Written questions by Hall.

What steps she is taking to reduce administrative friction in transferring large sums between personal accounts while maintaining robust fraud prevention and anti-money laundering measures.

The government recognises the importance of minimising administrative friction around payments for people, banks, and businesses, while maintaining strong safeguards against the growing threat to the economy from money laundering and economic crime. The department keeps the Money Laundering Regulations (MLRs) under regular review, and the MLRs require banks to take a proportionate approach commensurate with their assessment of the risk. The MLRs are being amended in a forthcoming Statutory Instrument, with various changes intended to reduce unnecessary checks on legitimate transactions while maintaining robust controls targeted at higher-risk activity; policy development is ongoing and next steps will be set out in due course.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of mid-year efficiency requirements as set out by NHS partners on the sustainability of hospice services.

Palliative care services are included in the list of services an integrated care board (ICB) must commission. This promotes a more consistent national approach and supports commissioners in prioritising palliative and end of life care. While no specific assessment has been made at the national level, ICBs are responsible for the commissioning of palliative and end of life care services, to meet the needs of their local populations, which includes consideration of the potential impact of any efficiency requirements on the provision of services to patients.To support ICBs in this duty, NHS England has published statutory guidance and service specifications.

Whether her Department plans to review thresholds for mandatory reporting of large cash withdrawals or transfers by banks under anti-money laundering regulations.

The government recognises the importance of minimising administrative friction around payments for people, banks, and businesses, while maintaining strong safeguards against the growing threat to the economy from money laundering and economic crime. The department keeps the Money Laundering Regulations (MLRs) under regular review, and the MLRs require banks to take a proportionate approach commensurate with their assessment of the risk. The MLRs are being amended in a forthcoming Statutory Instrument, with various changes intended to reduce unnecessary checks on legitimate transactions while maintaining robust controls targeted at higher-risk activity; policy development is ongoing and next steps will be set out in due course.

What steps he plans to take to improve early diagnosis of bowel cancer through the National Cancer Plan.

Early diagnosis of cancers, including bowel cancer, is a key focus of the National Cancer Plan. We are committed to transforming diagnostic services and will support the National Health Service to increase diagnostic capacity to meet the demand for diagnostic services through investment in new capacity, including magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography scanners.The National Cancer Plan, due to be published later this year, will build on the shifts in care set out in the 10-Year Health Plan to diagnose cancers earlier. Through the 10-Year Health Plan, we will make it easier for people to access cancer screening, diagnostic, and treatment in patients’ local areas, backed by the latest technology.The UK Bowel Cancer Screening Programme is undergoing several updates to its standards aimed at improving coverage, accessibility, and early detection. This includes updated performance thresholds, and improved accessibility of bowel cancer screening faecal immunochemical test kits for people who are blind or partially sighted.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of anti-money laundering regulations on the ability of small businesses to make large legitimate payments without disruption.

The government recognises the importance of minimising administrative friction around payments for people, banks, and businesses, while maintaining strong safeguards against the growing threat to the economy from money laundering and economic crime. The department keeps the Money Laundering Regulations (MLRs) under regular review, and the MLRs require banks to take a proportionate approach commensurate with their assessment of the risk. The MLRs are being amended in a forthcoming Statutory Instrument, with various changes intended to reduce unnecessary checks on legitimate transactions while maintaining robust controls targeted at higher-risk activity; policy development is ongoing and next steps will be set out in due course.

What assessment he has made of the effectiveness of regulations on the (a) sale and (b) use of fireworks; and whether he plans to bring forward legislative proposals to strengthen those regulations.

No assessment has been made of the effectiveness of regulations on the (a) sale and (b) use of fireworks. The Government continues to engage with various stakeholders about fireworks regulation and the impact of fireworks. I have met with a wide range of stakeholders, including charities such as Combat Stress and the RSPCA, other MPs, representatives from fireworks retailers including major supermarkets, convenience stores, and trade associations as well as Trading Standards.I am carefully considering all the feedback received.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department plans to amend waste regulations to impose stricter controls on the (a) destinations and (b) environmental standards of aluminium scrap exports.

The Government takes the control of waste exports and our international obligations very seriously. The export of aluminium scrap is subject to strict controls and exporters are required to ensure that the waste they ship is managed in an environmentally sound manner throughout shipment and recycling. The Government has not issued any specific proposals to amend existing waste regulations relating to aluminium scrap.

What steps his Department is taking to help improve access to NHS dental care.

