Written questions by Whittome.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of cutting ICB running costs by 50% on (a) Nottingham, (b) Nottinghamshire and (c) other areas with higher levels of deprivation.

NHS England has asked integrated care boards (ICBs) to act primarily as strategic commissioners of health and care services and to reduce the duplication of responsibilities within their structure, to achieve a 50% cost reduction in their running cost allowance. NHS England provided additional guidance to ICBs, National Health Service trusts, and NHS foundation trusts on 1 April 2025, with ICBs being tasked to develop plans by the end of May 2025 setting out how they will manage their resources to deliver across their priorities.NHS England will be working closely with ICBs to support the development of these plans, ensuring that their implementation reduces duplication and supports patient care. Further details are available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/working-together-in-2025-26-to-lay-the-foundations-for-reform/In his letter to ICBs, Sir Jim Mackay committed to greater transparency and moving back to a fair shares allocation policy over time. The Nottingham and Nottinghamshire ICB is within range of its fair shares allocation targets.

If he will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a Government-backed zero per cent interest loan scheme to support the rollout of solar panels on homes.

Private finance can play a key role in helping us achieve our decarbonisation ambitions. As part of the Government’s ambitious Warm Homes Plan, officials are exploring the role of incentives and private finance for households to support homeowners with the upfront costs of energy efficiency upgrades and low carbon energy technology. This includes engaging with the finance sector on the potential for low-interest loans.

What steps he is taking to reduce waiting times for radiotherapy.

The Department is committed to improving cancer care and reducing waiting times for treatment. To ensure the most advanced radiotherapy treatment is available to patients, we are investing £70 million in 28 new radiotherapy machines. The Department is committed to improving waiting times for cancer treatment across England and aims to ensure that no one is waiting longer than they should for lifesaving treatment. As a first step to achieving this, we will deliver an extra 40,000 operations, scans, and appointments each week, helping to ensure earlier diagnoses and faster treatment for those who need it most.The National Cancer Plan will include further details on how we will improve outcomes for cancer patients, as well as reducing waiting times for diagnosis and treatment, ensuring patients have access to the latest treatments and technology.

What assessment he has made of the impact of AI-based auto contouring on radiotherapy waiting times.

No assessment has been made. However, the Department supports the National Health Service in reviewing opportunities to utilise artificial intelligence to transform performance, bring down waiting times, and support staff with their workload. We expect that radiotherapy treatment centres will use all appropriate technology for treating patients, to ensure that they receive the best possible care. This includes the use of artificial intelligence where available.The National Cancer Plan will include further details on how we will improve outcomes for cancer patients, as well as reducing waiting times for diagnosis and treatment, ensuring patients have access to the latest treatments and technology.

What assessment he has made of the potential merits of a cross-government mental health strategy for children and young people.

The Government is committed to taking a cross-government strategic approach to children and young people’s mental health.We are currently co-developing the NHS 10 Year Health Plan with the public, staff and patients. We continue to listen to emerging insights on children and young people’s mental health and are taking the concerns of participants seriously. The consultation process has provided invaluable feedback, and we are in the process of exploring how we best take this forward.Whilst the National Health Service is responsible for evidence-based treatment of mental ill health, we recognise the levers to prevent mental ill health sit largely outside of the health system. That’s why we are using the cross-government missions as a strategic tool to tackle the socioeconomic determinants of mental ill health amongst children and young people.We continue to work with the Department for Education to deliver our commitment of providing access to a specialist mental health professional in every school in England. We are also working across government and with NHS England to set up a network of community Young Futures hubs.

What steps she is taking to support apprenticeships in the hairdressing industry.

Apprenticeships are a great way for individuals to begin or progress a successful career in the hair and beauty industry. Employers in the sector have developed several apprenticeships, including the level 2 hairdressing professional standard, to help them develop their workforce.The department continues to promote apprenticeships to young people, adults and employers through the Skills for Life campaign.Employers can benefit from £1,000 payments when they take on apprentices aged 16 to 18, or apprentices aged 19 to 24 who have an education, health and care (EHC) plan or have been in local authority care. To support smaller employers access apprenticeships, the government pays full training costs for young apprentices aged 16 to 21, and for apprentices aged 22 to 24 who have an EHC plan, or have been in local authority care.Employers also benefit from not being required to pay anything towards employees’ National Insurance for all apprentices aged up to age 25 where they earn less than £967 a week, or £50,270 a year.

What steps she has taken to ensure that those operating under disguised employment models in the hairdressing industry do not receive tax advantages compared to traditional employers since the Minister for Employment Rights, Competition and Markets met with representatives from the personal care sector in November 2024.

