Written questions by Maskell.

If she will make it her policy to extend the Housing Support Fund.

£500 million is being provided to enable the current Household Support Fund, including funding for Devolved Administrations through the Barnett formula to be spent at their discretion. This means Local Authorities in England are receiving £421 million to support those in need locally. The current Household Support Fund will be in place until 30 September 2024. As a new government, we are reviewing all policies, including the Household Support Fund.

If she will make it her policy to extend the Holiday Activities Fund.

The government is committed to breaking down barriers to opportunity and giving every child the best start in life.The department will be providing over 3 million holiday clubs places this summer and these places will support children from disadvantaged backgrounds to access free healthy meals and enriching activities.The department will also be providing over 500,000 holiday places over Christmas to ensure children get access to food through the school holidays and to the activities benefiting their heath, wellbeing and learning that we know make such a difference.Funding beyond the end of March 2025 is subject to the forthcoming Spending Review.

What steps she is taking to ensure that the family court system (a) provides adequate support for court users who have experienced abuse by their (i) partner and (ii) former partner and (b) cannot be misused by perpetrators of domestic abuse.

This Government is committed to halving incidences of violence against women and girls; a key element of this is ensuring that the courts are safe and supportive environments for victims, including within the family court.We are committed to supporting children, parents and carers throughout the family justice system, and will set out a package of measures to see this done across the course of this Parliament.

What steps she is taking to (a) tackle the use of nitazenes and (b) help ensure that drug users are safe in the context of trends in the use of those drugs.

A cross-Government taskforce is co-ordinating the response to the risk synthetic opioids, including nitazenes, pose to the UK. The Taskforce includes officials from the Home Office, Department for Health and Social Care, National Crime Agency, National Police Chiefs’ Council and Border Force. Additionally, the NCA, working closely with policing, Border Force and international partners is ensuring that all lines of enquiry are prioritised and vigorously pursued to stem any supply of nitazenes to and within the UK.High quality drug treatment and recovery services are crucial to the response. Across England, there has been investment in drug treatment and recovery services working to prevent drug-related deaths and harms.In line with recent advice from the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs, the Government intends to control a group of harmful nitazenes as Class A drugs via a generic definition under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, subject to parliamentary approval. The generic definition will control more nitazenes than current legislation does, reducing the opportunity for criminals to circumvent sanctions under the 1971 Act. We will be laying these amendments as a matter of urgency.The UK’s early warning and surveillance system has been enhanced and captures multiple sets of data including ambulance data, post-mortem toxicology, drug seizures and wastewater analysis among other sources. Findings will be shared with law enforcement and public health agencies, at national and local level, meaning that rapid action can be taken in communities where harmful substances such as nitazenes are detected.We are also working with the NPCC to expand provision of the lifesaving opioid antidote naloxone to police forces to reduce the risk of death from an opioid overdose.

Whether she is taking steps with Cabinet colleagues to assess the adequacy of the supply of food for people in poverty in summer 2024; and whether she has made an assessment with Cabinet colleagues of the potential implications for the Government's policies of trends in the level of supply of emergency food for people dependant on that provision.

We are committed to tackling poverty and ending mass dependence on emergency food parcels. We are introducing free breakfast clubs in every primary school to ensure children are fed a nutritious breakfast and are ready to learn and have created a new Ministerial Taskforce to drive cross-government action on child poverty. We are also supporting people with the cost of essentials such as food and energy through the Household Support Fund. This scheme is run by Upper Tier Local Authorities in England to provide discretionary support to those most in need. Currently, £500m is being provided to enable the extension of the Fund, including funding for the Devolved Administrations through the Barnett formula to be spent at their discretion. Local Authorities in England are receiving £421m to support those in need locally. As a new government, we are keeping all policies under review, including the Household Support Fund.

What assessment she has made of the potential merits of introducing harm reduction centres for drug users.

No recent assessment has been made of the potential merits of introducing ‘harm reduction centres’ for drug users, including any implications for UK drug legislation. Such centres are sometimes referred to as drug consumption rooms or safer consumption facilities and are understood to be locations where drug users could lawfully consume controlled drugs that they have purchased from criminal dealers.Specifically in relation to Scotland, the Government will not interfere with the lawfully exercised prosecutorial independence of the Lord Advocate in respect of a pilot drug consumption room in Scotland. We will consider any evidence emerging from evaluation of that pilot in due course.

If she will take steps to ensure that children with (a) SEND, (b) anxiety and (c) trauma can access (i) support and (ii) therapeutic services during the school holidays.

