Written questions by Bedford.

What progress she has made in (a) identifying and (b) reducing inefficiencies within her Department.

HM Treasury has, and continues to, take forward considerable work in identifying and actioning efficiencies in the departmental group. This includes adopting the Government Efficiency Framework, regularly reviewing productivity and efficiency measures to remove inefficiencies on an ongoing basis. Furthermore, HM Treasury is, as required by Spending Review 2025, doing detailed work to identify the efficiencies and savings required by the cross-government process.

Whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of the proposed increase in employer National Insurance contributions on pubs in (a) the United Kingdom, (b) Leicestershire and (c) Mid Leicestershire constituency.

An assessment of the changes to Employers’ National Insurance has been published by HMRC in their Tax Information and Impact Note, including impacts on the exchequer, the economy, individuals, households and families, equalities, and businesses including civil society organisations, alongside details on monitoring and evaluation.The Government is creating a fairer business rate system, reducing alcohol duty on qualifying draught products and transforming the apprenticeship levy to support business and boost opportunities. This work will be supported by the publication of The Small Business Strategy Command Paper which will be published later this year. Through the Hospitality Sector Council, we are addressing strategic issues for the sector related to high street regeneration, skills, sustainability, and productivity.

Media and Sport, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the Football Governance Bill on Leicester City Football Club.

The Independent Football Regulator will take a light-touch, targeted and proportionate approach. The requirements on individual clubs will reflect their circumstances, meaning they might vary based on factors like league, club size, and a club’s financial health or riskiness.From our significant engagement with clubs and leagues, we expect the impact on most clubs to be modest.

Innovation and Technology, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the roll out of broadband in (a) the United Kingdom, (b) Leicestershire and (c) Mid Leicestershire constituency.

According to the independent website Thinkbroadband.com, over 86% of premises in the UK can now access a gigabit-capable connection. In Leicestershire this figure is currently at 83%, and for the Mid Leicestershire constituency it is over 89%.As of the end of March 2024, over one million premises in the UK had been upgraded to gigabit-capable broadband through government-funded programmes. Under Project Gigabit, more than £2 billion of contracts have been signed to provide gigabit-capable coverage to over a million more premises. The vast majority of the premises to be covered by these contracts will be in rural areas.CityFibre is currently delivering a £77 million Project Gigabit contract for Leicestershire and Warwickshire, which includes eligible premises in both the Leicestershire and the Mid Leicestershire constituency.

What assessment she has made of the adequacy of the regulatory health checks required before a person purchases a mobility scooter outside the remit of the mobility scheme.

The Department for Transport has made no assessment as we are unaware of the regulatory health checks referred to in the question. It is important that a mobility scooter is not used in a manner that is detrimental to the safety of the user or others.Powered wheelchairs and mobility scooters are intended to provide local outdoor mobility for disabled people or those with mobility difficulties. Creating a consistent, reliable mobility scooter policy which balances the interests of all road users continues to be a challenge. However, the Department is committed to ensuring that users of mobility scooters and powered wheelchairs remain safe, mobile and independent.

Whether his Department has had discussions with HM Treasury on the potential merits of re-introducing a 75% retail, hospitality and leisure relief rate.

Without any Government intervention, Retail, Hospitality and Leisure (RHL) relief would have ended in April, creating a cliff-edge for businesses. We are providing support for retail, hospitality and leisure properties in the interim period leading up to the new permanent multiplier by providing 40% relief to RHL businesses on their business rates in 2025-26, up to a cash cap of £110,000 per business.  This is protecting the smallest properties by freezing the small business multiplier in 2025-26 and protecting over a million properties from inflationary bill increases.  We continue to work closely with HM Treasury on the challenges facing high streets and other businesses.

Representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the (a) time taken and (b) cost to administer claims made to the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority by hon. Members' offices.

IPSA has a statutory responsibility to regulate and administor a transparent scheme of staffing and business costs for MPs. Those spending public money are responsible for a suitable audit trail which is why IPSA asks for, and reviews, evidence of spend. This review helps IPSA to ensure public funds are properly spent and accounted for, and that MPs have the support they need to perfom their parliamentary functions.IPSA has developed a proportionate, risk-based approach to validating MPs' expenditure. In the last year, IPSA received approximately 137,500 requests for funding and 40% of these were checked by one of the validation officers, with the majority validated by system checks. The number of checks is increased for new MPs or if issues are identified with claims, such as unuasually high volume or lack of appropriate evidence. IPSA's approach has led to a reduction in the time it takes to reimburse MPs from an average of 8 days in 2020-21 to an average of 2.4 days year-to-date.The Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority annualy scrutinises IPSA's main estimate and business plan, which include details of its performance against key performance indicators such as the timetaken to reimburse claims. IPSA's operating costs are published via their Annual Report and Accounts.

