Written questions by Smart.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will require landowners to remove invasive plant species including those listed under schedule 9 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 from their land.

The Government takes invasive species seriously and has legislated to tackle the spread of invasive plants. The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 does not impose an explicit obligation for landowners to manage plant species listed under Schedule 9 not introduced onto their land by their own actions. However, they should prevent them from spreading off their land. It is also an offence to intentionally cultivate, or release plants listed under the Invasive Alien Species (Enforcement and Permitting) Order 2019. This means landowners cannot intentionally plant listed species or intentionally cause existing listed plants to spread. Landowners should treat or dispose of listed plants where possible. The Government is not currently considering adding additional requirements for landowners, but funding is available for invasive plant species control and management through Defra’s Environmental Land Management (ELM) Countryside Stewardship scheme.

What steps his Department is taking to (a) support and (b) encourage Integrated Care Boards to prescribe semaglutide for weight management.

Obesity medicines can be effective for some patients living with obesity when prescribed alongside diet, physical activity, and behavioural support. Exactly what is most appropriate for an individual is down to health care professionals to advise, in discussion with patients, and considering relevant clinical guidance.The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence recommended semaglutide as an option for weight management, alongside a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity, for adults that meet the eligibility criteria, and only if it is used within a specialist weight management service providing multidisciplinary management of overweight or obesity.Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for arranging the provision of health services within their area in line with local priorities, considering population need and relevant guidance. This includes the commissioning of NHS specialist weight management services.National Health Service organisations, including ICBs, are continuing to look at the best way to manage access to treatments for obesity.

What steps her Department is taking to reduce delays in processing times for Deputyship applications by the Court of Protection.

HM Courts & Tribunals Service is focused on increasing outputs to reduce the overall timeliness on all types of applications and to reduce delays in processing times. HMCTS has implemented a number of different measures which includes a targeted action plan to increase resources to meet the higher demand and the training and upskilling of new staff. HMCTS has also implemented new digital ways of working together with a new case management system which will support the reduction in overall end to end processing times.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps he is taking to help support the rights of women in Afghanistan.

We condemn the Taliban’s destruction of nearly every element of women and girls’ freedoms. FCDO officials engage with the Taliban to urge them to reverse their barbaric decisions and we work with our international partners to maintain collective pressure. The UK uses its prominent position in multilateral forums, such as the UN Security Council, to hold the Taliban to account for their deeply repressive policies.

What steps his Department is taking to (a) encourage NHS trusts in Greater Manchester to participate in the Early Access Programme for Givinostat and (b) to help tackle barriers to participation.

NHS England does not have any initiatives to encourage participation in compassionate use schemes, which are the responsibility of individual pharmaceutical companies.Participation in the Early Access Programme (EAP) for givinostat, which must be through one of the 23 NorthStar Centres in the United Kingdom, is decided at an individual National Health Service trust level although there is general advice that trusts should engage with the relevant commissioner if they choose to participate. A NorthStar Centre will not be able to provide givinostat if its local trust has not approved participation. Under the EAP, givinostat is free to both patients taking part in it and to the NHS, but the trusts must still cover the cost of administering it to patients. Only Duchenne muscular dystrophy clinicians can make requests for givinostat for their patients. Decisions are made on a case-by-case basis for individual named patients aligned to eligibility criteria.NHS England hopes that all NHS trusts, including in Greater Manchester, who receive a request from a NorthStar Centre to provide givinostat to an eligible patient approve this request. NHS England will work with partners to ensure that Trusts understand the urgent need to make access possible for eligible patient.

Whether he plans to include Annatto (E160b) on the list of allergens that must be labelled under UK food labelling regulations.

There are many potential food ingredients that may cause an allergic reaction to sensitised people. The current 14 regulated allergens are recognised as being the most common and potent allergens of public health concern across Europe.   Further information is available at the following link:https://www.food.gov.uk/business-guidance/allergen-guidance-for-food-businessesThe prevalence of allergy to the additive Annatto (E160b) is currently unknown in the United Kingdom. The Food Standards Agency (FSA) is currently working with the British Society for Allergy and Clinical Immunology and other stakeholders on gathering information on hidden and emerging food allergens which will help in assessing the need for further research and work in this area. If further information is received on the prevalence of Annatto as an allergy we will review this evidence. The FSA continues to monitor the situation closely but has no current recommendations to Ministers on amending the list of 14 regulated allergens.The FSA continues to work to make it easier for people with food hypersensitivities, namely allergies, intolerances, and coeliac disease, to have access to clear and accurate information which is a fundamental part of their work. Their research is available at the following link:https://www.food.gov.uk/research/food-hypersensitivity

What steps his Department is taking to improve the diagnosis and recognition of Lyme Disease.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for South Cambridgeshire on 12 November 2024 to Question 13156.

What estimate her Department has made of the average processing times for deputyship applications by the Court of Protection.

Data on the average processing time for deputyship applications, from receipt to disposal by the Court of Protection, is not currently available.The court has recently migrated to a new case management system and work is in hand as part of the HMCTS data strategy to develop management information data.

Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the scheduled ending of the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme in March 2025 on local projects aimed at restoring listed places of worship; and what alternative sources of support her Department plans to provide to ensure the continued preservation and restoration of historic buildings.

The Department monitors the implementation and impact of the grant scheme through the regular reporting of the grant administrator. Since 2010, the grant scheme has returned over £350 million to listed places of worship. We are aware of the importance of the scheme to local projects and listed places of worship across the UK.Departmental settlements have been set following the Budget announcement on October 30. We will announce the outcomes of the Business Planning process, including for the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme soon.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure the new additional funding for new radiotherapy machines aligns with the (a) NHS Long-Term Plan and (b) the upcoming 10-year cancer strategy.

The £70 million investment in new radiotherapy machines will ensure that the most advanced treatment is available to patients. Following publication of the 10-Year Health Plan, we will publish the new national cancer plan, which will include further details on how we will improve outcomes for cancer patients, including improving waiting times for patients.The funding will be spent in 2025/26, with the exact timetable and allocation of machines still to be determined. The funding will be used to replace outdated machines, and allocated to trusts using criteria that NHS England is currently developing. These criteria will be shared with providers in due course.

What his planned timetable is to spend the additional funding allocated for new radiotherapy machines on 28 October 2024.

The £70 million investment in new radiotherapy machines will ensure that the most advanced treatment is available to patients. Following publication of the 10-Year Health Plan, we will publish the new national cancer plan, which will include further details on how we will improve outcomes for cancer patients, including improving waiting times for patients.The funding will be spent in 2025/26, with the exact timetable and allocation of machines still to be determined. The funding will be used to replace outdated machines, and allocated to trusts using criteria that NHS England is currently developing. These criteria will be shared with providers in due course.

What steps her Department plans to take to create a strategy for embedding financial literacy within the primary and secondary education curricula.

Financial education is currently taught through the national curriculum for mathematics at key stages 1 to 4 and citizenship at key stages 3 and 4, which together cover personal budgeting, saving for the future, managing credit and debt and calculating interest.High and rising school standards are at the heart of the government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity and give every child the best start in life. That is why the government announced a Curriculum and Assessment Review on 19 July 2024, which is being chaired by Professor Becky Francis CBE.Following the independent review, the government will, through the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, legislate to require all state schools to teach the reformed national curriculum. This will give parents certainty over the core of their children’s education.The review group will publish an interim report early in 2025, setting out their interim findings and confirming the key areas for further work. The final report, with recommendations, will be published in autumn 2025.The Money and Pensions Service (MaPS) has a statutory role to coordinate the UK Strategy for Financial Wellbeing, which is underpinned by their robust data collection, including the impact of financial education on young people. The department works closely with MaPS to monitor the evidence for financial education. MaPS’s published research can be found here: https://maps.org.uk/en/publications/research.

What assessment her Department has made of the impact of financial education on young people at (a) primary and (b) secondary school level.

Financial education is currently taught through the national curriculum for mathematics at key stages 1 to 4 and citizenship at key stages 3 and 4, which together cover personal budgeting, saving for the future, managing credit and debt and calculating interest.High and rising school standards are at the heart of the government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity and give every child the best start in life. That is why the government announced a Curriculum and Assessment Review on 19 July 2024, which is being chaired by Professor Becky Francis CBE.Following the independent review, the government will, through the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, legislate to require all state schools to teach the reformed national curriculum. This will give parents certainty over the core of their children’s education.The review group will publish an interim report early in 2025, setting out their interim findings and confirming the key areas for further work. The final report, with recommendations, will be published in autumn 2025.The Money and Pensions Service (MaPS) has a statutory role to coordinate the UK Strategy for Financial Wellbeing, which is underpinned by their robust data collection, including the impact of financial education on young people. The department works closely with MaPS to monitor the evidence for financial education. MaPS’s published research can be found here: https://maps.org.uk/en/publications/research.

Whether she plans to improve the teaching of financial literacy through (a) enhanced teacher training programmes, (b) increased funding for financial education (i) resources and (ii) initiatives and (c) other steps.

In general, decisions relating to teachers’ professional development rightly rests with schools, headteachers, and teachers themselves, as they are in the best position to judge their own requirements. The government has committed to introducing a Teacher Training Entitlement which would support teachers to access more high quality continuing professional development across a range of topics.The Money and Pensions Service (MaPS) has a statutory duty to coordinate the UK Strategy for Financial Wellbeing 2020. In 2022, MaPS launched a grant-funded programme totalling £1.1 million to test approaches to supporting teachers and practitioners working with children and young people in vulnerable circumstances and to deliver financial education. The evaluation of this programme can be found here: https://maps.org.uk/en/publications/research/2024/evaluating-grants-improving-financial-education-for-vulnerable-young-people.The department will work with MaPS to use the findings to promote consistent and evidence-informed practice. MaPS has also published financial education guidance for schools, which can be found here: https://maps.org.uk/en/work-with-us/financial-education-in-schools.Oak National Academy (Oak) is a non-departmental public body which provides free, optional, and adaptable high quality digital curriculum and lesson resources. Oak has completed its initial curriculum resources in mathematics and will produce additional lessons on financial education and applying mathematics in real life contexts across key stages 1 to 4, which is expected from spring 2025. Lessons on finance and the economy also feature in Oak’s new citizenship curriculum, which was launched earlier this academic year, with lessons to be released by autumn 2025. Oak’s resources are available here: https://www.thenational.academy/.The department continues to work closely with MaPS, and in partnership with others, to monitor the evidence for financial education and assess school support needs.