HMRC is committed to ensuring the tax system operates fairly and efficiently, creating a level playing field for all compliant businesses. Most businesses pay what they owe, but a minority fail to register or only declare a portion of their earnings for tax. This minority deprives our vital public services of funding, affects fair competition between businesses, and places unfair burdens on everyone else. The ‘rent-a-chair’ model is a legitimate business model widely used in the hair and beauty sector and, where applied correctly, can result in individuals being classed as self-employed for employment purposes. Whether an individual is employed or self-employed is not a matter of choice but is determined by the actual terms and conditions under which they work. This is underlined by an agreement between HMRC and the National Hair and Beauty Federation, which clarifies standard practices in the industry for VAT purposes. The agreement advises that salon owners and their contractors should have an agreement in writing that clearly and accurately reflects their working practices. Both parties can use HMRC’s Check Employment Status for Tax (CEST) tool to check the employment status of an engagement. HMRC will stand by the self-employed or employed determination that the CEST tool provides, so long as the information given is accurate. If a business chooses to operate the ‘rent-a-chair’ business model this could result in individuals being classed as self-employed for tax purposes. In all such cases HMRC would expect businesses to meet their legal obligations regarding paying the right taxes and National Insurance contributions. HMRC are committed to tackling false self-employment and will investigate evidence that suggests businesses have misclassified individuals for tax purposes. HMRC will challenge businesses that either artificially separate to avoid exceeding the VAT registration threshold or design schemes to reduce the amount of VAT they owe and will take steps to ensure that they pay the right amount of tax. HMRC’s approach to tax compliance includes a range of activities that aim to both detect and tackle current non-compliance and change future behaviours. HMRC aims to help and support customers to understand their tax obligations and promoting compliance by simplifying policies and procedures, providing clear guidance to make it easy for them to get things right, providing accessible digital services to make it easier to register to pay the appropriate taxes, providing targeted support and guidance, and intervening early to reduce mistakes. However, HMRC will not hesitate to use stronger sanctions against those who deliberately choose not to comply, including potential criminal prosecutions for the most serious cases involving tax evasion.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking with international counterparts to help prevent the forced transfer of Palestinians in Masafer Yatta.

This government has been clear that stability in the West Bank is crucial. All sides should work to ensure a lowering of tension in the West Bank at this time. The risk of instability is serious and the need for de-escalation urgent. We continue to call on Israeli authorities to exercise restraint, adhere to international law, and clamp down on the actions of those who seek to inflame tensions. The UK is clear that Israeli settlements are illegal under international law and harm prospects for a two-state solution. Israel must clamp down on settler violence and end settlement expansion. We are also clear that in all but the most exceptional of cases, demolitions by an occupying power are contrary to International Humanitarian Law. The Foreign Secretary has raised the situation in the West Bank with his Israeli and other international counterparts and during previous visits has met with Palestinian community members in the West Bank where he heard how communities are affected.

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of including absences for religious observances within the category of absences entitled unable to attend school because of unavoidable cause.

The department does not currently have plans to reclassify absences for religious observance.The law recognises that absences for a small number of circumstances, including for religious observance, are allowable. Where parents choose not to send their child to school on a day that is exclusively set apart for religious observance by the religious body that they belong to, they will not be taken to have failed to secure their child’s regular attendance, and enforcement action cannot be taken. Schools must record such absences in the attendance register using code R, which is classified for statistical purposes as authorised absence. Other forms of authorised absence include illness or suspension from school.Sessions recorded as ‘unable to attend because of unavoidable cause’ relate to issues that make attendance genuinely impossible, such as unexpected school closure, widespread travel disruption caused by emergencies, or a pupil being in youth detention. It would not be appropriate to classify absence for religious observance, or other types of authorised absence, under the ‘unavoidable cause’ category.

What discussions she has had with (a) UK Finance, (b) individual lenders, (c) credit reference agencies and (d) other relevant organisations to ensure that (i) credit reference agencies and (ii) lenders differentiate between individuals who (A) responsibly manage their debts through (1) payment plans or (2) debt management plans and (B) those who are subject to (a) court or (b) bankruptcy proceedings.

