Written questions by Mullane.

Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to help ensure social housing delivery reduces the number of families waiting for (a) three, (b) four, and (c) 5 bedroom homes.

The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) makes clear that local authorities should assess the size, type, and tenure of housing needed for different groups, including those who require affordable and social rent homes, and should reflect this in their planning policies and decisions. Assessments of affordable housing need should estimate the numbers of those who cannot meet their needs in the market, including those in need of larger family homes. Local planning authorities are expected to set out the proportion and type of affordable and social rent housing that new development will be required to provide. The government is currently consulting on a new NPPF that includes clearer, rules- based policies for plan-making and decision-making. The consultation includes policies to increase the viable provision of more affordable homes. The consultation can be found on gov.uk here and will remain open for responses until 10 March 2026.

Communities and Local Government, what progress his Department has made on ensuring infrastructure accompanies new housing delivery.

The National Planning Policy Framework sets out that the purpose of the planning system is to contribute to the achievement of sustainable development, including the provision of supporting infrastructure in a sustainable manner. It also supports the increased provision and modernisation of various types of public infrastructure. Local development plans should address needs and opportunities in relation to infrastructure and identify what infrastructure is required and how it can be funded and brought forward. When preparing a Local Plan, Planning Practice Guidance recommends that local planning authorities use available evidence of infrastructure requirements to prepare an Infrastructure Funding Statement. Such Statements can be used to demonstrate the delivery of infrastructure throughout the plan-period. The government provides financial support for essential infrastructure in areas of greatest housing demand through Land and Infrastructure funding programmes, such as the Housing Infrastructure Fund. The government is also committed to strengthening the existing system of developer contributions to ensure new developments provide necessary affordable homes and infrastructure. Further details will be set out in due course. Our Planning and Infrastructure Act includes various provisions designed to streamline the delivery of new homes and critical infrastructure. The government is currently consulting on a new NPPF that includes clearer, ‘rules based’ policies for decision-making and plan-making. The consultation includes policies designed to further strengthen support for proposals that provide new or improved community facilities and public service infrastructure. The consultation can be found on gov.uk here and will remain open for responses until 10 March 2026.

Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to support the regeneration of existing social housing stock.

I refer the hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 28 January 2026 (HCWS1283).

Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to ensure that the hardest to reach young people are supported by the National Youth Strategy.

The National Youth Strategy outlines our plan to increase young people’s access to enriching activities, safe spaces and support from trusted adults. A key ambition of the Strategy is to halve the participation gap in enriching activities between disadvantaged young people and their peers by 2035.To help achieve this, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport will increase place-based support in underserved places to increase impact. Some of the first funded steps to achieve this ambition include over £60 million for the Richer Young Lives Fund to provide local organisations with money to deliver high-quality youth work and fun activities.

Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the local authority statutory duty to provide youth services.

This Government is passionate in delivering for young people, that’s why this Government has set out the National Youth Strategy. This strategy clearly states that young people should have people who care, places to go and things to do, and to feel heard and seen.As part of the National Youth Strategy we have committed to explore reviewing the current local authorities’ statutory duty for youth services as part of a wider review of local statutory duties. This will look at whether the current duty is working and at how to empower local authorities to better deliver on their responsibilities for youth services.Local authorities currently play a key part in delivering youth services, reflected in their statutory duty to provide sufficient leisure-time activities and facilities in line with local needs. After years of funding cuts to Local Authority funding we know that some areas have faced challenges in meeting this duty. That’s why this Government is investing nearly £70 million over the next three financial years to better support local authorities' delivery for young people.

If he will take steps to improve data collection on occupational diseases linked to silica exposure.

Clinical assessments of silicosis are being reported on the Surveillance of Work-related and Occupational Respiratory Disease (SWORD) database, which collects voluntary information from around 350 physicians of respiratory disease, including silicosis. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) intends to consult on potential changes to the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR) including consideration of changing the definitions of occupational diseases that employers would be required to report. HSE is intending to launch a public consultation on these options in 2026, which will be subject to Ministerial review.

What steps his Department has taken to improve (a) early diagnosis and (b) treatment of silicosis in the NHS.

The Government is committed to increasing the capacity of respiratory services and is improving access to these services through new community diagnostic centres (CDCs). All standard and large CDCs are required to offer diagnostic respiratory tests which can diagnose silicosis, such as spirometry and full lung function tests as part of their core testing offer.The National Health Service has specialist centres for diagnosing and managing lung diseases that cause scarring, such as silicosis. NHS Interstitial Lung Disease clinics offer expert care from specialist respiratory doctors and nurses, often with access to additional services like lung function testing and research facilities.

What steps his Department is taking to raise awareness among (a) employers and (b) workers of the risks of silica exposure.

