Written questions by Hayes.

What steps she has taken with relevant authorities to reduce shop lifting in (a) South Holland and the Deepings constituency and (b) Lincolnshire.

Shoplifting increased at an unacceptable level under the previous government, and we have seen more and more offenders using violence and abuse against shopworkers. We will not stand for this. Everybody has a right to feel safe on the job.To that end, this Government will end the effective immunity, introduced by the previous Government, granted to low level shoplifting of goods under £200, and introduce a new offence of assaulting a retail worker to protect the hardworking and dedicated staff that work in stores.

What steps his Department is taking to improve the dementia diagnosis rate in (a) South Holland and the Deepings constituency and (b) Lincolnshire.

The national target for dementia diagnosis is that 66.7% of the prevalent population has a diagnosis of dementia. Lincolnshire is at 67.8% because of prioritising improvements in diagnosis rates.Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (LPFT) have set up a Dementia Diagnosis Rate (DDR) working group established with action plan to drive forward DDR recovery. This includes improving LPFT data and using the Population Health Management tool to identify any discrepancies with practice dementia registers.To support recovery of the dementia diagnosis rates and implementation of the Dementia Care Pathway, NHS England has developed a dashboard for management information purposes. The aim is to support commissioners and providers of memory services with appropriate data.

If he will make an assessment of the impact of proposed pylons in the Grimsby to Walpole scheme on the Wash National Nature Reserve.

Developers of transmission projects and all nationally significant infrastructure projects in England and Wales must assess the impacts of their proposals. This includes conducting assessments of projects’ impacts on the environment and habitats through Environmental Impact Assessments and Habitats Regulations Assessments. Additionally, developers engage with statutory and non-statutory stakeholders through consultations to ensure their feedback is considered and incorporated into project proposals. All of this is considered in the project consenting process.

What the total (a) amount and (b) value was of Class A drugs coming into the UK that were seized at the borders in the last five years.

The latest transparency data showing the total amount of Class A drugs seized by Border Force across the last five years is available at the following pages:Seizures of drugs in England and Wales statistics - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)Border Force transparency data: Q1 2024 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)Border Force transparency data: Q2 2024 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). The statistics below are taken from the Q2 2024 transparency data. These cannot be combined into a single figure due to the different units of measurement, so a breakdown of each drug is provided. Class A Drugs by Year2018/192019/202020/212021/222022/232023/24TotalCocaine (KG8,886.733,757.519,475.4917,096.7215,222.726,692.5281,131.67Crack (KG)0.0334.80.060.413.426.4345.15Heroin (KG)428.462,210.621,812.281,117.22659.94327.056555.57LSD (Dose 000s)52.720.76105.8630.4129.554.68243.96MDMA (Dose 000s)1,912.111,390.221,025.98453.811,390.171,227.086,172.29Methadone (Dose 000s)N/AN/A0.181.280.20.392.05Morphine (Dose 000s)0.351.072.520.421.132.938.42Fentanyl (KG)N/AN/AN/AN/AN/A0.020.02 Border Force does not estimate, disclose, or publish the value of drugs seized.

How many registrations have been made with the Infected Blood Interim Compensation Payment Scheme in (a) Lincolnshire and (b) the East Midlands.

As of July 2024, 3,698 interim compensation payments have been paid to living infected persons and bereaved partners. This information is not made available on a regional basis. The process under which estates can apply for interim compensation payments opened on 24th October. We will provide an update on the number of applications in due course.

Food and Rural Affairs, how many trees were planted in (a) South Holland district and (b) South Kesteven district in the last ten years.

The Forestry Commission publishes statistics on new planting of woodland, and trees outside woodland, in England. These can be found in Forestry Commission Key Performance Indicators . These statistics are reported for each financial year in thousands of hectares. This Government has not set specific targets for individual districts and the reporting statistic the hon. Member has requested is not currently available. The England Trees Action Plan has kickstarted tree planting, with nearly 16 million trees planted over the past 3 years. We reported 5,529 hectares of new woodland and trees outside of woodland planted in 2023-24. The figures for planting in 2024-25 will be published as part of Official Statistics in June 2025.

What steps she has taken to reduce work-related injuries in the agricultural sector.

