Written questions by Davies.

Innovation and Technology, with reference to the strategy Replacing animals in science: A strategy to support the development, validation and uptake of alternative methods, published on 11 November 2025, whether she plans to consult civil society organisations with expertise in this area.

The Labour Manifesto commits to “partner with scientists, industry, and civil society as we work towards the phasing out of animal testing”. The Government consulted industry, academia and civil society during the development of the recent Replacing Animals in Science strategy and will continue to do so during strategy implementation. This includes collaboration with civil society organisations with expertise in this area, including animal welfare organisations and learned societies, and other interested groups.

What steps she is taking to help protect children from AI-generated abuse online.

The Government recognises the serious and evolving threat posed by artificial intelligence being misused to create child sexual abuse material. We have taken world-leading action to address this risk.AI-generated child sexual abuse material is not a victimless crime. The material often includes depictions of real children, escalating the risk of contact abuse. The volume and realism of this material can make it increasingly challenging for safeguarding partners to identify and protect children. Offenders can also use these images to groom and blackmail children.Working in partnership with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, the Alan Turing Institute, and the Accelerated Capability Environment, the Home Office has led the Deepfake Detection Challenge. This initiative brought together experts and stakeholders to develop and evaluate detection tools, which are essential in addressing serious harms including online child sexual abuse. As offenders increasingly exploit AI, we must harness its potential for good.A key outcome has been the creation of a UK Government Benchmarking capability which enables scientific evaluation of detection technologies, offering data to support informed procurement decisions for the most effective solutions. The next phase will continue to identify and benchmark AI-driven solutions.Through the Crime and Policing Bill, we are introducing specific offences to make it illegal to possess, create, or distribute AI tools designed to generate child sexual abuse material, as well as so-called “paedophile manuals” that instruct offenders on how to exploit AI for abuse. These offences carry penalties of up to five years’ imprisonment for AI tools and up to three years for manuals.We have recently announced a further amendment to the Crime and Policing Bill to empower authorised bodies- including AI developers and child protection organisations- to scrutinise AI systems to prevent them generating harmful content. This will help to improve safeguards within AI models to prevent them being misused to create child abuse material.Where AI models fall under the Online Safety Act as a user-to-user service or an online search provider, companies are required to provide highly effective age assurance to protect children from exposure to harmful or inappropriate content.We recognise there are concerns about AI chatbots, or AI companions, and the risks of harm to children these may pose. At the recent Science, Innovation and Technology Committee, we confirmed that we are considering if all AI chatbots are covered by the Online Safety Act and what more may need to be done. If it requires legislation, then this is what we will do.We have been clear as a government that our steps so far with the Online Safety Act are the foundation for a safer online experience for children. But it is not the end of the conversation.The UKG will also be supporting to host an event in the new year with the NSPCC focusing on children and AI.Our approach combines robust legislation, proactive technology safeguards, and international cooperation to keep children safe online and we will not hesitate to go further.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of volunteer-led men’s mental health groups on mental wellbeing and NHS services.

The Department has not made an assessment of the potential impact of volunteer-led men’s mental health groups on mental wellbeing and National Health Services. More widely, the 10-Year Health Plan sets out ambitious plans to boost mental health support across the country, including for men. This includes transforming mental health services into 24/7 neighbourhood mental health centres, improving assertive outreach, expanding talking therapies, and giving patients better access to 24/7 support directly through the NHS App. The Suicide Prevention Strategy for England, published in 2023, identifies middle aged men as a priority group for targeted and tailored support at a national level. On 19 November, to coincide with International Men’s Health Day, we published the Men’s Health Strategy. The strategy includes tangible actions to improve access to healthcare, provide the right support to enable men to make healthier choices, develop healthy living and working conditions, foster strong social, community and family networks, and address societal norms. It also considers how to prevent and tackle the biggest health problems affecting men of all ages, which include mental health and suicide prevention, respiratory illness, prostate cancer, and heart disease. Through the Men’s Health Strategy, we are launching a groundbreaking partnership with the Premier League to tackle male suicide and improve mental health literacy, by embedding health messaging into the matchday experience. We also announced the Suicide Prevention Support Pathfinders programme for middle-aged men. This program will invest up to £3.6 million over three years in areas of England where middle-aged men are at most risk taking their own lives and will tackle the barriers that they face in seeking support.

What steps his Department is taking to provide sustainable funding for grassroots men’s mental health initiatives.

