Written questions by Hayes.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure the continued availability of in-person post office services in (a) South Holland and the Deepings constituency and (b) Lincolnshire.

The Government protects the sustainability of the branch network in South Holland and the Deepings and Lincolnshire, by providing funding on the basis that Post Office meets minimum access criteria to ensure that, across the country, 99% of the population live within three miles of their nearest Post Office. The Government works to ensure Post Office Limited maintains a minimum number of branches and a geographical spread of branches in line with the published access criteria. Along with the annual £50 million subsidy, we are providing a further £37.5 million this year to safeguard services in the uncommercial parts of the network.

How many pensioners are living in poverty in (a) South Holland and the Deepings constituency and (b) Lincolnshire.

Statistics on the number of pensioners living in relative and absolute poverty are not available at a constituency or county level. Statistics on the number of pensioners living in relative and absolute poverty are published annually in the Households Below Average Income statistics: Households below average income: for financial years ending 1995 to 2023 - GOV.UK. These statistics include regional breakdowns.

What steps her Department is taking to support small businesses impacted by a reduction in in-person banking services in Lincolnshire.

The Government understands the importance of face-to-face banking to constituents and businesses in Lincolnshire and across the UK and is committed to championing sufficient access for all. This is why the Government is working closely with industry to roll out 350 banking hubs across the UK. The UK banking sector has committed to deliver these hubs by the end of this Parliament. Over 200 hubs have been announced so far, and over 100 are already open. FCA guidance expects firms to carefully consider the impact of planned branch closures on their customers’ everyday banking and cash access needs and put in place alternatives where reasonable. This seeks to ensure that branch closures are implemented in a way that treats customers fairly. Alternative options to access everyday banking services can be via telephone banking, through digital means such as mobile or online banking and via the Post Office. The Post Office Banking Framework allows personal and business customers to withdraw and deposit cash, check their balance, pay bills and cash cheques. The Government protects the Post Office network by setting minimum access criteria. These include ensuring that 99% of the UK population lives within three miles of a Post Office and 90% of the population within one mile. To stimulate local economic growth the Government intends to introduce permanently lower tax rates for high street retail, hospitality, and leisure properties with rateable values below half a million pounds from 2026 – 2027 and later this year, the Government will publish a Small Business Strategy, setting out our vision for small businesses. Taken together, these actions will support businesses in Lincolnshire and across the country to drive local economic growth.

How many new driving test instructors were approved in each of the last three years.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) approves people to be driving instructors and motorcycle trainers. DVSA publishes driving instructor and motorcycle instructor register data on GOV.UK. This includes data on the numbers of approved driving instructors (ADI) and shows the number of ADIs joining or leaving the register, by reason, per financial year. The attached excel document shows how many ADIs left the ADI register for the financial year 2017/18 to the financial year to date, 2024/25. This includes data on ADIs whose licence lapsed, ADIs who resigned their licence, and ADIs who were removed from the register (Registrar's decision). The same document also includes how many ADIs were added to the ADI register for the same period. This includes data on new ADI registrations, ADIs who renewed their licence (renewals), and ADIs who re-registered after a period of time off the register (Re-registration).

How many driving test instructors have left their position in each year since 2018.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) approves people to be driving instructors and motorcycle trainers. DVSA publishes driving instructor and motorcycle instructor register data on GOV.UK. This includes data on the numbers of approved driving instructors (ADI) and shows the number of ADIs joining or leaving the register, by reason, per financial year. The attached excel document shows how many ADIs left the ADI register for the financial year 2017/18 to the financial year to date, 2024/25. This includes data on ADIs whose licence lapsed, ADIs who resigned their licence, and ADIs who were removed from the register (Registrar's decision). The same document also includes how many ADIs were added to the ADI register for the same period. This includes data on new ADI registrations, ADIs who renewed their licence (renewals), and ADIs who re-registered after a period of time off the register (Re-registration).

What steps his Department is taking to help increase patients' survival rates following out-of-hospital cardiac arrests in Lincolnshire.

In a bid to improve patients' survival rates following out-of-hospital cardiac arrests, the Government has 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.As part of the application process, the Department has set out requirements to ensure that resources are allocated to where there is the greatest need, for instance in 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. 21 AEDs have been distributed, through the AED Fund, to the Lincoln postcode area, from LN1 to LN13, which includes Alford, Lincoln, Woodhall Spa, Louth, Mablethorpe, and Horncastle.

