Written questions by Wrigley.

What discussions she has had with local authorities on a standardised parking app.

The Government continues to support the concept of a National Parking Platform (NPP), a digital system designed to connect parking apps across the UK to provide a simpler service for users, by enabling them to use the app of their choice wherever they park. The Government recognises the many benefits of an NPP and the depth of support for it across the parking sector with over 200 local authorities having expressed an interest in joining. However, we are of the view that it could and should be delivered without the need to rely on public funding, particularly given the dire financial position the Government inherited. The Department is working with the parking industry to explore options for taking forward delivery of a national platform. The industry has responded positively to this and the pilot version of the NPP will continue to be funded to 31 March 2025 while these discussions continue.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of national purchasing of NHS England equipment.

NHS Supply Chain is responsible for procuring products, warehousing and delivering consumables and medical equipment on behalf of the National Health Service. It became fully operational in April 2019, under the ownership of my Rt. Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care; since 2021, NHS Supply Chain has been owned by NHS England.The merits of NHS Supply Chain are that it leverages the collective buying power of the NHS to drive savings and provide a standardised range of clinically assured quality products at the best value. NHS Supply Chain manages more than eight million orders per year across more than 129,000 order points and over 16,000 locations, delivering over 35 million lines of ordered goods to the NHS annually.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to monitor companies responsibilities and duties to the environment.

The Government makes full use of the comprehensive and wide ranging environmental regulatory framework in England. There are many regulators involved in delivering Government environmental objectives, and the Environment Agency (EA) is the largest environmental regulator for England. The EA regulates a wide range of industries and activities, in diverse fields such as nuclear power, waste and resources, the water industry, climate change, flood protection. Its regulation brings about significant improvements in protection of the environment, adapts to emerging challenges and supports sustainable growth. The Government also supports voluntary environmental due diligence approaches adopted by UK businesses across their operations and supply chain relationships, in line with the OECD’s Guidelines for Responsible Business Conduct. DBT also oversees the UK’s National Contact Point for Responsible Business Conduct, an independent unit tasked with promoting the OECD Guidelines and managing a non-judicial grievance mechanism to resolve complaints through mediation.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will take steps to help protect the rights of residents in Gaza.

Gaza lies in ruins, and it is crucial we move through the phases of the current ceasefire agreement to the reconstruction of Gaza. That is the guarantee that there is a future for Palestinians in their home. We've always been clear in our belief that we must see two states. We must see Palestinians able to live and prosper in their homelands. We oppose moving Palestinians in Gaza to neighbouring Arab states against their will. There must be no forced displacement of Palestinians, nor any reduction in the territory of the Gaza strip. Palestinian civilians should be able to return to and rebuild their homes and their lives.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help the UK meet its commitments on climate change adaptation.

Defra is the lead department for domestic adaptation to climate change, responsible for coordinating requirements set out in the UK Climate Change Act 2008. This includes preparing a UK Climate Change Risk Assessment every five years, followed by a National Adaptation Programme. Defra works closely with the Cabinet Office in delivering this function. Our new pilot, the “Local Authority Climate Service” tool provides Met Office climate data to local authorities based on their specific geographic areas, empowering them to take more effective decisions based on their local risk landscape.Our new £15 million Defra-UKRI research programme ‘Maximising UK Adaptation to Climate Change’ (MACC) will fund world leading strategic research projects to help improve the UK’s resilience to climate change impacts.The Cabinet Office and Defra jointly chair the director-level Climate Resilience Steering Board with HM Treasury and key risk owning departments.Alongside delivering NAP3 we are committed to strengthening the nation’s resilience and are considering a range of options to better embed climate adaptation across the whole of government. Defra has responsibility for around half of the 61 risks and opportunities identified in the third Climate Change Risk Assessment, with a further eleven government departments having responsibility for the remainder.

What assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of the parole board report on IPP prison sentences.

The Parole Board published interim guidance on 12 November 2024 to provide Parole Board panels with points to consider when undertaking parole reviews for prisoners sentenced to an Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPP) or Detention for Public Protection (DPP) sentence. It assists panels with identifying ways of working to effectively manage such cases fairly and justly, whilst maintaining a focus on risk and the test for release and taking public protection as the over-riding priority. On 15 November 2024, the Government published the updated IPP Action Plan, which puts a stronger emphasis on effective frontline delivery in our prisons. It will ensure that prisoners serving IPP sentences have robust and effective sentence plans, which they are actively engaging with, and that they are in the correct prison to access the right interventions and rehabilitative services.

Innovation and Technology, what assessment his Department has made of the potential for harm by small websites not included in the Online Harm Bill.

