Written questions by Campbell.

What assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of transport infrastructure in the rural parts of the Broxtowe constituency.

This Government is committed to restoring pride and trust in a transport system that works – day in, day out – for the people who rely on it. That is why we have allocated very substantial funding to the East Midlands Combined County Authority, to enable it to make the best decisions about how to maintain and improve its local transport network, including in Broxtowe. This funding includes over £2 billion until 2031/32 from the Transport for City Regions settlements, as well as £75 million in 2025/26 for local highway maintenance and £40 million in 2025/26 in Local Authority Bus Grant.

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of extending the length of time a driving theory test is valid for to tackle the backlog for practical tests.

The maximum duration of two years between passing the theory test and a subsequent practical test is in place to ensure a customer’s road safety knowledge and ability to identify developing hazards is current. This validity period is set in legislation, and the Government has no current plans to lay further legislation to extend it. It is important road safety knowledge and hazard perception skills are up to date at the critical point a person drives unsupervised for the first time.

If her Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of extending the eligibility of the long course loan to (a) estranged and (b) care experienced students.

Full-time undergraduate students who are estranged from their parents or who are care leavers qualify for a long courses loan in the same way as other full-time undergraduate students.Full-time students who attend their courses for more than 30 weeks and three days in an academic year qualify for additional means-tested long courses loan to help them with their living costs. This is paid for each week or part-week from 30 weeks and three days up to 45 weeks’ attendance. Students attending their courses for 45 weeks or more in any 52 week period are paid as if they are studying for the full 52 weeks, meaning that they qualify for 22 weeks additional living costs support. The weekly rates of long courses loan vary depending on where a student is living and studying during an academic year.The government has increased maximum loans for living costs, including long courses loans, by forecast inflation (3.1%), for the 2025/26 academic year.

What progress her Department has made on the full electrification of the Midland Main Line; and whether her Department has a planned timetable for its completion.

Electrification of the Midland Main Line (MML) between Kettering and Wigston is now complete and enhancements south of Bedford, are due to complete in August. Following the Spending Review, we will now be working to confirm our wider portfolio of rail enhancements, including the MML, which will be published as part of the government’s commitment to set out its overall infrastructure pipeline in the coming weeks.

What the GP-to-patient ratio was in (a) Broxtowe constituency, (b) Nottinghamshire, (c) the East Midlands and (d) England in (i) 2010 and (ii) 2024.

As of December 2024, the number of full time equivalent doctors in general practice (GP) per 10,000 registered patients was: - 6.9 in the Broxtowe constituency;- 6.5 in Nottinghamshire;- 5.9 in the East Midlands; and- 5.6 in England. Data from before September 2015 is not comparable. Each GP is required to provide services to meet the reasonable needs of their patients. There is no NHS England recommendation for how many patients a GP should have assigned, or the ratio of GPs or other practice staff to patients. The demands each patient places on their GP are different and can be affected by many different factors, including rurality and patient demographics. It is necessary to consider the workforce for each practice as a whole, not only GPs but also the range of health professionals available who are able to respond to the needs of their patients.

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of establishing a distinct British identity status for children born to holders of British National (Overseas) visas.

Children who came to the UK with parents who are British National (Overseas) visa holders may apply for settlement after 5 years’ qualifying residence, followed by citizenship after a further twelve months.Children born in the UK to a BN(O) visa holder will be able to apply for British citizenship immediately once the parent becomes settled in the UK. Children born in the UK to BN(O)s who have already become settled will become British citizens automatically. BN(O)s also have an entitlement to register as British citizens if they meet the requirements. This is a simpler process for becoming a citizen than naturalisation.

How many NHS dentists were employed in (a) Broxtowe constituency, (b) Nottinghamshire and (c) the East Midlands in (i) 2010 and (ii) 2024.

The following table shows how many National Health Service dentists were employed in 2011/12 and 2023/24 in the Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Integrated Care Board (ICB), which includes the Broxtowe constituency, as well as regional figures for the Midlands:YearNumber of dentists employed in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire ICBNumber of dentists employed in the Midlands2011/124484,0162023/245784,454Notes:we do not hold data on how many NHS dentists are employed at constituency level as well as the East Midlands region; andwe have given 2011/12 data as we do not hold data for 2010/11.

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of simplifying the registration process for British National (Overseas) visa holders to register as British citizens.

