Written questions by Osborne.

Media and Sport, with reference to Q33 of the oral evidence she gave to the Culture, Media and Sport Committee on 10 December 2024, HC 330, what assessment she has made of the (a) demand for women's and girl's football facilities and (b) the funding required for that provision over the next five years.

The Government is dedicated to supporting every aspect of women’s sport and ensuring all women and girls, no matter their background, have access to high quality sport. High-quality, inclusive facilities help clubs to get more people active and by backing these clubs, the Government will support more women and girls to get onto the pitch wherever they live.We are pleased to see the significant progress in the number of women and girls taking up football in recent years, and wider developments in the women’s game. In 2023, Karen Carney OBE published a major Independent Review of Women’s Football which made a series of recommendations including supporting grassroots women and girls’ football. This Government fully endorses those recommendations and looks forward to ensuring tangible progress is made.The Government continues to support grassroots facilities, including through the Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities programme, which provides funding to build and improve grassroots facilities, and a commitment to support the Football Association’s ambition to double their number of gold-standard (3-star) community clubs by EURO 2028. This will deliver more opportunities for women and girls to get on the pitch.£123 million of funding is being delivered through the Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities Programme in 2024/25. Following the Autumn Budget on 30 October 2024, the Government confirmed its continued support for elite and grassroots sport through future investment, of which further details will be confirmed in due course.We are also working with the Football Foundation to embed the learnings of the Lionesses Futures Fund as standard criteria for all their major capital projects, meaning more women and girls benefit from our investment. This includes guaranteeing a share of priority slots to women’s and girls’ teams and setting up a new small grants programme specifically targeted at creating female-friendly facilities off the pitch.The Football Foundation plans their investment pipeline based on Local Football Facility Plans (LFFPs) which have been developed in partnership with local authorities and are in the process of being refreshed to reflect the increase in demand for women and girls’ grassroots facilities.The Football Association is a long-term partner of Sport England, and have received over £26 million of funding from them for the period 2022-27 for grassroots football projects.

Media and Sport, if she will make it her policy to ensure the continuation of the Lionesses Future Fund.

The Government is committed to supporting women’s sport and ensuring all women and girls, no matter their background, have access to high quality sport, including football.The department is working with the Football Foundation to embed standard criteria to ensure access for women and girls for all their major capital projects, meaning more women and girls benefit from our investment. At the Autumn Budget, the Government confirmed our continued support for elite and grassroots sport by investing in multi-use facilities. Further details will be confirmed in due course.

If she will take steps to identify all people impacted by the collapse of McClure solicitors.

The legal profession in England and Wales operates independently of government. The responsibility for regulating the sector sits with the approved regulators, overseen by the Legal Services Board. It would therefore not be appropriate for the Ministry of Justice to hold or seek to hold the information on people impacted by the collapse of McClure solicitors. Given the seriousness of the issue raised, my officials have spoken to the Solicitors Regulation Authority, who has confirmed that it is carrying out an investigation into the former partners of WW& J McClure. There are several routes in place to ensure consumers have access to support in the event of the collapse of their solicitor’s law firm. The Legal Ombudsman deals with service complaints against regulated legal services providers – including those who are no longer operational. Their website provides information with regards to the different routes available for consumers depending on their personal circumstances: Complaining about closed service providers | Legal Ombudsman.

What steps her Department is taking to increase uptake of free school meals among eligible children in areas with high levels of (a) child obesity and (b) household food insecurity.

There are currently around 2.1 million pupils eligible for and claiming free school meals (FSM). The department recognises the vital role played by FSM in supporting disadvantaged children and families and encourages all those who are eligible to take up ...

What role the voluntary sector will play in the new HIV Action Plan; and what steps he will take to support that role.

HIV is a priority for the Government, and we have commissioned a new HIV Action Plan to end new HIV transmissions within England by 2030. Integration of services and strengthening the delivery of HIV prevention and care will be key objectives of the plan,...

What steps his Department is taking to reduce levels of obesity in (a) Jarrow and Gateshead East constituency and (b) other constituencies with high rates of obesity; and if he will take steps to s

Local authorities and the National Health Service provide weight management services to support their communities to achieve and maintain a healthier weight. These range from behavioural weight management programmes, to specialist services for those livin...

