Written questions by Onn.

What steps she is taking to support North East Lincolnshire Council to complete the long-overdue repairs and re-open Corporation Bridge in Great Grimsby.

The Department is committed to supporting local authorities in maintaining and renewing the local highway network, which is why by 2029/30, the Government will commit over £2 billion annually in local highways maintenance funding, doubling funding since coming into office. For the first time, we have confirmed allocations for four years of funding, enabling local authorities to plan ahead and move away from expensive, short-term repairs and instead investment in proactive and preventative maintenance. In addition to this, the Spending Review announced £1 billion for key local highway enhancement projects and a new Structures Fund for repairing run down bridges, decaying flyovers and worn out tunnels. I know that the work on Corporation Road Bridge has been ongoing since the beginning of 2022 and has faced significant challenges including a change of contractor which has led to considerable delays to these works. My officials are liaising with North East Lincolnshire Council Officers and I'm pleased to hear a new contractor has been appointed with the bridge likely to be reopened in December of next year.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure that children referred for (a) neurodevelopmental and (b) paediatric assessment continue to receive care during transitions between (i) services and (ii) providers.

It is the responsibility of the integrated care boards (ICBs) in England to make appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population, including pre-and-post diagnostic support for children with neurodevelopmental conditions, in line with relevant National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines.The 10-Year Health Plan commits to establishing a new radical approach that will ensure that, as children and young people navigate the National Health Service, they feel comfortable and confident in managing their own health and care from 16 years old where appropriate. This will include supporting young people as they move from child to adolescent and adult services, making sure that care is developmentally appropriate throughout.A national transition framework is being developed to help local areas set up this model or to strengthen an existing one. The principles of age-appropriate services it will set out apply to young people receiving care for the first time as well as those already on a transition pathway.While this framework focuses on the broad principles of transition, future work will focus on specific considerations and conditions. Training is also being developed for healthcare staff to develop their skills in providing the best standards of care.In April 2023, NHS England published a framework and guidance to deliver improved outcomes in all-age autism assessment pathways. The guidance aims to help integrated care boards and the NHS to deliver improved outcomes for children, young people, and adults referred to an autism assessment service. This includes support for them and their families/carers, while they are waiting for a diagnostic assessment and once they have received the diagnostic outcome.

What assessment he has made of potential merits of introducing routine finger-prick blood glucose testing or urine testing for children who display one or more recognised symptoms of Type 1 diabetes.

A national task and finish group has been established by NHS England which brings together key experts from across the health system, including academia/research and leading national clinicians, to jointly assess the opportunities and challenges that are associated with a national screening programme for diabetes and to inform future national policy.Through our National Institute for Health and Care Research, we have supported the establishment of the Early Surveillance for Autoimmune diabetes, or “ELSA” study. This study is exploring the feasibility and benefits of screening for type 1 diabetes.

What recent assessment she has made of early years SEND support capacity in North East Lincolnshire; and what support her Department is providing to ensure early identification and intervention for children aged under five.

We aim to set up every child, in every local authority, to have the best start in life and this includes delivering access to high quality early education and childcare for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). On 7 July, we published our commitment to Giving Every Child the Best Start in Life. This means a stronger focus on early identification, inclusive access to early years education, and tailored family support. We also will increase the funding available to early years providers to support children with SEND. On 4 December, we announced access to early SEND support across the country through Best Start Family Hubs. In every local authority next year, councils are being tasked with recruiting a dedicated SEND practitioner for every Hub to provide direct, family-facing support. The new offer will help parents understand their child’s development, identify emerging needs sooner, and support vital join-up between early years settings, health visitors and SEND teams. We have also invested in the Early Language Support for Every Child (ELSEC) programme, and the Nuffield Early Language Intervention (NELI) supporting children in the early years with their speech and language.

How many calls the Child Maintenance Service MP hotline has received in 2025.

The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) MP hotline is available for MP offices or constituency staff who need to contact CMS regarding a general enquiry or a constituency case. This service is in addition to written correspondence routes. The hotline operates Monday to Friday, 9:00 am to 4:00 pm, and is staffed by Complaint Resolution Managers. We aim to provide an immediate response to enquiries wherever possible. For more complex cases, we will arrange follow-up contact with the caller to provide additional information. For 2025, the CMS Parliamentary Line has received 1801 calls. Information is up to and including Tuesday 25th November 2025.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of establishing a Technical Excellence College in Great Grimsby and Cleethorpes constituency.

The department is introducing Technical Excellence Colleges (TECs) to specialise in training skilled workforces which industry needs in growth-driving priority sectors.The Post-16 Education and Skills White Paper confirmed that the government is expanding the TEC programme to a further four sectors: clean energy, advanced manufacturing, digital and technologies, and defence. These new TECs, backed by £175 million, will secure the pipeline of skilled workers into these areas.The selection process for these TECs will start by the end of 2025, with delivery planned to begin from April 2026. Exact locations are yet to be determined, and colleges will be appointed through a fair and transparent application process. Further details will be published in due course.