Children who came to the UK with parents who are British National (Overseas) visa holders may apply for settlement after 5 years’ qualifying residence, followed by citizenship after a further twelve months.Children born in the UK to a BN(O) visa holder will be able to apply for British citizenship immediately once the parent becomes settled in the UK. Children born in the UK to BN(O)s who have already become settled will become British citizens automatically. BN(O)s also have an entitlement to register as British citizens if they meet the requirements. This is a simpler process for becoming a citizen than naturalisation.

Communities and Local Government, whether her Department is taking steps to simplify the planning permission process for pubs.

The National Planning Policy Framework is clear that planning policies and decisions should plan positively for the provision and use of community facilities, such as pubs. On 28 May 2025, the government published the Planning Reform Working Paper: Reforming Site Thresholds (which can be found on gov.uk here) which seeks views on taking a gradated approach to the system as a whole – removing and streamlining disproportionate requirements on small and medium sites, while maintaining and strengthening requirements on major development.

What steps his Department is taking to reduce incidents of stillbirths amongst black and Asian families.

The Government recognises that losing a baby or pregnancy loss is extremely difficult for parents and families. We are determined to make sure all women and babies receive safe, personalised, and compassionate care, regardless of their background, location, or ethnicity. While the vast majority of births in England are safe, the stark inequalities in maternity outcomes demonstrate that there are deep-seated issues across maternity and neonatal services.To address these and other issues within maternity and neonatal care, a rapid independent investigation into National Health Service maternity and neonatal services is being launched. This will look at the systemic issues behind why so many women, babies, and families experience unacceptable care, taking into account findings from previous maternity reviews.This includes the Maternity Outcome Signalling System, a new system that will monitor the rates of term stillbirth, neonatal death, and brain injury. It will immediately flag unusually high rates to prompt a rapid review of any safety concerns. We have already made progress in this area, for example through the Saving Babies Lives Care Bundle, which provides maternity units with detailed guidance to reduce stillbirths, neonatal brain injury, neonatal deaths, and preterm births.

What steps her Department is taking to support estranged and care-experienced students in higher education.

The department is committed to ensuring that care experienced and estranged people can access, participate and achieve in higher education (HE).All looked-after children must have a personal education plan, which should set out the support needed to help realise their short and long-term academic outcomes. To ensure they have a greater chance of achieving the prior attainment needed to access HE, the government provides £14 million per year of additional funding to support looked-after children up to the age of 19. This is administered by virtual school heads and can be used on attainment raising activity such as tuition, mentoring or careers advice and other activities based on the individual needs of each looked-after child.In addition to a statutory £2,000 Care Leavers in HE bursary, all HE providers registered with the Office for Students (OfS) that intend to charge higher level tuition fees must have an Access and Participation Plan (APPs) approved by the OfS. These plans articulate how providers will improve equality of opportunity for underrepresented groups. Care experienced and estranged students are classed as ‘at risk’ groups in the Equality of Opportunity Risk Register and providers should take account of inequalities they may experience when developing their APPs.

What progress his Department has made on the review of the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan; and whether his Department has a planned timetable for publication.

The new workforce plan, to be published later this year, will be influenced by the 10-Year Health Plan and the Spending Review.

What steps his Department is taking to support parents looking after ill children (a) in the long-term and (b) immediately after diagnosis.

We are committed to supporting people with long term conditions and to ensuring that they receive the support they need, including referral to specialist services as appropriate. We want a society where every person, including those with a long-term condition, and their families and carers, receive high-quality, compassionate continuity of care.The Department is taking a range of practical steps to support parents caring for ill children. Immediately after diagnosis and in the longer term, parents may be eligible for travel cost support through the NHS Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme. In cases where a child has complex health needs, they can be assessed under the Children’s Continuing Care framework to determine appropriate ongoing support. Wider work is underway, such as the development of initiatives to support parents in hospital settings. Counselling and mental health support are typically provided through local services, and peer support is often offered by voluntary organisations.As per Section 97 (3b) of the Children’s and Families Act 2014, parent carers have the right to request an assessment of their need for support from the local authority. Having been assessed, Section 17 (10b) of the Children’s Acts 1989 makes provision for a child whose physical or mental health is impaired, as well as his or her family, to receive the appropriate support services from the local authority.

What steps his Department plans to take to ensure workforce planning aligns with the availability of trained candidates.

