Written questions by Anderson.

What assessment he has made of the potential risks of the level of dependence on Chinese companies for consumable equipment in the defence supply chain.

All foreign procurement is subject to strict national security scrutiny and import controls, with powers to exclude suppliers where risks are identified – ensuring any dependency is actively managed and mitigated.

How long on average it takes for applications to be completed for a) the War Pension Scheme and b) the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme.

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) publishes annual statistics for the War Pension Scheme (WPS) and Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS) on the GOV.UK website. The following tables show the average and median clearance times for applications/appeals to be c...

How many people in South Shropshire constituency use Radio Teleswitch Service meters.

The Department does not hold constituency level data on remaining RTS meters. This data is held by Ofgem. The Department is working closely with energy suppliers, Ofgem and the industry body Energy UK to drive continued progress on RTS meter replacements ...

What assessment she has made of the impact of the 2ppt increase to the rate of property income tax on residential landlords in South Shropshire.

At Budget 2025, the government increased the rate of tax on property income and published a summary of the impacts, which is available at:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/income-tax-changes-to-tax-rates-for-property-savings-and-dividend-income/i...

What proportion of his Department's supply chain is procured from China.

Awaiting answer.

What the average waiting time is for applications to be processed for the (a) the War Pension and (b) Armed Forces Compensation Scheme.

Awaiting answer.

How many people in South Shropshire constituency use Radio Teleswitch Service meters.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

What steps he is taking to ensure healthy hydration messaging in Government and NHS guidance is impactful and effective.

Government hydration recommendations are depicted in the United Kingdom national food model, the Eatwell Guide, which is available at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-eatwell-guideThe Eatwell Guide recommends that people should aim to drink six to eight cups or glasses of fluid a day, and promotes water, lower fat milks, and sugar-free drinks as healthier drink choices.The Eatwell Guide principles are communicated through the NHS.UK website and the Government’s social marketing campaigns, Better Health, including Healthier Families and Start for Life. These principles are also included in the national curriculum through a number of subjects including Design and Technology, Science, and Relationships, Sex and Health Education. The Eatwell Guide also underpins catering guidance and standards including for School Food and prisons as well as the Government’s Buying Standards for Food and Catering Services.

When the Member for South Shropshire might expect to receive a reply to Written Question 107746 tabled on 22 January 2026.

I responded to the hon. Member on 24 April 2026.

When she plans to respond to Question 87070 from the hon. Member for South Shropshire.

The response to Written Parliamentary Question 87070 was published on 22 April 2026.

What estimate she has made of the effect of the THINK campaign on the number of road deaths of young people aged 17 to 25.

The primary audience for the THINK! campaign is young men aged 17-24, who are four times more likely to be killed or seriously injured on the road than drivers aged 25 and over. In recognition of this, THINK! works with a wide range of road safety behavioural experts and stakeholders to design and execute campaigns that have the best chance of changing attitudes and behaviours amongst this highly at risk group. Against a backdrop of consistent long-term funding for THINK! campaigns, the number of killed or seriously injured casualties involving a young car driver has fallen 61% in the last 20 years, from 12,190 in 2004 to 4,740 in 2024. Whilst it is not possible to directly attribute changes in road deaths to any single factor, research shows high levels of self-reported action amongst young people as a result of seeing a THINK! campaign with 9 in 10 reporting frequently taking an action, including changing their own driving behaviour.

What steps he is taking to improve access to NHS dentistry in South Shropshire constituency.

Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for commissioning primary care services, including National Health Service dentistry, to meet the needs of the local population. For the South Shropshire constituency, this is the Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin ICB.The Government is committed to ensuring that people can access urgent dental care when they need it. Over the past year, ICBs have been commissioning additional urgent dental appointments and there is now an urgent care safety net available in all areas of the country. 1.8 million additional courses of National Health Service dental treatment have been delivered in the seven months between April to October 2025 compared to the corresponding months prior to the general election.We are committed to delivering fundamental reform of the dental contract before the end of this Parliament. From April 2026, we began introducing a package of reforms to address some of the pressing issues that dentists and dental teams have been experiencing.These reforms will prioritise those with the greatest need, shifting care away from clinically unnecessary check-ups.The Government wants to ensure that every penny we allocate for dentistry is spent on dentistry, and that the ringfenced dental budget is spent on the patients who need it most. We have reduced the NHS dentistry underspend from £392 million in 2023/24 to £36 million in 2024/25.

Innovation and Technology, what assessment has been made of the progress of the roll out of Project Gigabit in South Shropshire constituency.

