Written questions by Dillon.

Innovation and Technology, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of developing an integrated digital strategy in West Berkshire.

We are committed to supporting public service productivity in all regions of the UK, and that includes helping unlock the benefits of digital transformation. The Blueprint for modern digital government launched in January sets out a six-point plan for public sector digital transformation. Government Digital Service has been engaging with local digital practitioners from across the UK, including West Berkshire specifically, as part of the local government collaboration sprint. Work across local government includes expanding GOV.UK One Login and other common components; supporting innovation and reforms in the local government technology market and enabling greater access to data through the National Data Library.

What steps she is taking to improve road safety for horses and horse riders.

In 2022 The Highway Code was updated to improve the safety of all road users, particularly the most vulnerable. Key changes included the introduction of a Hierarchy of Road Users, which ensures that those who do the greatest harm have the greatest responsibility to reduce the danger or threat that they pose to others, along with the strengthening of guidance on safe passing distances and speeds when overtaking horse riders.The Government's flagship road safety campaign, THINK!, ran campaigns to alert road users of the changes as they came into effect and broader behaviour campaigns to encourage understanding and uptake of the guidance. Results from the last campaign showed that by September 2023, 93% of drivers agreed it was their responsibility to give space to vulnerable road users. We will continue to promote The Highway Code changes on THINK! and DfT social media channels and via our partner organisations.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of inadequate infrastructure near army barracks on local communities' ability to install smart meters.

The Department is not aware of any evidence that the proximity of army barracks to a premises impacts energy suppliers’ ability to install smart meters.

What plans his Department has to increase treatment options for individuals with chronic UTIs.

NHS England’s urinary tract infection (UTI) reduction workstream was established as part of delivery of the UK 5-year action plan for antimicrobial resistance 2019 to 2024, which is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-5-year-action-plan-for-antimicrobial-resistance-2024-to-2029The workstream aims to enhance prevention, support early and accurate diagnosis and improve the treatment of UTIs through identifying and adopting best practice and interventions for different populations.The effective treatment of chronic UTIs is dependent on accurate testing. The importance of accurate testing to guide effective antibiotic use is highlighted in the action plan, and NHS England is supporting research into newer point-of-care tests for UTIs, such as via the Toucan study, with more information available at the following link:https://www.phctrials.ox.ac.uk/recruiting-trials/toucan-platform-for-uti-diagnostic-evaluationNHS England has been working with other public bodies, including UK Health Security Agency to strengthen the guidance about the appropriate use of diagnostics including dipsticks. General practitioners can request testing for chronic UTIs via several pathways, including at point-of-care, via community diagnostic centres, or via laboratories. Laboratories across England adhere to stringent quality standards, including the UK Accreditation Standard ISO 15189, and implement robust internal and external quality assurance schemes, ensuring accuracy of tests used.

Whether his Department plans to work with energy suppliers to improve energy infrastructure in the South of England to enable communities near army bases to install smart meters.

The Department is not aware of any evidence that the proximity of army barracks to a premises impacts energy suppliers’ ability to install smart meters.

What steps his Department is taking to reduce mental health treatment waiting lists in line with those for physical health treatments.

Too many people with mental health issues are not getting the support or care they need, which is why we are committed to ensuring we give mental health the same attention and focus as physical health so that people can be confident of accessing high quality mental health support when they need it.This includes recruiting 8,500 more mental health workers, introducing access to specialist mental health professionals in every school, rolling out Young Futures hubs and modernising the Mental Health Act.Despite the challenging fiscal environment, the Government has chosen to prioritise the funding to deliver expansions of NHS Talking Therapies and Individual Placement & 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 also committed £26 million in capital investment to open new mental health crisis centres, reducing pressure on busy emergency mental health and accident and emergency services and ensuring people have the support they need when they need it.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he plans to take with (a) the Environment Agency and (b) Ofwat to ensure water companies comply with the terms of their permits.

The Environment Agency's (EA) annual water company inspections have intensified, with 4,000 planned for the end of March 2025 already completed, and a further 10,000 inspections in 2025/26. The evidence they gather will inform future annual performance assessments, investment plans and proactive enforcement action. The Water Special Measure Act will enable the EA to build on its biggest ever transformation in the way it regulates the water industry, enabling them to uncover more non-compliance and ultimately drive better performance. The Act will enable them to take action faster and with more impact. Ofwat does not have a role in monitoring or enforcing individual environmental permits, that is a matter for the EA. Ofwat may have a role if a water company is breaching legal obligations that Ofwat is responsible for enforcing. Ofwat has an on-going enforcement action against wastewater companies relating to compliance with wastewater obligations that Ofwat is responsible for enforcing, details of which can be found online: Investigation into sewage treatment works and sewerage networks.

What steps his Department plans to take with community care providers to help reduce hospital discharge waiting times.

We will tackle delayed discharges by developing local partnerships between the National Health Service and social care, and making sure people get the right support to return home.Every acute hospital trust has access to a care transfer hub. These hubs bring together professionals across health, social care and other partners, including community providers, to manage discharges for people with more complex needs.We have published Neighbourhood Health Guidelines to help local health and care systems progress neighbourhood health in 2025/26. Integrated intermediate care supports hospital discharge and is a core component that we are asking systems to focus on this year. Close partnership working between adult social care, the NHS and other community partners is vital to the successful delivery of intermediate care.

Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 22 February 2025 to Question 32541 on the Chalk Stream Recovery Plan, whether any of the chalk stream projects in receipt of funding from the Government's Water Environment Improvement Fund in the 2024-25 financial year are located in the Newbury constituency.

This financial year, there are over 45 chalk stream projects receiving funding from the Government's Water Environment Improvement Fund, each leveraging private investment and delivering on our commitment to ensure clean water for the future. The River Shalbourne is a chalk stream within the Newbury constituency. In 2024/25 £80,000 of WEIF Capital funding was granted to Action for the River Kennet to deliver the River Shalbourne River and Floodplain Restoration project. This project restored a section of the river to more natural conditions by ‘remeandering’ (creating bends in the river) and reconnecting the river to the floodplain. These new wetlands will provide benefits including increased water storage, drought resilience and reduction of sediment and nutrient run-off. This work has addressed pressures which will support WFD (Water Framework Directive) element improvements (currently at Moderate WFD status).

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to support people in Newbury constituency with the cost of their water bills.

As the independent economic regulator, Ofwat independently scrutinises water company business plans and ensure the prices water companies charge their customers are fair and proportionate. Ofwat published their final determinations for Price Review 2024 on 19 December 2024, which sets company expenditure and customer bills for 2025-2030. The Government is committed to taking action to address water poverty and help vulnerable customers with their water bills. All water companies have measures in place for customers who struggle to pay for their water and wastewater services, including measures such as WaterSure, social tariffs, payment breaks and holidays, and debt management support. Furthermore, we expect companies to hold themselves accountable for their public commitment to end water poverty by 2030 and will work with the sector to ensure appropriate measures are taken to this end.

What steps she is taking to help ensure that primary schools can fund their SEND provision without reallocating funding from other budget areas.

This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life. Following the Autumn Budget 2024, the department is providing an additional £3.2 billion for mainstream schools and young people with complex SEND for the 2025/26 financial year. This means that overall school funding will total almost £64.8 billion in 2025/26. Most schools funding is not allocated and ring-fenced for specific purposes, such as for supporting pupils with SEND. Schools decide how to spend their budgets to meet their legal duties and other responsibilities, including support for their pupils with SEND. Of the increase in total schools funding, £1 billion will be for high needs budgets in England in the 2025/26 financial year, bringing total high needs funding for children and young people with complex SEND to over £12 billion. Of that total, West Berkshire Council is being allocated over £30 million through the high needs funding block of the dedicated schools grant (DSG), an increase of £1.8 million on this year’s DSG high needs block. High needs funding is allocated by local authorities to primary schools for the costs of special educational needs support in excess of £6,000 per pupil per annum.

What steps his Department is taking to support social care providers in Newbury with changes to employer National Insurance contributions.

The Government took the cost pressures facing adult social care into account as part of the wider consideration of local government spending within the Spending Review process.To enable local authorities to deliver key services such as adult social care, the Government is making up to £3.7 billion of additional funding available for social care authorities in 2025/26, which includes an £880 million increase in the Social Care Grant.The additional funding available to West Berkshire in 2025/26 means that they will see an increase to their core spending power of up to 5.7% in cash terms.Local authorities are best placed to understand and plan for the needs of their population, which is why, under the Care Act 2014, they are tasked with the duty to shape their care market to meet the diverse needs of all local people.

Whether his Department is taking steps to increase funding for social care providers; and what assessment he has made of the adequacy of social care funding levels.

The Government took the cost pressures facing adult social care into account as part of the wider consideration of local government spending within the Spending Review process.To enable local authorities to deliver key services such as adult social care, the Government is making up to £3.7 billion of additional funding available for social care authorities in 2025/26, which includes an £880 million increase in the Social Care Grant.The additional funding available to West Berkshire in 2025/26 means that they will see an increase to their core spending power of up to 5.7% in cash terms.Local authorities are best placed to understand and plan for the needs of their population, which is why, under the Care Act 2014, they are tasked with the duty to shape their care market to meet the diverse needs of all local people.

Whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of conducting a public consultation on the proposed changes to ADHD assessment procedures.

The proposed 2025/26 NHS Payment Scheme makes no changes to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder assessment procedures.

What steps his Department is taking to improve (a) support services, (b) treatment access and (c) care pathways for people diagnosed with ADHD.

It is the responsibility of the integrated care boards in England to make appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population, including assessments for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), in line with relevant National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines.We are supportive of a taskforce that NHS England has established to look at ADHD service provision and its impact on patient experience. The taskforce is bringing together expertise from across a broad range of sectors, including the National Health Service, education, and justice, to better understand the challenges affecting people with ADHD, including timely access to services and support.In conjunction with the taskforce, NHS England has carried out detailed work to develop an ADHD data improvement plan to inform future service planning.

Whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of time-limited visas on Ukrainian families that have relocated to the UK.