What steps she is taking to support disabled people into work in Lincolnshire.

Appropriate work is generally good for health and wellbeing, so we want everyone to get work and get on in work, whoever they are and wherever they live. We want people to avoid poverty, and for this to happen we must ensure that disabled people and people with health conditions have the opportunity to work and save for as long as they wish and are able to. Disabled people and people with health conditions are a diverse group so access to the right work and health support, in the right place, at the right time, is key. We therefore have a range of specialist initiatives to support individuals to stay in work and get back into work, including those that join up employment and health systems. Measures include support from Work Coaches and Disability Employment Advisers (DEAs) in Jobcentres and Access to Work grants, as well as joining up health and employment support around the individual through Employment Advisors in NHS Talking Therapies and Individual Placement and Support in Primary Care. In particular, Spalding Jobcentre in Lincolnshire has a proactive and dedicated DEA who has regular engagement with the Employment Advisors within the NHS Talking Therapies service and Individual Placement and Support in Secondary Care, often case-conferencing to focus on any specific cases or identify any additional support that can be offered. Spalding Jobcentre also support and liaise with Local Supported Employment (Showcase), a DWP funded programme led by Lincolnshire County Council, offering support to find and retain sustainable employment for participants. It is also recognised that employers play an important role in addressing health and disability. To build on this, the Joint DWP & DHSC Work and Health Directorate (JWHD) is facilitating “Keep Britain Working”, an independent review of the role of UK employers in reducing health-related inactivity and to promote healthy and inclusive workplaces. The lead reviewer, Sir Charlie Mayfield, is expected to bring forward recommendations in Autumn 2025. Additionally, the JWHD has developed a digital information service for employers, continues to oversee the Disability Confident Scheme, and continues to increase access to Occupational Health. Backed by £240m investment, the Get Britain Working White Paper launched on 26 November will drive forward approaches to tackling economic inactivity and work toward the long-term ambition of an 80% employment rate.

What steps her Department is taking to support children's services in Lincolnshire.

For the 2025/25 financial year, the government is providing Lincolnshire with £7.5 million of funding specifically for children’s services, made up of £4.3 million through the Children and Families Grant, and £3.2 million though the Children’s Social Care Prevention Grant. More broadly, the government announced major reforms which will support all local authority children’s services in the department’s policy statement ’Keeping Children Safe, Helping Families Thrive‘, published in November. This sets out the government’s approach to creating a children’s social care system that prioritises the needs of children and families, with a focus on prevention, high standards of care, and tackling systemic issues like profiteering in the care market and workforce instability. As part of the delivery of Children’s Social Care reforms the department has been working closely with Lincolnshire as a 'Families First Pathfinder', funding the local authority to test the delivery of new ways of working.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what estimate he has made of the (a) amount and (b) proportion of the overseas aid budget that will be spent in the UK in each of the next three years.

The Home Secretary is committed to ensuring that asylum costs fall and has already acted. The Government has taken measures to reduce the asylum backlog, reform the asylum accommodation system to end the use of expensive accommodation in the next Spending Review period and increase detention capacity to facilitate more asylum removals.Whilst there will always be volatility in asylum forecasts, we expect these decisions to drive down overall in-donor refugee costs over the next Spending Review and the Home Office are well incentivised to deliver this.

What estimate his Department has made of the adequacy of waiting time for talking therapies in Lincolnshire.

Nationally, we plan to recruit an additional 8,500 mental health workers across child and adult mental health services in England, to reduce delays and provide faster treatment. We will also introduce access to a specialist mental health professional in every school and roll out Young Futures hubs in every community.Despite the challenging fiscal environment, the Government has chosen to prioritise the funding to deliver expansions of NHS Talking Therapies and Individual Placement and Support schemes, demonstrating our commitment to addressing the root cause of mental health issues and providing support for people with severe mental illness to contribute to the economy by remaining in or returning to work.We have committed £26 million in capital investment to open new mental health crisis centres, reducing the pressure on busy emergency mental health and accident and emergency services, and ensuring that people have the support they need when they need it. Waiting times statistics for talking therapies in Lincolnshire are available on the mental health dashboard, at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/nhs-mental-health-dashboard/

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of job centres on economic growth in Lincolnshire.