What recent discussions she has had with National Rail and LNER on alternative platform solutions at Market Rasen on the Lincoln to Cleethorpes East Coast line.

With rail infrastructure and passenger services being brought together as we progress towards Great British Railways, we expect a fresh assessment of the business case to be made. The aspirations of local communities and stakeholders are noted and will be incorporated as appropriate in future planning assessments, subject to available funding.

Media and Sport, what support her department is providing to local authorities to help them increase levels of library use ahead of the national year of reading in 2026.

Public libraries are central to the success of the National Year of Reading’s campaign to engage people of all ages with reading. The Reading Agency has been appointed to work with sector partners to deliver and support public library engagement. The Summer Reading Challenge in 2026, and World Book Night, the annual celebration of reading for adults on 23 April 2026, will be key moments for libraries during the National Year of Reading 2026. Throughout the year, The Reading Agency will provide public libraries with resources, toolkits, and print and digital materials to support their work. This is part of the broader programme of government support for the National Year of Reading including the £5 million funding for secondary schools to purchase books the Chancellor announced during her budget speech.

What assessment her Department has made of the (a) financial sustainability of early years providers and (b) capacity of schools to deliver wraparound care in areas experiencing long waiting lists.

In 2025/26, this government plans to spend over £8 billion on early years entitlements, increasing to over £9 billion in 2026/27, and we have increased the early years pupil premium by over 45%. On top of this we have provided further supplementary funding of £75 million for the Early Years Expansion Grant.At Spending Review 2025, the government announced it will provide an additional £1.6 billion per year by 2028/29. We will also spend over £400 million over the next four years to deliver school-based nurseries across England.The free breakfast clubs programme has delivered more than 5 million breakfasts and offered places to almost 180,000 pupils across the country. We are investing a further £80 million into the programme to fund an additional 2,000 schools between April 2026 and March 2027. Since September 2024, the National Wraparound Programme has also provided over 50,000 additional full childcare places. In 2026/27, we are providing local authorities with £12.9 million to sustain these places, ensuring sufficiency of school-age childcare and supporting national rollout of free breakfast clubs.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the installation of solar panels on the level of Energy Performance Certificate ratings for domestic properties.

Alongside lower electricity bills, there are many potential benefits for householders that invest in rooftop solar. These include improved property valuation and EPC scores, although the overall score for an individual property is based on several different variables. Government has also consulted on introducing four complementary headline metrics for domestic EPCs: "Fabric Performance," "Heating System," "Smart Readiness," and "Energy Cost." The consultation proposed that the Smart Readiness metric would include information on a households’ ability to generate on-site renewable energy, including solar PV, and give specific recommendations for improvements to scores against the metric. Government will respond to this consultation in due course.

Pursuant to the Answer of 4 November 2025 to Question 85197 on Motor Vehicles: Testing, what steps her Department is taking to support small and independent MOT testing stations in managing operational costs.

Independent MOT garages are a cornerstone of our testing regime, and their contribution to delivering high-quality MOT tests is greatly valued. Their efforts do not go unnoticed and play a crucial role in ensuring our roads remain safe for all users.I understand that rising inflation and operational costs have put pressure on garages. While the income from MOTs has remained static due to the set fee, many garages do not charge the maximum permitted fee, and others are not solely reliant on MOT income to remain profitable.The Department keeps the MOT regime, including the fee under review. Any consideration of changes must balance the needs of garages and their ability to invest against the interests of drivers in receiving value from the MOT.

What steps her Department is taking to ensure that rail companies maintain (a) station ramps and (b) boarding equipment to safe standards for passengers using wheelchairs and mobility scooters.

All train and station operators must develop an Accessible Travel Policy, approved by the Office of Rail and Road. This requires operators to ensure that they make ramps that are fit for purpose, (either at the station or on board the train) to facilitate the boarding or alighting of the train by disabled people.

Pursuant to the Answer of 4 November 2025 to Question 85820 on Marriages and Civil Partnerships: LGBT+ People, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that the guidance on registering births to same-sex couples who conceive after marriage is applied consistently across all local registration offices.

The General Register Office for England and Wales provide handbooks, regular publications, and training products for registrars covering the full range of registration duties. Local authorities are responsible for ensuring their staff deliver services in accordance with the guidance.

What steps her Department is taking to ensure registrars receive clear (a) guidance and (b) training on registering births to same-sex couples who conceive after marriage.

The General Register Office for England and Wales provides handbooks and e-learning products to registrars. These cover the whole range of registration duties.

What steps her Department is taking to encourage competition between independent MOT testing garages and large national chains.

The MOT is a vital part of the regulations that keep our roads safe, and I greatly appreciate the work of skilled mechanics in both independent garages and larger businesses that are essential to testing. It is one of the strengths of our testing regime that independent garages across the country provide assurance to millions in their community's while providing value to drivers in a competitive market.

What discussions he has had with the Sentencing Council on introducing tougher sentences for repeat (a) motorbike and (b) car theft offenders.