The responsibility for commissioning primary care services, including National Health Service dentistry, to meet the needs of local populations has been delegated to integrated care boards (ICBs) across England. For Warrington South constituency, this is NHS Cheshire and Merseyside ICB.We will deliver 700,000 extra urgent dental appointments per year, and ICBs have been making extra appointments available from 1 April 2025. NHS Cheshire and Merseyside ICB is expected to deliver 46,617 additional urgent dental appointments as part of the scheme.ICBs are recruiting posts through the Golden Hello scheme. This recruitment incentive will see dentists receiving payments of £20,000 to work in those areas that need them most for three years.We are committed to reforming the dental contract, with a shift to focus on prevention and the retention of NHS dentists.

What recent assessment she has made of the potential impact of property condition on the (a) capacity and (b) safety of the (i) prison and (ii) courts estate.

The Ministry of Justice prioritises maintenance funding for both the HMCTS and HMPPS estates to make sure buildings are safe, secure, meet statutory requirements and protect continuity of service.The condition of HMCTS and HMPPS properties is routinely monitored and any faults or safety concerns are resolved as soon as practicable.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to (a) uphold and (b) improve welfare standards for racing greyhounds; and in what way his Department engages with organisations involved in their (i) care and (ii) oversight.

The welfare of racing greyhounds in England is covered by the Animal Welfare Act 2006 and the Welfare of Racing Greyhounds Regulations 2010 (the 2010 Regulations). The 2010 Regulations include a number of welfare requirements, such as requiring all greyhound tracks to have a veterinary surgeon in attendance to ensure that every greyhound is fit to run. In addition to these statutory protections, the sport’s main regulatory body – the Greyhound Board of Great Britain (GBGB) has also undertaken a number of welfare reforms to improve welfare standards for racing greyhounds, including publishing a long term, national welfare strategy – ‘A Good Life for Every Greyhound’. The Greyhound Forum, of which Defra officials and GBGB are members, also regularly discusses possible improvements that would ensure or improve welfare standards for racing greyhounds. The Government is monitoring GBGB’s progress in delivering ‘A Good Life for Every Greyhound’ strategy and should further measures be required the Government will consider options which are targeted, effective, and proportionate.

What steps she is taking to ensure that renters can include regular rent payments in credit reports to support access to credit and financial products.

Ensuring individuals have access to the appropriate financial products and services they need is a key priority for the Government. This is why I have committed to publish a Financial Inclusion Strategy later this year which will seek to tackle a range of barriers individuals face, including how to increase access to affordable credit for underserved consumers. Credit reference agencies (CRAs) have traditionally only collected data on consumers’ credit agreements, so rental payments made under tenancy agreements are not typically recorded on credit reports. However, since the Government’s Rent Recognition Challenge in 2017, various third-party services have emerged to make it possible for rental payments to be reported to CRAs and subsequently appear on individuals’ credit reports.

Whether her Department is considering measures to bring rolling stock (a) procurement and (b) ownership into public ownership as contracts with leasing companies expire.

Rolling stock companies own and lease trains and carriages worth billions of pounds. It would not be responsible for the Government to take on the cost of renationalising all the rolling stock at the present time, as there are other urgent pressures on the public purse and we need to focus on wider rail reform. The Government will develop a long-term strategy for rolling stock and associated infrastructure, which will have passengers at its heart and which will also support the supply chain by providing a predictable pipeline of work. Once established, Great British Railways will take a whole-system and long-term approach to using rolling stock across the network, providing certainty to manufacturers and rolling stock companies across the country and globally. Taking this approach to rolling stock will enable greater certainty and lower risk for the supply chain and will be a better way to secure value for money than the failed franchising model.

What steps her Department is taking to improve the early (a) identification and (b) support of children with special educational needs (i) in areas with lower special educational needs resources, (ii) for children without formal diagnosis and (iii) in all areas.

The department is determined to ensure that all settings have the tools to identify special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) early, support children and young people, and prevent the escalation of needs later on. Details of the government's intended approach to SEND reform will be set out in a Schools White Paper in the autumn.We recognise that the early years presents a crucial opportunity to invest in children’s development. We are investing in additional support and improving how funding is distributed to providers, supporting them to strengthen inclusion and early intervention.Best Start Family Hubs will also provide high quality support in every local authority. Each hub will include access to a professional trained to support parents of children with additional needs, helping to identify SEND early and connect families with local services.The department is also investing in evidence-based programmes, including the Nuffield Early Language Intervention and the Early Language and Speech for Every Child programme, to support children with their speech and language development. We have published free resources for providers, including an online training module and SEND assessment guidance, and we are funding the level 3 Early Years qualification for an additional 1,000 early years Special Educational Needs Co-ordinators.