All user-to-user services, no matter their size and regardless of whether they are categorised, will be captured by the Online Safety Act. The illegal content duties will require all user-to-user services – including small but risky services - to risk assess for illegal content, reduce the risk that users encounter illegal content, and mitigate against their service being used to facilitate or commit certain offences. The child safety duties will apply to all services likely to be accessed by children. These services must use highly effective age assurance to protect children from the most harmful content.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help the UK meet its 2030 nature recovery target commitments.

The Government is working to achieve our Environment Act targets, including to halt the decline in nature by 2030. Delivering the UK’s 30by30 target on land in England will require a strategic approach, to address the scale of action needed, and ensure a diverse and well-connected network of 30by30 areas. Over the coming months, we will be developing a delivery strategy for 30by30, to ensure we make good on this important commitment. This will confirm the key levers that will help us to achieve this target and set out a plan to 2030. We hope to finalise and publish this strategy later this year.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will take legislative steps to prohibit the retail sales of horticultural peat.

I refer the Hon. Member to the response given to PQ 4272 on 12 September 2024.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to support wild bird populations in the UK.

This Government remains committed to taking action to recover our threatened native species including wild birds. That is why, on the 30 July 2024 the Government announced a review of EIP 23 and the intention to develop a revised EIP to protect and restore the natural environment with delivery information to meet the Environment Act targets. This includes reversing the decline in species and reducing the risk of extinction. Government actions to restore and create more than 500,000 hectares of wildlife-rich habitat by 2042 will support a wide range of native bird species. In addition, under ELM we have a number of offers to support the management, restoration and creation of grassland habitats that support a range of bird species.

What steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to meet the health needs of elderly prisoners.

NHS England has the responsibility to provide a full range of healthcare services to meet the needs of the prison population. Every prison will have a health needs assessment undertaken on a regular basis which is then used to locally determine the health needs and requirements of that prison’s population. This includes supporting elderly prisoners on their health needs, such as dementia care. Local authorities also have a duty to support elderly prisoners with their social care needs.As a signatory to the National Partnership Agreement for Health and Social Care for people in contact with the criminal justice system, the Department is committed to working with the Ministry of Justice, HM Prison and Probation Service, NHS England, and the UK Health Security Agency to ensure safe, legal, decent, and effective care that improves health outcomes and reduces health inequalities is provided for all prisoners, including those who are elderly.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to help restore peatlands.

The Government recognises the importance of England’s peatlands, and in our manifesto, we committed to expanding nature-rich habitats such as peatlands. This will contribute to ensuring nature’s recovery, one of Defra’s five priorities. We have ambitions to restore hundreds of thousands of hectares of peatlands across the country, and we are working to ensure that we have the most effective mechanisms in place to go further than we have before. Peatland restoration is currently funded via the Nature for Climate Peatland Grant Scheme, and going forwards will be primarily funded through Environmental Land Management schemes, such as the Landscape Recovery and Countryside Stewardship schemes. Private finance will also be vital if we are to meet our peatland restoration ambitions. To support peatland restoration, the Government is implementing a range of policies that will mobilise private investment. These include working with the IUCN to attract investment via carbon credits through the Peatland Code.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to help protect blue carbon habitats.

In England, we have established a comprehensive network of 181 Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), which cover the majority of our saltmarsh and seagrass habitats. While blue carbon habitats may not always be an explicitly designated feature, MPA protection may still yield benefits. Our focus is now on ensuring that these MPAs are effectively protected to allow the designated features to achieve favourable condition. Three Highly Protected Marine Area (HPMAs) designations in English waters came into force in summer 2023. Two of the three designated sites, Allonby Bay and North East of Farnes Deep, contain blue carbon habitats.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of medicine shortages on people with (a) epilepsy and (b) Parkinson’s disease.

No assessment has been made of the potential impact of medicines shortages on people with epilepsy and Parkinson’s disease.The Department is working hard with industry to help resolve intermittent supply issues with some epilepsy medications. As a result of ongoing activity and intensive work, including directing suppliers to expedite deliveries, most issues, including with carbamazepine, lamotrigine, and oxcarbazepine presentations, have been resolved.We are currently aware of an ongoing supply issue with all strengths of topiramate tablets from one manufacturer. This supply issue is expected to resolve by the end of May 2025. We are also aware of a shortage of phenobarbital 15 milligram tablets from one manufacturer with the resupply date to be confirmed. In both cases, alternative suppliers are in stock with sufficient supply to support patients and these issues have been communicated to the National Health Service.The Department is aware of supply constraints with one supplier of amantadine 100 milligram capsules used in the management of Parkinson’s disease, however stocks remain available from alternative suppliers to cover demand. The Department have also been notified of a discontinuation of Apomorphine (APO-go PFS) 50 milligram/10 millilitre pre-filled syringes from April 2025. Alternative formulations of apomorphine remain available for patients and management guidance has been issued to the NHS.

