Written questions by Vickers.

Whether she plans to improve (a) awareness and (b) enforcement of legislation on air weapon (i) safety and (ii) responsible ownership.

The possession and use of air weapons is subject to statutory controls and regulation to guard against misuse and to ensure safe handling. In England and Wales, higher powered air rifles can only be held on a firearm certificate and higher powered air pistols are prohibited. Lower powered air weapons are subject to controls in relation to possession and use. We keep these controls under review, whilst the enforcement of the law on air weapons is an operational matter for police forces.A guide to air weapons safety is available on gov.uk and is intended to explain the law in relation to air weapons and to encourage responsible ownership and use. The guide provides advice on safe handling, recognising that irresponsible or misuse of firearms can result in serious injuries or death, The guide also stresses the importance of preventing children from accessing air weapons and sets out clearly how the law applies to possession in a public place and restrictions that apply to the shooting of air weapons where this can cause danger or injury to others, damage to property or injury or death wild animals, birds or pets.Alongside the guide, the Firearms (Air Weapons) (England and Wales) Rules 2023 clarified the ‘reasonable precautions’ that air weapon owners must take to safely store air weapons away from children when not in use, so that whenever under-18s are present, air weapons must be stored securely, out of sight, and separately from ammunition.

How many times her Department has recorded an asylum claimant’s self-declared age as their official age in circumstances where their age could not be independently verified since June 2024.

The requested information is not currently available from published statistics and could only be collated and verified for the purpose of answering this question at a disproportionate cost.The Home Office publishes data on asylum in the ‘Immigration System Statistics Quarterly Release’. Data on the number of raised and resolved age disputes is published in table Asy_D05 of the 'Age disputes detailed datasets'. Age disputes data for July 2024 onwards is not available due to ongoing work on a new case working system. Updated data will be included in a future edition of the Immigration System Statistics release.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the use of recovered life jackets on investigations into people smuggling networks.

Due to sensitivities, we cannot go into detail on operational methods regarding investigations into people smuggling networks.

What recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of the process for the (a) collection, (b) storage and (c) disposal of life jackets recovered from small boat crossings.

The majority of life jackets seized arrive in very poor condition and may be damaged during the recovery process, and are disposed of by Border Force’s approved contractors and, where appropriate, any suitable materials are recycled.

What steps she is taking to improve public (a) awareness and (b) education on the (i) dangers of misusing air weapons and (ii) impact of that misuse on (A) animals and (B) communities.

The possession and use of air weapons is subject to statutory controls and regulation to guard against misuse and to ensure safe handling. In England and Wales, higher powered air rifles can only be held on a firearm certificate and higher powered air pistols are prohibited. Lower powered air weapons are subject to controls in relation to possession and use. We keep these controls under review, whilst the enforcement of the law on air weapons is an operational matter for police forces.A guide to air weapons safety is available on gov.uk and is intended to explain the law in relation to air weapons and to encourage responsible ownership and use. The guide provides advice on safe handling, recognising that irresponsible or misuse of firearms can result in serious injuries or death, The guide also stresses the importance of preventing children from accessing air weapons and sets out clearly how the law applies to possession in a public place and restrictions that apply to the shooting of air weapons where this can cause danger or injury to others, damage to property or injury or death wild animals, birds or pets.Alongside the guide, the Firearms (Air Weapons) (England and Wales) Rules 2023 clarified the ‘reasonable precautions’ that air weapon owners must take to safely store air weapons away from children when not in use, so that whenever under-18s are present, air weapons must be stored securely, out of sight, and separately from ammunition.

How much funding his Department has allocated to support the (a) development and (b) expansion of MND clinical trial infrastructure.

