Written questions by Milne.

Communities and Local Government, whether her Department has produced an Impact Assessment on the removal of funding to Neighbourhood Planning Support services.

Following the Spending Review, my Department announced that it is unable to commission new neighbourhood planning support services for 2025 onwards.Technical support which has already been awarded will continue to be provided but must be completed before the end of March 2026.The government remains of the view that neighbourhood plans can play an important role in the planning system. Communities can continue to prepare neighbourhood plans where they consider that doing so is in their best interests. This can include designating Local Green Spaces where this is appropriate. Where a made neighbourhood plan contains a green space designation this will continue to have effect.As of the end of March 2025, the government was aware of over 1,800 neighbourhood plans being in place. We do not hold information on the specific policies, such as green space designations, included in neighbourhood plans.

Communities and Local Government, how many Neighbourhood Plans are in place in England.

Following the Spending Review, my Department announced that it is unable to commission new neighbourhood planning support services for 2025 onwards.Technical support which has already been awarded will continue to be provided but must be completed before the end of March 2026.The government remains of the view that neighbourhood plans can play an important role in the planning system. Communities can continue to prepare neighbourhood plans where they consider that doing so is in their best interests. This can include designating Local Green Spaces where this is appropriate. Where a made neighbourhood plan contains a green space designation this will continue to have effect.As of the end of March 2025, the government was aware of over 1,800 neighbourhood plans being in place. We do not hold information on the specific policies, such as green space designations, included in neighbourhood plans.

What plans her Department has to cover costs to schools for Sports and PE funding between July 2025 and October 2025.

The physical education (PE) and sport premium helps all eligible primary schools to make additional and sustainable improvements to the PE, sport and physical activity they provide. Schools can decide how to use it, in line with the conditions of the grant. It does not fund specific provision.The government has provided £320 million of funding for the primary PE and sport premium in this academic year and has recently committed to continuing this level of funding for the 2025/26 academic year. As in previous years, the funding will be provided in two payments, in the autumn and spring terms.

What discussions he has had with NICE on ensuring that the Single Technology Appraisal process takes into account the health-related quality-of-life impacts on carers for (a) all and (b) rare disease therapies.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s (NICE) technology appraisal process allows its independent committees to take all health-related costs and benefits, including health-related quality-of-life for carers, and impacts on personal social services, into account. The NICE’s methods are set out in its published health technology evaluations manual, which is available at the following link: https://www.nice.org.uk/process/pmg36 Evaluations should consider all health effects for patients, and, when relevant, carers. When presenting health effects for carers, evidence should show when a condition is associated with a substantial effect on a carer’s health-related quality of life, and how the technology affects carers. This applies for all therapies, including therapies for rare diseases. NICE appraisals specifically consider health-related quality of life, for both patients and carers, rather than quality of life as a whole.

What discussions he has had with steps NICE on ensuring greater (a) clarity and (b) transparency in relation to how carer quality of life is considered within its medicines appraisal framework.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s (NICE) technology appraisal process allows its independent committees to take all health-related costs and benefits, including health-related quality-of-life for carers, and impacts on personal social services, into account. The NICE’s methods are set out in its published health technology evaluations manual, which is available at the following link: https://www.nice.org.uk/process/pmg36 Evaluations should consider all health effects for patients, and, when relevant, carers. When presenting health effects for carers, evidence should show when a condition is associated with a substantial effect on a carer’s health-related quality of life, and how the technology affects carers. This applies for all therapies, including therapies for rare diseases. NICE appraisals specifically consider health-related quality of life, for both patients and carers, rather than quality of life as a whole.

What steps NHS England is taking to ensure that NHS Trusts are able to deliver emerging treatments for Duchenne muscular dystrophy when they are needed by patients.