I refer the Rt Hon. member to the answer I gave on 26 February to PQ 31769.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the police grant for 2025-2026 on levels of crime in Lincolnshire.

This Government is committed to ensuring that the police can tackle crime effectively.Total funding to police forces will be up to £17.5 billion, an increase of up to £1.1 billion compared to the 2024-25 police funding settlement. This equates to a 6.6% cash increase, and 4.1% real terms increase in funding. This includes an additional £200 million to kickstart the first phase of delivering 13,000 additional police officers, PCSOs and special constables into neighbourhood policing roles.Lincolnshire Police’s funding will be up to £173.2m in 2025-26, an increase of up to £9 million when compared to the 2024-25 police settlement. This includes an additional £1.7 million for neighbourhood policing.

What proportion of food procured by his Department is sourced in the UK.

The Department is a customer of the Government Property Agency (GPA). GPA is the landlord or building manager at the Department’s office occupations, where the space is often shared with several other tenant organisations. The Department buys catering services, or a share of, from GPA alongside all other building services. This information is therefore not held by the Department.

What estimate her Department has made of the cost to the public purse of power cable thefts in (a) Lincolnshire and (b) England in each of the last three years.

While there is no official estimate of the cost to the public purse of cable thefts in England and Wales, Network Rail believe it costs millions of pounds each year with the total cost to the economy taking into account the impact of freight delays to power stations and supermarkets, and on passengers who miss appointments or have their day ruined even higher.This Government recognises the distress and disruption that such theft can cause to critical infrastructure.The Government will continue to support the extensive work undertaken by the British Transport Police, in partnership with organisations such as Network Rail, to further improve the response to metal theft by disrupting those involved in this type of crime.

Media and Sport, what steps she is taking with local authorities to help maintain community libraries in Lincolnshire.

Public libraries are funded by local authorities and each local authority is responsible for assessing the needs of their local communities and designing a library service to meet those needs within available resources.I understand that Lincolnshire County Council has a network of 49 static libraries of which 15 are in the statutory service, while the remaining 34 are community run and outside the statutory service. The statutory libraries are operated, on behalf of the Council, by Greenwich Leisure Limited. GLL also provides professional support and advice to the community run libraries, who also have access to the Lincolnshire wide catalogue and stock services.The government is committed to getting local government back on its feet. The final Local Government Finance Settlement for 2025-26 makes available over £69 billion for local government, which is a 6.8% cash terms increase on 2024-25.

How the overseas aid budget has been spent in the context of housing for asylum seekers in the UK in each of the last three years.

In-donor refugee costs are published each year in the Statistics on International Development (SIDs). 2024 figures will be published in the Spring 2025 provisional SIDs publication.

How many dentists have been recruited through the dental recruitment incentive scheme in Lincolnshire.

The application process for the dental recruitment incentive scheme is in progress and remains open until the end of March 2025. The Lincolnshire Integrated Care Board continues to work with dental practices whose applications for funding have been successful and has provided funding locally for seven posts in addition to the four places available through the incentive scheme. This recruitment incentive will see up to 240 dentists across England receiving payments of £20,000 to work in those areas that need them most for three years.

How many hedgehog crossing signs have been installed on roads in England in the last three years.

The Department authorised the use of the small wild animal sign in December 2023, giving local authorities permission to place the sign without reference to the Department. Prior to this none of these signs had been authorised. The Department does not hold information on how many signs are installed by local authorities.There are no plans to encourage local authorities to install these signs, it is entirely a matter for local authorities to decide upon.

What the cost to the public purse was of expenditure by Ofgem on consulting services in each of the last three years.

Ofgem is an independent regulator and while DESNZ works closely Ofgem, it is directly accountable to Parliament for its performance.Ofgem’s expenditure on other consultancy services for the past three years was:• 2023-24: £18.8m• 2022-23: £29.6m• 2021-22: £23.4mOfgem attempts to minimise its reliance on external support by running targeted recruitment for the skills required to deliver its functions. Information on Ofgem’s expenditure is available in its annual reports (https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/about-us/ofgem-annual-reports).

Whether she has made an estimate of the number of women in Lincolnshire who have been financially impacted by the changes to increase their retirement age in line with men.

The number of people in Lincolnshire who have been financially impacted by the decision taken by the Conservative Government in the 1990’s to equalise men and women’s State Pension age has not been estimated.