What steps her Department has taken to ensure that the UK’s Carbon Border Adjustment reduces carbon leakage in relevant sectors.

The UK government is introducing a carbon border adjustment mechanism (CBAM) to address the risk of carbon leakage, which occurs when production and associated emissions shift from one country to another due to different levels of decarbonisation effort (for example through carbon pricing and climate regulation). The UK CBAM will place a charge on the carbon emissions embodied in certain highly traded, carbon intensive goods imported to the UK from the aluminium, cement, fertiliser, hydrogen and iron & steel sectors. By placing a carbon price on imported goods, the UK aims to ensure that these goods face a carbon price that is comparable to that which the goods would have faced, if they had been produced in the UK. Therefore, the UK CBAM will ensure highly traded, carbon intensive products from overseas face a comparable carbon price to those produced here so that UK decarbonisation efforts lead to a true reduction in global emissions rather than simply displacing carbon emissions overseas.

What recent assessment she has made of the effectiveness of prison education contracts in reducing reoffending rates.

The Ministry of Justice recognises the vital role prison education plays in reducing reoffending. Evidence shows that prisoners who engage in any form of education while in custody are up to nine percentage points less likely to reoffend. To strengthen outcomes, His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service will soon launch new Prisoner Education Service contracts which will have clearer specification of high-quality delivery, screening and assessment and providing support for additional learning needs. An evaluation and monitoring strategy is being developed to assess the effectiveness of these contracts, including their impact on reoffending. This will help build a robust evidence base to inform future improvements and ensure the service delivers on its rehabilitative aims.

What steps her Department is taking to expand (a) literacy and (b) numeracy support for prisoners who enter custody with low basic skills.

Too many prisoners enter into custody with significant gaps in their education and low levels of literacy and numeracy. Improving prisoners' functional skills is a key priority for both HMPPS and the Ministry of Justice as strong foundational skills are vital for rehabilitation.HMPPS has introduced whole-prison strategies to strengthen literacy and numeracy, and this is supported by Heads of Education, Skills and Work who bring expertise of education into prisons. Participation in English and maths functional skills has increased across public prisons and the number of prisoners achieving a full or partial grade in functional skills courses increased by 21% in the year to 31 March 2024.

What steps his Department is taking to help improve (a) awareness and (b) recognition of postural tachycardia syndrome among NHS clinicians.

To improve awareness of postural tachycardia syndrome (PoTS) among healthcare professionals, and specifically general practitioners, the Royal College of General Practitioners provides training on PoTS as part of its Syncope toolkit, which is available at the following link:https://elearning.rcgp.org.uk/course/view.php?id=500 It is the responsibility of local integrated care boards to work with clinicians, service users and patient groups to develop services and care pathways that are convenient and meet the needs of patients with PoTS.The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has published a clinical knowledge summary on the clinical management of blackouts and syncope, providing advice for clinicians in the United Kingdom on best practice in the assessment and diagnosis of PoTS. This was last updated in November 2023 and is available at the following link:https://cks.nice.org.uk/topics/blackouts-syncope/diagnosis/assessment/

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund fair access limit on the mental health of adopted children and children living with a special guardianship.

I refer my hon. Friend, the Member for Warrington South to the answer of 2 May 2025 to Question 47954.

Whether he has made an assessment of the adequacy of advertising standards for fertility clinics recruiting egg donors.

The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA), the United Kingdom’s fertility sector regulator, sets out strict requirements in its Licence Conditions and Code of Practice in relation to the recruitment of donors and the information that must be given to egg donors in advance of donating at United Kingdom licensed fertility clinics. This includes information about the potential immediate or longer-term health risks and the psychological consequences of being a donor, as well as offering counselling to everyone involved.The HFEA’s Code of Practice states that advertising should be designed with regard to the sensitive issues involved in recruiting donors and should follow the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) codes. This includes that advertising or publicity aimed at recruiting gamete or embryo donors, or encouraging donation, should not refer to the possibility of financial gain or similar advantage, although it may refer to compensation permitted under relevant HFEA Directions.The ASA and HFEA issued a joint enforcement notice in 2021 to ensure fertility clinics and others are aware of the advertising rules, which remains in place.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department plans to set a timetable for the phasing out of farrowing crates.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 2 April 2025 to the hon. Member for Birmingham Northfield, PQ UIN 41698.