The Department currently has no plans to provide funding for grassroots men’s mental health initiatives. More widely, the 10-Year Health Plan sets out ambitious plans to boost mental health support across the country, including for men. This includes transforming mental health services into 24/7 neighbourhood mental health centres, improving assertive outreach, expanding talking therapies, and giving patients better access to 24/7 support directly through the NHS App. The Suicide Prevention Strategy for England, published in 2023, identifies middle aged men as a priority group for targeted and tailored support at a national level. On 19 November, to coincide with International Men’s Health Day, we published the Men’s Health Strategy. The strategy includes tangible actions to improve access to healthcare, provide the right support to enable men to make healthier choices, develop healthy living and working conditions, foster strong social, community and family networks, and address societal norms. It also considers how to prevent and tackle the biggest health problems affecting men of all ages, which include mental health and suicide prevention, respiratory illness, prostate cancer, and heart disease. Through the Men’s Health Strategy, we are launching a groundbreaking partnership with the Premier League to tackle male suicide and improve mental health literacy, by embedding health messaging into the matchday experience. We also announced the Suicide Prevention Support Pathfinders programme for middle-aged men. This program will invest up to £3.6 million over three years in areas of England where middle-aged men are at most risk taking their own lives and will tackle the barriers that they face in seeking support.

What steps he is taking to improve access to mental health services, particularly for young people and those in rural areas.

We know that too many children and young people are not receiving the mental health care they need, including young people living in rural communities. For 2025/26, mental health spending is forecast to amount to £15.6 billion. This represents a significant uplift of £688 million in real terms spending on mental health compared to the previous financial year.As part of our mission to build a National Health Service that is fit for the future and that is there when people need it, the Government is recruiting an additional 8,500 mental health workers by the end of this Parliament.Additionally, approximately six in ten pupils will have access to a mental health support team by March 2026, which equates to approximately six million pupils and further education learners. Rollout will be prioritised based on NHS identification of local need and reaching the most vulnerable children first. We are accelerating the rollout of mental health support teams to achieve full national coverage by 2029.

What steps she will take to increase levels of investment into community finance organisations such as credit unions.

The Government is taking concrete steps to increase investment into community finance organisations. In November 2024, the British Business Bank launched the Community ENABLE Funding (CEF) Programme. This will channel £150 million over the next two years to not-for-profit lenders, including Community Development Finance Institutions (CDFIs), to widen access to affordable credit for underserved consumers and businesses. The Government also recognises the important role of credit unions in providing savings and affordable loans to their members and in supporting local communities throughout the country. It is therefore taking action to support credit unions to grow and scale into the future, including a package of growth‑focussed reforms to the credit union common bond. These reforms were announced in the Financial Inclusion Strategy, published last month, which also outlines a number of measures aimed at improving access to affordable credit — including a Credit Union Transformation Fund to support the sector in England to scale. The Government will work closely with stakeholders to deliver on these interventions.

What assessment she has made of the potential merits of enabling Credit Unions to offer Help to Save accounts.

The Help to Save scheme supports financial resilience for working people on low incomes by encouraging consistent, long-term saving and helping them build a financial buffer to plan and prepare for the future. The scheme is currently available to working individuals in receipt of Universal Credit, ensuring it remains targeted at its intended population. As announced at Autumn Budget 2025, the government will make the Help to Save scheme permanent and, from April 2028, will expand eligibility to include all Universal Credit claimants who receive the child element, the caring element or both. The government has recently consulted on reforms to the future delivery of Help to Save and has engaged with a range of third-party financial institutions, including credit unions, as part of this process. While a decision on the future delivery model has not yet been made, the government will continue working with credit unions and other interested financial institutions as these proposals are developed further.

What steps she will take to measure the impact of the Financial Inclusion Strategy in supporting the credit union sector.

The Government recognises the value that credit unions bring to their members and their key role in supporting financial inclusion, particularly through the provision of savings products and affordable credit. I published the Government’s Financial Inclusion Strategy last month which sets out a range of ambitious measures to improve financial inclusion and resilience across the UK. This includes interventions to support the credit union sector scale and serve its members more effectively, through the launch of a new £30 million transformation fund for credit unions in England and growth-focused reforms to the common bond to support the growth of credit unions in Great Britain. We have engaged closely with a range of stakeholders, including credit union sector representatives, to develop the Strategy, and will continue to do so to ensure it has a meaningful impact. The Strategy’s implementation will be reviewed in two years’ time to provide an update on progress and relevant outcomes-based metrics.

What the Department’s timelines are for implementing the recommendations set out in the Chief Medical Officer’s report, Health of People in Prison, on Probation and in the Secure NHS Estate in England, published on 6 November 2025.

