Written questions by Paul.

What steps her Department is taking to improve the provision of SEND support for children in Reigate constituency.

The department is continuing to support and challenge Surrey to improve the delivery of its special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) services, following the most recent local area SEND inspection by Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission in September 2023. This inspection found that the local area partnership’s arrangements led to inconsistent experiences and outcomes for children and young people. In response, the Surrey partnership has developed a strategic plan with specific actions to address the areas for improvement that were identified in the inspection report.The four areas for improvement identified were: The partnership board should further develop their strategic evaluation of all partnership projects and interventions, in order to improve their ability to monitor at a systemic level the impact of these projects and interventions and their outcomes on children and young people.Leaders across the partnership should improve communication from special educational needs case officers and practitioners to parents and carers, so that all stakeholders are supported to understand the system and decision-making, and feel fully involved in the journey with their child or young person.Leaders across health, social care and education should ensure that improvements continue in line with their recovery plan in respect of:reducing waiting times for health assessments;increasing timeliness and quality of needs assessments; and,increasing timeliness and quality of education, health and care plans and annual reviews.Leaders in education should continue to review the breadth and offer of alternative provision (AP), in order to inform commissioning so that AP meets children and young people’s needs and improves their outcomes. The department, working alongside NHS England, has put into place systems to track the progress that the Surrey partnership is making against these areas for improvement and to offer support where appropriate. For example, the department has put in place a SEND advisor who will continue to provide support and advice to the local authority. Furthermore, Surrey County Council entered into a Safety Valve agreement with the department in March 2022, with a view to addressing the effectiveness and financial sustainability of the local high needs system.

What steps he is taking to support pubs in Reigate constituency.

Pubs, including those in Reigate, are at the heart of our communities and vital for economic growth. That is why the Government is creating a fairer business rate system by introducing permanently lower tax rates for retail, hospitality, and leisure businesses from 2026-27 and extending the current relief for 1 year at 40%.The government is also reducing alcohol duty on qualifying draught products, representing an overall reduction in duty bills of over £85m a year.We will transform the apprenticeship levy into a more flexible growth and skills levy to better support business and boost opportunity for people to work in Pubs.Through the Hospitality Sector Council, we are addressing strategic issues for the sector related to high street regeneration, skills, sustainability, and productivity.

For what reason his Department's Notification of Child Death Form asks about the gender with which the child identified at the time of their death in cases where the child was over 10; and whether his Department consulted on that change.

The Notification of Child Death Form, part of the National Child Mortality Database, continues to capture the sex of the child for anyone under the age of 18 years old, in line with sex being a protected characteristic under the Equality Act 2010.Although questions relating to gender identity already existed within one part of the National Child Mortality Database collection, specifically for suicide and self-harm, the change in October expanded these questions to all deaths. This was to capture the language used by young people and their families to improve system learning and to support the prevention of future deaths. It was not subject to public consultation.

Pursuant to the Answer of 9 October 2024 to Question 5796 on Parking: Pedestrian Areas, if she will set a target date to respond to the consultation entitled Pavement Parking: options for change, which closed in November 2020.

We are currently considering the views expressed in the consultation responses. Our plan is to publish a formal response to the consultation, summarising the views received and announcing the Government’s next steps for pavement parking policy in due course.

What data her Department holds on the proportion of families with children about whom (a) care and (b) protection issues have been raised who are offered a family group conference.

The department does not hold this data Statutory guidance for local authorities, such as ‘Working together to safeguard children’ and the ‘Children’s social care national framework’, encourages local authorities to consider family group decision making, such as family group conferences, from the earliest point of a family’s involvement in children’s social care and to repeat them, as considered appropriate, throughout the system.

Pursuant to the Answer of 8 October 2024 to Question 5795 on M25: Noise, when Next Generation Concrete Surfacing will take place between Junctions 8 and 9 on the M25.

A section of the M25 between Junction 8 and Junction 9 was treated with Next Generation Concrete Surfacing (NGCS) in September 2024 and wider implementation of NGCS on the M25 is expected to be undertaken from 2026. At present, National Highways is unable to confirm when specific sections of the M25 will be treated, but all concrete sections of the M25 are planned to receive noise mitigation treatment.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of implementing the draft regulations proposed following the UK fresh produce sector: review of the supply chain, published on 14 December 2023.

The Government will deliver a resilient and healthy food system, with a new deal that ensures fairness in the supply chain across all sectors, including the fresh produce supply chain. Farmers should always receive a fair price for their products and the Government is committed to tackling contractual unfairness wherever it exists.We will soon share proposals building on the consultation with industry, and will continue to work closely with stakeholders from the fresh produce sector on the best way to achieve this.

What recent progress she has made on progressing prisoners who remain in custody on Imprisonment for Public Protection sentences and who have served their minimum term towards release from incarceration.

This Government is focused, as a matter of urgency, on ensuring that all serving Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPP) prisoners have the opportunity to reduce their risk, via effective and deliverable sentence plans, as well as supporting them to engage fully with those plans. We will shortly be publishing a refreshed IPP Action Plan, that is being worked on and will be delivered by very senior officials in HM Prison and Probation Service. More broadly, we continue to focus on delivering good education, training and work opportunities in prison to build skills alongside support for IPP prisoners to access employment and accommodation on release. It is right that IPP sentences were abolished, and we are committed to making further progress towards a safe and sustainable release for those serving the IPP sentence, but not in a way that impacts public protection. The Government will continue to consult with organisations and campaign groups to ensure it takes the appropriate course of action to support those still serving IPP sentences.

If he will take steps to ensure that the new NHS Commercial Framework allows for increased use of indication-specific pricing agreements to support patient access to future cancer innovations.

