Written questions by Evans.

If he will make an assessment of the adequacy of hospice bed capacity and how this is tracked nationally.

The majority of hospices are charitable, independent organisations and, therefore, the Government does not collect or keep data on hospice bed capacity nationally. There are no current plans to make a formal assessment of the adequacy of hospice bed capacity.Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for commissioning core and specialist palliative care services to meet the reasonable needs of their population, which can include hospice services available within the ICB catchment. To support ICBs in this duty, NHS England has published statutory guidance and a service specification.The Government is developing a Palliative Care and End of Life Care Modern Service Framework (MSF) for England. Through our MSF, we will closely monitor the shift towards the strategic commissioning of palliative care and end-of-life care services to ensure that services reduce variation in access and quality. As part of the MSF, we will consider contracting and commissioning arrangements. We recognise that there is currently a mix of contracting models in the hospice sector. By supporting ICBs to commission more strategically, we can move away from grant and block contract models. In the long term, this will aid sustainability and help hospices’ ability to plan ahead.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of mandating Advice and Guidance requests on the legal and accountability frameworks for clinicians.

Changes introduced as part of the 2025/26 GP Contract consultation included the introduction of the Enhanced Service for Advice and Guidance (A&G). This built upon existing use of A&G pathways by general practice over previous years, which helped to ensure patients received care at the right place and the right time. The Department and NHS England are embedding A&G into the core GP Contract for 2026/27. This removes the need for annual sign‑up and treats A&G as routine clinical practice with predictable, recurrent funding.The use of A&G does not alter existing legal or professional accountability frameworks, and supportive guidance is available to help signpost these responsibilities. Clinical decisions remain with appropriately qualified professionals under established regulatory and local governance arrangements, and NHS England continues to ensure these frameworks remain clear and robust as the use of A&G expands, including through job planning guidance that supports clinicians to manage this activity safely and appropriately.

What assessment he has made of the adequacy of the current National Institute for Health and Care Excellence clinical guidelines on generalised anxiety disorder and panic disorder in adults.

National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines are developed by experts based on a thorough assessment of the available evidence and through extensive engagement with a wide range of stakeholders. They represent best practice, and healthcare professionals are expected to take them fully into account in the care and treatment of their patients. NICE keeps its guidance under active surveillance and decisions on whether published guidelines should be updated in light of new evidence are taken by the NICE prioritisation board, chaired by the NICE Chief Medical Officer, in line with its published prioritisation framework. There are currently no plans to update the guideline on generalised anxiety and panic disorder.

In relation to the GP contract 2026/27, what framework he has put in place to help ensure that hospitals respond to Advice and Guidance requests in a timely manner.

Advice and Guidance (A&G) is a clinical collaboration tool that supports timely specialist input and helps patients receive care in the right setting, enabling best use of clinical time.The GP Contract 2026/27 sets out that practices will be required to use A&G prior to, or in place of, a planned care referral where clinically appropriate. It also sets out the expectation for practices to follow locally agreed referral pathways, including single point of access (SPoA) models once introduced. Similarly, our Medium-term Planning Framework, published in October 2026, introduced plans to support increased A&G by moving to an elective SPoA model. All appropriate referrals and requests, other than those for urgent suspected cancer, will be directed through a single ‘front door’ to support triage to the most appropriate next step or outcome for the patient. This will help reduce unnecessary appointments, making the best use of clinical time. The Medium-Term Planning Framework set the aim for all referrals to go via a SPoA for at least 10 specialties determined at provider level by October 2026, which provides flexibility for local teams to deliver where there is the most potential for the model to be effective, including ensuring timely responses.Integrated care boards are expected to support the introduction of expanded A&G and SPoA through their strategic commissioning for 2026/27. National Health Service trusts will continue to be funded to deliver A&G through a fixed payment negotiated locally to ensure predictable and sufficient funding to cover increased A&G use. NHS England will continue to work with systems to monitor performance, share good practice, and support timely responses, including through job planning guidance that supports clinicians to manage A&G safely and appropriately.

In relation to the GP contract 2026/27, how his Department plans to support hospitals in dealing with the increased caseloads generated by mandating Advice and Guidance.