We are committed to training the staff we need to ensure that patients are cared for by the right professional, when and where they need it.We will publish a 10-Year Health Plan to reform the National Health Service. The plan will set out a bold agenda to deliver on the three big shifts needed to move healthcare from hospital to the community, from analogue to digital, and from sickness to prevention. Ensuring we have the right people, in the right places, with the right skills will be central to this vision. Later this year, we will publish a refreshed workforce plan to deliver the transformed health service we will build over the next decade, and treat patients on time again.

What steps his Department is taking to provide final year medical students assigned placeholder jobs with clarity on where they will begin working as doctors in August 2025.

We are aware that there is a delay in NHS England allocating some foundation year one doctors their programme details and work schedules. We have asked NHS England to urgently tackle this issue. We know there is more to do and NHS England is working to ensure that all posts are confirmed as soon as possible, while keeping applicants informed throughout the process, including through webinars. NHS England is due to review the foundation programme allocation process to make sure it works well for applicants. The review is scheduled for after the 2025/26 allocations and is aiming to commence in 2026. NHS England will advise stakeholders on how they can input in due course.

How many GP practices (a) opened and (b) closed in (i) Broxtowe constituency, (ii) Nottinghamshire, (iii) the East Midlands and (iv) England between May 2010 and June 2024.

The table attached shows the number of general practices which have opened and closed between January 2014 and May 2024 in the Broxtowe constituency, Nottinghamshire, the East Midlands, and England. This is as far back as the data goes, up to the most recently published data.This analysis only considers head practices and ignores branch practices. If a practice ceases to be a main practice and becomes a branch practice of another, this will count as a “closure” in this data, while in reality general practice provision at the site may well have continued under the new head practice. Practices close for a variety of reasons, including mergers or retirement, and so this data does not necessarily indicate a reduction in the quality of care. When a practice does close, patients are informed of the closure and advised to register at another local practice of their choice within their area.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of current EPC rating assessment criteria on landlords' ability to meet those criteria.

The Government is reforming Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs), including the current EPC rating assessment criteria and the methodology that underpins this, with new and amended metrics due to be introduced for domestic buildings under the Home Energy Model (HEM). More information, including the consultation stage impact assessment, can be found in the consultation ‘Reforms to the Energy Performance of Buildings regime’ on gov.uk.

What steps her Department is taking to support parents looking after ill children (i) in the long-term and (ii) immediately after diagnosis.

This government is committed to properly supporting pupils with medical conditions, and their parents, at home and school. As per Section 97 (3b) of the Children’s and Families Act 2014, parent carers have the right to request an assessment of their need for support from the local authority. Having been assessed, Section 17 (10b) of the Children’s Acts 1989 makes provision for a child whose physical or mental health is impaired, as well as his or her family, to receive the appropriate support services from the local authority.

What steps his Department is taking to support people with Multiple Sclerosis.

Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for commissioning services for their local population, including for multiple sclerosis (MS). The Government expects ICBs to assess the demand for service provision when designing their local services. There are initiatives to support better care for patients with neurological conditions like MS, across England. These include the Getting It Right First Time Programme for Neurology, which aims to improve MS care by supporting the National Health Service to address variations in care and by promoting best practice. The Progressive Neurological Conditions Toolkit, published by NHS England’s RightCare Programme, supports healthcare systems in improving the care of individuals living with progressive neurological conditions, including MS. It aims to enhance local services and reduce hospital admissions by focusing on preventative care and by optimising the delivery of services. NHS England’s Neurology Transformation Programme (NTP) is a multi-year programme to develop a new model of integrated care for neurology services. The NTP has collaborated with clinicians and patient groups to create specific pathways for MS, aiming to improve the quality and coordination of care. NHS England is also updating its Specialised Neurology service specification, which includes MS. Service specifications define the standards of care expected from organisations funded by NHS England to provide specialised care. Our 10-Year Health Plan will set out a bold agenda to deliver on the three big shifts needed, to move healthcare from the hospital to the community, from analogue to digital, and from treatment to prevention. We also plan to publish our refreshed Long Term Workforce Plan to deliver a transformed health service over the next decade and to treat patients wherever they live in England, including those with MS, on time again.

What plans the Government has to tackle the illegal use of e-bikes.

Only e-bikes that comply in full with the requirements of the Electrically Assisted Pedal Cycle Regulations 1983 can be legally used on public roads. This is the case regardless of whether the e-bike has been modified.Where an e-bike does not comply with these Regulations, it counts as an e-moped or motorbike and must therefore be registered, taxed and insured. The rider must wear a safety helmet and hold the appropriate driving licence. Enforcement is a matter for the police.