The Department funds health and care research infrastructure through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). This provides world-class research expertise, specialist facilities, a dedicated research delivery workforce, and support services across the National Health Service and wider health and care system in England.NIHR infrastructure funding is not allocated by individual disease or therapy area. Instead, it underpins the development and expansion of research capacity across all specialties, including motor neurone disease (MND). Examples include:- Biomedical Research Centres (BRCs), with £909 million awarded from December 2022 to March 2028. Six BRCs conduct research into neurological disease, supporting discovery science and the development of new trial approaches;- the Research Delivery Network, with approximately £380 million provided each year, providing the NHS with support funding and the workforce to expand research delivery capability across regions, including for MND studies; and- Clinical Research Facilities, with £214 million invested until 2029 in 28 facilities, creating dedicated spaces for early-phase and complex trials such as drug, cell, and gene therapies, supporting both the development and expansion of MND clinical trials.Government responsibility for MND research is shared between the Department of Health and Social Care, with research delivered by NIHR, and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, with research delivered by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). In addition, targeted investments are helping to strengthen trial capacity, including £6 million for the MND Translational Accelerator, which connects UK institutes to speed up the development of treatments, and £8 million for the EXPERTS-ALS programme, which screens promising drugs and complements the MND-SMART platform trial.

What plans his Department has to support MND Care Centres to participate in (a) research studies and (b) MND-SMART.

The Department is committed to funding health and care research via the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) across England, to ensure that the research we support is inclusive and representative of the populations we serve. Government responsibility for motor neurone disease (MND) research is shared between the Department for Health and Social Care, with research delivered by the NIHR, and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, with research delivered by UK Research and Innovation.NIHR infrastructure has national coverage and is designed to build research capacity and capability across all settings, including MND care centres, to support participation in all eligible research studies. These mechanisms are well placed to support care centres’ participation in studies such as MND-SMART, ensuring centres have the guidance and practical support needed to take part in this trial.This sits alongside wider Government investment to accelerate MND research. Examples include £12.5 million to support discovery science at the UK Dementia Research Institute, £6 million for the MND Translational Accelerator, and £8 million for the EXPERTS-ALS drug screening programme, which complements the charity-funded MND-SMART trial.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of limited trial site locations on the ability of motor neurone disease patients to participate in research; and what support his Department provides to help patients who need to travel significant distances to access trials.

The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), funded by the Department, supports patients and the public to take part in high-quality research. In 2024/25, the NIHR Research Delivery Network supported 35 motor neurone disease (MND) studies and recruited over 2,900 participants.We recognise that MND trials are often concentrated in specialist centres, which can create challenges for patients who live far from these sites. To address this, NHS England and the NIHR provide practical support to reduce travel barriers. The Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme enables eligible patients to claim travel expenses for National Health Service appointments, including research visits, while many trial sponsors and sites reimburse travel, accommodation, and subsistence costs. NIHR Clinical Research Facilities and the NIHR Research Delivery Network also provide logistical support to facilitate participation.In line with the NHS 10-Year Plan, there is a growing emphasis on delivering research in community and home settings, supported by digital tools and mobile research teams.

What estimate she has made of the number of life jackets recovered from small boat crossings since 4 July 2024; and what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of their disposal.

The information requested is not centrally held, and could only be collected and verified for the purpose of answering this question at disproportionate cost.The majority of life jackets seized arrive in very poor condition and may be damaged during the recovery process, and are disposed of by Border Force’s approved contractors and, where appropriate, any suitable materials are recycled.

What safeguards are in place to ensure that recording an asylum claimant’s self-declared age does not place adults at risk of being accommodated with children.

The age of a person arriving in the UK is normally established from the documents with which they have travelled, but many do not have any definitive documentary evidence to support their claimed age.There are clear safeguarding issues which arise if a child is inadvertently treated as an adult, and equally if an adult is wrongly accepted as a child and placed in accommodation with children to whom they could present a risk.Where there is reason to doubt an individual’s claimed age, immigration officers are required to make an initial age decision to determine whether the individual should be treated as a child or an adult. This is an important first step to prevent individuals who are clearly an adult or child from being subjected unnecessarily to a more substantive age assessment and ensure individuals are routed to the correct adult or child process for assessing their asylum or immigration claim.If there is doubt whether a claimant is an adult or child, they will be referred to a local authority’s Children’s Services Department who are then able to either undertake an age assessment themselves or can refer into the National Age Assessment Board for further consideration of their age in the interests of safeguarding. Regardless of age, where issues relating to safeguarding or community safety are raised, referrals will be made to the relevant authorities.