We welcome the Chief Medical Officer’s report on the health of people in prison, on probation and in the secure National Health Service estate in England and we are carefully considering the findings and recommendations.The Department is committed to working with partners to reduce health inequalities for prisoners and is a signatory of the National Partnership Agreement which supports commissioning and delivery of appropriate service in prisons. We recognise that there is more we need to do to address health issues for this cohort. In addition, NHS England is updating all 19 health and justice service specifications by March 2026, which should provide opportunities to improve healthcare in prisons.With specific regard to improving access to effective drug treatment and support services across the criminal justice pathway, including upon release from custody, the Department works closely with national partners and with local authorities to improve continuity of care between prison and community drug and alcohol treatment systems. To support this the Department has published a continuity of care self-assessment toolkit and shares actionable data and good practice with drug and alcohol partnerships on a regular basis. The toolkit is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/continuity-of-care-from-prison-to-community-self-assessment-tool

What assessment he has made of the Chief Medical Officer’s report, Health of People in Prison, on Probation and in the Secure NHS Estate in England, published on 6 November 2025, and how his department will be working with the Department of Health and Social Care to implement its recommendations.

The Government welcomes the Chief Medical Officer’s review of the health of people in prison, on probation and in the secure NHS estate in England. This is an important area of focus and the report makes a range of recommendations to improve health outcomes for those in contact with the criminal justice system.Improving health outcomes for people in prison and on probation is a shared challenge across the Ministry of Justice, the Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England, and we will continue to work in close partnership, as reflected by our National Partnership Agreement, as we carefully consider how to address the recommendations highlighted in the report.

What specific actions the Department is taking, in response to the Chief Medical Officer’s report on the health of people in prison, published on 6 November 2025, to improve access to effective drug treatment and support services across the criminal justice pathway, including upon release from custody.

We welcome the Chief Medical Officer’s report on the health of people in prison, on probation and in the secure National Health Service estate in England and we are carefully considering the findings and recommendations.The Department is committed to working with partners to reduce health inequalities for prisoners and is a signatory of the National Partnership Agreement which supports commissioning and delivery of appropriate service in prisons. We recognise that there is more we need to do to address health issues for this cohort. In addition, NHS England is updating all 19 health and justice service specifications by March 2026, which should provide opportunities to improve healthcare in prisons.With specific regard to improving access to effective drug treatment and support services across the criminal justice pathway, including upon release from custody, the Department works closely with national partners and with local authorities to improve continuity of care between prison and community drug and alcohol treatment systems. To support this the Department has published a continuity of care self-assessment toolkit and shares actionable data and good practice with drug and alcohol partnerships on a regular basis. The toolkit is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/continuity-of-care-from-prison-to-community-self-assessment-tool

What steps his Department is taking to improve continuity of care for people with drug treatment needs on release from prison, including ensuring effective links between prison and community drug treatment services.

Everyone who has drug and/or alcohol treatment needs is assessed in prison and offered a referral to a treatment or recovery service on release. The Department works closely with national partners and with local authorities to improve continuity of care between prison and community drug and alcohol treatment systems. To support this, the Department has published a continuity of care self-assessment toolkit, and shares actionable data and good practice with drug and alcohol partnerships on a regular basis. The continuity of care self-assessment toolkit is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/continuity-of-care-from-prison-to-community-self-assessment-tool This work has enabled more people than ever to receive the treatment they need following their release from prison. The proportion of adults released from prison and successfully starting community treatment within three weeks of release was 53% in 2023 to 2024. This is a 10% increase from the proportion reported in 2022 to 2023, at 43%, and is 23% higher than when this data was first reported in 2015 to 2016, at 30%.

What steps he is taking to help reduce electricity costs.

Our mission for clean power is the single best way to bring down bills for good. Families have been let down by successive Tory governments who left our energy system exposed. We’re determined to change that.

What steps she is taking to help develop reading for pleasure in schools.

The department knows that reading for pleasure is hugely important and brings a range of benefits.That is why we are launching the National Year of Reading 2026, in collaboration with the National Literacy Trust. It aims to address long-term declines in reading enjoyment through engaging new audiences, reshaping public attitudes and building the systems needed to embed lasting, meaningful change.On 29 September, my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, committed over £10 million of funding to guarantee a library for every primary school by the end of this parliament. The government will set out further details of the scheme in due course.The government has also committed £27.7 million this financial year to support and drive high and rising standards in reading. This includes supporting the teaching of phonics, early language and reading for pleasure via the English Hubs programme.