The government is committed to breaking down barriers to opportunity and giving every child the best start in life. The holiday activities and food (HAF) programme funds free holiday club places for children in every local authority in England in the summer, Christmas, and Easter holidays. HAF clubs provide heathy meals, enriching activities and free childcare places to children from low-income families. In addition, 15% of HAF funding is available to fund places for children who may not qualify on household income, but who may have additional needs or disadvantages that mean they would benefit from a place. Thousands of children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) will access inclusive and specialist HAF provision this summer. Local authorities are responsible for delivering the HAF programme in their area. Guidance clearly sets out that they must give specific consideration to the needs of children with SEND, or additional needs, and the department encourages local authorities to engage with local and national organisations, including special schools, to draw on their expertise in how best to support these children and their families during the school holidays.

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of increasing the funding for children with SEND to help provide access to (a) activities and (b) childcare during school holidays.

The government is committed to breaking down barriers to opportunity and giving every child the best start in life. The holiday activities and food (HAF) programme funds free holiday club places for children in every local authority in England in the summer, Christmas, and Easter holidays. HAF clubs provide heathy meals, enriching activities and free childcare places to children from low-income families. In addition, 15% of HAF funding is available to fund places for children who may not qualify on household income, but who may have additional needs or disadvantages that mean they would benefit from a place. Thousands of children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) will access inclusive and specialist HAF provision this summer. Local authorities are responsible for delivering the HAF programme in their area. Guidance clearly sets out that they must give specific consideration to the needs of children with SEND, or additional needs, and the department encourages local authorities to engage with local and national organisations, including special schools, to draw on their expertise in how best to support these children and their families during the school holidays.

What steps she plans to take to ensure there is adequate provision for children with SEND to access activities during school holidays.

The government is committed to breaking down barriers to opportunity and giving every child the best start in life. The holiday activities and food (HAF) programme funds free holiday club places for children in every local authority in England in the summer, Christmas, and Easter holidays. HAF clubs provide heathy meals, enriching activities and free childcare places to children from low-income families. In addition, 15% of HAF funding is available to fund places for children who may not qualify on household income, but who may have additional needs or disadvantages that mean they would benefit from a place. Thousands of children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) will access inclusive and specialist HAF provision this summer. Local authorities are responsible for delivering the HAF programme in their area. Guidance clearly sets out that they must give specific consideration to the needs of children with SEND, or additional needs, and the department encourages local authorities to engage with local and national organisations, including special schools, to draw on their expertise in how best to support these children and their families during the school holidays.

If she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the Holiday Activities Fund on children living in poverty.

The government is committed to breaking down barriers to opportunity and giving every child the best start in life. This is why we have established a new cross-government taskforce to develop an ambitious strategy to tackle the child poverty crisis. During this summer, the government will be providing more than three million holiday club places through the holiday activities and food (HAF) programme, supporting children who are living in poverty to access free, healthy meals and enriching activities. An independent evaluation of HAF from 2021 showed that attending HAF clubs can have a positive impact on children and young people living in poverty. The evaluation highlights that HAF clubs work best when they provide consistent and easily accessible enrichment activities, when they offer healthy food, and when they involve children and parents in meal preparation. As part of the next spending review, the department will consider the impact of the programme and how the programme could continue to support children living in poverty.

If he will take steps with Directors of Public Health to ensure there is adequate funding for sexual health services.

The Government is committed to improving the sexual health of the nation, including access to, and quality of, sexual health services for the whole population. Public health services commissioned by local authorities in England continue to be funded through a ring-fenced Public Health Grant. In 2024/25, the total Public Health Grant to local authorities has been confirmed at £3.603 billion, through which sexual health services are funded. Local authorities are best placed to commission sexual health services to meet the needs of their local population.We will work with local government and other key partners to prevent ill health, improve the wider determinants of health, reduce the inequalities that drive poor health, and agree on the most effective interventions to achieve our shared ambitions.

If he will make an assessment of the effectiveness of (a) early interventions to help tackle sexually transmitted diseases and (b) other sexual health services.

The Government is committed to improving the sexual health of the nation, including access to, and quality of, sexual health services for the whole population. Public health services commissioned by local authorities in England continue to be funded through a ring-fenced Public Health Grant. In 2024/25, the total Public Health Grant to local authorities has been confirmed at £3.603 billion, through which sexual health services are funded. Local authorities are best placed to commission sexual health services to meet the needs of their local population.We will work with local government and other key partners to prevent ill health, improve the wider determinants of health, reduce the inequalities that drive poor health, and agree on the most effective interventions to achieve our shared ambitions.

If he will maintain levels of funding for sexual health services.

The Government is committed to improving the sexual health of the nation, including access to, and quality of, sexual health services for the whole population. Public health services commissioned by local authorities in England continue to be funded through a ring-fenced Public Health Grant. In 2024/25, the total Public Health Grant to local authorities has been confirmed at £3.603 billion, through which sexual health services are funded. Local authorities are best placed to commission sexual health services to meet the needs of their local population.We will work with local government and other key partners to prevent ill health, improve the wider determinants of health, reduce the inequalities that drive poor health, and agree on the most effective interventions to achieve our shared ambitions.

