Written questions by Opher.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to include (a) educational access payments within the Sustainable Farming Incentive and (b) extend those payments to (i) social prescribing programmes and (ii) other adult educational visits.

We are developing educational access as a new 3-year capital item, which we expect to be available later in 2025. This will be a stand-alone capital item, though applicants must have an agri-environment or woodland agreement with management actions. Whilst there aren’t any specific links to social prescribing, we are extending the range of groups that are eligible for payable visits. The current criteria for educational access in CS is school age children and care farming groups only, but in the new educational access capital item, more diverse groups of people can visit, benefitting from an educational experience on farms and woodlands across England.

What her planned timeline is for the proposed extension of the maximum period that an eligible prisoner may spend on Home Detention Curfew.

The maximum period that an eligible prisoner may spend on Home Detention Curfew will be extended from 180 days to 365 days from 03 June 2025.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure early diagnosis of cancer.

Earlier diagnosis of cancer, at stages 1 or 2, is key to delivering improved cancer outcomes and boosting chances of survival. The earlier that cancer is diagnosed, the more options there are for effective treatment.The Government is committed to improving rates of early diagnosis. We are increasing public awareness of cancer signs and symptoms through the NHS Help Us, Help You campaigns, to help people spot symptoms across a wide range of cancers at an earlier point. Additionally, we are streamlining referral routes by introducing the non-specific symptom pathway, for patients who present with vague and non-site-specific symptoms which do not clearly align to a tumour type. We are also increasing the availability of diagnostic capacity through the roll-out of more community diagnostic centres.Furthermore, the latest rapid registration data shows our 12-month early diagnosis rate reached 58.7% as of July 2024; this is 2.7% higher than pre-pandemic levels. This means approximately 7,000 more people are being diagnosed at stage 1 and 2. The roll out of the lung screening programme has driven two thirds of this improvement and latest data shows early diagnosis for lung cancer is eight percentage points higher than pre-pandemic. We will build on recent successes, including further roll out of the lung screening programme, to diagnose cancer earlier and boost survival rates.Additionally, the recently announced National Cancer Plan, which will complement the 10-Year Health Plan and support delivery of the Government’s Health Mission, will set out further actions to improve early diagnosis.

What consideration his Department has given to including a separate faster diagnosis target for children and young people with cancer.

The Faster Diagnosis Standard (FDS) includes children and young people and ensures that cancer is diagnosed or ruled out, within 28 days from referral. The latest FDS data, for December 2024, shows that 89.8% of children and young people with suspected cancer received a diagnosis or all-clear within 28 days of referral, above the overall FDS rate.We are committed to getting the National Health Service diagnosing cancer earlier and treating it faster so that more children and young people survive. That is why on 4 February 2025, we relaunched the Children and Young People Cancer Taskforce to identify tangible ways to improve outcomes and experience. The Taskforce will explore opportunities for improvement, including detection and diagnosis, genomic testing and treatment, research and innovation, and patient experienceThe Taskforce will ensure that the unique needs of children and young people with cancer are carefully considered as part of the National Cancer Plan.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure that cancer screening programmes recommended by the National Screening Committee are (a) funded and (b) available to patients as quickly as possible.

The UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) Secretariat works closely with NHS England. This means NHS England is aware of conditions that the committee is considering for a screening programme. The costs and workforce requirements of potential screening programmes are considered when setting budgets so that when a positive recommendation is made by the UK NSC and accepted by Ministers, the National Health Service can begin work on implementing the screening programme.The roll out of a screening programme needs to be done systematically and at a pace that the NHS’s capacity can cope with to ensure safety for those members of the public who accept the screening offer.

What steps her Department is taking to reduce the backlog of (a) rape and (b) sexual offence cases in the Crown Court.

