Written questions by Adam.

What steps his Department is taking to improve the use of innovative technologies to treat glaucoma through the 10-Year Health Plan.

The 10-Year Health Plan will deliver the three big shifts our National Health Service needs to be fit for the future: from hospital to community; from analogue to digital; and from sickness to prevention. All of these are relevant to preventing and managing conditions such as glaucoma in all parts of the country. More tests and scans delivered in the community and better joint working between services will support the management of conditions, including glaucoma, closer to home. The plan will draw directly from the extensive engagement we have undertaken with the public, patients, and staff, including in the eye care sector. We are in the final stages of working on the plan and will publish it shortly. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence will continue to play a crucial role in evaluating new medicines, medical devices, and other technologies, to determine their clinical and cost-effectiveness, before recommending them for NHS use.

What steps his department is taking to help prevent irreversible blindness due to glaucoma progression.

Regular sight tests play a crucial role in the early detection of glaucoma, which is often symptomless in the early stages. Free National Health Service sight tests are available for many, including individuals diagnosed with glaucoma or those aged 40 years old and over with a close family history of glaucoma. Patients with suspected glaucoma will be referred for further investigation, any clinically necessary treatment, and ongoing monitoring, which can delay its progression. NHS England has been testing how IT connectivity between primary and secondary eye care services and the development of a single point of access could improve the referral and triage of patients, reducing the time from referral to treatment. It could also allow for more patients to be managed closer to home, within community optometry. This could benefit all patients with eye care needs, including those with suspected or diagnosed glaucoma.

What recent assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of combined cataract and trabecular bypasses on glaucoma progression.

The best treatment options for any individual patient will be decided by the treating clinician in discussion with the patient, taking into account relevant National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance. NICE guidance on trabecular stent bypass microsurgery for open-angle glaucoma sets out that trabecular bypass surgery can be combined with a cataract operation and has shown its ability to reduce intraocular pressure.

Which countries the armed forces provided training to in (a) 2023-24 and (b) 2024-25; and which armed service provided that training.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to his Question 60404 on 24 June, where I answered:The UK Armed Forces provided various forms of military training to around 120 countries in 2023- 24 and 140 countries in 2024-25. Our training provision is tailored to the specific needs of Allies and partners, spanning several branches across the Services to provide the relevant expertise needed. In the interests of national security and upholding trust and confidentiality with our international partnerships, it is not appropriate to provide a detailed breakdown of these countries, or the nature of that training. All training is carried out in adherence to International Humanitarian Law.

Media and Sport, with reference to the guidance entitled Libraries as a statutory service, published on 21 February 2025, whether her Department was informed by Leicester City Council of its plans for a consultation on the future of its library service before that consultation was launched.

Department officials have met with City Council officers on several occasions to understand their public library proposals, as well as their consultation plans and to remind the Council of its statutory duty. This included a meeting on 24th March 2025. The City Council’s consultation on ‘Proposals for Leicester city libraries and community centres’ opened on 2nd April 2025.The guidance set out in Libraries as a Statutory Service encourages, but does not mandate, councils to inform the department when it is considering changing its library service, before public engagement or consultation.

What the average hourly funding rate provided to local authorities for the delivery of free nursery places in England was in each year since 2018.

It is our ambition that all families have access to high-quality, affordable and flexible early education and care, giving every child the best start in life. This is key to the government’s Plan for Change, which starts with reaching the milestone of a record number of children being ready for school. That also means ensuring the sector is financially sustainable and confident as it continues to deliver entitlements and high-quality early years provision going forward.In 2025/26 alone, this government plans to spend over £8 billion on early years entitlements and we have increased the early years pupil premium by over 45%. On top of this, we are providing further supplementary funding of £75 million for the Early Years Expansion Grant.To set early years funding rates, we uplift the national average rate from the previous year taking into account cost pressures facing the sector, including forecasts of average earnings and inflation, and the National Living Wage. We use the early years national funding formulae (EYNFF) to distribute the early years entitlements budget to local authorities. The EYNFF includes a base rate for each child, which is the same minimum funding for every child no matter where they live or whether they have additional needs. This rate is based on the core costs of childcare provision and has been informed by the cost of childcare review.To make sure we can account for the differences in costs across the country, such as on staffing and premises costs, we also apply an area cost adjustment for each area. This approach only increases funding, it never reduces the base rate or additional needs funding.The average hourly funding rate provided for 3 and 4-year-olds since 2018 is as follows: Year3 and 4-year-old combined rate2017/18£4.762018/19£4.752019/20£4.752020/21£4.832021/22£4.882022/23£5.042023/24 (April – August)£5.282023/24 (September – March)£5.622024/25£5.882025/26£6.12

What steps her Department is taking to support the financial sustainability of nursery providers in the context of changes to free childcare entitlement.