Advice and Guidance (A&G) is a clinical collaboration tool that supports timely specialist input and helps patients receive care in the right setting, enabling best use of clinical time.The GP Contract 2026/27 sets out that practices will be required to use A&G prior to, or in place of, a planned care referral where clinically appropriate. It also sets out the expectation for practices to follow locally agreed referral pathways, including single point of access (SPoA) models once introduced. Similarly, our Medium-term Planning Framework, published in October 2026, introduced plans to support increased A&G by moving to an elective SPoA model. All appropriate referrals and requests, other than those for urgent suspected cancer, will be directed through a single ‘front door’ to support triage to the most appropriate next step or outcome for the patient. This will help reduce unnecessary appointments, making the best use of clinical time. The Medium-Term Planning Framework set the aim for all referrals to go via a SPoA for at least 10 specialties determined at provider level by October 2026, which provides flexibility for local teams to deliver where there is the most potential for the model to be effective, including ensuring timely responses.Integrated care boards are expected to support the introduction of expanded A&G and SPoA through their strategic commissioning for 2026/27. National Health Service trusts will continue to be funded to deliver A&G through a fixed payment negotiated locally to ensure predictable and sufficient funding to cover increased A&G use. NHS England will continue to work with systems to monitor performance, share good practice, and support timely responses, including through job planning guidance that supports clinicians to manage A&G safely and appropriately.

Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions the Flood Resilience Taskforce has had with local fire and rescue services on responding to major flooding incidents.

The Floods Resilience Taskforce brings together representatives from national, regional and local government, devolved Governments and the emergency services including the National Fire Chiefs Council and the Fire Brigades Union who are standing members. Local Resilience Forums are also represented, with membership rotating between different areas and they provide a perspective from local areas, including from Fire and Rescue Services. In February 2025, the Floods Resilience Taskforce considered the response to autumn and winter flooding including the work of the Fire and Rescue Services. The Taskforce plans to meet in March 2026 to discuss the most recent autumn and winter flooding.

Pursuant to the Answer of 23 February 2026 to Question 113322 on Driving Disqualification, if she can list the reasons for exceptional hardship that were cited by the drivers with 12 or more penalty points who have retained current entitlement to drive.

The Department for Transport and the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) do not hold information on the reasons put forward in exceptional hardship applications. Decisions on whether exceptional hardship has been established, and the grounds advanced in support of such applications, are matters for the courts. DVLA’s role is to update and maintain the driver record using information provided by His Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service, and it does not receive or hold the underlying reasons cited to the court.

Pursuant to the Answer of 23 February 2026 to Question 113322 on Driving Disqualification, if she will hold discussions with local police forces on drivers who can retain their entitlement to drive after accruing 12 or more penalty points.

Where a driving licence holder has accumulated 12 or more penalty points, a court can exercise its discretion and decide not to disqualify them. Courts may allow drivers to retain their entitlement to drive where it is considered that disqualification would cause exceptional hardship. These decisions are for the courts, not the Department for Transport or the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), which update and maintain the driver record using information provided by His Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service. The Department has no plans to hold discussions with local police forces about court decisions on whether an individual is disqualified under the ‘totting up’ provisions.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer for 15 December 97962 on Park Home Sales, if he will list the representative bodies he has met to discuss the commission on receipt of a park home sale in the last year.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 113661 on 2 March 2026.

Whether she has had discussions with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the potential implications for her policies of the report by the IFS entitled Annual report on education spending in England: 2025–26, published in January 2026.

The department and HM Treasury discuss matters relating to school funding on an ongoing basis. These conversations are supported by government analysis relating to school funding, some of which is in the public domain.

What recent discussions she has had with [a] Cabinet colleagues and [b] external bodies on the freezing of the repayment threshold for student loans.

My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education and departmental officials regularly engage with Cabinet colleagues and external bodies on a range of matters, including higher education (HE) finance and funding.We are determined that the HE funding system should deliver for students, for our economy, and for universities. The government keeps the student finance system under continuous review to ensure that it delivers good value for both students and taxpayers.

Whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of the difference in approach in Wales towards freezing Part 2 Student Loan repayment thresholds on equalities in England.

Education is a devolved matter, and therefore it is a matter for the devolved administrations to decide how they wish to develop their higher education systems. It is for the Welsh government to develop their own equalities impact assessment for borrowers in Wales.

What is the evidential basis for her view that graduates will pay back £8 more a month on average due to the freezing of the repayment threshold for student loans.