Media and Sport, when she plans to begin the rollout of primary school libraries in every primary school in England.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has responsibility for the Dormant Assets Scheme, which is providing funding to support the primary school library commitment, previously announced by the Chancellor. Through the Scheme, £132.5 million has been allocated to increasing disadvantaged young people’s access to enrichment opportunities in the arts, culture, sports and wider youth services, aimed at improving wellbeing and employability over the long term. This includes a commitment to ensuring that every primary school in England has a library space by the end of this Parliament. The Government is working with The National Lottery Community Fund to co-design the programme and develop more of the specifics around its delivery. Further details will be announced in due course, including expected timelines.

What (a) training and (b) support will be given to (i) teachers and (ii) education staff to support the delivery of stronger literacy in schools.

The government has committed £27.7 million this financial year to support and drive high and rising standards in reading. This includes supporting the teaching of phonics, early language and reading for pleasure via the English Hubs programme.We will also build secondary schools' capacity to support students with reading needs by providing new training from January 2026. This training should reach 75% of secondary schools this academic year.Following the recommendations of the Curriculum and Assessment Review published on 5 November 2025, we will also introduce new frameworks on primary oracy and combined secondary oracy, reading and writing.Additionally, on 7 July 2025, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education announced that 2026 will be the National Year of Reading. The National Year of Reading is a UK-wide campaign to address the steep decline in reading enjoyment amongst children, young people, and adults.

What assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the (a) level of rollout completion and (b) uptake rates of lung cancer screening programmes in each area where those services have been commissioned.

The National Lung Cancer Screening Programme is designed to identify lung cancer at an earlier stage, particularly among people at highest risk. The programme offers screening to individuals aged 55 to 74 years old with a history of smoking, recognising that lung cancer disproportionately affects people living in more deprived areas.The National Health Service is currently rolling out the programme across England. The Public Health Functions Agreement between the Department and NHS England sets a target to invite 50% of the eligible population by March 2026, with full implementation planned by the end of the decade.To encourage uptake of lung screening, the NHS in England is directly targeting activity at areas that we know will make a difference. This includes awareness campaigns such as the NHS Help Us, Help You campaign, to increase awareness of cancer symptoms, including lung cancer, and encourage people to get checked.

What recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on improving continuity of care for repeat offenders as they move between prison and the community.

We recognise that the first few weeks after release for prison leavers are high-risk for relapse, overdose and reoffending, and we are determined to ensure prison leavers have a smooth transition into the community, with swift access to care and treatment to address this.Lord Timpson, the Minister of State for Prisons, Probation and Reducing Reoffending continues to engage with Baroness Merron and Minister Dalton, Minister for Public Health and Prevention in the Department for Health and Social Care, to discuss issues related to offender health and care and drive progress forward. The Drug and Alcohol Recovery Expert Panel (DAREP), chaired by Lord Timpson, was established to identify key areas for improvement in our current approach to tackling problematic drug and alcohol use in the criminal justice system in England and Wales, including consideration of continuity of care and resettlement. Minister Dalton is part of DAREP’s core membership.Working closely with health partners, we have recruited over 50 Health and Justice Partnership Coordinators. These staff operate nationwide to strengthen links between prison, probation and treatment providers. NHS England’s RECONNECT service also supports prison leavers with vulnerabilities to engage with the right health services in the community through referrals and peer support. We are also improving information sharing between treatment providers and probation and enabling virtual pre-release appointments with community treatment providers via secure laptops.

What training is provided to police officers to (a) identify and (b) respond to offenders with unmet (i) health and (ii) social needs to divert them away from the criminal justice system.

The Home Office has previously published guidance for police forces and local partners outlining approaches they should consider, collectively, to support people they encounter who have mental health problems, learning difficulties and drug misuse issues.That sets out that when the police identify a person whom they suspect of committing an offence as being vulnerable, forces have systems in place to refer people into a Liaison and Diversion scheme.Health professionals within criminal justice Liaison and Diversion teams will then: assess the person’s health needs, refer them for treatment or support (when appropriate), and provide relevant information to police and courts to help inform charging and sentencing. Moreover, the College of Policing has published guidelines for ‘recognising and responding to vulnerability-related risks’, which provides a framework to ensure vulnerable people receive appropriate help during interactions with the police

What estimate he has made of the potential cost savings to the criminal justice system of a one per cent reduction in reoffending among repeat offenders.

Reoffending in England and Wales is estimated to cost taxpayers £22.7 billion per year (adjusted to 24/25 prices). That is why we are investing in interventions that help individuals move away from crime, including employment, accommodation and substance misuse treatment services.Currently, we have not produced an estimate of the potential cost savings to the criminal justice system from a one per cent reduction in reoffending among repeat offenders.