To provide future certainty, Ukrainians provided with temporary sanctuary in the UK under the Ukraine visa schemes can apply for a further 18 months’ permission to remain in the UK through the Ukraine Permission Extension (UPE) scheme, which opened to applications on 4 February 2025.Those granted further permission to remain in the UK under the Ukraine Permission Extension scheme will receive the same rights and entitlements to access work, benefits, healthcare and education as provided under the existing Ukraine Schemes.We recognise the Ukrainian government’s desire for the future return of its citizens to Ukraine. It is important our approach respects these wishes. This is why the temporary Ukraine Schemes do not lead to settlement in the UK.Individuals with permission under one of the Ukraine schemes have access to standard immigration routes to remain in the UK once their permission expires, in order to complete higher education courses they commence during their initial period of permission.Individuals will have continued access to student support and home fee status where they can show they have been granted further leave to remain in the UK.We will, of course, continue to keep the Ukraine Schemes under consistent review in line with developments in the ongoing war.

Whether her Department has plans to (a) extend and (b) modify the duration of the Ukrainian Visa scheme.

To provide future certainty, Ukrainians provided with temporary sanctuary in the UK under the Ukraine visa schemes can apply for a further 18 months’ permission to remain in the UK through the Ukraine Permission Extension (UPE) scheme, which opened to applications on 4 February 2025.Those granted further permission to remain in the UK under the Ukraine Permission Extension scheme will receive the same rights and entitlements to access work, benefits, healthcare and education as provided under the existing Ukraine Schemes.We recognise the Ukrainian government’s desire for the future return of its citizens to Ukraine. It is important our approach respects these wishes. This is why the temporary Ukraine Schemes do not lead to settlement in the UK.Individuals with permission under one of the Ukraine schemes have access to standard immigration routes to remain in the UK once their permission expires, in order to complete higher education courses they commence during their initial period of permission.Individuals will have continued access to student support and home fee status where they can show they have been granted further leave to remain in the UK.We will, of course, continue to keep the Ukraine Schemes under consistent review in line with developments in the ongoing war.

What steps his Department is taking to support people in Newbury constituency with energy bills.

The Government believes that our mission to deliver clean power by 2030 is the best way to break our dependence on global fossil fuel markets and protect billpayers permanently. The creation of Great British Energy will help us to harness clean energy and have less reliance on volatile international energy markets and help in our commitment to make Britain a clean energy superpower by 2030. This, combined with our Warm Homes Plan to upgrade millions of homes to make them warmer and cheaper to run is how we will drive down energy bills and make cold homes a thing of the past.We are delivering the Warm Home Discount to around 3 million eligible low-income households this winter. On 25 February, we published a consultation on the expansion of the Warm Home Discount, giving more eligible households £150 off their energy bills. These proposals would bring around 2.7 million households into the scheme – pushing the total number of households that would receive the discount next winter up to around 6 million. The Government has extended the Household Support Fund in England until 31 March 2026 with an extra £742 million in support, with additional funding for the Devolved Governments. In addition, I have also worked with energy suppliers to agree a £500 million Winter Commitment to help customers struggling with bills this winter.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the proposed three-year implementation period for social care reforms on social care providers.

We are launching an independent commission into social care, chaired by Baroness Louise Casey. It will be undertaken in two phases, beginning in April 2025. Phase one, reporting in 2026, will identify the biggest challenges in adult social care and recommend practical changes to improve people’s lives over the next decade, and will help build the foundation for a National Care Service. Phase two, reporting by 2028, will make longer-term recommendations for the transformation of adult social care.Addressing the complex, deep-rooted challenges facing adult social care will take time. The commission will work with people who draw on care, their families, staff, politicians, providers, and the public, private, and third sector, to make clear recommendations for how to reform the adult social care system to meet the current and future needs of the population.In parallel, the Government is also committed to short-term progress, as we recognise that the issues facing adult social care are pressing. We are making up to £3.7 billion of additional funding available for social care authorities in 2025/26, which includes an £880 million increase in the Social Care Grant. This represents an increase to core local government spending power in 2025/26 of 6.8% in cash terms.

Whether she will make an assessment of the potential merits of adjusting the duration of Ukrainian visas to align with the academic school year.

To provide future certainty, Ukrainians provided with temporary sanctuary in the UK under the Ukraine visa schemes can apply for a further 18 months’ permission to remain in the UK through the Ukraine Permission Extension (UPE) scheme, which opened to applications on 4 February 2025.Those granted further permission to remain in the UK under the Ukraine Permission Extension scheme will receive the same rights and entitlements to access work, benefits, healthcare and education as provided under the existing Ukraine Schemes.We recognise the Ukrainian government’s desire for the future return of its citizens to Ukraine. It is important our approach respects these wishes. This is why the temporary Ukraine Schemes do not lead to settlement in the UK.Individuals with permission under one of the Ukraine schemes have access to standard immigration routes to remain in the UK once their permission expires, in order to complete higher education courses they commence during their initial period of permission.Individuals will have continued access to student support and home fee status where they can show they have been granted further leave to remain in the UK.We will, of course, continue to keep the Ukraine Schemes under consistent review in line with developments in the ongoing war.