Written questions by Smart.

Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to support homeowners with the cost of removing closed-cell spray foam insulation in order to secure a mortgage.

We are aware of the issues some homeowners are facing in obtaining finance where spray foam insulation has been installed. Officials in the department have previously consulted UK Finance and the Building Societies Association, the trade bodies for lenders about this matter, who advise that their members rely on the views of valuers and surveyors on this issue. Whilst the department cannot comment on the decisions made by individual lenders, the presence of spray foam should not automatically prevent lending, and decisions should be made on a case-by-case basis following a survey. That is why it is important that surveyors continue to follow published protocols published in March 2023 to support these assessments, which can be found here: https://www.property-care.org/resources/spray-foam-insulation-inspections(opens in a new tab)(opens in a new tab)(opens in a new tab) and Guides & Documents - IMA (insulationmanufacturers.org.uk)(opens in a new tab)(opens in a new tab). Building owners are responsible for costs of maintaining their buildings. The Government do not specify or recommend which types of insulation are appropriate for a particular property, and all measures installed under government schemes must be installed by TrustMark registered installers.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of issues with the reconciliation of pension contributions by Capita on GPs.

General practitioners (GPs) are required to submit either a type one or type two annual certificate each year to Primary Care Support England (PCSE). Each certificate received by PCSE is reconciled on an individual basis, and the GP’s record is updated accordingly. Where the information cannot be reconciled, or the information is incomplete, PCSE will return the certificate to the GP outlining what information is required.NHS England regularly monitors the number of outstanding certificates and missing data, working closely with PCSE to resolve issues. In addition, NHS England works closely with the British Medical Association and NHS Pensions to manage complaints and proactively resolve issues. NHS England also monitors PCSE’s performance on a monthly basis against contractual performance targets.Supporting GPs to accurately submit current and historic type one or type two annual certificates remains a priority for NHS England and PCSE. Since the PCSE Online solution for submitting type one and type two certificates electronically went live in 2021, PCSE has developed user guides and held webinars to educate GPs on how to complete forms accurately.

Whether his Department is taking steps to hold Capita accountable where it fails to provide GPs with accurate annual pension statements under the Primary Care Support England scheme.

Capita, who delivers Primary Care Support England (PCSE), does not issue pension statements to general practitioners (GPs), as this is the responsibility of NHS Pensions, which is managed by the NHS Business Services Authority (NHS BSA). PCSE updates GP pension records once the appropriate type one or type two annual certificate is submitted to PCSE for processing by the GP.In order for NHS Pensions to generate an annual pension benefits statement, it is necessary for the GP’s pension record to be up to date, with no missing annual certificate for prior years. NHS England works closely with PCSE and NHS Pensions to ensure that GPs are supported, through a series of webinars and guidance documents, to submit accurate information in a timely manner. NHS England tracks PCSE’s performance on a monthly basis against contractual performance targets. NHS England continues to work with PCSE, NHS Pensions, and GP representative bodies to rectify historical gaps in GP records.More generally, the importance of checking PCSE Online to ensure that all required type one or type two forms are showing as approved, and to submit certificates if there are any missing years to get records up to date, is highlighted in communications to GPs.

Whether his Department has plans to issue updated guidance on the placement of dementia patients in hospital wards.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s (NICE) guidance on dementia states which aspects of care should be expected to ensure quality dementia care in hospital. This includes appropriate admission to hospital, comprehensive assessments, and personal history taking. Further information on the NICE’s dementia guidance is available at the following link:https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng97The NICE’s guidance on the transition between inpatient hospital settings and community or care home settings for adults with social care needs covers the transition between inpatient hospital settings and community or care homes for adults with social care needs. Further information on the NICE’s transition guidance is available at the following link:https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng27The NICE’s guidance will be reviewed if there is new evidence that is likely to change the recommendations. The 10-Year Health Plan will address the challenges diagnosed by Lord Darzi and set the vision for what good joined-up care looks like for people with a combination of complex health and care needs. It will set out how we support and enable health and social care services to work together better to provide that joined-up care. The Government is launching an independent commission into adult social care as part of our critical first steps towards delivering a National Care Service.To improve care for patients with dementia, NHS England's RightCare team has refreshed the RightCare Dementia Scenario. The scenario works through the dementia well pathway journey, from diagnosing well through to dying well, detailing optimal and suboptimal approaches, with associated costings for each.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure NHS hospital staff receive adequate (a) training and (b) support to manage dementia patients in general hospital wards.