We know that victims of rape and other sexual offences can wait longer than victims of other offence types for their cases to complete at the Crown Court. Judges, where possible, look to prioritise cases involving vulnerable victims and witnesses, which will include rape and sexual offence cases. This Government has already taken decisive action to increase the capacity of the Crown Court to deliver swifter justice for victims – including victims of rape and sexual offences. This includes increasing magistrates’ court sentencing powers from 6 to 12 months to free up time in the Crown Court and funding 108,500 sitting days this financial year, the highest level in almost ten years. Next financial year, this Government is funding a record allocation of 110,000 sitting days in the Crown Court, which will mean that even more cases can be heard. However, we recognise we must go further. That is why the Lord Chancellor has commissioned Sir Brian Leveson to undertake an Independent Review of the Criminal Courts, which will consider options for longer-term reform, as well as reviewing how the criminal courts could operate as efficiently as possible. The Review will report on recommendations for reform by late Spring, followed by recommendations on court efficiency by Autumn. We remain committed to delivering on our manifesto commitment to fast-track rape cases, with specialist courts. We are carefully considering the best way to do this, considering impacts on other offence types and wider Crown Court recovery. We plan to work with the judiciary to do this and will be able to say more in due course.

With reference to her Department's publication entitled Good character: caseworker guidance, updated on 13 February 2025, whether her Department plans to review the £1,630 citizenship application fee.

Fees for immigration and nationality applications are kept under review. The Immigration and Nationality (Fees) (Amendment) Order 2025 laid on 21 January, sets out increases to the fee maxima that applies to applications made from within the UK to naturalise as a British citizen or a British Overseas Territories citizen from £1,500 to £1,605.As stated in the Explanatory Memorandum for that instrument, this maxima change has been made in order to support a subsequent increase to the application fee for naturalisation as a British citizen at £1,605, with the total cost coming to £1,735 when including the ceremony fee. The intention is that this change will be made following Parliamentary clearance of the Fees Order amendment, through a subsequent amendment to the Immigration and Nationality (Fees) Regulations 2018, when Parliamentary time allows.

Whether he will visit the decommissioning power stations at (a) Oldbury and (b) Berkeley (Severn Edge); and if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of (i) deploying Small Modular Reactors at Oldbury and (ii) developing a Science & Technology Park at Berkeley.

Great British Nuclear is driving forward its Small Modular Reactor competition and has separately acquired the site at Oldbury-on-Severn. No decisions have yet been taken on deployment of technologies at specific sites but the merits of any projects would be considered. We will also consider where the UK's science and innovation infrastructure is best placed to deliver new nuclear’s needs.

Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions his Department has had with relevant stakeholders on the long-term strategic investment required to support flood mitigation along the Severn Estuary.

We are committed to supporting coastal communities and ensuring flood risk management is fit for the challenges we face now and in the future. We will work to improve resilience and preparation across central government and local authorities to better protect communities across the UK. As part of the Government’s Plan for Change, a record £2.65 billion will be invested over two years in building, maintaining and repairing flood defences, better protecting communities across the country, including from coastal erosion, as we adapt to climate change Regional Flood and Coastal Committees play a key role in bringing these schemes together, making local choices and agreeing the final programmes in their areas. The Environment Agency is undertaking computer based hydraulic modelling of the Severn Estuary to understand current and future flood risk. Using this information, improvements to existing flood schemes and construction of new flood schemes can then be planned in accordance with Government policy.

What steps she is taking to ensure that police forces are adequately (a) trained and (b) resourced to respond effectively to (a) reports of (i) coercive control and (ii) abuse and (b) breaches of court orders.

Tackling violence against women and girls is a top priority for this Government and we will treat it as the national emergency that it is.In our manifesto, we committed to strengthening training for policing to ensure they have the right knowledge and skills to respond appropriately to victims of violence against women and girls. Coercive and controlling behaviour is covered extensively in the Domestic Abuse Matters training. This was developed by the College of Policing with SafeLives, Women's Aid and Welsh Women's Aid, and has now been delivered to over 80% of police forces in England and Wales. We are working closely with the College of Policing and National Police Chiefs' Council to explore how we can further strengthen police training on violence against women and girls.In February, we launched Raneem's Law to embed new external domestic abuse specialists and dedicated teams within 999 control rooms, to support the police response to domestic abuse incidents. The DA specialists will give police access to specialist knowledge and advice on domestic abuse. They can review incoming calls, advise on risk assessments, and facilitate training for police staff.We expect the police to investigate and respond to breaches of a protective order in a timely manner and this has been made clear in police statutory guidance. The domestic abuse teams under Raneem's Law will provide dedicated resource to support the police, for example to ensure that officers attending an incident are fully informed of any protective orders in place.