What estimate his department has made of the level of population growth in the Mid Leicestershire constituency over the next five years.

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. A response to the hon. Member’s Parliamentary Question of 11th February is attached.

Representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of asking the National Audit Office to undertake a value for money review.

The Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (SCIPSA) is a statutory Committee established under the Parliamentary Standards Act 2009. The Committee's functions are set out in that Act. The Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA) was also created by the 2009 Act, as a statutory independent body.Each year the Speaker's Committee reviews IPSA's annual estimate of the resources it needs to discharge its functions. SCIPSA is required by statute to ensure that the estimate is consistant with the efficient and cost-effective discharge of IPSA's functions. The Committee carries out public scrutiny of the estimate prior to it being laid before the House of Commons by the SpeakerIPSA's accounts are audited annually by the National Audit Office (NAO) and are presented to Parliament. The NAO audit includes consideration of value for money of both IPSA's spend and MPs' spend which IPSA oversees. IPSA is also subject to a rigorous internal audit programme overseen by its own Audit, Risk, and Assurance Committee.

What information her Department holds on the number of people entering the country via routes other than small boat crossings in the last 12 months.

The information you have requested is published in the Immigration system statistics quarterly release.Data on detected irregular arrivals by method of entry is published in table Irr_01 of the Irregular migration summary tables. Data on passenger arrivals to the UK is published in table Arr_01 of the Passenger arrivals dataset. Data on Safe and Legal routes are published in table Asy_11 of the Asylum and resettlement summary tables. Data on entry clearance visas is published in table Vis_D02 of the detailed entry clearance dataset. A visa issued does not necessarily mean the person has entered the country.The latest data goes up to the end of September 2024. Data up to the end of December 2024 is due to be published on 27 February 2025. Information on how to use the datasets can be found in the ‘Notes’ pages of the workbooks.

Communities and Local Government, what recent assessment her Department has made of the impact of the increase in employer National Insurance contributions on councils.

Additional funding for employer NICs has been determined based on a national assessment of the costs for directly employed staff. The grant distribution methodology has been published in an explanatory note on the government website: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/updated-explanatory-note-on-the-employer-national-insurance-contribution-grant-2025-to-2026.We recognise the challenges that local authorities are facing as demand increases for critical services. That is why the government is providing an additional £2 billion of grant funding through the Settlement, which includes £502 million of additional grant funding to manage the impact of employer National Insurance Contributions changes on council budgets, and £13 million for combined authorities, totalling £515 million. The final Settlement for 2025-26 makes available over £69 billion for local government, which is a 6.8% cash terms increase in councils’ Core Spending Power on 2024-25.

What assessment she has made of the adequacy of free speech provisions in higher-education.

My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, confirmed to Parliament on 15 January the government’s plans for future of the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act 2023, which will create a more proportionate, balanced and less burdensome approach to protecting academic freedom and freedom of speech.While reviewing the Act, prior to the announcement, departmental officials and my noble Friend, the Minister for Skills, conducted a period of stakeholder engagement on the future of the Act with over 60 individuals, discussing freedom of speech policies, practices and challenges within higher education (HE). Amongst the individuals they met were academics with concerns about constraints on freedom of speech, sector representative groups like Universities UK and Guild HE, and mission groups such as the Russell Group, University Alliance and Independent HE, vice-chancellors, university administrators, unions and representatives of minority groups. This engagement informed decisions on the future of the Act.

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of increasing the Personal Allowance threshold from £12,570.

The previous Government made the decision to freeze the income tax Personal Allowance at its current level of £12,570 until April 2028. At our first Budget, we decided not to extend the freeze on personal tax thresholds meaning they will rise with inflation from April 2028

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of american tariffs on steel on future trends in the level of UK steel imports.

Tariffs on US steel imports have not yet been implemented, and this Government will engage with the US administration to seek a solution that benefits both nations. On 12 February I met with UK Steel, trade unions and our six steel producers to discuss the matter.My Department will continue to engage with UK industries impacted, including the UK steel industry, to conduct a thorough assessment of any potential impacts. The UK's steel safeguard measure remains an essential tool to shield industry from surges in imports, and this Government is backing our steel industry with up to £2.5 billion of Government investment to help build a bright future.

What recent progress his Department has made on reducing the backlog of children and young people waiting for mental health services in Leicestershire.

