Written questions by Wrigley.

What steps her Department is taking to ensure that media literacy is included in the Curriculum and Assessment Review.

I refer the hon. Member for Newton Abbot to the answer of 1 May 2025 to Question 47184.

Innovation and Technology, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of (a) civil society and (b) community organisations delivering lifelong media literacy programmes for adults.

Civil society and community organisations are instrumental in delivering media literacy programmes to adults, leveraging their expertise to support diverse and vulnerable groups. Libraries and community centres provide accessible locations where adults of all ages can get guidance and advice.The Digital Inclusion Action Plan outlines steps toward delivering digital inclusion and media literacy for everyone in the UK, including supporting local and community initiatives to increase digital participation.Under updated media literacy duties, Ofcom is developing a ‘place-based’ model to embed media literacy into community digital strategies, working with the Good Things Foundation to support Digital Inclusion Hubs.

Innovation and Technology, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of poor media skills on young people's (a) employability and (b) workplace readiness.

According to the Essential Digital Skills Framework, media literacy-related skills, including understanding online risks, are essential for work. The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology has worked with FutureDotNow to analyse the benefits of essential digital skills for earnings and employability, with findings being published shortly.The Digital Inclusion Action Plan outlines steps towards delivering digital inclusion and media literacy for everyone in the UK. The independent Curriculum and Assessment Review is also considering how young people will acquire the digital skills needed for future life, with the interim report highlighting the need for a renewed focus on media literacy.

What recent discussions she has had with Great Western Railway on the potential closure of ticket offices in Devon.

I am not aware of any plans to close ticket offices in Devon. Closing a ticket office would be a major change under the Ticketing and Settlement Agreement and any proposal to close a ticket office would require a period of consultation before any decision was made.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will take steps to adapt existing farming subsidy schemes to incentivise the (a) housing of all farmed animals in woodland and (b) planting of woodland in permanent pasture to improve (i) animal welfare, (ii) climate and (iii) biodiversity targets.

Our in-field agroforestry offers under the Environmental Land Management (ELM) schemes include support for establishing and maintaining silvopastoral systems, where trees are planted in pasture to realise their multiple benefits such as enhanced animal welfare, climate change mitigation and supporting biodiversity. Under Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier (CSHT), land managers can plant and maintain in-field agroforestry systems up to an average of 400 trees her hectare. Land managers will be supported to design their agroforestry in a way that meets their objectives through the Agroforestry Plan (PA4) capital item. There are no restrictions on the species of livestock that can be farmed within in-field agroforestry systems. The animal welfare considerations for accommodation used for farmed animals are set out in The Welfare of Farmed Animals (England) Regulations 2007 with further guidance set out in the relevant species-specific welfare codes of practice.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of (a) silvopastoral and (b) holistic planned grazing practices to enhance (i) carbon sequestration and (ii) biodiversity.

All prospective Environmental Land Management (ELM) scheme offers were assessed for their potential impact against a range of environmental and cultural services, including carbon sequestration and biodiversity indicators. The assessment was based on a combination of expert opinion and rapid evidence reviews and is now published. In addition, we have modelled the impact of different densities and tree species suitable for silvo-pastoral systems on carbon sequestration and a limited set of species indicators. These models have given us the capability to assess the potential impact of Environmental Land Management offers. Within the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) there are a wide range of actions for the management of grassland, including herbal leys, legumes in grassland and management of grassland with very low nutrient inputs. The Sustainable Farming Incentive also includes actions for planning soil, nutrient and integrated pest management, which help farmers to choose the most appropriate practices for their farm.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of costs for opticians on trends in the level of people seeking eye care.

High street optical practices are independent businesses that deliver a mix of private and National Health Service eye care services. Free NHS sight tests are available for children, people aged 60 years old and over, individuals on income related benefits, and those at risk of particular eye diseases. The funding for NHS sight tests is demand led, with no limit set on the numbers of NHS sight tests that can be provided. The numbers of NHS sight tests continue to increase, with 13.7 million sight tests provided to eligible groups in 2023/24, and access for NHS patients remains good.Help is also available for eligible patients to assist with the cost of glasses or contact lenses, through NHS optical vouchers. Integrated care boards can also commission primary eye care services over and above the NHS sight testing service from optical practices, where they consider these necessary to meet local need.

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of re-opening Kingskerswell station.

No assessment of the potential merits of reopening Kingskerswell station is planned at this time.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of additional costs incurred during eye tests on low income households attending opticians.

Free National Health Service sight tests are available to individuals on income-related benefits, and help is also available through the NHS low income scheme. An ophthalmic practitioner is required to undertake any clinically necessary tests to determine if a patient has any signs of injury, disease, or abnormality, and to refer the patient for any necessary further investigations. Therefore, no patient receiving a sight test under the NHS is required to incur any additional costs.Additionally, NHS optical vouchers to help towards the cost of glasses or contact lenses are available for eligible groups, including people on income-related benefits, and through the NHS low-income scheme. Patients can use their voucher to purchase their optical appliance from a supplier of choice, and there are providers who offer a range of glasses within voucher value.

If he will take steps to increase the amount of compensation provided to bereaved carers through the infected blood compensation scheme.