What steps her Department is taking to ensure that breaches of child custody court orders are enforced (a) effectively and (b) in a timely manner.

A Child Arrangement Order may be made by the family court to specify whom a child should live with, spend time with or otherwise have contact with.If the court is satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that a person has failed to comply with a Child Arrangement Order, the court has a range of powers available, they can: issue fines, enforcement (and suspended enforcement) orders, and orders for compensation for financial loss, and ultimately to commit an individual to prison, as well as varying the Child Arrangements Order to include a more defined order or a reconsideration of the child’s living or contact arrangements.The Department operates a fee system in which those who engage with courts and tribunals are asked to fund some of the cost of administration, where they can afford to do so. This aligns with HM Treasury’s Managing Public Money guidelines, which recommends that fees are charged at a level to recover the full cost of their underpinning service.The Department recognises that the Lord Chancellor has a duty to ensure access to justice for all those seeking support from a court or tribunal. The Help with Fees scheme offers partial and full remissions to those who cannot afford to pay a court or tribunal fee. Some fees, including those payable for applications relating to child arrangements, are intentionally set below their underpinning cost to further protect access to justice.Legal aid is available for private family matters, including an enforcement order following the breach of a child arrangements order if an individual is a victim of domestic abuse or at risk of being abused. This funding is subject to providing the required evidence of domestic abuse and passing the means and merits tests.

What assessment she has made of the adequacy of legal mechanisms available to victims of (a) coercive control and (b) other abuse when family courts do not enforce child custody arrangements.

A Child Arrangement Order may be made by the family court to specify whom a child should live with, spend time with or otherwise have contact with.If the court is satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that a person has failed to comply with a Child Arrangement Order, the court has a range of powers available, they can: issue fines, enforcement (and suspended enforcement) orders, and orders for compensation for financial loss, and ultimately to commit an individual to prison, as well as varying the Child Arrangements Order to include a more defined order or a reconsideration of the child’s living or contact arrangements.The Department operates a fee system in which those who engage with courts and tribunals are asked to fund some of the cost of administration, where they can afford to do so. This aligns with HM Treasury’s Managing Public Money guidelines, which recommends that fees are charged at a level to recover the full cost of their underpinning service.The Department recognises that the Lord Chancellor has a duty to ensure access to justice for all those seeking support from a court or tribunal. The Help with Fees scheme offers partial and full remissions to those who cannot afford to pay a court or tribunal fee. Some fees, including those payable for applications relating to child arrangements, are intentionally set below their underpinning cost to further protect access to justice.Legal aid is available for private family matters, including an enforcement order following the breach of a child arrangements order if an individual is a victim of domestic abuse or at risk of being abused. This funding is subject to providing the required evidence of domestic abuse and passing the means and merits tests.

Whether her Department plans to review (a) the requirement to pay fees to initiate legal action when child custody court orders are breached and (b) other financial barriers to enforcing those orders.

A Child Arrangement Order may be made by the family court to specify whom a child should live with, spend time with or otherwise have contact with.If the court is satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that a person has failed to comply with a Child Arrangement Order, the court has a range of powers available, they can: issue fines, enforcement (and suspended enforcement) orders, and orders for compensation for financial loss, and ultimately to commit an individual to prison, as well as varying the Child Arrangements Order to include a more defined order or a reconsideration of the child’s living or contact arrangements.The Department operates a fee system in which those who engage with courts and tribunals are asked to fund some of the cost of administration, where they can afford to do so. This aligns with HM Treasury’s Managing Public Money guidelines, which recommends that fees are charged at a level to recover the full cost of their underpinning service.The Department recognises that the Lord Chancellor has a duty to ensure access to justice for all those seeking support from a court or tribunal. The Help with Fees scheme offers partial and full remissions to those who cannot afford to pay a court or tribunal fee. Some fees, including those payable for applications relating to child arrangements, are intentionally set below their underpinning cost to further protect access to justice.Legal aid is available for private family matters, including an enforcement order following the breach of a child arrangements order if an individual is a victim of domestic abuse or at risk of being abused. This funding is subject to providing the required evidence of domestic abuse and passing the means and merits tests.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of establishing a regional allocation system similar to flood and coastal management funding to support local authorities and public bodies in implementing the national adaptation plan.

