Written questions by Anderson.

What steps he is taking to ensure that veterans in rural areas have access to mental health support services.

NHS England commissions Op COURAGE, the integrated mental health and wellbeing service for veterans. Veterans can self-refer to Op COURAGE. The service has been designed to support veterans from all areas, including rural areas, and is delivered from a range of locations, including National Health Service trusts, general practices, Poppy Shops, veteran hubs, and drop-in centres. Elements of the service may also be provided online if this is clinically appropriate.As set out in the NHS Priorities and Operational Planning Guidance for 2024/25, NHS England is continuing to expand access to mental health services to increase the number of people accessing mental health support. Integrated care boards are responsible for providing health and care services to meet the needs of their local populations, taking into account local considerations such as access to services in rural areas. The Government recognises that too many people are not receiving the mental health care they need, and that waits for mental health services are too long. The Government is determined to change that, and ensure that mental health has the same focus as physical health, to help people in rural areas to access high quality mental health support when they need it.In addition, people of all ages who are in crisis or who are concerned about a family or loved one can now call 111, select the mental health option, and speak to a trained mental health professional. NHS staff can guide callers with next steps such as organising face-to-face community support or facilitating access to alternative services, like crisis cafés or safe havens, which provide a place for people to stay as an alternative to accident and emergency or a hospital admission.

Innovation and Technology, whether he has had recent discussions with the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on the use of artificial intelligence in farming and agriculture.

AI is a general-purpose technology, with a wide array of applications. The government’s AI Opportunities Action Plan sets out how we will make the most of this transformative technology by laying the foundations for AI growth, driving adoption and building UK capability at the frontier.The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology engages regularly across government departments, including the Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs, to understand how they are considering AI-related policy opportunities within their remit.In addition, Innovate UK’s BridgeAI programme supports AI adoption across four sectors, of which agriculture is one.

What steps she is taking to tackle modern slavery in illegal hand carwashes.

The Government is committed to tackling modern slavery across all sectors, including hand car washes.The Responsible Car Wash Scheme, partly funded by the Home Office, sought to enhance compliance, and investigate non-compliance in the car wash sector. As part of the scheme, a Car Wash Code of Practice was developed in collaboration with the sector to test the effectiveness of different interventions in raising standards.As the scheme has concluded, the Government is assessing these evaluations to understand how both to bolster compliance, and support sector-led initiatives. The Government and enforcement bodies, such as the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority, continue to support industry initiatives aimed at improving standards, while also cracking down on individual carwash operators employing and exploiting illegal workers.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department will continue to support the Rural Housing Enablers Scheme.

The Government is committed to funding the Rural Housing Enabler programme until 31 March 2025. It is also providing over £5 billion total housing investment in 2025-26 to boost the supply of new housing, including in rural areas. This includes a £500 million top up to the Affordable Homes Programme. Funding allocations for individual programmes for the next financial year will be determined in upcoming months through the department’s business planning exercise and announced in due course.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to prevent hand carwash operators from disposing of chemicals illegally down public storm drains.

It is the responsibility of hand car wash businesses to ensure that they are not polluting the environment as a result of their activities. This is set out in guidance on Gov.uk. Chemicals in car wash products may become classed as waste (including containers with residual chemicals in them). A site operator will need to establish if this is the case and ensure that Hazardous Waste Regulations are followed in respect of correct disposal. For discharges to water and sewerage company networks, a site operator may need to apply for a trade effluent consent from the water and sewerage company. If a discharge is to surface water drain/sewer, or the ground, a permit under Environmental Permitting Regulations may be required. If a hand car wash business were to cause an environmental incident, the Environment Agency would respond to the incident as it would any other environmental incident. The Environment Agency responds to substantiated reports of environmental incidents and will take appropriate action under the enforcement and sanctions policy dependent on the nature and severity of any offence. The Environment Agency enforcement and sanctions policy can be found on Gov.uk.

Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to encourage community ownership of locally valued assets at risk.

On 23 December 2024, this government announced the outcome of the Community Ownership Fund Round 4, and awarded £36.2 million to 85 projects across the UK. This represents the largest ever window of the Fund to date, both in terms of funding awarded and number of projects.The Devolution White Paper, which was published on 16 December, set out plans which demonstrate our commitment to communities and there will be further announcements relating to communities this year, including on the community ownership of assets.

If he will make the Responsible Car Wash Scheme’s Code of Practice mandatory.