The Government recognises that credit, when provided responsibly, can be crucial for people facing unexpected expenses or managing their cash flow. That is why it is committed to expanding access to affordable credit, so that everyone has the opportunity to access products and services which support their financial wellbeing and goals. In December 2023, the FCA published the final report for the Credit Information Market Study, proposing twelve remedies to improve the market. This included a mandatory data sharing proposal to improve the availability of accurate, consistent and comprehensive credit information,which is intended to support the responsible provision of credit services, and a proposal to streamline the processes regarding vulnerability markers. The FCA and industry are jointly establishing a new Credit Reporting Governance Body, which will be responsible for overseeing the sharing of credit information and implementing these recommendations. More broadly, HM Treasury regularly engages with the consumer credit sector to discuss a range of policy matters, including provision of affordable credit, which also forms a key part of the financial inclusion strategy work announced last year.

How many council-run children’s centres have closed in the East Midlands since 2010.

Data on Sure Start children’s centres is supplied by local authorities via the department’s Get Information about Schools database portal at: https://www.get-information-schools.service.gov.uk/.Based on information supplied by local authorities in the East Midlands, 41 children’s centres have closed since 2010. Local authorities in the East Midlands have converted a further 44 children’s centres into children’s centre linked sites. ‘Children’s centre linked sites’ are formerly children's centres in their own right, but they no longer meet the statutory definition of a children’s centre. They offer some early childhood services on behalf of another children's centre.The information on children’s centres closed since 2010 is based on data supplied by the local authorities in the East Midlands as of 8 April 2025. These figures could change again in future, since local authorities may update the database at any time.

What assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of funding for councils in the East Midlands to provide (a) accessible and (b) integrated family support services for children in the first 1,001 days of life.

The government’s Plan for Change sets out a commitment to give children the best start in life, measured by a record 75% of children starting school ready to learn and measured by the number hitting the early learning goals at the end of reception. Delivering this will require strengthening and joining up family services to improve support through pregnancy and early childhood. This includes continuing to invest in and build up Family Hubs and Start for Life programmes. In the 2025/26 financial year, the government is providing a £126 million boost for Family Hubs and Start for Life services to give every child the best start in life and to deliver on the Plan for Change. More information on this funding can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/families-to-receive-126-million-in-early-years-support.Five local authorities in the East Midlands currently receive funding for Family Hubs and Start for Life services: Derby, Lincolnshire, Nottingham, North Northamptonshire and Leicester. Leicestershire, the upper-tier authority for the council, separately receives funding for Family Hubs only, as part of the Family Hubs Transformation Fund. On 3 April, participating local authorities received confirmation of their funding allocations for the 2025/26 financial year.

What steps he is taking to ensure the adequacy of the level of funding for independent pharmacies.

The Government recognises that pharmacies are an integral part of the fabric of our communities. They provide an easily accessible ‘front door’ to the National Health Service, staffed by highly trained and skilled healthcare professionals.We have now concluded the consultation on funding for 2024/25 and 2025/26, and have agreed with Community Pharmacy England to increase the community pharmacy contractual framework to £3.073 billion. Community Pharmacy England represent all pharmacy contractors in England, including independent community pharmacies. This deal represents the largest uplift in funding of any part of the NHS, at over 19% across 2024/25 and 2025/26. This shows the Government’s commitment to rebuilding the sector.

If he will (a) take steps to help reduce financial pressures on pharmacy students and (b) make an assessment of the potential merits of including pharmacy students in the Learning Support Fund scheme.

The Government is committed to financially supporting healthcare students in England, including pharmacy students, throughout their studies. Support is predominantly provided through the Department for Education and the student loans system.For the 2025/26 academic year, the Government has announced that the maximum loans and grants for living and other costs from Student Finance England will increase by 3.1% to meet forecast inflation.There are no immediate plans to make changes to the NHS Learning Support Fund scheme design. The Government keeps the funding arrangements for all healthcare students under close review. At all times the Government must strike a balance between the level of support students receive and the need to make the best use of public funds to deliver value for money.

What discussions he has had with independent pharmacy owners on the contracts offered to community pharmacies.

The Government recognises that pharmacies are an integral part of the fabric of our communities. They provide an easily accessible ‘front door’ to the National Health Service, staffed by highly trained and skilled healthcare professionals.We have now concluded the consultation on funding for 2024/25 and 2025/26, and have agreed with Community Pharmacy England to increase the community pharmacy contractual framework to £3.073 billion. Community Pharmacy England represent all pharmacy contractors in England, including independent community pharmacies. This deal represents the largest uplift in funding of any part of the NHS, at over 19% across 2024/25 and 2025/26. This shows the Government’s commitment to rebuilding the sector.

How many families are receiving Healthy Start support in Nottingham East constituency.

The NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) operates the Healthy Start scheme on behalf of the Department. Monthly figures for the number of people on the digital Healthy Start scheme are published on the NHS Healthy Start website, which is available at the following link:https://www.healthystart.nhs.uk/healthcare-professionals/The NHSBSA does not hold data on local constituencies. The following table shows the number of people on the digital Healthy Start scheme for all ward areas in Nottingham, as of February 2025:Local authorityWardWard numberPeople on Digital SchemeNottinghamAspleyE05012270314NottinghamBasfordE05012271184NottinghamBerridgeE05012272166NottinghamBestwoodE05012273285NottinghamBilboroughE05012274229NottinghamBulwellE05012275313NottinghamBulwell ForestE05012276128NottinghamCastleE0501227729NottinghamClifton EastE05012278148NottinghamClifton WestE0501227946NottinghamDalesE05012280168NottinghamHyson Green and ArboretumE05012281282NottinghamLeen ValleyE0501228248NottinghamLenton and Wollaton EastE05012283103NottinghamMapperleyE05012284126NottinghamMeadowsE05012285107NottinghamRadfordE05012286133NottinghamSherwoodE0501228890NottinghamSt. Ann'sE05012287208NottinghamWollaton WestE0501228951

Pursuant to the Answer of 20 March to Question 38689 on Racial Discrimination: Palestinians, if she will hold discussions with Educate against Hate on developing resources to tackle anti-Palestinian racism.

This government is committed to ensuring that teachers, parents, and young people are equipped with the guidance and resources designed to develop critical thinking, logical reasoning, and empathy, to build resilience to, and reject hateful narratives.The department’s Educate Against Hate website hosts quality-assured resources to help teachers and school leaders teach students about extremism, conflict, spotting misinformation and disinformation, online safety, and our shared fundamental British values.Following the events of 7 October 2023, a blog containing practical advice for discussing ongoing conflicts was published on the Educate Against Hate website. The blog signposts relevant resources from reputable organisations that can support schools to teach about this sensitive topic in a balanced way, avoiding antisemitic, anti-Muslim and/or other discriminatory narratives.Educate Against Hate provides a range of resources and guides to support teachers and education practitioners in confidently facilitating conversations around the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict. The resources are wide ranging and address why it is important to discuss this topic, how to navigate the news and social media, and how to support young people who may be directly affected by the conflict. All guidance and teaching resources hosted on Educate Against Hate are drawn from reputable organisations.There are also practical resources designed to be used in classrooms, that focus on Palestine and Israel and cover the history of the conflict. They challenge students and learners to examine a range of sources such as images, maps and documentation to debate and discuss different perspectives in a polite and respectful way, and in the controlled environment of a classroom, before they reach their own views on the topic.

What data her Department holds on the number of incidents of anti-Palestinian racism (a) on university campuses, (b) in further education colleges and (c) in schools in each of the last 18 months.

The department does not hold data on the number of incidents of anti-Palestinian racism in education.

What steps she is taking to expand the availability of evening school classes for (a) plumbing, (b) bricklaying, (c) electrical work and (d) other building trades in Nottinghamshire.

Skills are crucial to this government’s mission to grow the economy under our Plan for Change and deliver our commitment to build 1.5 million homes across this Parliament.On 23 March, my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, announced measures to address skills shortages in the construction sector. This package commits over £600 million over the Parliament to deliver up to 60,000 skilled construction workers. This includes additional funding to deliver more construction courses, skills bootcamps, foundation apprenticeships, to support industry placements and to deliver 10 new Technical Excellence Colleges. The department will continue to work with post-16 skills providers on their plans to meet local, regional and national skills priorities in construction.Furthermore, as part of the government’s devolution agenda, from August 2025 the East Midlands Combined Authority will be responsible for administering and delivering their Adult Skills Fund (ASF), allowing them to make best use of the ASF to meet their local needs, including in construction.

What recent progress she has made on reducing school class sizes in (a) the East Midlands and (b) Nottingham East constituency.

The average class size for state-funded primary schools in the East Midlands is 26.3 pupils, which is below the national average of 26.6 pupils, and 26.7 for Nottingham East, which is a fraction higher than the national average. The average class size for state-funded secondary schools in the East Midlands is 22.4 pupils, which is equal to the national average, and 23 for Nottingham East, which is just above the national average of 22.4.Legislation limits the size of an infant class to 30 pupils per school teacher. An infant class is one in which the majority of children will reach the age of five, six, or seven during the school year, which includes reception, year 1 and year 2.There is no statutory limit on the size of classes for older children (pupils aged eight and over), and it is up to schools to decide how to organise classes based on local needs and circumstances to ensure all children can be supported to achieve and thrive.