Employers in the health system are responsible for ensuring that their staff are trained to the required standards to deliver the appropriate treatment for patients. Individual trusts are responsible for ensuring that their staff are trained to carry out their role, and for investing in the future of their staff through providing continuing professional development funding.The required training needs are set out in the Dementia Training Standards Framework, commissioned and funded by the Department and developed in collaboration with the sector, which is available at the following link:https://www.skillsforhealth.org.uk/info-hub/dementia-2015-updated-2018/The framework sets out the essential knowledge, skills, and expected learning outcomes applicable across the health and care spectrum. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has also issued guidance on Assessment, Management and Support for People Living With Dementia, which covers staff training and education, and which is available at the following link:https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng97/chapter/Recommendations#staff-training-and-education

If she will make it her policy to replace Business Rates with a Land Value Tax collected by local authorities to disincentivise land banking by developers.

We are creating a fairer business rates system that protects the high street, supports investment, and is fit for the 21st century. At the Autumn Budget, we published a Discussion Paper setting out priority areas for reform and invites stakeholders to have a conversation with government about transforming the business rates system.Fulfilling all our manifesto objectives on business rates is a multi-year process, and reforms will be designed in collaboration with stakeholders and phased over the course of the Parliament to minimise disruption for businesses.

What the most recent statistics for hate crimes against transgender people are.

Transgender identity hate crimes are completely unacceptable and this Government is determined to tackle hate crime in all its forms. We have a robust legislative framework in place in England and Wales to respond to hate crimes, including those which target transgender people, and we back the police in taking strong action against the perpetrators of these offences.The Home Office collects and publishes information on the number of transgender hate crimes recorded by the police in England and Wales. In the year ending March 2024, transgender hate crimes decreased by 2% to 4,780 offences in 2023/24, when compared with the previous year (4,889).

What steps her Department is taking to reduce the number of hate crimes against transgender people.

Transgender identity hate crimes are completely unacceptable and this Government is determined to tackle hate crime in all its forms. We have a robust legislative framework in place in England and Wales to respond to hate crimes, including those which target transgender people, and we back the police in taking strong action against the perpetrators of these offences.The Home Office collects and publishes information on the number of transgender hate crimes recorded by the police in England and Wales. In the year ending March 2024, transgender hate crimes decreased by 2% to 4,780 offences in 2023/24, when compared with the previous year (4,889).

With reference to his Oral Statement of 11 December 2024 on Puberty-suppressing Hormones, Official Report, column 914-916, whether the clinical trial into the use of puberty suppressing hormones for gender incongruence will begin early this year; and when his Department intends to update parents and young people on the (a) timetable and (b) eligibility of the clinical trial.

The PATHWAYS study proposal, including the clinical trial of puberty-suppressing hormones, is going through all the usual review and approval stages. These include an independent academic peer review and consideration by the National Institute for Health and Care Research’s funding committee. The study will need to secure full ethical approval before it can be set up and recruitment can open. The design of the study, including the timetable and eligibility criteria, will be finalised as part of the approvals process. It is planned to commence this year. Subject to the study achieving the necessary approvals, the study protocol will be made available in the public domain, as is usual for publicly funded studies.

If she will take steps with police forces to review the (a) effectiveness of policies to place police officers potentially experiencing mental ill-health on restricted duties and (b) adequacy of (i) the provision of psychological support and (ii) recovery time for those officers.