Child and adolescent mental health services work with young people and their families from across Leicester, Leicestershire, and Rutland. The service also links with other children’s services, such as early help, schools, and social care to provide a multi-agency approach.Leicestershire Partnership Trust is taking the following steps to reduce the backlog of patients waiting for mental health services:- timely discharge of children and young people who have completed a course of intervention to ensure flow through the service and reduced waits;- ascertain if group work is an appropriate option to ensure early support, preventing further waits;- clinical staff are asked to consider if they are able to work additional hours to increase capacity;- a robust recruitment and retention plan to reduce vacancies, which will increase capacity to offer more sessions and/or interventions; and- service wide capacity and demand work to ensure all available service capacity is used.The following are some of the measures the Mental Health Support Teams in Schools service has in place to manage waits:- weekly allocation meetings to prevent children and young people waiting beyond four weeks; and- where there is a situation where a child or young person has been waiting for longer than four weeks, a referral would be allocated to a practitioner outside of the referral area to ensure the quickest access and to reduce waiting time, and a phone consultation would be offered to determine whether the child or young person can be signposted to another service.

Representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, what recent discussions she has had with IPSA on its definition of an MP's parliamentary duties.

The Parliamentary Standards Act 2009 provides for IPSA to support MPs in carrying out their parliamentary functions. MPs are therefore required by IPSA to certify that their use of public funds was for the performance of their parliamentary functions, and that in incurring the expenditure they have complied with IPSA's statutory Scheme.The Scheme is clear in stating that the following examples of activities are not considered parliamentary for the purposes of this Scheme, and are therefore not eligible for IPSA funding:attendance at political party conferences or meetings;work which is conducted for or at the behest of a political party;activities relating to reviews of parliamentary constituency boundaries;activities which could be construed as campaign expenditure within the scope of the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000, or election expenses within the scope of the Representation of the People Act 1983;any other activities whose purpose is to give MPs a campaigning advantage in general elections and referendums;work relating to delegations to an international assembly;or work relating to the performance of ministerial functionsThis is not an exhaustive list, and IPSA will assess each item of expenditure on a case-by-case basis, reviewing evidence to ensure that costs relate to the parliamentary functions of the MP and not to personal, party political, campaigning, or other outside organisational activity.

If he will take steps to improve the education of (a) frontline healthcare staff and (b) the public on the (i) symptoms and (ii) signs of sepsis.

Sepsis has no specific diagnostic test, and the signs and symptoms can vary, making it challenging to identify and diagnose.The Government and its Arm’s Length Bodies are focused on improving the clinical awareness and recognition of sepsis by healthcare professionals, so that unwell and deteriorating patients are identified promptly and started on life-saving treatment. NHS England has launched several training programmes aimed at improving the diagnosis and early management of sepsis. These programmes are regularly reviewed and revised with support from subject matter experts as updated national sepsis guidance is implemented. Individual National Health Service trusts may also choose to implement additional initiatives on sepsis locally.The UK Health Security Agency provides public facing campaigns and resources for professionals’ focus on various aspects of infection. These include resources on infection prevention and control, antibiotic stewardship, managing common infections, diagnostic decision making, and patient information leaflets, including safety advice on sepsis.

What progress his Department has made on distributing compensation for people impacted by failures in the Horizon system.

Government has made significant progress in delivering redress to postmasters affected by the Post Office Horizon Scandal. As of 31 January 2025, approximately £663 million has been paid to over 4,300 claimants across 4 schemes, an increase of £427 million since the end of June 2024. There is however more to do.

What information her Department holds on the level of expenditure on young people who were not in education, employment or training in (a) the United Kingdom, (b) Leicestershire and (c) Mid Leicestershire constituency in the latest period for which data is available.

The information is not collated centrally and could only be provided at a disproportionate cost. As part of the Great Britain Working plan, we will launch a new Youth Guarantee for all young people aged 18-21 in England to ensure that they can access quality training opportunities, an apprenticeship or help to find work. The Youth Guarantee will build upon and enhance existing entitlements and provisions with the aim of tackling the rising number of young people who are not participating in education, employment or training. The East Midlands Combined Authority, which Leicestershire is a part of, is one of the eight Mayoral Strategic Authorities in England set to receive grant funding to deliver the Youth Guarantee Trailblazers announced in the Get Britain Working White Paper from Spring 2025.We will use the learning from the Trailblazers to inform the future design and development of the Youth Guarantee as it rolls-out across the rest of England.

What steps her Department has taken to reduce the number of pot-holes in Mid Leicestershire constituency.

Leicestershire County Council is the local highway authority for the Mid-Leicestershire constituency. The Government takes the condition of local roads very seriously and is committed to helping local highway authorities such as Leicestershire maintain and renew their local highway networks. At Budget 2024, the Chancellor announced an extra £500 million for local highway maintenance for the 2025/26 financial year, with funding allocations to individual English local highway authorities announced on 20 December 2024. Leicestershire County Council will receive up to £28.7 million for local highway maintenance in 2025/26, an increase of around 36% compared to the current financial year. In addition, the Government publishes data annually on the condition of the local road network in England, including Leicestershire, with the data available on gov.uk. The Department has worked with the British Standards Institute and the wider sector to produce PAS 2161, a new standard for road condition monitoring to help local authorities such as Leicestershire utilise new technologies when monitoring the condition of their road networks.