Whether her Department has a budget for retraining programmes for adult workers transitioning from oil and gas to renewable energy.

Green skills are essential to driving economic growth and achieving the UK’s net zero target by 2050. Clean energy and advanced manufacturing have been identified as priority sectors in the Industrial Strategy.To support this, the government will invest an additional £1.2 billion annually in skills by 2028/29, expanding opportunities across high-growth industries. As part of this, over £100 million will be directed toward engineering skills development through education, apprenticeships, and the establishment of Technical Excellence Colleges in key sectors like advanced manufacturing.The government will provide approximately £1.4 billion in funding for the adult skills fund in the 2025/26 academic year. This includes funding the Free Courses for Jobs offer, which gives eligible adults the chance to access a high value level 3 qualification for free, helping support them to gain higher wages or a better job in key sectors, for example in heat pump installation.The government will also support adult learners through our technical education offer, including through a range of apprenticeships and Skills Bootcamps.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of defaulting to a claimant’s self-declared age where no independent verification is available on the provision of effective (a) safeguarding and (b) community safety.

The age of a person arriving in the UK is normally established from the documents with which they have travelled, but many do not have any definitive documentary evidence to support their claimed age.There are clear safeguarding issues which arise if a child is inadvertently treated as an adult, and equally if an adult is wrongly accepted as a child and placed in accommodation with children to whom they could present a risk.Where there is reason to doubt an individual’s claimed age, immigration officers are required to make an initial age decision to determine whether the individual should be treated as a child or an adult. This is an important first step to prevent individuals who are clearly an adult or child from being subjected unnecessarily to a more substantive age assessment and ensure individuals are routed to the correct adult or child process for assessing their asylum or immigration claim.If there is doubt whether a claimant is an adult or child, they will be referred to a local authority’s Children’s Services Department who are then able to either undertake an age assessment themselves or can refer into the National Age Assessment Board for further consideration of their age in the interests of safeguarding. Regardless of age, where issues relating to safeguarding or community safety are raised, referrals will be made to the relevant authorities.

What discussions his Department has had with (a) NHS England and (b) the National Institute for Health and Care Research on (i) expanding the number of recruiting sites for and (ii) including James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough in the MND-SMART trial.

Decisions on site selection for clinical trials rest with the study sponsor, shaped by the design and requirements of the trial.No discussions about the MND-SMART trial have been held with the Department. However, while we are not directly involved in these decisions, the Department works through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) to ensure a fair and transparent process for site identification.The NIHR’s United Kingdom-wide site identification service enables National Health Service organisations, including the James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough, to express interest and suitability to host research. This provides an inclusive and transparent process that ensures opportunities are shared equitably across the country, with decisions guided by the real-time capacity and capability of sites.The Department is committed to ensuring that all patients, including those with motor neurone disease, have access to cutting-edge clinical trials and innovative, lifesaving treatments.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of teacher recruitment and retention incentives on teacher recruitment and retention in areas of high deprivation in the (a) North East and (b) England.

As part of our Plan for Change, the government is committed to recruiting an additional 6,500 new expert teachers across secondary and special schools, and our colleges, over the course of this parliament.Delivery is already under way. We agreed a 5.5% pay award for 2024/25 and a 4% pay award for 2025/26, meaning teachers and leaders will see an increase in their pay of almost 10% over two years. In 2024/25, we drove forward teacher recruitment and retention, backed by an investment of around £700 million across schools and further education, including targeted retention incentives worth up to £6,000 after tax to teachers teaching in the most disadvantaged schools.We are already seeing positive signs our investment is delivering. The workforce has grown by 82 full-time employed (FTE) in the North East and 2,346 in England between 2023/24 and 2024/25, in secondary and special schools, the schools where they are needed most.

What progress she has made in upgrading court buildings in the Tees Valley.