The safety and health of people at work in agriculture is a concern to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and the industry. HSE uses a blend of approaches to influence and improve the health and safety record of the industry, reduce work-related injuries and to drive up industry ownership of the challenge and influence farmer behaviour. HSE produces guidance for farmers which is freely available on its website. The guidance covers a range of topics including those that cause the most serious and fatal accidents and ill health. Between 2018 and 2024 there was an annual programme of delivering training to farmers in advance of targeted proactive inspection: they also investigate incidents and reports of risks not being managed properly, where duty holders fall below the standards required by health and safety legislation. HSE take appropriate enforcement action including prosecutions. A recent two-year HSE campaign focused on two of the main causes of fatal and serious injury in farming, namely workplace transport and cattle Work Right Agriculture – “Your Farm, Your Future”. The campaign provided guidance and direction to farmers about their legal duties. The campaign also included well-respected industry voices providing help and advice on how to control risk associated with workplace transport, vehicles, and cattle. The communications campaign reached 8.25m people in 2023/24. HSE remains committed to working with the agricultural industry and putting its resource to best use to have maximum affect in helping the farming industry to control risk and stay safe and well.

Whether (a) Ministers and (b) officials in her Department have met the Runnymede Trust charity since July 5 2024.

All relevant meetings attended by ministers, special advisers and senior officials are declared in the normal way in the department’s quarterly transparency releases.

What steps she is taking to reduce the backlog of court cases in Lincolnshire.

We have interpreted this question as in reference to the Crown Court outstanding caseload in Lincolnshire. We inherited a record and rising Crown Court backlog from the previous Government and we are committed to tackling it.We are pursuing a number of measures at a national level that will contribute to the reduction of outstanding cases in Lincolnshire.The Crown Court outstanding caseload remains one of the biggest challenges facing the Criminal Justice System. We have already shown we are committed to bearing down on the caseload and bringing waiting times down.This Government has increased the number of Crown Court sitting days to 106,500, more than in six out of the last seven years. We will soon extend magistrates’ court sentencing powers from 6 to 12 months, freeing up 2,000 days in the Crown Court to handle the most serious cases.Judges have been prioritising rape cases that have been waiting for over two years to go to trial. Despite this, there are some cases in the outstanding caseload which are taking far too long to progress through the system. We want to make sure every victim has the swift access to justice they deserve. This is why we have committed to fast-tracking rape cases through the courts, to deliver swift and effective justice to some of the most vulnerable victims in the criminal justice system, and will say more on this in due course.Alongside this, we consistently invest in the recruitment of c.1,000 judges and tribunal members across all jurisdictions annually alongside continuing to use 18 Nightingale courtrooms across eight venues to hear more cases.At Lincoln Crown Court specifically, we have expanded physical capacity of the HMCTS estate by creating a permanent fourth Crown Courtroom based in Lincoln Magistrates Court. As a result, we also plan to sit 903 sitting days this financial year at Lincoln Crown Court, this is an increase from 885 sitting days in the last financial year (FY23/24). An uplift in sitting days has taken place across East Midlands in response to growing Crown Court caseload pressures.

What steps she is taking to reduce levels of drug offences in (a) South Holland and the Deepings constituency and (b) Lincolnshire.

Reducing drug-related crime is a key priority for this Government and is part of our mission to take back our streets and drive down crime and antisocial behaviour.An additional £267 million in drug and alcohol treatment is being invested into services this year to improve quality and capacity, which has the potential to reduce crime and reoffending.As part of the Governments work to reduce drug-related harms and crime, every area in England has a dedicated Combating Drugs Partnership (CDP). In Lincolnshire, the Government has supported the establishment of a Lincolnshire Drug and Alcohol Partnership, to help bring together key local partners to address drug related-crime, drug use and drug deaths, in line with local context and need. Between March 2022 and August 2024 there has been an increase of 248 treatment places in Lincolnshire.Broader work across the county to reduce drug offences included targeting drug treatment referrals at offenders. As well as continuing work with the National Police Chiefs Council to increase police referrals into drug treatment.We are committed to reducing drug offences in supply of illicit drugs. Recent police activity on County Lines has resulted in over 5,100 line drug dealing line closures, over 15,600 arrests and over 8,000 safeguarding referrals. In addition, we are working continuously to disrupt the organised criminal gangs behind the importation and supply of drugs in the UK.

How many and what proportion of those convicted for sexual offences were not given prison sentences in the last five years.

Sentencing in individual cases is a matter for the independent judiciary.This Government was elected with a landmark mission to halve violence against women and girls within the decade. To do so, we must improve the justice system’s response to these crimes. We must relentlessly target the most prolific and harmful perpetrators; better support victims and survivors; and ensure timely and effective justice.The Ministry of Justice publishes data on convictions for a wide range of offences, including sexual offences in the period requested, via the Outcomes by Offence data tool: December 2023, which can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/criminal-justice-system-statistics-quarterly-december-2023.

What steps she is taking to reduce school absences in rural areas.