Local authorities have a critical role in responding to the impacts of climate change in their areas. The Government is currently reviewing its approach to Climate Adaptation, including the tools and support we give to Local Authorities. in terms of finance, the Local Government Finance 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. The majority of this funding is un-ringfenced recognising that local leaders are best placed to identify local priorities.

What steps he is taking to deliver early diagnosis services for osteoporosis.

On 6 January 2025, NHS England published a new Elective Reform Plan, which sets out a whole system approach to achieving the 18-week referral to treatment target by the end of this Parliament. The plan includes funding to boost bone density (DEXA) scanning capacity, support improvements in early diagnosis, and support improvements in bone health for conditions such as osteoporosis. We are investing in 14 high-tech DEXA scanners which are expected to provide 29,000 extra scans per year.As announced in the Get Britain Working White Paper, the Department of Health and Social Care is delivering a joint programme with NHS England and the Department for Work and Pensions called the Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) Musculoskeletal Community Delivery Programme. With a £3.5 million funding boost, the GIRFT will deploy a Further Faster model with integrated care boards (ICBs) to reduce musculoskeletal community waiting times, including for those with osteoporosis.ICBs are responsible for commissioning services that meet the needs of their population, including for osteoporosis. The Government expects ICBs to take account of National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines and other best practice in designing their local services.

Food and Rural Affairs, when the Capital Grant scheme for farmers will re-open for applications.

Defra announced on the 24 February that the Environmental Land Management standalone Capital Grants scheme will re-open in summer 2025. We will confirm the date it will re-open in due course.

What assessment he has made of the potential merits of introducing new customer protections for individuals that purchase static caravans, in the context of alleged reporting of mis-selling.

The Consumer Rights Act 2015 requires that all terms of written contracts must be fair and transparent. Additionally, the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 prohibit unfair and misleading marketing tactics towards consumers. These rules normally apply to static caravans which are often significant purchases and it is crucial that consumers seek appropriate legal advice to clearly understand the terms and conditions of the sale so that they can make a fully informed decision.We are further strengthening the enforcement of this framework following implementation of the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act.

What steps his Department is taking to stop the mis-selling of static caravans via the holiday park industry.

The Consumer Rights Act 2015 requires that all terms of written contracts must be fair and transparent. Additionally, the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 prohibit unfair and misleading marketing tactics towards consumers. These rules normally apply to static caravans which are often significant purchases and it is crucial that consumers seek appropriate legal advice to clearly understand the terms and conditions of the sale so that they can make a fully informed decision.We are further strengthening the enforcement of this framework following implementation of the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act.

Media and Sport, whether her Department's proposed regulations on short-term lets will be extended to include static caravan holiday parks.

Parliament legislated to deliver the legal framework for a registration scheme for short-term lets in the Levelling up and Regeneration Act 2023. The Government is now developing the scheme and actively considering the appropriate scope of the scheme, including which types of accommodation should be covered. We will provide further details on the scope of the scheme as soon as practicable.

If she will automate the visa extension scheme application process for people applying to the Ukraine Permission Extension scheme.

The UK has offered or extended sanctuary to over 300,000 Ukrainians and their families under the Ukraine Schemes, thanks to the immense generosity of the British public. We are determined to continue to provide stability for those we have welcomed to the UK and who still need our sanctuary.The Ukraine Permission Extension (UPE) scheme, which opened to applications on 4 February 2025, is intended to allow those with existing Ukraine Scheme permission, who have been living in the UK and who continue to require sanctuary in the UK, to complete an application online for further permission to stay in the UK.We are not providing automatic extension of existing permission as this would risk inadvertently providing further permission to a person who has now left the UK and is no longer in need of temporary sanctuary in the UK.Nevertheless, UPE will be one of the first immigration routes to reuse existing biometric records, removing the need for the majority of Ukrainians to attend a UK visa and citizenship application services centre. This will create a faster and more streamlined customer journey. We will roll-out the option to reuse previously submitted biometrics using a phased approach.