Written questions by Anderson.

What steps he is taking to help to improve training in the use of automated external defibrillators in rural areas.

The Government is committed to improving access to Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) in public spaces and reducing inequalities in access to these life saving devices. Following the depletion of the existing AED fund, launched in September 2023, the Government approved a further £500,000 in August 2024 to fulfil existing applications to the fund.The Department selected a joint bid from Smarter Society as its independent partners to manage grant applications. Smarter Society has reviewed funding applications, against requirements specified by the Department. These requirements were to ensure that resources are allocated where there is the greatest need, for instance remote communities with extended ambulance response times, places with high footfall and high population densities, hotspots for cardiac arrest, including sporting venues and venues with vulnerable people, and deprived areas.As part of the Department’s requirements, the defibrillators are suitable for use by untrained persons. The Mindray C1A Defibrillator, a fully automated device suitable for use by untrained persons, are the AEDs provided by Smarter Society in partnership with London Hearts charity.The Department has continued its partnership with Smarter Society, who managed the grant applications on our behalf, with London Hearts supplying the AEDs. London Hearts is the leading heart defibrillator charity in the United Kingdom, supporting communities with the provision of life saving heart defibrillators and teaching cardiopulmonary resuscitation and defibrillator skills.NHS England has partnered with St John Ambulance to co-ordinate skills development to significantly increase the use of AEDs by individuals in community settings. This includes a national network of Community Advocates to champion the importance of first aid, training 60,000 people that will help save up to 4,000 lives each year by 2028.

What steps she is taking to support the delivery of banking hubs in rural areas.

The Government understands the importance of face-to-face banking to communities, high streets and rural areas across the UK, and is committed to championing sufficient access for all as a priority. This is why the Government is working closely with banks to roll out 350 banking hubs, which will provide local residents and businesses up and down the country with critical cash and banking services. Over 200 banking hubs have been recommended so far, and over 100 banking hubs are already open. Banking has changed significantly in recent years with many customers benefitting from the ease and convenience of remote banking. While branch closures are commercial decisions for banks and building societies, FCA guidance expects firms to carefully consider the impact of planned branch closures on their customers’ everyday banking and cash access needs and put in place alternatives where reasonable. This seeks to ensure that branch closures are implemented in a way that treats customers fairly. Alternative options to access everyday banking services can be via telephone banking, through digital means such as mobile or online banking and via the Post Office. The Post Office Banking Framework allows personal and business customers to withdraw and deposit cash, check their balance, pay bills and cash cheques at 11,500 Post Office branches across the UK.

What steps she is taking to (a) protect and (b) enhance access to cash in rural areas.

The Government is committed to protecting access to cash for the millions of people across the UK that use it, including those in vulnerable groups. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) assumed regulatory responsibility for access to cash in September 2024. Its rules require the UK’s largest banks and building societies to assess the impact of a closure or material alteration of a relevant cash withdrawal or deposit facility and put in place a new service if necessary. The FCA’s rules require designated firms to consider a range of factors in their assessments which will account for challenges in cash access faced in rural areas. For example, firms are required to consider the actual travel times and costs to reach cash access facilities and identify gaps in provision where these are unreasonable. Where a resident, community organisation or other interested party feels access to cash in their community is insufficient, they can submit a request for a cash access assessment. Further information about submitting a cash access request can be found at the following link: https://www.link.co.uk/helping-you-access-cash/request-access-to-cash

What steps she is taking to support SEND transport providers with the cost of increased employer’s National Insurance contributions.

Home-to-school travel is an integral part of the school system. It provides a valuable service on which many families rely. The department is grateful to the many transport operators for the crucial role they play in ensuring that children receive the education that they need to help them thrive.Local authorities are responsible for arranging home-to-school travel for eligible children. It is for them to determine how best to do so, based on local circumstances and the needs of the children travelling. They might, for example, have an in-house fleet, provide passes for free travel on public transport or contract with private transport operators for the provision of buses, coaches, taxis and private hire vehicles. Where they contract with private operators, it is for the local authority and the operator to agree suitable terms.The government recognises the need to protect the smallest employers. It has more than doubled the Employment Allowance to £10,500 which means that more than half of businesses with National Insurance liabilities will either gain or see no change next year. Businesses will still be able to claim employer National Insurance Contributions relief, where eligible.

What steps she is taking to improve rural road safety.

The Government recognises that the majority of road fatalities (according to the latest statistics) occurred on rural roads (60%) with fewer fatalities on urban roads (35%) and motorways (5%). The Department has awarded local authorities £185.8 million of funding between 2017 and 2024 through the Safer Roads Fund to improve the safety of England's most high risk 'A' roads. To date, it has funded 445.3 miles of rural roads which make up 62.4% of all funded routes. The Department is developing a road safety strategy, the first in over ten years, and we will set out more details in due course.

What steps he is taking to improve (a) physical, (b) emotional and (c) financial support for people diagnosed with (i) Pulmonary Fibrosis and (ii) Interstitial Lung Disease.