As part of the 2024 Voluntary Scheme for Branded Medicines Pricing, Access and Growth, NHS England committed to undertake two consultations on amendments to the NHS Commercial Framework for New Medicines. The first of these launched on 31 July 2024 for eight weeks. The proposed amendments would make the framework more explicit about the circumstances in which NHS England will consider indication specific pricing mechanisms. They would also align the framework with the Competition and Markets Authority statement on combination medicines.NHS England and the Department engaged with key stakeholders throughout the consultation period, and NHS England intend to publish an updated NHS Commercial Framework for New Medicines by the end of 2024.

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of exempting war (a) widows and (b) widowers from changes to the eligibility criteria for the Winter Fuel Payment.

This Government is committed to pensioners. Everyone in our society, no matter their working history or savings deserves a comfortable and dignified retirement. Given the substantial pressures faced by the public finances this year and next, the Government has had to make hard choices to bring the public finances back under control. Winter Fuel Payments will continue to be paid to pensioner households that need it most, that is, those receiving Pension Credit or certain other income-related benefits. These are, Universal Credit, income-related Employment and Support Allowance, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance, Income Support, Child Tax Credit and Working Tax Credit. They will continue to be worth £200 for eligible households, or £300 for eligible households with someone aged over 80. This approach retains support for pensioners on low incomes. We know there are low-income pensioners who aren’t claiming Pension Credit, and we are urging pensioners to come forward and check their eligibility for Pension Credit to ensure as many people in need as possible have access to this support. This will passport them to receive Winter Fuel Payment alongside other benefits – hundreds of pounds that could really help them. Other measures to support pensioners include the State Pension, which is the foundation of income in retirement and will remain so, protecting 12 million pensioners through the Triple Lock. Based on current forecasts, the full rate of the new state pension is set to increase by around £1,700 over the course of this Parliament. The Household Support Fund is also being extended for a further six months, from 1 October 2024 until 31 March 2025. An additional £421 million will be provided to enable the extension of the Household Support Fund in England, plus funding for the Devolved Governments through the Barnett formula to be spent at their discretion, as usual.The Warm Home Discount scheme in England and Wales provides eligible low-income households across Great Britain with a £150 rebate on their electricity bill. This winter, we expect over three million households, including over one million pensioners, to benefit under the scheme.

If his Department will publish a strategy for ensuring people living with (a) Crohn’s disease and (b) other forms of inflammatory bowel disease are able to access treatment in a timely manner.

NHS England’s Getting It Right First Time Programme on gastroenterology aims to reduce variations in care, increase early diagnosis and proactive management of Crohn’s disease and colitis, and increase access to inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) specialist nurses. The National institute for Health and Care Excellence has also produced a range of guidance on IBD, and Crohn’s disease and colitis, to support early diagnosis and effective management of these conditions. It ensures that the care provided to people with IBD is based on the best available evidence. In the last two years, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has recommended four new drugs for the treatment of moderate to severe Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, including Upadacitinib, Risankizumab, Mirikizumab, and Etrasimod. NHS England’s National Bladder and Bowel Health Project is delivering better care for people with IBD, with a focus on developing clinical pathways. NHS England commissions specialised colorectal services nationally to support equity of access to high-quality treatment for patients with IBD requiring complex surgery. This work is supported within NHS England by the clinical leadership of the Specialised Colorectal Services Clinical Reference Group, which is made up of experts in surgery, medicine, radiology, pathology, and nursing, alongside patient and public voice representatives. To raise awareness of IBD among general practitioners and other primary care staff, the Royal College of General Practitioners has produced an Inflammatory Bowel Disease Toolkit. The toolkit outlines when to suspect IBD, the appropriate investigative tests and diagnostic tools for IBD, how to manage a flare-up of symptoms and how to support patients with IBD.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to ensure that the UK maintains funding for the Global Polio Eradication Initiative.

The UK is proud to be a longstanding supporter of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI), having contributed £1.4 billion since 1995. The UK continues to be a supportive partner to the GPEI and will take every opportunity to ensure every child everywhere is safe from polio. The UK is working with the international community to coordinate efforts and ensure sustainable resources for all upcoming global health replenishments. Effective coordination across the Global Health Initiatives will be needed to deliver for the global health challenges ahead.

Whether he plans to review the list of conditions for exemption from prescription charges; and if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of including cystic fibrosis on that list.

There are no current plans to review the list of medical conditions that entitle someone to apply for a medical exemption certificate. Approximately 89% of prescription items are dispensed free of charge in the community in England, and there is a wide range of exemptions from prescription charges already in place, for which those with cystic fibrosis may be eligible. Eligibility depends on the patient’s age, whether they are in qualifying full-time education, whether they are pregnant or have recently given birth, or whether they are in receipt of certain benefits or a war pension.People on low incomes can apply for help with their health costs through the NHS Low Income Scheme. Prescription prepayment certificates (PPCs) are also available. PPCs allow people to claim as many prescriptions as they need for a set cost, with three-month and 12-month certificates available. The 12-month PPC can be paid for in instalments.

Whether she plans to adjust the upper limit on house purchases using a Lifetime ISA in line with inflation.

Data from the latest UK House Price Index demonstrates that the average price paid by first-time buyers remains below the LISA property price cap in all regions of the UK.Any unauthorised withdrawals are subject to a 25% withdrawal charge. This recoups the Government bonus, any interest or growth arising from it, and a proportion of the individual’s initial savings. HMRC is currently undertaking social research on the LISA with existing account holders and those who are eligible but have not opened a LISA.HMRC commits to publishing all research in their Annual Report and Accounts. The findings from all strands of research on the LISA will be published in due course.The Government keeps all aspects of savings tax policy under review.