The Government recognises that every victim of infected blood will have their own unique circumstances, and experienced devastating losses. Carers of an eligible infected person who, without reward or remuneration, provided personal care or support greater than would otherwise reasonably have been expected are eligible for compensation under the Infected Blood Compensation Scheme in their own right. Additionally, an infected person can choose for some or all of their Care award to be paid directly to eligible affected people who provided the care. They can choose exactly how much of the overall award they want to give, and to how many people. An executor of a deceased infected person's estate will be responsible for administering the estate as per the wishes of the infected person.

Pursuant to the Answer of 19 March 2025 to Question 37398 on Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund, if she will hold discussions with Adoption UK on funding for the adoption and special guardianship support fund.

I meet regularly with key adoption stakeholders including Adoption UK and will continue to do so to discuss a wider variety of adoption issues, including the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund. Departmental officials also have regular meetings with Adoption UK to discuss issues relating to adoption.

Pursuant to the Answer of 9 April 2025 to Question 43362 on Railways: Newton Abbot, if she will extend South Western Railway services from Exeter St David's to Newton Abbot when it enters public ownership.

There are currently no plans to extend South Western Railway services from Exeter St David’s to Newton Abbot when it enters public ownership.

If she will take steps to ensure that ticket offices in Devon are not closed.

I am not aware of any plans to close ticket offices in Devon. Closing a ticket office would be a major change under the Ticketing and Settlement Agreement and any proposal to close a ticket office would require a period of consultation before any decision was made.

If he will make an assessment of the (a) adequacy of disability access at train stations in Newton Abbot constituency and (b) potential impact of removing customer service assistants at railway stations on disabled residents.

We are committed to enhancing railway accessibility for all, including those in the Newton Abbey constituency with disabilities. As part of the ongoing Spending Review, we are assessing public spending and cannot comment on individual schemes until the process concludes this Summer.Rail operators, under their license conditions and Accessible Travel Policy, must participate in the Passenger Assist scheme, ensuring disabled passengers and those with additional needs can travel safely and with confidence.

If she will take steps to fund a disability access lift at Teignmouth railway station.

We are committed to the Access for All programme, which has delivered accessible routes at more than 270 stations. Teighmouth station was not selected by the previous Government for the programme, but the station already has an accessible route, and if any passenger is unable to use the station GWR will provide assistance or alternative transport at no additional cost.

Whether supplementary financial loss claims under the Infected Blood Compensation Scheme will be open to estates of deceased victims.

Yes. The supplementary route for financial loss will be open to all infected people, including those who have very sadly passed away.

Whether she is taking steps to ensure that vehicles sold in the UK will have automatic headlamp levelling systems by 2027.

Recognising the global nature of the automotive industry, the detailed technical requirements for new vehicles are typically developed within the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), in which the UK is an active member. The UNECE amended its regulations in 2023 to include requirements for automatic headlamp levelling. Vehicle manufacturers can already approve vehicles to this latest regulation, but the transitional provisions covering these requirements run from September 2027 to September 2030 and it would breach our international treaty obligations to mandate these provisions for all vehicles sold during this period. The domestic vehicle type-approval regulation sets the minimum standards to be met by vehicles before entering service in Great Britain, and is kept under constant review. A decision on automatic headlamp levelling will be taken in due course.

Pursuant to the Answer of 4 March 2025 to Question 34686 on Cars: Lighting, if her Department will commission research into potential correlations between LED headlight brightness and road accidents caused by glare.

All types of road vehicle headlamps, including those using LED technology, are designed, tested and approved to internationally recognised standards to help prevent undue glare on a broad range of roads and environments. Police recorded collision statistics in Great Britain do not show any discernible trend over time that would suggest an underlying road safety issue linked to advances in lighting technology. However, Government recognises increased public concern around headlamp glare and, as noted in my answer to Question 34686, has commissioned independent research. This is measuring light levels experienced by drivers during real driving on UK roads and considers factors like vehicle characteristics, weather conditions and ambient lighting. It also includes a programme of stakeholder engagement to build a comprehensive understanding of the issues. Careful consideration will be given to that work when it reports later this year to determine what future actions may be appropriate to ensure the safety of all road users.

How the Infected Blood Compensation Authority will determine the date of first infection in cases where no clear medical record exists.

Given the historic nature of the infected blood scandal, the Government recognises that not all medical records will still be available. The Scheme has been designed to minimise as far as possible the burden on those applying, and as set out in the Infected Blood Compensation Scheme Regulations 2024, eligibility for the Scheme will be determined based on the balance of probabilities. The Infected Blood Compensation Authority will provide assistance to those who believe their medical records have been lost or destroyed. If it is not possible to establish the year in which the infection was contracted, the year in which the first blood product was received will be taken as the infection year unless there is evidence an infection must have occurred later. The regulations set out that, in such cases, the earliest possible year an infection could have been contracted will be accepted.

Whether the Government plans to provide publicly funded legal advice and advocacy services to claimants of the Infected Blood Compensation Scheme.

The Infected Blood Compensation Scheme has been designed so that the process to make a claim is as easy as possible, without the advice of a solicitor. However, the Government recognises that people may wish to seek legal advice. The Infected Blood Compensation Authority’s approach is that everyone claiming compensation should be able to access free legal and financial support, up to an agreed amount, to help with certain parts of their claim. The Infected Blood Compensation Authority is providing independent legal support to the people making the first claims, with around half of those who have submitted a claim so far having taken up the offer of legal support.