The Department understands the impact that Duchenne muscular dystrophy has on those living with it and their families, and the urgent need for new treatment options. If new therapies for Duchenne muscular dystrophy are approved by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), then appropriate commissioning plans will be put in place to enable equitable access to treatment through Specialised Neurology Services.The delivery of timely and equitable access to new treatments for Duchenne muscular dystrophy under company-sponsored early access schemes is not the responsibility of NHS England. Individual pharmaceutical companies may put in place Early Access Programmes (EAPs) to allow early access to new medicines that do not yet have a marketing authorisation. Participation in EAPs is decided at an individual National Health Service trust level, and under these programmes, the cost of the drug is free to both patients taking part in it, and to the National Health Service, although NHS trusts must still cover administration costs and provide clinical resources to deliver the EAP.There are no common clinical, data, or regulatory standards for company-sponsored EAPs, meaning each one demands a new protocol to be devised and delivered by each participating trust, which can create significant pressures on clinical and financial resources. Companies providing a sponsored EAP also reserve the right to limit or to close registration of new patients at any time, meaning that any financial and clinical investment made by trusts to establish an EAP could be undermined by a commercial decision that would most likely happen in the event of the treatment not being recommended following an appraisal by NICE.NHS England has published guidance for integrated care systems (ICS) on free of charge (FoC) medicine schemes, including EAPs, providing advice on potential financial, resourcing, and clinical risks.ICSs should use the guidance to help determine whether to implement any FoC scheme, including assessing suitability and any risks in the short, medium, and long term. The guidance is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/free-of-charge-foc-medicines-schemes-national-policy-recommendations-for-local-systems/

What steps his Department is taking to increase early diagnosis of invasive lobular carcinoma.

The Department is committed to getting the National Health Service diagnosing cancer earlier and treating it faster so that more patients, including those with lobular carcinoma, survive this horrible set of diseases. To achieve this, the NHS has delivered an extra 40,000 operations, scans, and appointments each week as the first step to ensuring early diagnosis and faster treatment.There are multiple NHS initiatives and funding streams across the NHS in England that support the early detection of breast cancer, and many organisations across the health service are involved.The Department spends £1.6 billion each year on research through its research delivery arm, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), with cancer as the largest area of spend at more than £133 million in 2023/24. The NIHR spends more on cancer than any other disease group, reflecting its high priority. These investments in cancer, including lobular breast cancer, are pivotal to informing efforts to improve cancer prevention, treatment, and outcomes.The forthcoming National Cancer Plan will include further details on improving outcomes for cancer patients, including those with invasive lobular carcinoma, and will highlight how the Department will support the NHS to improve diagnosis rates for people in all parts of England.

Pursuant to the Answer of 15 May 2025 to Question 904123 Gatwick Airport: Carbon Emissions, if she will list the organisations from which she has received carbon emissions projection data relating to Gatwick's proposed expansion.

As this is live planning application that is yet to be decided, unfortunately I cannot comment in detail at this time. However, all information provided to the Secretary of State by the applicant, the Examining Authority, and any parties who chose to make written representations is available on the Planning Inspectorate website. This will include information on carbon emissions.

If she will make an estimate of the potential impact of changes to (a) PIP entitlement rules, (b) the Universal Credit health element, (c) Universal Credit standard allowance and (d) all three measures on the number of (i) people and (ii) children who will be in relative poverty after housing costs in 2029-30, using baselines in which the Autumn Statement 2023 Work Capability Assessment descriptor reforms are assumed to have (A) been implemented and (B) not been implemented.

An assessment of the potential impact of the planned changes to health and disability benefits is available here: Spring Statement 2025 health and disability benefit reforms – Impacts. This includes breakdowns for each change separately on levels of poverty. It also includes estimated impacts regarding the changes to the Work Capability Assessment descriptors proposed at Autumn Statement 2023, but which were subsequently reversed.

If she will make an estimate she of the potential impact of changes to (a) PIP entitlement rules, (b) the Universal Credit health element and (c) the Universal Credit standard allowance and (d) all three measures on the number of (i) families, (ii) people and (iii) children who are (A) in and (B) not in relative poverty after housing costs pre-measures in 2029-30, using baselines in which the Autumn Statement 2023 Work Capability Assessment descriptor reforms are assumed to have (1) been implemented and (2) not been implemented.

An assessment of the potential impact of the planned changes to health and disability benefits is available here: Spring Statement 2025 health and disability benefit reforms – Impacts. This includes breakdowns for each change separately on levels of poverty. It also includes estimated impacts regarding the changes to the Work Capability Assessment descriptors proposed at Autumn Statement 2023, but which were subsequently reversed.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of expanding Gatwick Airport on carbon emissions.

This Government has been clear that airport expansion proposals need to demonstrate they can be delivered in line with the UK’s climate change commitments. Having received further information from Gatwick, the Secretary of State hopes to make a final decision in due course.

Whether (a) he and (b) the Minister for Public Health and Prevention will attend the Lobular Moon Shot Project's drop in on Tuesday 6 May 2025 to discuss research into lobular breast cancer.