It is the responsibility of Chief Officers to effectively manage their workforce, including ensuring appropriate health and wellbeing support is in place for all officers and staff. The Government has been clear that the health and wellbeing of our police is a priority, and we continue to work with police partners to ensure that consistent standards apply across all forces.Police Regulations require forces to follow standard procedures in the management of officers placed on limited duties following a period of ill health and this includes for periods of recuperation. The College of Policing has also provided specific guidance for line managers on the use of reasonable adjustments, including a toolkit for forces, a Workplace Adjustment Toolkit and a disability passport.The Government continues to fund the National Police Wellbeing Service which provides evidence-based mental health guidance, advice, tools and resources to support forces and individual officers.

Whether her Department plans to introduce mandatory mental health support for police officers who have been exposed to distressing or traumatic incidents.

Chief Officers have a duty of care to manage their workforce effectively, including ensuring the wellbeing of all their officers and staff. This Government has been clear that the wellbeing of our police is a priority. We will continue to work with police partners to ensure that all police officers and staff have the appropriate support in place to thrive in their careers and deliver the best service to the public.We continue to fund the National Police Wellbeing Service. The Service provides evidence-based guidance, advice, tools and resources to support forces and individual officers, including guidance on Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Policing. All officers receive pre-deployment mental health training and through the Police Covenant, and all forces now meet the new Occupational Health (OH) foundation level standards. Measures are also in place to ensure forces continually develop and improve their OH standards.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure that the process of issuing death certificates following the change to the responsibilities of medical examiners on 9 September 2024 does not lead to undue delays in families being able to arrange funerals.

The Government is monitoring the impact of the death certification reforms, including the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death Regulations 2024, which came into legal effect on 9 September 2024. Early data indicates the median time taken to register a death appears to have risen by one day, from seven days to eight days. This figure is for all deaths, as it includes those certified by a doctor and those investigated by a coroner. The average time taken to register has increased further over the recent Christmas weeks, but this was expected given increases are observed during this period every year; the average is expected to decrease again as more data becomes available for January and February 2025. The median time taken to register a death varies depending on the type of certification. Deaths certified by a doctor, that comprise approximately 80% of deaths registered each week, have typically had a median time to registration of seven days. We note that the medical examiner system was active on a non-statutory basis before the introduction of the statutory system on 9 September 2024, and this makes direct ‘before’ and ‘after’ comparisons challenging to draw conclusions from.The core purposes of the death certification reforms are to introduce scrutiny of the cause of death to detect and deter malpractice, to improve reporting, and crucially to put the bereaved at the centre of the process by offering a conversation with the medical examiner about the cause of death. The expectation on doctors and medical examiners is clear, that they should complete certification as quickly and efficiently as possible, and the Government is working with all stakeholders to make sure this is the case.

Whether her Department has specific time targets for processing Carer’s Allowance claims for individuals with an underlying entitlement.

The Department does not have any processing targets for Carer’s Allowance claims when there is an underlying entitlement element. The current average clearance time for all Carer’s Allowance claims is 16.5 working days. This includes claims when there is underlying entitlement.

Communities and Local Government, what discussions she has had with the Chief Land Registrar on ensuring that adverse possession claims are not granted for land designated as public open space or held for flood management purposes; and whether her Department plans to issue guidance to local councils on this matter.

HM Land Registry has operational responsibility for considering land registration applications based on adverse possession. It publishes guidance about this matter at gov.uk here and here.

What steps her Department is taking to ensure that (a) childminders, (b) after-school clubs, (c) holiday clubs and schemes and (d) other childcare services are accessible to children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities.