NHS England is responsible for the commissioning of interstitial lung disease (ILD) services, and funds the anti-fibrotic treatments that are part of the treatment pathway for ILD. The national service specification describes the standards required of clinical teams to support patients physically and emotionally with the diagnosis and management of ILD. Further information on the national service specification is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/interstitial-lung-disease-adults-service-specification/NHS England is also supporting systems to improve outcomes for people with a range of respiratory conditions, for example through enabling access to pulmonary rehabilitation through the publication of commissioning standards together with the provision of funding. NHS England has also extended the scope of the National Respiratory Audit Programme’s pulmonary rehabilitation audit so that all patients who participate in pulmonary rehabilitation are captured in the audit, irrespective of their condition. Along with providing a more complete picture of participation, the decision to extend was made to recognise and reinforce the value of pulmonary rehabilitation to all who are eligible with chronic respiratory conditions other than chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, including ILD.The energy costs associated with using oxygen concentrators at home are reimbursed, however no decision has been made to extend this to other medical devices such as complex home ventilation, syringe drivers, electric wheelchairs, or other disability aids.

What steps he is taking to (a) protect and (b) enhance the Post Office network in rural areas.

Government recognises the key role that Post Offices play in their communities, and how branches in rural areas often act as community hubs, and so we are listening carefully to stakeholders to ensure the whole network, including these important rural branches, is sustainable.Government protects the sustainability of the Post Office network – and the rural network in particular – by providing an annual subsidy on the basis that Post Office meets its minimum access criteria to ensure that, across the country, 99% of the population live within three miles of their nearest Post Office.

What fiscal measures he is taking to support the hospitality sector in rural areas.

Pubs and hospitality businesses, including those in rural areas, are at the heart of our communities and are 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. This work will be supported by the publication of The Small Business Strategy Command Paper which will be published later this year.Through the Hospitality Sector Council, we are addressing strategic issues for the sector related to high street regeneration, skills, sustainability, and productivity.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to reduce regulation for farmers.

Farm regulation provides important protections for the environment, habitats, animals, and public health. For example, it is helping reduce animal disease risk from BtB, avian flu and Foot and Mouth amongst others as we speak, this maintains confidence in our farm produce in both international and domestic markets as well as protecting the profitability of farmers. If regulation is working well, it should provide clear and fair expectations, allowing farmers to operate their businesses with confidence. However, this is not the case currently with all farm regulation that has been left over to the new Government. This is why I have asked Defra to review farm regulation, focussing on how it can be more coherent, less time consuming and easier to understand for farmers under this new Government. I have also asked all Defra regulators how they are supporting growth.

What fiscal steps she is taking to help grow the rural economy.

Kick starting economic growth, including in rural areas, is the number one mission of this Government so we can put more money in people’s pockets. A prosperous rural economy will be underpinned by improvements to rural connectivity and productivity, access to public services and a thriving farming sector.To this end, we are restoring stability and investment in our public services as the best way to support economic growth across the country, including in rural areas. We confirmed investment of over £500 million this year to continue to deliver Project Gigabit and the Shared Rural Network to drive rollout of broadband and 4G connectivity which will support growth in rural areas across the UK. We confirmed over £650 million of funding for local transport beyond our City Region Sustainable Transport Settlements, in 2025-26, to ensure that transport connections improve in our towns, villages and rural areas.We have also committed £5 billion to the farming budget over two years – which includes the largest ever amount of funding directed at sustainable food production and nature’s recovery in our country’s history.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help increase agricultural productivity.

The Government recognises the importance of innovation in supporting future farming productivity and profitability, to boost Britain’s food security and to improve nature’s recovery. Defra is continuing to support agricultural productivity through a range of policies. For example, we have already announced the ADOPT Fund which will launch in Spring 2025, enabling farmer-led trials to bridge the gap between new technologies and their real-world application. Legislation to implement the Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Act 2023 will be introduced in Parliament before the end of March. When in force, this will enable farmers to grow crops with higher yields and that are more resistant to drought, pests and diseases. Defra also works closely with the Institute for Agriculture and Horticulture (TIAH), a new professional body for the farming industry established in 2021. TIAH aims to remove the fragmentation that exists within current learning and skills landscape for farming and growing businesses enabling the industry to drive greater uptake of professional skills which will help support improvements in productivity.

Media and Sport, what fiscal steps she is taking to help develop tourism in rural areas.

The Government recognises the importance of tourism to rural constituencies, including its contribution to economic growth and pride in place of an area.DCMS, through VisitEngland, has accredited 35 Local Visitor Economy Partnerships (LVEPs) so far; which aim to drive investment and spend across the regions - including in rural and coastal areas. In November 2024, Telford and Shropshire became an accredited LVEP and continues to provide strong local leadership and governance.We understand a high proportion of businesses in tourism and hospitality are micro and small businesses. In the October Budget the Government announced a new, permanent 40% business rate relief for retail, hospitality, and leisure. We will also continue the UK Shared Prosperity Fund at a reduced level for a further year by providing £900million for local authorities. This transitional arrangement will allow local authorities to invest in local growth.DCMS continues to work with VisitBritain/VisitEngland to champion visits to the British countryside to a worldwide audience. VisitBritain’s new GREAT-funded international marketing campaign, ‘Starring GREAT Britain’, uses the hook of Britain’s rich film and television history to encourage more international visitors to explore across Britain, including many rural destinations.