Through Project Gigabit, we are delivering gigabit-capable connections to premises not included in suppliers’ commercial delivery plans, predominately in rural areas.We expect approximately 7,640 premises in South Shropshire constituency to benefit from gigabit coverage through Project Gigabit’s cross regional framework contract with Openreach.Additionally, approximately 4,950 premises in South Shropshire constituency have received a gigabit-capable connection through the Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme, which is part of Project Gigabit.

What action is being taken to help improve the availability of domestic abuse services in rural areas.

In the Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) Strategy, 'Freedom from Violence and Abuse’, we committed to developing a new cross-government statement on the commissioning of VAWG services. This will update the National Statement of Expectation, refresh the VAWG Commissioning Toolkit, and will improve the quality of commissioning. For England, the Safe Accommodation Duty for victims of domestic abuse, and the upcoming Duty to Collaborate for victims of domestic abuse, sexual violence, and serious violence, will ensure local areas are able to tailor their provision to their local community and duty holders should consider the needs of rural victims as part of this.This financial year (2025/26) the Home Office has invested £6m into specialist helplines to support victims in their greatest time of need. The VAWG Helplines are established to be accessible wherever you are across England and Wales. They provide advice and support to victims and assist in signposting and referrals to appropriate local services.Last year, the Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs (Defra) commenced a call for evidence across a network of rural stakeholders to inform understanding of the availability of support services and delivery methodologies that might be effective in rural areas. Defra will work to understand the findings of this evidence to help to confront the disparities in the provision of support so that every victim, whether in a city or a rural village, can access the help they need.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to ensure the competitiveness of British egg producers in the context of the proposed ban on keeping laying hens, pullets and breeder layers in cages.

In preparation for the recent consultation on laying hen cage reform, the Government carried out an assessment of the potential impact of the proposed reforms to laying hen welfare policy on UK egg producers and, as part of the consultation, sought views on that assessment. The Government is now analysing the consultation responses and will publish a formal response in due course. As set out in the UK’s trade strategy, the Government will always consider whether overseas produce has an unfair advantage. Where necessary, the Government will be prepared to use the full range of powers at its disposal to protect the UK’s most sensitive sectors.

Media and Sport, what action is being taken to help places of worship with the VAT incurred on conservation projects.

The Places of Worship Renewal Fund will have a budget of £23 million per year. The Places of Worship Renewal Fund will award grants for projects to cover capital works, rather than just the VAT element of a project, as is the case with the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme. In some cases the amount granted could be greater than just the VAT element currently funded.In addition to the forthcoming Places of Worship Renewal Fund there is other funding available via DCMS and the Department’s arm’s length bodies. Between 2024 and 2027 the National Lottery Heritage Fund expects to have invested around £100m in places of worship. Around £30m a year is available through their National Lottery Heritage Grants open programme and an additional £15million is available through a strategic initiative to provide targeted support to build capacity in the sector. Additionally, and in exceptional circumstances, some listed places of worship in England may be eligible for Heritage at Risk funding via Historic England.

What action is being taken to support the hospitality sector in South Shropshire.

The Government is taking decisive action to support pubs and the wider hospitality sector. Following the Budget, we announced an additional 15% cut for pubs in England alongside a two‑year real‑terms freeze, building on wider reforms to business rates for retail, hospitality and leisure properties.We recognise that 2026 revaluation has increased bills for some businesses, which is why we are providing £4.3 billion over three years in transitional relief to support ratepayers facing higher bills at revaluation and protect businesses from sharp increases. We are also launching a review of how pubs are valued for business rates, with changes intended to take effect from the next revaluation.Alongside this, we have expanded licencing responsibilities, doubled the Hospitality Support Fund to £10 million, and will bring forward a new High Streets Strategy later this year to help reinvigorate local communities.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of permitted development rights on the rural economy.

My Department has not made a specific assessment of the impact of permitted development rights on the rural economy. The government continues to keep permitted development rights under review.

What support is in place for those facing increases to the price of heating oil.

The Government is closely monitoring heating oil supply and price in light of instability in the Middle East. We recognise that wholesale oil price volatility is placing pressure on domestic heating oil costs. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has written to the industry reminding heating oil distributors of their commitments under the UKIFDA Code of Practice, including the need for fair, transparent and justifiable pricing. Ministers have also spoken with the Competition and Markets Authority, who are considering their options available if there is evidence of unfair practices or anti-competitive behaviour. We are keeping under review whether any further support or action is needed to protect consumers.

What fiscal steps her Department is taking to help increase productivity.

Since the General Election, productivity has risen by more than twice as much as it did in the whole of the last Parliament. The Government has increased capital spending by an additional £120 billion - the highest level in four decades – delivering major new investment in transport, housing, energy and R&D. Departments are set to deliver nearly £14 billion of efficiency savings by 2028-29.