Historical underfunding has resulted in challenges across the court and tribunal estate. That is why this Government has announced a boost in court capital maintenance and project funding from £120 million last year, to £148.5 million for 2025/26. In 2025, HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS) has so far completed upgrades to the security systems, fire systems and lift alarm systems at Teesside Justice Centre, as well upgrades to the lift alarm system at Teesside Combined Court. HMCTS is planning to undertake a range of refurbishment works, such as redecoration, carpeting and furnishing at Darlington County Court, Darlington Magistrates’ Court, Teesside Justice Centre and Teesside Combined Court. HMCTS is also exploring the cost and feasibility of replacing the heating systems at Darlington Magistrates Court and is considering proposals to replace the windows and exterior cladding at Teesside Justice Centre.

What steps she is taking to support carers who are in part-time work.

The Government keeps all aspects of Carer’s Allowance under review to see if it is meeting its objectives. It is not means-tested but is subject to a weekly earnings limit. This was increased by a record amount in April 2025, which will benefit at least 60,000 unpaid carers between 2025/26 and 2029/30. The Government is also considering the possibility of introducing an earnings taper in the longer term. Many carers who are receiving Carer’s Allowance and doing some work will also be receiving Universal Credit. For those receiving Universal Credit, the 55% taper rate and any applicable work allowance will help to ensure that people are better off in work. Supporting carers who want to work alongside managing their caring responsibilities is an important element of our plans to modernise the world of work, ensuring that there are good jobs for carers, and a skilled workforce for employers. The Carer’s Leave Act 2023, taken forward by the Department for Business and Trade, gave employees a right to time off to care for someone who is disabled or has a long-term health condition for the first time. We are reviewing implementation of Carer’s Leave and looking at where any improvements may be needed. This will include, but is not limited to, examining the benefits of paid leave, while being mindful of the impacts on businesses. The Employment Rights Bill includes provisions which will support all employees to achieve a better work life balance, including changes that will make it more likely that flexible working requests are accepted. This stands to make a particular difference to people combining work with unpaid care.

What recent assessment he has made of the level of resilience of military infrastructure to extreme weather events.

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) develops and delivers an annual programme to apply Climate Impacts Risk Assessment Methodology on a site-by-site basis, to specific locations. This includes the assessment of military infrastructure in respect of extreme weather events. The MOD has a robust inspection process for buildings and accompanying infrastructure which highlights degradation and helps prioritise funding for upgrades.

Whether he has had recent discussions with local authorities on health inequalities in Stockton-on-Tees.

The United Kingdom faces significant health inequalities, with life expectancy and healthy life expectancy varying widely across and between communities. The Government is committed to building a fairer Britain, to ensure people can live well for longer, and spend less time in ill health, regardless of where they are born or their financial circumstances.The Department’s Office of Health Inequalities and Disparities North East and Yorkshire Regional Team collaborates with partners to provide system leadership for public health and to reduce health inequalities. The team facilitates the delivery of national and local public health priorities, providing expert advice. It also works with directors of public health in local authorities, integrated care systems, mayoral combined authorities, NHS England, and the wider National Health Service.North East local authorities received a total of £256 million in Public Health Grant funding for 2025/26, of which Stockton on Tees received £16.762 million. This funding provides services such as stop smoking, drug and alcohol treatment, health visiting/school nursing, and sexual health, among others, all of which contribute to addressing health inequalities.The Tees Valley Combined Authority also works to secure investment, create jobs, and grow the economy, helping to create the conditions in which health inequalities can be reduced.

What recent estimate she has made of the levels of (a) fraud and (b) error in the welfare system in the North East.

Estimates of the levels of fraud and error in the benefit system for the financial year 2024-25 can be found at: Fraud and error in the benefit system: financial year 2024 to 2025 estimates - GOV.UKWe do not provide sub-national estimates of fraud and error as we are unable to break the statistics down to this level.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of trends in air weapon attacks on domestic animals; what steps he is taking to improve data collection of these incidents.

Defra does not hold data on cases of domestic animals being attacked with air weapons. Under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 (the 2006 Act), it is an offence to cause any animal unnecessary suffering or to fail to provide for its welfare. Anyone who is cruel to an animal, or does not provide for its welfare, may be banned from owning animals. They may also face an unlimited fine, be sent to prison, or both. The Government keeps animal welfare policy under review and is committed to ensuring that animals are protected from unnecessary suffering.