Written questions by Wilson.

What steps her Department is taking to reduce the backlog of driving tests.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) keeps Britain moving, safely and sustainably by:Regulating the driver training industry and conducting theory and practical driving tests on goods vehicles, motorcycles and cars.Testing heavy goods vehicles and buses on an annual basis; it also regulates and accredits providers of the car MOT scheme.Carrying out roadside checking of commercial drivers and vehicles and monitoring companies that operate goods vehicles, buses, and coaches. In 2023/2024 DVSA: Oversaw 41,862,000 MOT tests, with 89% of MOT centres satisfied with the service they receive from DVSA Delivered 692,000 heavy vehicle tests largely through a network of Approved Testing Facilities (ATF), with 96% of ATFs satisfied with the service they receive from DVSA Carried out 131,000 vehicle and driver checks and licensed 73,000 vehicle operators. DVSA’s main priority is upholding road safety standards while it works hard to reduce car practical driving test waiting times. Significant progress has already been made as part of DVSA’s 7-point plan to reduce waiting times, with 1.95 million tests provided last year. However, further action is required.On the 23 April, the Secretary of State for Transport announced that she has asked DVSA to take action on four additional measures to reduce driving test waiting times for learners. Further information regarding these measures can be found on GOV.UK. To ensure fairness for everyone wanting to book a practical driving test, DVSA continues to work hard to combat the unscrupulous practice of reselling tests across the country and has announced further measures to review the driving test booking system. On the 18 December 2024, DVSA launched a call for evidence, seeking views on the current rules to book tests. This will lead to consultation on improving processes, with potential future legislative changes. On the 23 April the Secretary of State announced that this consultation has been fast-tracked to May 2025. On 6 January 2025, DVSA introduced new terms and conditions for use of the service driving instructors and trainers use to book and manage practical driving tests for their pupils. Since this change DVSA has issued 44 warnings, 120 suspensions, and closed 270 business accounts. DVSA has deployed bot protection to help stop automated systems from buying up tests unfairly. These applications, however, are constantly evolving and changing, and DVSA’s work on this is ongoing.

Whether the Government Property Agency has a process allowing for the disposal of surplus government assets below market rate when a disposal is in the community interest.

Government organisations including the Government Property Agency must follow the provisions for the disposal of surplus government property established in guidance issued by HM Treasury, specifically that disposal decisions should take account of wider social costs and benefits and should form part of any appraisal, and when appropriate it may be justifiable to choose an option that does not generate the highest Exchequer receipt, for example to support a wider government policy objective such as regeneration.HMT guidance sets out the method for calculating wider social, economic and environmental benefits in policy and project appraisal, and how to treat disposals at less than market value.

Whether her Department has produced an impact assessment for the recently announced changes to grants available under the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund.

The new criteria for the adoption and special guardianship support fund will enable as many children and families as possible to access the available funding. The department always assesses the impact of changes on vulnerable children. This includes reviewing the equalities impact assessment.

What guidance she has issued to support schools on writing accessible SEN information reports.

The ‘Special educational needs and disability (SEND) code of practice’, paragraph 6.81, states that schools should ensure that information reports are easily accessible by young people and parents, and are set out in clear, straightforward language. They should include information on the school’s special educational needs (SEN) policy and named contacts within the school for situations where young people or parents have concerns. They should also give details of the school’s contribution to the SEND local offer and make clear where that local offer is published.The department does not routinely collect data on the readability of information reports, but has reviewed examples of SEN information reports, and considered their accessibility for parents and guardians who have and/or do not have SEND.A school’s SEN policy provides the broader aims and values of the school’s approach to SEN, although there is no requirement to publish it as a separate document. The department will consider whether any changes are needed to the relevant duties in the context of future improvements to the SEND system.

What recent discussions she has had with Ofsted on (a) SEN information reports and (b) changes to the inspection framework for (i) schools and (ii) colleges.

Ministers and departmental officials have regular discussions with Ofsted on a wide range of matters, including special educational needs and the proposed reforms to the inspection of schools and colleges.

Whether she has made a recent assessment of the potential merits of combining SEND policy and SEN information reports.

The ‘Special educational needs and disability (SEND) code of practice’, paragraph 6.81, states that schools should ensure that information reports are easily accessible by young people and parents, and are set out in clear, straightforward language. They should include information on the school’s special educational needs (SEN) policy and named contacts within the school for situations where young people or parents have concerns. They should also give details of the school’s contribution to the SEND local offer and make clear where that local offer is published.The department does not routinely collect data on the readability of information reports, but has reviewed examples of SEN information reports, and considered their accessibility for parents and guardians who have and/or do not have SEND.A school’s SEN policy provides the broader aims and values of the school’s approach to SEN, although there is no requirement to publish it as a separate document. The department will consider whether any changes are needed to the relevant duties in the context of future improvements to the SEND system.