What steps he plans to take to help reduce the use of (a) nitazenes and (b) other illicit substances in areas where there is growing use of such synthetic substances.

The Department is monitoring and responding to the threat posed by the growing levels of nitazenes and other potent synthetic drugs. It is vital that steps are taken to reduce the use of these substances, including by increasing awareness of their dangers. The Government has a drug information and advice service called Talk to FRANK which aims to reduce drug misuse and its harms by providing awareness to young people and to parents. Information on synthetic opioids and the danger of their misuse is available at the following link:https://www.talktofrank.com/drug/synthetic-opioids Education on drug use is also a statutory component of relationships and sex education, and health education in England. The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities and the Department for Education have commissioned lesson plans and other resources to support teachers to deliver quality drug prevention, which are available to schools. The lesson plans target primary and secondary students, teaching them how to manage influences and pressure, and keep themselves healthy and safe. These resources are in the process of being updated and there will be increased emphasis on the risks of synthetic drugs. The Department has also invested an additional £532 million into drug and alcohol treatment and recovery provision between 2022/23 and 2024/25, to ensure those in need can access high quality help and support. For those using opiates, treatment is the safest place to be.

Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to support local authorities to find additional accommodation for refugees that have been granted leave to remain.

The department is committed to working in partnership with local authorities to understand the impact of recently granted refugees and their housing needs.We also continue to work with the Home Office to see how we can improve working co-operation with local authorities to make sure that they receive enough notice and the right information to support people following an asylum decision.All individuals who have received a positive decision on their asylum claim can remain in the accommodation provided by the Home Office for at least 28 days from when their decision is served to allow them to make onward arrangements.

Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment of the effectiveness of local government expenditure on tackling (a) child poverty and (b) poverty.

On 17 July, a new Ministerial Taskforce was set up to drive cross-government action on child poverty, starting with overseeing the development of our ambitious new strategy in line with the Opportunity Mission.This Government is under no illusions about the scale of the pressure that local authorities are facing and the impact of this pressure on the services councils provide. Future local authority funding decisions will be a matter for the next Spending Review and Local Government Finance Settlement. The department will work with local government leaders to ensure they are better able to fulfil their statutory duties.

Communities and Local Government, what her planned timetable is for assessing the effectiveness of the Housing First pilot schemes.

The previous Government commissioned an evaluation of the Housing First pilots, which is currently ongoing. Reports are made available here.

Communities and Local Government, if she will take steps to help ensure that families are able to access emergency accommodation in areas where capacity for accommodation has been exceeded by demand during the summer of 2024.

Homelessness levels are far too high and too many families are living in temporary accommodation. We will take the action needed to tackle this issue and develop a long-term, cross-government strategy, through working with mayors, councils and other key stakeholders, to end homelessness for good. Critical to tackling homelessness is building more affordable homes. We will deliver the biggest increase in social and affordable housebuilding in a generation and deliver 1.5 million new homes over the next Parliament.

If he will commission a strategy on the (a) research, (b) diagnosis and (c) management of cancer.

The NHS Long-Term Plan published in January 2019 sets out the National Health Service’s key ambitions on cancer, including acknowledging the importance of research and cancer management. The Plan also sets out the NHS ambition to increase the number of cancers diagnosed at stage one and two to 75% by 2028 and to increase the number of people surviving cancer for five years by 55,000 as a result.Lord Ara Darzi is currently undertaking an independent investigation into the state of the NHS, the findings of which will feed into the Government’s 10-year plan to build a health service that is fit for the future. The Government will set out any further priorities on cancer and health in due course.

What assessment he has made of recent trends in the number of pancreatic cancer diagnoses; and what steps he plans to take to help support research into less treatable cancers.

The National Health Service’s latest available data shows that the number of pancreatic cancer cases diagnosed in 2021 was 9,728, compared to 9,263 in 2019, showing a gradual increase. Delivering more research is key to understanding and assessing the challenges around cancers with lower survival rates. The Department invests £1.3 billion per year into health research, through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including all cancers. As with other Government funding of health research, the NIHR does not allocate funding for specific disease areas, including less survivable cancers. The level of research spend in a particular area is driven by factors including scientific potential and the number and scale of successful funding applications.The NHS Cancer Programme has commissioned 10 clinical cancer audits, which will provide timely evidence for cancer service providers where patterns of care in England may vary, increase the consistency of access to treatments, and help stimulate improvements in cancer treatment and outcomes for patients. This includes an audit on pancreatic cancer. NHS England’s Getting it Right First Time (GIRFT) programme has appointed a team of 5 specialist clinicians to lead a national review into services for pancreatic cancer patients in England. As part of their review, the GIRFT clinicians are visiting 23 networks. Early evidence shows that tracking patients throughout their pathway, both geographically and chronologically, supports an optimal service, making good use of Clinical Nurse Specialists. The final report will be completed in 2024/25.