If she will take steps to increase funding for rural schools.

Through the dedicated schools grant, the department is increasing funding for mainstream schools to £48.7 billion in 2025/26. This is an increase of 2.15% per pupil in 2025/26, compared to 2024/25. The schools national funding formula (NFF) distributes funding for mainstream schools based on schools’ and pupils’ needs and characteristics. The NFF recognises that some schools are necessarily small because they are remote and do not have the same opportunities to grow or make efficiency savings as other schools and that such schools often play a significant role in the rural communities they serve. As such, small and remote schools can attract additional funding through the sparsity factor. In 2025/26, the department is allocating £100 million in respect of small and rural schools through the sparsity factor. The department will take the time needed to consider changes to various funding formulae going forward, ensuring that we get any changes right, and recognising the importance of establishing a fair funding system that directs funding to where it is needed.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help (a) mitigate the impact of and (b) reduce the quantity of microplastics released into the environment by domestic washing machines.

The Government is concerned about the risks microplastics in our water environment may pose to public health and to the environment. Regulations for products and appliances are covered by the Ecodesign for Energy-Related Products Regulations 2010 and are routinely reviewed by the Government, and previous collaborative work with the water industry found that microplastics from clothing and textiles make up a small proportion (around 1%) of the total microplastics found within wastewater treatment works. There is no work planned to amend the relevant regulation for this product at the present time. Defra is continuing to work with water companies to investigate microplastics detected during wastewater treatment and their potential to enter the receiving aquatic environment.

What steps he is taking to improve the energy efficiency of homes in rural areas.

The Government has committed £3.4 billion over the next 3 years towards heat decarbonisation and household energy efficiency. This includes £500 million of funding towards our new Warm Homes: Local Grant (WH:LG) which will provide support for low-income households living in privately owned EPC band D-G homes both on and off the gas grid in England. The WH:LG will be delivered from 2025 to 2028 by eligible local authorities. Rural homes are also supported through current energy efficiency schemes including the Energy Company Obligation and Home Upgrade Grant.

Whether funding to establish youth hubs will be distributed on a revenue basis.

Young Futures Hubs will bring together services to improve access to opportunities and support for young people at community level, promoting positive outcomes, supporting crime prevention and enabling young people to thrive.We will make use of existing structures and build upon the successes of existing provision, from physical buildings to local partnership working, and existing workforces. By having a more cohesive and integrated approach, with strategic centre points co-ordinating activity, we will reach more young people.Officials from across a range of departments are working together, using evidence of what works, to start to shape how the Young Futures Hubs will work in practice. To roll out Young Futures Hubs, the department will establish a number of early adopter hubs. These hubs and work in local areas will inform the longer-term development of the programme, including how quickly we move to a greater number of hubs.

What steps he is taking to help tackle barriers to export for small businesses.

The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) is committed to supporting small businesses grow and export. UK businesses can access DBT’s wealth of export support via Great.gov.uk. This comprises an online support offer and a wider network of support including the Export Academy, UK Export Finance, the International Markets network and one-to-one support from International Trade Advisers. DBT is also piloting an enhanced partnership with Greater Manchester Combined Authority, taking a targeted place-based approach to accelerate small business growth through exporting across the region. This will be rolled out to other regions across England over the next 12 months. We will bring forward further measures in due course.

Innovation and Technology, whether he plans to allocate additional funding towards projects that improve mobile connectivity in (a) rural and (b) hard to reach areas.

We are working with telecoms companies to reduce poor mobile signal in rural areas. The Shared Rural Network is already delivering new 4G coverage to places where there is either limited or no 4G coverage at all. There are currently no plans to allocate additional funding beyond this. Our ambition is for all populated areas to have higher-quality standalone 5G by 2030, and we are working with the industry to deliver this. We are driving the adoption of standalone 5G across key sectors through our £36m 5G Innovation Regions programme.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to increase funding available to national landscape teams.

This Government is committed to empowering Protected Landscapes to become greener, wilder, and more accessible to all. We understand the uncertainty around resourcing remains a challenge for National Landscapes teams. Defra business planning is ongoing, and we will communicate the outcomes of this as soon as possible.

What recent discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on the adequacy of support available for farmers and food producers.

HMT Ministers have regular discussions with the Secretary of State for Environment Food, and Rural Affairs. Food security is national security and our commitment to farmers is steadfast. That is why, despite the fiscal constraints, we have prioritised £5 billion for the farming budget over the next two years. This includes the largest ever amount of funding directed at sustainable food production and nature’s recovery in our country’s history, and £60m to support farmers with the impacts of extreme wet weather. At the Oxford Farming Conference, the Secretary of State set out the government’s long-term vision to make farming more profitable and put more money in the pockets of British farmers. This includes a set of reforms such as using the government’s purchasing power to buy British Food, planning reforms to speed up the delivery of farm buildings and other infrastructure which supports food production, and work to ensure supply chain fairness.