Monthly repayments for a borrower earning above the repayment threshold in a scenario with no threshold freeze was calculated as £8 lower in the 2027/28 financial year compared to the repayments of the same borrower in a scenario with a freeze. This is calculated as 9% (the repayment rate) of the difference between the frozen threshold and the non-frozen threshold. This figure was based on Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) inflation forecasts from the 2025 Spring Statement.Following updated OBR economic forecasts released on 3 March 2026 as part of the Spring Statement, this figure has been recalculated and remains £8.For borrowers earning less than the threshold calculated without a freeze, the increased repayments compared to the freeze scenario will be less than £8, and borrowers earning below the frozen threshold will continue to repay nothing.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 15 December 2026 to Question 97962 on Park Home Sales, when he last met with representatives of the park home sector to discuss issues surrounding commission on receipt of park home sale.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 113661 on 2 March 2026.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of shortages of driver examiners on learner drivers’ access to driving test slots.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) is continuing with recruitment campaigns across the country to provide as many tests as possible. A full-time driving examiner (DE) can be expected to add approximately 1,200 tests per year to the booking system. Examiner capacity is rising. Since April 2025, and as of January 2026, DVSA has seen an increase in the number of full-time equivalent (FTE) DEs, from 1,413 to 1,546; an increase of 130 FTE DEs.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether issues associated with the potential merits of introducing information about methods of slaughter on food labelling have been raised in her discussions with the [i] National Farmers Union, [ii] the British Retail Consortium, [iii] the Food and Drink Federation, and [iv] UK Hospitality.

Defra engages regularly with all relevant stakeholders in the farming and food industry on a range of topical matters, including food labelling. Defra also engages regularly with other interested stakeholders, such as animal welfare NGOs, on matters relating to farm animal welfare. As set out in the recently published animal welfare strategy, the Government is committed to ensuring that consumers have access to clear information on how their food was produced. To support this, the Government will continue working with relevant stakeholders, including the farming and food industry, scientists and NGOs to explore how improved food labelling more generally could provide greater consumer transparency and promote better animal welfare.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether issues associated with the potential merits of introducing information about methods of slaughter on food labelling have been raised in her discussions with the [i] British Meat Processors Association, [ii] the International Meat Trade Association, [iii] the Association of Independent Meat Suppliers, and [iv] the British Poultry Council.

Defra engages regularly with all relevant stakeholders in the farming and food industry on a range of topical matters, including food labelling. Defra also engages regularly with other interested stakeholders, such as animal welfare NGOs, on matters relating to farm animal welfare. As set out in the recently published animal welfare strategy, the Government is committed to ensuring that consumers have access to clear information on how their food was produced. To support this, the Government will continue working with relevant stakeholders, including the farming and food industry, scientists and NGOs to explore how improved food labelling more generally could provide greater consumer transparency and promote better animal welfare.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the 5p cut to fuel duty on levels of social mobility in rural areas.

The Chancellor considers a wide range of impacts when taking decisions on tax policy. At Budget 2025, the Government announced that the 5p cut in fuel duty would be extended until the end of August 2026, with rates then gradually returning to March 2022 levels by March 2027. The planned increase in line with inflation for 2026/27 will also not take place, with RPI uprating resuming from 2027/28 onwards. The Government’s decision on fuel duty will save the average car driver £49 in 2026/27. Those driving more than average, which includes drivers in rural communities, will generally experience larger savings. The Rural Fuel Duty Relief Scheme provides a 5p per litre reduction to motorists buying fuel in certain areas. The areas included in the scheme demonstrate certain characteristics such as: pump prices much higher than the UK average; remoteness leading to high fuel transport costs from refinery to filling station; and relatively low sales meaning that retailers cannot benefit from bulk discounts.

What steps she is taking to ensure that national investment strategies in [i] skills [ii] transport and [iii] infrastructure are at comparable levels between mayoral combined authorities and non mayoral combined authorities.

The government recognises the importance of ensuring that all areas have strategies in place, and can drive forward improvements in transport, skills and infrastructure. Areas not part of a combined authority still receive investment in skills, transport and infrastructure, and are required to produce the relevant strategies.In addition, for those areas which want greater devolution without being part of a Combined Authority, the government has invited them to bring forward with their neighbours an expression of interest for a Foundation Strategic Authority.

If she will conduct an assessment of national investment strategies in [i] skills [ii] transport and [iii] infrastructure for Leicestershire, Leicester and Rutland to ensure comparability with mayoral combined authorities.

The government recognises the importance of ensuring that all areas have strategies in place, and can drive forward improvements in transport, skills and infrastructure. Areas not part of a combined authority still receive investment in skills, transport and infrastructure, and are required to produce the relevant strategies.In addition, for those areas which want greater devolution without being part of a Combined Authority, the government has invited them to bring forward with their neighbours an expression of interest for a Foundation Strategic Authority.