The government’s Plan for Change sets out a commitment to give children the best start in life, breaking the link between background and opportunity. We want a record proportion of children (75%) to achieve a good level of development by the end of reception by 2028. By focusing on child development rather than just childcare, the government aims to ensure that children are better prepared for school and future learning.In 2025/26 alone, we plan to provide over £8 billion for the early years entitlements. This is a more than 30% increase compared to 2024/25, as we roll out the expansion of the entitlements.As announced at the Spending Review, the government will provide an additional £1.6 billion per year by 2028/29, compared to 2025/26, to continue the expansion of government-funded childcare for working parents. Employment Allowance is being increased to protect businesses by providing relief of up to £10,500 per annum on their employer Class 1 National Insurance contributions liabilities from 6 April 2025. Early years childcare providers are entitled to claim the Employment Allowance if they are private businesses or charities, and we expect the vast majority will be eligible to do so.

What estimate her Department has made of the average shortfall between Government funding and the actual cost to nurseries of delivering a funded nursery place.

It is our ambition that all families have access to high-quality, affordable and flexible early education and care, giving every child the best start in life. This is key to the government’s Plan for Change, which starts with reaching the milestone of a record number of children being ready for school. That also means ensuring the sector is financially sustainable and confident as it continues to deliver entitlements and high-quality early years provision going forward.In 2025/26 alone, this government plans to spend over £8 billion on early years entitlements and we have increased the early years pupil premium by over 45%. On top of this, we are providing further supplementary funding of £75 million for the Early Years Expansion Grant.To set early years funding rates, we uplift the national average rate from the previous year taking into account cost pressures facing the sector, including forecasts of average earnings and inflation, and the National Living Wage. We use the early years national funding formulae (EYNFF) to distribute the early years entitlements budget to local authorities. The EYNFF includes a base rate for each child, which is the same minimum funding for every child no matter where they live or whether they have additional needs. This rate is based on the core costs of childcare provision and has been informed by the cost of childcare review.To make sure we can account for the differences in costs across the country, such as on staffing and premises costs, we also apply an area cost adjustment for each area. This approach only increases funding, it never reduces the base rate or additional needs funding.The average hourly funding rate provided for 3 and 4-year-olds since 2018 is as follows: Year3 and 4-year-old combined rate2017/18£4.762018/19£4.752019/20£4.752020/21£4.832021/22£4.882022/23£5.042023/24 (April – August)£5.282023/24 (September – March)£5.622024/25£5.882025/26£6.12

How many new nursery settings have opened in England in each year since 2018.

The government’s Plan for Change sets out a commitment to give children the best start in life, breaking the link between background and opportunity.Ofsted publishes data on the numbers of all types of providers joining and leaving the sector each year. Some caution is required in using the numbers because, for example, a nursery may resign one registration and immediately register new provision. Please also note that this data was released under the previous government: 2017/182018/192019/202020/212021/222022/232023/24Childcare providers leaving the sector-10,900-10,600-8,270-11,300-11,100-9,650-7,520Childcare providers joining the sector9,1407,8707,4006,9905,6906,3306,490Net change-1,760-2,730-870-4,310-5,410-3,320-1,030Note that from 2019/20, the numbers of annual joiners and leavers are calculated by comparing the beginning of the year to the end. Therefore, the numbers of providers joining and leaving from 2019/20 are not comparable with the figures up to 2018/19.Ofsted’s most recent publication shows the number of places available increased by 12,100 (1%) between August 2023 and August 2024. The department’s projections on demand for places are not published by region but show that around half of local areas need to increase their capacity by between 10% and 20% to meet demand for September 2025, with the highest uplift being in some of the most disadvantaged areas.

How many free nursery hours were funded in each year since 2018; and what the total cost to the public was in each of those years.