If he will make an assessment of the potential merits of providing additional funding for community-based health initiatives in (a) Jarrow and Gateshead East constituency and (b) other constituenci

Local authorities and the National Health Service provide weight management services to support their communities to achieve and maintain a healthier weight. These range from behavioural weight management programmes, to specialist services for those livin...

If he will take steps to integrate HIV (a) prevention and (b) care into the broader health system.

HIV is a priority for the Government, and we have commissioned a new HIV Action Plan to end new HIV transmissions within England by 2030. Integration of services and strengthening the delivery of HIV prevention and care will be key objectives of the plan,...

If he will ensure that the new HIV Action Plan includes culturally competent interventions.

HIV is a priority for the Government, and we have commissioned a new HIV Action Plan to end new HIV transmissions within England by 2030. Integration of services and strengthening the delivery of HIV prevention and care will be key objectives of the plan,...

If he will provide (a) funding and (b) resources to support a year-round online (i) HIV and (ii) STI postal testing service.

Scaling up HIV testing for all population groups will be a key objective of the new HIV Action Plan, which is due to be published in summer 2025. We are currently working together with the UK Health Security Agency, NHS England, and other key stakeholders...

If he will take steps to (a) measure and (b) ensure improvements in the quality of life of people living with HIV.

The UK Health and Security Agency (UKHSA) provides key surveillance and data for HIV, including annual official HIV statistics and reports. Their recently published HIV Action Plan Monitoring and Evaluation Framework 2024 report provides key indicators of...

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the implications for his policies of reports that the CUT trade union federation’s (a) regional secretary and (b) treasurer in Valle del Cauc

We look to the Colombian authorities to investigate fully the threats against all citizens, including trade unionists, and to take appropriate action against those responsible. Through the Integrated Security Fund (ISF), the UK has historically supported ...

What steps his Department is taking to stop young sudden cardiac deaths; and if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of (a) increasing the availability of ECG testing for young people

The UK National Screening Committee does not recommend offering screening for sudden cardiac death (SCD) in people under the age of 39 years old. Research showed that current tests are not accurate enough to use in young people without symptoms. Individua...

Whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of changes to Royal Mail’s universal service obligation on magazine publishers.

Ofcom, as the independent regulator of postal services, is responsible for ensuring the provision of a financially sustainable and efficient universal postal service that meets users’ needs. Ofcom’s statement of 5 September set out potential reforms to th...

Whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of Royal Mail’s proposed stamp price increases on magazine publishers.

The Government does not have a role in Royal Mail’s commercial decisions, including the prices of stamps and other services. In setting its prices, Royal Mail must observe the regulatory framework set by Ofcom which imposes price controls, ‘safeguard caps...

If he will ensure that second-class Saturday deliveries remain part of the Universal Service Obligation for Royal Mail.

Ofcom, as the independent regulator of postal services, is responsible for ensuring the provision of a financially sustainable and efficient universal postal service that meets users’ needs. Ofcom’s statement of 5 September set out potential reforms to th...

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will have discussions with Unitaid on (a) licensing arrangements for lenacapavir and (b) potential steps to ensure the affordability of that treatment in (i) lower-inco

The FCDO welcomes the extraordinary clinical trial results for lenacapavir, representing a significant breakthrough in HIV prevention and, potentially, treatment.The UK is a long-standing supporter of market-shaping initiatives in low- and middle-income c...

Media and Sport, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of a voluntary grassroots contribution on arena and festival tickets to support the grassroots music sector.

The Government will respond to the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee’s report on grassroots music venues in the coming weeks, including its recommendations on a ticket levy, the agent of change principle, and a fan-led review of live and electroni...

Media and Sport, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of putting the agent of change on a statutory footing to support grassroots music venues.

The Government will respond to the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee’s report on grassroots music venues in the coming weeks, including its recommendations on a ticket levy, the agent of change principle, and a fan-led review of live and electroni...

Media and Sport, if she will institute a fan-led review of the music industry.

The Government will respond to the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee’s report on grassroots music venues in the coming weeks, including its recommendations on a ticket levy, the agent of change principle, and a fan-led review of live and electroni...