Written questions by Jopp.

What assessment he has made of the adequacy of information in the parent leaflet for febrile seizures; and whether he plans to further update them.

Individual providers are responsible for the content in the leaflets they produce, and trusts have the freedom to decide what to include in their local leaflets.Information on febrile seizures can be found on the NHS.UK website, which contains the nationally recommended guidance, at the following link:https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/febrile-seizures/All information provided to patients should be accurate and reflect the best possible advice, in line with guidance published by the Department, which is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/best-practice-guidance-on-patient-information-leaflets

If he will take steps to ensure the implementation of the Supreme Court judgment on biological sex in Government department workplaces.

We will review and update policy wherever necessary to ensure it complies with the latest legal requirements.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what the key milestones of the China Audit are.

The Government is carrying out an Audit of the UK's interests with regards to China, to bring a long term and strategic approach to managing our relations. The timeline for the Audit is driven by the need for sufficient consultation, not just across government, but also business, academia, civil society, and Parliamentarians [including those sanctioned by China], to inform its analysis. The Audit's findings, which will also inform other important developments such as the forthcoming National Security Strategy and Industrial Strategy, will be shared with Parliament and other stakeholders in due course.

What stages of recruitment are still to be completed for the Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration role.

The Home Affairs Select Committee’s pre-appointment hearing with the Government’s preferred candidate took place on 11 February.Once Ministers have finalised the appointment and the terms of appointment have been agreed, the new ICIBI will be announced in the normal way.Ministers agreed to extend David Bolt’s appointment term as interim ICIBI for a further period of up to three months, to enable sufficient time to conclude the recruitment process for a permanent ICIBI and ensure a smooth transition.

If she will make an assessment of the potential impact of changes to the sentencing powers of magistrates on court backlogs since October 2024.

Last November, we extended magistrates’ court sentencing powers from 6 to 12 months. It is premature to assess the impact of the policy due to the time it has been in place. The change enables more cases to be retained in the magistrates’ courts, freeing up capacity in the Crown Court for other cases to be heard. In general, magistrates’ courts hear cases more quickly than the Crown Court, therefore these cases will be dealt with faster, helping deliver swifter access to justice for victims. We will be able to properly assess the impacts of extending these sentencing powers once the policy has been in place for a sufficient period of time. This will allow sufficient cases to have worked through the system with outcomes and the data associated with those outcomes.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has made an assessment of the water quality of water from places with floating solar panels on the source.

Defra has made no such assessment. The Government takes the quality of all of our waterways very seriously; cleaning up our rivers, lakes and seas is a top Government priority and that is why we have commissioned an independent review to fundamentally transform how our water system works.

Pursuant to the Answer of 7 March 2025 to Question 35580, how far does a person have to travel to a driving test centre for it to be considered accessible.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s travel distance criteria service level agreement, states that most customers live within a certain distance of a driving test centre (DTC) dependent on the population density of the local authority they live in. For example, in more densely populated areas of the country where the population is equal to or greater than 1,250 persons per square kilometre, such as Spelthorne, the practical test centre should be located so that most customers travel no more than seven miles to a test centre. For customers in Spelthorne, depending in which part of the constituency they live, Isleworth, Chertsey, Slough, Tolworth, and Uxbridge DTCs respectively are within this travel distance criteria.

Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 11 March 2025 to Question 36002 on Solar Power: Reservoirs, which legislation could impact what can and cannot be done regarding installing solar panels on a reservoir.

While Defra is responsible for policy on water, including on reservoirs, it is not responsible for the legislation that is likely to apply concerning the installation of solar panels on a reservoir.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of floating solar panels on reservoirs on the Environment Agency's risk designation for such reservoirs.

When considering the risk designation of reservoirs, the Environment Agency looks at the volume of water that could be stored by the reservoir, along with the potential loss of life that could occur should there be an uncontrolled release of that water. The use of the reservoir for things such as solar panels does not affect the risk designation. If solar panels were to be installed on a reservoir, the Environment Agency would recommend that a qualified Panel Engineer is consulted to assess any associated reservoir safety risk. It is worth noting that there is other legislation that may apply which could impact on what can and cannot be done.