The Department of Business and Trade does not currently have any plans to make the Responsible Car Wash Scheme’s Code of Practice mandatory. I also refer the member for South Shropshire to the answer I provided to UIN 21371 on 9 January for further information.

How many new teachers will be delivered in (a) South Shropshire and (b) other rural areas.

Delivering the government’s agenda to break down the barriers to opportunity relies on a highly skilled workforce in schools, and high-quality teaching is the in-school factor that makes the biggest difference to a child’s education.There are now 468,693 full-time equivalent teachers in state-funded schools in England but numbers have not kept pace with demand. This is why the department is committed to recruiting an additional 6,500 new expert teachers across our schools, both mainstream and specialist, and our colleges over the course of this Parliament. This will help ensure that children in South Shropshire and all other areas of the country, including rural areas, have the expert qualified teachers they need in order to achieve and thrive.

How many youth hubs will be established in rural areas.

The government is committed to breaking down barriers to success and opportunity. Too many children and young people today do not have access to the same enrichment opportunities as their peers, suffer from poor mental health, and, in some cases, end up being drawn into crime rather than going on to achieve and thrive.Young Futures Hubs will bring together services to improve access to opportunities and support for young people at community level, promoting positive outcomes and enabling them to thrive. Ensuring young people from rural areas are included in the rollout of Young Futures Hubs is incredibly important.As part of the development process, the department is engaging with local areas, communities, statutory partners, charities and other key stakeholders to support the design of the Young Futures Hubs and explore options for their delivery. This will ensure we are making use of the vast knowledge and experience that already exists, and will include considerations of the most suitable locations, as well as how best to engage with those young people who would benefit most from their support. The number of Young Futures Hubs, their specific locations and their reach are still being determined, and we will share further information regarding these Hubs in due course.

If he will bring forward legislative proposals to establish a licensing regime for hand carwashes.

The Hand Car Wash sector is one of Office of the Director of Labour Market Enforcement (ODLME) priority areas. The Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA) have taken a proactive stance working closely with the Responsible Hand Car Wash scheme and No...

Whether she is taking steps to support small businesses in rural areas with international trade.

Under the umbrella of the recently announced Business Growth Service, UK businesses can access The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) wealth of export support via Great.gov.uk. This comprises an online support offer and a wider network of support inc...

Representing the Church Commissioners, what steps the Church is taking to support churches in rural areas engage local communities in music.

Through the Strategic Mission and Ministry Investment Board, the National Church Institutions are supporting new musical initiatives in churches in the following ways: • Hympact! is funded in partnership with the Royal School of Church Music, the dioceses...

What steps her Department is taking to support police forces to purchase equipment for tackling rural crime.

It is an operational matter for policing to determine how they use the resources they have been allocated in order to carry out their duties, taking into account local priorities.The Provisional Police Funding Settlement announced funding of up to £19.5 b...

Communities and Local Government, what fiscal steps she is taking to help reduce the number of empty retail units on high streets in rural areas.

The Government is determined to combat the blight of vacancy on high streets. On 2nd December, new High Street Rental Auction powers came into force enabling local authorities to tackle persistent vacancy, implementation is supported by over £1 million of...

What steps he is taking to increase the number of community diagnostic hubs in rural areas.

We have committed to getting back to the 18-week standard by the end of this Parliament, addressing the unacceptably long waits experienced by too many people. The Department is working with NHS England on a reform plan for elective care, which will be pu...

What steps he is taking to improve protections for whistleblowers.

Workers who blow the whistle are entitled to protections from detriment or dismissal as a result of making a protected disclosure and a route of redress through the Employment Tribunals if these protections are infringed.The Employment Rights Bill will st...

What steps his Department is taking to help increase the sustainability of supply chains in the defence industry.

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) has a long-standing commitment to improve its engagement with Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in order to broaden and strengthen its supply-base. The recently published Defence Industrial Strategy Statement of Intent reco...

What steps she is taking to support older workers in rural settings.

The government is reforming jobcentres to better match people with the right jobs and provide employment, skills, and career-focused support to individuals, including those in rural and coastal areas.A new national jobs and careers service will be introdu...

What steps she is taking with local authorities to develop integrated transport systems in rural areas.

We are committed to empowering local leaders to design and operate transport systems that better serve local needs. The Integrated National Transport Strategy will establish a people-first approach to transport across all areas and set the vision for bett...

Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to maximise the use of developer's contributions to improve community infrastructure in rural areas.

The government is also committed to strengthening the existing system of developer contributions to ensure new developments provide necessary affordable homes and infrastructure, including in rural areas. Further details will be set out in due course.The ...