Due to diary pressures, neither myself nor my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care will be attending the Lobular Moon Shot Project’s drop in event on 6 May 2025. However, the Department will continue to fund research into lobular breast cancer through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health and care, including lobular breast cancer. These applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money, and scientific quality. Welcoming applications on lobular breast cancers to all NIHR programmes enables maximum flexibility both in terms of the amount of research funding a particular area can be awarded, and the type of research which can be funded.

Whether his Department plans to issue new guidance on the provision of advanced community eye care services in (a) Horsham and (b) England.

Integrated care boards are responsible for commissioning primary and secondary eye care services in their areas to meet patient needs, and this includes services to meet the needs of patients with glaucoma.The Department worked with the eye care sector to develop a standard clinical specification for the commissioning of Community Minor and Urgent Eye Care Services, and this was published in February 2024. The specification is available at the following link:https://locsu.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/1.-CUES-Service-specification-vs-1.43-Feb-2024.pdf

What steps he is taking to ensure that glaucoma monitoring services are available to patients in (a) Horsham and (b) England.

Integrated care boards are responsible for commissioning primary and secondary eye care services in their areas to meet patient needs, and this includes services to meet the needs of patients with glaucoma.The Department worked with the eye care sector to develop a standard clinical specification for the commissioning of Community Minor and Urgent Eye Care Services, and this was published in February 2024. The specification is available at the following link:https://locsu.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/1.-CUES-Service-specification-vs-1.43-Feb-2024.pdf

If she will make an assessment of the potential impact of amending the filtering criteria for DBS checks to automatically exclude sentences of 12 months or under on levels of employment of people with criminal records.

The criminal records regime seeks to strike a balance between providing employers with the information they need to make safer recruitment decisions and enabling ex-offenders to rebuild their lives.We are carefully reviewing the evidence in this area before we consider whether adjustments to the regime are necessary or desirable.In the meantime, we are working hard to support employment of prison leavers. In January, we launched regional Employment Councils, which for the first time bring businesses together with prisons, probation and the Department for Work and Pensions to support offenders into jobs.

Pursuant to the Answer of 7 April 2025 to Question 43737, if she will share the minutes of those meetings with the hon. Member for Horsham and the Child Trust Fund campaign.

Engagement with The Investment and Savings Alliance (TISA) was via an exchange of emails so there are no meeting minutes. The exchanges sought any feedback provided to Child Trust Fund providers by parents or carers about: (i) signposting by TISA to the parent and carers toolkit published by the Ministry of Justice in 2023; and (ii) the additional information sent by providers to account holders since February 2024 with the mandatory account statement at age 16. This provides information about mental capacity and the possible need for a parent or carer to make an application to the Court of Protection. No data was available.An informal meeting took place with UK Finance in April 2025 to explore whether any data was available in relation to Child Trust Fund withdrawals and the process used. No formal minutes were produced but the note taken by officials records that no data was available.

If the Minister of State for Courts and Justice will meet with the hon. Member for Horsham to discuss the Child Trust Fund campaign.

As he acknowledged in his letter to me dated 02 March 2025, the Hon. Member for Horsham is aware that I am happy to meet with him regarding locked Child Trust Funds.My office will be in touch to agree a mutually convenient date.

Which organisations within the financial industry her Department has consulted with on locked Child Trust Funds since January 2025.

The Department continues to engage with financial organisations on the issue of Child Trust Funds where the account holder lacks mental capacity to access their account and legal authority is required to enable a parent or carer to access the funds on their behalf.Since January 2025, the Department has engaged with The Investment and Savings Alliance (TISA) and UK Finance. The Department has also engaged with a range of stakeholders with interest including One Family and others.

Innovation and Technology, if he will make £20 million available each year to fund research into alternatives for animal testing.

The Labour Manifesto includes a commitment to “partner with scientists, industry, and civil society as we work towards the phasing out of animal testing”, which is a long-term goal. The Government will publish a strategy to support the development, validation and uptake of alternative methods later this year. Any future funding allocations are subject to the outcome of the Spending Review.

Whether her Department plans to introduce a substantial risk element into the PIP assessment process.

In our Green Paper, Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working, we announced our plans to scrap the Work Capability Assessment and use the single Personal Independence Payment assessment to assess entitlement for the Universal Credit health element. We are considering how change of this kind could affect individuals who currently meet limited capability for work and work-related activity criteria due to non-functional special circumstances; including those currently classed as having substantial risk. We also announced plans to launch a process to review the PIP assessment. We will bring together a range of experts, stakeholders and people with lived experience to consider how best to do this and to start the process as part of preparing for a review. Any changes to the PIP assessment will need to work alongside the reforms set out in the Green Paper.