Great Britain has a well-established regulatory framework under the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (as amended) (COSHH), which requires employers to protect workers’ health by preventing exposure to Respirable Crystalline Silica (RCS). The Health and Safety Executive (HSE), as the regulator for workplace health and safety, is carrying out a range of activities to tackle the risks of silicosis from work that can generate RCS. HSE has delivered several national inspection campaigns and has engaged with trade associations, material suppliers and manufacturers of products about legal responsibilities for ensuring adequate controls are in place when processing stone products. Guidance for employers, workers, managers and supervisors is available on HSE’s website and the Government’s Workright website setting out how workers can be protected from exposure to RCS. In response to specific concerns about risks of working with engineered stone an information leaflet, launched jointly with the Worktop Fabricators Federation (WFF) and the Stone Federation, targets those in control of such work promoting risk awareness, required control measures and sources of further information. HSE also worked with the British Occupational Hygiene Society, the WFF and Safety Remotely to launch a free online training tool to help anyone working in the kitchen worktop industry. An information leaflet was launched on HSE’s website in October 2025 specifically to raise awareness amongst workers, including translations in Polish, Punjabi and Arabic.

What assessment he has made of the risks of silicosis among workers in the construction and engineered stone industries.

Great Britain has a well-established regulatory framework under the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (as amended) (COSHH) that requires employers to control exposure to substances that can cause ill health, such as respirable crystalline silica (RCS) that can cause silicosis. The risk of exposure to RCS in workers in the construction and engineered stone industries can be managed using suitable control measures meeting well established standards. Suitable control measures include the use of water suppression of dust containing RCS generated in construction and manufacturing processes, control of any mist generated and use of personal protective equipment such as respirators (masks). The effectiveness of controls must be maintained and workers must be trained to use such controls. Employers must also ensure that employees who are, or are liable to be, exposed to RCS are under suitable health surveillance.

What steps he is taking to help reduce elective care waiting times (a) in general and (b) for joint replacement surgery.

The Government is committed to putting patients first and tackling waiting lists as part of our Health Mission. We exceeded our pledge to deliver an extra two million appointments, tests, and operations in our first year of Government, delivering 5.2 million additional appointments between July 2024 and June 2025. This marks a vital first step to delivering on our commitment to return to the National Health Service constitutional standard that 92% of patients wait no longer than 18 weeks from referral to consultant-led treatment by March 2029.The Department is taking a range of steps to reduce waiting times for surgery, including joint replacement surgery. There are currently 123 surgical hubs operational across England, and we are committed to expanding the number of hubs over the next three years to increase surgical capacity and deliver faster access to common procedures. Surgical hubs have been shown to deliver approximately 20% increased productivity in the hubs compared to trusts without a dedicated elective hub on site.The Getting it Right First time (GIRFT) programme published detailed guidance for hip and knee replacements in July 2023 and has been supporting trusts through a multidisciplinary team made up of anaesthetic, surgical, and allied health professional colleagues. Additionally, GIRFT is leading a community musculoskeletal programme, supporting improvements in the early stages of the pathway, to ensure that only those patients who require surgery are referred into secondary care, and that their condition is optimised for surgery as far as possible at the point of referral. Further information on the GIRFT programme is available at the following link:https://gettingitrightfirsttime.co.uk/

What recent assessment she has made of trends in the level of silicosis among workers.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) uses the Surveillance of Work-related and Occupational Respiratory Disease (SWORD) database to monitor trends in cases of silicosis. HSE uses SWORD data that is reported voluntarily by around 350 physicians of respiratory disease to monitor cases of silicosis arising from work activity. HSE continues to monitor the number of cases recorded on the SWORD database.Over the period from January 2024 to October 2025 HSE has seen an increased trend in notifications of silicosis on SWORD. HSE will continue to work with trade associations, material suppliers and manufacturers of products about their legal responsibilities and will continue to carry out a range of activities to raise awareness.

What role she plans for policing to play in achieving the objective of halving violence against women and girls in a decade.

This Government has been clear that the level of violence against women and girls (VAWG) in our country is intolerable, and we are treating it as the national emergency that it is. Victims must feel confident in the police’s ability to handle their case and we are committed to playing a more active role in policing to ensure officers have the right support, to significantly improve standards across the board and to ensure justice is delivered.The Home Office has invested £13.1 million funding to launch a new National Centre for VAWG and Public Protection (NCVPP) to improve the policing response to VAWG and child sexual abuse and exploitation. Launched in April 2025, the NCVPP provides coordinated leadership within policing to drive up operational standards and skills across all 43 forces in their response to VAWG crimes. Through the NCVPP, we are working closely with the College of Policing to develop strengthened, specialist training for officers across all operational levels - frontline, specialist, and leadership.The new VAWG Strategy will set the direction for the next decade, driving forward the Government’s bold ambition to halve VAWG within ten years. We are working tirelessly across government to deliver a Strategy that will set out bold, concrete actions to prevent violence and abuse, pursue perpetrators and bring them to justice, and protect victims and survivors. It’s vital we get it right. We're working towards publication of the Strategy as soon as possible.