What data her Department holds on the readability of school SEN Information Reports.

The ‘Special educational needs and disability (SEND) code of practice’, paragraph 6.81, states that schools should ensure that information reports are easily accessible by young people and parents, and are set out in clear, straightforward language. They should include information on the school’s special educational needs (SEN) policy and named contacts within the school for situations where young people or parents have concerns. They should also give details of the school’s contribution to the SEND local offer and make clear where that local offer is published.The department does not routinely collect data on the readability of information reports, but has reviewed examples of SEN information reports, and considered their accessibility for parents and guardians who have and/or do not have SEND.A school’s SEN policy provides the broader aims and values of the school’s approach to SEN, although there is no requirement to publish it as a separate document. The department will consider whether any changes are needed to the relevant duties in the context of future improvements to the SEND system.

What assessment she has made of the adequacy of the accessibility of SEN information reports for parents and guardians who (a) have and (b) do not have SEND.

The ‘Special educational needs and disability (SEND) code of practice’, paragraph 6.81, states that schools should ensure that information reports are easily accessible by young people and parents, and are set out in clear, straightforward language. They should include information on the school’s special educational needs (SEN) policy and named contacts within the school for situations where young people or parents have concerns. They should also give details of the school’s contribution to the SEND local offer and make clear where that local offer is published.The department does not routinely collect data on the readability of information reports, but has reviewed examples of SEN information reports, and considered their accessibility for parents and guardians who have and/or do not have SEND.A school’s SEN policy provides the broader aims and values of the school’s approach to SEN, although there is no requirement to publish it as a separate document. The department will consider whether any changes are needed to the relevant duties in the context of future improvements to the SEND system.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of (a) banning and (b) reducing the use of pesticides in public spaces on (i) the natural environment and (ii) wildlife.

The Government recognises the importance of managing public spaces sustainably and its first priority is to ensure that pesticides do not harm human or animal health or pose unacceptable risks to the environment. A pesticide may only be placed on the market following a thorough risk assessment that concludes all safety standards are met. All professional pesticide users must minimise the use of pesticides along roads and in areas used by the public, receive adequate training and register with Defra.They are also encouraged to follow the principles of Integrated Pest Management, which aims to reduce reliance on chemical pesticides by making use of lower risk alternatives and promoting natural processes. The UK Pesticides National Action Plan sets out how the Government will continue to promote the sustainable use of pesticides. Local authorities are encouraged to identify innovative pesticide use solutions and share good practice.

Innovation and Technology, what discussions he has had with the Advanced Research and Invention Agency on geoengineering proposals that aim to block sunlight.

The Secretary of State has regular discussions with ARIA on a range of matters. As set out in ARIA’s Framework Agreement, ARIA has unique operational freedoms, including over its research and project choice and its procedures. This independence allows ARIA to take bold steps to better understand the world we live in, and the Government supports ARIA exploring critical areas like this.The government is not in favour of using Solar Radiation Modification. ARIA is an independent research body and they are conducting cautious, controlled research aimed at improving understanding of its risks and impacts. The government supports ARIA’s mission to fund transformational research programmes with long-term benefits.For further detail on ARIA’s ‘Exploring Climate Cooling’ programme specifically, I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I provided on 2 May 2025 to Question UIN 47970.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to support research into natural defences against unwanted vegetation in public places.

One of the actions Defra introduced in the recently launched UK Pesticides National Action Plan (NAP) is to gather more data on pest, weed and disease management in the amateur and amenity sectors. This will allow for a better understanding of pesticide use, the sectors’ contribution to overall pesticide load on the environment, and how widespread integrated pest management (IPM) approaches are currently. IPM aims to reduce reliance on pesticides by making use of lower risk alternatives and promoting natural processes. Last year Defra completed an evidence review to understand better the barriers to IPM uptake in the amenity sector. In the wake of this review, Defra recently funded an update to the Integrated Weed Management guide produced by Parks for London. This will be published this year and will be available online, providing access to key tools to help amenity managers control weeds effectively and sustainably.

How many times the Aviation Futures Forum has met.

The Department for Transport launched the new Aviation Futures Forum, uniting ministers and industry leaders to deliver the government's missions and strengthen the sector. The forum has met once since its launch on 19 March 2025.

What her planned timeline is for publishing a new Airports National Policy Statement.