Local authorities and early years providers, including early years childminders, have duties via the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) code of practice, the Equality Act 2010, and the early years foundation stage (EYFS) statutory framework to promote equality and inclusion for children with SEND, removing the barriers that prevent children from accessing early education. In addition, local authorities are required by legislation to provide sufficient childcare places for children in their area for children aged 0 to 14 or up to 18 for children with SEND. The local authority statutory guidance on early education and childcare sets out a clear requirement that local authorities must report annually to elected council members on how they are meeting their duty to secure sufficient childcare, including for children with SEND, and make this report available and accessible to parents. The National Wraparound Childcare Programme is helping local authorities discharge this duty with regard to after school clubs, by distributing funding on the basis of anticipated need. Local authorities across England can decide how best to use the funding to set up or expand wraparound childcare in their area to meet the needs of their local community, including children with SEND. Local authorities have been working in partnership with primary schools and private, voluntary and independent providers, including childminders. Since the programme began, the government has set clear expectations that all wraparound childcare delivered through the programme should be inclusive and accessible. The holiday activities and food (HAF) programme funding is primarily for school aged children from reception to year 11 (inclusive) who receive benefits-related free school meals (FSM). Local authorities have discretion to use up to 15% of their funding to provide free or subsidised holiday club places for children, who are not in receipt of benefits-related FSM, but who the local authority believe could benefit from HAF provision. The department encourages local authorities to engage with local and national organisations, including special schools with expertise in working with children with SEND or additional needs. Local authorities are obligated to include the numbers of children with SEND or additional needs who have participated in their programme in their post provision reporting to us.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the impact of land lost through adverse possession on local flood resilience.

The new National Flood Risk Assessment data published on 28 January 2025 uses the best currently available data to provide a single picture of current and future flood risk from rivers, the sea and surface water for England. The Environment Agency has not undertaken an assessment of the impact of land lost through adverse possession on flood resilience – this would need to be undertaken at a local level by the asset owners or interested parties. HM Land Registry has operational responsibility for considering land registration applications based on adverse possession and publishes guidance about this at GOV.UK here and here.

With reference to Article 13(b) of the Hague Convention of 25 October 1980 on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction, what steps she is taking to ensure the definition in UK law of "grave risk of harm" includes domestic violence.

There is no legal definition of “grave risk of harm” in England and Wales. In the 1980 Hague Child Abduction Convention court cases about the return of a child where one of the parties seeks to demonstrate there is a grave risk of harm under Article 13(b) in the specific case, evidence of domestic abuse can be put before the court. It is a matter for the independent court hearing a case under the 1980 Hague Convention to assess the evidence put before the court and to decide if a grave risk of harm is established.

What steps her Department is taking to advocate reform of the Hague Convention of 25 October 1980 on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction to better protect victims of domestic violence.

The UK supports the work of the Hague Conference on Private International Law on their multilateral Conventions, including the 1980 Hague Child Abduction Convention, and works with other States Party to that Convention to improve its operation. The UK is taking a leading role in working with the Hague Conference to consider the impact of allegations and evidence of domestic abuse in judicial decision-making under the 1980 Hague Convention.

When the Minister for Health and Secondary Care plans to respond to the correspondence of 6 November 2024 from the hon. Member for Hazel Grove on funding for Stepping Hill Hospital.

I replied to the hon. Member on 29 January 2025.

What steps his Department is taking to increase the supply of semaglutide in Hazel Grove constituency.

The Department monitors and manages medicine supply at a national level so that stocks remain available to meet regional and local demand. Information on stock levels within individual constituencies is not held centrally. The Department is not aware of any current supply issues for semaglutide. Ozempic and Wegovy, injectable forms of semaglutide, are currently available, and Rybelsus, an oral tablet containing semaglutide, is also available. The Department continues to monitor the situation, ensuring that medicines remain available for new patients with type 2 diabetes, as well as those unable to obtain their existing treatment. The General Pharmaceutical Council, General Medical Council, Health and Care Professions Council, Nursing and Midwifery Council, and Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland have also issued a joint statement stressing the importance of health and care professionals meeting regulatory standards in relation to these medicines. The guidance is clear, that medications licensed to treat type 2 diabetes should not be prescribed for weight loss, except where specifically licenced for this use. Any patient who is worried about their condition, or access to these medications, should speak to their clinician in the first instance.