Funding for the early years entitlements is based on part-time equivalent (PTE) hours. We define 1 PTE as 15 hours across 38 weeks a year (570 funded hours per annum).Early years entitlements funding is allocated to local authorities through the early years block of the dedicated schools grant (DSG). DSG allocations are published annually on GOV.UK. The figures requested have been provided in the attached table.Early years entitlements funding is demand led, so allocations are updated to reflect actual take-up throughout the year. Final allocations for a financial year are available in the July following the financial year ending in March.

How many nursery providers have closed in England in each year since 2018; and what data her Department holds on the reasons for those closures.

The government’s Plan for Change sets out a commitment to give children the best start in life, breaking the link between background and opportunity.Ofsted publishes data on the numbers of all types of providers joining and leaving the sector each year. Some caution is required in using the numbers because, for example, a nursery may resign one registration and immediately register new provision. Please also note that this data was released under the previous government: 2017/182018/192019/202020/212021/222022/232023/24Childcare providers leaving the sector-10,900-10,600-8,270-11,300-11,100-9,650-7,520Childcare providers joining the sector9,1407,8707,4006,9905,6906,3306,490Net change-1,760-2,730-870-4,310-5,410-3,320-1,030Note that from 2019/20, the numbers of annual joiners and leavers are calculated by comparing the beginning of the year to the end. Therefore, the numbers of providers joining and leaving from 2019/20 are not comparable with the figures up to 2018/19.Ofsted’s most recent publication shows the number of places available increased by 12,100 (1%) between August 2023 and August 2024. The department’s projections on demand for places are not published by region but show that around half of local areas need to increase their capacity by between 10% and 20% to meet demand for September 2025, with the highest uplift being in some of the most disadvantaged areas.

What estimate her Department has made of regional variations in the cost of delivering nursery provision in England.

It is our ambition that all families have access to high-quality, affordable and flexible early education and care, giving every child the best start in life. This is key to the government’s Plan for Change, which starts with reaching the milestone of a record number of children being ready for school. That also means ensuring the sector is financially sustainable and confident as it continues to deliver entitlements and high-quality early years provision going forward.In 2025/26 alone, this government plans to spend over £8 billion on early years entitlements and we have increased the early years pupil premium by over 45%. On top of this, we are providing further supplementary funding of £75 million for the Early Years Expansion Grant.To set early years funding rates, we uplift the national average rate from the previous year taking into account cost pressures facing the sector, including forecasts of average earnings and inflation, and the National Living Wage. We use the early years national funding formulae (EYNFF) to distribute the early years entitlements budget to local authorities. The EYNFF includes a base rate for each child, which is the same minimum funding for every child no matter where they live or whether they have additional needs. This rate is based on the core costs of childcare provision and has been informed by the cost of childcare review.To make sure we can account for the differences in costs across the country, such as on staffing and premises costs, we also apply an area cost adjustment for each area. This approach only increases funding, it never reduces the base rate or additional needs funding.The average hourly funding rate provided for 3 and 4-year-olds since 2018 is as follows: Year3 and 4-year-old combined rate2017/18£4.762018/19£4.752019/20£4.752020/21£4.832021/22£4.882022/23£5.042023/24 (April – August)£5.282023/24 (September – March)£5.622024/25£5.882025/26£6.12

What recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of funding rates for early years providers offering free nursery places.

It is our ambition that all families have access to high-quality, affordable and flexible early education and care, giving every child the best start in life. This is key to the government’s Plan for Change, which starts with reaching the milestone of a record number of children being ready for school. That also means ensuring the sector is financially sustainable and confident as it continues to deliver entitlements and high-quality early years provision going forward.In 2025/26 alone, this government plans to spend over £8 billion on early years entitlements and we have increased the early years pupil premium by over 45%. On top of this, we are providing further supplementary funding of £75 million for the Early Years Expansion Grant.To set early years funding rates, we uplift the national average rate from the previous year taking into account cost pressures facing the sector, including forecasts of average earnings and inflation, and the National Living Wage. We use the early years national funding formulae (EYNFF) to distribute the early years entitlements budget to local authorities. The EYNFF includes a base rate for each child, which is the same minimum funding for every child no matter where they live or whether they have additional needs. This rate is based on the core costs of childcare provision and has been informed by the cost of childcare review.To make sure we can account for the differences in costs across the country, such as on staffing and premises costs, we also apply an area cost adjustment for each area. This approach only increases funding, it never reduces the base rate or additional needs funding.The average hourly funding rate provided for 3 and 4-year-olds since 2018 is as follows: Year3 and 4-year-old combined rate2017/18£4.762018/19£4.752019/20£4.752020/21£4.832021/22£4.882022/23£5.042023/24 (April – August)£5.282023/24 (September – March)£5.622024/25£5.882025/26£6.12

What comparative estimate her Department has made of the (a) number of available nursery places and (b) demand for those places in England by region.

