and providing definitions and examples of each eligible spend category in the guidance. We encourage Local Authorities to consider how their provision of crisis support could have a longer-term, sustainable impact, and to offer some level of preventative support to stop vulnerable households from falling into, or falling further into, crisis.

What estimate she has made of the number of shops with increased business rates under proposed reforms to that system.

As set out at Autumn Budget 2024, the Government intends to introduce permanently lower tax rates for retail, hospitality, and leisure (RHL) properties, including those on the high street, from 2026-27. This permanent tax cut will ensure that they benefit from much-needed certainty and support. The Government intends to fund this by introducing a higher multiplier on all properties with a rateable value (RV) of £500,000 and above. These represent less than one per cent of all properties. The Government will confirm the rates for the new multipliers at Budget 2025, taking account of the outcomes of the 2026 revaluation as well as the broader economic and fiscal context. Tax policy and legislation is not subject to the Better Regulation Framework Guidance which requires an Impact Assessment to accompany policy decisions. Nevertheless, when the new multipliers are set at Budget 2025 – to take effect in the 2026-27 billing year – HM Treasury intends to publish analysis of the effects of the new multiplier arrangements.

Whether she plans to amend local housing allowance rates to reflect actual rental market costs (a) on the Isle of Wight and (b) in other areas.

Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rates are reviewed annually, usually at an Autumn fiscal event. Rates are set based on the area of the country a person lives and their bedroom entitlementThe Secretary of State’s decision at last year’s Autumn Budget to maintain LHA rates at current levels for 2025/26 considered a range of factors including: rental data in areas across the country, the impacts of LHA rates, the challenging fiscal environment and the rate increases the previous April which cost an additional £7bn over 5 years.Any future decisions on the LHA policy will be taken in the context of the Government’s missions, goals on housing and the fiscal context. Discretionary Housing Payments (DHPs) are available from local authorities to those who face a shortfall in meeting their housing costs.