What recent discussions she has had with her counterparts in the devolved Administrations on encouraging participation in the OECD’s next PISA financial literacy assessment, scheduled for 2025.

Financial literacy is not an option offered by the Organisation for Economic Co-Operation (OECD) in the current (2025) cycle of the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) as it has been replaced for this cycle with a foreign-language assessment, so a decision on participation is not imminent.Departmental officials engage with the devolved governments on a range of areas, including on PISA. We have had initial discussions about the timeline for a decision on participation in future PISA financial literacy assessments and will continue to actively engage with them on this topic as more information is provided by the OECD.

If she will make it her policy to ensure England's participation in the OECD’s PISA financial literacy assessment in 2025.

Financial literacy is not an option offered by the Organisation for Economic Co-Operation (OECD) in the current (2025) cycle of the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) as it has been replaced for this cycle with a foreign-language assessment, so a decision on participation is not imminent.Departmental officials engage with the devolved governments on a range of areas, including on PISA. We have had initial discussions about the timeline for a decision on participation in future PISA financial literacy assessments and will continue to actively engage with them on this topic as more information is provided by the OECD.

If he will make it his policy to create a cross-governmental strategy for the prevention of ill health that would include measures on tackling (a) health and (b) other lifestyle factors that affect a person's risk of developing dementia that are (i) within and (ii) not within people's control, such as air pollution.

As part of the Government’s health mission, we will shift from sickness to prevention, to tackle ill health, prevent premature deaths, and build a fairer United Kingdom where everyone lives longer, healthier lives.We have committed to developing a 10-year plan to deliver a National Health Service fit for the future. We will carefully be considering policies, including those that impact people with dementia care needs, with input from the public, patients, and health staff as we develop the plan.Since 2018, dementia risk reduction has been incorporated in the NHS Health Check to increase dementia awareness and motivate people to make positive changes to reduce their risks.We recognise that air pollution is one of the risk factors for dementia. The National Institute for Health and Care Research is supporting research to explore the link between dementia and air pollution, including a project to address how air pollution mitigation measures impact on neurological endpoints.

What steps his Department is taking to raise (a) public and (b) professional awareness of (i) inflammatory bowel disease and (ii) other unseen disabilities in the context of access to (A) healthcare and (B) social support for people with those conditions.

NHS England’s Getting It Right First Time Programme on gastroenterology aims to reduce variations in care, increase early diagnosis and proactive management of Crohn’s disease and colitis, and increase access to inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) specialist nurses.The National institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has also produced a range of guidance on IBD, Crohn’s disease and colitis, to support early diagnosis and effective management of these conditions. It ensures that the care provided to people with IBD is based on the best available evidence. In the last two years, the NICE has recommended four new drugs for the treatment of moderate to severe Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, including Upadacitinib, Risankizumab, Mirikizumab, and Etrasimod.NHS England’s National Bladder and Bowel Health Project is delivering better care for people with IBD, with a focus on developing clinical pathways. NHS England commissions specialised colorectal services nationally to support the equity of access to high-quality treatment for patients with IBD requiring complex surgery. This work is supported within NHS England by the clinical leadership of the Specialised Colorectal Services Clinical Reference Group, which is made up of experts in surgery, medicine, radiology, pathology, and nursing, alongside patient and public voice representatives.To raise awareness of IBD among general practitioners and other primary care staff, the Royal College of General Practitioners has produced an Inflammatory Bowel Disease Toolkit. The toolkit outlines when to suspect IBD, the appropriate investigative tests and diagnostic tools for IBD, how to manage a flare-up of symptoms, and how to support patients with IBD.Under the Equality Act 2010, health and social care organisations must make reasonable adjustments to ensure that disabled people are not disadvantaged. NHS England has issued guidance for National Health Service commissioners with respect to the Reasonable Adjustments Digital Flag (the Flag). The Flag has been developed to enable health and care workers to record, share, and view, in digital records, details of the reasonable adjustments required by an individual across the NHS, wherever the person is treated. The Flag was built and launched by NHS England in September 2023, and is being implemented in phases. NHS organisations will be required to fully comply with the requirements of the Flag by 31 December 2025.

What recent assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the decision to discontinue the Refugee Employability Programme on the ability of refugees to (a) secure employment, (b) integrate into local communities, and (c) access local childcare and healthcare services.

I refer the Honourable Member to the answer I gave on 17 December to Question UIN 18515.

For what reason her Department discontinued the Refugee Employability Programme.

I refer the Honourable Member to the answer I gave on 17 December to Question UIN 18515.