With reference to the report entitled Imprisonment for Public Protection Interim Member Guidance, published by The Parole Board in October 2024, if she will take steps to support prisoners serving IPP sentences to move towards release.

The Parole Board published interim guidance to its Members on 12 November 2024 to help them in conducting parole reviews for prisoners serving sentences of Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPP) or Detention for Public Protection (DPP). The guidance encourages Members to conduct reviews fairly and justly, whilst maintaining a focus on ensuring that the statutory release test is met before issuing any release direction. The Government published a refreshed IPP Action Plan on 15 November 2024, which puts a stronger emphasis on effective frontline delivery in our prisons and the Probation Service. The Action Plan will ensure that those serving IPP sentences have robust and effective sentence plans and that they are in the correct prison to access the right interventions and rehabilitative services. IPP prisoners need to engage with their sentence plans in order to reduce their risk of serious harm. The Government also acted swiftly to commence the IPP measures in the Victims and Prisoners Act 2024, which led to the automatic termination of licence for 1,742 cases on 1 November 2024. On that same day we also commenced the new power for the Secretary of State to re-release recalled IPP offenders executively without referral to the Parole Board, where the statutory release test is met. As of 1 February 2025, all the IPP measures in the Victims and Prisoners Act 2024 are in force.

Communities and Local Government, if the Government will appoint a Minister for Coastal Communities.

As the Minister for Local Growth my role is to promote economic growth in all parts of the country including coastal communities. Our coastal economies and communities add unique value to the country and offer significant growth potential.As set out in the English Devolution White Paper we will give local leaders powers to drive forward Local Growth Plans to accelerate regional growth and productivity. This will drive the government’s central mission of economic growth and put more money in people’s pockets.

How much has been spent on consultancy for the new hospitals programme.

As per the definitions set out in government guidance, the New Hospital Programme does not have any costs recorded as consultancy costs. This guidance is available at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/consultancy-spend-controls#definitions-of-types-of-services However, we do have costs recorded as professional services. The New Hospital Programme has a total recorded expenditure of £266 million for professional services from April 2021 up until 30 October 2024.

If she will make a comparative assessment of the price of (a) non-alcoholic drinks and (b) alcoholic ones.

The independent Office for National Statistics is responsible for measuring prices. Further information on the prices of commonly bought goods and services, including alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, can be found on the ONS’s shopping prices comparison tool. https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/inflationandpriceindices/articles/shoppingpricescomparisontool/2023-05-03

What proportion of the most recent long-term migration figures were accounted for by international students.

According to the latest Office for National Statistics estimates, net migration to the UK (immigration minus emigration) of international students was 262,000 in the year ending June 2024. Total net migration for the same period was 728,000, meaning international students' net migration made up 36% of total net migration.

What steps he is taking to support cardiology units in south Devon.

At the end of November 2024, the cardiology waiting list in Devon Integrated Care Board stood at 11,228 with only 56% of those waiting 18 weeks or less for treatment. The Government has committed to returning to the Referral to Treatment (RTT) standard that patients can expect to be treated within 18 weeks by March 2029, with the expectation that RTT performance will increase to 65% by March 2026.There is a concerted focus in Devon on improving cardiology services, with support from NHS England’s regional and national teams, after being identified as an area for action. As a result, the number of cardiology patients waiting over a year in Devon has fallen from 930 to 577, representing a 38% drop, in the past 18 months.Cardiology is one of five priority specialties identified in the recently published Elective Reform Plan for significant elective reform. Reforms will include increasing specialist cardiology input earlier in patient care pathways and developing standard and efficient care pathways for common cardiology symptoms, such as palpitation. It also includes improving access to cardiac diagnostic tests, including through implementing more ‘straight to test’ pathways where the general practitioner can refer a patient directly to secondary care for a test which can reduce unnecessary outpatient appointments and improve waiting times even further for patients in south Devon and across England.We are supporting National Health Service performance across elective and emergency care including for patients requiring urgent and elective cardiac care, with approximately £1.5 billion capital funding in total in 2025/26. Funding will provide new surgical hubs and diagnostic scanners to build capacity for over 30,000 additional procedures and over 1.25 million diagnostic tests as they come online, as well as new beds across the estate.