The government recognises school absence as a key barrier to learning. If children are not in school, it does not matter how effective or well-supported teaching and learning is, they will not benefit. Thanks to the sector's efforts, more students are attending school this year compared to last. However, 1.6 million children remain persistently absent, missing 10% or more of lessons. To address this, the department will roll out funded breakfast clubs to all primary schools so that all children are ready to learn. The department will also introduce new annual Ofsted reviews on safeguarding, attendance and off-rolling. Mental health support is also being expanded, with specialists in every school. The ’Working together to improve school attendance’ statutory guidance promotes a support first approach, encouraging schools, trusts and local authorities to work with families to address attendance barriers. Every state school in England should now be sharing their daily attendance registers with the department, local authorities and trusts. Schools, trusts and councils are able to access this data via an interactive secure data dashboard maintained by the department. For all schools it is vital that there are opportunities to share best practice on how to improve attendance. Across the nation there is a network of 31 attendance hubs, working with 2000 schools to share to share their strategies and resources for improving attendance.

What recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of levels of neighbourhood policing in (a) South Holland and the Deepings constituency and (b) Lincolnshire.

As part of the Government’s Safer Streets mission, the Home Secretary has made a clear commitment to strengthen neighbourhood policing through the introduction of a Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee.This includes getting thousands of neighbourhood police personnel back on the beat, ensuring local people have a named officer who they can turn to when things go wrong, and cracking down on the street crime, shop theft and anti-social behaviour which has made communities feel less safe for far too long.

Whether her Department has provided funding to the Runnymede Trust in the last ten years.

The Home Office has provided no funding to the Runnymede Trust in the last ten years.

What steps he is taking to increase the number of radiotherapy treatment machines in England.

The Government knows that cancer patients are waiting too long for a diagnosis and treatment. We will get the National Health Service diagnosing cancer on time, diagnosing it earlier, and treating it faster, so that more patients survive this horrible set of diseases, and we will improve patients’ experience across the system. As part of this, we are committed to bringing down waits for cancer appointments with a Fit for the Future fund, providing investment for the number of computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and other tests that are needed to reduce elective and cancer waiting times, thereby saving lives.The Government will continue to support the provision of radiotherapy machines, however, since April 2022 the responsibility for investing in new radiotherapy machines has been with local systems.

If he will have discussions with NHS England on improving access to radiotherapy treatments for cancer patients in rural areas.

NHS England and the integrated care boards are responsible for ensuring that the healthcare needs of local communities are met. These responsibilities include considering adequate healthcare provision, care, and wider support for local populations, including in remote and rural areas.For those who may struggle to access treatment, the NHS Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme provides financial assistance to patients in England who do not have a medical need for transport, but who require assistance with the costs of travelling to receive certain National Health Services. The NHS Non-Emergency Patient Transport Services provide funded transport where a medical condition means that a patient would struggle to safely attend their treatment independently.

Whether (a) Ministers and (b) officials have held recent discussions with National Grid on the viability of using an underground cable system instead of pylons as part of the great grid upgrade.

The Government’s policy on undergrounding is set out in the energy National Policy Statement for electricity networks (EN-5), which sets a strong starting presumption of overhead lines, except in nationally designated landscapes, where undergrounding is the starting presumption. Details of Ministers’ meetings with external individuals and organisations are published quarterly in arrears on GOV.UK

What steps she is taking to tackle county lines operations in Lincolnshire.

County lines is the most violent and exploitative model of drug distribution nationally, and a harmful form of Child Criminal Exploitation. The Government’s manifesto included a commitment to introduce a new offence of criminal exploitation of children, to go after the gangs who are luring young people into violence and crime.While the the majority of lines originate from the areas covered by the Metropolitan Police Service, West Midlands Police, Merseyside Police, and Greater Manchester Police, county lines is a national issue which is why, through the Home Office-funded County Lines Programme, we fund the National County Lines Co-ordination Centre to monitor the intelligence picture and co-ordinate the national law enforcement response.The County Lines Programme taskforces regularly conduct joint operations with other forces, and we have established a dedicated fund which provides local forces with additional funding to tackle county lines, including Lincolnshire Police.Since the County Lines Programme was launched in 2019, police activity has resulted in over 5,100 line closures, over 15,600 arrests and over 8,000 safeguarding referrals.

How many prisoners released under the early release scheme on (a) 10 September 2024 and (b) 22 October 2024 are registered as residing in (i) South Holland and the Deepings constituency and (ii) Lincolnshire.

Data on SDS40 releases forms a subset of data intended for future publication.

Whether Ministers in his Department have met representatives of the Mermaids charity since 5 July 2024.

Ministers from the Department have not met with representatives of the Mermaids charity since 5 July 2024.