The government supports airport expansion and has invited proposals for a third runway at Heathrow. It expects any proposals to be brought forward by the summer and is clear that any scheme must be delivered in line with the UK’s legal, climate and environmental obligations. Once proposals have been received, the government will review the Airports National Policy Statement (ANPS), which provides the basis for decision making on granting development consent for a new runway at Heathrow. The Secretary of State will determine the scope of a review of the ANPS and we cannot speculate on the scope nor the timings of the review at this stage.

What her Department's policy is on compensating people affected by the clawback feature of the Midland Bank pension scheme.

Integrated pensions are intended to provide people who retire before their State Pension age with a similar pension income before and after their State Pension comes into payment. A member’s scheme pension is calculated so that the scheme pays a higher pension before the person reaches State Pension age, which is then reduced at State Pension age to take account of their State Pension. If members of an integrated pension scheme believe that the scheme has not followed its rules or the relevant law (including clear communication what benefit the scheme provides), they should use the scheme’s internal dispute resolution service, which every scheme is required to have. If they are not satisfied with the outcome, they can take the matter to the Pensions Ombudsman who can consider if any redress is appropropriate.

When she plans to Answer Question 43980 on Schools: Concrete, tabled on 3 April 2025.

A response to Question 43980 was published on 23 April and can be found here: https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2025-04-03/43980.

Communities and Local Government, when she plans to next publish an updated version of the Crown Premises Fire Safety Inspectorate enforcement register, published on 26 April 2023.

The Crown Premises’ Fire Safety Inspectorate’s enforcement register will be updated again by 31st May 2025

What steps he is taking to support people impacted by long covid in Twickenham constituency.

Commissioning, service provision and staffing of long COVID services is the responsibility of local integrated care boards.General practitioners (GPs) continue to act as the primary point of contact to ensure patients receive the appropriate advice and care. Patients experiencing symptoms of long COVID are advised to seek support from their GP in the usual way.A directory of public health, community, and voluntary sector resources has been developed and is available to local GPs and primary care partners. This directory enables healthcare professionals to signpost patients to a wide range of local support services that address the various impacts of long COVID. Further information on the support services available in the Twickenham constituency is available at the following link:https://www.kingstonandrichmond.nhs.uk/patients-and-families/patient-leaflets/long-covid-informationAt a national level, NHS England has also published commissioning guidance for post-COVID services, which sets out the principles of care for people with long COVID.Between 2019/20 and 2023/24, through the National Institute for Health and Care Research and Medical Research Council, we have invested over £57 million on research into long COVID, with almost £40 million of this through two specific research calls on long COVID. The funded projects aim to improve our understanding of the diagnosis and underlying mechanisms of the disease and the effectiveness of both pharmacological and non-pharmacological therapies and interventions, as well as to evaluate the effectiveness of clinical care.

If she will take steps to support self-employed people who were excluded from financial support during the pandemic.

Decisions on eligibility for Covid-19 financial support were taken by the previous government. The previous Government decided to provide support through the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) and Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) based on two principles, a) targeting support at those who needed it most and b), guarding against error, fraud, and abuse, whilst reaching as many individuals as possible. Those ineligible for the schemes may have been eligible for other elements of financial support provided by the previous Government.The current Government is working to improve living standards for everyone across the country. We are taking immediate action to support individuals, such as committing to no increases in employee National Insurance, Income Tax or VAT as we want to keep taxes low for working people. The Government has put growth as its number one mission, which will help individuals by boosting wages and putting more money in people’s pockets.

With reference to the Answer of 10 May 2024 to Question 24357 on Prisons: Fires, how many ignition-free safer vape pens have been introduced in each prison.

The Safer Vape Pen Initiative is designed to prevent use of these pens as an ignition source. In addition, the safer pen incorporates features that limit its scope to be used as a delivery mechanism for illicit substances. Pathfinder trials, involving 1,138 prisoners, have commenced at HMP Swaleside and HMP The Mount. Five additional prisons – HMP Belmarsh, HMP East Sutton Park, HMP Five Wells, HMP Swansea, and HMP Wormwood Scrubs – are scheduled to join the trials in June 2025.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of the UK Repair and Reuse Declaration.

The Government is committed to transitioning to a circular economy and has convened a Circular Economy Taskforce to help develop a Circular Economy Strategy for England with a series of roadmaps detailing the interventions that the Government and others will make on a sector-by-sector basis. The Circular Economy Taskforce will start with five sectors: agrifood, built environment, chemicals, and plastics; textiles and transport. We recognise that reuse and repair are fundamental tenets of any circular economy and will consider the evidence for appropriate action from right across the economy as we develop our strategy.