If it remains her policy to move to a multi-year police settlement model.

The Government recognises the importance of funding certainty to enable policing to deliver for their communities and is committed to giving police the resources they need to tackle crime. That is why the Chancellor has announced a real terms increase in police spending power over the next three years.As with previous years, more detail on force funding allocations for 2026-27 will be set out at the forthcoming police funding settlement.

What progress has been made regarding on the manifesto commitment to roll out a direct entry scheme for detectives to boost investigation skills.

It is essential that police forces recruit the best and most able people to meet the evolving demands of policing and deliver the best possible service to the public.There are existing opportunities to join policing directly into detective roles, including through the Police Now programme, which enables graduates who may not have previously considered a career in policing to join in specialist roles.We are committed to ensuring a wide choice of entry routes available into policing to help to attract a diverse range of people, skills, experience and are considering this as part of wider police reform. In addition, we are funding a Leadership Commission, set up by the College of Policing and led by Lord Blunkett and Lord Herbert, which is examining the current entry routes into policing and potential alternative models to attract and develop talent.

Whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of fully funding the specialist palliative (a) care, (b) advice and (c) assessment provided by hospices.

Whilst the majority of palliative care and end of life care is provided by National Health Service staff and services, we recognise the vital part that voluntary sector organisations, including hospices, also play in providing support to people at the end of life, as well as their loved ones. Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for the commissioning of palliative care and end of life care services, to meet the needs of their local populations. To support ICBs in this duty, NHS England has published statutory guidance and service specifications. The amount of funding charitable hospices receive varies by ICB area, and will, in part, be dependent on the breadth of palliative care, including specialist palliative care, and end of life care provision within each ICB catchment area. It is important to note that hospices, like the NHS, provide both specialist and generalist palliative care and end of life care. Not all patients will require specialist palliative care. We are supporting the hospice sector with a £100 million capital funding boost for eligible adult and children’s hospices in England to ensure they have the best physical environment for care.We are also providing £26 million in revenue funding to support children and young people’s hospices for 2025/26.  I can also now confirm the continuation of this vital funding for the three years of the next Spending Review period, from 2026/27 to 2028/29 inclusive. This funding will see approximately £26 million, adjusted for inflation, allocated to children and young people’s hospices in England each year, via their local ICBs and on behalf of NHS England, as happened in 2024/25 and 2025/26.  This amounts to approximately £80 million over the next three years.

Communities and Local Government, what consideration his Department of providing additional resource for local authorities to enforce 12 month relet bans on landlords who do not adhere to incoming legislation within the Renters Rights Bill.

In accordance with the New Burdens Doctrine, we will ensure additional net costs on local authorities created by the Renters’ Rights Bill are fully funded.

What her planned timeline is for waiving visa fees for spouses and children of current and former serving personnel who are of non-UK nationality.

The Government remains committed to supporting current and former serving personnel and their families; ensuring that they do not face any disadvantage due to their service.The Home Office is actively working with the Ministry of Defence on the manifesto commitment to scrap visa fees for veterans and their dependants and will keep stakeholders updated on progress.

Communities and Local Government, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of amending planning legislation on digital advertising screens.

The advertisement control regime seeks to control the impact of advertisements by reference to their effect on amenity and public safety. Responsibility for the application of the legislation rests with local planning authorities and they are best placed to consider the impact of specific advertisements. My Department has not made any assessment of the impact of digital advertising screens and we have no current plans to issue guidance to local planning authorities on the cumulative impact of such installations.

Whether his Department has prepared an impact assessment on the decision to freeze the local housing allowance.

The Secretary of State considers a range of factors when reviewing Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rates. This includes the impact of the current rental market, the Government’s goals on housing, and the wider fiscal context. In April 2024, LHA rates were increased to the 30th percentile of local market rents costing £1.2bn in 2024/25 and £7bn over 5 years. LHA rates have been maintained at 2024/25 levels for 2025/26. The impacts of this are described in the explanatory memorandum for the legislation: The Rent Officers (Housing Benefit and Universal Credit Functions) (Modification) Order 2025 - Explanatory Memorandum The Secretary of State considers LHA rates annually in the Autumn. Autumn Budget decisions will be taken in the round, considering the Government’s missions and the challenging fiscal context.

Food and Rural Affairs, what progress his Department has made in establishing a national social tariff for water consumers; and what steps he is taking to ensure that a national social tariff will end geographical disparities in the support available for consumers.

Water companies must ensure support is available for vulnerable customers who are struggling to pay their bills. Companies have therefore more than doubled the number of customers that will receive help with their bills through social tariffs – from 4% to 9 and government expects industry to keep the current support schemes under review to ensure that vulnerable customers across the country are supported. The Independent Water Commission made a recommendation to consult on a National Social Tariff which the Government is taking into consideration and will provide a response to later this year in a White Paper.