What steps she is taking to ensure adequate (a) provision and (b) accessibility of driving test centres in Spelthorne.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) is committed to providing its customers with the best service possible. DVSA continually reviews its estate to ensure it represents good value for money and is efficient. It currently has no plans for any additional driving test centres (DTCs) in Spelthorne. Isleworth, Chertsey, Slough and Tolworth DTCs are all accessible test centres for customers in the Spelthorne area. More information for customers booking a practical test who have a disability, health condition, or learning difficulty, can be found on GOV.UK.

How many people who are subject to a live deportation order have applied under the EU Settlement Scheme in Spelthorne.

The information requested is not available from published statistics.

What assessment his Department has made of whether air quality is a contributing factor to autism.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s Clinical Knowledge Summary on autism states that the precise cause of autism is unknown, but that genetic factors play a substantial role in the aetiology, and a number of environmental factors are also thought to play a part in development. Further information is available at the following link:https://cks.nice.org.uk/topics/autism-in-adults/background-information/causes-risk-factors/

What steps he is taking to help protect small businesses from regulatory burden.

The Government is developing an ambitious regulatory reform agenda to ensure that future regulation, or reforms to regulation, work for businesses and supports the Government’s growth mission. It is essential that we continue to identify areas where the costs of regulations may be unnecessarily high and burdensome for businesses. As part of this, we are working across government to identify regulatory reforms that will support the Industrial Strategy and Small Business Strategy. Our plans for the government’s overall regulatory vision will be set out in due course.

Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to take legislative steps to instruct councils to overturn decisions on use class properties.

The government has no plans to legislate to require planning decisions, including those related to change of use, to be overturned.Local planning authorities have the power to revoke or modify planning permission under section 97 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990.However, such action can only be taken before a planning permission has been implemented and the local authority may be liable to pay compensation to the developer.

What assessment he has made of the potential causes of the diagnoses of autism in young people.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s Clinical Knowledge Summary on autism states that the precise cause of autism is unknown, but that genetic factors play a substantial role in the aetiology, and a number of environmental factors are also thought to play a part in development. Further information is available at the following link:https://cks.nice.org.uk/topics/autism-in-adults/background-information/causes-risk-factors/

What assessment his Department has made of whether diet is a contributing factor to autism.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s Clinical Knowledge Summary on autism states that the precise cause of autism is unknown, but that genetic factors play a substantial role in the aetiology, and a number of environmental factors are also thought to play a part in development. Further information is available at the following link:https://cks.nice.org.uk/topics/autism-in-adults/background-information/causes-risk-factors/

Media and Sport, what plans she has to help protect small music venues.

The Government response to the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee's report on grassroots music venues sets out our commitment to working with the sector to support the sustainability of the entire music ecosystem. In particular, the Government is urging the live music industry to introduce a voluntary levy on tickets for stadium and arena shows, to help safeguard the future of the grassroots music sector.The Government has also announced £2.5m of continued funding for the Arts Council England’s Supporting Grassroots Music Fund for 2025-26. This enables grassroots music venues, recording studios, promoters and festivals to apply for grants of up to £40,000 to develop new revenue streams, make repairs and improvements, and enhance the live music experience for music lovers across the UK.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to reinstate dredging to increase river capacity.

Where watercourse maintenance is the responsibility of the Environment Agency (EA), it focuses its efforts on those activities which will achieve the greatest benefit in terms of protecting people and property from flooding. This includes dredging, which the EA will undertake an assessment of, working in close consultation with local communities. For many locations, there are more effective ways to protect land and communities from floods as part of a catchment-based approach.

What steps his Department plans to take to help small businesses with rent increases.

Small businesses are vital to our high streets and communities, and an essential part of the government’s mission for economic growth. Financial support for small businesses is available through the British Business Bank. Further advice and support are available through the Business Support Service, local Growth Hubs, and the Help to Grow: Management scheme. The Government is also taking forward a package of measures to tackle late payments, helping to improve the cash flow for small businesses across the UK.

What discussions she has had with Transport for London on including Spelthorne within the Oyster Zone.

Ministers and officials have regular conversations with Transport for London on a variety of issues. Transport in London is devolved to the Mayor and TfL is responsible for operational decisions. Operators can consider and propose zonal changes where a positive business case can be demonstrated.