The maximum sentences available for criminal offences are set by Parliament. Theft of a motor vehicle may be prosecuted under different provisions of the Theft Act 1968 (“the Act”). For example, theft of a motor vehicle under section 1 of the Act is a triable either way offence, with a maximum sentence of seven years’ imprisonment.The independent judiciary will determine the appropriate sentence in individual cases within the maximums set by Parliament, and in line with any relevant sentencing guidelines issued by the Sentencing Council for England and Wales.The Sentencing Council has issued guidelines on theft of a motor vehicle, which provide the Court with guidance on factors that should be considered, which may affect the sentence given. They set out different levels of sentence based on the harm caused and how culpable the offender is. The guidelines also include non-exhaustive lists of aggravating and mitigating factors which can result in an upward or downward adjustment in the sentence. Previous convictions can be taken into account by the Court as aggravating factor, increasing the seriousness of an offence; the guidelines are clear that sentencers must consider their nature and relevance, as well as the time elapsed since the previous conviction(s). The guidelines can be found online at the Council’s website: https://sentencingcouncil.org.uk/.Whilst the Government has no current plans to ask the Council to consider reviewing the guidelines on motor theft, it is open to individuals to approach the Council to ask that it does so.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of establishing one of the five proposed Clean Energy Technical Excellence Colleges in Northern Lincolnshire.

The department is introducing Technical Excellence Colleges (TECs) to specialise in training skilled workforces which industry needs in growth-driving priority sectors.The Post-16 education and skills white paper, confirmed that the government is expanding the TEC programme to a further four sectors: clean energy, advanced manufacturing, digital and technologies, and defence. These new TECs, backed by £175 million, will secure the pipeline of skilled workers into these areas. Provider specialisms will be aligned with the priority sectors in the Industrial Strategy and Plan for Change, and in direct response to employer demand for specialist technical skills.Exact locations are yet to be determined, and colleges will be appointed through a fair and transparent application process. The selection process for these TECs will start by the end of 2025, with delivery planned to begin from April 2026. Further details will be published in due course.

What discussions her Department had with teachers on the removal of the application window for the 2024–25 Student Finance England teacher student loan reimbursement scheme to March 2026, and what assessment she has made of the potential impact of this change on teachers’ (a) cash flow and (b) financial wellbeing.

In September 2025, the department communicated to eligible teachers that the application window for the Teacher Student Loan Reimbursement (TSLR) scheme was being rescheduled from autumn 2025 to March 2026, so that eligible teachers commit to teaching for the full academic year before they can claim this incentive.Eligible teachers have always claimed TSLR payments retrospectively, as the policy allows teachers to claim back the student loan repayments they made in the previous financial year if they remain teaching in eligible schools. The rescheduling of the application window to 2 March 2026 is consistent with the policy intent of incentivising teacher retention.TSLR provides a one-off annual incentive payment on top of the teacher’s salary, which eligible teachers will continue to receive.

Whether his Department is taking fiscal steps to help support employment agencies in the context of trends in the level of costs in that sector.

The department recognises the vital role employment agencies play in our labour market. While there are no specific fiscal measures targeted exclusively at employment agencies, the government is conscious about the cost of conducting business. That is why we have more than doubled the Employment Allowance to £10,500. This means that 865,000 employers will pay no NICs at all, more than half of employers see no change or gain overall from this package and employers will be able to employ up to four full-time workers on the National Living Wage and pay no employer NICs. Employment agencies will also benefit from the new tools to unlock access to finance, action to address late payments and regulatory costs, improve digital adoption and create easier pathways to business support through the Business Growth Service.

What recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of probation staff pay, in the context of the (a) workload and (b) public safety responsibilities of probation staff.

We are committed to supporting probation staff and value their hard work, commitment and dedication. We recognise that fair and competitive pay is essential not only for staff wellbeing and retention, but also for maintaining the resilience of the Probation Service in its critical public safety role.In recent years, we have made significant investments in pay through a multi-year pay deal (2022–2025), which provided certainty in pay increases and addressed longstanding structural issues. In June 2025, we secured exceptional agreement to pay the Competency Based Framework (CBF) Progression element of the award to eligible staff, recognising their contribution during a period of exceptional operational pressure.We are currently working with senior leaders, ministers and recognised Trade Unions to agree the best possible outcome for the 2025/26 pay award, in line with Civil Service Pay Remit Guidance and our priorities for attraction and retention.We also recognise the link between pay, workload and public safety. To address workload pressures, we have implemented initiatives such as “Probation Reset” and “Impact” and launched the “Our Future Probation Service” programme, which aims to reduce workload by 25% by April 2027. Recruitment remains a priority, with significant numbers of probation officer trainees onboarded in 2024/25 and a commitment to onboard a further 1,300 by March 2026.These efforts are supported by a new wellbeing support model across HMPPS, including regional plans such as the Midlands wellbeing strategy, to ensure staff are supported in delivering their vital public safety responsibilities.