The government’s Plan for Change sets out a commitment to give children the best start in life, breaking the link between background and opportunity.Ofsted publishes data on the numbers of all types of providers joining and leaving the sector each year. Some caution is required in using the numbers because, for example, a nursery may resign one registration and immediately register new provision. Please also note that this data was released under the previous government: 2017/182018/192019/202020/212021/222022/232023/24Childcare providers leaving the sector-10,900-10,600-8,270-11,300-11,100-9,650-7,520Childcare providers joining the sector9,1407,8707,4006,9905,6906,3306,490Net change-1,760-2,730-870-4,310-5,410-3,320-1,030Note that from 2019/20, the numbers of annual joiners and leavers are calculated by comparing the beginning of the year to the end. Therefore, the numbers of providers joining and leaving from 2019/20 are not comparable with the figures up to 2018/19.Ofsted’s most recent publication shows the number of places available increased by 12,100 (1%) between August 2023 and August 2024. The department’s projections on demand for places are not published by region but show that around half of local areas need to increase their capacity by between 10% and 20% to meet demand for September 2025, with the highest uplift being in some of the most disadvantaged areas.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his US counterpart on trends in the level of political violence in that country.

I condemn all forms of political violence in the strongest terms. Our thoughts are with all those affected. The Foreign Secretary speaks often to Secretary Rubio, who knows he has our full support on this issue.

Which countries received training from the armed forces in (a) 2023-24 and (b) 2024-25; and which branch of the armed forces was responsible for delivering that training.

The UK Armed Forces provided various forms of military training to around 120 countries in 2023-24 and 140 countries in 2024-25. Our training provision is tailored to the specific needs of Allies and partners, spanning several branches across the Services to provide the relevant expertise needed. In the interests of national security and upholding trust and confidentiality with our international partnerships, it is not appropriate to provide a detailed breakdown of these countries, or the nature of that training. All training is carried out in adherence to International Humanitarian Law.

What progress her Department has made on implementing the recommendations of the Durham Commission on Creativity and Education.

In July 2024, this government established the independent Curriculum and Assessment Review, covering ages 5 to 18, chaired by Professor Becky Francis CBE.The Review seeks to deliver a rich, broad, inclusive and innovative curriculum that readies young people for life and work. This includes creative subjects such as art, music and drama, as well as skills for life and work.On 18 March, the Review published a well-evidenced, clear interim report, which sets out its interim findings and confirms the key areas for further work.The final report with recommendations will be published this autumn, along with the government’s response. The Review’s recommendations will inform changes to the current system.The Durham Commission report published in 2019 set out a number of recommendations, and some were taken forward by the previous government, Arts Council England and others.This includes the ‘Creativity Collaboratives’ programme established by Arts Council England in 2021 to test innovative practices in teaching for creativity.

Pursuant to the Answer of 11 June 2025 to Question 56822 on Israel: Military Aid, what the cost to his Department has been of training Israel Defence Forces personnel in each of the last five years.

Pursuant to the answer provided to Question 56822, there is no cost to the Ministry of Defence for Israel Defence Force personnel on UK training courses. The numbers are fewer than five people and I can confirm these are academic, non-combat education courses.

Pursuant to the Answer of 11 June 2025 to Question 56822 on Israel: Military Aid, what his policy is on providing military training to foreign armed forces (a) engaged in active conflict and (b) where there are alleged breaches of international humanitarian law.

The Ministry of Defence’s provision of assistance to foreign armed forces is assessed carefully on a case-by-case basis.UK training courses promote British values, including human rights, democracy and compliance with international humanitarian law.

Pursuant to the Answer of 11 June 2025 to Question 56822 on Israel: Military Aid, whether a human rights assessment was carried out before approving training for the Israel Defence Forces.

Fewer than five IDF personnel are currently enrolled in non-combat military academic courses in the UK. The UK has a long history of providing assistance to other nations in the security and justice fields and continues to do so around the world. The Ministry of Defence’s provision of such assistance is assessed carefully on a case-by-case basis. UK training courses promote British values, including human rights, democracy and compliance with international humanitarian law.